TECH & TAILS.

Men’s mental health and suicide is something extremely close to my heart. When I look back on how society was when I was a boy it has changed drastically for the better and now more than ever, men are encouraged to speak about their mental health.. but there is still a lot of work to be done.  Suicide is the single biggest killer of Men under 45 in the UK with male suicides having consistently accounted for three-quarters of UK suicides since the 1990s. In a world where mental health is finally recognised on par with physical health, there is still a huge problem when the biggest threat to a young man’s life is himself.   At 27 years old I have experienced 3 suicide attempts, 2 resulting in the loss of a life and 1 resulting in a long and painful road to recovery.. all men.   Growing up, phrases like man up, don’t be a girl, grow a pair, boys don’t cry and so many more resonated with me, perpetually drilled into young boys by a society that saw male emotions as weakness. Even to this day I still struggle to cry, even though I know it’s okay, I am so subconsciously inclined to bottle things up, even when I want to let it out, I can’t.   Men are much less likely to speak to a friend or a doctor, feeling that their problems are theirs and not to be someone else’s burden. I have watched more times than I can count male role models in my life take extremely traumatic situations and push them deep down, unseen and unheard where they think it’s forgotten, when really it’s still there somewhere, festering away. but it doesn’t have to be that way and it isn’t all doom and gloom!   Statistics are lower than ever with the % rate of suicidal deaths per 100,000 citizens dropping down to roughly 10% from 14% when ONS began tracking the figures and statistics in the early 1980s.  More men than ever are talking, opening up, sharing their burdens, seeking help and taking their mental health seriously. You are not weak if you feel sad, you are not less of a man if you need support, and you are not pathetic if you cry. We need to normalise emotions within men and keep pushing to a world where we talk to one another and support each other to better days.  Life is tough, but a problem shared is a problem halved and speaking from experience; I would much rather have listened to their worries than have lost them.  So if you’re reading this as a man and somewhere it struck a chord, please reach out to someone, talk to a friend, or a family member, look for support groups like the amazing ‘Talk Club’, go to a psychiatrist; just don’t take your own life whatever you do and always remember, it’s okay to not be okay.  #ManDown #BoysDoCry 

Myself and Mike Hardwick were blessed to attend SF Climate Week in San Francisco last week and what an incredible experience it was. From the kick off at the hella’ vibey Southern Pacific Brewhouse in Mission right through, every event was in equal parts insightful and enjoyable. Fair to say I’ll be heading back for SF Climate Week ’24!  Highlights for me… Enjoying Souvla with David Schurman at Perennial, a company we've been proud to support in the last 18 months. Going shoes off for a quirky Nature X Climate event in Hayes Valley (my now favourite neighbourhood in SF) and listening to Tessa Landon and many others talk about the challenges we face in carbon markets and how we might overcome them Meeting the charismatic Troy Carter from Earthshot Labs Attending Using Carbon Offsets with Confidence on Tuesday morning hosted by the engaging Steven Siger and his esteemed panel, including Donna Lee, Derik Broekhoff and Taylor Wright. This was another awesome discussion about Carbon Markets, a personal interest of mine! Meeting the bundle of energy that is Fay de Waal Talking climate hiring challenges with Heather O'Callaghan,  Kylin Ellison, Brooke Self Having a tour of Stanford University courtesy of Alwin Hui – Thank you again 🙏 Meeting the AWESOME team behind the event. Climatebase, take a bow! - Evan Hynes, Justin Hardin, Morgan Campbell, Marcella Muse. The very fact that y’all stood this event up in a matter of months is mind-blowing. So much kudos to you all 👏 We went to SF Climate Week with the intention to learn and to immerse ourselves in the ecosystem. We come back inspired, with minds full of climate comprehension and with a bunch of new, amazing climate warriors in our network. Thank you to Climatebase and anyone involved in organizing SF Climate Week. See you next year!

Fast fashion - what actually is it?  It is the business model of replicating recent catwalk trends and high-fashion designs, mass-producing them at a low cost, and bringing them to retail stores quickly, while demand is at its highest. The term 'fast fashion'  also applies to the speed at which garments are produced in the manufacturing industries of South, Southeast, and East Asia, where women make up 85-90% of the garment workforce. Labor practices of fast fashion are often exploitative, and due to the gender concentration of the garment industry, women are more vulnerable. 'Fast' also describes the speed at which the garments are sold, worn and then thrown away, where most will end up in landfill. Around 1.75m tonnes of clothing and textile waste is created in the UK each year 1.2m tonnes of it ends up in landfill. 360,000 tonnes of the textiles thrown away in the UK every year are clothes. And one of the main materials used in the making of these cheap, throw-away garments? Polyester - polyethylene terephthalate, better known as PET, a type of plastic derived from crude oil and natural gas – also used to make items such as plastic bottles. You can start to see the problem... But how do slow down fast fashion and the impact it is having on the planet? Here are five things you can do:  👗 Buy pre-owned items👗 Rent clothes you're only likely to wear once👗 Swap clothes with friends👗 Repair and upcycle your clothes👗 Buy less and better quality  One brand that feels strongly about this is the incredible Wear My Wardrobe Out - Bristol's first on-demand and subscription-based fashion rental service. The founder and absolute genius behind this fabulous brand is our very own Finance Director Maria Loria - sustainability advocate and incredible designer! Wear My Wardrobe Out's mission is to challenge the long-term buying behaviours of people in the UK, driven by social peer pressure, which contributes to increased consumer debt. Through enabling a platform for people to affordably rent vintage and pre-loved stylish outfits instead of buying them. Go and check out Maria's incredible designs and help slow down fast fashion today - WearMyWardrobeOut  

In February this year, Spain became the first country in Europe to approve menstrual leave for women offering 3-5 paid days off each MONTH if they feel unwell and uncomfortable 🙏 Period pain, or dysmenorrhea, is common; more than half of menstruating women experience pain for one or two days every month. For some, the pain is so severe that they are unable to perform normal activities for several days, so this news comes as a huge relief for many of those that suffer. This is part of a broader movement on sexual and reproductive rights in the country including free period products in schools.Spain now joins Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Zambia who all offer support for women on their time of the month.Personally, I think this is AMAZING as I know a lot of people who suffer but there are some contesting this - including women who are worried that menstrual leave will reinforce negative gender stereotypes and notions of biological determinism, leading to more employer discrimination against women.So, do we think this is going to cause a domino effect?Will the UK follow suit? For anyone in my network who struggles there are some great apps out there to help understand your cycle and body better. The one that I’ve been using is Flo.

Quarter one - blink and you missed it right?! It may have flown by but we still managed to fill it with some really great stuff! including: 💙 We were able to donate £24,100 to our charity partners, including Men's mental health charity Men's Minds Matter. 💙 We devoted 60 hours of our time to volunteering at our local charities, including Bristol Animal Centre where we created a sensory garden for the doggos that stay there 🐶 💙 We spoke to 10 incredible human beings about their journeys into the world of tech on our Women Rock platform, including Oliviana Baily, Director at Hyperion Lab and Victoria Reed, Commerce Programme Manager at LUSH Digital. 💙 We placed 133 amazing candidates including software engineers, data analysts and product managers - with equally amazing tech for good brands. This meant we were able to plant 133 trees with our sustainability partner The Future Forest Company 🌳 💙 The SR2 squad grew by 8 heads in the shape of Lizzie, Milo, Mac, Amber, Charlie, Mark, Max and Andy and they have fit in perfectly!  💙 We gave out free hugs to 'Embrace Equity" for International Women's Day, watch the heartwarming video here: FREE HUGS 💙 Love it or hate it - we launched SR2 TikTok! If you're into mediocre dancing, bad jokes and stupidity, you can follow us here: SR2 TikTok   BRING ON Q2! 

Earlier this week, I had a really great call with a candidate who had been recommended SR2 in their job search  They told me that they had struggled to find a good Recruitment company in the past - having received a recent ADHD diagnosis, and going through a career change, it was important for them to have support from an agency who understood their situation.  I responded by telling them that we are big supporters of neurodiversity in tech here at SR2, to which they replied “that’s great, but what do you actually mean by that?” And it was such a good question! What does this really mean- from the perspective of a neurodiverse person who is searching for a new job?  To me, it means if someone chooses to tell you they are neurodiverse (because they don’t have to!), it’s about asking them what more you can do to support them in an interview process, and having awareness that there may be areas they don’t find as easy as a neurotypical person.  🔹Perhaps some don’t enjoy phone calls and would rather WhatsApp you instead? 🔹Maybe some struggle in face to face interviews, but excel in their day to day job?  🔹Or perhaps some don’t do so well in written tasks, but they can smash a competency based interview out the park?  Neurodiversity is vast, from ADHD, to dyslexia, autism, OCD and more. It’s on such a scale, and there are many people that go their entire lives without being diagnosed.  I'm by no means an expert in this field, but it's something I want to become more aware of, as I continue to support a diverse range of wonderful humans whilst they find a new role. I want to know what us Recruiters can do better, to support neurodiverse folk in their job search?

I’ve spoken already about how it’s a tough market out there. Redundancies, hiring freezes, budget cuts, these are all things I am hearing from candidates and clients on a daily basis. 😞 This is a message to anyone who is having a tough week, facing redundancy, and Recruiters struggling in what is one of the strangest markets we’ve seen in quite a long time.   I fully believe the next few months will show the true resilience of people, and when we come out the other side, we will be in a better place because of it. 💙 My advice is be kind to yourself and others, and remember it won’t last forever.  🔸Give yourself breaks away from your desk. Even a walk around the block for 5 minutes can change your mindset  🔸Don’t sit in silence if you’re struggling! Chances are the person next to you is feeling the same- talk to each other  🔸Focus on the long term rather than immediate goal. Building relationships now will come back and pay off later down the line  🔸Remember that we’re all human and just trying to do our jobs. Treat each other with respect and if someone is short or rude to you, remember they might be having a bad day and you don’t know what is going on in their lives behind closed doors, so stay kind regardless ✌🏻 Love G

It's both Women's History Month & B-Corp Month - what a March this is going to be... ...so I thought there is no better time than to champion a B Corp & female-founded company based in the Netherlands!  One of the best parts of my job is researching then connecting & creating relationships with the coolest companies in the Netherlands! Happening upon Yoni is super exciting and I'm disappointed in myself for not discovering them sooner! Yoni produces sustainable period products created with the belief that the time has come to open up, share our stories & care for our female sex bodies at every stage of life! Their goal is to make period care as honest and sustainable as possible, with no perfume, plastics or artificial absorbents!  Recently Co-Founder Mariah Mansvelt Beck was interviewed and asked what makes the brand innovative/ unique. The company was founded in 2015 and she said that when they started "menstruation wasn't generally spoken about, organic cotton tampons, liners and pads were not a well-known option and definitely not available on mainstream shelves" which is crazy to think that we've come a long way but there is still so much to be done! Their aim is to break the taboo around menstruation and do something by normalising the topic, providing products that publish the composition while being sustainable/ethical simultaneously (impressive).  Their impactful work doesn't stop there. They're also involved in campaigns to help tackle period poverty working with the Poverty Fund Foundation as 1 in 10 in the Netherlands are still experiencing or have experienced period poverty in their life!  Not only are they doing good for the world & for female sex bodies their website also acts as a space where we can seek advice & gain knowledge!  In short, huge congratulations to Mariah and every one part of Yoni, it's always so amazing to see companies like Yoni dominating the health space and no doubt their future is exciting.  If you haven't already go check out Yoni Care, read Mariah's inspiring story and get involved with being part of the mission to end period poverty & let's all break the taboo around menstruation!  We always love to hear about inspiring companies dominating their space, so please do reach out if your company has a story or if you know anyone that does!  Written by Lucia Alcock

Last week I had a catch-up call with one of our clients whose wonderful talent partner is based in Ukraine. Before we kicked off she said to me "if I suddenly hang up it’s because I’m in danger". I asked how she knows and she said she gets a text to be alerted, she’ll then go and work in the bathroom, as the middle walls could save her life and it means she can still work as normal. I could feel myself getting emotional and as she continued to tell me about this I just burst into tears, saying sorry and turning off my mic and camera as quickly as poss. She knew I was upset so just sat and waited for me to get myself together, she wasn’t emotional at all - talking to me like this was just part of her normal conversations now. It literally tore my heart in two, someone younger than me, pretty much doing the same job, it’s just so wrong! I felt unbelievable guilt being sat in my safe office, moaning that it was a bit cold and that I had so much to do when someone that I’m on a zoom call with is trying to live a normal life, working and recruiting in a war zone! We had a really good meeting and catch-up, I’ve NEVER cried on a client meeting before, but she was wonderful and thanked me for my empathy and compassion although I was so embarrassed for the rest of the call - I couldn’t help it. What with the ongoing war in Ukraine and the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey and Syria - these past few weeks have been a sobering reality check for a lot of us. It’s so easy to forget how lucky we are and how much we take for granted, so if you’re having a bad morning, read this, take a breath and be grateful. We have been raising money with the amazing Human Appeal who are on the ground right now working in some of the most hard-to-reach places, providing emergency food, medical aid, warmth and shelter to surviving families who are still at risk outside in the freezing cold. Our Just Giving page is still open and you can donate hereStay grateful.

Incredibly proud of everyone at SR2 after being awarded with the Recruitment Agency of the year (50-100 employees) at the coveted annual Recruiter Awards.But we didn't stop there...our Director and people over profit brainchild Chris Sheard was voted entrepreneur of the year (absolutely well deserved and overdue recognition IMO)Rewind back just shy of 5 years and Chris, Nath and Alicia were in a tiny broom cupboard office in Central Bristol looking at one another wondering where and how to start (pick up the phone but call who?!)Now we have a team of 60+ absolutely legendary, hard-working, humble humans, multiple offices, we’re donating huge sums of money to impactful charities on the regular (£18,000 to Talk Club earlier this week for instance) and winning some of the most sought-after awards available in the industry.Just wow. Thank you to everyone who has played a part in our journey so far - clients, candidates, supporters. We value you all so much and rest assured, this is just the beginning!

The research carried out by Intuit QuickBooks surveyed 3,000 men and women working in fintech or for tech providers, also found that almost a quarter (22%) of surveyed women experiencing menopausal symptoms have delayed or cancelled plans to apply for a promotion.Meanwhile, almost two in five (38%) surveyed women who have experienced menopausal symptoms say they generally felt less confident in their abilities, while 41% of respondents said the main challenges for themselves or someone they work with who is going through the perimenopause/menopause in the workforce is the symptoms affecting their ability to perform work tasks.The symptoms that these women say contributed most to their lack of confidence are hot flushes (39%), mood changes such as depression, anxiety and stress (37%) and poor sleep quality (36%).How can companies support women throughout this period more? Menopausal training? Menopause leave? We're interested to hear what you think?

...with Alive Activities 👩‍🌾Some of the squad were lucky enough to spend their volunteering time with Abi at Alive and the incredible individuals who benefit Alive's support. Alive is a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life of older people; keeping their green fingers active, reconnecting with nature 🍃 and most importantly giving them beautiful places to socialise and hang out!Move over Alan Titchmarsh...

Harry Austin, Bella Snell and Jack Roberts arrive at the Bristol HQ from three very different backgrounds with Jack and Harry both experienced recruiters and Bella being completely new to the industry 😊Jack started his recruitment career around 9 months ago in Exeter before getting an opportunity to move to sunny Bristol with his girlfriend to start a new life. It’s safe to say that he was very sought after given his attentiveness and natural aptitude towards recruitment and we are lucky and humbled to have him take up a role in our Germany team. Jack will be working alongside Elliott Burrows to grow our JavaScript offering and to support even more of our clients German-wide 💪Bella is another graduate that was relocating to Bristol and looking to start her career in recruitment. Despite this being her first recruitment role it struck us throughout the interview process how switched on and commercially astute Bella was. The notepad came out early full of prep and of thoughts and questions and we instantly knew she had all of the raw ingredients to be a success going through our academy programme. In her spare time, Bella loves to get outside in the fresh air on hikes and explore so she is in for a treat with the lush trails Bristol has to offer (if anyone has any good routes in the area, please let her know in the comments below!) ⛰Harry is the perfect fit for SR2 (at 6'2 we have had to take some of the ceiling tiles out though) One of the nicest guys you are likely to meet and a great established recruiter within the DevOps market. Born and raised in Oxford, Harry moved to Bristol for university & 7 years later he's still here, however the bright lights of London are calling and we will be supporting Harry's move to our London office next year. A great mutual fit, his genuine authentic passion for just doing a decent job for his candidates and clients is apparent. Welcome to the team Harry, we are really excited to start working with you 🙌

Yes today we turned 5! And what a 5 years it's been...💙 Over £204,000 donated to charity💙 1200+ Volunteering hours💙 Certified B-Corp with an` initial score of 100.8 *cough considered outstanding *cough💙 Headcount of 66💙 One office in Bristol, one in London and one in Austin, Texas incoming💙 3 Recruiter Awards under our belts, including Best New Agency in 2020 and Best Recruitment Agency (Medium) and Recruitment Industry Entrepreneur of the Year💙 1 Billion litres of coffee consumedThe last one was a guess.Massive love to the SR2 squad - without you we are nothing.Huge thanks to everyone who has supported us on this epic 5 year journey and here's to the next 5!