TALiNT International April 2022

TALiNT International April 2022

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TALiNT International April 2022

LEADER

From the Editor It’s the TALiNT Partners 2022 TIARA Awards season and we couldn’t be more excited! We are delighted to announce the finalists in the TIARA Talent Solutions US Awards in this issue of the magazine. The cream of the crop of US TS service providers have been nominated by our panel of judges and we can’t wait to crown them at this year’s virtual event on the 9th of June! Read the impressive shortlist of finalists on pg 22.

HR tech continues to be a change gamer! But how is tech solving staffing challenges for recruiters; and what part will data play in driving more successful digital transformations? Find out more on pg 13.

As we finally see the back of the pandemic, it feels as if the talent industry is now able to wholly focus on finding solutions to the significant challenges the market is faced with.

However, much like in George Orwell’s classic 1984, COVID-19, the conflict in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis has us feeling as if we’re in a perpetual state of war. Yet again, the talent industry is presented with a situation that has added to the momentum of ‘The Great Resignation’ while a reported 52% of employees are looking for a new role that pays more money in a bid to stave off the seemingly relentless rise of living costs.

This, however, presents a unique and exciting opportunity for employers… employees and candidates alike have repeatedly expressed that a sense of belonging and the employer brand are on the top of the list of ‘wants’ when looking for a new role. Flexible working is also all-important especially now that giving employees flexibility in terms of there they work can help them reduce commuter and living costs. Employers really do need to look

‘inside’ for ways to retain their existing talent – it is far easier than replacing talent in a talent-scarce market.

And finally, I am pleased to share with you this issue of TALiNT International in its redesigned glory. This has been a labour of love and our team is immensely proud of the gains made over the last year. If you’re part of the talent ecosystem and would like to appear in our magazine as a commentator or if you’d like to contribute as a thought leader or blogger, please get in touch. We have a wide variety of advertising and marketing opportunities for our readers.

About TALiNT Partners TALiNT Partners brings together a global network of leading employers and solution providers to make better talent and technology decisions by providing intelligence, insight and peer-to-peer networking that drives quality, innovation and improves inclusion across the talent ecosystem.

Published by Talent Intelligence Partners Ltd Casa Court Great George Street Godalming GU71DX www.talintpartners.com Editorial, news and features: debbie@talintpartners.com Advertising and sponsorship: andy@talintpartners.com Design: annabelle@talintpartners.com TALiNT International April 2022

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Contents

Employer flex

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TALiNT Scene

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The Crown Jewels

08

News analysis

32

Great expectations

13

Data day decisions

37

Balancing act

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Employer flex

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TALiNT Talk

08. Ukrainian workers could ease skills shortages 10. Fin services rebound post-COVID Talent tech: How tech is solving problems for recruiters Employers: TALiNT Partners Benchmark report on the importance of employer flexibility

News Analysis

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Finalists of the TIARA Talent Solutions US announced Talent solutions: Challenges faced following the global pandemic Talent solutions: Emerging possibilities in the US market The last word from TALiNT Partners’ CEO

22 The Crown Jewels

Industry leaders meet for debate and wine

40 TALiNT Talk

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• • • • • • •

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TALiNT Scene

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TALiNT International April 2022

6 April

TALiNT Partners, in partnership with myBasePay sat together virtually in a roundtable discussion to debate a range of topics from global economic trends to state employment regulations. The world may have Zoom fatigue, but there’s no better way to bring industry leaders from across the globe to solve the world’s talent solutions problems!

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hen industry leaders from across the world’s talent ecosystems come together to discuss mutual challenges and shared successes, great things happen. Not only are we able to have meaningful conversations with colleagues, but we also gain valuable insights into the workings of this wonderfully complex people-centric industry we work in.

31 March

TALiNT Partners headed over to the sumptuous surroundings of the Lotos Room in the Beaumont Hotel, in Mayfair. In partnership with Cornerstone OnDemand, more than 20 key executives from the talent solutions sector met for dinner and debate. On the menu for discussion were the key trends and challenges affecting the sector (and of course, the famous shepherd’s pie) and an evaluation of what opportunities lie ahead.

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24 March

TALiNT Partners and SourceBreaker co-hosted 30 staffing and RPO leaders at one of our favourites in London, the Beaumont Hotel, to look at how to balance tech and touch, keep their best people, develop them into specialists and capitalise on growth opportunities. We enjoyed the food and wine, too.

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NEWS ANALYSIS

70% of employers agree that Ukrainian workers could ease UK labour shortage In a new survey commissioned by UK career and jobs site Reed, research has shown that four in five UK businesses are willing to hire Ukrainian refugees with six in ten hiring managers stating that the government should make it easier for refugees to enter the UK. According to the research, UK employers believe the leading benefits of hiring Ukrainian workers are: An increase in Ukrainian workers could ease UK labour shortages (71%); the potential to increase workforce diversity (33%); the potential to increase cultural diversity (29%); access to skilled and qualified candidates (27%).

The language barrier is the biggest challenge, say 59% of recruitment decisionmakers with other concerns including uncertainty about the Ukrainian workforce’s skillset (36%) and uncertainty about productivity (36%).

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Inclusive working policies potentially

add £40b to GDP According to a new study by LinkedIn, greater workplace flexibility could help open up new employment opportunities for 1.3 million people in the UK with disabilities, caring responsibilities, and those based in rural locations. For those who may struggle to commute or work regular hours, the opportunity to work from home or work flexible hours has the potential to improve workforce inclusion while adding a potential £40 billion to GDP. The research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) was commissioned by LinkedIn in a bid to understand the potential for hybrid working to improve workforce inclusion.

The research highlighted an “Inclusion Gap”, which revealed that employers are currently missing out on hiring people who would be able to work if working conditions were adapted to meet their needs.

Research from LinkedIn has found that for the majority (86%) of employers in the UK the pandemic has triggered a rethink of flexible and remote working, meaning that there is a real opportunity for businesses to design new policies with inclusivity at the

there is potential to add £20.7bn to the UK economy. Furthermore the next largest dividend of £10.6bn would be gained from employees from households with dependent children (around 284,000 people), followed by adult informal carers (around 306,000 people) and those based in rural locations (around 104,000 people), potentially adding £6bn and £2.9bn to the UK economy respectively.

600,000 – number of people in the UK living with disabilities

86% – number of

employers rethinking flexible working since pandemic

core to make work equitable for all.

TRANSFORMING ACCESS TO THE WORKPLACE According to the study, flexible working could potentially unlock employment opportunities for around 600,000 people living with disabilities. This means that TALiNT International April 2022

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NEWS ANALYSIS

London financial services recruitment

rebounds from COVID-19 lows Morgan McKinley’s recruitment monitor for Q1 2022 has shown that recruitment numbers in the financial services industry are rising following pandemic lows and global political and economic concerns.

According to the report, there were 11,008 jobs available in the first quarter of 2022, over 73% more than the same period in 2021. There was also an increase of 35% quarter-on-quarter from Q4 2021 to Q1 2022.

The continued increase in available jobs clearly shows that business intends to grow, even with global instability.

Another key finding was that 51% more people actively sought new job opportunities in Q1 2022. There was also an average salary change of 22% when changing jobs. This number is significant, indicating a shortage of candidates in the city’s financial services market.

The data shows that businesses are bidding with higher salaries to attract the best talent, as the numbers of job seekers have not proportionally increased in line with

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the volume of new jobs available.

Companies are also taking steps to retain existing staff, often by offering larger bonus payouts.

Despite all the year-on-year increases, the month-on-month growth for 2022 is significantly slower – with a 2% increase comparing March to February and 12% when comparing February against January.

The escalating global issues may still impact the London bubble and recruitment numbers for the remainder of the year.

51% – number of

people who sought new roles in Q1

11,008 – number of financial services roles online in Q1

Empathetic leadership critical to

business successs With the constant increase in cost of living and rising taxation, UK citizens are experiencing more difficult times – with some saying the cost-of-living crisis is more stressful than living through the pandemic.

But businesses are also impacted, and business owners may be at risk of forgetting the physical and emotional effect of this cost-of-living crisis on their workforce.

According to Sophie Wade, author of Empathy Works: The Key to Competitive Advantage in the New Era of Work, empathy is critical to assisting business leaders when it comes to managing their stressed workforce.

Wade believes that employers need to build a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive corporate culture where the workforce feels safe enough to share or reach out for help and that leaders need to be empathetic, actively listen and show care and concern about their employees’ situations.

Creating flexible workplace policies also help to improve an individual’s situation, for example, by reducing commuting costs by working from home. Leading by example by embracing and demonstrating the benefits of cost-saving initiatives will positively influence employees as will providing benefits that support employees in challenging circumstances.

British adults prefer online learning According to new research commissioned

by Digits, a learning management systems provider, more than one in four people say that they prefer learning through videos and internet-based courses. However, less than one in four of the 2,000 people polled favour face to face options. Only one in six people prefer listening to online or in-app content.

When given the option between in-person one-to-one tutoring and online tutoring, the latter was the least popular, with only one in eight respondents preferring this method.

The results also showed differences between male and female learning preferences with 31% of men stating they prefer watching online videos compared to 27% of women. Women would opt for online courses (31%) while a mere 26% of men would choose this way of learning.

Further distinctions were found between the various generations with 43% of respondents over 55 having no particular learning method preferences compared to 29% of generation X-ers (age 45 to 54) stating they have no preference. Video content was definitely preferred by the under 55s.

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POINTSIX TECH INSIGHT

Data day decisions Alex Evans

How is tech solving staffing challenges for recruiters and what part will data play in driving more successful digital transformations?

MD, TALiNT Partners

On 24th March TALiNT Partners and SourceBreaker co-hosted 30 staffing and RPO leaders at the Beaumont Hotel in London to look at how to balance tech and touch, keep their best people, develop them into specialists and capitalise on growth opportunities.

Competition for experienced recruiters is still the biggest challenge for the industry, with recruitment consultants the most in-demand role at the start of 2022. On 31st March, there were 479,412 job ads for recruiters posted on LinkedIn. Last year, 284,667 people identified as working in UK staffing and

recruitment on LinkedIn, with 65,836 ‘reshuffling’ to another agency.

The 2022 Global Recruitment Insights & Data (GRID) Trends Report, based on a survey of 4,000 global recruiters, found that their own talent acquisition is their top priority. This survey, conducted in partnership with Bullhorn, also found that 90% of candidates want the process of finding jobs through staffing agencies to be more streamlined.

While 61% of freelance workers prefer to work with recruitment agencies, 90% say online talent platforms are easier.

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POINTSIX TECH INSIGHT

So agencies need the talent they have to be more efficient and they need more techenabled elements of self-service to streamline the process. But what new challenges are TA teams facing and how are their expectations of recruitment partners changing?

Debra Sparshott, TALiNT Partners’ Employer Programme Director (and a TIARA judge), presented insights from the latest Benchmark Report and Talent Solutions Power List. She observed that TA leaders have a much greater understanding of recruitment tech and where it can enhance processes. They also have more confidence in using it and a bigger influence on tech budget decisions.

Employers expect more support with training and insight from partners and suppliers, especially around internal mobility where they have a gap in tech capability,”

Debra observed, “but they also want team consistency in their partners to build relationships and benefit from their market and candidate knowledge.”

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Adam Dale, CRO of SourceBreaker explained how talent tech is enabling agencies to reduce attrition, develop the best performers and increase revenue per head.

Our clients are asking us to help with ‘friction free recruitment’,”

he said. “They need their tech stack to join up processes so they can maximise the benefits of automation - to improve candidate experience, drive revenue by increasing fill rates, help consultants do more with less, become more specialised, and optimise data integrity for better quality leads”. He added that the ROI is consultant satisfaction which helps to reduce attrition and thus maintain consistency for clients and candidates.

The final speaker for the session was Dave Callow, Chief Information Officer of NHS Professionals, who shared insight on why it is investing heavily in upskilling and skillmapping for its staff and flexible workforce and why it opted for off the shelf tech instead of bespoke solutions.

“We’re building a holistic ecosystem for our bank of over 180,000 flexible workers serving over 80 trusts across the UK to guide their careers as well as deploy the right people to the right job,” he explained.

We have used standard tech solutions as building blocks to create a platform that helps us to map skills, identify those we can upskill, and enable the right shifts and jobs to go and find the right people to fill them.”

He echoed Adam Dale’s point about the importance of managing and maintaining good data to be able to map, plan and deploy workforces more effectively. He also explained the ‘knowledge pyramid’ model that he lives by as a business change leader.

“Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom are building blocks for high level decisionmaking. Each step gives you more insight, so you need to train people to be able to capture the right data and understand it to make better decisions about what tech needs to enhance or improve and why. For NHS Professionals, it’s about upskilling our own people and our flexible workforce so they can build better careers with us.”

Dave also made the point that rather than looking at digital transformation as different projects that are funded ‘saw like, with peaks and troughs of focus, spend and engagement’, it should be seen as a consistent business change programme enabled by technology. “That’s why your tech team should present themselves in context of the problem they are solving instead of a dry job title when they talk to the wider team - so everyone understands the why as well as the who.”

A panel Q&A with all speakers addressed questions on a range of challenges, from how tech leaders build the business case for new solutions to what recruiters should be prioritising with talent tech. Keeping recruitment talent happy and reducing attrition to offer clients consistency is a clear priority for leaders. Leaders are still adjusting to a more remote workforce and, while technology is enabling them to be more productive, managers are more reliant on data analytics to identify the top billers, those with leadership potential, and those who can be developed for new roles.

Tech and data solutions to enable skillsmapping, upskilling and internal mobility for recruiters are just as important as those to support their clients, so expect to see this reflected in the shortlist for the TIARA Talent Tech Star Awards this year.

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THE TALINT PARTNERS BENCHMARK REPORT 2021

Employer flex The Benchmark is an independent, rigorous and confidential tool which offers challenging and thought-provoking questions for TA and HR Leaders to explore why they do what they do in talent acquisition, and where they might improve in terms of process, tools, people and strategic planning.

TALiNT Partners reached out to Talent Acquisition and HR Leaders in over 200 single and multi-national employers, guiding them through a review of their processes, technology and approach in meeting the people needs of their organisations. Against the backdrop of another year or disruption from the global pandemic, TALiNT Partners is proud to recognise the fantastic results being achieved across all market sectors by talented, dedicated and creative in-house recruitment leaders and their teams in navigation of a complex candidate market and rapidly changing organisational demands.

The challenges flagged in this report are intended to raise a well-informed, alternative viewpoint to highlight new opportunities and open extended scope to go further in meeting the talent transformation with impact and insight.

For the purpose of this issue of TALiNT International, we have chosen to explore the results of the Employment Flexibility analysis since the pandemic has transformed the landscape in terms of flexible working arrangements for both management and non-management roles. Employers have had to re-evaluate the way they work in order to not only attract talent in a talent-scarce market, but also to retain the valuable they already have.

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THE TALINT PARTNERS BENCHMARK REPORT 2021

1. Attitudes towards flexibility The level of the flexibility available at offer stage seems surprising against the backdrop of hybrid working models becoming more the norm.Yet participants showed clarity of what type of flexibility is, and is not on offer.​

ratings to 57%, whilst flexible, but full-time arrangements were seen more positively with 71% rating their effectiveness as high.

Interestingly, job share was listed as not applicable for 43% of participants.​ The most popular option is “mostly on site with some home working”, which had high ratings of 75%, whilst “mostly at home with some on-site working had 57% high ratings.​

There is little change in attitude towards part time working, with only a slight reduction of low ratings and an equal increase in high

Please indicate your effectiveness at being willing to offer the following flexibility for your vacancies: A. Part-time working B. Flexible but full-time hours C. Job share D. Mostly on site with some home working E. Remote working/ working from home full time F. Mostly at home with some on site working G. Working outside school holidays only 20%

0% Low

Moderate

The was a significant change in the extent to which participants have promoted flexible working practices in 2021.​ • 28.6% only discuss them if a candidate raises it, up from 10% in 2020​ • 14.3% discuss it at interview, down from 30% • Those detailing options on job posts fell from 20% to 0​% • Those including flexible working in their policies and procedures rose from 10% to 28.6%​ • Those including practices as integral to their employer brand fell from 30% to 28.6%

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40% High

60%

80%

NA

How well do you promote your flexible working practices?

Considered only if an applicant raises it Discussed as part of interview process Detailed on job adverts Documented in staff policies and procedures Integral part of employer brand

28.6%

28.6%

14.3% 28.6%

100%

3. Flexible offers The pandemic has transformed the landscape in terms of flexible working arrangements for both management and non-management roles.​ In 2020 50% of participants rated themselves as low in offering flexibility for their non-management employees, now 100% will consider alternative working arrangements.​ How effectively do you offer flexible working for non-management roles?

2020 2. Use of zero hours contracts 71% of respondents do not use zero hours contracts at all, although no participants had a policy against their use. ​Of the 28% who responded to say they employed workers on this basis, all did so through some level of agreement with an individual.​ This represents a 2% fall in use of zero hours contracts against 2020.

What is your use of zero hour contracts?

14.3%

2021

20%

42.86%

30% 10% Low

Moderate

71.4%

43% of participants now rate themselves as high in offering flexible working for their management, up from 20%. Moderate ratings increased from 50% to 57%.​

How effectively do you offer flexible working for management roles?

2020

Determined purely by company requirements

2021

20%

0% Not at all - have an active policy of not using them

High

Working patterns are still in flux across the global employment market and it is probable that we will see further change in the year to come.​

14.3%

Not at all - not relevant

57.14%

30%

42.86%

57.14%

50%

Some degree of agreement with contractor(s) Always agreed in conjunction with individual contractors Low

Moderate

High

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CROWN JEWELS

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TIARA TALENT SOLUTIONS AWARDS US

The Jewels of the

TIARAS The finalists to this year’s TIARA Talent Solutions US have been announced!

TIARAs set a new standard of excellence for the RPO/MSP sector’s crowning achievements across eight award categories.

The TIARAS are distinguished by the rigor and quality of its judging. Our three-stage judging process ensures credibility and enhances prestige for all those recognised.

TALiNT Partners’ senior team conducts an initial shortlist of all entries to identify finalists. Finalist entries in each category go to a second round of judging by a panel of our distinguished industry judges. Judges provide requests for further information and attend a judging day to determine the overall winners in each category.

All finalists receive feedback based on comments from judges for each of their award entries, and this access to feedback is what sets the TIARAs apart from any other global awards programme.

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Here are the finalists:

AMS is a global total workforce solutions firm founded in 1996. They specialise in talent acquisition and contingent workforce management, internal mobility and skills development, and talent and technology advisory services. Their solutions are delivered by our 8000+ experts whose ultimate aim is to help clients around the world, including 100+ blue-chip companies, create workforces that are fluid, resilient, diverse, and differentiated.

Nominated for:

• The Cornerstone Best Use of Technology Award • Best Talent Attraction Strategy Award • The WorkLlama Client Services Award • The 1099Policy Long Term Partnership Award • The Women Back To Work DE&I Award

High5 is a total talent experience platform that provides immediate access to qualified, in-demand talent, for all talent needs globally. High5 makes hiring easier by enabling companies to attract, vet, deploy and pay talent all in one solution, for all talent needs – that’s full-time, contract, contract to hire, SOW, freelance, and everything in between. High5 is the only platform that simplifies access to high-quality talent by aggregating the talent supply chain across a network of providers who have been curated based on specialisation, industry, and geography.

Nominated for:

• The Cornerstone Best Use of Technology Award • Best Talent Attraction Strategy Award • iCIMS Best Talent Solutions Firm to Work For

Sevenstep is a global leader in total talent outsourcing and solutions. Whether through Enterprise RPO, Project RPO or as an MSP, they help business leaders achieve exceptional outcomes by sourcing and retaining talent with agility, speed and cost-effectiveness. In addition to a robust suite of talent acquisition solutions, Sevenstep offers data analytics, employer branding and a proprietary data analytics system, Sevayo® Insights. Their enterprisescale and project-based engagements span six continents, 47countries, and five global delivery centres.

Nominated for:

• The Cornerstone Best Use Of Technology Award • The WorkLlama Client Service Award • The 1099Policy Long-Term Partnership Award • The iCIMS Best Talent Solutions Firm To Work For TALiNT International April 2022

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TIARA TALENT SOLUTIONS AWARDS US

PeopleScout, a TrueBlue company, is a leading RPO provider managing talent solutions that span the global economy, with end-to-end MSP and talent advisory capabilities supporting total workforce needs. PeopleScout boasts 97% client retention managing the most complex programmes in the industry.

Nominated for:

• The Cornerstone Best Use Of Technology Award • The 1099policy Long-Term Partnership Award • The iCIMS Best Talent Solutions Firm To Work For

Guidant Global provides global workforce management solutions that help companies find the best permanent and contingent talent and deliver complete visibility of their workforce. Their services are tailor-made to suit each client, based on the understanding of their unique challenges and their commitment to hiring experts who can meet them. They strive to deliver greater value for our customers and create healthier environments where people can fulfil their potential, and design solutions that outperform, on every level, those of their competitors.

Nominated for:

• The Cornerstone Best Use Of Technology Award • The Women Back to Work DE&I Award

deliver

greater value to customers

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RTS was established to support and enhance in-house Talent Acquisition teams with embedded recruitment expertise, on demand. Bringing years of experience in RPO and internal recruitment together with industry expertise, to provide Talent Solutions for today’s challenges. They are differentiated by their mission to support companies to run their own in-house TA teams, rather than to outsource it all. Utilising onshore customer relationship specialists and offshore hub recruiters, they offer cost-effective blended solutions to give all the benefits of outsourcing, but with greater flexibility, whilst keeping the client in control. Their agile solutions are designed to be adapted to suit a wide variety of talent challenges.

Nominated for:

• The Best New Talent Solutions Provider Award

Acro’s competitive advantages in staff augmentation services and Total Talent Management are numerous. Acro’s extensive geographic footprint with a localised approach provides an edge in serving various industries and is committed to diversity initiatives and contingent workforce management. They offer highly competitive pricing that leverages economies of scale inherent in its position as an experienced and established staffing industry veteran. Acro is one of the industry leaders in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) to developing XRM System (its own Vendor Management tool). They work with its suppliers to use innovative ways to source specialised STEM workers and identify highly specialised workers through STEM-based online or other user forums and avails of non-traditional or emerging channels like Gig-Talent platforms, identifying the best university hiring fairs to attract the best talent.

Nominated for: BPS World is a global recruitment partner with a proud history of supporting American businesses. Having commenced stand-alone operations in 2017, BPS World Inc. has subsequently established a strong footprint across the United States. With a regional headquarters in Boca Raton, FL, they provide the people who design and build tomorrow’s world. Building on the wider company’s heritage, our US division has implemented high-value talent solutions across the engineering, technical and professional services landscape.

Nominated for:

• The Best New Talent Solutions Provider Award

• The Women Back To Work DE&I Award • The iCIMS Best Talent Solutions Firm To Work For

iPlace is one of the largest companies providing professionally managed recruiting services for companies across the globe. They are widely recognized as the highest quality of the Indian global recruiting companies and have 100+ clients and 800+employees. Their international recruiting centre is in Pune, India, and our headquarters is in McLean, VA, USA.

Nominated for:

• The WorkLlama Client Service Award TALiNT International April 2022

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TIARA TALENT SOLUTIONS AWARDS US

Established in 1979, Airswift is recognised as one of the few true specialist energy workforce solutions companies in the world. Their specialised capabilities, extensive experience and vast geographic footprint present Airswift as a trusted partner of choice. They serve as a strategic partner to their clients by delivering turnkey workforce solutions that are tailored to provide the necessary skillsets onto projects in a timely and cost-effective manner. Their team is made up of 7,000 passionate people from 70 countries.

Driven by three corporate hubs in Houston, Manchester and Singapore supporting 70 regional offices, they have a truly global approach and extensive reach in the market

Nominated for:

• The 1099Policy Long-Term Partnership Award • The Women Back To Work DE&I Award • The ESG Award 26

TALiNT International April 2022

As experts in outsourcing, Noon Dalton pride themselves on their ability to pair companies with fully managed virtual teams that are perfect for their needs in every possible way. They work with established companies looking for a new/ additional partner to reduce local staff needs while increasing profitability, as well as fast-growth companies that need guidance on setting up the team/process and key performance metrics. As a customizable outsourcing company, they’re able to integrate into a business’s core team fully and strategically. They support CEOs in evaluating where remote teams will be best placed. Then, establish processes, hire the staff, and simplify the scaling and management of teams to support revenue generation.

Nominated for:

• The WorkLlama Client Services Award

most impactful talent attraction strategy

Headquartered in Northampton, UK with offices in Boston, MA and Manchester, UK, Talent Works was founded in 2009. Talent Works offers a unique mix of talent branding, digital talent attraction and agile recruitment solutions. They are a talent attraction firm dedicated to helping clients attract and hire the right talent quickly.

Their talent attraction research, insight, creative and digital capabilities give their clients a strategic advantage to meet the current challenge of recruiting without putting pressure on a company’s own hiring managers, leaders and in-house HR teams.

Nominated for:

• The Best Talent Attraction Strategy Award

AGS provides best-in-class solutions that span all workforce models, including talent acquisition, contingent workforce engagement and utilization of workers procured through services providers. The breadth of global capability, supporting technology, experience and strategic insight of AGS client teams gives it a primary advantage in building long-term relationships that fit with changing business demands.

Nominated for:

• The Best Talent Attraction Strategy Award • The 1099Policy Long-Term Partnership Award TALiNT International April 2022

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TIARA TALENT SOLUTIONS AWARDS US

Oscar Recruit is an award-winning staffing consultancy that take an ethical, sustainable and people-first approach. They recruit top talent in the technology, digital, energy, construction, and life-sciences industries and deliver traditional permanent and contract/freelance recruitment solutions on a retained, project, or contingent basis. They give their clients access to well-trained recruitment consultants who have in-depth specialist knowledge of their candidates, the projects they work on, and the systems they use.

They offer unique solutions such as Talent As A Service (TaaS) and Marketing As A Recruitment Service (MaaRS).

Nominated for:

• The iCIMS Best Talent Solutions Firm To Work For

WilsonHCG is an award-winning, global leader in total talent solutions. Operating as a strategic partner, it helps some of the world’s most admired brands build comprehensive talent functions. With a global presence spanning 65+ countries and six continents, WilsonHCG provides a full suite of configurable talent services including recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), executive search, contingent talent, talent consulting and technology advisory.

Volt Consulting Group is an award-winning global talent solutions expert committed to taking businesses forward. With a proven 70-year track record of managing workforce strategies for leading organisations in over 30 counties, Volt helps clients revisit the way they source and manage their workforce, to ensure they have access to the best talent when they need it.

Nominated for:

Nominated for:

• The 1099Policy Long-Term Partnership Award • The iCIMS Best Talent Solutions Firm To Work For 28

TALiNT International April 2022

• The 1099policy Long-Term Partnership Award • The iCIMS Best Talent Solutions Firm To Work For

Pierpoint international is full service RPO house that truly serves clients across the entire spectrum across the globe. They began in the technology space, but their ability to recruit and train sourcing skills to find hard to reach niche candidates has translated into healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, retail and most other sectors. Additionally, they have a 94% employee retention rate, which greatly beats the average RPO retention rate of 68%.

Page Outsourcing combines tailormade RPO and MSP, Total Talent solutions, tapping into the PageGroup infrastructure, offering something unique, local and game changing. Their global databases are their strength (+6 million candidates). Plus, 6,500+ consultants globally, the best technology applied to the application process, delivering a simple digital candidate process and ensuring every search is bespoke.

Nominated for:

• The iCIMS Best Talent Solutions Firm To Work For

• The WorkLlama Client Service Award

Nominated for:

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TIARA TALENT SOLUTIONS AWARDS US

Evaluent is mid-market focused and provides WBE-certified managed solutions including MSP, payrolling, IC compliance, direct sourcing, and consulting services. Their MSP solutions are specifically targeted to midmarket clientele who often have been neglected by traditional MSP providers in the past. They recognize that clients with spend between $5M - $50M still seek the same tailored solutions that larger companies do. This includes technology optimization, talent engagement solutions such as direct sourcing, establishing supplier engagement strategies (vendor neutral, tiered, master vendor, niche suppliers) that may vary within different groups or regions of the organisation, and a support model that blends talent management expertise (including on-site programme teams) with leading edge technology infrastructure.

Since 2017, Engtal has been working with technology and engineering companies, with headquarters in Chicago, IL, and offices in Boston, MA, and Dallas, Texas.

They specialise in finding the top talent in the following markets: technology, data, AI & machine learning DevOps, cloud and cyber security, front, back and full stack development cyber security, sales engineering automation, controls electrical and embedded software manufacturing.

Their partner-led approach to talent acquisition offers clients a highly efficient and tailored service that meets the demands of the industry’s ever-evolving needs.

Nominated for:

• The Best New Talent Solutions Provider Award

Nominated for:

• The Best New Talent Solutions Provider Award

Harvey Nash has been in operation for 33 years and is the only Predictive IT staffing firm in its industry. Their revolutionary approach to delivering quick, efficient IT staffing solutions sets them apart. They focus on client-specific needs which allows them to bring their clients the specific talent when and where they need it, therefore helping them cut through the clutter and hire better people faster.

Nominated for:

• The ESG Award • The 1099Policy Long-Term Partnership Award 30

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Resource Solutions (wholly owned by the Robert Walters Group) is a leader in RPO, MSP and consultancy services. Like other RPOs they offer high-touch, scalable solutions to clients across the US and globally. However, their Diverse Hiring proposition is a unique differentiator. Their Diverse Hiring Practitioners are exrecruiters as well as respected Meritocratic Hiring and Career Development academics, making their work impactful and practical.

No other RPO blends these skills in this way.

Nominated for:

• The Women Back To Work DE&I Award

AWARDS CATEGORIES The Cornerstone Best Use Of Technology Award

This Award recognises companies that solve a business issue through the implementation of a unique, new tech solution or using existing tech in an innovative way.

Best New Talent Solutions Provider

This award is open to both new divisions of larger corporates or stand-alone mid-market providers who have entered the market within the last five years.

Best Talent Attraction Strategy Award

This Award celebrates the most impactful talent attraction strategy, whether engaging early career talent, elevating a client’s employer brand or providing a positive candidate experience.

The WorkLlama Client Services Award

This Award celebrates those winning support and recognition across the whole client community for dependable, timely results.

The 1099Policy Long-term Partnership Award

This Award looks for evidence of genuine partnership over a period of at least five years. It will look at both sustained success and continuous improvement but can also include major improvement and/or turnaround scenarios.

The iCIMS Best Talent Solutions Company To Work For Usa

This Award recognises employers of choice who can demonstrate innovation and impact in the attraction, induction, development and retention of their own talent.

The Women Back To Work DE&I Award US

This Award recognises companies who demonstrate a clear impact against a progressive DE&I agenda, whether helping an employer take their first steps or reach new levels of inclusion.

The ESG Award

This Award recognises organisations who demonstrate a clear commitment to an ESG programme, creating a positive impact both through their own organisation, as well as through their impact on their clients.

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TALENT SOLUTIONS

Great expectations

Facing challenges following the pandemic Ken Brotherston

Chief Executive, TALiNT Partners

Changes to the way we’ve worked over the last two years are here to stay and bring with them an array of challenges that outsourcing Talent Solutions providers are having to tackle. Convincing employees to come back to the office and employers having to create their own candidates by upskilling to stave off the skills crisis are just two of the challenges TS teams are faced with.

Thursday 31st March saw the return of TALiNT Partners to the sumptuous surroundings of the Lotos Room in the Beaumont Hotel, in Mayfair. In partnership with global learning and TA software experts, Cornerstone OnDemand, more than 20 key executives representing the leading companies in the talent solutions sector met for dinner and debate. On the menu for discussion were the key trends and challenges affecting the sector (after all, this market can’t last forever!) and an evaluation of what opportunities lie ahead.

Setting the scene, and welcoming the guests, Cornerstone’s Head of Recruitment Outsourcing Partners, Andrew Brown, said that talent shortages were undoubtedly the number one challenge they were experiencing in the current market and this in turn presented a real opportunity for the sector to come together.

Building on this and leading the discussion, TALiNT Partners’ CEO, Ken Brotherston, invited guests to discuss a range of topics, including how client demands are evolving and how pricing models are evolving to 32

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reflect this; views on current and future demand levels across different regions as well as the challenge for talent solutions providers in finding their own talent.

MANAGING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Sally Hunter, Managing Director of Cielo, kick-started the debate, picking up on client demands. “Our clients need so much more from us now than ever before. We need to lean into this and deliver on remote working, hybrid models and beyond. Supply chains are facing a whole new set of challenges and we need to paint the picture for them that the focus needs to prioritise retention rather than attraction.”

Several guests picked up on customer expectations. “It has become much more about the people than the cost or control element of delivery,” said Lindsay Harrison, Chief Customer Officer at Rullion. A view shared both by Ross Crook, Managing Director of Sanderson, who said: “Procurement functions increasingly recognise that it’s much more about service than cost.” This was echoed by Ruth Munday,

Head of Sales and Solutions at Hays who added, “Where once it could feel like being on a conveyor belt, it is now about finding and accessing talent and how we can solve our customers’ problems. They need a willingness to trust us to help them make the necessary changes.”

Michele Smith, MD Client Services at Reed Talent Solutions, pointed to instances of undervalued service, especially in the public sector. She cautioned everyone to fully appreciate the value of services and the expertise that the sector is delivering to clients. David Tully, Client Development Director at Talent Point ventured, “We need to share our benefits with clients, those who are happy to align with us, and we need to be bold in this approach.”

Adding to the topic, Robert Peasnell, Deputy Managing Director of Peoplescout, said:

Where we can provide advisory support to assist customers we need to, ensuring this if factored into the pricing structure; and we need to appreciate that talent is not just a homogenous picture.

Some jobs need to be undertaken on premises and cannot be done remotely.”

In conclusion, Justin Somerville-Cotton, Head of Workforce Solutions at Harvey Nash

Group, said: “More talk and discussion was required about the relocation of skills and talent in whichever region and there needs to be a more open book on where people will be based.” The flip side being that candidates are aware that they have more choices than ever, which was pointed out by Matthew Wragg, CEO of Gattaca.

HOME, OFFICE, OR HYBRID?

Following a break to sample the Beaumont’s legendary Shepherd’s Pie, several areas for further consideration were picked up. Rohan Dickinson, Head of Alliances at Adway, shared his thoughts on the reliance on data-driven decisions and how this was embedded into employer branding. The increasing importance being placed on ESG, and the move to ‘train and deploy’, were two other key topics saved for another dinner and debate. Talk then almost inevitably turned to the talent within the guests’ own businesses and the return, or non-return, to office life.

Miles Stribling, Head of Marketing, EMEA & Americas at Hudson RPO, pointed out that, “Employees need us to justify why they need to come into the office and what’s in it for them if they have been just as productive whilst at home. After all, have any of us really replaced the Friday quiz?” His point was picked up by Pete Sheppard, MD and Head of Europe at DeverellSmith. “We suggested to TALiNT International April 2022

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employees that the office was open, and they could come in when they liked, so they didn’t! We have now been more specific and tried to give good reasons for staff to want to come in, in particular our weekly Barstool events – where anyone can pick a topic they care about and present it back to the business – gets a high level of attendance and value for everyone. We need to keeping finding tangible benefits to our staff when they come to the office.”

Other initiatives included Collaboration Wednesdays, not enforced, but with a high take up. Moving the office away from being ‘the office’ and more of an innovation hub, where you have a seat at the table, a budget, with a challenge of what can you deliver. The underlying glue sticking all these together was a recognition and awareness of employee welfare. Vincent van Maasdijk, Partner at Noon Dalton highlighted the transfer of knowledge being an issue with hybrid models, complicated further when considering younger team members.

Early years is a speciality for Hannah Harrison, Director of Group GTI, who commented that

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“Young people are demanding more. This, coupled with a drop in the availability of apprentices, is making the market difficult indeed. We also need to factor in that a lot of lockdown youngsters just don’t know how to, or want to, work in an office.” Her views were reinforced by Robert Peasnell who added that undergrads especially want an explicit understanding of what you are offering them.

With the conversation flowing thick and fast, talk about the future included the conflict in Ukraine, creating your own candidates with training and upskilling, the new tranche of graduates, and how to prepare for the inevitable recession. But, asked Alex Evans, TALiNT Partners MD, “will it be the same as previous recession ‘cycles’ after the transformational changes in where, how and why we work driven by how we have adapted to the pandemic?

The final word, however, went to David Tully who provided a brilliant nugget and takeaway for everyone to consider: What’s your OVP – The Office Value Proposition? You heard it here first. Join the debate, contact TALiNT Partners today for details of our next event.

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2022

Thursday, May 12 Sydney Opera House Major Sponsors

APSCo Australia's full-day, face-to-face conference for recruitment industry leaders and managers.

Bringing together insights, experts and influencers.

Concludes with networking drinks overlooking the harbour, courtesy of The Ayers Group.

APSCo Australia's full-day, face-to-face conference for leaders and Secure recruitment your tickets at industry www.apscoau.org/emerge2022 36

TALiNT International April 2022

TALENT SOLUTIONS US

Balancing act Clare Jones

US Features Writer, TALiNT Partners

On April 6, 2022, 14 leaders of the fastest growing, and dynamic staffing and solutions firms, along with representatives from TALiNT Partners and myBasePay, participated in a roundtable discussion focused on emerging opportunities in the US market. The conversation ranged from global economic trends to state employment regulations. So if you’re looking for growth in the US, you’ll need to balance healthy levels of optimism with an ability to manage complexity.

In the past, our relationships with clients were very transactional. Now that the labour market is tight and both wages and turnover are growing, they are more interested in what we have to say and how we solve problems.”

Top findings

The economic forecast is uneven across the United States, Europe and the UK, with obvious implications for international staffing initiatives.

• Global macro-economic trends identify greatest potential in the United States • Staffing companies should proceed with caution in US markets • Employers are relaxing requirements and turning to unconventional recruitment tactics • Higher worker confidence challenges recruitment and retention • Employers who bring employees back to the office need to sell the benefits • Remote work is here to stay – with caveats • The future for staffing companies is strong, even in uncertain times.

Although the potential for staffing firms to expand in the US is positive overall, the war in Ukraine, economic upheaval and a new sense of confidence within the workforce suggest that growth can’t be taken for granted anywhere in the world.

The upside is that clients are open to working more collaboratively with staffing firms, according to Pete Taylor, Managing Director, Encore Personnel.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Brotherston notes, “Economists’ prognosis is that Continental Europe is heading toward a deep recession. The UK economy is flattening, but not experiencing as much of an impact, while the United States is currently relatively unaffected and able to power ahead.”

At the same time, the latest Manpower Employment Outlook report predicts some flattening of demand for recruitment in the UK in the near future.

Taken together, these trends point to significant near-term potential in the United States. However, caution is warranted.

THE STATE OF THE STATES

“The United States is an enormous market and currently strong, but it needs to be approached with care, caution and TALiNT International April 2022

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commitment,” according to Angela Alberty, CBO, myBasePay. “It is far from homogenous and highly complex. Talent is getting harder to find and clients are open to unconventional means of supply. One in three employees work on a temporary or contingent basis. In the future, half of the US workforce will be in that sector,” she noted. “’Red’ states tend to be more employerfriendly while ‘blue’ states have more employment complexity, including worker rights, compliance and regulations,” Alberty adds. “They can be more costly and your team needs to understand details such as how to do a W2 properly.”

“The TriState area, Texas and Florida are the fastest growing regions, especially from an IT perspective,” Jimenez notes, “Healthcare is explosive. Many who work in NYC don’t live there, creating tax complications and administrative headaches that staffing companies can alleviate.”

Staffing is highly regulated in the United States, meaning that companies should create a team capable of anticipating and resolving HR, tax and legal issues before they become problems for the enterprise, according to Alberty. “Look at the complexity of compliance – that can put you and your client at risk. Develop your U.S. teams slowly and grow them at a steady pace.”

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Pete Sheppard, Managing Director, Deverellsmith said, “There is a huge inflation in pay rates. McDonald’s is paying $18 per hour in some markets, making it hard for industry to compete.”

Specifically, Brotherston notes, “Employers in all over the US recognise that they are often hiring average talent at premium prices which has an impact on the morale of internal employees.”

EMPLOYERS RELAXING REQUIREMENTS

“Employers today are more open to unconventional hiring models and to taking on employees or contractors who may not meet all their initial requirements.” Ross Eades, CEO, Red Global notes, “They will go to a 90% fit rather than a 100% fit.”

Brotherston points to a dramatic example.

“A supermarket client had to hire 4,000 people in just two weeks. That wouldn’t have been possible using the standard process. They gave everyone applied were given at least one shift, a significant number of whom they would have passed over if the situation had been typical. A more open attitude and rapid training for the relatively lowskilled jobs made the approach a game-changer.”

Taylor adds, “An imperfect candidate that can start tomorrow is better than a perfect candidate who may take months to find.”

GROWING CONFIDENCE WITHIN THE WORKFORCE

“If you’re looking to recruit at scale, US staffing and solutions providers tend to be the most sophisticated market but if a client’s hiring needs are complex, UK providers can often be a better choice,” according to Brotherston.

“People are now referring to the ‘Great Resignation’ as the ‘Great Reawakening,’” according to Alberty. “Workers are in control. They are more confident and want more flexibility. They are more likely to shop around for the right situation. They are also more likely start their own company.

“Near shoring” is another important trending to watch. For example, Cesar Jimenez, CEO of myBasePay explains, “Costa Rica and Columbia are a good cultural fit for businesses in Florida.”

“There’s an enormous amount of attrition.

Professionals are getting elaborate benefits,” she adds. “However, if the economy softens, we may see more loyalty and retention.”

WHAT ABOUT REMOTE STRATEGIES?

Companies that close all their offices are not fair to those people who need the office interaction.”

The benefits of recruiting, staffing and working remotely can be dramatic. But there are downsides.

On recruiting, Paul Wilson, CEO at Nigel Wright reports, “Although I love face-toface meetings, we have placed people in more than 15 countries over the past two years. Damascus in the middle of a civil war. Kinshasa during violent unrest. That would not have been possible with the old model.”

Jimenez adds, “The industrial worker community may also need a higher touch.

They may not use technology as well as professionals.”

When it comes to staff, whether remote work improves efficiency and satisfaction depends on the employee and the nature of their work, according to Brendan Flood, CEO at Staffing 360. “Some people work more effectively around people.

Brotherston concurs. “One size does not fit all. You can have two people doing the same job with different views and needs of how much time they want to spend in the office.”

Jimenez notes, “Remote can be great, but you are in danger of losing balance. Make sure you have the right KPIs. Consider bringing people in quarterly so they can get to know each other on a different level.”

Brotherston argues that employers have not communicated convincingly when trying to get workers back in the office.

“Telling employees to return because we bought the real estate doesn’t resonate.

You have to tell them why they should want to do it. Collaboration, creativity and being part of a group are hugely important.

Employers need to articulate that for their organisations.”

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TALINT TALK

The working from home debate: Dumb and dumber!

Ken Brotherston CEO, TALiNT Partners

If you are one of the vanishingly small number of people who regularly read my blogs, then you may have spotted something of a thread that runs through them: in today’s world of work there are no simple answers to complex questions. And beware of anyone who tells you there are.

The latest transgressor is none other than the Minister for Government Efficiency (and Brexit opportunities but that’s another blog), step forward Jacob Rees-Mogg and his passive/aggressive note apparently left on the desks of a number of senior civil servants saying: “Sorry you were out when I visited. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon.”

Where to begin? Let’s put it like this: I suspect that suggesting a meeting with him as an incentive to come back to the office may not be as motivational as he thinks.

Likewise telling employees they should

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come back to the office ‘because offices are expensive’ elicits the predictable response of ‘well, we didn’t buy them’. Or getting them to come in so they can do Zoom calls all day is hardly a great idea either.

At the other extreme is a popular image doing the rounds:

Where to begin with this one? At home can mean looking after kids, parents, dogs, doing housework, cooking, shopping, going for a walk, dealing with neighbours, flatmates, getting distracted, getting bored, lonely and depressed, watching the news all the time, or worse, watching Loose Women (or is that just me?).

Anyway, it’s that old ‘simplistic answers to complex questions’ thing again.

For those roles that can be delivered flexibly (and remember that is still only 20 to 30% of jobs) and where employers do want people back in the office then persuasion is the key. Back in August 2020, Elizabeth Stokoe, a professor of Social Interaction at Loughborough University and a leading authority on effective communication, was a guest on one of our webinars where she talked about the importance of how HR and Talent leaders need to find the right language to help their reluctant returners get more comfortable about coming back to work.

This wasn’t about coercion (are you paying attention Mr Rees-Mogg?) but rather about

helping employees to create the space to make their own decision to return to work because it is better to allow people to take slightly longer to return but be happy to do so, than to compel them to return and end up potentially making a stressful situation worse and possibly even impacting longer term mental health, never mind organisational productivity.

Another way of looking as it is to create an OVP: an Office Value Proposition. This is simply a variation on an EVP that most HR and TA leaders will be familiar with. An effective OVP clearly explains the benefits to employees of being in the office.

Whether this is for collaboration, creativity, teamwork, fun, gossip, training (giving and receiving), or any number of legitimate business needs, stating the benefits to the employee will be far more persuasive than issuing ultimatums or writing snarky notes.

Of course, this takes effort and time, but we are already seeing examples of those employers who do this being far more effective at persuading people to come back. If Mr Rees-Mogg thinks his approach will work, then he shouldn’t be surprised if he finds himself working on his own for some time to come.

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