Stopgap Talks – Details, episodes & analysis

Ever feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the idea of networking? Wondering if networking really matters post-pandemic? In today's episode, Claudine Farrell sits down with networking expert Benjamin Chilcott to unravel the art—and magic—of building powerful connections that genuinely help your career, business, and personal growth.

Benjamin shares insights from his extensive career, personal experiences, and the practical workshops he facilitates, offering listeners valuable strategies on how to network authentically and effectively.

Connect with the speakers:

Benjamin Chilcott

Interested in learning more about improving your networking skills or attending one of Benj's popular workshops?

• Visit Benjamin's website: https://benjamin-s-site-b6f3.thinkific.com/products/courses/wheresbenj
• Connect with Benjamin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminchilcott/

Claudine Farrell:

• Connect with Claudine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudinefarrell1/

Listen & Subscribe:

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps us continue to bring valuable insights and inspiring conversations your way.

For more insights on marketing recruitment, visit Stopgap.

The marketing recruitment landscape is evolving faster than ever, and as we settle into 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the lessons learned and look ahead to what’s next.

In this special episode of Stopgap Talks, Claire Owen (Owner & Founder of Stopgap) and Rowan Lawrence (Director of People & Values) share their insights on the biggest challenges and opportunities in marketing recruitment today.

🌟 What’s in store?

• The key hiring trends shaping marketing roles in 2025
• How AI is changing recruitment—and why the human touch still matters
• The skills marketing professionals need to stay ahead
• Practical advice for hiring managers looking to build top-performing teams

The themes shared in this episode are more relevant than ever as we move forward into the year. Whether you’re a job seeker or a hiring manager, this conversation will help you navigate the shifting landscape of marketing recruitment in 2025.

Connect with the speakers:

• Claire Owen: LinkedIn
• Rowan Lawrence: LinkedIn

For more insights on marketing recruitment, visit Stopgap.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are more than just buzzwords—they are essential for building stronger, more innovative, and more successful workplaces. But how can businesses truly integrate DEI into their hiring processes?

In this episode of Stopgap Talks, Rowan Lawrence and Amanda McCarthy explore why DEI should be a priority in recruitment and how companies can take practical steps to ensure an inclusive hiring process. They discuss everything from writing unbiased job descriptions to creating an interview experience that welcomes diverse candidates.

Expect real insights, actionable strategies, and eye-opening stats—like how 76% of job seekers consider diversity a key factor when choosing a job (LinkedIn Talent Trends 2023).

Tune in now for expert advice on fostering inclusivity from recruitment to onboarding!

Connect with the speakers:

• Rowan Lawrence: LinkedIn
• Amanda McCarthy: LinkedIn

For more resources on inclusive hiring, visit Stopgap.

#StopgapTalks #DiversityInHiring #InclusiveRecruitment #DEI #WorkplaceInclusion

The world of work has transformed dramatically in recent years, and few industries have felt this shift more acutely than marketing, digital, and creative sectors. Remote work is no longer a temporary solution—it’s a permanent fixture reshaping how professionals collaborate, innovate, and thrive.

To explore how remote work is evolving, Stopgap Talks brings you an insightful conversation featuring our Principal Consultant Lara Fisher Jones and Senior Consultant John Hunt. In this episode, Lara and John dive into the opportunities and challenges that remote work presents for professionals and businesses in these dynamic fields.

Whether you’re navigating remote work as a professional or adapting your hiring strategies as a business, this episode offers actionable insights to stay ahead in a rapidly changing work environment. The discussion reflects on lessons learned so far and anticipates what’s next for the future of work in these creative industries.

Contact the Speakers -

Have questions or want to connect? Reach out to our speakers:

• Lara Fisher Jones: LinkedIn
• John Hunt: LinkedIn

In today’s competitive job market, a positive candidate experience can make all the difference. From the job description to the onboarding process, each step of the hiring journey shapes how candidates perceive your brand. But what does it take to truly engage and impress candidates throughout the recruitment process?

To answer that question, our latest Stopgap Talks episode brings together Kate Boston, Lead Consultant, and Christelle Lycett, Senior Resourcer, to share their best practices and real-world examples for building a memorable candidate experience. This episode is a must-listen for employers who want to attract top talent, create a seamless hiring process, and build a strong employer brand.

Connect with the Speakers -

Want to learn more? Connect with Kate and Christelle for additional insights on recruitment best practices:

• Kate Boston: LinkedIn
• Christelle Lycett: LinkedIn

In this insightful episode of Stopgap Talks, Zoe Amar, a leading digital consultant, joins Sibylle Harrison to explore the key strategies for building effective digital teams within the charity sector. Together, they dive into the unique challenges charities face, including digital transformation, recruitment struggles, and the all-important decision between upskilling staff or hiring new talent.

Tune in to discover Zoe’s expert tips on:

• Overcoming recruitment hurdles in the charity sector.
• Preparing your charity for digital transformation.
• Fostering diversity and developing digital talent with limited budgets.
• The impact of upskilling and building a strong employer brand.

Whether you’re a charity leader or digital professional, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you build a high-performing digital team.

📞 Contact the speakers:

• Zoe Amar: LinkedIn | Website: zoeamar.com
• Sibylle Harrison: LinkedIn

Check out the full episode and let us know what you think!

#CharityRecruitment #DigitalTransformation #StopgapTalks #Upskilling #Nonprofit #DigitalLeadership

In this episode, Claudine Farrell (Lead Consultant) and Tess Leigh (Senior Consultant) pull back the curtain on a topic that frustrates many job seekers—recruiter ghosting. They explain the reasons behind it, what happens behind the scenes in recruitment, and offer actionable advice on how candidates, hiring managers and recruiters can improve communication.

Tune in for a candid conversation that sheds light on the complexities of recruitment processes and why ghosting is not always what it seems.

Connect with Claudine and Tess on LinkedIn for more insights, and visit the Stopgap website to learn how we can support your career or hiring needs!

In this episode of Stopgap Talks, host Amanda McCarthy sits down with performance and wellbeing coach James Pickles to explore the emotional reality behind job searching, recruitment, and leadership. Drawing from James’ own experience of burnout and recovery, they dive into how community—and genuine human connection—can be the key to protecting mental health in a fast-moving world of work.

Together, they reflect on the silent struggles of job seekers, the emotional labour of recruiters, and the ways employers can lead with compassion and inclusivity. Whether you’re looking for your next role, building a team, or trying to support others in your workplace, this conversation offers fresh insight, real stories, and practical takeaways.

Connect with the Speakers:

James Pickles -

James is a performance coach, speaker, and mental health advocate who helps high performers protect their wellbeing while sustaining success. His coaching and talks are rooted in lived experience, creating space for honest reflection and forward momentum.

• Visit James' Website
• Connect on LinkedIn

Amanda McCarthy -

Amanda is a Stopgap consultant, passionate about supporting candidates with empathy and building inclusive communities in recruitment.

• Connect on LinkedIn

Listen & Subscribe:

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Stopgap Talks and leave a review. Your feedback helps us bring you more valuable conversations and inspiring voices.

For more insights on marketing recruitment and workplace wellbeing, visit Stopgap.

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode, Stopgap’s Lead Consultant Kate Boston sits down with transformative life coach Katherine Ashmore—creator of The Mindset Exchange—to tackle one of the most common but rarely discussed challenges in career transitions: the inner critic.

Whether you're eyeing your next big role or supporting others through the hiring process, this episode is packed with “that’s me” moments. Katherine and Kate unpack how self-doubt, perfectionism and imposter syndrome subtly sabotage career decisions and interviews—and more importantly, how to shift your mindset for success.

Expect honest insights, practical mindset tools, and stories from the frontlines of job hunting and hiring. You’ll walk away more self-aware, more empowered, and more ready to own your value—on your CV and in the interview room.

Contect with our speakers -

Katherine Ashmore

• LinkedIn: Katherine Ashmore
• Free Live Training: Master Your Mindset and Build Real Confidence – 18 June, 8PM 👉 Register now: https://katherine-ashmore.mykajabi.com/master-your-mindset

Kate Boston

• LinkedIn: Kate Boston

Whether you're navigating a job move or want to bring more humanity into your hiring process, this episode offers both heart and strategy.

In this episode of Stopgap Talks, host Amanda McCarthy sits down with Grace French, Director and Head of Culture at Stand, to explore what it really takes to build an employer reputation that goes beyond the surface.

Employer brand isn’t just a marketing exercise—it’s lived and experienced every day by the people inside your organisation. Grace shares her perspective on -

• What a “good” culture looks like and how to sustain it as businesses evolve
• How to create genuine advocates who embody your values
• The risks of neglecting culture—and how brand reputation can be damaged if internal and external messages don’t align
• The role of purpose and values in attracting (and retaining) top marketing talent
• What hiring managers should be thinking about in 2025 and beyond

Whether you’re leading a team, hiring talent, or building culture, this conversation is packed with insight for anyone looking to strengthen their employer brand from the inside out.

Connect with our speakers:

• Grace French – Director & Head of Culture, Stand - LinkedIn | Website | Contact | Stand on LinkedIn
• Amanda McCarthy – Consultant, Stopgap Recruitment | Connect on LinkedIn