The Pulse

22 Jul 2025

Numbers Don’t Deliver Services. People Do

Discover why people, not just plans or policies, are the true infrastructure of local government. This article explores how coaching and strategic workforce planning can help councils thrive through uncertainty by supporting the individuals behind every service.

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22 Jul 2025

From the Frontline to Public Service: Why Veterans Could Be the Public Sector's Untapped Talent

Veterans possess unique leadership, crisis management, and project delivery skills developed in high-pressure military environments, yet public sector recruitment often fails to recognise these transferable capabilities. With over half of employed veterans reporting underemployment, the sector is missing a strategic opportunity. Veterans bring a deep public service ethos, operational excellence, and the calm needed in complex situations, making them ideal for today's public sector challenges.

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22 Jul 2025

The future of fairness: Rethinking hiring in divided times

Despite rising polarisation, UK workers, especially younger generations, are calling for more inclusive, transparent hiring. Tribepad’s Stop The Bias research shows a deep generational divide on fairness, merit and DEI. While younger people support inclusion, they also wrestle with merit-based concerns. Employers must lead with empathy, not slogans, designing systems that remove bias and reward talent. Inclusion and fairness are not opposite, they’re essential, intertwined goals for building trust in recruitment.

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24 Jul 2025

Recruiting for complexity

Rebecca Davis calls for a fundamental shift in local government recruitment. She argues councils must look beyond traditional hiring methods and focus on finding adaptable, future-ready leaders. Through strategic workforce planning, inclusive pathways, and cross-council collaboration, WME is helping reshape recruitment to meet complex modern challenges. Davis champions honest storytelling, early engagement with young people, and prioritising learning agility over rigid experience to futureproof the public sector.

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17 Apr 2025

Employment Landscape Changes – the impact on recruitment

The Employment Rights Bill signals major UK workplace reform, expanding day one rights and protections for vulnerable workers. While businesses fear recruitment challenges and rising costs, opportunities emerge for fairer hiring, workforce resilience, and inclusive growth. Local Government must adapt positively to harness talent and support long-term workforce strategy.

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31 Mar 2025

West Midlands Employers unveils ambitious Strategic Plan for 2025-2030

West Midlands Employers (WME) has launched an ambitious Strategic Plan for 2025-2030, focused on building high-performing, future-ready workforces. With priorities like leadership, collaboration, and workforce innovation, the plan will drive regional prosperity, tackle workforce challenges, and ensure the West Midlands remains a great place to work, live, and thrive.

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30 Jun 2025

PS IHEART You Unplugged: Shaping talent, transformation & trust in Local Government

In this PS I Heart You Unplugged episode, Rebecca Davis speaks with Tim Johnson, Chief Executive of Wolverhampton Council. Tim reflects on 30 years in local government, sharing lessons on values-led leadership, talent development, and how collaboration shapes resilient public services.

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26 Jun 2025

PS IHEART You Unplugged: Leading through reform and the future of Local Government

In this episode of The Public Sector I Heart You Unplugged podcast, Rebecca Davis, Chief Executive of West Midlands Employers, speaks with Ian Miller, Chief Executive of Wyre Forest District Council, about his 25-year leadership journey. They discuss reorganisation, devolution, finance reform, and why keeping services local matters, essential insight for local government leaders.

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17 Jun 2025

PS I HEART You Unplugged: The future of work, AI and the role of people professionals with Peter Cheese

In this episode of the Public Sector I Heart You podcast, Rebecca Davis, Chief Executive of West Midlands Employers, is joined by Peter Cheese, Chief Executive of the CIPD. Together, they explore the evolving world of work—from the rise of AI and hybrid working to skills shortages and the importance of ethical leadership. Peter shares reflections from his global career, insights on public vs private sector workforce development, and how CIPD is influencing government policy and empowering the next generation of people professionals. A must-listen for anyone shaping the future of HR in the public sector.

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31 Jan 2025

WMJobs Fair 2025 Attendee Interviews

Watch the WMJobs fair highlights for 2025 and the attendee interviews.

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25 Nov 2024

'I Am Not A Robot' Coaching and Mentoring conference 2024

Discover how the 'I Am Not A Robot' Coaching and Mentoring Conference by West Midlands Employers explored the balance between human intuition and digital tools.

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24 Sep 2024

Tri-Sector Challenge 2024

Join us as we reflect on the Tri-Sector Challenge; a unique leadership event bringing together the public, private, and third sectors to solve real-world challenges.

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