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  • You should be polite and precise her calls is not appreciated and you would want to stick to your job description notwithstanding once in a blue moon... there could be urgency and you will be available to help but you can't be working always every time of the day  more

  • Is being “on-call” part of your job description? If not, you need to set boundaries.

Guy Goma's Hilarious BBC Interview Mix-Up Turns Him into an Internet Sensation - SSBCrack News


In a surprising turn of events, an ordinary job interview transformed into an unforgettable moment in broadcasting history. In 2006, Guy Goma, a data support cleanser, found himself at the BBC Television Centre in London, anxiously awaiting an interview with the IT department. As he sat in the reception area, he was approached by a staff member who casually asked if he was "Guy." Goma, assuming it... was a straightforward inquiry about his identity, replied affirmatively.

However, the staff member was not there for IT but was instead a producer for News 24, who mistakenly believed Goma was Guy Kewney, a technology expert slated for an interview about the legal battle between Apple Corps and Apple Computer. Unbeknownst to Goma, he was ushered into the studio, quickly mic'd up, and placed in front of the cameras.

Moments later, reporter Karen Bowerman introduced him as the internet expert who would provide insights on the high-profile court case. Realizing he was in the wrong place, Goma's expression conveyed a mix of confusion and disbelief. Despite this, he composed himself and greeted the audience with a polite "Good morning." When Bowerman asked him about the unexpected verdict, Goma responded, "I wasn't expecting that ... a big surprise," demonstrating a remarkable ability to navigate through an unforeseen situation.

The interview continued for approximately 20 minutes, with Goma providing answers that, although not entirely accurate, resonated well with viewers. Meanwhile, Kewney remained in the reception area, waiting for his turn, only to discover that a mix-up had occurred.

After the bizarre live interview concluded, Goma attended his intended job interview but did not secure the position. However, his accidental appearance on national television soon garnered massive attention, with the clip accumulating over 8.4 million views on YouTube. Reflecting on the incident, Goma later described it as a "great experience" and spoke about the unexpected journey from anonymity to sudden fame.

Goma recounted feeling immense pressure during the interview and sought to maintain composure throughout the ordeal. He expressed a desire to avoid embarrassment for himself and the BBC, vowing to manage the unintentional spotlight with dignity. The BBC later published a piece acknowledging the incident, noting that Goma had initially thought the questions related to his prospective position at the IT department.

Years later, Goma leveraged the incident into a teachable moment, stating, "It shows people how you can deal with a situation. On that day it was Guy. Tomorrow it could be maybe you." As Goma approaches his 58th birthday, he now works for a disability charity and has plans to publish a book recounting his experience, partnering with former BBC producer Elliott Gotkine.

In a recent interview, Goma revealed aspirations to seek compensation from the BBC, questioning why he had not been paid for his brief yet impactful appearance. He remains humble about the entire experience and emphasizes his desire to continue living a grounded life, despite the fame that once found him unexpectedly.
 
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It's been 20 years since the wrong Guy was interviewed by the BBC


It's 2006 and Guy Goma has a job interview with the BBC.

The data support cleanser waits patiently in the reception area of the BBC Television Centre in London for his interview with the IT department.

He's approached by a BBC staff member who asks if he's "Guy".

"Yes. It's me," Goma says.

What happens next has been immortalised as one of the greatest live TV blunders of all time, because the... staff member who approached Guy wasn't from IT, he was a producer for News 24.

And the Guy the producer collected wasn't Guy Kewney, who had been booked to be interviewed on the program, but Guy Goma, who inadvertently went along for the ride.

Wrong place, wrong Guy

Thinking he was en route to his job interview, Goma followed the producer into the News 24 studio.

He was quickly ushered onto set, mic'd up and seated in front of the cameras.

Before he knew it, reporter Karen Bowerman introduced him as internet expert Guy Kewney, who was in the studio to discuss the Apple Corps v Apple Computer court case.

"So what does this all mean for the industry and the growth of music online? Well, Guy Kewney is the editor of the technology website News Wireless. Good morning to you," Bowerman says.

Goma's face says it all. He has realised he's in the wrong place.

But, instead of outing himself, he politely replies.

"Good morning," Guy says.

"Were you surprised by this verdict today?" Bowerman asks.

"I'm very surprised to see this verdict ... I wasn't expecting that ... a big surprise," Goma stumbles.

"A big surprise," Bowerman replies.

The interview continues and Goma answers the reporter's questions.

The blunder would not be revealed until it was over.

Twenty minutes later, Goma made it to his job interview with the IT department, but he didn't get the job.

Despite that, 20 years and 8.4 million views on YouTube later, Goma says it was a "great experience".

'From nobody to a legend'

Goma may have finished the interview, but his body language "expressed everything", he recently told BBC Africa.

"I thought, 'Okay, I don't want to embarrass anyone. I want to solve this one to make it right,'" he said.

"I tried my best to breathe, keep calm, get control of the situation.

The BBC published an article admitting to the ordeal a week after the fact.

"Mr Goma said his appearance was 'very stressful' and wondered why the questions were not related to the data support cleanser job he applied for," the article stated.

"It was only later that it was discovered that Mr Kewney was still waiting in reception, prompting producers to wonder who their wrong man was."

Goma, who went on to become an internet sensation in the early years of YouTube virality, said he had turned the disaster into a teachable moment.

"To be honest, it was a great experience. From nobody to a legend," he said.

Twenty years on

In 2026, it's hard to ignore that although Goma was not the expert the BBC booked, his answer regarding the future of music downloads was spot on.

"With regards to the costs involved, do you think now more people will be downloading online?" Bowerman asked.

"You're gonna see a lot of people downloading to the internet and the website, and everything they want," Goma said.

The inadvertent star, now 58, works for a disability charity.

In 2023, he said he was considering taking the BBC to court because he believed he should earn a share of any royalties the BBC had received from the interview.

"Did they pay me for that interview? No," he told the Accidental Celebrities podcast.

This year, Goma teamed up with the producer who collected him from the foyer, Elliott Gotkine, to publish a book about the saga.

When asked about the book and his future, Goma had a simple reply: "I'm still going to be humble."
 
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HR leaders split on how to handle AI use by candidates in job interviews


AI tools now feed real-time answers to job candidates during live interviews, undetected by recruiters. Over 72% of hiring leaders have moved some interviews in-person to counter it.

AI Co-Pilots in Job Interviews Are Forcing HR Teams to Rethink How They Hire

Candidates appearing composed and articulate in remote interviews may have invisible help. AI tools like Final Round AI and Interview... Copilot feed real-time answers to job seekers during live hiring conversations - prompts the interviewer never sees. The problem has grown widespread enough that over 72% of recruiting leaders now conduct some interviews in person specifically to counter it.

Shawn Gibson, Chief People Officer at Info-Tech Research Group, encountered this firsthand. "What we're finding is that sometimes we get a sense that candidates are using AI right in the actual interview with the recruiter," he said. "And that's just not acceptable. It's not evaluating the candidate properly."

The mechanics are simple

An AI tool receives the interview question and immediately generates an answer. The candidate reads it aloud while the recruiter remains unaware anything unusual is happening.

For distributed organizations, the problem compounds. Info-Tech operates across six countries with recruiters based in North America, making it difficult to detect AI assistance when hiring in places like Singapore. Gibson proposed one workaround: a hybrid model where a senior leader meets candidates in person while a recruiter joins virtually. That physical presence can catch behavioral cues a screen cannot.

Christine Vigna, Chief People Officer at Dejero, said experienced hiring managers spot the pattern. "There are long pauses. They will give an extremely well-articulated answer - and then you ask the next question, there's a pause and then they go again," she said.

The hypocrisy question

Vigna raised a counterpoint: employers themselves use AI extensively in hiring. Resume screening tools, candidate response evaluators, and automated scoring systems are now standard. "So many employers are now using AI in the hiring process themselves," she said. "It's a tad hypocritical that employers can use AI for all of their processes, and yet we're saying that employees should not be using AI in that hiring process."

This logic is shifting how some companies evaluate candidates. Rather than disqualifying applicants who use AI, Dejero digs deeper afterward. The company asks candidates about their prompts, how they used the tools, and what they might improve. This tests both AI fluency and underlying knowledge - skills increasingly relevant to actual job performance.

"If we have candidates who are comfortable using AI, it's a bonus," Vigna said.

AI screening AI

Gibson flagged a broader tension: "Candidates are applying with AI, but then recruiters are using AI to look at it. So, you literally have AI to AI issues being created."

Recent data underscores the scale. A survey found that 22% of job seekers admit to using AI during live interviews - a figure HR consultant Bryan Driscoll suggested is likely much higher. Separately, 70% of candidates were never informed that AI would evaluate them during the hiring process.

Both Gibson and Vigna stressed the same principle: governance must precede adoption. "The pace of adoption gets ahead of the governance around it," Gibson said. Info-Tech paused a planned AI-powered HR assistant when it recognized privacy guardrails needed closer attention first.

What HR leaders should do

Vigna recommends treating AI literacy as a measurable competency, not a disqualifier. Build interview structures that require candidates to demonstrate reasoning, not just output. Ask them to walk you through how they used a tool and probe for the thinking behind answers.

Gibson's advice is structural: reconsider whether remote-only hiring still serves your needs. Where can human presence - virtual or in person - restore judgment that AI obscures? "Where can we have employees interject? Where do we really need human scrutiny, human touch?" he said.

Vigna concluded: "There needs to be a world in which our hiring practices are thoughtful and inclusive about the fact that candidates are using AI." Organizations that get there first won't just find better hires. They'll build the kind of candidate trust that a purely algorithmic process never can.

For HR teams navigating these shifts, resources like AI for Human Resources and the AI Learning Path for CHROs offer structured guidance on implementing AI responsibly across recruitment and talent management.
 
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Mexico's Talent Challenge: Closing the Workforce Expectation Gap


When Allegations Arise: Navigating Misconduct Investigations

The conversation around talent in Mexico often centers on a perceived shortage of qualified professionals or rising employee turnover. However, the latest data from Computrabajo and OCC points to a deeper issue: The real problem is not a lack of talent, but a gap between what companies offer and what professionals expect.

This dynamic... is unfolding in a unique context. Mexico has reached historic levels of formal employment in recent years, yet structural challenges persist, including informality, wage pressure, and the need to generate higher-quality jobs. In this environment, posting job offers is no longer enough. The real challenge is ensuring those opportunities are genuinely attractive and sustainable.

Competition for talent has intensified, driven by a shift in workforce mindset. Today, professionals prioritize better working conditions, career development opportunities, and overall well-being. According to the "Market Research 2026" study by Computrabajo and Pandapé, 9 out of 10 professionals in Mexico are willing to change jobs for these reasons.

This signals a broader transformation in labor market behavior. While compensation remains important, it is no longer the sole deciding factor. In fact, for more than half of employees, working conditions carry greater weight when deciding whether to stay in or leave a job.

This evolution becomes clearer when analyzing the main drivers of turnover. Limited career growth ranks first (30%), followed by the search for better pay (28%), lack of work-life balance (24%), and an unfavorable workplace environment.

Yet, many organizations interpret this reality differently. For 6 out of 10 companies, salary is still seen as the primary cause of turnover, highlighting a clear disconnect between corporate perception and actual workforce expectations.

At the same time, professionals are becoming more sophisticated in how they evaluate offers. Beyond comparing salaries, they actively research employee and former employee experiences. Factors such as career development, organizational culture, leadership, and flexibility are increasingly decisive in accepting -- or leaving -- a role.

In this context, compensation is taking on a new dimension. The "HR Trends 2026" report by OCC reveals that 77% of workers believe companies should prioritize competitive salaries and flexible benefits as a core part of their value proposition.

Organizations, however, face their own set of challenges. Seven out of 10 recruiters identify talent attraction and retention as their top concern, followed by pressure to adjust wages and the need to adapt to an increasingly dynamic labor environment.

Workplace well-being has also emerged as a strategic priority. Today, it encompasses economic stability, professional growth, and a genuine work-life balance.

Despite this, a significant gap remains. While 76% of employees believe mental health should be a strategic priority, only 48% of recruiters assign it the same level of importance. This disconnect directly impacts employee perception and engagement.

Generational differences are further reshaping workplace expectations. Professionals between the ages of 26 and 40 prioritize growth opportunities, while more experienced workers value workplace environment and stability. Younger generations, meanwhile, emphasize empathetic leadership and open communication.

Another factor gaining strategic relevance is one that was long considered purely operational: the recruitment process. Today, it represents one of the first touchpoints of a company's employer value proposition.

Every interaction, from the clarity of the job description to follow-up communication, sends signals about an organization's seriousness, culture, and execution capabilities. When these signals are unclear or inconsistent, candidates opt out, often before reaching the offer stage.

This is reinforced by Computrabajo data showing that 39% of candidates have abandoned recruitment processes not due to lack of interest, but because of unclear experiences, poor follow-up, or misalignment between the role and its conditions.

This suggests that, in many cases, job positions remain open not due to a lack of talent, but because of friction within the hiring process itself. Each stage of recruitment communicates how an organization truly operates -- and for companies, it represents a critical opportunity to strengthen their employer brand.

In this landscape, automation and artificial intelligence have emerged as one of the three major forces shaping recruitment and talent selection, alongside competency-based evaluation and the growing importance of a compelling employee value proposition in a market where talent has greater choice.

At the same time, technology adoption introduces new challenges. Talent is increasingly aware of how their data is used and of potential algorithmic bias, pushing organizations to implement technology with ethical standards and a human-centered approach. AI should not become a barrier, but rather an enabler of trust, transparency, and fairness.

At its core, we are witnessing a structural shift. Talent is no longer just seeking jobs, it is actively evaluating companies, comparing experiences, and making decisions based on signals that go far beyond compensation. Recruitment processes, organizational culture, and the consistency between what companies say and what they do, have become decisive factors.

Closing this gap will be one of the key competitive differentiators in the years ahead. Organizations that successfully align compensation, well-being, career development, and candidate experience will not only attract better talent, but also build stronger, more resilient, and sustainable workforce relationships.

In this new environment, trust -- supported by technology -- will cease to be an intangible and become the most valuable asset in talent management.
 
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New Grad Snags Invite to Niall Horan's Dinner Party, Then Hands Out Her Résumé to Guests (Exclusive)


Prior to landing the invite, she went viral for a text thread from her dad where he told her to ask the singer for a job when she met him in public

For Noelle Hickey, every moment is a chance to network, especially as a recent college graduate -- which is how she went viral for handing out her résumé at Niall Horan's dinner party.

In a viral clip that has since racked up more than 3.8 million... views since being posted to TikTok in April, Hickey, 22, is seen in conversation with another party-goer, holding her résumé while she (presumably) talks through her work experience. Horan, 32, points over his shoulder at the interaction, clearly amused.

"I'm really hoping to break into the entertainment industry in any capacity," Hickey, an Orange County resident, tells PEOPLE of the viral moment. "I just graduated... so I'm definitely looking for an entry-level role and staying open to different opportunities since it's such a competitive space."

Just before attending this event, Hickey ran into Horan in public, where she snapped a photo with the former One Direction band member and sent it to her dad.

"Why don't you ask him for a job? He is the One Direction guy. You could work as his personal [assistant]," her dad replied in the text thread -- which Hickey also shared on TikTok at the end of March, and has since garnered more than 1.7 million views. "You probably [could ask] him if you could get Harry [Style's] number?"

"You keep networking Noelle just keep meeting these people and ask if they can help you get a job in the industry," her dad's string of advice continued. "Don't be a weird groupie. Be a professional and ask for their [advice]. the more people you talk to better chance that it will get you an opportunity."

Hickey says she landed an invite to Horan's dinner party through a sign-up sent by her friend, "and I was selected from there."

"I'm not sure if his team had seen my TikTok beforehand or if it was separate, but I ended up getting the invite through that process," she says. "I didn't know exactly who would be there, but I assumed there would be people I'd want to connect with. Since it was his event, I knew his team would be there, so I came prepared with my résumé."

Hickey admits this isn't the first instance where she's found it particularly helpful to have her résumé on hand while she's on the job hunt. In fact, she makes it a habit to keep one on her in case such an opportunity should arise.

"I've worked events where opportunities come up in the moment, and it's so common for people to say, 'Send me your résumé,' and then never follow up," she says. "Being able to hand it to someone right there makes a big difference."

She says she's "surprised" at the attention the clip got, but ultimately felt it was a "really funny" experience -- especially seeing the clip of Horan's reaction.

"His reaction felt very on-brand... he's super charismatic and funny," she says. "I heard he was telling people he loved it and kept saying things like, 'Oh my gosh, she's actually doing it.' So I think he found it entertaining."

As Hickey continues to navigate the job market, she's trying to stay "consistent and positive," though admits it's been "challenging."

"You're going to hear a lot more noes than yeses, and that can be discouraging," she says. "Applying to over 50 jobs and not hearing back is very real; I've been there. It might take time, but if you keep going, the right opportunity will come."

Read the original article on People
 
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Burned out and going nowhere: the American worker is too mentally drained to even look for a new job | Fortune


The résumé sits unfinished in a Google Doc. The LinkedIn tab stays open, untouched. For millions of American workers, the search for something better has ground to a halt -- not because the jobs aren't there, but because they've done the math. The door, it turns out, is barely open.

More than half of U.S. workers -- 53%, according to a new Glassdoor poll of over 1,300 professionals -- say they... have paused their job search entirely to protect their mental health. It's a figure that captures something economists rarely quantify: the exhaustion tax. The psychic cost of a labor market that demands constant hustle while delivering, for many, almost nothing in return.

The structural backdrop helps explain why. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gave the condition a name last September: the "low-hire, low-fire" economy. The St. Louis Fed has since quantified it: as of late 2025, the hiring rate had fallen to 3.3% -- just 0.5 percentage points above the all-time low recorded during the depths of the Great Recession in June 2009. The firing rate, meanwhile, sat at a historically low 1.1%. Workers aren't stupid. They know that there's nowhere to go right now.

The quits rate -- the single best proxy for worker confidence in labor mobility -- dropped to 1.9% in late 2025, tying cycle lows. Americans now believe they have only a roughly 45% chance of finding a new role within three months -- a figure lower than during the peak of the COVID pandemic in December 2020, per Federal Reserve Bank of New York data.

Most U.S. CEOs had no plans to increase headcount in 2026, cementing the low-hire environment as a deliberate corporate posture rather than a cyclical dip. Monthly job growth now averages roughly 50,000-100,000 -- well below the 150,000-200,000 range considered healthy.

Compounding the immobility: job seekers are being ghosted at a three-year high, with more than half of applicants reporting no response from employers in the past year. Hiring experts connect the trend directly to AI-inflated application volumes overwhelming recruiters -- the same feedback loop burning candidates out. Workers send more applications because response rates are low; response rates stay low because volumes are overwhelming. Nobody wins.

Burnout mentions in Glassdoor company reviews surged 65% year-over-year in Q1 2026. The pressure is sharpest in nonprofit, healthcare, and technology sectors that have seen the steepest increases in exhaustion since 2019.

"One of the biggest signs of exhaustion is noticing a lack of emotional regulation -- you're more irritable, more anxious, more frustrated," said Jade Walters, a TEDx speaker and founder of career development platform The Ninth Semester. "You have to set boundaries, because if you keep chugging through and you're feeling burnt out, you're just going to keep hitting a wall."

For those still employed, the trap has another dimension: they're locked in roles that don't fit. In November 2025, the number of workers who wanted full-time positions but could only find part-time work hit 1.65 million -- the highest since January 2018. Long-term unemployment is climbing too: about a quarter of unemployed individuals had been jobless for at least 27 weeks as of December 2025, the highest proportion in nearly four years. The 12-month average duration of unemployment stood at 23.9 weeks as of March 2026 -- the highest since October 2022 -- with hundreds of thousands simply exiting the labor force after unsuccessful searches.

The outcomes, when workers do land something, are increasingly compromised. Only 25.2% of new hires landed their dream job in Q4 2025, down sharply from 36.2% the prior quarter. Over a quarter took pay cuts. Only 30% even negotiated. "We're seeing more decisions being made out of necessity," ZipRecruiter economist Nicole Bachaud told Fortune.

The toll falls unevenly, and the youngest workers are drawing the starkest conclusions. Gen Z is encountering a job market dramatically more punishing than the one millennials navigated, facing longer timelines and higher rejection rates. Their response is increasingly radical: nearly one in four Gen Z workers are now actively considering ditching desk jobs for the trades, with three-quarters associating white-collar work with burnout and instability. For a generation that watched millennials grind themselves down at open-plan desks, the corner office -- always a stretch -- no longer looks worth the cost.

The cruel irony is that by conventional measures, the labor market is technically improving. The April 2026 jobs report showed 115,000 jobs added and unemployment holding at 4.3%. But that headline masks a stark bifurcation: the market is healing for everyone except those in white-collar office roles, where AI-driven restructuring continues to compress opportunities in the very segment of the workforce most likely to be actively searching. J.P. Morgan chief U.S. economist Michael Feroli calls it "resilience in the face of headwinds" -- but for workers staring at a 45% job-finding probability, it doesn't feel like resilience. It feels like standing still.

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant has pointed to research showing the frequency of breaks matters more than their duration for cognitive recovery -- that even 5-to-10-minute pauses throughout the day measurably help. The Glassdoor community agrees: the top coping mechanism cited by 39% of job seekers is applying selectively rather than broadly, followed by 28% who swear by structured routines with hard stop times. The new job search wisdom isn't to push harder. It's to protect what's left.

For HR chiefs and labor economists, the implications extend beyond individual well-being. A workforce too burned out to job-hunt is also a workforce less likely to self-sort efficiently -- staying in mismatched roles, suppressing wage competition, and reducing the economy's capacity to allocate talent where it's needed most. The burnout epidemic isn't just a mental health story. It's a productivity story, and a macroeconomic one. The stagnation is also producing increasingly unequal outcomes by race, age, and education, as the workers least able to weather a long search are the ones most likely to give up entirely.

The American worker isn't just burned out at work. They're burned out on the idea of looking for the next job. And in a low-hire, low-fire market where the math genuinely doesn't favor moving, that paralysis -- quiet, invisible, and structurally rational -- may be one of the most consequential labor stories of 2026.
 
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ApolloMD Recognized as One of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare in 2026


Best Places to Work 2026

ApolloMD Recognized as One of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare in 2026

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ATLANTA, May 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ApolloMD has been selected by... Modern Healthcare

2026 Best Places to Work in Healthcare, recognizing healthcare organizations that foster strong workplace culture, support career development, and invest in the success and well-being of their teams.

"Healthcare is changing rapidly as new technologies are adopted on both the clinical and administrative sides," said Mary Ellen Podmolik, editor-in-chief of Modern Healthcare. "Still, the most forward-looking companies understand that employees are the heart of their organizations. Creating the right culture, with the appropriate mix of financial rewards, training and career advancement opportunities - as embodied by our honorees of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare - will be imperative for long-term employee and employer success."

"At ApolloMD, this recognition belongs to our people," said Jackie Olliff, Chief Talent and HR Officer of ApolloMD. "Our employees are the ones who shape our culture every day, and this honor is especially meaningful because it reflects their voices and experiences. We are grateful for the care, collaboration, and commitment our teams bring to our organization, our hospital partners, and the communities we serve."

For more than 40 years, ApolloMD has remained committed to building a culture grounded in physician-led leadership, collaboration, and delivering high-quality patient care in communities nationwide. The organization's mission - healthy clinicians, healthy patients, healthy communities - continues to guide its approach to team development, hospital partnerships, and supporting patient care.

This award program identifies and recognizes outstanding employers in the healthcare industry nationwide. Modern Healthcare partners with Workforce Research Group on the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey.

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ApolloMD will learn its ranking on the Best Places list and be celebrated at the 2026 Best Places to Work in Healthcare Awards Gala taking place Sept. 16 in Houston. Information about the gala is available at ModernHealthcare.com/BestPlacesGala.

About ApolloMD

ApolloMD is a private, physician-led practice management organization partnering with hospitals and health systems nationwide to provide integrated multispecialty services, including emergency medicine, hospital medicine, anesthesia, and revenue cycle management. For more than 40 years, ApolloMD has focused on delivering clinical excellence and operational innovation to enhance patient care while supporting the professional growth and wellness of its clinicians. Additional information about ApolloMD is available at ApolloMD.com.

About Modern Healthcare

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Modern Healthcare is the most trusted business news and information brand in the healthcare industry. Modern Healthcare empowers healthcare leaders and influencers to make timely and informed business decisions. To learn more or subscribe, go to www.modernhealthcare.com/subscriptions

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f72b3964-ce02-4e54-98b2-0f4770811bcc
 
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  • There is nothing wrong you working with men. At where i work now when i was employed there were only two ladies and including myself to make us... three. the rest of the team are were all men and they are very friendly and respectful. we always work together as a team share ideas on the job All you need is to be focus, respectful and hard working lady. for i think they employed only a lady but with her confidence , respect and hard work made the company to employ ladies. more

  • It's a logistic company not skincare

  • Knowing the salary being offered is important, knowing your worth is equally more important, the question is are you ready to take the lowest pay they... are offering. Why employers do not want to disclose this information is unprofessional. Someone once said you should discuss what you are bringing in then negotiate. They already know you are suited for that position hence the shortlisting. Employers please kindly disclose the salary when asked coz you have the budget you can at least give a range, to avoid wasting each others time. more

  • But why would you want to know your salary right away, you’ll still have that salary, first focus on what you’ll contribute to the company then... negotiate the salary later. more

Antitrust suit alleges Monster, CareerBuilder and Resume Genius are all the same company


Job seekers who believe they're choosing among competing resume-building platforms may in fact be selecting from a single company's offerings.

A federal antitrust complaint filed April 2, 2026, alleges that BOLD Limited, through a web of related entities, controls more than 20 resume-builder brands. These include Monster, CareerBuilder, Resume Genius, My Perfect Resume, LiveCareer and Zety, and... the complaint suggests that the entities use hidden dominance to run a deceptive subscription scheme on people actively looking for work.

Simulated competition

The case is Rocket Resume, Inc. v. BOLD Limited et al., No. 5:26-cv-02852, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Plaintiff Rocket Resume, a small independent platform founded in 2019 and represented by Quinn Emanuel, alleges BOLD controls more than 80% of the U.S. online resume-building market, per the complaint, a market it values at more than $750 million annually.

According to the complaint, BOLD's brands "offer functionally identical services, target identical customers, charge virtually identical prices, draw from identical content databases and operate under unified management control." The cosmetic differences, such as color schemes, logos and domain names, are designed to simulate competition that does not exist, according to the accusation.

The complaint alleges that BOLD's sites entice users with free or low-cost resume builders, then require a paid subscription to download the finished document. After the initial charge, users are billed 10 to 20 times that amount every four weeks, with cancellation made deliberately difficult, according to the filing.

'53 million Americans'

The complaint cites data showing 53 million Americans engaged in some form of job-seeking activity between November 2025 and January 2026. Much of this activity centers on resumes, as 97.8% of Fortune 500 companies filter applications through applicant tracking systems, per the complaint. A 2021 Harvard Business School study cited in the filing found that 88% of employers acknowledge their resume review process screens out qualified candidates at the initial stage.

"The result is that customers and job seekers are systematically ripped off by what appears to be a large range of online resume-building services, when in fact the choice is often Bold, Bold or Bold," said Stephen Zimmerman, the software engineer who founded Rocket Resume, on a case information page. "This is unfair to job seekers and unfair to honest rivals like Rocket Resume."

The complaint also alleges a longer pattern of competitive suppression. BOLD, it says, has filed copyright infringement suits against independent competitors for more than a decade, with some rivals ultimately absorbed into BOLD's brand portfolio. Rocket Resume itself was sued by BOLD in 2022 and won partial summary judgment in May 2024.

Named individual defendants include Doug Jackson and Jamie Freundlich, BOLD's co-chief executive officers, and Heather Williams, its former chief financial officer. The allegations have not yet been tested in court. BOLD had not issued a public response to the complaint at publication time.
 
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Career Growth and Work Structure in a Digital Technology Company | Tapscape


Soft2Bet builds career development around continuous learning, flexible roles, and project-based collaboration in a digital environment. Specialists gain experience through real tasks, cross-functional teamwork, and also evolving responsibilities in daily work. This structure connects daily work with long-term professional growth. It allows employees to expand their skills, better understand... system logic, and adapt to changing product and operational demands over time.

Career development in technology companies is usually connected with continuous learning and adaptation to fast changes in digital products. Professional growth is not only about promotions but also about how specialists expand their skills and develop a broader understanding of system logic within the working environment.

The Soft2Bet company operates in the digital industry, where it links roles with product development, technical processes and operational support. The organization builds its structure around projects and teams, so specialists interact with different areas during their daily tasks.

In such an environment, professional development is not a separate stage but part of regular workflow. Employees work with evolving systems, changing priorities, and cross-functional communication.

Soft2Bet, as an employer in the technology sector, focuses on organizing work in a structured but flexible way. Specialists are not limited to one narrow function and can gradually expand their role depending on experience and involvement in projects.

Work structure is built around several professional directions that support digital product development and internal operations. Specialists can be involved in technical tasks, product coordination, analytics, design processes, or operational support. These directions are not isolated. They often overlap depending on project needs and stage of work.

Career paths are not fixed in a strict linear form. Movement between teams and responsibilities is possible when skills grow and when understanding of systems becomes broader. Internal mobility is used as a practical mechanism for experience expansion, especially in project-based work environments.

Different specialists can enter the organization with various backgrounds and still find a relevant place in ongoing processes. Roles can evolve through participation in multiple tasks and exposure to different areas of the product lifecycle.

Work is usually organized in cross-functional teams. This means specialists interact with colleagues from other areas, which gradually expands their understanding of how the system operates as a whole.

Career development therefore connects not only with position change but also with the accumulation of experience through participation in different types of tasks over time.

Professional development is based on continuous learning during real work processes rather than isolated training moments. Knowledge is formed through participation in projects, problem-solving, and collaboration with different teams. This approach allows gradual accumulation of experience in practical conditions.

Skill development often happens through increased responsibility. When tasks become more complex, specialists naturally adapt and learn new approaches. This process is not sudden but gradual and connected with real project involvement.

Within this structure, Soft2Bet functions as an organizational environment where learning is embedded into workflow rather than separated from it. Soft2Bet also supports interaction between departments, enabling a broader understanding of how different processes connect.

Career growth is viewed as a long-term process where expertise develops gradually over time. Soft2Bet encourages specialists to build competence over time through continuous exposure to different tasks and changing project conditions at work. The Soft2Bet approach to development is based on the accumulation of practical experience and steady progression rather than sudden transitions.

The working environment in technology companies is usually based on structured communication and simple task flow. People work within project groups, and each person has their own area of responsibility. Tasks are divided and sometimes overlap, so coordination is needed at all times.

The work process changes depending on the project stage. Priorities can move, and teams adjust fast. This makes the environment more dynamic while still maintaining a structured organization. Digital tools are used for planning and tracking work, but communication between people is still an important part of daily activity.

Soft2Bet has a team-based structure where different specialists work together on product tasks. Internal communication channels are used to connect the technical and operational sides of work. Flexible task distribution is present, so people sometimes take extra responsibilities when a project needs it.

Inside Soft2Bet, cooperation is not only formal meetings. Daily interaction between colleagues solves many things. A working model depends on a constant exchange of small information pieces, not only big reports. Soft2Bet also supports learning through real task execution, where experience grows step by step.

Professional growth develops as a long-term process in which daily tasks and cooperation shape experience. Specialists strengthen their skills by working on real projects, where they make decisions in practical conditions. Learning is not separate from work; it is part of the normal workflow and occurs gradually through involvement in different activities.

Team contribution is an important element of internal structure. People share knowledge during work, and this process creates a natural transfer of experience between different roles. Responsibility is not static; it can increase with time when understanding of systems becomes deeper.
 
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Get together! Wealth managers explain how affinity groups boost their bottom lines


Affinity groups can not only provide a sense of community and belonging to employees, but they can also lift an RIA's financial prospects as well. Here's how.

Affinity groups can offer a lot of benefits to employees of wealth management companies. They can provide community and belonging, offer mentorship, assist career development and organize educational programs.

Meanwhile, affinity groups... can also help boost an RIA's bottom line by strengthening its culture and retention, improving its understanding of diverse customer bases and signaling its commitment to inclusion.

Of course, not all wealth managers manage their affinity groups alike.

At Quotient Wealth Partners, for example, affinity groups are primarily structured around career stages and roles, rather than strictly around identity alone. Groups such as next‑gen advisors, emerging leaders, and women at various points in their careers are designed to reflect the real questions people face as they grow including early career development, stepping into leadership, or balancing increased responsibility. This structure allows the groups to be practical and relevant, serving as a support system and feedback loop that informs how they approach talent development and leadership planning across the firm.

"By focusing on career stage and role, our affinity groups help people feel less isolated in their growth and more connected to others facing similar transitions. They create shared language around development, normalize asking questions, and reinforce that progression looks different at different stages," said Ashley Stoker, chief of staff at Quotient Wealth Partners.

Stoker adds that these groups play a meaningful role in mentorship and retention at the firm by giving employees access to peers and leaders who understand where they are in their careers and where they want to go.

"Informal mentoring relationships often grow out of these communities, helping people see clear paths forward and feel invested in long‑term growth at the firm. From a recruiting standpoint, this structure resonates with candidates because it demonstrates that development is intentional and sustained -- not one‑size‑fits‑all," Stoker said.

Meanwhile, at OpenArc, affinity groups are employee-led and form organically around shared interests, identities, or professional themes, according to James Kaufman, managing partner and senior wealth management advisor at OpenArc. He says nine active affinity groups operate across the firm, each empowered to shape its programming and initiatives.

"These groups play a meaningful role in daily firm life by creating opportunities for connection, learning, and engagement. Their activities include hosting guest speakers, leading health and wellness initiatives, and facilitating firmwide discussions that reinforce shared values," Kaufman said, adding that many groups also extend their impact beyond the workplace through volunteerism and fundraising efforts that support nonprofit organizations in the communities they serve.

From a long-term perspective, Kaufman says affinity groups reinforce OpenArc's culture as a "collaborative, people-centered" firm.

"Although OpenArc is a relatively new firm, many of our employees have worked together for years, and in some cases, decades. Affinity groups have further strengthened those longstanding relationships by creating new opportunities to collaborate around shared goals and to gain deeper insight into one another's interests, experiences, and passions," Kaufman said.

Kaufman points out that affinity groups also contribute to retention and development by offering employees at all levels and from across the firm opportunities to take on leadership roles outside of their day-to-day responsibilities. Additionally, he says leading or participating in an affinity group helps employees build transferable skills, such as collaboration, communication, and initiative, while also creating natural opportunities for mentoring and cross-functional relationship-building.

"By fostering leadership, mentorship, and deeper cultural engagement, affinity groups help employees feel more connected to the firm and invested in its long-term success, reinforcing OpenArc's ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent," Kaufman said.

Finally, at Dynasty Financial Partners, affinity groups are deliberately designed as business-building communities rather than purely social organizations. Dynasty has developed several affinity groups for executive leaders, experienced advisors, investment specialists, technologists, middle managers, emerging advisors, compliance personnel, and operations support.

"These groups are not isolated from the broader business strategy," said Casey Jorgensen, head of the Dynasty Institute for Adaptive Leadership (DIAL). "They directly support the long-term priorities of the underlying RIAs in terms of talent development, leadership pipeline creation, productivity, and enterprise growth."

Jorgensen adds that they also create stronger connectivity across independent firms that can otherwise feel siloed or entrepreneurial in nature. Something that is central to Dynasty's "Independent but Not Alone" mantra.

"At an operational level, these groups foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and peer accountability. Strategically, they help strengthen the durability and scalability of our Network by developing more connected, confident, and capable leaders across the ecosystem," Jorgensen said.

One of the strongest examples within DIAL, says Jorgensen, is the evolution of the Advisor to CEO Program and the community that has formed around it. While the program was initially designed as an executive education experience for first-time CEOs and business owners, it has transformed into a leadership platform for all key executives within an independent wealth management firm.

"The program is not just a curriculum, it's a trusted peer Network. Many executives in the independent wealth space are exceptional advisors, but owning and scaling a business requires an entirely different skillset and mindset. The Advisor to CEO Program creates a "no masks" environment to openly discuss topics like succession planning, talent management, organizational structure, partnership dynamics, growth strategy, and maintaining a healthy culture through scale," Jorgensen said.
 
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5 proven ways to find quality employees fast


LinkedIn is exhausting these days, y'all.

What used to be a straightforward professional networking site has been completely TikTokified. Half of the feed is people posting long, emotional essays about what their morning coffee taught them about B2B sales. The other half is a barrage of recruiters and auto-bots. But that's the business model, right?

LinkedIn makes money from everything except... helping you hire efficiently. The platform that was supposed to connect employers with serious professionals has become a content farm with a résumé tab.

And for small business owners and hiring managers, LinkedIn is rapidly losing its utility.

You post a job, and you are instantly hit with a tidal wave of "Easy Apply" bots; candidates who blindly tap a button without reading a single word of your job description.

Even worse, the platform has become a hotbed for ghosting. You reach out to a solid candidate, set up a time to chat and then poof - crickets.

Currently, 52% of employers say their biggest recruitment challenge is a lack of quality candidates, according to ZipRecruiter data. Notice it doesn't say a lack of candidates. There are plenty of warm bodies out there. But finding someone who will show up, do the work and not no-call, no-show on day three? These days, that requires stepping outside the LinkedIn echo chamber.

If the biggest platform on the internet isn't working for you, here is where you actually need to be looking.

Why the "Big Platforms" Might Be Failing Your Small Business

When you post on a massive social network, you are a small fish in a giant, chaotic ocean. You are competing against Fortune 500 companies with dedicated employer branding teams and bottomless ad budgets.

Worse, social-first platforms are built for passive scrolling, not intentional job hunting. A candidate might click "apply" because it took zero effort, not because they actually want to work for you.

It's time to shift from posting and praying to proactive sourcing by finding the exact talent you want and tapping them on the shoulder, virtually speaking.

The Power of Proactive Sourcing

According to a ZipRecruiter survey of U.S. job seekers, four out of five would be more interested in a role if an employer reached out to them directly, and most are more likely to respond to employers who make the first move.

This is where having access to a dedicated talent pool changes the game. In fact, a survey by ZipRecruiter of U.S. hiring decision-makers and influencers, more than 90% of employers say having a database of job seekers for proactive outreach speeds up the hiring process and saves them time.

Instead of waiting for the algorithm to pick your job post, use a tool like ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter's internal data shows that employers gain access to a massive Resume Database of 53 million resumes, with over 320,000 new ones added monthly.

You can enter specific skills, certifications and locations, find the exact person who fits your needs and use the Invite to Apply feature. When you send a personalized invitation to top candidates, you receive eight times as many quality matches.

The results are even better when employers use the Invite to Apply feature. In fact, ZipRecruiter found that throughout 2024, those jobs attracted over 11 times as many candidates in the first 24 hours alone.

With ZipRecruiter, you aren't hoping the right person scrolls past your ad; you are knocking directly on their digital front door.

Leveraging Industry-Specific Niche Boards

If you're looking for a specialized skill, stop shopping at the general store. You need to go where the practitioners are:

* Tech and Developers: GitHub, Stack Overflow, or specialized Discord servers. Developers don't hang out on LinkedIn; they hang out where they code and complain about code.

* Creatives and Designers: Behance, Dribbble, or even specialized subreddits. You want to see their portfolio first, not their work history.

* Media and Writing: Niche newsletters (like Study Hall or specific Substack communities) often have job boards that yield incredible, highly vetted talent.

When you post on a niche board, the sheer volume of applicants will plummet - in the best possible way. You are trading volume for intent.

The Power of Community-Based Networks

Some of the best hires don't come from job boards at all, but closed digital communities where professionals actually talk shop.

Slack and Discord Communities

Almost every industry has a professional Slack channel now. Whether it is a local chamber of commerce group, a specific software users group or an industry mastermind, these are goldmines. People in these groups are usually there to learn and genuinely network, not just blindly apply for jobs. Engage in the channels, offer value, and when you mention you are hiring, you will get warm leads from people who already respect you.

The "Side Hustle" Network

Don't overlook candidates who are currently employed but looking for a change or extra work. According to the ZipRecruiter New Hires Survey, a significant portion of the workforce is juggling multiple income streams or looking for better primary fits. Sometimes, reaching out to someone doing great freelance work in your industry can result in a fantastic full-time hire.

How to Reach the People Who Aren't Looking

Here's a reality most new hiring managers don't think about: the best candidates for your role might not be job hunting. They're employed. They're reasonably happy. They're not browsing job boards at midnight.

These are called passive candidates, and reaching them requires outreach rather than postings. You have to go find them.

This is where those 53 million resumes in ZipRecruiter's Resume Database earn their money. Search by skills, certifications, location and recent activity to find people who match your needs -- even if they haven't applied to anything. Pair that with the Invite to Apply feature, and you're not waiting for anyone to come to you.

The old model was: Post a job, sit back and cross fingers. The new model is: Identify who you want, reach out and make the case for why they should work for you.

Turning Your Current Network into a Recruiting Powerhouse

If you want to bypass the ghosting and the bots entirely, look at the people already sitting in your office (or Slack channel).

Your current top performers are the best recruiters you have. "A" players usually hang out with other "A" players. They worked with them in past positions, they went to school with them or they know them from local industry events.

Create a structured, highly incentivized employee referral program.

Now, I don't mean a $50 gift card. If a recruiting agency is going to charge you 20% of a candidate's first-year salary (which can be tens of thousands of dollars), why wouldn't you happily pay your own employee $2,000 for bringing you a reliable, vetted hire?

When a quality employee refers someone, they are putting their own reputation on the line. Chances are, they won't recommend someone they wouldn't be proud to work alongside. They are going to recommend the person who will make their own job easier.

Stop Competing on Their Turf

If you're a small business trying to hire on the same platform as Amazon and Goldman Sachs, you'd better be up for a fight. You don't have the budget, the brand recognition or the recruiter headcount.

But here's what you do have: speed, flexibility, and a shorter distance between the candidate and the decision-maker. Big companies take six weeks and four rounds of interviews to hire someone. You can move in days. That is a massive competitive advantage, and most small businesses waste it by copying the same slow corporate playbook.

Reach into niche channels where the big guys aren't looking. And when you find someone good, move fast. Send the offer before they get buried in a corporate hiring pipeline that won't get back to them until September.

Finding employees right now takes grit. If the traditional social networks are draining your energy and wasting your time, stop playing their game.

Go proactive, get specific and put the tools that do the hunting for you to work.

FAQ: Finding Employees Beyond the Usual Channels

Is it worth paying for premium job slots on smaller, niche boards?

Usually, yes. While a massive platform might give you 500 views and 50 applications that cover the gamut, a niche board might give you 50 views and five highly qualified applications. You are paying for the filtration system. Time is money, and spending $200 on a niche board to save yourself hours of resume screening is a massive return on investment.

How do I use a Resume Database without sounding like spam?

Personalization is everything. When you use a tool like ZipRecruiter's Invite to Apply, don't just blast a generic message. Mention one specific thing from their resume that caught your eye (e.g., "I saw you drove 20% growth at [Past Company]. We need someone to do exactly that for us."). Make them feel chosen, not caught in a net.

How do I attract candidates if I can't offer a huge salary?

Sell what the corporations can't. Flexibility, direct access to leadership, faster decision-making, less bureaucracy, meaningful work where their contributions are visible -- these matter to a lot of people. Be upfront about the pay and transparent about what you can offer instead. Candidates respect honesty way more than vague promises about "growth opportunities."

What if I don't have the budget for big referral bonuses?

If cash is tight, offer time. Give an employee an extra five days of paid vacation if they refer a candidate who stays for 90 days. For many burnt-out employees, extra PTO is vastly more valuable than a cash bonus.

Are employee referral programs actually effective?

Extremely. Referred candidates tend to get hired faster, stay longer, and perform better because there's a built-in accountability layer. The person who referred them put their own reputation on the line. Even a small incentive -- $200 to $500 for a hire that stays past the probation period -- can turn your entire team into a recruiting engine.

What is the best website to find employees for a small business?

You want a platform built specifically for hiring -- not one that treats job postings as a side feature. Look for AI-powered matching that proactively surfaces qualified candidates, distribution to multiple job boards from a single posting and tools that let you reach out to candidates directly. ZipRecruiter checks all of those boxes. What's more, ZipRecruiter's internal data shows it is rated the No. 1 hiring site.

How can small businesses compete with large companies for talent?

Speed is your weapon. Big companies are slow. They have six rounds of interviews, three hiring committees and an HR process that moves like molasses. You can meet a candidate on Tuesday and send an offer on Thursday. That alone will win you talent that a Fortune 500 company would have eventually hired -- eight weeks from now, after the candidate had already moved on.
 
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Where to find employees when LinkedIn isn't working


What used to be a straightforward professional networking site has been completely TikTokified. Half of the feed is people posting long, emotional essays about what their morning coffee taught them about B2B sales. The other half is a barrage of recruiters and auto-bots. But that's the business model, right?

LinkedIn makes money from everything except helping you hire efficiently. The platform... that was supposed to connect employers with serious professionals has become a content farm with a résumé tab.

And for small business owners and hiring managers, LinkedIn is rapidly losing its utility.

You post a job, and you are instantly hit with a tidal wave of "Easy Apply" bots; candidates who blindly tap a button without reading a single word of your job description.

Even worse, the platform has become a hotbed for ghosting. You reach out to a solid candidate, set up a time to chat and then poof - crickets.

Currently, 52% of employers say their biggest recruitment challenge is a lack of quality candidates, according to ZipRecruiter data. Notice it doesn't say a lack of candidates. There are plenty of warm bodies out there. But finding someone who will show up, do the work and not no-call, no-show on day three? These days, that requires stepping outside the LinkedIn echo chamber.

If the biggest platform on the internet isn't working for you, here is where you actually need to be looking.

When you post on a massive social network, you are a small fish in a giant, chaotic ocean. You are competing against Fortune 500 companies with dedicated employer branding teams and bottomless ad budgets.

Worse, social-first platforms are built for passive scrolling, not intentional job hunting. A candidate might click "apply" because it took zero effort, not because they actually want to work for you.

It's time to shift from posting and praying to proactive sourcing by finding the exact talent you want and tapping them on the shoulder, virtually speaking.

According to a ZipRecruiter survey of U.S. job seekers, four out of five would be more interested in a role if an employer reached out to them directly, and most are more likely to respond to employers who make the first move.

This is where having access to a dedicated talent pool changes the game. In fact, a survey by ZipRecruiter of U.S. hiring decision-makers and influencers, more than 90% of employers say having a database of job seekers for proactive outreach speeds up the hiring process and saves them time.

Instead of waiting for the algorithm to pick your job post, use a tool like ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter's internal data shows that employers gain access to a massive Resume Database of 53 million resumes, with over 320,000 new ones added monthly.

You can enter specific skills, certifications and locations, find the exact person who fits your needs and use the Invite to Apply feature. When you send a personalized invitation to top candidates, you receive eight times as many quality matches.

The results are even better when employers use the Invite to Apply feature. In fact, ZipRecruiter found that throughout 2024, those jobs attracted over 11 times as many candidates in the first 24 hours alone.

With ZipRecruiter, you aren't hoping the right person scrolls past your ad; you are knocking directly on their digital front door.

If you're looking for a specialized skill, stop shopping at the general store. You need to go where the practitioners are:

When you post on a niche board, the sheer volume of applicants will plummet - in the best possible way. You are trading volume for intent.

Some of the best hires don't come from job boards at all, but closed digital communities where professionals actually talk shop.

Almost every industry has a professional Slack channel now. Whether it is a local chamber of commerce group, a specific software users group or an industry mastermind, these are goldmines. People in these groups are usually there to learn and genuinely network, not just blindly apply for jobs. Engage in the channels, offer value, and when you mention you are hiring, you will get warm leads from people who already respect you.

Don't overlook candidates who are currently employed but looking for a change or extra work. According to the ZipRecruiter New Hires Survey, a significant portion of the workforce is juggling multiple income streams or looking for better primary fits. Sometimes, reaching out to someone doing great freelance work in your industry can result in a fantastic full-time hire.

Here's a reality most new hiring managers don't think about: the best candidates for your role might not be job hunting. They're employed. They're reasonably happy. They're not browsing job boards at midnight.

These are called passive candidates, and reaching them requires outreach rather than postings. You have to go find them.

This is where those 53 million resumes in ZipRecruiter's Resume Database earn their money. Search by skills, certifications, location and recent activity to find people who match your needs -- even if they haven't applied to anything. Pair that with the Invite to Apply feature, and you're not waiting for anyone to come to you.

The old model was: Post a job, sit back and cross fingers. The new model is: Identify who you want, reach out and make the case for why they should work for you.

If you want to bypass the ghosting and the bots entirely, look at the people already sitting in your office (or Slack channel).

Your current top performers are the best recruiters you have. "A" players usually hang out with other "A" players. They worked with them in past positions, they went to school with them or they know them from local industry events.

Create a structured, highly incentivized employee referral program.

Now, I don't mean a $50 gift card. If a recruiting agency is going to charge you 20% of a candidate's first-year salary (which can be tens of thousands of dollars), why wouldn't you happily pay your own employee $2,000 for bringing you a reliable, vetted hire?

When a quality employee refers someone, they are putting their own reputation on the line. Chances are, they won't recommend someone they wouldn't be proud to work alongside. They are going to recommend the person who will make their own job easier.

If you're a small business trying to hire on the same platform as Amazon and Goldman Sachs, you'd better be up for a fight. You don't have the budget, the brand recognition or the recruiter headcount.

But here's what you do have: speed, flexibility, and a shorter distance between the candidate and the decision-maker. Big companies take six weeks and four rounds of interviews to hire someone. You can move in days. That is a massive competitive advantage, and most small businesses waste it by copying the same slow corporate playbook.

Reach into niche channels where the big guys aren't looking. And when you find someone good, move fast. Send the offer before they get buried in a corporate hiring pipeline that won't get back to them until September.

Finding employees right now takes grit. If the traditional social networks are draining your energy and wasting your time, stop playing their game.

Go proactive, get specific and put the tools that do the hunting for you to work.

Usually, yes. While a massive platform might give you 500 views and 50 applications that cover the gamut, a niche board might give you 50 views and five highly qualified applications. You are paying for the filtration system. Time is money, and spending $200 on a niche board to save yourself hours of resume screening is a massive return on investment.

Personalization is everything. When you use a tool like ZipRecruiter's Invite to Apply, don't just blast a generic message. Mention one specific thing from their resume that caught your eye (e.g., "I saw you drove 20% growth at [Past Company]. We need someone to do exactly that for us."). Make them feel chosen, not caught in a net.

Sell what the corporations can't. Flexibility, direct access to leadership, faster decision-making, less bureaucracy, meaningful work where their contributions are visible -- these matter to a lot of people. Be upfront about the pay and transparent about what you can offer instead. Candidates respect honesty way more than vague promises about "growth opportunities."

If cash is tight, offer time. Give an employee an extra five days of paid vacation if they refer a candidate who stays for 90 days. For many burnt-out employees, extra PTO is vastly more valuable than a cash bonus.

Extremely. Referred candidates tend to get hired faster, stay longer, and perform better because there's a built-in accountability layer. The person who referred them put their own reputation on the line. Even a small incentive -- $200 to $500 for a hire that stays past the probation period -- can turn your entire team into a recruiting engine.

You want a platform built specifically for hiring -- not one that treats job postings as a side feature. Look for AI-powered matching that proactively surfaces qualified candidates, distribution to multiple job boards from a single posting and tools that let you reach out to candidates directly. ZipRecruiter checks all of those boxes. What's more, ZipRecruiter's internal data shows it is rated the No. 1 hiring site.

Speed is your weapon. Big companies are slow. They have six rounds of interviews, three hiring committees and an HR process that moves like molasses. You can meet a candidate on Tuesday and send an offer on Thursday. That alone will win you talent that a Fortune 500 company would have eventually hired -- eight weeks from now, after the candidate had already moved on.
 
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GroceryAid's Mandi Leonard on rats, air con and shoplifting


What was your first job? My first job was working in my dad's stationery business, which was a wholesale company but also had a retail shop. I worked in the shop on a Saturday from when I was 15.

Then my first full-time job was with Barclays Bank, back in the day of branches on every high street. Both gave me a great understanding of working with the public.

What's been your worst job interview?... I think I have been lucky as I haven't had a bad interview! I quite enjoy interviews and always found being honest, open and showing a real interest in the role made for a positive experience.

"It can literally be a lifeline that keeps someone from going under, and it's a very powerful reason to do what I have the privilege to do"

What was the first music single you bought? Carly Simon, Nobody Does It Better - does that age me?!

How do you describe your job to your friends? GroceryAid offers financial, emotional, and practical support to people working across the grocery industry. My job is to make sure the help we provide meets colleagues' needs and feels genuinely supportive.

Whether someone comes to us for a financial grant, managed by my welfare team, or for emotional or practical help from one of our service partners, I focus on ensuring the experience is empathetic and non‑judgemental, to ensure that the colleague is in a better place than when they first came to us.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? Anyone who has ever heard me speak will know my answer to this question; every single day a member of my team changes someone's life for the better. We see this from the 'thank yous' that we receive when we offer a financial grant. It can literally be a lifeline that keeps someone from going under, and it's a very powerful reason to do what I have the privilege to do.

What is the least rewarding part? As a charity, we have eligibility criteria for financial grants and there are obviously times when we cannot help and that can be difficult. We never send anyone away with no help, however, and will always offer signposting to another organisation or service that may be better suited to supporting their challenge.

What is your motto in life? A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. A reminder that life's short, and we should do our bit to make the world a good place for future generations.

If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? A paid sabbatical to travel - there are so many places I want to visit on my 'one day' list!

Do you have any phobias? Rats - can't bear the thought of them. I'd never be able to go into I'm A Celebrity!

If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? That GroceryAid had even wider awareness across the whole industry - from the largest fmcg manufacturer or supermarket to SMEs and independent retailers - so that everyone who needs help knows we are there to give relief in tough times.

What luxury would you have on a desert island? An air-conditioned tent - I can't sleep when it's hot and my hair is not good in humidity!

What animal most reflects your personality? A dog - I believe I'm warm, friendly, supportive, and always show up for people.

What's your favourite film and why? Terms of Endearment - the story of a family who may not always see eye to eye, but when life gets hard, all that truly matters is standing together.

What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? Walking out of a DIY shop with my then four-year-old son who, just as we walked past the security guard, said in a very clear voice: "Mummy, did we steal anything from there today?" as though we were serial shoplifters!

I felt the need to stand in front of the security guard and tell my son why we have never stolen anything and why it would be very bad to do so!

Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? Matt Willis. I had the pleasure of meeting him briefly at a recent GroceryAid event and he was a genuinely sincere, nice guy, and I would love to discuss his in-depth understanding of addiction and mental health challenges with him further. I love his 'On the Mend' podcasts as well.

What would your death row meal be? Prawns or scallops to start, sea bass for my main and I would finish with something like a raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake, all washed down with a glass or two of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc - very decadent, but as my last meal I'd go out on a high!
 
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I hid the fact I had children in job interviews - it's the only way to get hired


When author and mother-of-two Davina Quinlivan was interviewing for new roles online five years ago, she would hide all evidence of her two children, moving Mother's Day cards, their artwork and stray Pokemon cards.

Quinlivan, author of recently published Possessions: A Memoir of Transformation in an Era of Precarity, felt she needed to give each interview "the best shot" and couldn't take the... risk of motherhood "impacting me, even a small amount". As an academic who has spent much of her career teaching feminist theory, she found it deeply conflicting.

"It's a difficult feeling, because why would I do that? It's so painful to pretend to vanish [my children] away. Yet I know on some unconscious level that people interviewing are thinking: 'Well, if this child is unwell, our teaching schedule goes down.' Of course, there is support for working carers, but you have to jump through the hoops of getting the job in the first place," she explains. "I wanted to give myself opportunities. I don't think there were vast numbers of mums being interviewed for these jobs, and I knew who would get those jobs in the end - and they weren't mums."

She's one of an increasing number of women who have felt the need to hide motherhood during job interviews. Peanut, the world's largest community app for mums, ran a poll exclusively for The i Paper and found that the majority of mothers - 60 per cent - don't mention caring responsibilities during job interviews, while six per cent actively hide any trace of motherhood until they are offered a role. This compares with 34 per cent of mums who actively mention their children in interviews, the poll of 580 mothers found. "We're seeing more mothers concealing their children from interviewers, which underscores the need for our working culture to catch up. When honesty becomes a hiring risk, the problem isn't with the candidate - it's with the system," Michelle Kennedy, CEO of Peanut, believes.

You might think caring responsibilities should never be discussed in a job interview. But research consistently shows that men can actually experience a "fatherhood premium" - where having children actually increases their chances of getting hired. In one study, professor Stephen Benard at Indiana University sent identical fictionalised CVs to companies from female and male job "candidates", some mentioning their volunteer work for the Parents Teacher Association. Fathers received a slightly higher callback rate than childless men, while employers were 100 per cent less likely to call back mothers than childless women.

Lana Phillips, a marketing assistant from Derby with two children, aged six and four, learnt to hide motherhood after a job interview went wrong. "My children were three and one at the time. The interview was going well and it came up naturally that I had kids. The head of operations asked how old they were. When I told her, she replied, 'They need their mummy at home with them at this stage.' Then explained she stayed at home with her three children until they were school age. I was already back at work. I found it especially shocking that a woman was making this judgment. The interview went sour and ended five minutes later. I received an email saying I hadn't got the job," she remembers.

Since then, she has avoided mentioning her children in interviews. "Then, if I'm turned down, I know it's because of me, not because I have children," she says. She is relieved her employer is supportive and offers flexibility if she wants to watch a school show.

Discrimination against mothers is something that charity Pregnant Then Screwed has been campaigning against for a decade. CEO Rachel Grocott says: "The reality is that many bosses still see motherhood as a burden to business. Women have faced this discrimination for decades - from assumptions they might become parents, to the belief they 'won't come back' from maternity leave, to the stereotype that mothers are less passionate, less talented and less productive. Anyone experiencing it should seek advice on their rights and protections. Mothers are some of the most talented, productive employees and when you discriminate or push them out, you pay the cultural and financial price as parents move to employers who support them. That's the economic truth."

Joeli Brearley, founder of Growth Spurt which gives advice to women returning to work after becoming parents, says: "I spoke to a recruitment consultant who was told by 80 per cent of his clients not to put forward women with children under the age of five. We are seeing pregnancy and maternity discrimination rising year on year. When the economy gets tricky, people feel uncomfortable and revert back to old biases," she explains. "Things are taking a step backwards but we have a government that is making positive changes with the Employment Rights Act last year and the Parental Leave review currently underway."

Many mothers have experienced "ghosting" from recruiters. Florence, who has three children under five, recently started interviewing. "I have multiple childcare options, from nursery to family living closeby," she explains. "I had one recruiter contact me saying I was a perfect fit for a role. They were really positive until I mentioned children, when he asked how I'd manage work and my childcare responsibilities. I never heard from him again."

Brearley says in a job interview it's not illegal to ask a candidate if they are a parent, but it is illegal if an employer acts on that information. "We cannot prove that is the reason for discriminating, though," she says. "More often than not, interviewers ask subtle questions about candidates' personal lives, such as: 'How do you manage your personal life alongside work?' How to react to this depends on where you are in your career; we know that bias exists. For the majority of people, it is better to wait until you are offered a job to ask for flexible working or mention children, then you can prove discrimination. But if you're very senior, have privilege [to choose your role] and power, then ask the questions you want."

She says this is the opposite for men: mentioning children in an interview - as long as there is no request for flexible working - boosts their chance of success as they are seen as "responsible and better employees". Fathers are perceived as five percentage points more committed than childless men at work, according to research by Harvard Kennedy School, while mothers are seen as 12 percentage points less committed than non-mothers.

Sophie Catto, managing director of AllBright everywoman, which supports development of women in leadership roles, and whose children are seven and five, says: "No woman should ever feel she has to hide being a mother in a job interview. There is no lack of ambition in women who are mothers. Motherhood builds skills from prioritisation and decision-making under pressure to resilience, adaptability and problem solving. It strengthens emotional intelligence, empathy and communication, while also sharpening efficiency and the ability to manage competing demands. When businesses recognise and value this, it has a direct impact on confidence, progression and retention, something we have positively experienced in our office.

"I recommend training for line managers who aren't parents and an open calendar policy from business leaders: I have sports days and parents evenings in my diary and this inspires others to do the same. When working flexibly feels normal and doesn't come with a hidden career trade-off, we see stronger retention, deeper engagement and more sustainable long-term progression."

Quinlivan, whose children are now 13 and 10, found the experience of "vanishing" her children so painful that she will never do it again. "It seemed impossible [at that time] to think I had choice. But I did: by giving myself the tools so that I could make my own work," she says. She's built her self-employed creative career over the past four years, while remaining in academia running an online course with the University of Bristol and holding a Research Fellowship.

"Luckily, I've been treated brilliantly - sometimes my children come along and sit at the back in seminars. I now display motherhood in a way that makes it easier [for employers] to understand how my skills are immensely important and translatable to any kind of professional life. Anyone who is a carer knows the amount of creative power, care, love and challenge that goes into raising a human. I bring all those skills to the workplace."
 
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interviewer didn't ask me any questions, people keep asking for unpaid consulting, and more


It's five answers to five questions. Here we go...

1. My interviewer didn't ask me any questions

I just had my second ever job interview (I'm a college student applying to a student job on an editorial team at a big media company). I feel pretty good about it. The atmosphere was nice and relaxed, they seemed enthusiastic about me and my experience, there were no major blunders.

However, what... really surprised me was the lack of questions on their part. Most of the interview time was spent on them telling me about their processes and the duties I would have on the job. I was asked one (!) question by one of the interviewers and it was a very general one. He asked me to tell him about the internship I recently had at a related company and "about my life in general."

I'm satisfied with the answer I gave, but ... I prepared for so much more! I spent hours researching the company, thinking of possible questions and preparing answers to them. Now I feel like there were barely any opportunities to showcase my abilities and interest in the job.

What does the lack of questions mean? Is it normal? Is it a sign that they weren't interested in me after all? Or, to the contrary, is it a sign that they're already set on hiring me and didn't feel the need to ask many questions? Please help clear up my confusion! (In case you're wondering: This is the only interview / final stage, there will not be more interviews that could potentially include actual questions. They said they'll get back to me with their hiring decision in a couple of weeks.)

It mostly means they're a bad interviewer.

It's possible they feel like the stakes aren't that high with a student job and so they're more interested in warm bodies and they figured they'd just tell you about the work and see if you want to do it -- but I'd argue that also falls under the "bad interviewer" umbrella, because even in a very junior level job, there are great candidates and terrible candidates and everyone in between.

Sometimes, too, the person who is charged with interviewing student candidates is fairly junior themselves and doesn't have much/any experience hiring and so they're sort of winging it ... but you can see this with more experienced managers, too.

Chalk it up to a bad interviewer.

2. Wedding gift for my boss

My whole team and few coworkers in other departments are invited to my boss's wedding in August. I wouldn't have RSVP'd yes except that everyone else at work who was invited is going, so I am too. It's a weekend in a very popular midwest summer destination about six hours from where we all live, and the cheapest hotel is ~$400 per night with a minimum three-night stay. Honestly, the money is not an issue and my husband and I are not stretching the budget to attend. That said, I feel odd about gifting my boss cash? Especially with the above costs considered. But is a boxed gift appropriate? They don't' have a registry that I can find (it's a second marriage for both and they have lived together for a very long time). Is cash in an envelope going to be weird when 1) it's my boss and 2) I know that they make three times my salary? Mabye I'm overthinking but the dynamics just feel odd and I'd love some direction.

Yeah, don't give an envelope of cash. Frankly, I think this is a case where it's okay to attend a wedding and just give a card, because this is your boss and the rules about not feeling pressured to give upward are still in play, despite it being a wedding. But if you're uncomfortable with that, can you and your coworkers go in on a group gift based on something you think your boss would like? Everyone else is probably struggling with this problem too and that would solve it for all of you. (Just don't pressure anyone to contribute -- ask other people what they're doing and present it as an option if people want to.)

Also! You don't have to go just because your coworkers are going. A minimum three-night stay six hours away is an enormous ask, and I wonder if she issued invitations without actually expecting most of her colleagues to make it! If you've already RSVP'd, you may feel locked in, but if we could go back in time I'd encourage you to feel comfortable having a conflict that weekend and just sending well wishes.

3. How to say I won't work with a specific child again

I have been dealing with a difficult situation at work, and am considering presenting management with an ultimatum. I work in early years education and for the past few months a child in my class (A) has been hitting me, kicking me, throwing water at me, etc. A has additional support needs and is young enough that they cannot injure me (although I did have one bruise that took two weeks to fade). I am one of several teachers in the class but this energy is only directly at me. We've had weeks with no incidents, or up to four incidents in one day. The stress of this has caused me to break down in tears several times, once so badly I went home for the day.

I was just informed I will "probably" be teaching A's class again next year. I do not know if I will be able to return next year if this is the case. Management have said the right things to me about ensuring my safety and that I can take time away if I need to, but the only measure that's in place is I write down the details of the incidents when they occur and to my knowledge no one has ever looked at this. I have had to fight for acknowledgement that this is a serious problem that requires action and am feeling burnt out and unappreciated. After months of my complaints, the school has started arrangements to hire a shadow teacher to support A but there is no guarantee this will stop this behavior.

I have worked here for several years with consistently glowing performance reviews. I am also uniquely valuable as I possess desirable niche skillset X but without common qualification Y which would entitle me to a 50% higher salary. These things are never certain but I believe they'd be willing to do a lot to keep me. I'm also in the fortunate position of being able to survive financially without this job, although I adore it and would be very sad to leave.

My question is about how to approach this. I read an old letter about presenting an ultimatum and you advised against over-explaining. I agree with this, and am lucky in that there's not really a middle position, just don't make me teach A anymore, which makes things a lot simpler. I work for an extremely small school, there's no HR, and I suspect the reaction I'll get will be confused sympathy. I don't feel that anyone understands how stressful the months constant vigilance and random attacks have been and therefore my threatening to quit will make me look overemotional and unprofessional.

You don't need to go straight to "I will quit over this" -- just ask directly for what you want. For example: "I am not comfortable teaching A again for safety reasons and would like them to be placed in a different class." You might also point out that since A hasn't attacked anyone else, they might be more likely to thrive with another teacher -- but either way, clearly state that you are requesting to have A moved.

If they refuse and you're willing to quit over it, the next step would be a statement like, "I want to be up-front that this is something I am considering leaving over. Is that the best solution or is there anything else we can do?"

Caveat: I don't know enough about early years education to know how often this kind of behavior comes up and if it's something people working with young children are expected to be willing to work around (or for that matter, what the right steps are for the school to be taking, although I imagine other steps do exist since young children are essentially feral creatures). If they see it as something that anyone working with this age group needs to be prepared for, they may feel like the issue is bigger than the situation with A and that it's more of a mismatch with the work. That doesn't necessarily change anything about how you should proceed, but it's something to include in your thinking too.

4. People keep asking me for unpaid consulting after I say no

I'm taking three to six months away from paid employment. I want to move into a new field that's significantly different -- for anonymity, let's say teapot making to space tech. The only way to focus sufficient time and capacity to achieve this is to take time out from full-time employment. I'm making good progress, and one of my actions has been to reach out to my network to see if they have space tech connections or leads. Sometimes they ask for my resume which, while weighted heavily towards the experience I'm building in space tech, also references teapot making.

What I have found is that some connections interpret this as me being available for unpaid teapot consultancy. I am highly experienced in my old field (30 years) and if I was to consult, I'd charge and earn high fees. However, what is most important right now is time. I have a full program of professional activities to build my space tech reputation and knowledge. I am not looking for teapot projects (paid or unpaid) to fill in time.

I state clearly to these connections that I am fully focused on space tech for the next two months and will not take on other projects until then, but I'll bookmark their project and if I decide to refocus on teapots after that, I'll get back in contact. This message does not seem to get through. I get persistent requests to continue to be involved in teapot startups -- like emailing me details of a project (which I haven't discussed or agreed to support) on a Sunday and texting me wanting to speak the same day, then texting me again on Monday morning following up. I've had similar experiences where I decline a project and the requestor keeps asking, or behaves as though I've agreed to do it when I have said no.

Is this usual in business? Do I need to just to keep reiterating the message that I am focusing only on space tech for the next two months, or is this a culture/communication difference and other wording would be more effective? I want to remain professional and keep the option for future business open (if space tech doesn't work out), while also communicating clearly without appearing abrupt or rude. Are there any insights or scripts you can provide?

No, it's not usual, which makes me think something about your wording might not be as clear as it needs to be (although it sounds pretty clear!). I would stop saying that you'll bookmark their project and get back to them if something changes, since that may be muddying the message. Instead, just say, "I'm not currently taking on teapot projects so can't help, but best of luck with it." If you can refer them to someone else instead, you can do that. But otherwise stick with "I'm not currently taking on this work" and don't get into whether you might change your mind in the future.

After you do that, if someone continues to ask for your involvement, say this: "I apologize if I wasn't clear: I am not available to assist with this. I hope you can find someone who can help!"

5. Can my job make me close the store five nights a week?

I am a key holder closing the shop three days a week and the other days I do restocking, customer service, etc. Now my bosses are trying to give me five days to close, which I don't want because it is a lot responsibility and I burn out. Can they force me to do that?

Yes, they can make it a requirement of your job. But you can try pushing back, by explaining that you don't want to or you're not available at those hours that many nights per week or whatever makes sense. They can still decide it's a job requirement for you now, but you can have a discussion about it where you attempt to change their minds. If they want to keep you, they should have at least some incentive to try to find other solutions (if they exist).
 
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