TALiNT International US Issue 2 by TALiNT International

US Issue 2

Talent & TIARAS: A two day conference, dinner and awards

An honest conversation:

Q&A with Liz Freedman, Chief People Officer

For purpose, not presence:

A blended approach to TA

THE SOLUTIONISTS WINNERS OF THE TIARA TALENT SOLUTIONS AWARDS US

TALiNT International US Issue 2

LEADER

FROM THE EDITOR Talent Solutions teams are somewhat the silent heroes in the talent ecosystem even though it was talent solutions providers who ensured that organizations on the front line had access to critical talent during the pandemic, and in record time. From talent attraction and acquisition to upskilling, development and retention, talent solutions providers offer seamless delivery, leveraging best-fit technology and that help organizations address often very complex workforce needs. In this light, we’re thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s TIARA Talent Solutions Awards US 2022. Last year, TALiNT Partners launched the inaugural virtual TIARA Talent Solutions Awards US during the pandemic and while restrictions are fewer, the event remained a virtual event this year and it was a roaring success! It would not have been made possible if

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.

not for our sponsors, the entrants and of course, our esteemed panel of judges. The finalists in each category are an inspiration. From bold and innovative start-ups to the largest global players in the sector, the judges had a hard time picking the best entry out of a myriad of absolute best entries. The event was great fun, packed with dad jokes, marmalade sandwiches and champagne. Read about it all on page 10. In this issue, our second for our US audience is packed with industry insights and very important information about Talent and TIARAS conference and awards presented by TALiNT Partners at the beginning of December. It’s an event not be missed so be sure to find out more on page 29. Enjoy the new design of the magazine. We are thrilled with how it’s come out.

Published by Talent Intelligence Partners Ltd Casa Court Great George Street Godalming GU71DX www.talintpartners.com Editorial, news and features: debbie@talintpartners.com Advertising and sponsorship: andy@talintpartners.com Design: annabelle@talintpartners.com TALiNT International US Issue 2

Honest conversations

Contents

06 08

TALiNT Scene

The Solutionists

Balancing act

Talent & TIARAs

Contributors

Top TA tech

News analysis

Consumers jaded by inflation Employee loneliness

Liz Freedman

Faye Walshe

Courtney Brooks

Tracy Williams

Michele Cefola

Jennifer Roman

Renee Schlamp

Alonzo Kindred

Carol Webb

Cheryl Coulthurst

Learning Technologies Group

Resource Solutions

Winners of the TIARA Talent Solutions Awards US

Global TA challenges in the local market

Join us for the in-person event of the year

For purpose, not presence

Honest conversations

The big short

Building bridges

Waterton

Mars

Life Health Corp

News Corp.

A blended approach to TA

Q&A with Liz Freedman, Chief People Officer Learning Technologies Group (LTG) plc

Munich Re

Orlando Health

Talent shortages and related troubles

TALiNT International US Issue 2

37 For purpose, not presence

TIARA Talent Solutions Award US

Emory University

52 Building bridges

Mars

Top TA tech

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TALiNT International US Issue 2

TALiNT Scene

TALiNT International US Issue 2

26 May

TALiNT Partners, in partnership with Guidant Global, sat together virtually in a roundtable discussion to debate current challenges workforce leaders are facing right now. Focusing on the southwest of the United States, executives from Orlando Health, Mars and Munich Re attended what was a small but very informative roundtable.

ALiNT Partners had a busy and exciting month of virtual discussions and of course, the TIARA Talent Solutions Awards US!

9 June

The TIARA Talent Solutions Awards US were held virtually, hosted by TALiNT Partners and headline sponsored by Cornerstone. We popped champagne, wore tiaras and even enjoyed a cup of tea while we crowned the very deserving winners of this echelon event. Read the winner profiles on page 11.

24 May

TALiNT Partners, in partnership with Resource Solutions, joined together virtually in a roundtable discussion to discuss the state of the recruiting nation as well as market intelligence for successful sourcing and recruitment. HR and Talent Acquisition leaders from News Corp, Northern Trust, Mars and GE Healthcare attended, along with other executives from across the United States, which created a lively, enlightening and very helpful roundtable.

TALiNT International US Issue 2

NEWS ANALYSIS

Consumers’ inflation expectations worsen, but optimistic on jobs According to a recent report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data, consumers’ expectations for inflation worsened in May, but they remained upbeat on jobs, according to a report out today by. Median inflation expectations for one year ahead rose in May to 6.6% from 6.3% in April. May’s reading was the highest reading since the survey began in June 2013. Turning to the labor market, median one-yearahead earnings growth expectations remained unchanged for the fifth consecutive month at a series high of 3.0%. Mean unemployment expectations – or the mean probability the US unemployment rate will be higher one year from now – increased for

57.4%

Mean perceived probability of finding a job

11.1%

Mean perceived probability of losing one’s job in the next 12 months

38.6%

Mean probability the US unemployment rate will be higher one year from now 8

TALiNT International US Issue 2

the third consecutive month to 38.6% in May from 36.3% in April. This is the highest reading since February 2021. The mean perceived probability of losing one’s job in the next 12 months increased by 0.3 percentage point to 11.1% in May but remained below the series’ 2021 average of 12.5%. The mean probability of leaving one’s job voluntarily in the next 12 months increased sharply to 20.3% in May from 19.0% in April. This is the highest reading since September 2020. The mean perceived probability of finding a job (if one’s current job was lost) increased to 58.2% in May from 57.4% in April, its highest value since February 2020. The increase was driven by respondents over age 40, those without a college education and those with household incomes below $50,000.

Slower job growth in coming months Following the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly employment bulletin report, the Conference Board Employment Trends Index was released on 6 June 2022. The employment index indicated a slowdown in job growth in the months ahead. Despite job growth remaining positive, the measure moved downward from a reading of

120.60 in April to 119.77 in May. Sectors involving leisure and hospitality as well as in-person services have not yet completely recovered from their Covid-linked job losses. However, with consumers likely to move from spending on goods to services, these industries will likely see some employment growth.

Pay attention to employee loneliness Focusing on employee mental health in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, a recent survey commissioned by Cigna among US adults has shown that employers need to pay attention to feelings of loneliness among their employees. The survey of almost 2,500 respondents conducted by Morning Consult showed that employees experiencing loneliness were less likely than their colleagues to say that they could work efficiently and perform to the best of their abilities. They were also more likely to say that they were “mentally somewhere else” while at work during the last three months. In 2020, an analysis by Cigna showed that loneliness costs employers more than $154 billion per year in lost productivity caused by absenteeism. Productivity isn’t the only negative result. The survey also found that employees experiencing loneliness were three times more likely to be dissatisfied with their jobs than their peers. A further 30% of lonely employees admitted feeling unwell or sick while at work in the past three months.

While the circumstances surrounding the pandemic may have led to more flexible remote working arrangements for many, isolation and loneliness were also side effects of the new working situation. Together with exhaustion due to blurred boundaries between work and home life, these feelings have added to the stress of many employees. Cigna highlighted three areas that employers could focus on to address issues with workplace loneliness: •

Regular activities that bring employees together, both in-person and virtually, such as town hall events, volunteer events, and employee resource group meetings.

•

Providing employee benefits that support mental and emotional well-being while remaining mindful of the barriers that may prevent employees from accessing the help they need.

•

Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives could also go a long way to creating a safe and welcoming environment for employees.

TALiNT International US Issue 2

TIARA TALENT SOLUTIONS AWARDS US

TIARA

TALENT SOLUTIONS

AWARDS US

TALiNT International US Issue 2

The Solutionists

Winners of the second TIARA Talent Solutions Awards US show how agility, boldness and a relentless focus on client service is helping employers adapt to the challenges faced now that we’re post-pandemic.

alent Solutions teams are solutionists... the ones who make a practice or occupation of solving puzzles and the pace at which talent solutions teams have had to adapt and evolve post-pandemic has not slowed down. As we emerge from a locked down world where, by and large people were told to work from home, the new world of work brings with it new challenges and the agility of Talent Solutions teams is being put to the test. In this light, it was an honor for TALiNT Partners to host the second annual TIARA Talent Solutions Awards US virtually this month. This Awards program recognized and celebrated the work done across the sector and we’re thrilled to announce the winners. The talent shortages we are currently experiencing don’t seem to be abating, so agility, responsiveness and innovation will be every bit as important as value for money in defining great partnerships. We believe the TIARA Talent Solutions Awards US offer a powerful endorsement to differentiate solutions and reassure buyers on the capabilities that matter most.

CREDIBILITY AND PRESTIGE

The judging process is designed to be independent and rigorous, built around an expectation of demanding and often highly complex employer requirements, and based on key performance metrics, case studies and testimonials. The talent solutions sector has evolved hugely over the last 30 years. While outsourcing providers being able to fulfill open requisitions quickly and costeffectively remains as important as ever, as TA has become more strategic they have had to respond by developing best-in-class services not just in

fulfillment but in broader areas such as, branding, onboarding and strategic workforce planning. A program for their services to be assessed, judged and recognized by an independent panel of judges is long overdue. This will play a key role in helping firms to constantly improve, as well as guiding those organizations considering outsourcing some, or all, of their TA activities. I would like to offer my thanks to our esteemed panel of judges for their time and commitment in choosing this year’s winners and in providing the feedback that will help both winners and finalists improve their solutions and grow their businesses. Thank you also to all our sponsors, and in particular our headline sponsor Cornerstone, for their support of the creation and launch of the very first US TIARA Talent Solutions Awards US program.

JUDGING PANEL Kerri Arman Richemont

Wen Stenger Omni Inclusive

Sachin Jain Pepsico

Russell Griffiths Coleman Research

Gregg Schneider Accenture

Justin Brown Gallagher

Chris Farmer Salesforce

Andrew Brown Cornerstone

Saleem Khaja WorkLlama

Fitzgerald Michael Wilczak Mary Kristynik TALiNT InternationaliCIMS US Issue 2 11 Akraya Inc Ventura 1099Policy

TIARA TALENT SOLUTIONS AWARDS US

THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Bruce Morton, Head of Strategy, Allegis Global Solutions The lifetime achievement award recognizes someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry over a long period of time.

his year’s recipient is Bruce Morton, the Head of Strategy at Allegis Global Solutions. Bruce is the author of two books about the future of work and is being recognized for 40 years of experience in the human capital services industry. He has designed, implemented, managed and run large resourcing programs all around the globe and has significantly impacted the industry and moved it forward.

Bruce Morton accepts The Lifetime Achievement Award

His first book, Redesigning the way work works, came out in 2019 and his latest book, the Universal Workforce Model was published only last month and demonstrates some truly original thinking. It offers a compelling view of how large organisations will best meet their talent challenges in the years ahead. Bruce is an affable, engaging, and thoughtful executive who has dedicated his career to advancing the role of recruitment outsourcing and he’s clearly not finished yet!

“It must also be said that Bruce is one of the most affable, engaging, and thoughtful executives who have dedicated their career to advancing the role of recruitment outsourcing and he’s clearly not finished yet.” Ken Brotherston, Chief Executive, TALiNT Partners 12

TALiNT International US Issue 2

THE BEST NEW TALENT SOLUTIONS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR AWARD

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

PS World is a global recruitment partner with a proud history of supporting American businesses. Having commenced stand-alone operations in 2017, BPS World Inc. has subsequently established a strong footprint across the United States with a regional headquarters in Boca Raton, FL. Their US division has implemented high-value talent solutions across the engineering, technical and professional services landscape. BPS World Inc provides contract power generation personnel for assignments in the Marshall Islands and had to think creatively and innovatively to tackle various challenges that hindered the hiring process such as candidates without passports. They created robust processes to carry out various medical checks and assessments at a multi-state level to ensure compliance and also became experts in sourcing noncommercial flight bookings and working closely with new hires to negotiate complex travel schedules via Honolulu, Hawaii. BPS World’s focus on the candidate experience during difficult travel circumstances because of the pandemic was designed to support and nurture their candidates through very complicated and stressful hiring and onboarding processes and earned them the award.

Jason Pike accepts The Best New Talent Solutions Provider of the Year Award

Finalists BPS (Winner) Engtal Evaluent Retinue Talent Solutions (Highly Commended)

BPS showed a range of innovative approaches to tackle numerous operational issues and demonstrated exceptional customer service to their growing customer base.” TALiNT International US Issue 2

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THE CORNERSTONE BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY AWARD

This Award recognizes a company that solves a business issue through the implementation of a unique, new tech solution or using existing tech in an innovative way.

MS is a highly experienced and dedicated employer brand and candidate attraction consulting team with a global footprint that brings with them a wealth of experience in developing custom employer branding and candidate attraction. For this entry, AMS partnered with a popular fast-food chain to implement a total hiring platform, built on SmartRecruiters, that included a web chatbot, CRM, job ad marketing, and an onboarding solution to meet the needs of the business. Success was measured by taking the time to apply from over twenty minutes, to just under five minutes, providing a 40% increase in candidate flow. Additionally, the hiring managers now have greater visibility and access to hiring activities, including both a consumer grade interface and ability to access all information while in their restaurants on mobile devices.

Luke Kohlrieser recieves The Cornerstone Best Use of Technology Award

Finalists AMS (Winner) Guidant Global High5 PeopleScout Sevenstep (Highly Commended)

Judges especially praised AMS for how they delivered a successful transformational project by precisely deploying technology to the clients’ critical area of need and supporting their entry with great metrics.” TALiNT International US Issue 2

We offer world-class staffing solutions to enterprise organizations, managed service providers (MSPs), and system integrators including Contingent & Direct Hire staffing, Direct Sourcing, and Diversity & Inclusion consulting, while continuing the work and education of allyship for workplace belonging in the USA, Canada, and India.

SUSTAINABLE Committed to decarbonization and creating a sustainable service delivery to clients

Proud part of the LGBTE business community providing equal, inclusive and diverse opportunities

Our new oﬀering Sustainable Supplier Mentorship Program (SSMP) As a certified Carbon Neutral company, we know that holistic climate action is critical to success. Sustainable companies benefit from increased revenue, reduced costs and risks. This 12-month program educates our clients' supply base and supports their eﬀorts towards sustainability. Carbon neutrality delivers climate action now and prepares your business for a low carbon transformation.

TechDigital Group. 764 Southcross Dr W Suite 202, Burnsville, MN 55306 www.techdigitalcorp.com | www.omniinclusive.com 16

TALiNT International US Issue 2

THE OMNI INCLUSIVE ESG AWARD

This Award recognizes an organization who demonstrates a clear commitment to an ESG program, creating a positive impact through their own organization as well as the impact on their clients.

n this relatively new area, Airswift’s internal and external initiatives showed a commitment to meaningful environmental change. Airswift created a voluntary team of Mental Health First Aiders who collectively received over 180 hours of training. In 2021, the company appointed their very first DE&I position by hiring a full-time DE&I co-ordinater. The role primarily involved developing and implementing DE&I strategies across the business and involves working with leadership across the globe. Environmental projects included an active participation in Earth Week that resulted in 600 working hours being “donated” towards volunteering. Their partnership with Our Forest, a company that that helps businesses offset their carbon footprint by planting trees in environmentally challenged hotspots across the globe, resulted in a commitment to plant a tree for every placement in quarter one. Their mature approach to this relatively new area of D&I drove incredible results for both themselves and their clients.

Maegan Toups recieves The Omni Inclusive ESG Award

Finalists Airswift (Winner) Harvey Nash

The judges felt this entry had real impact, supported by a mature approach to a relatively new area, in turn driving credible results across practical activities such as recycling drives, tree planting, and more strategic activities such as better governance, and employee education.” TALiNT International US Issue 2

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TALiNT International US Issue 2

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THE 1099POLICY LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP AWARD

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

GS provides best-in-class solutions that span all workforce models, including talent acquisition, contingent workforce engagement and utilization of workers procured through services providers.

Lenevieve Pfizenmaier accepts The 1099Policy Long-Term Partnership Award

AGS provided a digital payment platform that served 300 million+ consumers and merchants in over 200 markets worldwide. The smarter engagement of services providers offered a strong opportunity to boost performance and cost-effectiveness following the company’s divestiture from a global commerce leader in 2015. They demonstrated a critical role in helping their clients address a range of talent needs that began in 2013. The existing relationship led to the most recent expansion of the partnership in 2018 that involved the engagement of workers through the procurement of services. The success of the program led to a global expansion over 18 months through a progressive approach, including: rapid launch, realization of a steady state and elevation of strategic value. Over a period of 18 months, PayPal’s services procurement strategy grew to cover 15,000+ resources in more than 30 countries. It’s now 21,000+.

Finalists

Airswift Allegis Global Solutions (Winner) AMS Harvey Nash PeopleScout Sevenstep Volt (Highly Commended) WilsonHCG

The judges were impressed with their significant growth and how they showed value to the end client.” TALiNT International US Issue 2

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TALiNT International US Issue 2

THE WORKLLAMA CLIENT SERVICE AWARD

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

evenstep is a leader in total talent outsourcing and solutions and through Enterprise RPO, Project RPO and as an MSP, they help business leaders achieve exceptional outcomes by sourcing and retaining talent with agility, speed and cost effectiveness. They also offer a wide range of talent acquisition solutions, data analytics and employer branding. They partnered with a Fortune 500 company in the healthcare industry with the aim of diversifying their RPO solution landscape to broaden efficiencies and increase scalability. The company’s recruiting structure consisted of an internal team and a tenured RPO provider and wanted to add another RPO provider to improve their overall performance. The relationship began three years ago with 2,500 first-year hires and since has grown to approximately 8,000 hires per year. By implementing tactics to support remote interviewing, streamlining the pre-employment process, and facilitating internal mobility. Given that much of Sevenstep’s portfolio aligns with state and federal contracts they were able to leverage that expertise to improve risk identification that ensured mission-critical roles are filled on time. Sevenstep’s thinking outside the box approach to the partnership resulted in impactful changes and clearly articulated how they added value in every aspect.

Gary Norris accepts The WorkLlama Client Service Award

Finalists AMS (Highly Commended) iPlace Noon Dalton Pierpoint Sevenstep (Winner)

Judges praised Sevenstep for showing innovation and thinking outside the box to show impactful changes, and clearly articulating how they added value in every aspect.” TALiNT International US Issue 2

Talent | Diversity | Impact

The Returnship Experts

Women Back to Work helps companies that value diversity and inclusion hire career-ready professionals with a career gap.

TALiNT International US Issue 2

THE WOMEN BACK TO WORK DE&I AWARD

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

esource Solutions (wholly owned by the Robert Walters Group) is an RPO, MSP and consultancy services that offers high-touch, scalable solutions to clients across the US and globally.

Sarah Keady recieves The Women Back to Work DE&I Award

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, Resource Solutions asked whether they and their clients doing enough to be inclusive. They answered “no”; which led to Tom Lakin, Innovation and Consultancy Practice Director producing a Recruitment Inclusivity Audit after researching the best-in-class bias minimization academic and industry findings. They set out to develop a diverse hiring audit and set a goal of 12 months from design to taking tangible action in response to the audit’s findings to improve inclusivity throughout the recruitment process. Their D&I score on Glassdoor (US-employees only) improved from 3.4 to 4.8 since the time of the implementation and the creation of support communities within the business for under-represented groups resulted in the launch of the LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group. A Diverse Hiring Toolkit was developed as the recruiters were not equipped to identify, engage and attract underrepresented talent. It featured optimized LinkedIn features which resulted in an enormous shift from 37% to 64% in recruiter confidence and knowledge.

Finalists Acro Airswift AMS Guidant Global Resource Solutions (Winner)

Judges praised this entry for being a genuine game-changer. Their Recruitment Inclusivity Audit, is an important tool in helping employers drive more effective DE&I.” TALiNT International US Issue 2

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victoria.fernandez@icims.com | 44 (0) 808 164 2563 | icims.com TALiNT International US Issue 2

THE ICIMS BEST TALENT SOLUTIONS FIRM TO WORK FOR

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

evenstep has an employee-driven culture that embraces several fundamental values in enabling employees to bring their most to their roles with colleagues and clients which is made evident through a number of initiatives including: encouraging ownership of the business culture at every opportunity; the opportunity to reach the highest levels of engagement by focussing on wellbeing, training and mentorships; and flexibility to the way their staff work. Learning and development are kept front of mind as the progression of employees is exceptionally important. It consists of 160 proprietary training courses and four role-specific recruitment specifications. Each employee completes on average of 60 hours of training a year and it has proven instrumental in equipping employees to deliver exceptional value to their clients. Through their ability to deliver on critical talent needs quickly and effectively, their teams play an essential role in the growth and success of their clients in the most demanding business conditions. With an employee retention rate of ninety-four percent, Sevenstep clearly evidenced their investment in their people.

Natalie Scheiman accepts The iCIMS Best Talent Solutions Firm to Work For

Finalists Acro High5 Oscar PageOutsourcing (Highly Commended) PeopleScout Sevenstep (Winner) Volt Consulting Group WilsonHCG (Highly Commended)

The judges felt that Sevenstep showed high retention in a competitive market and a genuine employee driven culture.” TALiNT International US Issue 2

TIARA TALENT SOLUTIONS AWARDS US

THE BEST TALENT ATTRACTION STRATEGY AWARD

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

MS is an experienced and dedicated employer brand and candidate attraction consulting team with a global footprint that brings with them a wealth of experience in developing custom employer branding and candidate attraction campaigns.

Laura Polan recieves The Best Talent Attraction Strategy Award

AMS’s client, a large player in the pharmaceutical industry was committed to building a diverse workforce and was looking for new ways to attract this diverse talent. They saw their biggest opportunity to increase the diversity of their applicants to be in a particular geographical area. By gaining in-depth insights through thorough market research, AMS was able to identify and better understand the hiring challenges faced by their client in the specified geographical location. The market research was used to develop an inclusive messaging and creative platform that promoted a skills-first approach, deployed a media strategy with a mix of on- and offline channels to build awareness of their inclusive approach to hiring; made it clear what areas they were hiring in; and featured local employees speaking about career opportunities and inclusivity. The campaign resulted in increasing landing page traffic by over 1,300% with an average of 2,500 weekly website visitors during compared to 180 weekly visitors’ pre-campaign. 26

TALiNT International US Issue 2

Finalists Allegis Global Solutions (Highly Commended) AMS (Winner) High5 Talent Works

Judges praised them for their compelling story, showing a methodical approach and capitalising on their use of data.”

THE TALENT SOLUTIONS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

The Overall winner was selected from the winners and the highly commended in each award category and voted for by our panel of judges.

n order to help the judges to decide the overall winner they were given three votes to cast across each of the categories as to which they felt were the most important, using our key themes of innovation, engagement and clarity of message.

Nicky Hancock accepts The Best New Talent Solutions Provider Award

Whilst it was a close call, the judges felt AMS delivered more consistently across the key themes, demonstrating impact and positive outcomes for their clients time and again.

Judges felt AMS had delivered innovation, engagement and clarity of message consistently where it mattered most.”

TALiNT International US Issue 2

TALENT SOLUTIONS US

Balancing act Clare Jones

US Features Writer, TALiNT Partners

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

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

Top findings

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

• Global macro-economic trends identify greatest potential in the United States • Staffing companies should proceed with caution in US markets • Employers are relaxing requirements and turning to unconventional recruitment tactics • Higher worker confidence challenges recruitment and retention • Employers who bring employees back to the office need to sell the benefits • Remote work is here to stay – with caveats • The future for staffing companies is strong, even in uncertain times. Although the potential for staffing firms to expand in the US is positive overall, the war in Ukraine, economic upheaval and a new sense of confidence within the workforce suggest that growth can’t be taken for granted anywhere in the world. The upside is that clients are open to working more collaboratively with staffing firms, according to Pete Taylor, Managing Director, Encore Personnel. 28

TALiNT International US Issue 2

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Brotherston notes, “Economists’ prognosis is that Continental Europe is heading toward a deep recession. The UK economy is flattening, but not experiencing as much of an impact, while the United States is currently relatively unaffected and able to power ahead.” At the same time, the latest Manpower Employment Outlook report predicts some flattening of demand for recruitment in the UK in the near future. Taken together, these trends point to significant near-term potential in the United States. However, caution is warranted.

THE STATE OF THE STATES

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

TALENT SOLUTIONS US

commitment,” according to Angela Alberty, CBO, myBasePay. “It is far from homogenous and highly complex. Talent is getting harder to find and clients are open to unconventional means of supply. One in three employees work on a temporary or contingent basis. In the future, half of the US workforce will be in that sector,” she noted. “’Red’ states tend to be more employerfriendly while ‘blue’ states have more employment complexity, including worker rights, compliance and regulations,” Alberty adds. “They can be more costly and your team needs to understand details such as how to do a W2 properly.” “The TriState area, Texas and Florida are the fastest growing regions, especially from an IT perspective,” Jimenez notes, “Healthcare is explosive. Many who work in NYC don’t live there, creating tax complications and administrative headaches that staffing companies can alleviate.” Staffing is highly regulated in the United States, meaning that companies should create a team capable of anticipating and resolving HR, tax and legal issues before they become problems for the enterprise, according to Alberty. “Look at the complexity of compliance – that can put you and your client at risk. Develop your U.S. teams slowly and grow them at a steady pace.”

Pete Sheppard, Managing Director, Deverellsmith said, “There is a huge inflation in pay rates. McDonald’s is paying $18 per hour in some markets, making it hard for industry to compete.” Specifically, Brotherston notes, “Employers in all over the US recognize that they are often hiring average talent at premium prices which has an impact on the morale of internal employees.”

EMPLOYERS RELAXING REQUIREMENTS

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

“A supermarket client had to hire 4,000 people in just two weeks. That wouldn’t have been possible using the standard process. They gave everyone applied were given at least one shift, a significant number of whom they would have passed over if the situation had been typical. A more open attitude and rapid training for the relatively lowskilled jobs made the approach a game-changer.” TALiNT International US Issue 2

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

GROWING CONFIDENCE WITHIN THE WORKFORCE

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

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

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

“There’s an enormous amount of attrition. Professionals are getting elaborate benefits,” she adds. “However, if the economy softens, we may see more loyalty and retention.”

WHAT ABOUT REMOTE STRATEGIES?

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

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

On recruiting, Paul Wilson, CEO at Nigel Wright reports, “Although I love face-toface meetings, we have placed people in more than 15 countries over the past two years. Damascus in the middle of a civil war. Kinshasa during violent unrest. That would not have been possible with the old model.” Jimenez adds, “The industrial worker community may also need a higher touch. They may not use technology as well as professionals.” When it comes to staff, whether remote work improves efficiency and satisfaction depends on the employee and the nature of their work, according to Brendan Flood, CEO at Staffing 360. “Some people work more effectively around people.

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Brotherston concurs. “One size does not fit all. You can have two people doing the same job with different views and needs of how much time they want to spend in the office.” Jimenez notes, “Remote can be great, but you are in danger of losing balance. Make sure you have the right KPIs. Consider bringing people in quarterly so they can get to know each other on a different level.” Brotherston argues that employers have not communicated convincingly when trying to get workers back in the office. “Telling employees to return because we bought the real estate doesn’t resonate. You have to tell them why they should want to do it. Collaboration, creativity and being part of a group are hugely important. Employers need to articulate that for their organizations.”

TALiNT International US Issue 2

TALENT & TIARAS US

TALINT PARTNERS PRESENTS: TALENT & TIARAS

2022

TALiNT Partners is proud to present this incredible opportunity to share knowledge, network and celebrate. This December, TALiNT Partners will bring together the cream of the Talent Acquisition community to learn, share and network, celebrate the best creative and innovative work from this sector and look forward to what’s ahead in 2023.

Over two packed days, we will crown our TIARA Talent Acquisition champions, enjoy insights from expert panels and keynote speakers and benefit from a range of interactive, expertly facilitated peer-to-peer roundtable discussions which will provide invaluable knowledge sharing and insight to address key hiring challenges. This is a fantastic opportunity for senior decision makers and employers to learn, discover and understand best practices from some of the industry’s best leaders, as well as learn from and connect with fellow peers.

200

DELEGATES

CELEBRATION DINNERS

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

KEY NOTE PRESENTATIONS TALiNT International US Issue 2

TALENT & TIARAS US

What is happening and when?

Our peer-led roundtables discussions will cover: • • • • • • •

Total Talent Outsourcing Innovation Tech DE&I Mobility Skills

Day 1 - November 30 12:30 PM 2:00 PM 2:45 PM 4:00 PM 4:45 PM 5:30 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 PM

Welcome, opening remarks & luncheon Roundtable discussion 1 Roundtable discussion 2 Roundtable discussion 3 Panel discussion and debate: To 2023 and beyond, what are the key trends that will shape next year? Closing remarks Reception, industry leader keynote speech, dinner and networking End of Day 1

Day 2 - December 1 9:15 AM 9:30 AM 10:00 AM 10:45 AM 11:15 AM 12:00 PM 12:45 PM 1:45 PM 2:30 PM 3:15 PM 3:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 11:00 PM

Opening comments Keynote speaker Roundtable discussion 1 Coffee and networking Roundtable discussion 2 Panel discussion 1 Networking lunch Roundtable discussion 3 Roundtable discussion 4 Networking break Best practice panel discussion and debate Closing remarks TIARA Talent Acquisition and Tech Star Awards ceremony End of Day 2

TALiNT International US Issue 2

NETWORKING DINNER

November 30

Join us and other Talent Acquisition leaders from Atlanta and around the United States, on November 30 for dinner and a special announcement about our Talent Solutions Power List. Here’s what previous delegates have had to say: “The event was a great opportunity to renew some relationships and build new ones as well! I met new colleagues, learned new things and enjoyed a great dinner.” – Emory University “Thank you for putting together such a great evening of talented TA professional across several business sectors. I look forward to future events.” – PWC “Such a great evening last night. I came away with new insights related to talent acquisition and appreciated the opportunity to connect with other leaders.” – Hagerty

THE TIARA TALENT ACQUISTION AWARDS US

The TIARAS set the Standard for Excellence, Innovation & Achievement. In 2022, the TIARA Talent Acquisition Awards will shine a spotlight on employers to showcase the incredible work they do in talent acquisition and resourcing. The TIARAS are the biggest global Awards series for the talent sector and have become the byword for excellence and innovation in service delivery for Talent Acquisition teams, staffing firms, RPO’s and Talent Tech providers. The TIARA Talent Acquisition Awards US will do the same for North America’s best employers.

The Awards categories offer recognition of excellence across all areas of talent acquisition, with a focus on critical resourcing activities that have driven transformation and organizational effectiveness.

The TIARAs are distinguished by the quality of its judging TIARA Talent Acquisition Awards is a quality mark endorsed by a respected panel of judges from across the recruitment and talent acquisition ecosystem. Jennifer O’Brien Global Talent Acquisition Leader Booz Allen Hamilton

Caroline Smith Director of Talent Acquisition Citizens Bank Gregg Schneider Global Flexible Workforce Talent Marketplace + Innovation Lead Accenture

Kerri Arman Former VP Global Head of Talent American Express GBT

Ashley Winnett Executive Director Human Resources General Motors

Christopher Farmer Global Program Owner Salesforce

Sachin Jain Senior Director – Global Talent Management PepsiCo

Betsy Kippenhan Vice President of Human Resources Comcast Mary Pace Senior Director, Talent Acquisition Omnicom Health Group

This event is not to be missed and we cannot wait to celebrate with you, in-person, at the TALENT and TIARAs EXTRAVAGANZA!

Find out more TALiNT International US Issue 2

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TALiNT International US Issue 2

TALENT ACQUISITION CHALLENGES

For purpose, not presence

Clare Jones

US Features Writer, TALiNT Partners

Candidate screening is becoming a deterrent, especially in technology. We hear candidates say, ‘I’m not a criminal. I just want to do code.’ ” Arsenio Bell, VP, Client Solutions, Guidant Global

Can a blended approach to Talent Acquisition resolve today’s challenges?

he pressure on resourcing has never been more chronic and acute. On May 26, 2022, Ken Brotherston, Chief Executive, TALiNT Partners along with Arsenio Bell, VP, Client Solutions, Guidant Global, discussed global barriers to successful talent acquisition and the potential synergies within a workforce that might combine permanent, contingent and gig employees. The group also addressed diversity and inflation as well as significant risks to employers of legal and tax issues in the new environment.

TOP CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT

Kicking off the conversation, Bell noted four challenges his firm faces across the globe: the availability of talent, pay rates, stringent screening procedures and the difficulty of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce. “We are seeing a shift to a focus on employee experience to attract and retain talent,” Bell says. “Creating a blended workforce including permanent and contingent – even gig employees – can have a positive effect on recruitment, retention and cost.”

Brotherston recalled a recent study on the effect of price vs. experience. “We did a study five years ago comparing Amazon’s ability to attract contingent workers based on price vs. a major grocery company with a different approach,” he recalls. “By competing on belonging rather than price, the grocer reported better results than Amazon. You may not have to pay top dollar to attract and retain talent, but you may need to do more engagement.” Carol Webb, Regional Lead, Contingent Workforce, Mars, noted that the experience of permanent employees vs. contingent workers can be vast. She says, “We have to change the model of ‘just get the bodies in the seats’ because there is a war for talent.” Kindred explained that, while healthcare workers have found a financial gold mine in contingent or “traveling” employment, they may be looking for more. “If you have 150 contingent employees, you can’t give them a sense of belonging,” he believes. “Those individuals value quality of life beyond large paychecks. So, when you can give them that sense of belonging, it’s easier to get them to transfer from temp to employee. And, in fact, the benefit package can rival what they are earning as an agency worker. Using this

TALiNT International US Issue 2

TALENT ACQUISITION CHALLENGES

approach, we have reduced our number of travelers from 1100 last year to 300 now.” Schlamp expanded on the topic. “People are attracted to people. You stay for people and you leave because of people. In this market, onboarding and first impressions for both permanent and contingent workers makes the difference in why people stay or leave. You have to make them feel committed and welcome.” Candidate screening can be time consuming, intrusive and often a serious barrier to recruitment, said Bell. “We have seen a large energy company lose talent to a software organization because their screening requirements were so stringent. We’ve heard software developers say, “I’m not a criminal. I just want to do code.’” Making sure a client’s workforce reflects the community remains a significant challenge. “We try to get ahead of the problem at a structural level,” said Bell. “We work toward optimizing supplier results by providing a mentorship program for diverse

organizations. We are seeing results in creating returns in focus areas such as Native American, Afro American and Asian.” Schlamp added, “Not only do you mentor suppliers, but you need to actually give them the opportunity to work with a larger company.”

IMPROVING PARTNERSHIPS WITH SUPPLIERS

Reducing the number of suppliers and improving their productivity is a key to recruitment success according to roundtable participants. Schlamp recalled, “At first we had 300 suppliers. Within two years we moved to a preferred partnership basis. It was a difficult transition. You need to make everybody comfortable ahead of time. Those who oppose the transition might not be the right people to be in that cross functional conversation. It takes collaboration and alignment.” Bell asked, “How can we move from having

KEY FINDINGS • Talent, rates, screenings and diversity challenge recruitment internationally. • Mentorship and opportunity beginning with vendors can support diversity. • Inflation affects employers, candidates and vendors in unpredictable ways. • A feeling of belonging can provide a competitive advantage. • Legal and tax considerations can put companies at high risk. • Fusion of talent acquisition and talent management is a long-term trend.

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too many suppliers? Could we have just a few? Can we do direct sourcing? How can we get clients to a better place, give them support until they can be more self-serving?”

BENEFITING FROM A BLENDED WORKFORCE

Webb recalled, “When the pandemic hit, we realized we had to look at our workers as a total resource. We need to look at the tools we use to choose our workforce, examine the types of work and what talent to bring in for what kind of situation. “We’ve implemented Workdayâ and leverage the tools we have to bring contingent workers on board and making gig work more efficient.” Kindred adds, “We can’t just focus on the front of the process. We need to tie the operator and the recruiter to the same stats so they both have skin in the game.”

REMOTE WORK STILL A MAJOR COMPETITIVE ISSUE

Schlamp brings personal experience to the question of remote work. “It doesn’t make sense to go into the office in Princeton when I need to visit clients in New York, Philadelphia or Ohio. We need to open up the opportunity for remote or hybrid work to get better talent.” Webb summed up the issue: “We need to travel for purpose, not for presence.”

ADDITIONAL RISKS

Legal risks and inflation add to today’s challenges, Brotherston noted: “The risk to employers of hiring contingent workers is huge in the United States, Canada and the UK. The liabilities are virtually unlimited. Employers think that if they work through a third party, it’s done. It isn’t.” Schlamp added: “Inflation is affecting us globally and locally. Our board wants us to predict what the impact is going to be in each category of employment—contingent, HR, executive search. But each is affected differently. When you look at traditional procurement, it doesn’t support the effects of inflation. We want to provide a positive strategy from a negative situation.”

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Kindred believes that experience alone isn’t enough to be an effective TA. “Work on your own craft,” he said. Read. “Do market research. Discover how the game has changed. Drive decisions from data.” Bell added, “Take away the silos so more problems can be solved at once. Be open to a blended workforce. Protect against risk to make sure you are not destroyed with penalties.” Brotherston concludes, “Be open to fusing talent acquisition and talent management into one talent function.”

People are attracted to people. You stay for people and you leave because of people.” Renee Schlamp, Regional Category Management Lead, Munich Re

TALiNT International US Issue 2

LIZ FREEDMAN - Q&A

Honest conversations Diversity, equity and inclusion can sometimes be a difficult topic to discuss for fear of saying the wrong thing. But keeping open lines of honest communication is key if we want to see meaningful change. Ken Brotherston

Chief Executive, TALiNT Partners

en Brotherston, Chief Executive at TALiNT Partners, initiated a frank conversation with Human Resources Executive Liz Freedman about progress toward diversity, equity and inclusion. They discussed some of the sensitive issues that could slow progression and how she regards the future. Freedman’s experience as Global Human Resources Leader building individual, team and organizational performance across functions, cultures, and industries puts her in a unique position to speak about one of today’s most complex challenges. Brotherston: How and why did you make the transition from marketing to HR? Freedman: I’ve always had a calling to make an impact on people’s lives. I was fortunate to have leaders who encouraged me. After leading a sales region for a US business, I had 40

TALiNT International US Issue 2

Liz Freedman

Chief People Officer Learning Technologies Group (LTG)

an opportunity to lead sales training. This contribution to others’ development felt right and from there, I built breadth across various HR disciplines, including leadership and management development, diversity & inclusion, employee engagement & culture, and talent acquisition. I spent almost three years in the diversity space early in my career – the work resonates deeply with my values and threads through all people and organization practices my team designs and implements today. Brotherston: How much progress do you think has been made in the last 20 or so years? Freedman: Unfortunately, most companies have not moved forward in a consistent, sustainable way. While we’ve made some progress with women in leadership, studies show that women’s pay still falls behind. For employees of color, LGBTQIA and other

under-represented communities, data and insights tell us that workplace behaviors, practices and representation are improving somewhat but significant gaps still exist relative to equity and inclusion. Brotherston: What stops organizations from moving forward consistently? Freedman: Changes in senior leadership can disrupt DE&I momentum. Progress is slowed with potential for new vision, strategies and priorities along with organizational changes. While many leaders are committed to doing ‘the right thing’, having a strong DE&I business case with proof points in areas such as innovation, talent retention, brand reputation and new sources of revenue, can be useful to reinforce continuation of the agenda. Mid-level leaders are key to the DE&I equation. We can lose traction with this leadership group for a number of reasons messages from the top do not get cascaded, education and modeling are limited and/or inclusive leadership behaviors and expectations are not reinforced. Our belief systems are embedded at an early age, and we tend to look for ‘data’ that

reinforces our perspective throughout our lives. These mindsets, attitudes and beliefs are at the core of who we are, making change more challenging. We all carry bias. Brotherston: Behaviors may have changed from – say the mid-80s. But how different are the beliefs? Freedman: In the 80-90s, major companies launched training, but I’m not so sure behaviors changed that much. Training alone does not change behaviors. Some companies made changes to their talent acquisition practices and measured leadership representation. While what gets measured, gets done – the journey is much more complex and requires a holistic, sustainable approach. Ideally, mindsets and beliefs shift first, then the right behaviors will follow. Our beliefs have changed only as much as the progress of society around us has moved forward. When George Floyd was killed, the real reckoning started. People saw with their own eyes the horrific murder and injustice, and were able to formulate a new perspective. Still, we have work to do on the combination of mindsets, beliefs and behaviors, and DE&I strategies should be designed to address these. TALiNT International US Issue 2

Have courage. Be curious about others’ life experiences – ask questions. It may feel risky or taboo but the benefits can last a lifetime.

Brotherston: What are the key elements you need to create or embed in a D&I Structure?

Brotherston: How do you get the balance right?

Freedman: The goal is to design a culture that is equitable and inclusive. This requires leaders to be on board. For all the grass roots efforts, it must start at the top with senior leadership. Their role is to model the right behaviors, demonstrate fair talent practices and decision-making and hold their leaders’ accountable.

Freedman: It’s challenging. Employees can only absorb so much given business demands, workplace change and their own personal and family needs. Learning about and embracing DE&I principles can be a part of our daily experience. Equitable and inclusive practices can be weaved into our everyday – in our collaboration sessions, talent conversations, business planning. In this way, we are likely to gain a deeper understanding of the value and repeatable skills while putting them into practice.

Our aim is an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. But we know we’re up against systemic barriers and learned bias we see this in the public forum and it exists in organizations. Brotherston: We hear anecdotes about how openness to new markets can result in products that have more potential than expected, but maybe they don’t add up to a compelling business case. What is your take? Freedman: Studies, such as McKinsey’s1 demonstrate a business case for diversity, equity and inclusion. We need to integrate inclusion strategies into our commercial business objectives and make an investment to build that out. Demographics are changing, the social contract between employer / employee and brand / consumer is changing – companies need to be future-fit ready. 42

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Related to developing inclusive leaders – an experienced external coach can give leaders a safe space to explore their own beliefs, behaviors and issues that they may not feel comfortable exposing in the workplace. Let’s reward our leaders with strong EQ (emotional quotient). Vulnerability, empathy and creating psychological safety are must-have leadership capabilities in today’s workplace. Brotherston: I know that I avoid certain conversations because I’m afraid I’ll say the wrong thing. Freedman: Even fantastic leaders who want to make a difference can still feel uncomfortable around certain conversations.

There are any number of topics we’re taught to consider as taboo. There is no silver easy bullet. Vulnerability is a strength. Brotherston: How do you measure and recognize when progress is being made? Freedman: The voice of our employees – gaining insights from our majority and minority colleague communities. Having conversations, listening sessions at all levels of the organization. Also, through employee surveys. I’ve implemented inclusion and well-being indices where we can dig into different demographic groups to identify areas where we need more work. There are a host of other metrics that can be tracked, and I encourage companies to create the right meaningful targets and dashboards to measure progress, share results and course correct – similar to how we run the business. Employees are speaking their truth, more often and definitively. If they are uncomfortable, they will leave. When we have created an atmosphere where the majority of employees can talk about their experiences, share differing perspectives

and feel that decisions are arrived at fairly, we’ll know we’re making progress. The hunt for talent will not change. We’ll have a talent shortage for years and years. If companies are not forward-thinking, they’ll struggle in finding and retaining talent and being able to deliver for their customer base. Brotherston: What impact did the death of George Floyd have on this situation? Freedman: The COVID-19 pandemic took some of the attention off diversity, equity and inclusion issues initially, but the death of George Floyd re-ignited the DE&I mission. The increase in hate and violence over the last few years has driven greater DE&I urgency and investment. We’re also a global community now, where social media brings the news of injustice to our screens. The proof will be in consistent, sustainable actions and measurable change. Brotherston: Any final words of wisdom? Freedman: Have courage. Be curious about others’ life experiences – ask questions. It may feel risky or taboo but the benefits can last a lifetime. The vulnerability practiced will grow you – personally and professionally. TALiNT International US Issue 2

TALiNT International US Issue 2

TALENT ACQUISITION LEADERS

The big short

Clare Jones US Features Writer, TALiNT Partners

Talent Acquisition leaders see continued shortages; but can data make a difference?

n May 24, 2022, Ken Brotherston, Chief Executive, TALiNT Partners, along with Faye Walshe, Global Director – Group Innovation & Consultancy, Resource Solutions, led a robust discussion with talent acquisition leaders across a variety of industries, including media, healthcare, higher education and financial services. The conversation focused on the impact of a dynamic environment on talent attraction models and the role of data in adapting to new market forces. Participants agreed that, today, supply chain disruptions don’t just apply to microchips and baby formula but to talent and people as well.

MARKET INTELLIGENCE SUPPORTS FLEXIBILITY

According to Walshe, market intelligence can deliver both data and color, enabling companies to flex with the market and make better decisions. It can reveal: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Heat maps Demographics for specific locations Working age Relocation and investment opportunities Talent pool size Added skills Motivations Competitive advantages Average salaries Gender differences Who is hiring Talent pools with the least attrition

TALiNT International US Issue 2

TALENT ACQUISITION LEADERS

She went on to discuss how data helped deliver for a large client that needed to analyze the cost of recruitment in a key set of locations across 76 role types. Data, including seven heat maps, six market views and eight talent pool depth dives, indicated that certain regions would provide a better skill set and longer retention. The result was more effective recruitment and reduced costs. She added: “Data alone won’t make the difference. You have to put it in front of recruiters who are prepared to tell the story effectively.” Remote work is now an expectation Cheryl Coulthurst, AVP, Recruiting, Emory University, noted: “Facing high turnover, difficulty in hiring and rising compensation rates, managers are learning the hard way how important remote or hybrid options are to candidates. Talent acquisition professionals can help reluctant hiring leaders become more comfortable with overseeing remote teams, working across time zones and recruiting candidates offshore.”

Tiffany Summerville, Vice President, Human Resources, Sherlock Biosciences, Inc. added that “Because we are remote, we can expand our searches across the nation. But we’re not getting the applicants we’re used to. For scientists, it’s slim pickings.” “The ability to offer fully-remote work can be a strong competitive advantage, but it doesn’t fix everything,” Jillian Adams, VP, People, Wagmo, Inc., cautioned. “It can’t cut through the deluge of attention candidates are getting today.” And, of course, there are jobs that require in-person, hands-on work.

NOT ALL JOBS CAN BE REMOTE

Diane Alvarez, Director, Senior Manager Talent Acquisition, Nice Healthcare, points to the fact that remote work isn’t always an option. “Healthcare requires personnel to be out in the field and competition in the industry is intense. Although our application volume hasn’t changed, the quality of the candidate has changed. Out of 200 you might

Ghosting is a significant issue for us as our major clients are the armed services. Some security checks go back 25 years. People will get part way through the process and just disappear. Tracy Williams, VP, Human Capital, Life Health Corp.

TALiNT International US Issue 2

get 20 people to interview. That requires the recruiter to work harder, spend more time sourcing, following up and reaching out.” Summerville offers a potential compromise to her R&D professionals. “In the last three years, only one person has told me that they want to come in to the office. Of course, they cannot do their experiments from home but they can do their data analysis from home. I am on site 2-3 times a month. We bring the community together on a regular basis for corporate training and other reasons.”

A RECESSION WON’T ALLEVIATE CANDIDATE SHORTAGES

“Seven out of 10 recruiters say it’s getting harder, according to Walshe. “The pandemic has accelerated the trend, but it doesn’t take ‘black swan’ events to make recruitment tough. Recruiters need to change the way they approach a fast-changing market. They need to be matchmakers driving great relationship building, at the same time focusing on how to use data to find the candidate with the right skills.”

“Job hopping is our biggest challenge,” said Cefola. “A recession probably won’t have as much of an effect as it has had historically. Shortages are likely to remain the same for at least 12 to 18 months. The market will break at one point where talent just becomes unaffordable.” Roman added: “We can make a hire and the first day they are going into the office, they will get a better offer.” Ghosting can also be a problem, says Williams. “Our largest client is the military and we require background checks that could go back 25 years. A candidate may have a concern about their past but not share it with you. Then they’ll get to a certain point in the process and just disappear.” Candidate independence can also have an upside, according to Burke. “For the longest time, we had to go through universities to find talent, and it was costly. Now it’s a ‘direct to consumer’ model. Now students will apply to massive numbers of jobs, and we’ll have lots of candidates to screen through.”

SMALLER EMPLOYERS NEED TO CAST A WIDER NET

Branding can benefit resourcing, according to James Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, Babylon Health. “One of the challenges I run into now is that we don’t have a recognized brand in the market so we need to convince leaders to be more flexible. They wanted us to hire only in certain cities, but we need to cast a wider net.” Walshe concludes, “The best recruiters can woo even the most passive candidates, but they also need the data to influence their organization’s hiring strategy.”

TALiNT International US Issue 2

A new way. A better way. Changing the way the world recruits talent with workforce solutions that put people first.

MSP RPO SOW TTM

We champion a better way; a more forward thinking way of working.

#ABetterWay guidantglobal.com 48

TALiNT International US Issue 2

Recruiting beyond your traditional workforce There is no question that demand is outweighing supply across the board. That’s why employers need to reach out to untapped tapped pools. An inclusive talent strategy is essential in this market.” Robin Sanders, US SVP of Client Solutions, Guidant Global

mployers often lament that they’ve saturated the talent market. Their recruitment efforts bring dwindling results, without the hires they need to innovate and grow. This scenario is especially common in the technology, engineering and energy sectors, as well as in life sciences, financial and professional services. “There is no question that demand is outweighing supply across the board. That’s why employers need to reach out to untapped talent pools. An inclusive talent strategy is essential in this market,” said Robin Sanders, US SVP of Client Solutions for Guidant Global – a Managed Services Provider (MSP) named Talent Solutions Power List Leaders for D&I. “Put opportunities in front of more people and consider alternative staffing arrangements – temporary, contract, freelance.” Employers can break down barriers to their staffing challenges by widening their

lens to include gender, ethnic and racial diversity, as well as unrepresented applicant communities. For example, according to a piece in Forbes, the normalization of remote work has made it easier for people with disabilities to build thriving careers. The time is right for companies to consider proactive and inclusive recruitment campaigns targeting veterans, LGBTQ+ talent, part-time retirees, new graduates, career changers, and those with historic criminal convictions.

COMMUNICATING AN AUTHENTIC MESSAGE

“Of course, there are cautions against aggressively going to market to attract candidates that don’t know the company or possibly have misconceptions about the company,” stated Sanders. “I advise our clients to be thoughtful in communicating their brand and employer value proposition to new candidate populations.” TALiNT International US Issue 2

It’s hard to overstate the value of a strong and memorable employer brand. The brand should be both inspirational and aspirational, speaking to the attributes that differentiate the company. It should articulate the company culture, values and vision for the future.

seekers who feel an affinity with what the company does and stands for.

Existing employees are the best source in helping to develop – or update – an employer brand and value proposition. Ask them for their input via focus groups or online surveys. Be sure to include new hires, long-tenured employees, diversity leaders and others who can point out what makes the company an attractive career choice.

“In one instance, we used a targeted social and programmatic marketing campaign to increase female hires by 10% in one month for an industrial manufacturer.”

Employers need to tell an authentic story that brings everyone along with a shared purpose. It’s important that there is an inclusive sense of community – for permanent and contingent employees, alike. A consistently messaged employer brand will build a reputation among job

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Sanders shared case studies to drive home the value of deliberately attracting a non-traditional workforce with branded communications.

“We also developed and implemented a strategy to hire and onboard 2,000 contingent workers for this same company. We pulled from diverse talent pools to find workers who could be flexible with production line needs.” Contingent staffing is another way to cast a wider net to attract people who are not in your traditional talent pool.

Companies benefit from formal service level agreements, vendor performance management, regular reporting against key performance indicators, and real-time data on workforce usage and spend.” Robin Sanders, US SVP of Client Solutions, Guidant Global

Particularly as the number of freelancers, independent contractors and statementof-work (SOW) laborers continues to grow, estimated at up to 40 percent of all workers worldwide.

PUTTING NEW STRATEGIES INTO ACTION

Researching new talent pools. Recruiting through targeted channels. Maintaining employer brand integrity. Sourcing and managing contingent labor. Yes, implementing new approaches to staffing can require considerable effort. “It’s not easy for already overburdened HR teams take on concurrent workstreams to ramp up new talent strategies. That’s where an MSP provider can make sense in direct sourcing for diverse talent,” Sanders explained.

“MSP providers do the heavy lifting… identifying, engaging, vetting, hiring, onboarding and paying workers.” “Companies benefit from formal service level agreements, vendor performance management, regular reporting against key performance indicators, and real-time data on workforce usage and spend. Guidant Global also offers their ‘Influence Consortium’ of diversity partners and vendors for outreach to non-traditional talent pools.” Bottom line? Recruiting permanent hires from traditional talent pools is no longer enough. Targeting flexible contingent workers from diverse backgrounds is now essential. Look beyond the obvious to find hidden gems.

TALiNT International US Issue 2

Building bridges: The best TA tech The pace of change in the talent acquisition (TA) tech market accelerated from fast to furious during the global pandemic, with an ever-growing number of technology companies providing more wide ranging and creative solutions for attracting and hiring talent in a virtual process, across a global market.

Debra Sparshott Research and Insights Director

The simpler, smarter and faster use of technology underpins Resource Solutions’ ability to meet and exceed our clients’ needs. We maintain a partner network of providers who are selected for their ability to make a truly positive impact on the recruitment experience. This is continually reviewed to ensure it remains cutting edge and enables our mission to empower people and organizations to fulfill their unique potential.” Daniel Masters, Head of Product and Solutions, Resource Solutions

he impact on talent solutions providers was profound, creating opportunities to be transformational, both in terms of client service provision, and fulfillment of their own recruitment needs, against a backdrop of an unprecedented resurgence of global hiring demand. Understanding the implications of these factors is without doubt, one of the most important areas for the Talent Solutions Power List (TSPL) and this paper sets out the key areas where the top performing talent solutions performers really stand out. The TSPL has three key objectives: • To enable employers who are considering or changing a recruitment outsourcing provider to 52

TALiNT International US Issue 2

make an informed decision based on their own specific needs. • To help recruitment outsourcing providers to clearly demonstrate their expertise in relevant areas based on an independent, rigorous evaluation. • To provide confidential feedback to providers on ways in which they can finely tune the services they offer to respond effectively to customer needs and market trends. The TSPL examined how the adaptation of the recruitment outsourcing industry, in response to new market conditions, has altered the scope of services and the capability of providers in both the assessment and deployment of effective TA tech for their clients.

iven the factors outlined above, it is perhaps no surprise that one of the key findings illustrates just how much time and effort is required to keep up with the evolution of recruitment tools and technology, and how the top performing talent solution providers are sharing the load by encouraging tech curiosity, as part of their organizational mindset, across their entire workforce.

The TSPL has identified five distinct factors, which underpin highly effective deployment of technology in recruitment delivery: CONSISTENT FOCUS

In the context of the recruitment lifecycle, selecting the right technology impacts the quality of hire, the experience of everyone involved in the process and the value of data captured. The most effective providers are harnessing the combined visibility of sales, innovation, IT, project, and operational teams to create a collaborative, constant stream of tech development insight. A common mistake is to leave out the client-facing teams, who not only have the clearest view of existing plans and challenges within their accounts, but also the greatest opportunity to discuss

innovation with key stakeholders. This can create a two-tier tech service with new client tech solutions outshining those of existing accounts. Giving client-facing teams access to digital trends and a consistent voice in tech discovery can bring a better perspective and increase the connection between innovation and actual client challenges.

APPLICATION AND OUTPUT

Ability to assess technology for impact, rather than functionality, is central to smart decision-making. This starts with understanding and optimizing use of the technology already in place; only then can an accurate needs analysis be done. High performing solutions providers can confidently assess tech output across the entire recruitment lifecycle, to understand how a tool would improve process, user experience and business intelligence. Talent solutions providers are generally good at assessing and selecting the right TA tech for core sourcing and screening activities however, there was less capability in assessing tools for supply chain management and support of internal mobility, particularly when the core model is direct external hiring. TALiNT International US Issue 2

TALENT SOLUTIONS POWER LIST

Given the increasing importance of, and focus on internal talent, those providers with services to meet this need are well-placed to harness the current demand and take an early lead. In tech evaluation the priority is to look beyond clever functionality and focus on the problem being solved.

ACCESS TO EXPERTISE

Effective use of technology suppliers to understand the evolution of their specific market is a differentiator when it comes to outstanding tech deployment. Leveraging external expertise expands internal capability for talent solutions providers, reducing the risk of falling behind the market in solution development, or perception of current service maturity. Providers who foster strong tech partnerships are benefiting from borrowed speed, agility, and risk management, which can not always be achieved in a “build rather than buy” tech strategy. Ability to assess the balance between cost and benefit in tech procurement is an important differentiator. Whilst most are confident in assessing functionality, user experience and platform stability, accurate estimates of cost against efficiency opportunity are more difficult. The cost of no change is not always clear or considered, creating a false comparison in analysis of impact. Those with clear visibility of their cost of service to inform their tech assessment process stand to realize better ROI, (or better clarity of the numbers at least). Top performing providers have a high level of cross-functional collaboration in tech budgetary discussions, with involvement across operations, business development and back-office functions, ensuring a broad perspective of both cost and benefit. 54

TALiNT International US Issue 2

AVOIDING IMPLEMENTATION PITFALLS

Technology implementation is central to talent solutions deployment and with experience comes confidence. The integration of new technology with existing systems remains an area of challenge, particularly where a tech stack has expanded reactively rather than through planning. Effective realization of benefit cases varies and, given the requirement of transparency and collaboration for effective analysis, depends as much on the partnership between client and provider as the capability of the latter. The top performers all prioritize review and feedback in their technology deployment process; capturing lessons learned as part of an ongoing pursuit of continuous improvement. The growth in the number and complexity of tech solutions on the market shows no sign of slowing down and as they play an ever more central role in all categories of recruitment, the cost of selecting the wrong tech solution is strategically damaging to hiring capability, user experience and brand reputation. The best results are being achieved through a shift in attitude, at an organizational level, to embrace continuous tech curiosity and contribution, to seek the support of experts and to center decisions on change impact and overall benefit to service quality.

LEADERS IN DEPLOYMENT OF TECHNOLOGY

Tech to enhance an Insurance Business Graduate Scheme Lorien has supported their long-term client, a leading insurance business, by implementing a variety of engaging tech platforms to enhance candidate experience, maximize efficiency for both account teams and hiring managers, while maintaining a human touch throughout. Using Milkround, to distribute adverts onto other job sites and university careers pages ensures wide reach to the graduate audience. Applicants receive an automatic link to a chatbot in RoboRecruiter, which pre-screens candidates against set criteria, increasing the efficiency of the hiring process for large volumes of applicants, automatically progressing or rejecting candidates on results. Applicants passing a telephone pre-screen interview are sent a link to Arctic Shores, for gamified assessment of ‘soft skills’ and cultural alignment, configured to reflect internal and external changes. Finally, shortlisted candidates take part in a live video interview in Hinterview which effectively increases candidate engagement and buy-in from hiring managers who can review recorded interviews at a time to suit them. Client results: Wide attraction to relevant audience, efficient pre-screening of high application volumes, engaging and relevant assessment, agile video interviewing for candidates and managers.

INCREASING QUALITY OF SERVICE BY REPURPOSING TECH

Freshdesk at a global investment bank Resource Solutions introduced Freshdesk for a US client to test the effectiveness of automatic workload distribution in their coordination delivery. Using deep process understanding and exploration of gaps in the tech stack, they developed a completely new use case for this technology in recruitment – it was the first of its kind for Freshdesk.

The Freshdesk deployment enhanced rather than replaced the team; improving the candidate and hiring manager experience through increased productivity, better workload prioritization and faster query resolution. Success metrics include: • 100% automatic workload automation and 100% allocation accuracy • 68 hours (1.7-week FTE) saved during the first two (2) months with zero hours spent on manual tracking due to Freshdesk analytics • 100% reduction in requests for missing information • Real-time reporting and automatic reminders/escalations provided an improved service, faster, reaching 99% KPI fulfillment, and increased candidate and hiring manager satisfaction rates.

TALiNT International US Issue 2

Connecting the talent ecosystem: We bring together a global network of leading employers and solution providers to make better talent and technology decisions.