2026 Hiring Trends: What’s next for employers and candidates?

Nic Weatherhead is VP of People Operations and Talent Acquisition at The Stepstone Group, where she leads global talent strategy and drives an exceptional employee experience. Previously, she spent 18 years at Google as Director of People Operations, leading transformative talent initiatives across EMEA and APAC. She also serves as a Non-Executive Director at Dulwich College and was named a T100 Global Talent Leader. Nic is passionate about helping people find meaningful work.

Julius Probst is the European labour economist at Totaljobs. He did his M.Sc. in Economics with a specialisation in macroeconomics and his PhD in Economic History at Lund University in Sweden. During his PhD, he also worked as a researcher for the European Central Bank.

Bianca Stringuini has joined us to lead Inclusion across The Stepstone Group, having most recently led DEI globally at Hays and, prior to that, People Experience and Culture at KPMG. Before this, she led DEI, Wellbeing, and Social Impact for Visa, JP Morgan, AIG, and American Express across Asia. Bianca is a global People & Culture leader with 18+ years of experience driving DEI, ESG, Culture Transformation, Change Management, and L&D across multinational organizations. Passionate about shaping sustainable, inclusive workplaces, she specializes in embedding HR strategies into business success, ensuring people-first cultures that drive engagement, innovation, and long-term impact. She herself is an example of diverse experiences. Originally from Brazil, she has lived and worked in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, with a background in trade and international affairs and a passion for global sustainable and inclusive growth.