I share openly what I have learned over 25 years – the successes, the mistakes, and everything in between.
No polished facades. No consultant jargon. Just honest reflections on recruitment, leadership, and HR -
and what actually determines whether a company succeeds.
We talk about leadership as something you either have or don't have. That's not true – and it's a dangerous idea. Leadership is a craft that can be learned, trained, and improved with the right support.
Good leadership is not a personality trait. Read More »
I've met many leaders over the years. Skilled, driven, committed people who carry a great deal of responsibility and do so with an impressive facade of control. But behind that facade – I know this now after 25 years – it's often lonely. The myth of the self-sufficient leader. There's a notion that a good…
A manager who never asks for help is not strong – they are alone. Read More »
When the structure disappears over the summer, the culture shows itself as it really is. Magdalena Hagström Ståhl on what summer reveals — and what you should do with it come autumn.
The summer holiday reveals more about your culture than any meeting. Read More »
Everyone wants the right person in place by September. Few understand that the process needs to start now. A recruitment takes 6–12 weeks — and summer isn't a reason to wait. It's the reason to start.
Recruit now. Not in September. Read More »
Most recruitment processes do not fail at the selection stage. They fail before they begin — when nobody really knows what they are looking for.
Three questions before you start recruiting. Read More »
There is a middle ground many companies find themselves in — too large to manage without HR support, too small to hire a full-time HR manager. That is precisely where interim HR makes the greatest difference.
You do not need to hire an HR manager to have one. Read More »
AI engineers, cybersecurity specialists, cloud architects — which tech roles dominate the recruitment market in 2026? Magdalena Hagström Ståhl on what it means for you as a hiring manager.
The IT and tech roles companies are fighting over in 2026 Read More »
Experience doesn't mean having all the answers. It means knowing which questions to ask. That's what separates a senior consultant from someone who's simply been around a long time.
25 years in the field. And still learning something new every week. Read More »
A bad hire at the executive level costs more than salary and recruitment fees. It costs you the team, the trust, and the culture. And it almost always starts with not knowing what you were looking for when the process began.
You cannot afford to hire the wrong person. Read More »
The CEO is often surrounded by people who'd rather not deliver bad news. It's structural, not personal — and it can be hard to see from the inside.
The loneliness at the top. Read More »
Growth reveals what was missing from the start. Magdalena Hagström Ståhl on what happens when the organization falls behind the business—and what should be done about it.
When the company grows faster than its organization. Read More »
In January 2026, I lost my best friend. We had known each other for 26 years. She fought cancer for eight of them. That is a long time to fight. It is a long time to love someone and watch them fight. And it is a long time to prepare for a goodbye that you are never truly ready for.
Getting to know me – Part 3: My greatest loss became my greatest fuel. Read More »
HEXACO and Big Five are research-based personality frameworks – not answers, but better questions. Magdalena Hagström Ståhl on how psychometrics should actually be used in recruitment.
Personality tools are not an answer – they are a better question. Read More »
The most brilliant person in the room will quit the moment it stops feeling meaningful. The most resilient will push through when everything falls apart. That is the person you want on your team.
GRIT – why it matters more than being the smartest person in the room. Read More »