January 2026 CorporateVision The future of better business Featuring: Dooweet: Best Music Industry PR & Communications Agency 2025 – France GritHR: Making Life Better with Modern HR
AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility. Welcome to the January 2026 issue of Corporate Vision Magazine. A monthly publication dedicated to delivering the latest insight and news from across the corporate landscape. For a brighter future in higher education, better career paths, the enrichment of the automotive industry through AI-powered software, incredible turnkey solutions in the world of HR, and so much more, the first issue of Corporate Vision in 2026 is both bold and brilliant. Here at Corporate Vision we take great pride in our publications and this issue is no exception, especially as we proudly share the latest success stories from across such a varied assortment of offerings within the global corporate landscape. We wish you a fantastic month ahead, and we take a moment to think of all the excellent opportunities that are soon to unfold for the rest of the year. Enjoy our January issue and come back for more in February. Sofi Parry, Senior Editor Website: www.corporatevision-news.com Editors Letter Editorial Team Sofi Parry, Senior Editor | Kita Thomas, Writer | Joshua Beardsmore, Writer Design Team Emma Hunt, Creative Team Manager | Lauren Baldwin, Graphic Designer
Contents 4. News - New Research: 79% of Employees Seek HR Help Monthly, But Only 6% Get Instant Support - Curately.ai and LaborEdge Forge Strategic Partnership to Power AIDriven Staffing Innovation 6. Why Modern Leadership Requires an Energy-Led Approach 7. Avoid Herd Mentality – Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow 8. SODA.Aut : Best AI-Powered Software Defined Vehicle Platform 2025 9. Dooweet: Best Music Industry PR & Communications Agency 2025 – France 10. hipages Group: Creating Space for All 11. Thesis SM: Shaping the Future of Higher Education 12. GritHR: Making Life Better with Modern HR 13. Bazoom Group: Denmark’s Best Link-Building Agency 14. Ark Recruitment EST: People-First Recruitment Across Specialist Industries
Corporate Vision New Research: 79% of Employees Seek HR Help Monthly, But Only 6% Get Instant Support Applaud released its 2026 State of HR Service trends report, based on first-party research conducted with Censuswide among 1,000 UK employees at organizations with 2,000+ staff. The research highlights a growing “service gap” between how often employees need HR help and how quickly they get it. Nearly four in five employees (79%) seek HR help at least once a month, averaging 3.6 HR needs per person per month, equating to ~86,500 HR-related needs per year in a 2,000-person organization and more than 2 million in a 50,000-person enterprise. Yet much of that demand is hidden because employees start in email, chat, with managers, and informal conversations, not formal cases. Key findings: 1. Where employees start: Only 26% go to an HR system/ portal first; 24% email, phone, or message HR; and just 15% use knowledge/FAQs. For frontline workers, 34% ask a colleague first and only 20% use HR systems. 2. Speed: Only 6% receive help instantly via AI/chat. Meanwhile, 36% wait at least a full day, and ~22% often wait several days or a week or more. 3. Self-service plateau: Employees resolve only 47% of HR needs themselves. A quarter self-serves just 0–25% of needs; hospitality workers self-serve 33%. 4. Cost: A typical 1,000-employee organization loses ~12,800 hours per year to routine HR queries, about $385,000 / £300,000 in productivity. Live HR interactions average US$22 versus US$2 for selfservice (a 91% difference). “Employees are asking for clear, fast, trustworthy support across every channel,” said Ivan Harding, CEO at Applaud. “The organizations that win in 2026 will make service feel joined-up, with governed knowledge and AI that can both answer and act.” The report outlines five shifts shaping modern HR service delivery in 2026: hidden demand, fragmented channels, stalled self-service, the cost of clunky service, and the new standard for employee-first support.
News Curately.ai and LaborEdge Forge Strategic Partnership to Power AIDriven Staffing Innovation Curately.ai and LaborEdge announced a formal partnership designed to bring next generation recruiting automation to healthcare staffing agencies using LaborEdge’s NexusATS platform. The collaboration gives agencies access to Curately.ai’s AI-powered sourcing, engagement, and workflow automation capabilities, integrated seamlessly into NexusATS to increase recruiter efficiency, candidate engagement, and placements. “Partnering with LaborEdge further enables us to support healthcare staffing firms,” said Manish Karani, CEO of Curately.ai. “By layering our AI-driven sourcing and engagement tools on top of their workflow infrastructure, we can significantly accelerate hiring velocity without compromising the candidate experience.” Curately.ai’s platform helps healthcare staffing firms automate repetitive tasks like scheduling and outreach, reducing both cost and time-to-fill while maintaining consistent candidate engagement. At the front of Curately.ai’s industry-changing platform are its sourcing tools. Curately.ai’s Sourcing Accelerator tool allows recruitment teams to search over 6 million clinician profiles from professional networks directly in their browser using their personal account. Additionally, automated engagement sequences help recruiters reach more qualified talent in less time. The result is a streamlined sourcing process that keeps both recruiters and candidates informed and engaged, ultimately improving placement outcomes in a competitive market. Another standout feature of Curately.ai is its conversational AI recruiter, Maya, which was purpose-built for staffing workflows. Maya handles initial candidate phone screening, validates candidate responses in real time, and integrates directly with NexusATS, freeing recruiters to focus on higher-value tasks. Curately.ai and LaborEdge have successfully completed Phase 2 of their integration. This phase brings: • Automated job content creation • Improved job distribution quality • Enhanced fill rates Recruiters using NexusATS can track measurable impact immediately— faster time-to-publish, stronger match quality within candidate funnels, and steadier fill rates, all driven by cleaner content at the top of the process. “We partnered with CuratelyAI and the results have been fantastic—converting over 45% of applicants. In my 10 years, this was by far the smoothest integration.” – Evan Zmarthie, Operations Manager “This partnership reflects our commitment to bringing meaningful, healthcare-specific innovation to our agency partners,” said Shail Arora, President of LaborEdge. “By integrating Curately.ai’s advanced AI capabilities directly into NexusATS, we’re equipping agencies with smarter, more adaptive tools to stay competitive.”
Feature Why Modern Leadership Requires an Energy-Led Approach This exclusive interview with Bianca Best was conducted by Tabish Ali of the Motivational Speakers Agency. Business leaders are operating in an environment defined by sustained uncertainty, rising performance pressure, and accelerating burnout. Traditional productivity models built on constant output are increasingly proving ineffective, forcing organisations to reassess how impact, leadership, and performance are truly sustained over time. Bianca Best is a female inspirational speaker known for her work on energy-led performance and integrity-driven leadership. Her perspective challenges conventional push culture, focusing instead on how individuals and organisations can operate in alignment with natural energy rhythms, values, and decisionmaking frameworks that support both commercial outcomes and human sustainability. In this exclusive interview with the Female Motivational Speakers Agency, Bianca Best discusses why energy is the real currency of impact, what it means to build profitable businesses with integrity, and how leaders can help teams remain grounded and effective in an era of constant disruption. Question 1. Why has energy become one of the most critical drivers of sustainable performance and impact in modern organisations? Bianca Best: “Modern society’s created this wonky, distorted relationship with productivity where we’re chasing perpetual output and we’re breaking ourselves along the way. “So my work goes against the push culture and invites individuals to tune back into natural energetic rhythms and energy cycles, to learn how to expand, to understand what depletes energy, and to feel satisfied that actually we can create all the energy we need to achieve everything that we want to achieve in life.” Question 2. How can businesses balance authenticity and integrity with commercial performance and long-term profitability? Bianca Best: “Well, it comes down to operating in the business world in true integrity. I believe we will never individually and collectively feel fulfilled unless we’re honouring our own integrity. “When we tune in to our values and we’re honouring our values in terms of our behaviour, our relationships, our decisions, and how we run our businesses, then we tend to create more positive results. “It impacts the bottom line as much as it impacts morale and productivity, and it all comes back down to integrity.” Question 3. In an era of constant disruption, how can leaders and teams stay grounded, focused, and effective under ongoing uncertainty? Bianca Best: “Well, we need to recognise that uncertainty is the new norm. It is not going to change. There will be perpetual disruption, and change is the new constant. “The way we can ground ourselves through all of this uncertainty is to firstly learn how to manage our own energy, tune back into our natural bioindividual rhythms, form a different relationship with time that isn’t chronological but is more around flow and focus time, and then step into a place of action with integrity. “When we master those three dimensions of self and work, we find ourselves able to perform, to produce, and to be happy.” Question 4. What core message do you want leaders and organisations to take away from your work on energy, productivity, and performance? Bianca Best: “I really hope I inspire a sense of pragmatic optimism, because I really believe that life shouldn’t be the struggle that it is today. None of us have ever been taught at school how to selfmanage in this realm of frenetic productivity and this push culture that the world has normalised today. “I hope I can inspire a sense of, “This is how to manage it. This is how I can saw. It doesn’t need to be a struggle, and I’m ready, motivated, and optimistic about the future.”
January 2026 | 7 Avoid Herd Mentality – Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow By internationally renowned mediator and conflict specialist Jane Gunn (Global Leader – Who’s Who Mediation & Legal 500 Hall of Fame 2025) (Global Leader – Who’s Who Mediation & Legal 500 Hall of Fame 2025) In ancient times, being part of a group helped keep us safe from predators and ensured we had more resources. In the modern world, it is estimated that it takes only 5% of individuals to influence 95% of a group. The dot.com bubble is a significant example of herd mentality, which led to a disastrous market crash. Herd mentality affects decision-making, results in conformity, a lack of independent and critical thinking, and not questioning authority. Colleagues don’t speak up or are afraid to speak on other people’s ideas and instead synchronise themselves and adopt a group identity. Many follow without realising it because of a bias to walk in the shadow of people who we assume are more informed than we are. We give these ‘influencers’ adopted powers of being able to predict the future and believe the majority must be correct. When Is Herd Mentality In Business Most Likely To Occur? Herd mentality can occur in any industry. When there is a very dominant leader, colleagues can be afraid to challenge, even if they know the chosen direction isn’t the right one. Many of us follow societal norms and narratives and get sucked into social media, trends, or leadership narratives because of the sheer pace of information we are bombarded with. Other factors that influence herd mentality include teams being short on time, workers not wanting to interrupt the flow, and pressure to shorten meeting times. When you hurry people to make decisions, it can narrow their perspective and limit their thinking space. We are often discouraged from questioning collective decisions. We are also inclined to make decisions that suit ourselves. Herd mentality can feel reassuring when we are unsure which path to follow, especially during times of uncertainty when we feel unsafe and seek social cohesion and a sense of belonging. As we are currently increasingly seeing, instability and uncertainty lead to fear-based decisions and a reduced willingness to challenge poor behaviour. What Sort Of Person Is Most Likely To Go Along With The Herd? Those of us who have followed authority from early on (The Good Child) are used to doing what we are told and are more likely to obey orders than challenge them when needed. People suffering from trauma, who fear rejection, don’t like to take risks, actively avoid conflict, lack healthy boundaries and good self-esteem, and those who cannot endure judgment or criticism, are all more likely to follow the pack. Some take on formal identities rather than work on their self-awareness. Some people identify as nouns, such as a ‘doctor’ or a ‘teacher’, rather than as individuals. Some jobs are more likely to require compliance and may discourage independence of thought and creativity treating outliers as mavericks. Teachers may be forced to do as they are told. Medicine is becoming more protocol-driven, and doctors are less likely to think independently, concerned about being sued. In the army, soldiers are told to follow orders. In Parliament, MPs are told to follow the whip and may often not read the legislation they are voting on, giving a standard reply to constituents’ enquiries. We are now asking AI to summarise documents that we need to give a verdict on, rather than read them in their entirety. Herd mentality brings social acceptance that can be difficult to let go of. We fear social isolation, and that is why we look for ‘likes’, approval, appreciation, and acknowledgement. We want to be part of something, or want to avoid being left behind, and have FOMO. Some strongly follow social trends without ever questioning them. Others may even just be lazy and take the easiest route. How Does It Affect Business? Herd mentality can result in poor decision-making and a lack of creativity and critical thinking. It can lead to brain drain as creative people don’t like to be constrained. It stops people from growing professionally and personally. Colleagues can feel pressured as leaders of the pack may resort to manipulation and influence, creating a toxic culture. Workers can be forced to deliver or support a message even if they disagree with it. It means an inability to meet challenges and resolve conflicts appropriately. Is There Any Advantage To Herd Mentality? In a crisis, herd mentality could be advantageous when quick or critical decisions have to be made. How To Reject Herd Mentality As An Organisation? 1. Recognise it when it exists. Often herd mentality is flagged by someone new to the organisation, with a fresh pair of eyes, who identifies this toxic group psychology. It may be difficult for those who are used to following the herd to really see it. 2. Offer flexible ways of working. As far back as the 1980s, Ricardo Semler of Semco was making a name for himself with a shared, participative leadership model, in which workers could choose their own hours as long as they got the job done and even set their own salaries. Flexibility reduces the chance of a herd mentality. 3. Some board or team decisions are better made over several sessions rather than being pushed through. This gives people time to think deeply, differently and dangerously, and consider the question at hand carefully. 4. As a board member, it is customary to make decisions that are in the company’s best interest. Set these decisions against agreed criteria, including group values (put them on a flip chart during important meetings), to guide decision-making. Clear guidance is needed. How Can An Individual Stop Their Herd Mentality? 1. Be prepared to question the accepted narrative. Use lateral thinking to see the bigger picture and go deeper with your questioning and test assumptions. 2. Self-determination – make sure you are making the right decision. Uphold your principles and values and notice conflicts within yourself. 3. Recognise attempts to manipulate and influence you, and stand up for who and what matters most, even if others have followed the pack. There will always be those who want to persuade you otherwise. 4. Fully informed consent – have you considered all the relevant information to make the right decision, or are you cutting corners? Deep dive into controversial topics or things that don’t sit quite right with you. 5. Avoid quick fear-based decisions. 6. Ensure that board or team papers are provided in a timely fashion so they can be fully considered. Research things thoroughly and don’t rush, even if time restricted. Ask for an extension if you need it to make the right decision. 7. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to make your own decisions. No one is coming to save you or solve your problems for you. Decide for yourself and trust your own mind and ability. 8. Set your own goals. Have a bigger, longer-term picture. 9. Choose independent analysis, critical thinking, and strategic planning. 10. Don’t follow the crowd, especially if the crowd is wrong.
Corporate Vision Best AI-Powered Software Defined Vehicle Platform 2025 The automotive world is undergoing one of the biggest engineering shifts in its history. The industry is no longer defined only by hardware and manufacturing lines. It is being reshaped by software, by new expectations for continuous improvement, and by the growing demand for vehicles that can evolve after they leave the factory. The automotive industry is shifting toward Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs), meaning vehicles are built and improved continuously through software. SODA.Auto is creating the first end to end SDV engineering tool chain that fully covers vehicle development from requirements and architecture to development, simulation, validation, and deployment in one new way. This is not just an improvement tool. It is a change in what becomes possible. Instead of treating software engineering as a fragmented set of tasks spread across disconnected systems, SODA is rebuilding the SDV lifecycle as one coherent process. The goal is to make the complexity of SDVs manageable, scalable, and reusable, so that vehicle programs can move faster without sacrificing safety, quality, or confidence. SODA.Auto is solving a world-scale problem that many believe only giant corporations can solve. The company is proving that a focused startup can redesign the industrial foundation of automotive. That belief is especially important today because the automotive industry in Western markets is at an inflection point. EV transition, regulation, global SDV competition with players in Asia, cost pressure, and software complexity are forcing rapid change. Many OEMs and EV companies are feeling this pressure from all sides. They need to innovate faster and respond to customers more dynamically, while also meeting new regulatory standards, controlling costs, and managing increasing technical complexity. SDVs are the future, but developing them at scale is hard, expensive, and slow using traditional approaches. SODA.Auto brings good to the world by accelerating safer, cleaner, smarter vehicles. Faster and more efficient development reduces waste and gets innovations to people sooner. This is where SODA team’s mission becomes larger than the automotive industry itself. Improving how vehicles are built does not only help companies move faster. It helps society. Cleaner vehicles reach markets sooner. Safety improvements can be deployed with confidence. And smarter systems can be validated and scaled without unnecessary waste or repeated engineering effort. SODA.Auto differs from peers because it covers the entire SDV problem in one platform. A few leading OEMs and EV companies have managed to build end to end SDV development processes using existing fragmented tools inside their own organizations, but SODA goes further by providing a unified engineering platform which brings efficiency, collaboration and joy into the process. The platform was designed to eliminate unnecessary friction in engineering. Instead of forcing teams to stitch together workflows, translate between systems, or reinvent solutions for every new program, SODA creates an environment where engineering becomes continuous and reusable by default. SODA.Auto was built for this mission from the start, to make vehicle development possible within a few clicks. The company dared to look at the process end to end - from requirements to certification: remove everything non-essential, keep only what is truly necessary, and then rebuild the SDV lifecycle from a clean foundation. That “clean foundation” is what makes it possible to change the speed, quality, and economics of SDV development at scale. This is not about adding one more tool to an already crowded tool stack. It is about creating a new engineering method where every part of the lifecycle is connected and automated. SODA team delivers measurable results by turning SDV development into a continuous, automated, and reusable process that is already running inside real vehicle programs today. The platform enables Ready for Production outcomes 10x faster and at 4x less cost, while increasing confidence in software quality before production. These outcomes matter because they prove that the vision is real and operational. The SDV lifecycle automation that SODA is building is not theoretical. It is already delivering results in production-scale environments, and it is already helping engineering teams reduce waste, shorten timelines, and improve quality before vehicles reach customers. In 2026 the focus is on scaling automotive deployments and expanding the method into Software Defined Anything. Marine, rail, aerospace, robotics, and other complex sectors are the next industries to adopt the platform. The SDV transformation is only the beginning. As more industries become software-defined, the ability to engineer complex systems through a unified, automated platform will become foundational across the economy. SODA team’s approach is designed to scale beyond automotive, into every sector where software defines how products are built, validated, and continuously improved. SODA.Auto was named Best AI-Powered Software Defined Vehicle Platform 2025 because it is radically improving the way vehicle software is created. This accolade ultimately reflects the scale of the transformation SODA is delivering. Contact Details: Contact: Ksenia Sternina Email: [email protected] Company: SODA.Auto Website: https://soda.auto/
January 2026 | 9 Established in 2012, Dooweet is a cultural communication agency specialising in all things music, including live entertainment. The agency supports artists, producers, festivals, and organisations alike, whether they are based in France or abroad. Its full-service approach covers everything from album and concert promotion through to advertising on Spotify or YouTube, as well as influencer campaigns and traditional media channels. Having built a diverse client base comprising more than 500 artists, producers, venues, labels, festivals, and institutions, Dooweet is the culmination of years of hard work by Cristophe, whose ambition when starting the agency – which was originally an association – was to allow rock and metal artists to promote themselves at a lower cost. Initially, this involved funding from private sponsors, but after this became too restrictive for Cristophe and the artists, Dooweet rebranded and began to offer its own services to musicians. Since this pivot more than a decade ago, Dooweet has doubled down on the thing that made it so special in the first place: the respect it has for artistic projects and their unique identities. This means never trying to force them into artificial marketing frameworks, and instead conveying precision, relevance, and the power of human relationships. It does this across every interaction and every service, even in the face of constant industry change. Whilst Dooweet’s work covers every element of press relations and communications services, media relations (creating press strategies, writing and distributing press releases/kits, pitching projects to journalists, and managing media appearances) is its primary focus. Other examples of its role include supporting media visibility, and Dooweet often acts as a bridge between the projects of its artists and today’s multifaceted media ecosystem. This translates to some high-profile work with big names from across the globe. As Cristophe explained: “Recently, we have handled media coordination around international artists such as Craig David during his visit to Paris, managing press requests and interview scheduling. We have also been involved in the promotion of large-scale cultural festivals and live events across France, working with well-known venues and artists.” Despite these big names, Dooweet remains committed to supporting emerging and independent artists. “This balance of high-profile projects and emerging artists is central to our identity. It reflects our belief that credibility is not defined by scale, but by rigour, ethics, and the quality of the work delivered.” It is no secret that music promotion has evolved in the same way that the wider music industry has evolved, with the digital sphere today being integral for those seeking a modern, diversified promotion strategy. From its location in Montpellier, France, Dooweet does exactly that, offering 360-degree support across projects relating to music promotion, communication, and marketing. Founder Christophe Sousa was on hand to tell us more about his acclaimed music press relations agency. Best Music Industry PR & Communications Agency 2025 – France Irrespective of the client, Dooweet’s approach to client service remains unchanged, built on the cornerstones of proximity, clarity, accountability. The team here are often seen as being part of their client’s network as opposed to external providers, a status they earn by taking the time to fully understand their project, including its context, objectives, and constraints. In this way, they can bring an air of sophistication and avoid overpromising. Going a step further, Cristophe commented: “We are deeply specialised in music, culture, and live entertainment, which means we understand the media and the specific challenges of working in these industries.” He continued: “We do not apply generic communication formulas. Every strategy is built from scratch, based on the identity of the project and the realities of the market.” A focus on relevance, editorial alignment, and long-term credibility has seen Dooweet build a reputation based on client and media trust. In an industry where speed, visibility, and short-term gains are usually favoured over all else, the more measured approach Dooweet has deliberately crafted is a major stand out. Its long-term mindset showcases the way it works with clients and the media, and the discretion employed at every turn – which is crucial given that many projects require confidentiality – is something that is not always visible from the outside for obvious reasons but remains crucial in the agency being trusted with strategic, high-stakes communications. As all of this shows, in the realm of music PR and media strategy, Dooweet’s dedication to delivering clarity and credibility in a sea of noise and immediacy makes it one of a kind. Everything from its bespoke communication strategies for music and culture to its artist and live event promotion highlights this fact, making Dooweet the only choice for the title of Best Music Industry PR & Communications Agency 2025 – France. Contact: Christophe Sousa Company: Dooweet Web Address: https://dooweet.org/
Corporate Vision For more than two decades, hipages Group has played an instrumental role in reshaping the trade industry: helping homeowners to complete jobs with confidence and supporting tradespeople with the tools and resources needed to successfully run their business. After posting a job on the platform, homeowners are matched with trusted local tradespeople – from solo traders to medium-sized businesses – and can review their profiles, compare quotes, and hire the right person for the job. The platform is now 33,000 strong, with more than 12 million jobs uploaded today and one posted every 25 seconds. “We’re driving digital change in one of the last industries to modernise, creating real impact for tradies, homeowners, and communities every day.” This significant industry impact has been made possible by more than 200 hardworking employees driving hipages Group to success. With offices across Sydney, Melbourne, Christchurch, Manila, and Ho Chi Minh City, each member of the hipages team is united by a strong one-team culture. Together, they work to position hipages Group as the most trusted partner to the trade industry, guided by the company’s core values of service, value, innovation, collaboration, being genuine, and its DNA: Make It Happen. Ultimately, hipages Group believes that its people lie at the heart of its sustained growth and success. When expanding, the company maintains an average time-to-hire of 31 days to ensure it can secure talented candidates who align with its values and culture. It places a heavy emphasis on talent attraction – with 91% of hires sourced directly throughout Fiscal Year 2025 – and invests deeply into career development, wellbeing, social connection, and innovation. This has allowed the company to build a safe and authentic environment for its employees, achieving its lowest attrition rate in more than a decade. An essential element of building such an environment is hipages Group’s unwavering dedication to diversity and inclusivity. The company’s recruitment processes reflect this commitment; all advertisements reference gender bias research, encouraging women to apply even if they do not meet every listed criterion. This approach has resulted in 41% of all hires being women throughout Fiscal Year 2025 – significantly above the technology sector average – and 79% female representation in shortlists for management and technology roles by year end. The company employs a remarkably diverse team, with a 44:51 ratio of female to male employees, more than 46 different nationalities, an age span ranging from 21 to 70, and many team members identifying as LGBTQI. Together, the team respectfully celebrates and educates on cultural days, valuing the varying traditions of its diverse workforce to strengthen inclusion and mutual respect. Initiatives are driven by an employee-led Diversity, Equity, and Belonging (DE&B) Committee, with representation across all departments and geographies. Employee wellbeing is prioritised across the board, regarded as a strategic driver of engagement, retention, and performance. hipages Group was founded in 2004, born from a drive to transform the trade industry and build better lives for those operating within it. Since its inception, the company has evolved to not only stand as Australia and New Zealand’s preferred way to connect with tradespeople, but also a workplace where individuals can grow their careers, make a positive impact, and thrive. We took a closer look at hipages Group and its exceptional endeavours below, as the company is named in the HR and Employment Awards 2026. hipages Group: Creating Space for All hipages Group invests holistically in physical, mental, financial, and social wellbeing, tailoring its support to better meet the diverse needs of its workforce. The results speak for themselves: the company’s May 2025 engagement survey recorded an overall engagement score of 83%, with high participation at 84% and 83% of employees believing that the company cares about their wellbeing. This people-first approach has earned hipages Group muchdeserved acknowledgement across the industry. This includes certification as a Great Place to Work in 2024 and 2025, as well as recognition as one of Australia’s Best Workplaces™ for Women 2025, WORK180’s #1 Employer for Women 2025, a 2025 HRD 5-Star Employer of Choice, and being awarded the Candidate Experience Award at the TIARA Talent Acquisition Awards ANZ 2025. Each recognition is a testament to hipages Group’s impact, and its ability to create an internal culture where inclusion and authenticity thrive. Throughout 2025, the company focused on strengthening its teams across Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, and the Philippine whilst ensuring that a workforce-wide commitment to inclusion and a unified culture remained central to its operations. As a result, hipages Group has successfully positioned itself at the forefront of diversity and inclusion in the region’s technology sector, setting new industry standards for employee wellbeing and establishing itself as Australia’s Most Inclusive Working Environment 2026. Contact: Jodette Cleary Company: hipages Group Web Address: www.hipagesgroup.com.au
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Corporate Vision seeking scalable HR compliance models for small employers in California, GritHR demonstrated its ability to operationalise compliance without overcomplication. The team delivered a turnkey audit system, a compliance roadmap for each small employer, and a repeatable model that the client can now use to grow and scale the business. GritHR saw further success when working alongside a fastgrowing MSP that has been a client for almost five years. The team aligned leadership behaviour with operational goals to provide the client with clarity, introducing new leadership frameworks, a modern performance model, manager training, and a tech-forward approach to workflow and collaboration. GritHR also designed a four-month cultural improvement roadmap to address morale, communication, and accountability breakdowns. Looking ahead, GritHR aims to continue redefining modern HR support with PeopleOps+, a next-generation, techenabled HR operating system. Built specifically for small- and mid-sized businesses seeking the power of an in-house HR team without the added complexities, the platform blends HR strategies, automated workflows, advanced analytics, on-demand resources, and real human support into a single, seamless platform. Moving forward, the GritHR team will continue working to establish PeopleOps+ as the leading HR solution for growing companies, allowing even the smallest businesses to operate with enterprise-grade excellence. The team’s unwavering dedication to creating industry-wide change – replacing the fragmented processes of traditional HR practices with fully integrated, scalable solutions – has earned GritHR rightful recognition as the Southeast US’s Best Turnkey HR Service Provider 2026. “In five years, we intend to be the go-to partner for companies that want HR excellence without corporate bureaucracy,” Shannon concluded. “PeopleOps+ is our moonshot. It is how we scale our impact, democratise high-quality HR, and push the entire industry forward. We are not just improving HR; we are building the future version of it.” “We are not just improving HR; we are building the future version of it.” Contact: Shannon Anderson Company: GritHR Solutions Web Address: www.grithrsolutions.com GritHR: Making Life Better with Modern HR In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, businesses are finding that traditional, one-size-fitsall HR practices are becoming increasingly less relevant. Based in Johnson City, GritHR is a firm working to break the mould, with turnkey HR services that reinvent the way its clients and their teams approach HR. We spoke with Shannon Anderson below, Founder and CEO of GritHR, as the firm is named in the HR and Employment Awards 2026. Since its inception in 2021, GritHR Solutions has been on a mission to revolutionise the ways in which businesses hire, pay, develop, and recognise their people. The company empowers ambitious businesses with turnkey HR services that are designed to enhance the employee experience, streamline operations and processes, and help businesses achieve and maintain compliance. “Our goal is simple: to build workplaces where people are responsive, energised, and recognised, reminding the world that HR is here to make your life better,” Shannon told us. “We exist to make HR a true engine for growth, not a compliance chore. Our work is fuelled by grit, guided by purpose, and aimed at igniting an industry-wide shift, where HR becomes a strategic powerhouse for every business we touch.” “Our work is fuelled by grit, guided by purpose, and aimed at igniting an industry-wide shift, where HR becomes a strategic powerhouse for every business we touch.” In a competitive market, GritHR Solutions stands out as a reliable partner striving to make HR accessible and affordable for all. All too often, small- and mid-sized enterprises are priced out of accessing the world-class HR services that will drive their business growth. In response, GritHR has set out to deliver cost-effective and comprehensive HR solutions, building a model that delivers enterprise-level expertise in a way that small businesses can actually use and afford. As a result, GritHR serves an array of businessowners across a wide range of industries, united by their understanding of the importance of strategic HR in driving business success. These clients are typically experts in their field, experienced in handling the various demands and challenges of running a business but requiring additional support and guidance when navigating the complexities of HR. In recognition of this, GritHR takes a proactive, hands-on approach to service delivery. “We believe HR should make leaders’ lives easier, not harder,” Shannon stated. “Clients hire us because they are tired of HR partners who coast. Our team turns up ready to solve problems, not admire them. We move fast, we stay responsive, and we finish what we start. Our clients know us for our energy, our transparency, and our ability to turn chaos into progress.” Across 2025, the team have undertaken several standout projects that demonstrate precisely why clients choose to work with GritHR. In partnership with an accounting firm
January 2026 | 13 In the quest to earn links from other websites to their own, resulting in their pages ranking higher in search results, it is important for brands to recognise that quality trumps quantity at every turn. A beacon of quality in this environment, Bazoom Group’s distinction lies in an ability to help clients save time and effort on their linking building, making the process as straightforward as possible. It provides this service to companies worldwide, blending intelligent software with the proficiency of its link-building experts. Having helped literally thousands of companies to boost their SEO rankings by planning and then executing calculated link-building strategies, Bazoom Group has carved out a reputation for itself as a market leader in this field. This is reflected through the guarantees it makes to every client: at least 36 months of live time on their backlinks, do-follow links, included content, and article indexing. For the clients of Denmark’s best link-building agency, these provisions translate into demonstrable outcomes for their businesses. As for how exactly this outcomes are achieved, Bazoom Group is set apart in this space as it is much more than just a link-building platform, it is a strategic link-building partner powered by people. Kristoffer himself explained: “We are real people behind the screens. We offer personalised strategies, tailor our service towards clients, and have dedicated account managers.” The more than 80 dedicated professionals at the heart of this platform pride themselves on offering all of the guidance and support a client needs. Of course, it helps that the team operate what is the most extensive and developed platform in the industry, an intelligent marketplace that allows clients to manage all of their projects in one go. Highlights of the system include intelligent recommendations, user-friendliness, and 24/7 support. Another key component of its success is that there are no subscription or entry fees, as clients need only pay for the links they purchase. The price they pay always includes both content and publication, with a turnaround of about four days. With this suite of services to boot, it is no surprise that Bazoom Group is a company governed by its exceptional culture, which has been built by the young entrepreneurs behind it and nurtured through the mindset of a start-up looking to scale as a business. In a company of this size, Kristoffer believes the key is to work with people who you also want to share a beer with. This mindset is the basis of the longlasting relationships the company builds, which it develops through expertise, transparency, and insight. It is thanks to this combination that Bazoom Group is fresh off the back of a memorable 2025, with highlights including becoming a sponsor of the e-sports team Astralis and being sold to a Norwegian fund, both of which are indicative of a company that is treading new ground. Keeping up this pioneering spirit is a must, especially given the recent influx in competitors copying Bazoom Group’s product and services. Despite this, and leveraging its talents and know-how, the company is continuing to thrive. A fitting example of this can be seen in its ambitious growth plan for the next few years, which revolves around reaching a record-high The evolving SEO landscape is something every company with a digital presence seeks to master, and yet many struggle to get their head around the components or find the time to create actionable strategies alongside their day-to-day activities. Bazoom Group helps to solve this headache in relation to link building, one of the most important elements of an SEO strategy as it helps to build trust and authority with search engines. Named the Best SEO & Link-Building Marketing Network 2025 – Denmark, Bazoom Group’s own Kristoffer Krog was on hand to tell us more. Bazoom Group: Denmark’s Best Link-Building Agency revenue of €500m. Helping Bazoom Group to achieve this aim is integration with the industry’s leading link-building software, such as Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz, familiar metrics that help clients to build a stronger link profile with certainty. Essentially, this is what it all boils down to, and there are numerous resources on the company’s website to help grasp the importance of this. Rounding out its solutions with a free link-building strategy, the critical, encompassing, quality-focused approach Bazoom Group takes when it comes to link building helps takes the hassle out of the process, empowering companies to grow in confidence regarding their SEO strategy and take the necessary steps to improve their rankings. This has resulted in Bazoom Group being recognised as the Best SEO & Link-Building Marketing Network 2025 – Denmark, a title more than befitting of its deserved reputation. Contact: Kristoffer Krog Company: Bazoom Group Web Address: https://bazoom.com/
Corporate Vision On a mission to raise recruitment standards across global events, sales, marketing, and tech, Ark Recruitment exists to show that recruitment – which is often viewed as a temporary transaction – can be done with integrity, transparency, and genuine care when leading market expertise is brought into equation. The result is partnerships that can last for years, slowly but surely changing the field of recruitment for the better. As it drives this evolution, Ark Recruitment is guided by a series of core values fundamental to its work. Embodying relentless quality, integrity/transparency, partnership over transaction, and community/culture across its operation, Ark Recruitment never cuts corners. Whether for a one-off hire or a full RPO model, headhunting senior leadership across EMEA/MENA or scaling teams with high-potential talent, its commitment is the same. Clients work with Dan and the team because they know the agency will act in their best interests. Taking things a step further, Dan told us: “What makes Ark Recruitment stand out is our obsession with doing recruitment properly. We pride ourselves on depth, not volume.” A great example of this is the team specialising in the aforementioned sectors of events, sales, marketing, and technology. The team are experts in navigating the nuances of these markets and the talent landscape surrounding them – and know what it takes to succeed. This is why the agency is trusted with recruitment needs of leading brands worldwide. “Whether it’s headhunting across multiple time zones, supporting relocation into the Middle East, or scaling teams at pace, our clients get a level of effort and care that is rare in the industry.” This style of working starts at the top with Dan himself. Following a tenure in the British Armed Forces, Dan knew he wanted a career where he could genuinely help, as well as working in an environment where hard work, integrity, and accountability stand for something. Recruitment ticked all of the boxes, as the ability to change someone’s life for the better is something that never gets old. Recruitment was also the perfect field for Dan to map his military values onto, and Ark is these principles put into practice. A number of memorable projects have been completed by this events recruitment agency as a result, including an expansion project for a global events organiser across the EMEA and MENA regions. They needed to scale rapidly across multiple regions and required talent at every level. Using its blend of market knowledge, relentless headhunting, and a partner-based approach, Ark went beyond just filling roles to instead consult on everything from structuring salaries to onboarding and even consulting on a long-term talent strategy. Anyone who has ever worked in events, sales, marketing, or technology will tell of the importance of having a strong team united under a common aim. The foundation of this success lies in hiring the right people, a process that begins by putting their needs first – every time. Renowned for delivering professionalism and a quality service by following the REC’s Code of Practice to the letter, Ark Recruitment EST has been recognised as the Best Events Industry Recruitment Agency 2026 – UK in this feature. Founder/MD Dan Payne was on hand for more on his leading recruitment agency. People-First Recruitment Across Specialist Industries There are many more examples like this, with Ark’s status as a media recruitment agency also seeing it nurture success with numerous fast-growth tech and media organisations, helping them build entire teams from the ground up. Dan explained: “These projects work because we embed ourselves within the business, operate with complete transparency, and deliver quality over quantity every time.” All of this is becoming more sought after, given Ark’s focus industries have changed rapidly over the past 12-18 months. With a more cautious hiring market, increased demand for multiskilled talent, and a push towards internal talent teams being just some of the ways these sectors have changed, Ark has doubled down on its specialisms, agility, and people-first recruitment, allowing it to adapt faster and deliver better outcomes in an ever-evolving landscape. The consistent feedback it receives praising the honesty, reliability, and calibre of its candidates is a fitting example of this, highlighting that recruitment does not have to feel so impersonal. Continuing down this path is the primary goal for this embedded talent partner as we move through 2026 and beyond, with its plans revolving around raising recruitment standards on the back of a blend of smarter processes and stronger partnerships. Giving back is another key aim for this senior headhunting agency, which prides itself on supporting ex-military and local communities alike – underpinning a real commitment to people. It is this dedication that has resulted in Ark Recruitment EST being recognised in this feature. Contact: Daniel Payne Company: Ark Recruitment EST Web Address: https://ark-recruitment.com/
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