14 Jan 2026
By Ashleigh McCulloch, Creative Director, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.
It’s now just over three months since we started yattle, and what a remarkable journey it has been. From the outset, our mission has been clear: to make recruitment work better for those embarking on their careers, and now we’ve developed an app and launched a new business. These achievements mark only the beginning, there is so much more to do, and here’s why.
Helping young people find meaningful employment is more than just filling vacancies. We are actively reducing unemployment, boosting confidence, and strengthening the local economy with every successful match. Each job opportunity creates ripple effects—families thrive, communities become stronger, and businesses gain from a motivated workforce.
For many young people today, ambition is not the issue; the real challenge is access. Obstacles such as lack of experience, limited networks, confusing workplace jargon, and generic outreach can all stand in the way. By tailoring job searching and hiring practices to suit their needs, these barriers actually become stepping stones to success.
It is apparent that many businesses recognise the value of welcoming young talent, we work with several of them through the Glasgow Employment and Skills Board and other project delivery. Through conversations with the SEC and Holdfast Entertainment we identified common themes in the challenges that businesses where facing.
The rapid evolution of technology, changing expectations and culture are creating a disconnect.
Traditional recruitment practices—rigid job descriptions, lengthy application processes, and outdated jobsites—often fail to engage modern candidates. With over 70% of job seekers using mobile devices to apply, it’s clear that today’s workforce brings fresh perspectives, energy, and adaptability. These digital natives are agile learners full of ideas that can reshape the workplace. It’s time to ask them how we can improve the process.
The recruitment landscape is shifting, and now is the time to evolve. In 2026, let’s be bold in our approach to engaging new talent—abandon outdated methods and experiment with new ones. Join us in building a platform that unites all the excellent support already available, ensuring it is timely and accessible for a new audience. Together, we can help candidates land interviews, secure jobs, and enable businesses to make their next great hire.
A huge thank you to all the young people who have told us what they want an app for them to do, and our young coders and marketers for bringing it life. To Glasgow City Council for their support, and our business advisors from AC Whyte, Arnold Clark and First Bus to name but few.
This is just the beginning, and our ambitions are big. Watch this space and join us as we create a movement to change how people think about hiring.
