TALiNT International UK Issue 6

Editor’s note

Welcome to the first official summer issue of TALiNT International, where we delve into the ever-evolving talent ecosystem. It has been an eventful month for TALiNT Partners, with a series of successful events that have provided valuable insights into current industry trends.

Among the prevalent themes that have dominated discussions, three stand out prominently: the importance of hiring diverse talent, the persistent challenge of skills shortages, and the rapid integration of ChatGPT into daily work processes.

In this issue, we feature a blog by Ken Brotherston, CEO of TALiNT Partners, that talks about about measuring DE&I and that what gets measured, gets done. True diversity goes beyond visible markers and it was enlightening to hear about the gains TA teams are making in the industry when it comes to hiring candidates who are neurodiverse and have “hidden” disabilities. Be sure to check out Ken’s TALiNT Talk blog on page 36 for more insights.

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.

Debbie Walton Editor, TALiNT Partners

Talent shortages continue to pose significant hurdles for TA teams. As a result, organisations are expanding their search beyond traditional boundaries, adopting a borderless approach to hiring. With 37% of the UK population reporting remote work does the location of talent really matter? Explore this topic further on page 10.

No conversation about the talent ecosystem would be complete without mentioning ChatGPT. This revolutionary tool has taken the industry by storm, transforming the way professionals work on a daily basis. As an editor, I initially had reservations about its arrival, fearing it would replace me – much like everyone else I suppose. However, I can confidently say that ChatGPT has upped my productivity and reduced deadline-driven stress levels. If you haven’t already embraced it, now is the time to do so, or risk being left behind.

Enjoy the read.

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

Layout and design: New Media Design Agency www.newmediadesign.co.za

TALiNT Scene

8 June

The Beaumont, London

What are the new frontiers for Automation & AI in recruitment? There was great debate on the new frontier for AI & Automation for TALiNT Partners members and guests at The Beaumont Hotel , co-hosted with Gary Cordery from Bullhorn and Donna Owen from Odro who made some great points...

• AI & Automation both rely on data integrity - recruiters need a culture of good CRM & record management to get the best ROI.

• AI can collate and curate content and data - but it can’t persuade people to take a job or a candidate. Persuasion can’t be automated.

• AI is reducing admin and removing the need for some resource in recruitment - but new roles are being created in data analytics, tech advisory and how to optimise talent intelligence.

21 June

King’s Fund, London

Talent Intelligence Workshop. This unique event for TI, HR and TA Leaders was hosted by TALiNT Partners, Stratigens and The Talent Intelligence Collective to better understand trends in TI, build and enhance their own TI capability and optimise the support for strategic decision making.

Toby Culshaw, Global Head of Talent Intelligence at Worldwide Amazon Stores, Author of industry leading book Talent Intelligence and Founder of The Talent Intelligence Collective led the workshop with insights from Stratigens and TALiNT Partners.

The

Mosimann’s Club, London

Who will be the future winners in recruitment, and why and how is the role of NEDs changing to support successful transformation in recruitment? Merriment and meaningful conversation took place at Mosimann’s at a dinner for a select group of chairs and board advisors co-hosted by TALiNT Partners and HSBC .

Topics of conversation ranged from horizon gazing, leadership and purpose to developing emotional intelligence, personal brand & a unifying vision to attract & motivate the best talent!

The TALiNT Partners Emerging Talent Summit

TALiNT Partners brought together Talent Acquisition leaders and senior Early Career professionals to explore successful strategies and new developments in the recruitment and retention of early careers talent. This annual event on young talent kicked off with a keynote speech from Shan Nelson-Palmer, Head of Emerging Talent at Lloyd’s and insights into how employers are finding the best young talent for their organisations through apprenticeship, specialist and graduate programmes.

Talent Solutions Leaders Summer Lunch

TALiNT Partners’ CEO Ken Brotherston hosted a delicious lunch in Covent Garden along with a very insightful panel on current and future trends in talent solutions with their partners Glyn Blaize from Amdaris , Andrew Brown , from Cornerstone OnDemand and speakers Jo Matkin from GRAYCE and Marisa Kacary from Randstad

Here are things to look out for: The democratisation of coaching as a service, the maturing of AI in recruitment, the evolution of train, deploy and develop and the acceleration of skills based hiring.

The King’s Fund, London

38% of business leaders expressed worry about an impending recession

A recent report released by executive search firm Boyden has revealed the primary external risk that concerns businesses is the looming threat of a recession. Simultaneously, internal challenges are dominated by the issue of employee burnout. The survey, which included 1,000 senior executives from various industries worldwide, revealed that 38% of business leaders expressed worry about an impending recession, while 24% identified employee burnout as a significant risk.

Despite the growing concerns surrounding a potential recession, the report uncovered that not all business leaders are adequately prepared. Alarmingly, 38% of leadership teams admitted to being somewhat or not at all ready for an economic downturn. Additionally, 35% lacked confidence in possessing the right talent to support their strategic objectives.

Interestingly, the study also highlighted the perspective of board-level respondents, who

regarded human capital as the primary driver of organizational growth. Approximately 44% of these individuals acknowledged the need to enhance their own skills in artificial intelligence, robotics, and machine learning. In anticipation of a potential recession, 33% of board-level respondents reported increased engagement between the leadership team and the board.

Regarding growth prospects, the report revealed that 77% of global business leaders expressed high levels of confidence in their organizations’ potential for success. However, 41% acknowledged the need to bolster their skills in AI, robotics, and machine learning to achieve growth. Furthermore, 35% lacked confidence in their ability to acquire the necessary talent to align with their strategic goals.

Boyden conducted the survey during this quarter, collecting insights from senior executives across diverse industries on a global scale.

Of business leaders concerned about a recession

Of business leaders who believe burnout is a risk to their business

Of business leaders not prepared for economic downturn

38% 24% 38%

A report by Hired, a tech and sales jobs platform, has highlighted how economic instability has derailed progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within organizations. Despite the efforts of hiring leaders, the report reveals that recruitment bias continues to persist in 56% of industries.

In the tech industry, the “2023 Impact Report: State of Wage Inequality in the Tech Industry” emphasizes the ongoing existence of hiring bias. In 2022, 38% of positions only extended interview requests to men, marking an increase from the 37% reported in 2021.

The report identified the most prevalent hiring biases as gender bias at 17%, followed by racial bias at 12%, and age bias at 11%. Furthermore, certain demographic groups, such as women and racial and ethnic minorities, face a disproportionate impact from wage bias.

Additionally, the report uncovered how economic instability has hindered the progress of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives among the surveyed organizations. Approximately 20% of respondents reported scaling back their DEI initiatives, while 12% expressed concerns that continued economic challenges may jeopardize their DEI programs.

Recruitment bias still presents in 56% of industires Great Resignation to continue

As the cost of living continues to soar, workers are increasingly seeking better-paying jobs, contributing to the ongoing phenomenon known as the Great Resignation, states a recent survey by PwC. The study indicates that 26% of employees plan to switch jobs within the next year, a notable increase from the 19% recorded last year.

The report uncovers a global trend where employees are feeling financially strained due to a cooling economy and inflationary challenges. The survey reveals a decline in the percentage of the global workforce that manages to save money by month-end, dropping from 47% in 2022 to 38%.

Another finding from the survey is that 21% of workers are now juggling multiple jobs, with 69% doing so out of financial necessity.

Despite these setbacks, the report indicated that 99% of recruiters are actively working to ensure fairness in their hiring practices. Moreover, 59% of recruiters believe that hiring bias has significantly decreased compared to three years ago.

The survey utilized proprietary data from Hired’s platform spanning from January 2018 to December 2022. Additionally, it incorporated survey responses from 229 tech hiring leaders and 1075 tech employees and job seekers in the United States.

Furthermore, the financial pressure experienced by these workers has led to an increase in demands for higher wages, with 42% planning to ask for a pay raise compared to 35% in the previous year.

However, skilled workers are approaching the rapidly changing economic and work environment with greater confidence, as the report indicates. Employees who believe their jobs require specialized skills demonstrate a higher propensity for anticipating forthcoming changes.

PwC’s survey encompassed the input of 53,912 individuals currently employed or actively engaged in the labor market. The research, conducted in April, included responses from workers in 46 different countries.

Previously, many organisations dismissed the idea of international hiring, deeming it unnecessary or perhaps lacking the resources to support remote teams. Hiring local talent was the favoured option for many. However, today, the talent market is vastly different and organisations are having to adapt to the times to hire and retain the right people.

If you’ve glanced at the business press recently, you’ll know the convergence of several megatrends is re-writing work-related norms

Richa Gupta Chief Human Resources Officer, G-P

and changing workforce behaviours in significant ways. Especially when it comes to how and where work gets done.

Today’s employees are working from home in unprecedented numbers. What’s more, despite the present unpromising economic outlook, they’re quitting jobs in pursuit of roles that will offer them a better work-life balance or greater flexibility. When it comes to work, people are more mobile than ever, in fact, 37% of workers in Great Britain reported working

Only a few years ago, the world of work looked very different to how we understand it today.

remotely at least once a week, and this shift isn’t limited to a few isolated professional groups or locations. Indeed, there is evidence that change is arising in every corner of the world as workers look beyond geographic borders to consider employment openings made possible by the increasingly connected and digital nature of work.

For UK employers, the rising number of international candidates seeking remote working positions signals a major opportunity. While UK job vacancies are showing signs of dropping in the face of economic uncertainties, there were still over a million live postings at the end of February 2023.

With local talent in short supply and a digital skills gap that costs the UK economy as much as £63 billion a year in potential GDP, casting the net wider when it comes to talent acquisition could be the answer to resolving

the recruitment challenges. So, what can we take from all of this upheaval? It is evident that we are now experiencing the rise of a truly international workforce.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE RECRUITMENT BOX

Adopting a location-flexible approach to recruitment opens up access to pools of highly motivated international talent, eager to take up employment. With the UK currently facing intense competition for qualified talent, this has never been more important. In fact, in 2022 it was reported the vast majority (76%) of UK businesses reported struggling to hire the right staff. As such, going global is becoming a much more compelling proposition.

Fortunately, employers now have access to many crucial technologies to help find and hire an international workforce. These technologies include tools that can assist with

all aspects of the talent acquisition funnel, from identifying the right candidates and undertaking in-depth interviews, to onboarding new hires and ensuring that payroll complies with regulations in an employee’s home country.

Employers using modern cloud-based HR platforms will experience little disruption integrating these tools into their existing tech stack. The use of such applications should be based on a holistic talent strategy. Meaning, all the benefits and issues associated with international hiring need to be taken into consideration.

WHY IT PAYS TO UPLEVEL YOUR TALENT ACQUISITION EFFORTS

One major advantage of global hiring is the ability to fill high priority roles faster and at a lower cost-to-fill rate. An achievement that ensures an organisation’s productivity and competitive momentum won’t falter as a result of positions remaining open for extended time periods.

But there are other valuable benefits to be gained from expanding access to international talent and looking beyond borders to other countries or regions. According to Deloitte, diverse teams are 1.8 times more likely to be prepared for change and 1.7 times more likely to lead market innovation.

It sends a strong message to potential new hires, as well as existing teams and customers, about the organisation’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Indeed, having an internationally diverse workforce is a strong selling point for 67% of candidates looking for a new role.

USING TRUSTED PARTNERS TO RECRUIT WITH CONFIDENCE

We have discussed one aspect of remote hiring, up to this point - accepting applications for remote roles from international candidates. It is important to bear in mind another type of remote hiring with huge implications - when companies want to rapidly expand into a new geographic market it will be imperative that

they ensure compliance with a diversity of local employment and tax laws.

Navigating the establishment of local teams in a specific country no longer requires the complexities of setting up a subsidiary. With trusted partners, organisations can now hire the talent they need internationally and work with them to establish the necessary rollout in that country. Finding this trusted partner to help build your business in a new country may feel like a bigger decision than hiring a domestic candidate, but essentially the same rules apply.

You will need to complete the same types of due diligence, such as reference checking, in-depth rounds of interview and potentially consider utilising probationary trial periods to ensure that the candidate is the right fit for your organisation.

LEVERAGING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO DRIVE GLOBAL GROWTH

Setting up operations in a new environment that has its own distinct customs and employment laws requires specialist knowledge that isn’t always at hand in most organisations.

Organisations will need to be informed in advance of key factors, such as employee expectations, local labour laws including details such as monitoring cross-border compliance.

Fortunately, the advent of technology solutions help businesses deal with these issues and more.

Today’s innovative AI-powered platforms can now streamline and automate the processes associated with integrating global team members. As well as assuring compliance with each country’s evolving local laws and data protection requirements, these technology platforms also make it easy to handle HR processes like structuring employment contracts, paying local taxes and running payroll.

EXPANDING RECRUITMENT HORIZONS

Thankfully there is no shortage of skilled workers across the globe that are ready and willing to take up new roles with UK-based companies. When it comes to international recruitment and managing a global workforce, companies of all sizes can now take advantage of today’s tech-infused solutions that make it fast and easy to tap into talent, no matter where in the world it is based.

With the right global employment platform in place, supported by local HR and legal experts on the ground, organisations can now make the world their talent pool.

Taking advantage of these opportunities is no longer a daunting task and organisations don’t need to be intimidated about whether they have the right experience or processes in place to handle everything that’s needed to go global. All that’s needed is a new, creative approach to hiring and the right partner.

For companies willing to think outside of borders, the sky is – quite literally – the only limit.

Talent Intelligence: A gamechanger for HR and Talent Acquisition

TALiNT Partners’ exclusive workshop highlighted the power of Talent Intelligence in strategic decision making

In a rapidly evolving talent landscape, HR and Talent Acquisition decision makers are constantly seeking innovative approaches to make informed and effective choices. Enter Talent Intelligence (TI) – an important function that holds immense potential for optimising decision making. On June 21, TALiNT Partners, Stratigens, and The Talent Intelligence Collective joined forces to host an exclusive and interactive Talent Intelligence workshop. The event gathered Talent Acquisition and Intelligence leaders and aimed to showcase the latest trends in talent intelligence, enabling participants to build their own TI capabilities and drive strategic decision making within their organisations.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TALENT INTELLIGENCE

Toby Culshaw, Global Head of Talent Intelligence at Worldwide Amazon Stores, author, and Founder of The Talent Intelligence Collective, Alison Ettridge, CEO of Stratigens and Declan Slattery, Chair of TALiNT Partners Global Advisory Board spearheaded the workshop. Collectively they stressed the significance of framing TI within a broader context, highlighting how the combination of economic-style data, granular TI, and labour

market analytics can drive C-suite engagement. Notably, positioning TI as a risk-mitigation exercise emerged as an effective strategy to capture the attention of board members and drive organisational success.

COLLABORATION AND TI’S EVOLVING ROLE

The workshop emphasised the importance of collaboration in leveraging the power of TI. By viewing TI as a combination of human intelligence (gossip), research, and tools, organisations can harness its full potential. Furthermore, the session highlighted that TI’s role extends beyond talent attraction; it also plays a crucial role in talent retention and reducing attrition rates. As the focus shifts toward hiring for skills, effective TI becomes even more critical for making informed talent decisions.

NAVIGATING CHALLENGES AND EMBRACING INNOVATION

Participants engaged in discussions that shed light on the challenges and opportunities in the field of TI. Topics ranged from defining competition in terms of skills to reintegrating older workers into the workforce. Notably, the UK’s struggle to reach pre-pandemic employment levels highlighted the need to

The workshop emphasised the importance of collaboration in leveraging the power of TI.

support initiatives such as equalising paternity/ maternity leave and reimagining talent pools, particularly for individuals with disabilities. The workshop also explored the potential of the “recruit-train-deploy” approach as an optimal solution for skills development.

HARNESSING DATA AND PROTECTING VALUE

The workshop emphasised the importance of data-driven decision making while recognising that TI is still evolving. Decision makers were urged to adopt an iterative and scrappy approach while continuously striving for proper support. Protecting one’s time and value was also emphasised, encouraging TI specialists to be discerning in their commitments and engaging leadership to actively participate in the TI process.

SUPPORTING DE&I AND MEASURING SUCCESS

The workshop delved into the vital role of TI in supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. Participants explored strategies to gather and leverage relevant data for different protected groups, taking into account varying jurisdictional considerations. It was highlighted that what can be measured tends to attract the necessary resources, thus emphasising the importance of TI in driving DE&I efforts.

Conclusion: As the talent landscape continues to evolve, HR and Talent Acquisition decision makers can unlock a world of possibilities with Talent Intelligence. The TALiNT Partners workshop showcased the immense potential of TI in strategic decision making, stressing the importance of collaboration, data-driven insights, and innovation. By embracing TI as a risk-mitigation tool and leveraging its combination of human intelligence, research, and tools, organisations can optimise their decision making, enhance talent acquisition and retention, and drive sustainable success in the ever-evolving business landscape.

If you are interested in attending future workshops please contact: declan@talentpartners.com

The IES presentation can be read here.

A winning entry!

Phillip Ellis

TI: Generative AI is dominating the news and it has mixed reviews. What is the trade buyer’s view on that? Is it helping to increase the valuation of recruitment businesses?

PE: To date we have not seen any transactions where generative AI has impacted a deal. HR Tech businesses are incorporating this into solutions and

recruitment businesses may be utilising those solutions to improve performance and efficiency, but that in itself should result in greater profitability rather than inflating the valuation multiple. A tech-enabled business is likely to be more favourably viewed by a potential acquirer than one which has failed to adopt technology.

Owner, Op�ma Corporate Finance

TI: You’re sponsoring the Leader of the Year Award at this year’s TIARA Talent Tech Stars. What is the value of leadership in acquisitions?

PE: Leadership is one of the fi rst things a potenti al acquirer will evaluate, but it is important to disti nguish between two types of transacti ons:

a. If leadership is remaining with the business, quality of that leadership is a crucial factor as an acquirer will be interested not only in what has been achieved to date, but also the future potential of the business, meaning that management capability remains crucial.

b. If leadership is leaving the business following a transaction, an acquirer will want to establish how much responsibility has been delegated to second tier management. A business which remains reliant on departing leadership is unlikely to be saleable, unless there is a significant discount applied.

TI: M&A slowed down quite a lot but you’ve been busy. What is really driving activity?

PE: There is a strong demand for acquisitions in the lower and mid-markets as businesses seek to enhance their value as part of their

own journey towards value creation and potentially an event of their own. We work with a number of acquisitive businesses of this nature. For sellers, many owners get to a stage where they feel they have taken the business as far as they can and wish to realise value – in part or full – and become part of a larger business.

TI: What are investors really interested in?

PE: I would say the top three considerations generally are quality of management, quality of earnings and scalability. All of these factors will determine whether a business is fit for the future and capable of delivering a return on investment for an acquirer.

TI: What is your view of M&A in recruitment, even in an economic downturn?

PE: In my experience, a downturn may lead owners to conclude that the time is right to sell, providing an opportunity for acquisitive businesses to expand. The key issues are risk and valuation expectations. Sellers in these circumstances must accept that their business will be less valuable than in a thriving market.

TI: When do you think the sector will recover?

PE: That is a broad question. Some businesses continue to perform well, whilst others are undoubtedly suffering. To me, the key word is confidence and that is an intangible which is difficult to predict. I believe that the war in Ukraine has impacted inflation, which in turn has resulted in continuing interest rate rises. Until this stabilises and possibly even starts to reverse, confidence will remain fragile.

TI: You’re a judge at the TIARA Recruitment Awards. What are looking for in the stand out entries this year?

PE: Different categories are judged in different ways, but the consistent themes in winning entries are quality of leadership, strong financial performance and positioning for sustainable growth.

TI: What does being part of the TIARA Awards programme mean to you?

PE: My association with the TIARA Awards goes back almost 20 years to the first awards under the banner of Recruitment International. I am proud to be associated with these prestigious awards, the judging process gives me valuable insight into the variety of ways businesses are developing and in return, I hope I add some valuable feedback and perspective to entrants.

The top three considerations generally are quality of management, quality of earnings and scalability.

Websites | CRM |

Screening | Pay and Bill

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

Winning ways

TI talked to Jason Martin, Head of Strategy at Access Recruitment and a veteran TIARA partner and judge about what sets winners apart – and how better use of tech, data and payroll solutions are transforming the sector.

Jason Martin Head of Strategy at Access Recruitment and TIARA partner

Q: Access has been Headline Partner of the TIARAs since they were relaunched from the Recruitment International Awards in 2019, and headline before that. What do you think differentiates the TIARAs from other industry awards in the staffing sector?

A: The breadth of awards and the quality of the judges, who I really like working with, but what you bring together at the award ceremony is truly unique. It really celebrates the industry. Where the trade body awards are limited to members, the TIARAs have greater coverage of the best in the sector with a diverse, highquality shortlist that attracts a bigger, senior audience to the ceremony.

Q: As a veteran judge, what sets the best entries apart?

A: Those that answer the question with good stats and measures of success are the most likely to win. Quality is always better than quantity, so get to the point and use metrics to back it up.

It’s tempting to put everything in, but judges are looking for key points. Put those in bullets, and give them some context, instead of hiding them in a long paragraph. We’ve also seen too many bullet points to pack more in. Show you understand the question and what the real, most relevant achievements are.

Q: What trends have you seen in recent years?

A: Everyone is investing in learning & development to retain and develop the best people, with more consultants taking advantage of digital training opportunities to upskill and become subject matter experts. We’re starting to see recruiters training contractors and optimising tech to re-deploy them. This is the next evolution, supporting contractors like employees with portals to manage jobs, payments and making digital training content available to help them qualify for a range of new jobs – not just highly skilled roles. Being able to quickly develop and re-deploy is a big USP for recruiters.

Q: What are you looking for as a TIARA judge this year and what do you expect to see coming through the best entries?

A: I know TALiNT Partners makes a point of giving feedback to finalists so I hope to see those who came close last year writing stronger entries. Some of the best companies aren’t always the best story-tellers and it really shows the value of good marketing. This is vital, not just for awards but promoting services and what sets them apart.

We saw a lot of new challengers in the shortlist who won TIARAs last year, so I’m keen to see more new names coming through. It’s always impressive when past winners show that they’re still going above and beyond, being innovative and setting a great example as well.

As always, I’ll be looking at how the best are using tech and automation to enable their business. It will be interesting to see how many people use the term AI in their submissions and if they are really just maximising automation.

Q: Access has sponsored the TIARA Best Use of Tech and the Tech Transformation awards in recent years. Where are you seeing the best use of tech in recruitment?

A: The best uses of tech for me are those businesses that are bringing together the integration between products really well and looking at those process flows. So they’re starting with a self-service mindset of how do we just make things available to clients and workers because that’s how you reduce admin and look savvy. You may have a shiny new CRM

system but if it has shocking integration, a poor pay & bill platform, or you don’t have a smart way of bringing timesheets in then it’s all treacle. It becomes very hard in a high-volume weekly process.

From that you get automation of those lovely pieces of integration. To make it sing you need really good data and analytics. I want to see better use of talent intelligence and it was great to see Allison from Stratigens showing recruiters how to use this at our last TALiNT Partners event to meet employer expectations but also price solutions more confidently. Combined with a CRM this could provide real time insight to enable higher value recruitment services.

Q: Recruiters are realising that it’s not just about tech, but best use of data and insight. Where do you see the next big opportunity to compete and differentiate in recruitment?

A: Every type of payroll in the next 5 to 10 years, not just the recruitment sector, will be pushing more towards pay on demand. In recruitment, it’s because of the growth of the

contingent workforce, gig economy, and project-based work – so we’re seeing a huge increase in timesheet driven stuff.

We’re also starting to see the emergence of a younger workforce with more plural, contract careers, working for multiple employers rather than just one. They don’t just want to be paid on time but the same day if it’s shift-based. It’s a game-changer from a loyalty and redeployment perspective, especially in nursing and social care.

Our EarlyPay app allows people to draw down on their salary before payday or take pay in increments. It also enables shift workers to be paid after completing shifts, which helps recruiters to deploy and re-deploy contractors. This will be a game-changer and agencies could then take it a step further by running their payroll on a monthly basis rather than weekly using FastTrack, our SaaS Pay & Bill software. In this way they could solve many of their operational pay and invoice factoring issues.

There’s also the cost of finance and cashflow solutions to consider, especially invoice factoring. If you can give people an app to be able to get paid when they want to get paid and reduce your financial exposure, you might be able to increase profit or pay a bit more to compete for the best talent.

There is a great opportunity for one of the big recruiters to take first mover advantage on this and it will transform the sector.

Leaderboard

TALiNT International spoke to Mike Whatman, Director of Whatman Consulting. Mike is a leadership coach, strategic advisor and has worked with a number of TIARA Award winners. We talked about challenges leaders are facing in the current economy and investors value engaged, capable management teams.

Mike Whatman Director, Whatman Consul�ng

TI: What are the leadership and management skills needed to succeed in recruitment as it evolves and transforms at a rapid pace?

MW: The first thing to clarify in this question is that leadership and management are not the same thing. They are of equal importance and the narrative that is sometimes created around “be a leader, not a manager” has been misleading. My simple differentiation between the two is that you lead people, and you manage processes. Leadership is behavioural, it is the way that you influence those around you and enable them to achieve their potential. However, if a leader focuses too much on leadership without having some clear processes in place that they manage then it can have a detrimental impact. In terms of leadership skills, I think the ability to coach sits at the top in the current market. In the current market where businesses are having to adapt to meet customer needs, we need to make sure that all the customer facing consultants can think. It might sound simple, but being able to think on their feet, adapt their value proposition so it meets the customer where they are at, will be the difference between success and failure. If you and the other leaders within your business try and take

control and tell your people what to say and what to do, then the ceiling of your teams will be lower as you become the bottleneck if everything must come through you to be executed. In terms of management, I think there are two key processes now that leaders need to have nailed, they are: the hiring process and the process for managing underperformance. Getting both of these right are hugely important when it comes to achieving your business objectives. The opportunity cost of investing time into people that eventually go, who were always going to eventually, is one of the most damaging wastes of time for any leader. Without a clear and objective performance management process, it is challenging for leaders to not let emotions cloud their judgement and we end up keeping hold of people for longer than needed.

TI: What can leaders do to retain and develop growth leaders who have tended to leave and start their businesses?

MW: Due to the low barriers to entry when setting up a recruitment business, the fear of your best leaders leaving to become a competitor is a challenge facing many business leaders. In my experience, there are a few reasons as to why people leave a business to set up on their own; firstly, they were pushed into a role that they didn’t want to do, potentially to go fully hands off and more operational, when their true passion remained billing. Leaders need to be in regular communication with their top billers and best performing leaders to ensure that their own personal career goals are met or at least plans are in place to allow them to achieve them. Many new start-ups over the last 18 months have been done so with the desire to be a lifestyle business of 1-3 consultants who just

want to focus on billings. Secondly, and in part linked to the first point, but a lack of a clear career development plan. It is very hard for anyone to remain motivated if they do not know where they are going, how they can get there and if they have no control on that outcome. It is important that leaders can clearly explain how these individuals can progress throughout the business and develop their careers. Lastly, some people have always wanted to run their own business and nothing you did would have stopped them from doing so. We need to sometimes just accept that. If someone does leave and ends up creating their own successful business, then it is a reflection on the quality of you as a leader. We should not hold things back from people or delay the exposure they get “just in case they decide to go alone”. Instead, create an environment where they feel empowered, listened to and that this is in fact the best place for them to achieve their personal career objectives.

TI: Why do PE investors value engaged, motivated, incentivised and capable management teams?

MW: We know that PE investors look at things like recurring revenue, exclusive agreements, market share amongst other things whilst they are trying to test the future proofing of their

investment. If all those arrangements, recurring revenues and customer relationships are all held by the business owner being bought out, then that value is being taken away when they leave. The leadership team that is left behind post acquisition is really the future proofing that PE investors are looking for. It is the knowledge, experience and influence of that secondary level of leadership within a business that the investment is being made in. If you have invested in your leadership team, both from a professional development perspective but also from a personal perspective and they are tied in so that they create their value only if the company does, gives investors’ confidence that they aren’t going to follow you out the business when you leave. This tie in can form part of the valuation process of the business and the final package that is presented, either in the form of profit shares, pension packages, equity etc. When going through the sale process, especially if you are going through an earn out, you want to think about how you can incentivise those left behind to ensure that your forecasted revenues that generated the valuation are met. If they feel that you have looked after them, then they will look after you and you earn out! Investing in your leaders is not just of short-term benefit, but also in the long run should you look to take the business to an event.

TI: Please share some of your successes. MW: I am incredibly lucky because I am one of those people who genuinely love what they do. I don’t see it as a job or work at all because I get to work with some of the most incredible businesses in our industry, who are shaping the advances in technology, medicine and sustainability. Becoming part of the journey with a business is what motivates me and being able

to look back at some, six years on who started in the usual broom cupboard who are now an award-winning business with 150 employees across three international offices generating £20 million in revenues, obviously gives me a huge amount of pride. But equally seeing a recruitment start up I work with be able to generate £1.5 million in revenues within their first 12 months provides just as much satisfaction even though the numbers are smaller. One of the real markers of success for me when I look at the work I do with businesses is their position in their market as a result. Are they one of the most recognised or attractive businesses to work for within their specialism. Seeing a lot of the businesses I work with winning TIARAs each year matters just as much!

TI: What are the biggest challenges leaders face in the current climate?

MW: Being able to maintain productivity levels and engagement in a market period where a large proportion of the workforce have not got experience of. Over the past few years, thousands of people have started their careers in recruitment and built their own narratives of the industry during one of the biggest boom periods seen in many years. The conditions that we find ourselves in now, with regards to job vacancies, retraction of client spend etc seem catastrophic to some, because they have nothing else to compare it to. Trying to engage a workforce that is fuelled by instant gratification and expect overnight success is a real challenge. How long can we say “keep going” for before it becomes white noise? Using tools around gamification of activity, investing in developing their staff as well as celebrating smaller wins are examples of how leaders can create greater levels of engagement whilst processes are slower. The second big challenge that leaders face is leading in a hybrid environment.

This is not the platform to start the WFH vs office debate, mainly because I don’t believe that there is a one size fits all solution here, but leaders who offered the flexibility to enable the growth are now left with the predicament of performance dropping and so do we remove that flexibility to get people back on track? As I said, I don’t think there is a one size fits all approach here, however I do think that flexibility should be earned rather than guaranteed and that is coming purely from a talent development and generating best practice perspective.

TI: Business strategies are clearly having to forward plan and pivot drastically with the arrival of AI. How can leaders and top tier management prepare themselves for this massive shi� in business?

MW: Like anything “new” that we are exposed to in life, we have 2 options; we can either bury our head in the sand and be left behind, or we can embrace it and do a deep knowledge dive on it to ensure that we know as much as possible to make a truly informed opinion. I believe as AI becomes more mainstream and readily available it will continue to be a facilitator, rather than a differentiator. AI will enable recruiters to do more of the “human” activities rather than losing time on administrative tasks. My advice to leaders is to embrace it and understand how you can use it within your internal processes to enable your consultants to do more. Knowledge is power, so the more you can educate yourself on its applications, integrations and functionalities then the better chance of successful implementation you will have which will keep your team in line with your competition. Whether it was the iPod, driver-less vehicles or air fryers, there is always going to be something that will revolutionise the way that we experience different elements of our lives, AI is the next one on that list and leaders should embrace it or there is a potential to be left way behind.

Overcoming ATS Pain Points for Unparalleled Success

In today’s ever-evolving recruitment industry, transformative technological advancements are reshaping the way we operate. For some recruiters, the days of arduous manual processes, mountains of paperwork, and endless phone calls are a thing of the past, harnessing the power of modern solutions. However, while significant strides have been made with applicant tracking systems (ATS) and recruitment technology in general, there still remains an urgent need for improvement and advancement for some as the business landscape continues to shift and evolve.

At TargetRecruit, prospects undergo a rigorous existing software evaluation process, where there is an emphasis on understanding potential clients’ most pressing pain points with their current set up and how they can be eliminated with new software. Naturally, through close collaboration, TargetRecruit have amassed invaluable insights into the recurrent challenges that plague the industry and as a result, have published the top five most critical pain points that afflict recruitment firms worldwide…

THE IMPACT OF IMPROPER ATS ON RECRUITMENT

Reporting:

The absence of comprehensive reporting capabilities within an ATS severely impacts recruitment firms in various ways. Without access to detailed and accurate reports, firms’ decision-making becomes challenging, and crucial insights needed to drive strategic actions are obscured. This lack of visibility hampers the ability to track key performance indicators, analyse recruitment trends, and make data-driven decisions.

Neil Curry Head of Sales UK, TargetRecruit

Recruitment firms need access to real-time snapshots of their business, in various report formats, including custom reports that are fit for the business, created through simple clicks, not coding.

Sales and Business Development:

Insufficient support for sales and BD activities within an ATS affects success. Without robust features managing leads, tracking sales pipelines, and automating follow-ups, firms struggle to identify and capitalise on new opportunities. This leads to hindered revenue growth, missed business targets - hampering a firm’s competitive position.

Recruitment firms need to manage their pipelines effortlessly by creating leads, and opportunities, placing repetitive sales tasks on automation through customisable sales processes that break down the barriers between sales and recruiting; enabling seamless connectivity for both.

Integration:

Limited integration capabilities of ATS solutions create significant challenges for firms today. The inability to seamlessly integrate with other systems, such as payroll or job boards, leads to data silos and fragmented workflows. This disjointed approach results in inefficiencies, duplicated efforts, and reduced productivity as recruiters waste valuable time manually transferring data between systems.

Recruitment firms need native integrations that can unify systems and streamline data flows by leveraging flexible APIs. An ATS that can properly connect with other apps and use sophisticated APIs to connect with non-native solutions as well will elevate a recruitment firm significantly.

Automation:

Outdated ATS platforms lacking intelligent automation features create a major burden for firms. Manual and repetitive tasks, such as resume parsing, interview scheduling, and candidate tracking, consume valuable time and resources, limiting recruiters’ capacity to focus on high-value activities. The absence of automation also impedes productivity, slows down the recruitment process, and hampers candidate engagement and experience, leading to missed talent acquisition opportunities and potential candidate dissatisfaction.

Recruitment firms need the flexibility to build, manage and run automated processes at the click of a button. With tools to automatically send alerts and emails, assign leads or candidates, update data, schedule outbound messages, and much more, turning complicated business processes into seamless workflows.

Customisation:

Finally, the limited customisation options in many ATS platforms hinder firms from tailoring their systems to meet unique business requirements. Standardised features and rigid workflows prevent firms from innovating and adapting their processes to gain a competitive edge. This lack of customisation stifles productivity, hampers process optimisation, and restricts the firm’s ability to differentiate itself in the market.

Recruitment firms need tools and professional services that enable an unlimited buildout of customised functions, features, and capabilities designed around specific business needs.

NAVIGATING TOWARDS THE PROPER SOLUTION

Now this is where you can make the difference: by implementing a cutting-edge, enterprise software solution, designed specifically for recruitment firms. From a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities, inherent in implementing new technology, the above insights have empowered TargetRecruit to address these pain points head-on, and provide the solutions to tackle them.

Through exploration of these challenges in detail, companies seeking to upgrade their ATS and modernise their operations can make informed decisions when choosing the proper software solution to avoid hindering overall business performance and growth potential.

Addressing these issues is crucial for recruitment professionals to enhance their operational efficiency, drive revenue growth, and maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic industry landscape. With the proper ATS, firms can streamline their processes, nurture client relationships, seize new opportunities, and optimise overall business performance.

Striving to enable companies to unlock their true potential and thrive in this dynamic industry, TargetRecruit’s mission is to equip recruitment firms with the tools they need to drive productivity to unparalleled heights and unlock new avenues for revenue growth by having the proper recruitment software that is fully customised to their exact business needs, built to scale, and built to last.

the prevailing pi�alls of common ATS solutions available in the market today. In order to help our clients understand and overcome the limitations of their existing ATS, one daunting challenge always stood out above the rest – the struggle of working with inflexible ATS pla�orms that fail to adapt to the specific needs of an organisation.

At TargetRecruit, we dedicate ourselves to educating companies on

- Neil Curry, Sales Director, TargetRecruit

What gets measured gets done…

The thinking that takes us down the wrong diversity path

In business it is something of a truism that the first step to solving a problem is to frame it, give it a form and substance so that you can better understand the scale of it and what resources you need to deploy to solve it. You can also then measure results and (hopefully) drive progress.

In DE&I we have seen many examples of this: the 30% Club or 10,000 Black Interns, focusing on more women on boards and bringing young, black people into roles they may not have previously thought were available to them, being just a few examples.

All very commendable and worthwhile. But here’s a comment that came at me at our Talent Intelligence Workshop last week: “DE&I spend can potentially get diverted to what’s easy to measure, not where it’s most needed”. It particularly hit home as earlier on our workshop Tony Wilson, Director at the Institute of Employment Studies, had highlighted the most pressing issue facing the UK labour market right now: The rise in the number of people with work-limiting conditions.

Given that the UK is the only major economy with employment still below pre-pandemic levels this is an urgent and important issue and, whilst the government has a key role to play, it will not be able to solve this problem without help from employers.

Further, there are real challenges in identifying people within this group: They may not be people with registered disabilities, they are likely to have been out of employment for some time and also, this phenomenon is recent, so we still haven’t figured out how best to respond to help these people back into the labour force. Consequently, for now, they are a very hard group to measure, so ‘they’re not getting done’.

As with all complex problems, there are no simple answers but perhaps the first is to recognise the issue, and to realise that whilst no one can fix it on their own, everyone involved in helping employers find and keep the people they need has a part to play.

So, should the focus on current DE&I initiatives be dialled back or re-focused on different groups? Perhaps. It seems a reasonable assumption that the majority of people in the cohort of having ‘work limiting conditions’ will also be on the wrong side of the poverty line, so it also seems a reasonable assumption that a lot of current DE&I efforts are targeted at many of these people already. However, it does seem to suggest some caution in always focusing on what can be most easily measured.

The IES presentation can be found here.

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