This is not just a general workforce issue. The government’s own Diversity in UK Tech report (2025) found that professionals aged 50 and over make up 31% of the UK’s working-age population, yet only a fifth of the tech workforce, a gap it warns will make existing skills shortages worse if left unaddressed. Separate research from CW Jobs found that 41% of tech workers said they had encountered age discrimination at work. While we may assume ageism is something that happens to older workers alone, it is worth noting that the same research highlighted anecdotal reports of some employers favouring more experienced colleagues over younger talent.

The hidden assumptions that shape opportunity

Ageism rarely appears as explicit discrimination. It surfaces in the quiet shortcuts our brains take, the language we use and the stories we tell ourselves about what different age groups must be like. For example:

When assumptions are addressed they can materialize in the workplace as unbalanced workloads, who gets airtime in meetings, who gets trained, and ultimately who gets to belong. In an operational environment, where innovation depends on diverse thinking, these shortcuts can be especially costly.

Could age bias be going unnoticed in our everyday interactions?

Age‑coded behaviour often feels subtle, but its impact is anything but. People managers can start by observing and seeing if some of these behaviours are present across their teams.

• Meetings: Who speaks the most? Who gets interrupted? Are younger colleagues dismissed as naïve? Are older colleagues treated as blockers?
• Team dynamics: Do different age groups collaborate meaningfully, or do they cluster into generational silos?
• Job descriptions/adverts: Words like “digital native”, “high‑energy”, or “high potential” can quietly signal who is welcome.
• Performance conversations: Are expectations consistent across age groups, or do assumptions creep in?
• Development opportunities: Is training offered equitably, or do you assume some people are “not looking to grow”?
• Mentoring; Are you intentionally creating two‑way learning across generations?
• Systems and processes: What do your promotion, pay, and retention data reveal about age‑related trends?
• Challenge culture: Do people feel safe calling out age‑related assumptions when they hear them?

The challenging work begins when you ask:

Are the assumptions I’m making limiting opportunity, contribution, or belonging for people of different ages?

If the answer is “possibly”, then you have a starting point.

Age is the one characteristic that every single one of us will experience if we’re lucky. Unlike other protected characteristics, age is universal and dynamic and we all move through it.  In a world where careers span 50+ years, where people retrain multiple times, and where skills evolve at pace, organisations cannot afford to let outdated assumptions shape opportunity.

Creating an age‑inclusive workplace isn’t about treating everyone the same. It’s about intentionally designing environments where people at every life stage can contribute fully, grow meaningfully, and belong authentically.  As Harvard Business Review’s research on the multi-generational workplace suggests, generational distrust and ageism are seeping into organisations worldwide, with differences in communication style and technology preferences fuelling stereotypes that hurt team performance. It does not have to be this way. We are living and working longer. The question is whether our workplaces are evolving fast enough to match that reality.

If you would like an informal chat with us about what inclusion looks like in an operational environment then contact us at hello@h2h.uk.com or click here to request a call.

The study from Harvard Buisness Review is available to buy here or you can download their previous study on Unlocking the benefits of a multi-generational workforce here. 

The post Are the assumptions you make about age, limiting opportunity at work? appeared first on h2h.

As with most conflict resolution situations, finding common ground is a good place to start. Here are three of the most common core beliefs we see show up across the multi-generational workforce and where some of the differences in expectations may lie.

1. We all want to be treated with respect

Most people want to be treated fairly at work and to feel that their views are taken seriously. For some, respect is shown by recognising experience and length of service. For others, it means being invited to contribute equally, regardless of role or title. Personality and preference also shape how respect is understood:  professional distance versus a more informal style and visible recognition of their efforts. Conflict can arise when one person feels dismissed by open challenge, while another feels overlooked when decisions are made without discussion. In both cases, the underlying value is the same, RESPECT, but people differ in how they expect it to be shown.

Top tip for Line Managers

Create a team agreement on respectful behaviours:  not a policy, but a short, co‑created set of norms everyone can stand behind.

2. We all want to do meaningful work

It’s fair to assume that most people arrive at work wanting to contribute and do well. Yet what “good work” looks like can differ significantly. For some, it’s the satisfaction of creating something durable. For others, it’s the immediate impact of seeing their work make a difference, or the fulfilment that comes from supporting colleagues and helping a team grow.

The language of “purpose” is sometimes dismissed as a modern or generational obsession. But perhaps it’s simply a refreshed way of expressing that we want to find meaning in the work we do.

Top tip for Line Managers

Ask individuals what “meaningful work” looks like to them. Keep outcomes consistent, but allow different working styles where possible

3. We all want to progress, not stagnate

Most people want to feel they’re moving forward in their work, not standing still. While it may seem that some are content doing the same tasks in the same way each day, almost everyone values some form of progress; even if they don’t label it as such. A lack of progression is one of the biggest drivers of turnover, disengagement, and burnout.  Progression, however, doesn’t have to follow the traditional path of promotions, titles, or hierarchy. Financial growth and increased stability are rarely unwelcome, but they’re only one form of advancement. Long‑standing team members may value increased autonomy and trust, while newer recruits may be more motivated by skill development and fresh experiences.  Career progression has never been one‑size‑fits‑all. It takes many shapes, and effective leaders recognise and support the version that matters most to each individual.

Top tip for Line Managers

Offer a menu of progression paths, for example: promotion, autonomy, project ownership, skill expansion, mentoring roles.

We all need to be careful not to frame these challenges purely as generational differences, as this risks oversimplifying human behaviour and reinforcing stereotypes. Multi-generational workplaces don’t succeed by erasing differences; they succeed by recognising the shared values beneath them and navigating individual preferences within them. When leaders do this well, they create better collaboration and more inclusive policies that genuinely work for all age groups.

Find out more from us and how we can help with the development of your people here or email us at hello@h2h.uk.com

This short article from Harvard Business Review also has some useful ideas and insights – Unlocking the benefits of multi-generational workplaces

The post Why multi-generational teams work better when we focus on what we share appeared first on h2h.

The cost of this oversight is high: research by CIPD quotes average staff turnover rates of 34% for all UK workers. For senior leadership roles the figure is generally lower at around 18% but the impact and reach are far wider – when a senior leader leaves this can result in up to 40% attrition across the team. When transitions at this level fail, the consequences ripple far beyond the individual. Teams lose momentum, morale dips, productivity slows, and relationships take time to re-build. Recruitment of a senior leader is expensive, (circa £45K at executive level), but the hidden cost of disruption is often far greater.

Why integration matters

Traditional onboarding can often focus mainly on the logistics: systems, structures, processes and policy. However, what really makes the difference is when it also addresses credibility, relationships, influence, and cultural alignment. This is where we help our customers to really focus in on integration When this is done well, the risk of transition failure can be significantly reduced, and leaders can reach full impact far more efficiently and effectively.

Senior leader integration that is managed with intention drives a significant and measurable impact. Benefits include:

• Early confidence and credibility
• Faster strategic impact and alignment
• Stronger team performance
• Higher engagement and morale
• Enhanced brand and reputation
• Long‑term capability building.

And perhaps most importantly, this approach can also be scaled, using lighter‑touch formats for mid‑level leaders, further extending its impact across the organisation.

Our 90‑Day integration framework

Our senior leader integration framework is intentionally designed around the first 90 days which is the period that most strongly shapes long‑term success.

The process begins before Day One, with the co‑creation of a transition plan tailored to the leader’s priorities, stakeholder landscape, and organisational context. From there, the journey can include:

• Structured workshops
• Performance and leadership diagnostics
• Hands‑on advisory support
• One‑to‑one leadership coaching.

This holistic approach ensures leaders are set up for success and fully embedded personally, culturally, and strategically. We have found that this targeted and tailored approach can get leaders operating at close to full impact by the end of the three months – much more effectively than learning through trial and error on a more ad hoc basis.

Senior leader onboarding is a strategic investment. When organisations move to structured integration, they dramatically increase the odds of success and unlock performance faster.  Getting the first 90 days right can make the difference between a costly mistake and a leadership appointment that delivers lasting value.

Contact us at hello@h2h.uk.com for more information or download a copy of recent report into the employee life cycle – from onboarding to retirement here.

The post So much more than a handover: How to help senior leaders to land, lead, and last appeared first on h2h.

Long gone are the days of one employer, one job and one career ladder, today people will often have at least 2 or 3 career changes over the life span of their working lives. However, in the last 5 years the world of work has shifted significantly due to rapid advances in technology, AI, the rise of flexible working and the multi-generational workplace. People are now looking for more variety and fluidity in their work and more balance in their lives, where multiple roles, part-time positions, freelance and side-hustles are combined to make up a portfolio career.

“I think more people of all ages will move towards portfolio careers and approach their working life with a more flexible attitude. With skills shortages impacting all industries – particularly STEM sectors – we will need to think differently about how to get the people we need in the roles that are so vital to the economy.” – Senior HR Leader

A portfolio career brings several benefits for the employee such as flexibility and autonomy which dovetails well with the emerging trend of more project based and part-time roles. This shift in approach is of particular appeal to those under 30 and can lead to an improved set of transferable skills and adaptability amongst this population. There are many articles on the benefits for individuals  such as this from Forbes on non-linear careers. However, this also needs to be counterbalanced with the flip side of the coin – potential instability, isolation and perhaps some push back from employers who may question commitment and reliability.

Advice is not so readily available for employers. So how can employers react to the emerging trend of the portfolio career and use this to their advantage? In a nutshell we cannot resist this shift and need to rethink traditional systems and practices in order to create an environment that attracts and retains multi-skilled professionals and embraces flexible talent models. Easy to say, but not so easy to do.

Organisations should consider the following:

The post The era of the portfolio career appeared first on h2h.

A recent study by LinkedIn and Microsoft which found that in 2025 even more people want to quit their jobs than did in 2021. The survey of 31,000 individuals across 31 countries has found that 46% of employees want to leave their jobs in the year ahead – more than the 40% in 2021. A further study undertaken by Universum identifies that 36% of highly skilled professionals in Europe are considering changing employers in 2025. Whilst various other sources are also indicating that those most likely to make the move are Millennials and Generation Z – the latter of which now make up over 27^% of the workforce in the UK.

So, what is driving this? There are of course a number of causes and trends but some of these are quite different from the ones at play in 2021. They include:

• The trend for employers requiring the workforce to be based in their place of work rather than working remotely or flexibly
• A lack of investment and/or reduced offering around training and development
• Limited career advancement opportunities and pathways
• Compensation concerns and reduction in salary increases and accompanying benefits
• Shifting workplace priorities that are often out of balance with individual needs for flexibility and work-life balance.

If you consider the main motivation and engagement factors at work for many millennial and gen Z employees, then many of the above are high in priority. Given that these age groups are projected to make up roughly two-thirds of the workforce within the next few years (Deloitte)  – what can be done to change the narrative and find a long -lasting solution?

UK based organisations are currently having to cope with the implications around minimum wage and NI contributions as well as changes to international tariffs. These are of course having a far-reaching impact on how business’s operate. However, you can try to monitor these trends and find solutions to improve retention and hold on to your employees if you can:

1. Re-enforce and promote the flexible working policies that do exist to ensure employees and prospective ones are aware of them. Evaluate the impact of different approaches so that the ones that work best are retained and benchmark what you are doing against competitors in order to stay informed of marketplace trends.
2. Develop line management capability and flexibility so leaders are agile and know how to get the best out of their teams. Provide clarity around flexible working and give managers some autonomy within their role to enact this as they know their people best.
3. Invest in focused career development. Developing clear career pathways can help with this, as can dedicated upskilling and technical/leadership development programmes that have a clear alignment with on-the-job activity.
4. Develop a creative and well promoted training and L & D offering. There are many different development approaches that can happen directly in the workplace and have limited upfront costs. These include mentoring schemes, shadowing, project opportunities, secondments and the use of subject matter experts.
5. Promote the employee offer. Ensure current and potential employees are clear on what is on offer to them in terms of wellbeing, flexibility, development and career growth.

If this blog resonates with you and you would like to find out more about potential solutions to The Next Great Resignation. Then take a look at the following pages of our website and explore how you can encourage your employees to stay through developing your line management capability, career development toolkits and increased training and development opportunities or contact us at enquiries@h2h.uk.com for an informal conversation.

The post The Next Great Resignation: Causes, Trends, and Solutions by h2h Lead Consultant Robbie Lightfoot appeared first on h2h.

Common and perhaps questionable arguments in this space include:

At h2h we disagree and believe that supporting a charity adds a great deal of value to any organisation. In our latest blog, our Growth Manager, Sarah Tiffany discusses the key benefits of supporting a charity and references these findings from McKinsey which gives some further ideas on why ESG really does matter.

We have been really working hard on our ESG over the last couple of years and have focused on improving our sustainable business practices. This has included accreditation for both the Good Business Charter  and Cyber Essentials schemes, reviewing our business policies and improving employee engagement and quality assurance processes. We are now looking at embedding our commitment to social responsibility, for example, through the sponsorship of several charities, donation of surplus office equipment to local schools and community groups and the offer of some pro-bono services to various organisations including the NHS.

When it comes to supporting a charity, we believe that the key benefits for us will be:

#3 It’s good Corporate Social Responsibility.

Working with a charity can lead to unexpected opportunities such as new partnerships or community leadership roles. Supporting a cause not directly linked to our core business activity, encourages our organisation to consider our impact on the environment and the well-being of the wider community and how we can start to balance these with our economic, social, and environmental responsibilities. It helps us to demonstrate that our business cares about more than just profit or ROI and reflects who we are as an organisation.

#2 It improves our working relationships and hi-lights new skills

It’s great for our employees to pull together on a non-work-based project as a team. Volunteer days or team fundraising activities showcases a whole new set of skills that we may never have known our employees possessed. Being united in a common cause brings all sorts of different people together – it boosts morale, encourages cross divisional working and makes our employees proud to work for a socially responsible company. This can also have a knock on benefit of boosting employee satisfaction, improving retention and making our organisation more attractive to new recruits.

#1 It boosts community engagement.

Supporting a charity allows us to give back in a meaningful way. It can help us to;

• build goodwill within our community
• bring together our clients, suppliers and associates
• and can open doors to new partnerships and collaborations.

Most importantly it gives us a different focus and purpose, as well as bringing all parts of the business together in one united cause. In summary, supporting a charity isn’t just a nice gesture — it’s a smart, forward-thinking strategy that enriches our working relationships, reflects our values and creates a positive ripple effect far beyond the walls of our business.

Our challenge this year is to raise £10,000 and awareness for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity. You can read more about how we plan to do this in our latest press release or contact us at enquiries@h2h.uk.com if you would like to get involved in any of the activities that we have planned. If you would like to make a donation then please do so here.

Here’s and overview of how your donations can help:

About the author

Sarah is our Growth Manager and oversees our business development plan and activities including event management, promotional materials, social media presence, newsletters and marketing. She is focussed, results-driven and self-motivated and uses these strengths to drive our business forward.  She has strong interpersonal skills and is proud to work for an organisation whose overarching aim is to make a positive difference to working lives.

The post Corporate support for charities – why it is more than just a nice gesture? By Sarah Tiffany, Growth Manager at h2h appeared first on h2h.

1. The more you can communicate with everyone the better they feel.

• Hold frequent meetings to update employees on the transition process and what it means for them and their teams.
• Create opportunities for employees to ask questions and express their concerns.
• Ensure that all communications are clear, honest, and consistent to avoid misinformation and rumours.
• Give lots of opportunity for everyone to give feedback & tell you how they honestly feel.

2. Create formal and informal support networks for all employees, not just those at risk of redundancy

• Provide either career transition support, including CV writing, job search assistance, and interview preparation.
• Encourage the formation of peer-to-peer mentoring and buddy groups where employees can share experiences and advice.
• Ensure regular check ins and signpost employees to qualified support (counsellors, mental health first aiders) if needed.
• Consider the impact of high workloads on those processing job change (as well as those processing team change). To avoid burn out it may be necessary to reallocate work for a while or renegotiate deliverables.

3. Start lots of conversations about career development

• Offer career coaching sessions to help employees develop new skills relevant to the changing organisational needs or to help them understand their strengths as they leave the organisation.
• Encourage those affected to focus on internal networking to explore all internal job opportunities and alternative career pathways.
• Provide access to a career planning tool such as Passport2Progress to empower impacted employees to take ownership of their future career.

Investing in these initiatives can help retain talent and ensure that those leaving do so in a healthy way as well as strengthening the overall resilience and productivity of the organisation.

If you would like to speak to a member of the h2h team about navigating the redundancy process, outplacement or coaching, you can call us on 01347 879056 or email us at enquiries@h2h.uk.com

The post Our top tips on building and maintaining employee engagement during a redundancy programme by h2h Lead Consultant, Caroline Forman appeared first on h2h.

Here are our Top 5 Tips to try to start to do this more effectively:

1. Understand The Other Person’s Priorities

Your line manager may have a very different set of priorities, deadlines and challenges to face on a daily basis. Our first tip is to spend a bit of time listening and observing and try to work out what their key goals are – essentially, what motivates them? Is it productivity and efficiency, cost savings and budget or innovation? Whatever it is – if you can align your ideas with their key priorities and show how your suggestions can help them to work towards these, then you stand a much better chance of being heard.

2. Build Up Credibility & Trust

We all like ideas and suggestion from trusted colleagues that can make our jobs easier, give us more time and make our working day more straightforward. If you can consistently complete the tasks assigned to you to deliver results – then you start to build up your professional reputation and establish yourself as a reliable voice with value-adding expertise. Then, when it comes to presenting a new idea or process, your team will be keen to hear what you have to say.

3. Communicate With Clarity & Confidence

People have busy working lives and line managers, in particular, can be very short on time; as such it is often better to be succinct when first explaining your idea. Get to the point quickly but make sure that you cover the basics– what that the problem is, how your idea can help them solve it/or solve it more efficiently and what the benefits will potentially be. There will be time to present further details later.

If you know how they like to receive information then you can adapt your communication style and include – a concise overview, visuals, graphs, bullet points or clear outcome- focused data as appropriate.

4. Anticipate & Address Concerns

It is always worthwhile trying to think a few steps ahead and look at the proposal from the other person’s perspective — what risks or objections might they have? If you anticipate any potential concerns or issues with your idea, then you can have a readymade response to these already in your back pocket.

Even better if you have a small set of data and evidence to support your ideas. If your line manager responds particularly well to data and results it may all be an idea to run a small test or simulation and collect the evidence to back up your new concept.

5. Be Patient & Build Up Relationships First

Pick your moment wisely, be patient and avoid approaching your manager when they are under pressure or distracted. Also, with reference back to our Top Tip #2, it is a good idea to call upon the professional relationships you are building and sound out an colleague who you trust and who may support your idea. If there are one or two team members who also can see the value in your suggestion, then this helps to reinforce your arguments.

It is useful to remember that in it does take time for people to accept change to their ways of working and sometimes managers may be a little hesitant at first. It is ok to stay professional and persistent and try again when appropriate.

These are just some of the ways that you can start to influence upward. Give them a try and see how it goes. What have you got to lose?

At h2h we offer Personal Influence and Impact workshops that are fully interactive, experiential and positioned in the context of emotional intelligence. In these sessions we address day-to-day issues and take participants on a journey of self-awareness, appreciation of difference and growth in capability to positively impact interactions with others.

If you would like to find out more about how h2h can support you and your people then take an in depth look at our Leadership Development Portfolio or contact us at enquiries@h2h.uk.com

The post How to start to influence upwards by h2h Growth Manager, Sarah Tiffany appeared first on h2h.

A mentor can provide insights, constructive feedback, and encouragement to foster your growth, irrespective of whether you’re embarking on a career change, taking on a leadership role or just striving to be as successful as you can be in your current role. If you haven’t already, then now is the perfect time to find a mentor.

Here’s my top 5 reasons why finding a mentor in 2025 should be a priority:

1. Learn from their experience: 
   Choosing the right mentor is crucial. Ideally you are looking for someone who has a background that you feel you can learn from. This doesn’t necessarily mean they have to work in the same role or sector as you. Choosing someone who has strengths in areas you want to develop is a good place to start.
2. Have access to a constructively critical sounding board:
   A successful mentorship partnership is based on trust, honesty, and transparency. Mentors can give you unbiased and constructive feedback. This can help you broaden your perspective on situations & look at new ways to approach challenges or opportunities. Their positive reinforcement can also help you maintain a positive mindset, even when facing significant challenges.
3. Accelerate your personal growth: 
   Mentors want to help you grow & thrive. In your conversations they will spend time getting top know you & what you want out of your working life. Their personalised (& objective) support and challenge can help you build knowledge, skills and experience much quicker than trying to do it alone.
4. Get help with goal setting:
   A mentor can be a great aid for anyone who is struggling to set and or achieve goals. They can support with setting challenging, yet attainable, goals, and help hold you accountable, ensuring you stay on track and maintain motivation. 
   
5. Build your connections:
   Mentors can connect you to their own networks with mentees, introducing you to other professional contacts who could positively impact your opportunities and experiences in the present or future.

The benefits of mentorship are immense, from expanding your knowledge to gaining a fresh perspective on your potential. Finding the right mentor can be a game-changer in both your personal and professional life. As we step into 2025, make mentorship a priority and take the initiative to seek out someone who can guide, support, and challenge you. The right mentor can be the catalyst for unlocking your full potential.

The post “Everyone Needs a Mentor” and why you should find one by h2h Lead Consultant, Caroline Forman appeared first on h2h.

My belief was, and still is, that people are at the heart of business success, and that the people inside organisations should enjoy their work, grow and find fulfilment from it.  By setting up a business consultancy my aim was to bring this dream to a reality in as many organisations as possible.

I am so proud of the work that our h2h team has enabled, and especially:

• The range of clients who choose to work with us and have been loyal to h2h for many years. These include international corporate clients; clients who play a strategic role in the national interest and a range of businesses delivering amazing success through technology and engineering.
• Changes we have enabled in our client organisations such as:
  • Enhanced leadership capability leading to improved employee experience and business performance
  • Developing talent and growing careers
  • Supporting companies and individuals through difficult transitions
  • Delivering organisational capability at a strategic level
• The influence we have had through relevant thought leadership, forums we create for networking and sharing best practice, along with the dash of common sense that is sometimes needed to get to what really matters.

So, how did we get here?  I have strived to practice what we preach and the reward for that has been an incredible, talented and loyal team of both staff and consultants in our h2h community.  We have quarterly continuous professional development events, where we share, pool and mine for what’s needed in our space.  We learn from each other, enjoying the diversity of thinking and challenges to be even better.

The back end of 2024 was a busy period that included:

• A flurry of new and exciting executive coaching opportunities
• New customer wins spreading our expertise in leadership and management development
• Effective and accessible outplacement support to organisation’s having to lose staff
• The onboarding of 5 new consultants and a further Learning Manager in our core team
• Refurbishing our office to suit different ways of working

So, what’s next?  We are excited about our future and always take a long-term approach.  We have a 3 month period to refresh our business strategy and for sure the following will be front of mind:

• Making sure our professional thinking is ahead of the game through sound research and deep thinking
• Delivering excellence to all our current clients, evaluating impact and striving for improvement following each and every event.
• Building on internal processes that enable our day-to-day success. These include our workflow management process; our innovation tracker and our public presence.
• Developing a strategy for enduring success for the next 21 years!

Do you follow us on LinkedIn? For more tips, news and industry updates, follow us at www.linkedin.com/company/h2h-ltd  

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