Information, News and Events

We’re pleased to welcome Joe Griffin to Cubed, joining our Partnership Service Delivery team as part of our ongoing commitment to supporting our clients with the right people, at the right time.

Most hiring decisions feel right at the point they’re made. The CV stacks up. The interview is smooth. References confirm what you already want to believe. On paper, everything looks sound. And yet months later, sometimes much later, it becomes clear the hire isn’t delivering what the business truly needs. By that stage, the cost is no longer theoretical. A failed hire typically costs between two and three-and-a-half times salary, depending on how long it takes to recognise the issue. That figure includes lost productivity, disruption to teams, re-hiring costs and the opportunity cost of momentum lost while the role underperforms

The Employment Rights Bill has officially done the parliamentary equivalent of graduating and getting a job: it received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025 and is now law - as the Employment Rights Act 2025.

UK hiring isn’t slowing down. It’s misfiring. There are hundreds of thousands of open roles across the UK, particularly in STEM, engineering, and technical leadership. Yet the right people remain hard to reach. Not because they don’t exist, but because they’re not looking where employers are shouting. The best candidates are already employed. Productive. In demand. And quietly selective.

The world of work continues to evolve, and while that can feel unsettling at times, it also brings real opportunity. Employers are rethinking how they hire, what they value, and where they find talent. For job seekers, this is a moment to be intentional, confident, and forward-looking. Here are ten positive, realistic ways to stay competitive and improve your long-term prospects.

It’s widely acknowledged that the UK labour market has entered a new phase in the economic cycle. Politics and tribalism aside – ‘it is what it is’. For both businesses and candidates, those that adapt best will win out in the new and emerging landscape. Economic uncertainty, cautious hiring and rising costs have reshaped how people look for work and how organisations intend to recruit and re-engineer their workforces. The good news? Change always creates opportunity for those who are willing and able to adjust and compete.