TALiNT International Europe Issue 3

HORIZONS SUMMIT

TA trends and predic�ons

VALUABLE ASSETS

Olly Harris, Global MD of Page

Outsourcing talks quality talent

CX APPEAL

THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE

Editor’s note

I remember in my first Ed’s Le�er of the Year in January. I said that I was hoping to just ease quietly into 2023 and not be burnt out in a few months – but while I’m not quite burnt out, it’s certainly been an excep�onally busy first quarter, and I’m looking very forward to a holiday in the sun in a few weeks.

Based on the news we report on here at TALiNT Towers, it’s safe to say that while the job search market has cooled down somewhat this year, it remains a very strong, candidate-driven market. EVPs, employer brands and technology have advanced and evolved to support the hiring process, to free up recruiters’ and the TA team’s �me to concentrate on building rela�onships with candidates and source the best talent for their clients and organisa�ons.

But it seems that game-changing technological advancements and streamlined office processes have le� one thing unchanged over the last 30

years, and that is the candidate experience. In a talent scarce market where recruiters and employers are struggling to find the best people to work in their organisa�ons, you’d think that the candidate experience would take centre stage, so why isn’t it? In this issue, we’ve wri�en about the candidate experience; read about it on page 10.

The TIARA Awards season has officially begun with entries for the TIARA Talent Acquisi�on Awards and Talent Tech Star Awards open! And whilst it’s our busiest �me of year, it’s also the best because we get to celebrate the best in class across the talent ecosystem while dressing up and having some fun too.

So while the year may have begrudgingly started off with a bang, I’m really enjoying the ride. I hope you are too.

Enjoy the read.

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Omni can help with Added value

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A partner to last

Our Resourcing Effectiveness Assessment provides an operation plan from the outset, manages ongoing performance and establishes optimised solutions in a continuous improvement cycle.

DEVELOPMENT

TALiNT Scene

TALiNT Partners hosted two of its biggest annual conferences this month, which saw saw panel discussions from industry leaders in the TA and HR tech space talk about trends and the future of the labour market both locally and abroad. The events season is off to a cracking start.

23 February

HOW CAN RECRUITERS WIN WITH BRAND, CONTENT AND AWARDS?

TALiNT Partners went back to a beau�fully blue skied Manchester for its A�ernoon Tea & Tac�cs to explore some of the best ways recruiters can use brand, content and awards to compete for clients, candidates and their own consultants.

The Studio/The Hive, Manchester

3 March 9 March

HORIZONS SUMMIT

TALiNT Partners hosted the Horizons Summit aimed at talent acquisi�on leaders and teams. Panels discussions were hosted by Debra Sparsho�, Head of Research and Insights at TALiNT Partners. The event, sponsored by Creed Comms, Inploi, Real Links, Unifrog and Stra�gens, was a�ended by over 65 companies. You can read the full write up of the event on page 15.

To a�end one of TALiNT Partners’ exclusive dinners or conferences, or to discuss membership, please email debra@talintpartners.com.

FORESIGHT SUMMIT

How far into the future should you be looking as a leader in HR and recruitment – and what should you be doing now to compete for tomorrow’s talent?

Alex Evans, TALiNT Partners’ MD, co-hosted the fascina�ng TALiNT Partners Foresight Summit with Ken Brotherston. So many excellent insights were shared from the keynote speaker, global futurist Rohit Talwar from Fast Future Publishing along with a fantas�c panel of industry thought leaders on how recruiters can be fit for the future.

Alex’s top three that everyone needs:

1. Flexible and adap�ve leaders who can manage a more dispersed, mul�-genera�onal workforce who want to work where, how and when they want.

2. Talent Intelligence to help CHROs build the business case for advisory services and recruiters to price more confidently.

3. Partnerships not bundles of tech to extend capability, level the playing field and support strategic growth into new areas!

To a�end a TALiNT Partners event, or to discuss membership, please email tessa@talintpartners.com.

The King’s Fund, London

The King’s Fund, London

Back to work for over-50s

According to Jeremy’s Hunt’s budget speech, the UK will now not enter a technical recession this year as previously modelled (didn’t pandemic modellers teach us anything?) as previously modelled by independent forecasters, with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) agreeing. Another big win for consumers and corpora�ons alike is that infla�on is expected to more than halve and reduce to 2.9% by the end of the year. From a workforce perspec�ve, a lot of the Chancellor’s Budget speech specifically focused on two dis�nct groups of people – working parents and the over-50s and their muchcoveted return to work? And for those he’s done quite a bit…

Parents who work 16 hours a week with children aged nine months to five years will be given 15 hours of free childcare to encourage caregivers to enter the workforce. This will, however, be staggered from April 2024 to ensure enough places. Children up to two years old will get 15 hours free from April 2024, children from nine months up will benefit from September 2024, and from September 2025 every single working parent of a child under five will have access to 30 hours free childcare per week.

This is sure to free up those grandparents who have become caregivers to grandchildren and will therefore be in a posi�on to re-enter the workforce – even in a part �me capacity.

OFF THE GOLF COURSE AND INTO THE WORKFORCE

The chancellor will go even further and offer a new appren�ceship, called a ‘returnership’, which will be created for those aged 50 and older wan�ng to return to work. Mr Hunt said it will make exis�ng skills programmes more appealing for older workers and focus on previous experience.

There has long since been a call by TA leaders for those over 50 to return to the workforce. They bring with them transferable skills and invaluable experience that could most certainly solve some of the problems organisa�ons are experiencing amid talent shortages.

So, whilst there are s�ll many challenges facing the wider workforce, not least around immigra�on and produc�vity, these two measures offer some prac�cal and hopefully rapid relief to two of the most pressing challenges.

Working parent of a child under five will have access to 30 hours free childcare per week.

Meta con�nues to lay off staff

On 8 March, TALiNT Interna�onal reported that Meta announced that it will be conduc�ng another round of layoffs as early as this week, with the aim of cu�ng thousands of employees. These reports have now been confirmed and layoffs will affect Meta’s recruitment, tech and business groups.

The move is part of the company’s ‘Year of Efficiency’ management theme for 2023, according to a statement by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report on February 1.

The technology firm has already been giving buyout packages to managers and cu�ng ‘nonessen�al’ teams, with the largest round of layoffs to date occurring in November 2022 when 13% of the workforce, more than 11,000 employees, were cut. In addi�on, the company has reduced discre�onary spending and extended its hiring freeze through the first quarter of 2023.

The new round of layoffs was expected a�er Meta reportedly issued ‘subpar ra�ngs’ to thousands of employees in their recent performance reviews, with approximately 10% of workers receiving ra�ngs indica�ng that they were underperforming. Furthermore, the social media giant cut a bonus metric to 85% of its target.

TALiNT Partners announces TIARA Talent Acquisi�on Awards entries open

TALiNT Partners’ TIARAs are the biggest global awards series across the talent ecosystem and have become the byword for excellence and innova�on.

This year’s campaign has 13 award categories which offer recogni�on of excellence across all areas of talent acquisi�on and have a focus on cri�cal resourcing ac�vi�es that have driven transforma�on and organisa�onal effec�veness.

All TALiNT Partners’ TIARA Award campaigns are synonymous for the quality, rigour and independence brought by the judging panel of industry experts and talent leaders, who use their incredible breadth of experience and insight to recognise great work. According to TALiNT Partners, a unique aspect of the TIARAs is that all finalists receive detailed, confiden�al feedback from the judging panel, something that the entrants find a valuable part of their TIARA experience.

Winners from the awards will be profiled in a standalone winners’ supplement of TALiNT Interna�onal, which will be published soon a�er the awards.

The awards pla�orm u�lised by TALiNT Partners makes the entry process straigh�orward so that entrants can easily showcase their achievements through the tailored entry ques�ons in each category.

Talent acquisi�on teams can enter here. Winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony on Thursday 5th October, taking place at the beau�ful 5-star Montcalm Hotel, Marble Arch.

These reports have now been confirmed and layoffs will affect Meta’s recruitment.

CX appeal

In the current economic climate, overall hiring is holding up reasonably well considering key skill shortages continuing. This might offer some relief for internal TA (Talent Acquisition) leaders to focus on strategic priorities instead of dealing with crises. However, candidate experience seems to have drifted down the priority ranking. Our exclusive TA Benchmark report shows a polarisation between a smaller number of organisations improving candidate experience and a larger number going backwards.

Technology has advanced at a rate of knots, and automation is transforming applicant tracking systems and back-office systems in such way that a recruiter’s time is freed up to do what counts: forge relationships with clients and candidates.

But it seems that game-changing technological advancements and streamlined office processes have left one thing unchanged over the last 30 years and that is the candidate experience. In a talent scarce market where recruiters and employers are struggling to find the best people to work in their organisations, you’d think that the candidate experience would take centre stage, so why isn’t it?

We reached out to talent leaders in our talent ecosystem and asked some pertinent questions to determine whether they agree, or if we’ve just got it wrong…

Does an improved candidate experience enable a better employee experience?

The respondents unanimously agreed that a positive candidate experience can lead to a better, more inclusive employee experience. To achieve this, organisations need to focus on developing a consistent, scalable candidate experience that meets candidates where they are, tailors messaging, and ensures clear communication throughout the process.

A positive candidate experience can attract a more diverse candidate pool, foster a culture of inclusion and respect, enhance engagement, and ultimately lead to higher levels of employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention. Improving the candidate experience can also improve an organisation’s reputation and lead to referrals – reiterating the importance of the employer brand. To build inclusive teams, organisations need to provide positive and flexible candidate experiences from attraction through to hire, and improving the

candidate experience will lead to more diverse applications that can help teams perform better.

It seems that the experience of candidates echoes our sentiments. We spoke to several candidates who said after applying for literally hundreds of roles, the received personal responses from a mere 30% of recruiters! One candidate said that finding a new role after being made redundant was ‘soul crushing’ and ‘exhausting’.

Another candidate said that it was a full-time role trying to find one because of the unfriendly user experience on a company ATS. She said, ‘I clicked on the “apply now” button, was taken to a page to upload my CV and then on the next page, I had to enter my CV manually to apply! It takes hours to apply for one role!’

The candidate went on to say she then received an automated response to say that if she doesn’t hear

Debbie Walton Editor

TALiNT Partners

back after two weeks, to consider her application unsuccessful.

If the candidate invested hours applying for a role, they should be entitled to a personal response – even if it is just informing them that they didn’t get the job.

Charles Handler, President of Sova US said that there are ATSs (Applicant Tracking Systems) out there that facilitate an easy application process. ‘Tech has a significant impact on the candidate experience in many ways. For example, there are a variety of candidate engagement platforms that allow applicants to apply for jobs more quickly while also providing a branded experience. Tech also supports automation of administrative tasks and makes it easier for recruiters to communicate with applicants. Communication is essential for the candidate experience but has proven difficult until the age of automation and increased communication channels.’

‘Technology can make a significant difference to the candidate experience, as it can streamline the recruitment process, increase efficiency and provide a more personalised experience for candidates,’ agreed Mark Baker, Director of Claremont Consulting

Technology supports internal teams but doesn’t seem to be helping the candidate as its designed or expected to do.

Felix Dealtry, Senior Account Director at Inploi believes there is room for improvement. ‘We can do better. Clunky careers sites, application forms that are not optimised for mobile with unnecessary registrations are affecting your conversion rates and hurting your employer brand. If good is good enough, you will lose great people to other businesses.’

So, if efficient processes are in place, which elements of the candidate experience can recruiters improve to add more value as partners?

Neil Griffiths, Managing Director at Ceriph said: For many years there has been an ongoing debate around the role of the recruiter. A true ‘candidate partner’ should ‘dissuade’ a candidate as much as attract the right candidate. Sharing content that is relevant, considered and covers each of the differentiators that an employer has, shows the candidate that a journey has not only been created, but tailored towards their needs. So, from the language used in an initial message or conversation, through to the delivery of an interview decision - the key is for the recruiter to think about how they have left the candidate feeling as a human being.’

Recruiters and TA teams are a candidate’s first and only point of contact and should be an extension of the employer brand they’re hiring for. They play a crucial role in creating a positive candidate

experience and should be focussed on building good relationships by simply communicating throughout the hiring process – even if unsuccessful.

‘Recruiters need to be responsive if candidates reach out and support them through the process, answering questions and ensuring they have all the information they need. Recruiters can also provide guidance too. This personal touch will make organisations stand out and ensure engagement and trust are built with candidates during the recruitment process, allowing Recruiters to become a true value adding partner,’ said Lyndsay Chapman, Head of People at Talos360

‘As organisations work on improving the candidate experience, they need focus on developing a consistent process that applies to all candidates. Many candidate experiences lack consistency across different groups, which creates inequity. Developing a consistent, scalable candidate experience allows organisations to monitor each step to identify where and why different applicants are self-selecting out or who are removed from the selection process,’ commented Miranda Hanes, Global Client Partner, Sova Assessment.

It’s also often forgotten that word of mouth is a powerful endorsement of an employer brand. If a candidate has an enjoyable candidate experience –whether they’re successful or not – they’re likely to share this with others. An organisation’s reputation attracts all the right people and automatically widens the talent pool.

Let’s be honest, when TA teams and recruiters are having to work harder to find talent, treating a candidate like a human being can’t hurt. Every single candidate is a customer of your business and customers who are treated well refer friends and are loyal and both of those form part of a winning formula in a talent scarce market.

Five things you can do to improve the candidate experience

1.

Make sure you’re hiring to fulfil a real need: a good candidate experience is one that has a clear purpose and goal. This starts with ensuring that you and your organisation are crystal clear on what you need from a skills and talent perspective, and what type of candidate will fill those gaps.

2.

Make it easy for candidates to apply for jobs: ATSs can be cumbersome. Is it really necessary for a candidate to upload their CV and then on the next page have to manually input their experience?

3.

Communicate: you cannot put a price on the personal touch. A simple, nonautomated response is all a candidate would like, whether they advanced to the interview stage or not – just let them know!

4.

Ask yourself whether it’s necessary to have four or five rounds of interviews: while the candidate is talking to you, you can guarantee they’re talking to other potential employers. Dragging out the hiring process is a sure-fire way to lose good talent.

5.

Be open to giving feedback: everyone deserves closure. If a candidate has gone through four interviews and didn’t get the job, tell them why in a positive and constructive manner. This last interaction will leave a lasting good impression and the candidate may apply for another role and refer people in their network.

Horizon scanning

Kate Cracknell Writer for TALiNT Partners

Earlier this month, the long-awaited TALiNT Partners: Talent Leaders Horizon Summit shone a spotlight on the big talent issues facing employers in 2023. Targeted talent acquisi�on (TA) experts gathered at The King’s Fund in London to hear mul�dimensional views surrounding the evolving recruitment and candidate markets. The event, sponsored by Creed Comms, inploi, Real Links, Unifrog and Stra�gens, was a�ended by over 65 companies.

Declan Sla�ery, Head of the Employer Programme and Chair of the TALiNT Partners Global Advisory Board opened the summit (with jokes about his shirt) while Q&As were chaired by Debra Sparsho�, TALiNT Partners Head of Insights and Research. The packed room enjoyed lively discussions from some of the top thought leaders in talent acquisi�on, solu�ons experts and leading TA technology providers. Thought-provoking topics included the role of technology in TA, building flexibility into a strategic workforce, planning for an unpredictable 2023 and shi�ing candidate expecta�ons and shaping culture and structure to improve workforce wellbeing.

The first panel discussion was led by Tony Wilson, Ins�tute Director, and Dan Lucy, Chartered Psychologist and Director of HR Research and Consul�ng at the Ins�tute of Employment Studies - an independent centre for applied research and insight on employment, skills and labour markets. They shared their ground-breaking findings on global trends, highligh�ng the new challenges facing TAs as well as informing and transforming priori�es.

Declan Sla�ery

Head of Employer Programme and Chair of the TALiNT Partners Global Advisory Board

KEY TRENDS OF Q1 2023:

• Economic confidence is down, but hiring con�nues

• The workforce is shrinking and ageing

• Economic divergence across industry sectors

• Effects of rising living costs on salary demands and mental health

• TA teams need re-skilling to support managers in hiring alterna�ve talent

• Emerging disparity between what workers expect and what employers offer

WITH A WIDESPREAD SHORTAGE OF UK CANDIDATES, WHERE HAVE ALL THE WORKERS GONE?

Sta�s�cs shared by the ins�tute revealed that fewer young people, more students and the youth labour force has fallen from 3.7m to 3.1m in just 10 years. The UK, contrary to what is being shared in the news, is experiencing lower migra�on since Brexit and the ageing popula�on and older people are out of work. While people with long-term health condi�ons are staying out of work longer. All of these factors contribute greatly to the buzz phrase ‘the missing million.’

SO, WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS FACING RECRUITERS IN 2023?

• Disabled people are under-represented in the workplace and a third are more likely to be in poverty

• Shortage of families on low incomes seeking employment

• Many senior skilled workers (50-69) le� their jobs during the pandemic and didn’t return

• UK prices are rising and infla�on is hur�ng everyone

You’re going to have to decide what you’d stand for as a company and then talk about it. Tell one story, but tell it in 50 different ways.

Shona Wilson, Veeam

So�ware Global Employer Brand

Director

Tony Wilson

Ins�tute Director, Ins�tute of Employment Studies

WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS AND HOW CAN EMPLOYERS FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR THE RIGHT JOB?

• Employers should implement a robust D&I policy, focussing on disabled people transi�oning into the workplace

• Reduce the disadvantage gap – support lower income families/single parentsoffering flexi-working, ensuring childcare is accessible

• En�ce older people back to work

• Employees need meaningful employment and want to feel happy – unhappy candidates leave work

Debra Sparsho� chaired a panel Q&A asking how market intelligence enables TA to adapt and thrive. Panel members included Tej Grewal, Jazz Pharmaceu�cals Talent Acquisi�on Director, Felix Dealtry, Enterprise Account Execu�ve from inploi, Glen Wilson, Quon�go’s Head of Talent Acquisi�on and Sam Davies, CEO and CoFounder of Real Links. They unanimously agreed that talent intelligence (TI) is an increasingly vital resource for driving strategic business decisions.

Alison E�ridge, CEO of Stra�gens, an awardwinning company providing strategic decision intelligence, gave a short presenta�on saying, ‘Talent intelligence has long been an underused discipline, but as the volume of data and the capability of technology have rapidly evolved, the demand for external data to inform decisions has skyrocketed.’

Tej Grewal agrees that talent intelligence is a game-changer. ‘Data from a reputable source helps to validate anecdotal informa�on and backs up what you are saying with confidence; it can change behaviour and make a difference in conversa�ons.’ However, there are some barriers to market intelligence. Felix Dealtry, from inploi – who power the hiring journey for everyone — called for ‘more openness and clarity’, adding, ‘There’s too much data from a broad range of traffic sources and it can be overwhelming – it’s hard to see the wood from the trees and can be difficult to know where to start.’

• It’s vital TI is user-friendly, transparent and widely accessible.

• In a rapidly changing world, companies can’t be sta�c. TI gives businesses the upper hand by tac�cally using the latest data to make informed recruitment decisions using business and marke�ng intelligence.

• Using data helps to understand people from different backgrounds, reducing the prospect of discrimina�on.

• TI is a vital resource when recrui�ng, allowing the company to avoid the copy, paste, repeat approach.

TAKEAWAYS FROM THE TI PANEL DISCUSSION:

Talent Intelligence has long been an underused discipline, but as the volume of data and the capability of technology have rapidly evolved, the demand for external data to inform decisions has skyrocketed.

Alison E�ridge, CEO at Stra�gens

Glen Wilson, from Qontigo , believes using TI in the right way can help companies get a competitive edge. ‘It’s only when data is put into a context that it can be digested and analysed; it then becomes building blocks to wisdom - which can then be used to help you influence any sort of directional strategy. The hope for the future is to make TI accessible to all.’ Sam Davies of Real Links , the campaign led referral and employer brand activation platform, said ‘Data can be used to understand the best way to engage different employee groups within your organisation through campaigns. It can also be used to improve your EVP by understanding what types of content employees are sharing / being viewed.’

After some insightful roundtable discussions, our final Q&A focussed on ‘Redefining the employer brand, exploring how a talent retention strategy informs and transforms TA.’ The expert panel members included Emma Saunders, Head of Human Resources at Allianz Insurance plc, Shona Wilson, Veeam Software Global Employer Brand Director, Caroline Collins, Employer Partnerships Manager at Unifrog and Dave Walstow, Creed Comms Associate Director.

Shona Wilson works on the premise that when it comes to branding, ‘less is more’ adding, ‘You’re going to have to decide what you’d stand for as a company and then talk about it. Tell one story, but tell it in 50 different ways, so it can be consumed by somebody who just wants to see a social media post to somebody who wants to read a piece of thought-leadership. So, really understanding your channels and shaping the

contents of those channels is vital. Follow trends and constantly tweak.’

Dave Walstow, from Creed Comms , who are experts in employment branding, said,

‘Remain true to who you are as a business and make sure your brand is authentic and fit for the future.’

However, Emma Saunders said no matter how advanced the tech is you just can’t beat human interaction. ‘People buy people. I think tech is great, but nothing really can replace that emotional and psychological contract with your manager and team.’

We then addressed the topical issue of whether it’s possible to bridge the social mobility gap. Caroline Collins of Unifrog said they are reaching out to Year 8 pupils, saying even at a young age they know what they want and more importantly what they don’t want. She said, ‘Our platform exists to reduce the disadvantage gap. We started as an organisation to support young people from highly deprived areas get into university. We’ve expanded over the last 10 years but, our ethos stays the same... We work with 1.2 million students around the world, we have all of these incredible insights that we can share with our talent acquisition needs, and we can then start to shape their strategies and think about how they’re going to recruit the next generation.’

Declan Sla�ery closed the TALiNT Partners Horizon Summit by thanking everyone for a�ending, safe in the knowledge that everyone had some valuable takeaways – helping to make their jobs just that li�le bit easier.

Stacks of poten�al

Employers are looking to their vendor partners for more help with workforce and demand planning, re-skilling and up-skilling, TA op�misa�on, employer brand/EVP and advisory services. Candidates expect a more joined up and personalised experience and consultants need integrated access to tech and data solu�ons to deliver a higher value service.

How can staffing and talent solu�ons providers op�mise tech and talent to maximise opportuni�es around strategic solu�ons whilst improving integra�on, collabora�on and produc�vity?

This was the theme of TALiNT Partners’ first tech leader Lunch & Learn on 9th February, hosted in partnership with Access Recruitment for CTOs and senior execu�ves from our member network including the Page Group, Claremont Consul�ng, the MCG Group, Extrastaff, deverellsmith, Sanderson, Venn Group, Antal Interna�onal and Now Careers.

Opening the event, TALiNT Partners’ MD Alex Evans shared insights from both the TIARA Recruitment and Talent Tech Star Awards.

‘Innova�on is one of the five lenses that TIARA judging is designed around, and for the majority of those shortlisted it is how they are using talent tech solu�ons to improve, innovate or differen�ate,” he explained.

“Increasingly, this is be�er use of data and talent intelligence to build candidate or contractor communi�es, support clients with advisory and workforce planning services, or to jus�fy higher premiums.’

Technology has levelled the playing field, enabling more agile SMEs to compete more effec�vely with larger compe�tors – and helping big staffing and RPO firms to adapt more quickly to challenges.

Jason Mar�n, Head of Strategy at Access Recruitment, is a veteran TIARA judge and has observed some key trends and transforma�on drivers over the last five years.

‘We have seen a move from building bespoke tech stacks to dominate a niche area of recruitment to simplifica�on and be�er use of more standardised, cloud-based pla�orms

Mar�n, Head of Strategy at Access Recruitment

Alex Evans

MD TALiNT Partners

The tech stack, and how it’s maximised, is an important differen�ator for recruiters – for their clients, candidates, and their own consultants.

A good business case for your tech should have some good metrics to prove ROI and there are always areas of unexpected benefit or where you have been able to go beyond – whether it’s candidate engagement, contractor re-deployment or revenue per head.

Jason

where third party providers manage the infrastructure,’ he explained. ‘This not only enables recruiters to focus on recruitment but means they can focus on some bespoke elements to differen�ate – around candidate experience or building talent pools.’

Access client and TIARA Best of Tech winner the Danny Sullivan Group is an exemplary case in point, having demonstrated the success of a major transforma�on to enable faster growth, but how did Umer Goraya, who devised this project, build the business case?

‘It helped that I’m the FD,’ explained Umer, who has held similar roles at Serco and Capita. ‘We looked outside recruitment and legacy processes to understand what our clients really needed, what to transform, and where we would see the best return on investment.’

Judges praised the Danny Sullivan Group for the speed of its transforma�on as well as its impact on service and growth; so what were his biggest lessons? ‘Maybe 18 or 24 months would have been be�er than 12,’ he observed.

‘It helped to bring in industry agnos�c tech talent who understood the vision and could help everyone else to see it.

Not everyone will buy into it of course, for various reasons, and you can waste a lot of �me and energy trying to win over the 5% who will always resist change. My lesson is to focus on the 95% who will make it happen and change behaviour.’

So what are the new drivers of transforma�on for DSG? ‘Once you have all of that data and visibility you can iden�fy more specific areas of improvement around process automa�on, candidate experience, planning and advisory services to really differen�ate,’ Umer added.

As ChatGPT and Open AI have become global obsessions, with commentators across all industries hailing it as a game-changer, how and when will it impact recruitment?

‘It’s too early for AI to have an impact in recruitment but automa�on is already transforming the sector in enabling more self-service elements for candidates and helping recruiters to progress from transac�onal to more advisory offerings,’ said Jason Mar�n.

There is a great opportunity to have a pre-sales product manager to explain the tech benefits under-pinning their recruitment service.

Innova�on is one of the five lenses that TIARA judging is designed around, and for the majority of those shortlisted it is how they are using talent tech solu�ons to improve, innovate or differen�ate.

Adam Gibson, CEO, 17 Oranges

Alex Evans, MD, TALiNT Partners

What are the new drivers of digital transforma�on for recruiters and how can CTOs and CIOs build be�er tech stack business cases for their boards?

This ques�on was posed to Adam Gibson, the former CIO of Odgers Berndtson who now advises recruiters on tech strategy and what their tech stack should deliver before they buy it as CEO of 17 Oranges.

‘Increasing profitability is the business case, whether it’s making people more effec�ve or enabling higher margin services,’ he explained. ‘A good CTO should be able to find the unno�ced orphan tools and projects that can deliver quick wins with early savings.’

The tech stack has become a differen�ator for recruiters in their ability to deliver a wider range of services, from payroll solu�ons to skills mapping and upskilling, but it’s not always obvious to clients.

‘It can be very over-whelming and for it to really land it needs context around the problem it solves or what it can enable you to do,’ added Adam. ‘There is a great opportunity for recruiters to have a pre-sales product manager to explain the tech benefits under-pinning their recruitment service. It will help to win the client but also helps to build a more collabora�ve partnership at the start where the recruiter is recognised as an advisor, not just a gap filler’

With increasing interest in the staffing and talent solu�ons sector from private equity investors, who are bringing in senior tech talent from other industries, how will this shape the future of recruitment?

‘It’s good for the sector to have talent from other industries and new perspec�ves on how be�er use of tech and data can improve not only recruitment as a service but how recruiters are perceived,’ said Alex Evans. ‘But there have been some very costly mistakes made by CTOs coming into the sector who didn’t understand recruitment culture – so how can this be mi�gated?’

‘Peer learning networks like this are a very good start,’ Adam observed. ‘Everyone in this room is leading digital transforma�on in some very large recruitment organisa�ons but many have come from industries ranging from third sector to retail and financial services. It’s important for them to learn from recruitment leaders and for recruiters to understand what has had an impact in other sectors – because they’re compe�ng for clients, candidates and recruitment talent from all industries.’

With Access Recruitment returning as headline partner of the TIARA Recruitment Awards for a tenth year, the last ques�on went to Jason Mar�n – how will best use of tech help entrants to differen�ate and win this year?

‘A good business case for your tech stack should have some good metrics to prove ROI and there are always areas of unexpected benefit or where you have been able to go beyond – whether its candidate engagement, contractor redeployment or revenue per head. It’s what you do with it that counts, and the winners are those inves�ng in L&D or LMS to help help their people make the most of it. It truly has levelled the playing field, and anyone can win.’

We looked outside recruitment and legacy processes to understand what our clients really needed, what to to transform and where we would see the best return on investment.

Umer Goraya, FD, Danny Sullivan Group

The recruitment operating system that unites your front, middle and back office.

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Pay and Bill

Your most valuable asset

Talent is at the top of every business leader’s mind at the moment. Buzzwords such as ‘the great resigna�on’, ‘war for talent’ and ‘full employed recession’ are being heard constantly in boardrooms. The record post-Covid hiring boom has begun to slow down a li�le, but there is s�ll a strong need for quality talent - and they are harder to en�ce than ever.

Olly Harris

Global Managing Director at Page Outsourcing

As we evolve into a new era, and look to the future of recruitment, it’s more important that businesses recognise the need to adapt their hiring processes to secure the right people, at the right �me.

THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE

With flexible working on the rise, we are no longer restricted to hiring locally and businesses are able to look further afield to find talent. This can be extremely beneficial for companies who need skills that aren’t as readily available locally. However, this pool is as impressive as it is expansive, and it can take a significant �me investment to properly explore the poten�al of these global employees. For many businesses, extra �me can be hard to find. With that in mind, it can o�en be worth working with a third party who has unparalleled exper�se in the global talent marketplace.

By outsourcing the recruitment process, businesses have the chance to draw upon services, support, exper�se and hiring models that completely revamp and reinvigorate their talent search. The unprecedented nature of the past few years has made it challenging for businesses to take an informed long-term view. This can be stressful when it comes to making future plans for both customers and employees. By partnering with an outsourcing specialist, which is able to scale up and scale down its services at short no�ce, businesses can have peace of mind knowing that hiring ac�vi�es and expecta�ons will be met regardless of volume, budget and �me.

This means that agility, and a willingness to change and adapt, is key for businesses.

REVAMP THE HIRING PROCESS

Tradi�onally, those in the hiring seat commanded an interview se�ng, determining the pace and the tone, which a prospec�ve employee had to match. Now, the process is much more egalitarian as candidates begin to feel more empowered to challenge interviewers and ask ques�ons. This means that agility, and a willingness to change and adapt, is key for businesses.

Where previously job descrip�ons may have been more generalised, candidates looking to move jobs are now seeking en�cing and fully transparent adver�sements. From the outset, workers want to know about salary, benefits, perks, remote working allowances, upskilling opportuni�es and the poten�al for longevity in the company.

An open-minded approach is key for business leaders and hiring managers. Those who dismiss outdated percep�ons around temporary and permanent hiring are more likely to thrive. Outsourcing recruitment can help here too, u�lising external experts to ins�l a fresh approach that meets the needs of the business, rather than ge�ng �ed up with legacy processes and poten�al historical bias.

CLOSE THE SKILLS GAP

It can be hard to find the ‘perfect’ candidate in today’s hiring market, especially with new job �tles being created at a rapidly increasing rate. Why not instead snap up those hidden gems who make up for an inexperienced CV with the intelligence and drive to become assets to your team? Hiring for poten�al is a great way to leverage talent, giving prospec�ve hires a leg up with training and development whilst also giving the business a great return on investment.

But don’t forget to look inward as well as externally in the search for talent. So o�en we have a solu�on staring us right in the face; we just need to clear the fog a li�le. Check in with managers and see who could be a good fit to fill the skills gap in your business. Even if they need some training, there are �mes when it can be really beneficial to hire from within.

LATENT TALENT

Speaking of looking inward, don’t be afraid to review training processes to reskill or upskill your exis�ng talent. Times of change are great opportuni�es to offer exis�ng employees the chance to level up their skills and try something new. Tapping into this appe�te for professional development can help plug the gaps – and give you an up-to-date snapshot of skillsets across the business.

The current hiring landscape has drama�cally shi�ed, and the need to balance business objec�ves with employee sa�sfac�on has never been more important. For companies seeking long-term growth, the workforce is the key to success.

Check who could be a good fit to fill the skills gap in your business.

Holis�c hiring

In this interview, we spoke to Jo Major, a diversity and inclusion specialist, about workplace inequali�es, hiring diverse talent, the poten�al use of AI in recruitment, and more. Jo also discusses being a judge in the TIARA Recruitment Awards and shares her thoughts on the trends and challenges that recruitment teams may face in 2023.

Jo Major Founder, Diversity in Recruitment

TI: We’re over the pandemic now, thankfully. However, COVID-19 shone on a light on workplace inequali�es. Has the pandemic geared us up for meaningful, systema�c change?

JM: Some businesses have evolved beyond recogni�on, and the changes they’ve made to how people work will work towards equality and equity – recognising it’s not an overnight job. However, I think some business leaders couldn’t shake off the power and control thing, obsessed with conformity and presenteeism; as soon as they got the chance, it was a case of ‘as you were’.

TI: Where/why are employers falling short in DE&I?

JM: DE&I isn’t seen as a critical business function, it tends to sit with HR and be seen as an HR problem to fix with zero or minimal budget and resources attached to it, including expertise. When DE&I folk are brought it, they are given little authority, have no seat at the top table and are not given the mandate to drive change. DEI isn’t an initiative, it’s a fundamental change in behaviour, ethics, systems and processes. One person alone cannot project manage this without resources, buy-in and council.

TI: DE&I focus tends to sit on hiring people of colour, where people with disabili�es appear to be overlooked. How do recruiters bridge this gap?

JM: We stop hiring for the op�cs, it’s that simple. Recruiters, hiring managers and

employers must understand intersec�onality and stop viewing diversity as women or people of colour. The race to look for diverse profoundly damages candidates and promotes posi�ve discrimina�on. Everyone is diverse, and diversity is the end goal; unfortunately for many, it is seen as the first step – a let’s hire ourselves out of our underrepresenta�on problem mentality.

My advice to recruitment teams is simple: sort out how you hire, look at how much equity you provide to candidates, and make everything you do accessible and inclusive. If your EVP or your client’s EVP cannot clearly spotlight everything the business does to create a safe, fair and equal working environment that values everyone, more work must be done.

TI: AI could be a game changer where finding and hiring diverse talent is concerned. But does its use poten�ally become more exclusive than inclusive?

JM: There are two crucial sides to this. AI can be layered in bias; the algorithms used are o�en based on big data from those already overrepresented. There are various case studies where AI has excluded groups of people en masse, including people of colour, women and neurodivergent candidates. On the other side, AI can be used to reduce human bias, especially at the shortlis�ng stage; it can be used to create be�er job descrip�ons and adverts and remove candidate demographics. We’ve just got to be mindful that AI will and can learn human recruiter bias, and it certainly isn’t a silver bullet solu�on.

TI: You do a lot of work with internal recruitment teams on how to a�ract underrepresented talent. What is your top �p on how to do so?

JM: My number one �p is to understand, believe and respect the lived experience of the candidates you are marke�ng to.

TI: You’re a judge at the TIARA Recruitment Awards. What does being involved with the global TIARA Awards programme mean to you?

JM: Honestly, I’ve always been scep�cal of awards in the recruitment space. They’ve usually been owned by marke�ng with deep pockets, and the driver is the medal rather than

an

DEI isn’t

ini�a�ve, it’s a fundamental change in behaviour, ethics, systems, and processes.

the work it took to get there, if that makes sense. For me, the TIARAs are different. I see the verifica�on process behind it and the genuine drive to seek out the best from the judges. Playing my part in the awards means that I directly get to acknowledge those genuinely doing the work and also get insight into the incredible work that is happening behind the scenes – that mo�vates me.

TI: What trends/solu�ons do you an�cipate seeing in this year’s entries?

JM: I would like to see more focus on demonstra�ng the ac�ons businesses take rather than statements of intent. Regarding the DE&I-related entries, I hope we’ll see a shi� in focus to training and internal culture improvement work and client services. Maybe we will see a more substan�al commitment to data transparency. Hopefully, we will see more businesses less focussed on just one or two iden�ty markers and a more holis�c approach to seeing diversity as an everyone topic.

TI: Looking to the horizon, what do you foresee being a major challenge for recruitment teams in 2023?

JM: Recruitment teams are going to be increasingly held accountable for candidate diversity/demographic data, and those inexperienced in this type of data collec�on or without the right technology to support it are going to find this complex and challenging. We’ll see more focus on impac�ul EVPs and career pages, I feel.

Enough of this theatre of cruelty

Ken Brotherston

At TALiNT Partners we’ve been banging on for ages that the workforce and talent agenda isn’t just something that has never been more important but is actually the most important issue organisa�ons face, and it seems the chancellor agrees with us.

Rarely has a budget been more focused on the issues of helping employers find and keep the people they need and support for families with young children (code for ‘get more women into work’), and the ‘returnerships’ for us oldies will hopefully s�mulate employers more generally to think differently and more crea�vely about how to build the workforces for today’s economy.

These are important and necessary proposals that help to address the structural challenges facing the UK in improving labour accessibility

and, hopefully, in �me the wider challenges around produc�vity.

But sober and sensible is not always the order of the day. There has also been a lot of noise this week around a University of Exeter piece of research on the impact of ‘Sunday night blues’ on mental health and wellbeing. Where to even start with this? The infan�lisa�on of people and this propensity to treat everyone as a vic�m or somehow vulnerable needs a short, sharp poke in the eye. It would be laughable if it didn’t have the effect of actually doing a dis-service to people with genuine mental health issues.

But just when I thought I couldn’t be any more incensed, it turns out it’s interview week on The Apprentice. I have wri�en about this before and

TALiNT Partners CEO

how the The Apprentice’s approach does a terrible dis-service to genuine entrepreneurs and business more widely. But watching Karen Brady (or Baroness Brady to the plebs or anyone she doesn’t like) conduct ‘interviews’ took my blood pressure to a whole new level. I get that it’s really an entertainment show but watching her humiliate the various candidates was simply cruel. And her pathe�c a�empts to build them up wasn’t kind, it was condescending.

What sort of message does this send to anyone, especially young people, about how they might be treated, or worse, how they think they should treat other people in the workplace?

The Apprentice is a throwback to a different �me. I’m not sure it was ever reflec�ve of how business gets done this century, but it now doesn’t feel funny, or quaint, just nasty.

The UK has some significant challenges on how to engage a post-pandemic workforce

effec�vely, and we have a long and successful track record of entrepreneurs being a fundamentally important part of the answer.

So, whilst I applaud moves to get more women and older people into the workplace, and even yield a li�le bit on trying to minimise the ‘Sunday Scaries’ there are only two words I have for The Apprentice, and we all know what they are.

The UK has some significant challenges on how to engage a post-pandemic workforce effec�vely.

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