So its been another productive week, all be it with some personal challenges! I was really pleased to hear how well received the assessment process and tools were for an organisation we were delivering for a number of internal promotion campaigns. Not resting on our laurels, we were able to provide some recommendations to further improve the process, in particular measuring candidate experience.

In another meeting to discuss an ATS implementation, it occurred to me that the differences in some ATS platform mean that some functionality that would be seen as essential to measure performance in the process is not seen as essential in others. To this point, I’d love too hear your experiences and what platforms seem to be the good ‘all-rounders’.

This week I thought I would share some topics that stood out for me in my Twitter feed this week. I hope you find them interesting, in particular the last one which is a bit of fun. In the meantime I hope you have a lovely weekend, whatever you are doing.

“Depression lost me my job” – BBC

On Thursday, commuting to work I was staggered to read the news item from BBC. I’ve had friends suffer with mental illness and it has always amazed me at the lack of focus on identification and prevention on mental health issues. Only earlier in the week Clarke Carlisle spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live about his recent experience and how well the NHS do when it gets to a critical/life threatening stage. But unfortunately there is very little funding to help support those with early signs of mental health issues. It seems all too easy for GP’s to prescribe a tablet rather to reduce the impact rather than get to and treat the root cause. From an employer perspective, I would love to see more done about this in the workplace. We spend two thirds of our weekdays in the workplace and I think colleagues and Managers have a greater role to play in identifying the signals and supporting employees earlier. I’d love to hear how you and your employers identify and support those with mental health issues. It’s clear that Aviva have a plan which is making an impact – wouldn’t it be great if others followed suit? And what an enhancement to an organisations employer brand.

“Where is LinkedIn heading?” – Undercover recruiter

I was fascinated to read this article this week. I’ve been a member of LinkedIn since 2007 and I’ve been amazed to see the changes that have taken place and how it became a default location for recruiters. But what do you think the future holds for LinkedIn? Is it being challenged by newer, trendier social platforms? One thing I would love to know is, do we think Microsoft – linking Dynamics and LinkedIn (and possibly Outlook) will become a major player within the ATS space. Are they looking to do a Google? My own experience of Dynamics has been less than impressive – but maybe this has changed.

And finally, it’s never over until it’s over! – BBC

A little bit of fun before the weekend. As a keen (retired) footballer this video from the Bangkok Sports Club versus Satri Angthong match made me chuckle (quite a bit) however it got me thinking in the context of a recruiter. We’ve all worked on those requisitions or projects were it feels like we’re fighting a losing battle. But just remember hard work, hope and optimism goes a long way (and with a little bit of luck) you can get the result you want just like the player striking the penalty.