Knowledge Hub

Hiring at senior level isn’t like buying a round of drinks. You can’t just point, pay, and expect it to be spot on every time (if only). The right person in a leadership role can transform your business. The wrong one? Well, it’s a bit like pouring money down the drain — only with a lot more stress involved. Over the years, I’ve seen businesses get this right, and I’ve seen them get it spectacularly wrong. The mistakes are nearly always the same. Here are seven of the big ones.

A practical onboarding guide for hiring managers (and a template you can use today). Most onboarding fails for one reason: we assume a new starter will “pick it up as they go.” In reality, the first week decides everything; confidence, pace, loyalty, and whether they feel like they belong. A simple Welcome Pack doesn’t need to be fancy. It needs to be clear, human, and structured. Here’s the playbook.

Acquisition is exciting. The ink’s dry, the press release is out, and the numbers look great. But once the celebration fizzles out, reality hits: change management.

Here’s the brutal truth: great people don’t queue up outside your office because you’ve put “competitive salary” on a job ad. Everyone says that. Everyone. If your grand plan to hire top talent is a recycled job spec and a half-hearted LinkedIn post, you’re going to be very lonely in that interview room.

Why Nicola and I decided to work together

Stepping Away, Coming Back, and Building 2.0