The government has withdrawn an offer of creating 1,000 more doctor training posts in England after the British Medical Association (BMA) refused to call off a six-day strike next week. The extra posts were part of a wider package of measures put forward by ministers earlier this year to resolve the long-running dispute with resident doctors.
When the CEO held a virtual town hall in 2020 and said there needed to be layoffs, I knew I would be one of the first to go because I served zero purpose at that point.
Customer service skills define how effectively employees represent a brand and resolve customer needs. In every industry, these skills determine whether a business builds loyalty or loses trust. Customers today expect responsiveness, empathy, and accuracy across every touchpoint-from phone calls and chats to social media interactions.
Recent data from The TalentLMS 2026 L&D Benchmark Report reveals a 19-point perception gap on AI learning support. 83% of HR leaders believe they actively support AI learning, but only 64% of employees agree. This extremely polarized viewpoint raises an uncomfortable question: If leaders are this far off on AI skills support, what else might they be misreading about their teams' capabilities?
In 2026, fragmented data and software complexity cost UK businesses significantly, with over a third of company leaders experiencing revenue loss as a result of delays, inconsistencies and missed opportunities. In fact, data goes on to suggest that the UK economy as a whole rakes in a staggering £32 billion in annual costs from underutilised tools, failed implementations, and integration issues, all of which can be attributed to the disconnected systems employees engage with day to day.
When I tell fellow tech executives that every employee at sunday, from our engineers to our finance team, must complete a restaurant shift before they can fully onboard, I usually get confused looks. "You mean like, shadow someone?" they ask. No. I mean they tie on an apron, take orders, run food, and yes, deal with the 15-minute wait for the check that our product was literally built to eliminate.
Just because someone is highly qualified, great at what they do and has impressive experience, doesn't mean they are a good fit for your organization or your culture. If you want your business to thrive in the marketplace, you need to filter out potential employees who may not be a great fit for your organization and attract those who are the most likely to thrive.
