Wagstaff Wisdom

Welcome to Wagstaff Wisdom with me, Ruth Forster. This episode is a little different. Recently, I joined Charlotte Sykes as a guest on her Kitchen Table Conversations series, where we explored a topic that sits quietly underneath so many workplace behaviours and leadership challenges, trauma and the impact personal experiences can have on the way we lead, communicate and relate to others. This was...

Ruth was a guest on this episode discussing Menopause in the Workplace —she didn't want to do it! Why? Because it makes her uncomfortable. She finds the topic difficult to navigate, both personally and professionally, and she's worried about saying the wrong thing. However, alongside expert guest speaker Jo Jinks from Synergise HR, they not only discussed the legal aspects but also broke down misc...

Biannually we explore the latest trends in the UK jobs market. But this year, we're not just tackling any labour review—we're diving headfirst into Labour's Market Review.   With the Labour Party now in power, we're anticipating significant changes to employment law and workers' rights following their proposals in the King's Speech, including their 'Plan to Make Work Pay' and other key reforms. Th...

Advertisements continue to be effective; our data provides clear evidence of this. Even passive candidates are inclined to apply for the right job. Occasionally, a compelling advert is all it takes, and with the right internal resources, you can manage your own recruitment initiative. During this session, Ruth welcomes Michelle Davies from Candidate Source who will unveil effective strategies and...

The talent of our future is Generation Z & Generation Alpha. How can we engage, inspire, & recruit these generations into engineering & manufacturing? This topic remains a continuous focus among our engineering and manufacturing clients, the contrast between the aspirations of current and future generations and the career opportunities our businesses can provide. In this LinkedIn Live Ruth welcome...

Searching for a job can be a challenging journey with many aspects to consider. Among these, one of the core areas is the application process. Job seekers typically apply for positions through recruiters or directly to companies via their Talent Acquisition teams. But how exactly should you approach these talent teams? • Is it different from applying through a recruitment consultancy? • What are T...

Are you tired of recruitment becoming a financial black hole? • Cost of advertising • Cost of Agencies  • Cost of getting it wrong Are you tired of recruitment taking up too much time? • Sifting CV's • Ineffective interviews – if they turn up! • Managing rejection at offer stage In this epiosde we talk about how to transform your approach to hiring by putting the spotlight on cost and return on in...

As the A levels results came in on Thurs 18th August, there was also the mention of Btec and T Level results. For many people T Levels are totally unknown, which is not surprising, this is the first year students achieved T Levels results, and only 1,000 students participated. At Wagstaff we think T Levels could be brilliant, they are a great way for engineering and manufacturing businesses to eng...

First Impressions matter, and if your application process is unpleasant for candidates they will abandon it. 93% of engineers have abandoned applications Anecdotally, many have shared how put off they can be by the first interaction. This webinar is a tactical, tips laden guide to simple improvements you can make to your application process to ensure you capture ideal engineering candidates. In th...

Despite changes for the better in education, The next 10 years will see the shortage of engineers get worse, not better. In that time  you need to make sure that the few engineers that remain will choose your business over competition, and stick with you once they join. It takes more than just money, and this webinar will explain how you can implement a powerful tool called and Employee Value Prop...

In this session of Wagstaff Wisdom , the conversation centers on the campaign #NoWrongPath, emphasizing the importance of diverse career journeys and perseverance, especially in light of Scotland's exam results day. The guests, Paul and Noah from Team Brit, share their unconventional career paths, illustrating the message that there is no single "right" path in life. Paul recounts his early academ...

Neil Hussey's journey is a testament to perseverance and adaptability in the face of life's unexpected turns. From his early days in a private boarding school, where he thrived in sports but struggled to find his academic focus, to his eventual career as a Technical Sales Engineer, Neil's path has been anything but straightforward. Despite initial setbacks, including missing out on university and...

It's our very own Ruth Forster's time in the hot seat! Ruth Forster is the founder of Wagstaff Recruitment and Careers Coaching, specializing in permanent and interim recruitment within the engineering, manufacturing, and automated distribution sectors. Ruth's career journey reflects resilience and determination, emerging from a background where school was a struggle and her path forward was uncle...

Charlotte Sykes is an accomplished businesswoman and the founder of Career Workshops and Recruitment (CWR). With over a decade of experience, Charlotte provides a range of services, including coaching, training, and recruitment, to individuals, schools, and businesses within the local community. Having grown up in various parts of the world, including America and Europe, Charlotte's career journey...

Karen Dungey is an experienced professional who has navigated a diverse career path, currently serving as the Course Coordinator at South Staffordshire College. With a background in catering and hotel management, Karen's journey has seen her transition from aspirations of joining the army to working in hospitality, retail management, and recruitment. She later moved into roles focused on mentoring...

A new epiosde for our #NoWrongPath series where we hear from Phil Holwell.  Phil Holwell is an accomplished engineering professional who currently holds the position of Senior Vice President of Engineering at PERI Formwork Systems in the United States. With a career spanning over two decades, Phil has worked across multiple industries, including construction equipment and rail manufacturing, for r...

Jon Walker is a seasoned professional with a diverse career trajectory that spans multiple industries. Initially driven by a passion for sports during his school years, Jon's career path took a turn as he decided to join the military at a young age, following in his stepfather's footsteps. His military career lasted nearly five years, where he developed skills in engineering and gained invaluable...

  In this interview, we welcome Julia Doherty as the first guest in a new interview series called "My Career Journey," We have witnessed various career journeys filled with unexpected twists and turns and these interviews aim to highlight how career paths have evolved over time, particularly in today's world, where people are expected to have an average of 12 jobs during their lifetime. Many indiv...