More of the CVs I see tick every box. They quantify impact, they tell the story, properly and that would usually mean, “they’re worth a screening call”.

It’s very different to how it was even 12 months ago.

It’s going to lead to a significant time sink for internal hiring teams and hiring managers.

Unless you’ve got somebody at the front end who knows how to properly interview and assess talent, you’re just going to waste more time. And time, in this context? That’s bad hires, wasted budget, slower growth, internal friction… take your pick.

How many leaders/managers have had proper interview training?

How many managers know how to properly score an interview, read body language, take detailed notes, probe deeply into what somebody has achieved?

I’d argue it’s fewer than you’d think.

Most people become managers due to being good at the job they do. They then become responsible for hiring people. They usually learn how to interview from somebody else who didn’t have interview training.

How it used to work (in a lot of businesses):

A need arises because Jeff handed his notice in. They’d dust off an old Job Description (probably from a few years ago), change the last reviewed date in the footer to today’s date and then post it on a job board (and probably send it out to a few recruiters). When it comes to interviewing, they’d either look for past interview questions or if they couldn’t find them, they’d use their trusty friend, Mr/Mrs. google for some.

Simple.

We had a candidate last month who looked perfect on paper. But five minutes into the interview, it was clear they couldn’t evidence half of it… (Has it happened to you yet?)

Nowadays, they go onto their chosen AI model, ask it for a JD for a _______ role. Then ask it to write an advert. Then get it to create some interview questions. If they’re really good with AI, they’ll also ask for a scoring matrix.

On the candidate side. They’re wise to this. They upload the JD to their chosen AI model (potentially the same one as the hiring company) alongside their CV and they ask it to “tailor my CV to this job”.

Few seconds later, and depending on how good they are at prompting, out pops a CV that looks like a perfect fit for the role.

They hit apply. The CV does the job. A few days later, they’re invited to interview.

They don’t remember applying for the role. So they dig out the JD, upload it to their model, and ask: “What questions might I get?”

Then they go one step further: “Based on my CV, how should I answer that?”

So, you now have a bunch of candidates with cracking CVs, ready prepared answers to your questions and a bit of initiative.

So what happens when you’ve got polished answers, polished CVs… and no one in the room trained to tell the difference? Do you see the problem yet?

In a market this competitive, if you can’t tell what’s real at interview… someone else will.

That’s the bit we focus on at Corvus People, getting past the polish.

We ask better questions (We often hear “that’s a good question, I’ve not heard that one before”) and we know what to look for.

It’s what we do every day, and if that kind of sharp thinking would help you, just give me a shout.

By Michael Hewitt

AI is no longer a future concept, it’s here, embedded in our workspaces, reshaping roles, and redefining what it means to be “employable.” As AI agents become increasingly capable of performing tasks once thought to be exclusively human, from analysing data to writing code to managing workflows, the natural question arises: What do we bring to the table that AI can’t replicate?

The answer lies not in doing what machines do faster, but in leaning into what makes us fundamentally human. For too long, the world of work has prioritised IQ technical knowledge, reasoning, and hard skills while EQ (emotional intelligence) has been sidelined as a “nice to have.” That era is over.

To stay relevant and to prosper we need to actively develop the intersection between EQ and IQ. In fact, the most valuable skills of the AI era may well be those we’ve traditionally labelled “soft skills.” It’s time to recognise them as the core skills of the future.

Here are the five human skills you must develop to accelerate in the age of AI:

Imagination: Seeing What Hasn’t Been Seen

AI excels at identifying patterns based on what’s come before. It looks back to predict or generate what might come next. But it doesn’t imagine. It doesn’t dream, hope, or intuit something entirely new.

Imagination is where innovation begins. It’s the ability to see beyond the data, beyond the trend, and beyond the obvious. Whether you’re designing new products, building a brand, or reimagining an entire industry, your capacity to imagine is your competitive edge.

Growth Mindset: Adapting to the Unknown

A growth mindset, the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, is no longer optional. AI is evolving fast, and so must we.

In a world where the “right” answers can be retrieved in seconds, the real value lies in asking better questions, being open to feedback, learning new tools, and getting comfortable with uncertainty. The professionals who thrive will be those who embrace change, not resist it.

Creativity: Sparking the Original Thought

AI can assist creativity, it can riff, remix, and generate ideas based on what already exists. But the original spark, the leap that connects seemingly unrelated concepts, still starts with a human.

Creativity is not confined to the arts. It’s critical in problem-solving, strategy, leadership, and innovation. The more you cultivate divergent thinking, the more value you bring in a world where sameness is increasingly automated.

Storytelling: Making Meaning, Creating Connection

In a data-rich world, storytelling becomes the differentiator. It’s how we make sense of complexity, build trust, and inspire action. Whether you’re pitching an idea, leading a team, or presenting to stakeholders, your ability to tell a compelling story is what creates resonance.

AI can mimic structure, even tone but it lacks emotional resonance. It doesn’t live experience. Only humans can draw on nuance, empathy, and shared meaning to tell stories that truly move others.

Conscience: Leading with Empathy and Integrity

As the All Blacks say, great players ‘leave the shirt in a better place.’ This ethos speaks to something AI simply cannot replicate: conscience. It’s the ability to act with integrity, to weigh ethical implications, to care.

In practice, this means empathy, active listening, moral judgement, and the ability to consider others’ perspectives. In a world of automation, these deep human capacities will become more essential, not less especially in leadership.

The Takeaway: Be More Human, Not More Machine

AI will continue to take on more of the mechanical, analytical, and even creative workload. That’s a reality we must embrace. But that doesn’t mean we become obsolete. It means we must become more human.

The skills we’ve traditionally undervalued, imagination, adaptability, creativity, connection, and conscience are emerging as the true power skills of the 21st century. The challenge now is to develop an awareness of these capabilities, to actively build them, and to lead with them.

In a competitive, AI-enhanced world, the humans who will accelerate ahead are those who lean into what makes us irreplaceable.

By Mollie Weatherup

In a world increasingly augmented by AI, the spotlight is shifting to the human skills machines can’t replicate; imagination, creativity, emotional intelligence, ethical reasoning, and storytelling. These aren’t just “nice to have” anymore. They are becoming the core skills of high-performance teams and resilient organisations.

But there’s a catch.

We’ve spent decades assessing IQ and technical ability, with well-established testing and development frameworks. Meanwhile, critical human skills, often bundled under vague terms like “soft skills” or “emotional intelligence” have remained undermeasured and underdeveloped.

That has to change.

To keep pace with AI and retain our relevance, we must treat these human capabilities with the same rigour and intentionality we’ve historically reserved for technical skill. That means we need to measure them, develop them, and embed them into how we recruit, assess, promote, and lead.

Why Measurement Matters

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Historically, we’ve hesitated to measure human-centred skills because they feel subjective or harder to quantify. But that no longer holds water.

Modern assessment tools are now available that can reliably evaluate human skills such as:

Emotional intelligence (EQ) – through validated tools like the EQ-i 2.0 or MSCEIT

Creativity and divergent thinking – using tasks that assess originality, fluency, and flexibility

Imagination and future-thinking – through scenario-based assessments and innovation simulations

Storytelling and communication – via structured narrative exercises and audience feedback

Moral reasoning and empathy – with ethical dilemma frameworks, 360 reviews, or behavioural interviews

Forward-thinking companies are already embedding these assessments into leadership development, hiring, and team building, not as add-ons, but as core competencies.

How to Develop These Skills in Practice

Unlike some technical skills, human skills aren’t “one and done.” They’re lived, practised, and refined over time. Here’s how organisations and individuals can nurture them:

Imagination: Seeing What Hasn’t Been Seen

AI excels at identifying patterns based on what’s come before. It looks back to predict or generate what might come next. But it doesn’t imagine. It doesn’t dream, hope, or intuit something entirely new.

Imagination is where innovation begins. It’s the ability to see beyond the data, beyond the trend, and beyond the obvious. Whether you’re designing new products, building a brand, or reimagining an entire industry, your capacity to imagine is your competitive edge.

Growth Mindset: Adapting to the Unknown

A growth mindset and the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work is no longer optional. AI is evolving fast, and so must we.

In a world where the “right” answers can be retrieved in seconds, the real value lies in asking better questions, being open to feedback, learning new tools, and getting comfortable with uncertainty. The professionals who thrive will be those who embrace change, not resist it.

Creativity: Sparking the Original Thought

AI can assist creativity, it can remix and generate ideas based on what already exists. But the original spark, the leap that connects seemingly unrelated concepts, still starts with a human.

Creativity is not confined to the arts. It’s critical in problem-solving, strategy, leadership, and innovation. The more you cultivate divergent thinking, the more value you bring in a world where sameness is increasingly automated.

Storytelling: Making Meaning, Creating Connection

In a data-rich world, storytelling becomes the differentiator. It’s how we make sense of complexity, build trust, and inspire action. Whether you’re pitching an idea, leading a team, or presenting to stakeholders, your ability to tell a compelling story is what creates resonance.

AI can mimic structure, even tone, but it lacks emotional resonance. It doesn’t live experience. Only humans can draw on nuance, empathy, and shared meaning to tell stories that truly move others.

Conscience: Leading with Empathy and Integrity

The ability to act with integrity, to weigh ethical implications, to care is essential.

In practice, this means empathy, active listening, moral judgement, and the ability to consider others’ perspectives. In a world of automation, these deeply human capacities will become more essential, not less, especially in leadership.

The Role of Leaders and Talent Professionals

To build a workforce fit for the future, leaders and talent professionals need to do more than acknowledge the importance of human skills, they must actively integrate them into organisational life.

That means:

• Redesigning job descriptions to prioritise human capabilities alongside technical ones.
• Embedding human skills into performance reviews and promotion criteria.
• Providing coaching and learning journeys focused on empathy, communication, creative thinking, and ethical leadership.
• Creating psychological safety so people can practise, experiment, and grow without fear.

From Intuition to Intention

These skills have always mattered. What’s changed is that in the age of AI, they’re no longer optional, they are what sets us apart.

The organisations and individuals that thrive won’t just acknowledge these human capabilities. They’ll intentionally measure, develop, and embed them, turning human potential into a true competitive advantage.

In the race with AI, the winners won’t be the ones who try to out-compute the machines. They’ll be the ones who double down on what only humans can do.

By Mollie Weatherup

In today’s fast-moving often unpredictable business climate owner-led and privately held firms face a unique leadership dilemma. They’re scaling quickly, investing in new markets or navigating periods of transformation but, don’t always have the capacity or confidence to bring in full-time senior executives.

Enter: fractional leadership.

What is Fractional Leadership?

Put simply, fractional leaders are experienced executives who work with organisations on a part-time, interim, or project-specific basis. Rather than hiring a full-time CFO, for example, a business might bring in a fractional finance director 2-3 days per week for a defined period bringing senior-level insight without the long-term cost or risk.

It’s a model that’s becoming increasingly common. LinkedIn recently reported a sharp rise in roles tagged as “fractional” in the UK, jumping from just 2,000 in 2022 to over 110,000 in 2024. In sectors like manufacturing, engineering, and infrastructure where transformation and succession challenges are real but budgets and headcount may be constrained, this flexible leadership approach is gaining serious traction.

Why It Makes Sense Now

Owner-led businesses often reach a tipping point. They’ve outgrown their original leadership structure but aren’t quite ready to commit to permanent hires at the executive level or they need specialist skills such as financial restructuring, digital transformation and operational scaling but only for a window of time.

As one Chairperson we recently spoke with put it: “We didn’t need a full-time Commercial Director, we needed someone who could steer the ship for six months while we restructured our client base and pricing model. The fractional model gave us just that.”

Fractional executives offer not just flexibility but focus. They’re typically highly experienced, often ex-C-suite leaders who bring both the strategic thinking and the “get-it-done” mentality that fast-moving environments demand.

Benefits for Owner-Led Businesses

• Cost-Efficient: You access top-tier leadership without the full salary, benefits, and long-term commitment.
• Speed to Impact: Fractional leaders are used to hitting the ground running—they make a difference fast.
• Fresh Perspective: They bring an outside-in view, unclouded by internal politics or legacy thinking.
• Scalable: You can increase or reduce involvement as business needs change.

Perhaps, most importantly, these leaders can act as trusted advisors during key transition points prepping the business for investment, succession, or permanent senior appointments.

Is It Right for Every Business?

Not necessarily. If you’re looking for someone to build deep, long-term relationships with clients or culture-shape over a longer period of time a permanent hire may be the better fit.

But for some of the clients we work with particularly in fast-scaling environments or moments of strategic shift fractional leadership is a powerful and underused lever.

As one interim MD told us:

“There’s something liberating about being brought in to solve, not to settle. You’re there to challenge, move things forward, leave things better.”

The executive landscape is changing. The old rules of hire slow, embed deep and stay forever don’t always work in today’s climate. For ambitious, owner-led businesses who need senior talent with precision and pragmatism fractional leadership offers a smart, strategic alternative.

By Lesley Armstrong

Resources

“How I juggle three jobs at once: the rise of ‘fractional workers’” in the version available via The Times thetimes.co.uk, June 2025

The Harvard Business Review article titled “How Part‑Time Senior Leaders Can Help Your Business”, authored by Tomoko Yokoi and Amy Bonsall, was published in July 2024