Recruitment & HR

Workplace Gamification: Enhancing Employee Engagement and Motivation What if work felt more like a game than a chore? Imagine tracking your achievements, earning rewards, and levelling up, not in a video game, but in your everyday work tasks. Gamification does just that—it transforms routine responsibilities into exciting challenges, making work more engaging and rewarding. Employee disengagement is a persistent issue, with nearly three-fourths of employees reporting feeling disconnected from their work in recent years. Gamification addresses this by injecting fun and a sense of accomplishment into the workplace. By incorporating elements like points, badges, and leaderboards, it taps into the psychological drivers that make games irresistible: the joy of progress, the thrill of competition, and the satisfaction of mastery. The results speak for themselves. Microsoft’s call centers implemented a gamified system where agents earned badges and points for performance milestones. This simple shift resulted in a 12% drop in absenteeism and a 10% increase in productivity, showing how recognition and real-time feedback can energize teams. At Deloitte’s Leadership Academy, gamification turned training into an adventure. Participants completed missions, unlocked badges, and climbed leaderboards, which led to a 47% boost in engagement as users returned week after week to improve their skills. Similarly, IBM saw course completions skyrocket by 226% when they introduced digital badges as a reward for learning achievements. Gamification isn’t just about personal achievement—it promotes teamwork too. Cisco’s social media training program allowed employees to earn badges and levels while mastering new skills. This collaborative, game-like approach not only helped employees upskill but also aligned them with the company’s broader objectives in a fun and engaging way. Even inclusivity gets a boost from gamification. Traditional reward systems often focus on top performers, but gamified strategies create opportunities for everyone to feel recognized. For example, Southwest Airlines’ “Kick Tails” program enabled employees to reward their peers for outstanding contributions, building a culture of appreciation that motivates everyone. However, gamification isn’t without challenges. Poor design can spark unhealthy competition, discourage lower performers, or reduce enthusiasm with overly complex elements. Success lies in tailoring gamification to organizational goals while maintaining fairness and balance. By aligning work with the psychological need for autonomy, progress, and connection, gamification turns ordinary tasks into meaningful experiences. Employees don’t just work—they engage, learn, and thrive. In a world where work often feels routine, could gamification be the key to unlocking your team's potential? #nyraleadershipconsulting

10 years ago, I left my job at one of the largest and most-profitable financial companies in America, walking away from extensive "benefits" to protect my mental health and career ambitions. With an infant and a toddler to support, it petrified me to give up what I saw as my family’s "lifeline": the health and retirement benefits provided by my employer. The paralysis I felt then is probably what many individuals are facing in today's uncertain job market, with #layoffs, people being aged out of work, job shifts due to AI, etc. Of course, when any job shift occurs, the first thing many panic about is around their pre-existing "benefits" which may be going away. If you are feeling this panic, it's time to take a deep breath 🧘♀️. The benefits that you considered your lifeline and made you loyal to a job or company may not have been all that you perceived them to be. My personal journey of breaking away from traditional corporate packages has taught me lessons on how traditional benefits packages that companies use to lure candidates aren't always all they're cracked up to be…and how to find smarter and more efficient solutions for my family. Let's break some of these “perks” down and reveal what lies behind the walls: ➦ Health Insurance ⚕️: When I think of health insurance, my mind automatically goes to worst-case scenarios when I truly need the coverage 🏥. It’s easy to get lured by what is labeled as “world-class health benefits” by a company. I discovered that what I thought couldn't get any better at some of these large institutions was actually perfectly matched by finding the best plan for myself on my state’s Affordable Care Act website, at very attractive prices. ➦ Dental Benefits 🦷: Walk into a dentist's office to pay cash for your service, and the dentist himself will tell you the truth behind Dental Insurance...that it is a complete waste 🗑. You pay monthly premiums, but most of the items you actually need cost way more than you expected. Isn’t it better to consider just paying cash when you actually need a dentist, like for cleanings and x rays? ➦ 401(k)s and Retirement Plans: A quick online search about 401(k)s will show you that many people are starting to call these limiting at best, “a scam” at worst. While I wouldn't go that far, I would agree that you are forced into a program chosen by an employer who often knows little about finance and you are told to put aside your hard-earned money into the abyss. Isn't it better to start your own IRA with the guidance of a financial planner to build something that suits you best? Reach out if you don't have one, and I'll be happy to connect you with one in my network. What does all of this mean for you as you proceed with your job search? Don't take a job solely because of the allure of the benefits package if you have no interest in the job nor passion for the company's mission. You will likely pay in MANY other ways. Please comment w more ideas

Recruiters are expected to evolve into strategic business partners, playing a crucial role in aligning talent acquisition with overall business goals. Transformation is happening Automation and AI are handling routine tasks like resume screening and interview scheduling, allowing recruiters to focus on strategic initiatives1. This shift enables them to spend more time understanding business needs and crafting effective talent strategies. Recruiters are immersing themselves in their clients' industries, understanding market dynamics, operational challenges, and competitive landscapes. This knowledge helps them anticipate the skills and competencies needed for future success. Using data analytics, recruiters are making informed decisions about workforce planning and talent management. This approach ensures that recruitment strategies are aligned with business objectives and market trends. The human element remains irreplaceable. Recruiters are prioritizing empathy and communication, building authentic relationships with both clients and candidates. This helps in matching not just skills but also cultural fit. Recruiters are transitioning from tactical roles to strategic problem-solvers. They are designing unique candidate experiences, crafting compelling employer value propositions, and developing innovative sourcing strategies. Continuous learning and upskilling are essential. Recruiters are enhancing their skills to stay ahead of industry changes and to provide strategic insights to their organizations. This evolution positions recruiters as valuable assets, driving business success through strategic talent acquisition.

Perks are not well-being. And not every “EAP” is a real EAP. Too often, we mistake activities for well-being. Step challenges, gym memberships, a mindfulness app, or a once-a-year awareness day may look good on paper, but they are not substitutes for a true employee well-being program. Activities create short bursts of positivity, but they don’t solve the deeper issues that shape how people work and live. The same confusion happens with EAP. Some services call themselves “Employee Assistance,” but the name alone doesn’t make them one. A real EAP is a specialised professional field, built on standards and expertise. It is not just a helpline or a counselling add-on. A genuine EAP works on two levels: ➜ For individuals: providing confidential, professional support for personal, family, financial, and work challenges, etc. ➜ For organisations: addressing systemic risks that threaten culture, safety, productivity, and long-term sustainability. Think of it like healthcare. A vitamin drink might give a quick boost, but it’s not the same as seeing a qualified doctor who treats the root cause. That’s the difference between perks and a true EAP. When leaders confuse the two, they leave their people and their organisation unprotected. The real question is not, “What benefits are we offering?” But, “Are we safeguarding our people and our future?” If you’re a leader and want real support for your people, happy to have a conversation. Remember: perks don’t protect people. Programs do. 👋 Hi, I’m Nerry Toledo, LinkedIn Top Voice, mental health advocate and workplace well-being & EAP specialist, Lyra MENA.

Like many people who didn't start off knowing what a Headhunter was, the biggest surprise I learned upon becoming a headhunter was this: Companies actually pay headhunters massive recruitment fees to find talent when we (as in the general populace) have been traditionally trained to WANT to get a job for free. Here's what I mean: 1. Nobody ever paid to recruit me or anyone I know! I've never once been approached by a headhunter. and 2. Like many job seekers, I willingly wanted a job badly so I was chasing employers down, not the other way around. So the question arose: Why are headhunters paid these massive fees to find talent when most talent are desperately seeking jobs? The answer is this: - Headhunters are highly specialized and seek very NICHE talent, not your general, run of the mill worker!!! Since I was a regular run of the mill worker with no special skillset or defined niche that warranted headhunter services (i.e. hospitality, random jobs, entry-level roles), employers were not paying headhunters to find little ol' me! Listen closely here: Headhunters are engaged by clients looking for HIGHLY SPECIALIZED TALENT. For example, a pharma company needs a biostatistician, a private equity firm needs an experienced M&A specialist, a manufacturing firm needs an expert quality control leader, a medical practice needs an oncologist, etc. These are cases where Specialized HEADHUNTERS step into the picture. So again, listen closely: Headhunters are not needed to place unemployed college grads or random people who haven't been working for 20 years into a job. That isn't how this business works. Headhunters are again, engaged for VERY VERY specific cases where candidates are extremely scarce, thus these specialist headhunters help secure highly qualified candidates who are hard to find. Please understand this and you'll start understanding why legions of people are not catered to by headhunters. In other words, - most people do not fit the profile and/or niche the headhunter specializes in. Unless you're in a specific niche fields serviced by headhunters, you will not ever meet headhunters. #headhunters #headhunter #recruiter #recruiterlife #headhuntertips #recruitment #recruiting #recruiter #recruiters #recruitertips

Every hiring mistake has a receipt. Most don’t see it until it’s too late. I’ve seen a single hiring delay cost the CEO of an $8M ARR startup $2.6M. Not in salary. In missed revenue. Market share. Lost trust. Burnout. Nobody tracks that number... until it breaks them. If your revenue exec owns a $10M quota, every week without them puts $192K at risk. Delay the hire by a quarter? That’s $2.5M+ in potential revenue gone. Now stack that with: ▸ Burn rate at $250K/month = $1.5M+ lost during a stalled search ▸ Team turnover, compromised pipeline, process gaps, missed milestones ▸ CEO/Founder time tied up in work that should’ve been off their plate Hiring mistakes don’t just burn cash. They burn time and credibility. This isn’t just about hiring. It’s about protecting growth. It's impossible to scale what we're guessing at. That’s why we built The Hiring OS by ATP: To take the pressure off, cut through the noise, and help CEOs, founders and their investors hire with clarity, confidence, and speed before it costs way more than it should. There’s no shame in getting stuck here. It’s one of the hardest parts of building. But it doesn’t have to stay that way...

We’re short on people. And we’re running out of time. After more than 50 years in construction, I’ve seen my fair share of ups and downs - but the numbers I’m seeing now are the toughest I can remember. As we move through '25, our industry is facing challenges I wouldn’t have believed possible a decade ago: - The workforce has dropped by over 10% since the pandemic. We’re now at the lowest worker-to-population ratio I’ve ever seen - just 29 construction workers for every 1,000 people. - We need over 250k new workers by 2028, and 50k fresh faces every year just to keep up. - Skilled trades are in crisis: we’re short by at least 225k hands to meet the country’s housing and infrastructure needs. - Material costs? Still all over the place - up 15–20% on average since the pandemic. - And 16% of construction businesses are reporting critical worker shortages -the second-highest in the UK. Here’s something you won’t see in the headlines: A lot of the old knowledge is walking out the door, and not enough is coming in behind it. It’s not that young people aren’t up to the job - far from it. The problem is, we haven’t made construction appealing enough, and we haven’t always taken the time to pass on what we know. Skilled trades aren’t something you pick up in a couple of weeks. They take years, decades, even, to really master. These stats spell out what many of us have been feeling on site for years: More pressure on everyone. Bigger gaps in the workforce. Not enough boots on the ground, or hands on the tools, to do the job the way we know it should be done. Construction’s never been easy. But unless we get serious - about training, mentoring, and making this a career worth sticking with, the problems won’t sort themselves out. Just my take, after half a century watching the cycle repeat. #construction #ukconstruction #skillscrisis #labourshortage #thecommercialmind

It is estimated that 40% of the construction workforce will retire in the next 8 years. And while “the competition for top talent” is a constant topic of conversation at conferences and industry events, I tend to think it’s a bit of a pipe dream. Simply put, it will be impossible for you to replace 40% of your workforce simply by hiring more. There aren’t enough new people trained to do the work. And those that are lack the decades of pattern recognition and knowledge necessary to deal with the thousands of issues that come up during a project. Hiring is necessary, but insufficient. Absolutely hire. As many talented people as you can. But ALSO invest in technology to augment what will very likely be a smaller workforce. Use knowledge management platforms (like Precogs) to get that knowledge out of your team’s heads, before they ride off into the sunset. Use BIM to anticipate build issues and address them, limiting rework and getting your smaller team on more projects in less time. Use digital twins to think through potential ramifications of changes to existing infrastructure, making sure they get it done the right way the first time. The future of the construction industry is going to look different. Teams WILL be smaller. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to suggest construction firms that are first to embrace technology will reduce risk and will be ideally poised for success in a labor-constrained world.

Who Will Build Britain in 10 Years? We're facing a critical challenge in construction — and no, it’s not just rising costs or planning delays. It’s 'people' ! As skilled tradespeople retire, the manual labour force that keeps the industry moving is shrinking fast. Meanwhile, fewer young people are entering the trades — especially in roles like bricklaying, plastering, fencing, groundworks, and general site operations. If this continues, we’re looking at serious capacity issues in just a few years. So how do we fix it? A few thoughts come to mind:- - Rebrand manual labour as essential, skilled, and respected work — not a last resort. - Improve pay and conditions to reflect the value of physical trades. - Look to promote hybrid pathways and combine hands-on training with digital tools and certifications. - Engage early and bring construction into schools with real-world projects and relatable role models. - Rebuild pride in building — remind people that this industry 'literally' shapes the country! We can’t automate our way out of everything. We need hands, skills, and boots on the ground. What’s one thing you think would help protect our manual labour resource pipeline?