Blogs

​When budgets are tight, putting a hold on headcount or implementing a hiring freeze is often one of the first things that an organisation will action. This year has seen plenty of budgets tightening, in response to the volatile social, political and economic environment. And when times are particularly tough, we see the rise of restructures and redundancies. During th...

​As part of VMA GROUP’s Advisory Services, we offer organisations support through executive coaching and professional development.In today’s face-paced and ever-evolving world, communications and marketing professionals need a unique blend of leadership acumen, technical prowess, and adaptability to change. Understanding these nuanced demands, VMA GROUP are eager to sup...

​As specialist internal communications recruiters, we know all too well about the importance of employee engagement and the impact on performance and retention. In fact the UK economy loses £340 billion due to disengaged employees each year (Mundey, 2023). That’s why it’s crucial to get it right from the very beginning of an employee’s journey at your organisation – the onb...

​Last week Christina Fee from Fourtold was our guest speaker at VMA GROUP’s most recent event for internal communications professionals, hosted in partnership with Hanover Communications. Christina shared her insights on why company narratives and CEO communications matter, particularly highlighting the critical alignment between narratives and overall brand positioning, and...

​In today’s digital age, personal branding has become essential for career success and professional networking. Among the myriad of social platforms, LinkedIn stands out as the go-to platform for professionals to market themselves, showcase their skills and connect with like-minded individuals. So how can you effectively market yourself on LinkedIn to advance your career and...

​Over the last month, VMA GROUP has undergone the transition from private ownership to an employee owned business under an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). Julia Meighan, who has been the sole shareholder of VMA GROUP since 2008 and was CEO from 2003, will remain in her role as Chair of VMA GROUP with Andrew Harvey continuing to lead the business as CEO. Julia is delighted th...

​Let’s cut to the chase! Why ‘Is that clear?:...’ really is a must-read for native English speakers Last Thursday (19th October), VMA GROUP hosted another of Crystle Pearce’s Meet the Author sessions, but this time in collaboration with the NNC Network – a community of non-native internal communications professionals. Welcoming Zanne Gaynor and Kathryn Alevizos, authors of ‘...

​It comes as no surprise that the pandemic had a significantly abrupt and influential impact on the nature of the workplace, whether it be meetings, interviews or just general day-to-day interactions between colleagues. With over 55% of remote workers feeling that most meetings "could have been an email" and 42% of Zoom users confessing to attending a virtual meeting w...

​In the ever-evolving landscape of the modern workforce, the need for contract resource has become integral for many businesses. Whether you require a highly specialised skill set for a project with a finite timeline or seek a heightened level of adaptability, especially amidst uncertainty, that permanent employees cannot offer, contractors often present a highly valuab...

​As well as offering recruitment consultancy services since 1978, VMA GROUP offers a range of talent and advisory services, developed in response to the changing talent needs of organisations.In the dynamic world of business, staying ahead of the competition is no mean feat. Whether you’re looking to advance your team via professional development coaching, conduct a review o...

So, they liked your CV (thanks to our trusty tips!) and now you’ve been invited to interview. In today’s ever-competitive communications and marketing landscape, it’s critical that you stand out from your competition, to give you a better chance of moving forward in the recruitment process. Whether online or in-person, here’s some of our top tips that can help you ace your n...

Did you know that recruiters and hiring managers often spend around 6 to 10 seconds initially scanning a CV to decide if a candidate is a potential fit for the role? That's why it is absolutely crucial that your CV makes a good first impression. Here are 5 tips you can use to make your CV stand out, and help you get one step closer to your next Communications, Marketing, Dig...

For over 45 years, VMA GROUP has been a leader for recruitment in the communications, marketing and digital sectors. As a natural continuation of our existing business specialisms, and due to rising demand for transformation professionals, we are excited to have introduced our change management recruitment practice to VMA GROUP. Should you be changing?As the world continues...

​Introducing a change management practice to VMA GROUP has been a natural progression of our existing business specialisms. Our Principal Consultant, Deborah Le, specialises in the appointment of internal communications and change communications professionals for interim and contract roles.In the 7 years that Deborah has worked at VMA GROUP she has always witnessed a high de...

​We Meet Again…17th August: the date rings a bell, right? Well, for any eagle-eyed comms professionals following VMA GROUP on LinkedIn, you will know the 17th of August was a big day for the non-native comms community! It was the 2nd event for the NNC Network. The NNC NetworkHaving launched the NNC Network on the 21st of June with the opening event, Lost in Translation, The ...

​Last month, VMA GROUP were proud to be a pioneer partner to the CommsRebel, Inner Rebel 2023 conference.For those who don’t know, CommsRebel is an internal communications and employee experience consultancy, based in Manchester. Founded in 2020 by Advita Patel, CommsRebel have a mission to help organisations build an inclusive culture by empowering comms and HR leaders to d...

The Multi-Faceted Discipline Of External Communications - Can You Relate?​Once upon a time the remit of an external communications professional was clear: To reach and engage with identified audiences, via appropriate channels, to promote and enhance the company or organisation’s products or services. While the world of external communications has always been a multi-faceted...

​Following Tuesday night’s (11th July) Meet the Author event, I’m writing this blog post questioning if I should resort to a diagram to communicate the key takeaways… and for those of you who are wondering what I’m talking about, maybe it’s time to look at Fiona Passantino’s wonderful guide to Post-Covid Engagement in the workplace.What Did You Miss?When we think about commu...

​The 2022/23 strikes impacted the daily lives of all, accompanied the infamous Cost of Living Crisis, and they are far from over. More hours of work were lost in England last year due to strike action than during any year since 1989 and reluctant settlement offers have left many strikers feeling underappreciated and dissatisfied. The biggest escalation of industrial acti...

​We’re delighted to have hosted our latest Internal Communications Advisory Board, this time with a focus on the technology sector. We delved into two critical topics that are front of mind for many in the field of Internal Communications (IC): the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on IC practices, and strategies for navigating internal communications during redund...