Employment Plus Practical careers advice for UK jobseekers and employers

Employment Plus

Practical careers advice for UK jobseekers and employers

Latest Articles

More Work, Same Badge: When Your Role Outgrows Its Job Title
Career Development

More Work, Same Badge: When Your Role Outgrows Its Job Title

A dry promotion can feel flattering for about a week: you are trusted with more, but your title, pay and formal recognition stay exactly where they were. This guide looks at how UK employees can spot the pattern early, record what has changed and ask for a proper review — and how employers can fix scope creep before it turns into a resignation.
The Vacancy That Never Was: Spotting a Ghost Job Before You Give It Your Evening
Recruitment

The Vacancy That Never Was: Spotting a Ghost Job Before You Give It Your Evening

Some job adverts are less a doorway than a shop window — always lit, never open. Here's how UK candidates can tell a real opening from a ghost job, and why employers who leave adverts running end up paying for it in reputation rather than salary.
The Quiet Power of a Good Reference: A Practical Guide for UK Hirers and Candidates
Recruitment

The Quiet Power of a Good Reference: A Practical Guide for UK Hirers and Candidates

References are back on the hiring agenda — and a vague one can cost you a role or a hire. Here's how UK employers can ask better questions within the rules, and how candidates can set their referees up to succeed.
The Extra Ten Grand Question: Should You Stay When the Money Arrives Late?
Career Development

The Extra Ten Grand Question: Should You Stay When the Money Arrives Late?

That pay rise which appears the moment you resign is rarely about your value suddenly being spotted. Here's how to weigh a last-minute counteroffer against trust, scope, flexibility and where your career is actually heading — plus what employers can do so they never need to make one.
First Ninety Days: Turning Probation Into a Welcome Rather Than a Warning
Recruitment

First Ninety Days: Turning Probation Into a Welcome Rather Than a Warning

Probation is too often a calendar entry nobody prepares for until week eleven. Here's a practical framework for clear objectives, honest check-ins and transparent extensions — plus the questions candidates should ask before they sign.
The 'Free' Trial Shift: How UK Jobseekers Can Tell a Fair Test From Unpaid Work
Pay & Benefits

The 'Free' Trial Shift: How UK Jobseekers Can Tell a Fair Test From Unpaid Work

Trial shifts can be a sensible way for employers to see you in action — but they can also drift into unpaid labour. Here's how UK candidates in hospitality, retail and care can ask the right questions, spot the warning signs and know when a shift should be paid.
Career Development

After the Break: How to Talk About Your CV Gap With Confidence (and How Employers Should Hear It)

A career break for caring, health, study or redundancy doesn't erase your experience. Here's how UK returners can present the gap clearly on a CV and in interviews — plus a fairer way for employers to assess them.
Post, Pause or Plan Ahead: Reading the UK Hiring Calendar in 2026
Recruitment

Post, Pause or Plan Ahead: Reading the UK Hiring Calendar in 2026

UK recruitment has a rhythm: January surges, Easter lulls, summer cover gaps and a pre-Christmas freeze. This month-by-month guide helps SMEs time their job ads and helps candidates apply when hiring managers are actually receptive.
Proof, Not Polish: Showing Your Extra Value Before the Job Title Arrives
Career Development

Proof, Not Polish: Showing Your Extra Value Before the Job Title Arrives

You do not need a grand title to prove you can do the job. This guide looks at seven credible ways UK candidates can build evidence of extra value — and how to put it on a CV or talk about it in an interview without overegging it.
Ten Minutes Well Spent: The Pre-Interview Employer Spot-Check UK Candidates Swear By
Recruitment

Ten Minutes Well Spent: The Pre-Interview Employer Spot-Check UK Candidates Swear By

Before you rehearse answers, spend ten minutes checking the basics. This practical UK checklist covers Companies House, the sponsor register, reviews, LinkedIn and local news — and shows you how to turn red flags into sensible interview questions.
What 'Competitive Salary' Really Costs UK Employers — and What to Write Instead
Pay & Benefits

What 'Competitive Salary' Really Costs UK Employers — and What to Write Instead

'Competitive salary' is not a number, and UK candidates know it. Here's why vague pay adverts waste hiring time in 2026, what a useful salary range looks like, and how to handle regional pay differences without losing trust.
Shorter Weeks, Clearer Rules: What UK Teams Should Actually Trial in 2026
Flexible Work

Shorter Weeks, Clearer Rules: What UK Teams Should Actually Trial in 2026

Four-day weeks are creeping back into UK workplace conversations, but the useful question is not whether they sound nice. It is whether your team can test one without wrecking service levels or creating a two-tier workforce. Here is a practical playbook for employers and a reality-check list for candidates.
Recruitment

The Rejection Email Audit: Giving UK Candidates Feedback They Can Use

Many UK employers spend serious money on recruitment branding, then send a rejection email that reads like it was written by a filing cabinet. Candidates remember that gap. Here is a practical, legally careful way to give useful feedback at each hiring stage without burying hiring managers in extra work.