Daniel Patel, Recruitment Director at Eursap, says the tension between rising CV volumes and meaningful candidate feedback is one of the most pressing challenges in hiring today. “The number of applications has risen dramatically, and the introduction of AI technologies has made applying to various positions easier than ever before. This means that there is a problem in terms of quantity right at the beginning of the hiring process, where companies now receive not dozens, but hundreds or even thousands of resumes.” He explains that this shift has changed how employers prioritise their time. “With such numbers, providing each applicant with…

England and Scotland’s progress at the 2026 FIFA World Cup could help drive  £2.4bn in at-home food and drink spending, as fans increasingly swap pubs for sofas, according to new research from Novuna Personal Finance.  With just one month to go until the tournament begins, fans are already planning how to balance late-night kick-offs with everyday routines – and their spending reflects a clear shift towards home-based viewing. Home win for matchday spend While major tournaments typically boost pubs and bars, this summer is set to favour  supermarkets, takeaways and convenience retailers.   More than half (54%) of UK adults plan to watch matches at home, spending an average of £80 per person on food and drink – equivalent to £2.4bn in total. By comparison, those planning to watch in pubs or…

Workers across the UK could be missing out on valuable pension tax savings because they do not fully understand how their workplace pension is set up. According to workplace pension provider Penfold, confusion around salary sacrifice, pension tax relief, and contribution structures means many employees may be paying more tax and National Insurance than necessary. For higher earners, failing to claim additional pension tax relief through self-assessment could mean missing out on hundreds of pounds each year. Chris Eastwood, CEO of Penfold, said: “Most people assume their workplace pension is set up in the best possible way. Often, it isn’t. Small pension…

As customers, we’ve all wasted time communicating with a chatbot when a human could have solved the problem much more quickly, we’ve all witnessed a growing queue because a self-service checkout wasn’t recognising an item’s barcode, and we’ve all frequently had to download apps that require multi-stage authentication and which we might only use for one event or transaction. Yet all of these scenarios have originated because the business we were trying to interact with has aimed to improve customer experience, and has equated implementing more technology with increased efficiency and effectiveness. And that’s why all company decision-makers need to…

Around 10–20% of recognised pregnancies end in miscarriage, and with IVF also becoming more common, fertility treatment and pregnancy loss are increasingly part of everyday life and workplace conversations.  Against this backdrop, a fertility doctor is warning that some of the language still used at work, such as “at least you can try again”, can fail to reflect just how emotionally and physically complex these experiences really are.  Dr Abhijit Kulkarni, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine at Create Fertility, explains why IVF, miscarriage and menopause are fundamentally different from typical health conditions, and what needs to change in how they are discussed. How…

New research from Malt, Europe’s leading freelance management platform, has revealed a strong skill shift in favor of AI-related skills as well as low and no-code tools. The demand for traditional software languages like Java (-32%), C++ (-25%) and PHP (-33%) has declined significantly, as companies have shifted their tech strategies in 2025. In contrast, the past year has seen a +1390% increase in n8n projects, a workflow automation tool that requires minimal coding. This is according to the Malt Tech Trends 2026 report  which draws insights from Europe’s largest independent tech community, analysing keyword searches and project briefs from more than…

The United Kingdom is the third most-searched destination for Americans looking to relocate, as UK businesses seek closer ties with the U.S., increasing the need for cross-cultural training. This month, UK business leaders prepare for the largest-ever UK trade mission to the United States, potentially increasing the number of Americans coming to the UK for work, whether on placements or through relocation. The study, conducted by the cultural intelligence training platform Country Navigator, has revealed the top countries for attracting American workers by analysing annual relocation searches. You can view the study here – https://www.countrynavigator.com/blog/global-talent-report Most searched-for destinations among Americans looking to…

By Matthew Ekholm, Digital Product Passport and Circularity Specialist at Provenant Businesses in the EU generate approximately 166 million tonnes of waste every year, demonstrating just how much urgency there is to prioritise sustainability and protect the future of the planet. In today’s marketplace, embracing sustainable practices is no longer optional; it’s becoming a defining factor for business success in the new era of consumerism. Customers are increasingly becoming more eco-conscious and looking for evidence of sustainable practices behind the products they’re buying. At the same time governments are also stepping in to accelerate change with initiatives such as the…

A debt recovery expert has outlined the steps businesses should take to chase outstanding payments effectively, without damaging important commercial relationships. Late payments continue to place significant pressure on the UK economy, with recent figures suggesting they cost almost £11 billion a year and contribute to 38 business closures every day. According to Claire Twells, Partner and Head of Debt Recovery at Smith Partnership, the issue often stems from larger businesses using extended payment terms to protect their own cash flow, creating a knock-on effect across the wider supply chain. Claire, who leads Smith Partnership’s Debt Recovery team, said larger organisations need…

With AI-generated cover letters becoming increasingly common, candidates are applying faster and at greater scale, raising new questions around authenticity, quality, and what hiring managers are really looking for. To explore this further, Daniel Patel, Recruitment Director at Eursap, has shared his expert insights. “We are seeing a significant rise in AI-generated cover letters. It is no longer occasional; it is widespread, particularly in high-volume application processes. Candidates are under pressure to apply quickly and at scale, and AI tools offer a way to keep up with that pace.” On whether hiring managers can tell the difference, he says the gap…

Red tape, rising costs, and complex rules are pushing small firms out of EU markets, new research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned. The report, Ticket to Trade: Making EU trade easier for SMEs, shows that three in ten (34%) of SME traders expect to reduce or stop EU trade altogether if current rules don’t change. Meanwhile, five in ten (45%) expect to maintain current trading levels and fewer than one in ten (6%) see an opportunity to grow trade with the EU under the existing arrangements. That’s because paperwork is making EU trade harder to justify, with one small business reporting spending more than half…

By Peter Kerry For the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners, the primary challenge is rarely just the competition; it is the friction within. In a smaller team, a single unresolved dispute doesn’t just lower morale—it can halt operations entirely. Without the buffer of a sprawling HR department, the weight of resolving team friction falls directly on the founder’s shoulders. Workplace conflict costs UK businesses an estimated £28.5 billion annually. However, as a CMC Registered mediator and a professional speaker trainer, I have seen that many of these costs are avoidable. Most disputes do not start with a “bad…

Financial services firms are used to competing on expertise, performance and technical strength. But in a crowded market, that is no longer enough on its own. The firms that stand out are often the ones that communicate with more clarity, more personality and more consistency. Increasingly, that means using video and content to show clients and partners who they are, not just what they do. That is the thinking behind the work of B7, a Newcastle-based video-first content marketing agency that helps businesses become known, liked and trusted in the markets that matter to them through strategic, consistent and high-quality…

AI fraud cases have skyrocketed by an astonishing 1,210% in 2025, far outpacing the 195% spike seen in traditional fraud. At the same time, deepfake fraud attempts in the UK have nearly doubled, rising 94% in the same year – second only to France (96%). More than half (51%) of UK adults now fear falling victim to a financial phishing scam, with over one in ten (11%) having already lost money to one. Driven by AI-powered scams, fraud is now surging at record levels nationwide, with more than 1,200 incidents every single day and total losses hitting over £629 million in just six months. With scams typically spiking ahead of summer as fraudsters exploit a surge in…

Leading sustainability consultancy Tunley Environmental has launched its latest guide, “A Guide to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)”, designed to help organisations understand, develop and apply EPDs to support compliance and gain a competitive edge. Many businesses are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the impact of their products across the full lifecycle. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are pivotal in meeting these expectations, enabling organisations to provide verified data aligned with frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), BREEAM and LEED. Data from the International EPD System shows that more than 9,000 EPDs were published in 2025 alone, highlighting the growing…

With platforms like TikTok and Instagram increasingly shaping consumer behaviour, small businesses now have the potential to reach mass audiences without traditional marketing budgets. In some cases, a single post can transform a local venue into a viral destination almost instantly. However, going viral does not happen by accident, instead it is often the result of specific content strategies, audience behaviours, and the ability to scale operations quickly. Keen to help small businesses better understand how to increase their chances of going viral on social media, and what to prepare for if they do, Amir Gabay, Co-CEO of Hopp by Wix evaluates the key factors…