Vision of the future - Plus...TIARA 2020 Recruitment Awards Winner Supplement - Talint Partners
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Nov / Dec 2020 Vision of
the future
What post-pandemic HR &
Recruitment challenges will
drive talent tech innovation?
Plus...TIARA 2020
Recruitment Awards
Winner Supplement
The perfect fit
for recruitment
The next chapter
in recruitment software.
www.itris.co.uk
01
Leader
The burning platform
What are the new priorities for employers, recruiters and candidates that talent tech needs to
address and why do we need a crisis to get people to use these tools properly?
We have reported on some great examples We also explored new recruiter models that
of tech transformation over the last year, and deliver more value to employers, and how best
recognised a few with TIARA awards. to invest in tech transformation to enhance
equity value and future proof services.
NHS Professionals won this year's TIARA
Innovation Award for its Rapid Response Poor adoption and implementation are still the
initiative, which meant having to accelerate a biggest barriers to successful transformation,
major transformation programme. Cpl UK won Alex Evans, with a burning platform often required to
the TIARA Tech Transformation Award for the Executive Editor address it. Read on for more insights, and more
speed of design and implentation of its MyCpl answers to the industry's buring questions.
platform to source vital staff for Ireland's HSE.
Speaking at our (virtual) World Leaders in
Recruitment conference earlier this month,
CEOs of both organisations observed that
As many of our TIARA winning leaders
communicating a clear sense of purpose and observed this year, take the energy from this
a problem that needed fixing enabled them to
achieve the engagement needed to pivot and crisis and direct it into a purpose that brings
transform at speed and scale.
your team together - whether it's supporting
Julia Robertson, CEO of Impellam, echoed the healthcare system or driving D&I.
this in her lockdown leadership lesson. "We
had begun a major transformation and had to
decide whether to continue though lockdown
or focus on survival," she explained. "We chose
to transform because Covid shone a spotlight
on all of the things we needed to change. This
added to workloads but it gave a clear vision and
hope for the future while justifying the tough
decisions." About TALiNT Partners
TALiNT Partners provides insight, content,
A legacy lesson from this panel and other connections and strategic support to the world’s
leaders in TALiNT events over the last couple of recruitment & talent acquisition leaders.
months is to take the energy from this crisis and We work hard to connect, collaborate and
direct it into a purpose that brings your team concentrate our efforts to ensure our events,
together - whether it's supporting the healthcare experiences, consultancy and media solutions
system or driving D&I. offer the best support for the talent industry.
The big question going into 2021, particularly Published by Talent Intelligence Partners Ltd
in light of hopes for the new vaccines that will Upper Ground Floor
be deployed in coming months, is how can you 18 Farnham Road
Look out for more Guildford
achieve the same sense of urgency, engagement insights from our World
and forgiveness around tech transformation Leaders in Recruitment Surrey GU1 4XA
without a global crisis? event in the Jan / Feb www.talint.co.uk
issue of TALiNT
International and
This month, we invited TIARA-winning recruiters, highlights from the
RPOs and Talent Tech Stars to highlight the big Tipping Point for talent Editorial: alex@talint.co.uk
new post-pandemic problems that need fixing leaders Features: dawncreativemedia@outlook.com
and what will drive innovation. Advertising & Sponsorship: andy@talint.co.uk
02
TALiNT Scene
TALiNT had a busy September with Ireland and Benelux conferences, roundtables with private
and public sector heads of TA and M&A webinars for Agency, RPO and HR Tech leaders...
22nd Sept - TALiNT Partners
and Osborne Clarke kicked
off the PointSix M&A in a
week series of webinars
by exploring the risks
and rewards of build,
buy or partner for tech
transformation with the
OC's Andrew Saul and
Optima's Philip Ellis. PointSix
members Luke Williams,
CEO of Ignata and Maria
Vavoulas, COO of The Hive,
shared lessons their build
and partner experiences
(see their case studies on
page 24).
22nd Sept - Research by Oleeo and
Aptitude Partners found that 63% of
companies say quality of hire is their
greatest challenge and 80% consider
this a recruitment metric, not a hiring
manager metric. This means TA leaders
are being held accountable for what
happens once a candidate has accepted
an offer, but few organisations have a
standard around measuring it.
How can talent acquisition teams keep
their recruiting seamless? How can they
deliver good candidate experience and
add value to the business when talent
supply exceeds demand? TALiNT Partners
hosted a webinar discussion to explore
some practical solutions with Jennifer
Herbert, Head of People at Oleeo, and
Tom Webb-Skinner, Resourcing Manager
at British Transport Police (BTP).
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020
03
23rd Sept - Day two of PointSix M&A
in a week brought together Matthew
Bodfield from Osborne Clarke; Bruce
Trewhella of Access Group; and Sohail
Ahmad of Azlan Advisory for a buy
and sell side perspective on the M&A
landscape for Recruitment and HR
tech firms - with a wealth of data and
insight on deals and predictions for the
next 3 to 6 months.
24th Sept - Osborne Clarke's Frances Lewis outlines
the three new recruiter models that investors are most
interested in, and why, with an update on M&A deals
and drivers from Clearwater's Marcus Archer. Adam
Thompson, CEO of TIARA Talent Tech Star Winner
JoinedUp shared his experiences of building a Saas
platform out of a recruitment business and VHR CEO
Danny Brooks explained how training talent to order has
helped him build long-term client relationships. See their
case studies on page 28.
24th Sept - TALiNT's Benelux event for Inhouse Leaders
presented insight from partners Bullhorn and Jobteaser and
peer learning from speakers including Jennifer Boulanger,
Head of Talent at Lovevery; Veronika Brantova, Employer
Relations Manager at Rotterdam School of Management,
Erasmus University; and Patrick Philips, Career Counsellor at
Trinity College Dublin Business School.
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020
04
TALiNT Scene
TALiNT brought together agency and inhouse leaders at its virtual World Leaders and Tipping
Point events with some of the industry's most influential and knowledgable speakers
25th Sept - The final webinar in the
PointSix M&A in a week series brought
together Thomas Leister from Osborne
Clarke's German office; 6CATS chairman
Graham Pulfery-Smith; and Antal
International founder & chairman Tony
Goodwin to share insights on the best
new markets for recruiters to expand
into and how to manage the risks.
30th Sept - TALiNT's Public
Sector event for Inhouse
Leaders presented practioner
perspectives on post-Covid TA
challenges from Paul Deemer,
Head of Diversity and Inclusion
at NHS Confederation; Tom
Webb-Skinner, Resourcing
Manager at British Transport
Police and Douglas Shirlaw,
Chief Digital Officer at COSLA
shared insights alongside
sponsors Hollaroo and Oleeo.
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020
05
22nd October - Fifteen HR and Talent
Leaders from the north west joined
TALiNT and sponsor Cornerstone on
Demand to debate the evolving role
of TA as it increasingly encompasses
more activities traditionally
associated with talent management.
This fascinating discussion also
included re-purposing existing
technology to meet some of the
challenges presented by Covid and a
brilliant example from Foot Asylum
on how to reject candidates with
empathy (which is worth an editorial
in it's own right, and you can read it
on page 20).
4th November - Our World
Leaders in Recruitment event
brought together leaders of
several multi-billion recruiters
including Julia Robertson of
Impellam, James Reed, Nicola
McQueen of NHS Professionals
and Affi Kahn of newly merged Cpl
UK to share their lockdown lessons
on leadership and technology.
The event was supported by
SourceBreaker, Bullhorn and
BlueSky PR, with insights from Nat
West economist Neil Parker.
10th November - This year's
Tipping Point was supported by
Arctic Shores, Omni and Reed
Talent Solutions. Attendees
enjoyed hosted virtual discussions
with afternoon tea and two great
keynotes: one from British writer,
broadcaster and former politician
Trevor Philips and the other from
work happiness and career change
expert Emma Rosen, author of
'The Radical Sabbatical'.
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020
06
Contents Contributors
08 News analysis
08 Youth job crisis 'worst in decades'
09 Workers still unconvinced on gig economy
10 80% of workers 'don't have right skills'
11 Improved trading boosts recruiter results
12 Oz recruiters surf market recovery
14 Cover feature Katrina Hutchinson O'Neill Adam Hawkins
14 What are the post-pandemic drivers of Join Talent LinkedIn
talnt tech and TA innovation?
20 Candidate rejection
20 The art of saying no from Footasylum
24 Build or buy & why?
24 Which tech transformation model has the
lowest risk and the highest reward?
28 Recruiter models Chris Gray
ManpowerGroup
Pam Beard
Guidant Global
28 How training, consultancy & Saas services
are helping recruiters to create more value
30 TIARA Recruitment
Awards Winners
30 Profiling 16 award winning recruiters
62 Search & Selection
62 How to streamline candidate experience Maria Vavoulas Michael Rendell
with higher volumes of applications The Hive Nala Ventures
65 Share schemes
65 Making incentives work for top talent
66 TALiNT Talk
66 Debra Sparshott asks if HR is making the
most of their talent tech
Picture credits: Shutterstock, iStockphoto and Unsplash
Cover: iStockphoto Duncan Cheatle Louise Rayner
LearnAmp NumberMill
Disclaimer: This publication has been prepared for the exclusive
use and benefit of the readers of TALiNT International and other
contacts of TALiNT Partners and is for information purposes only.
Unless we provide express prior written consent, no part of this
publication should be reproduced, distributed, or communicated
to any third party. You must not rely on the information in this
publication as an alternative to advice from an appropriately
qualified professional. In no event shall TALiNT Partners or
any of those contributing to this publication be liable for any
special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages
or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract,
negligence, or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the
contents of this publication. Frances Lewis Richard Collis
Osborne Clarke Saffery Champness
© Talent Intelligence Partners
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020
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08
D&I
Youth jobs crisis 'is worst in decades'
Around one in five young people
who were furloughed during the first
lockdown have since lost their jobs,
according to new research by The
Resolution Foundation.
The independent think tank warns
that the UK may be facing its highest
level of youth unemployment in four
decades.
Supported by the Health Foundation,
the ‘Jobs, Jobs, Jobs’ report draws
on an online YouGov survey of 6,061
314K
The furlough extension is no help to
adults across the UK to analyse how many under the age of 25
the labour market has changed
during the first eight months of the
number of
crisis. Of all surveyed workers who
redundancies in
have been furloughed during the survey implies an unemployment rate
the last quarter
pandemic, around half have returned of 7% in September – well above the
according to ONS
to work, one in three are still fully or latest official figures of 4.8% – rising
partially furloughed, and almost one to 20% among 18 to 24 year olds.
in ten (9%) have lost their jobs. This would mean the UK is already
facing the highest levels of youth these struggling sectors are flowing
The post-furloughing fall into unemployment in four decades. into areas of the labour market that
unemployment has been most are able to grow during this pandemic.
common among 18 to 24 year olds The report notes that fewer than
(19%), workers from black, Asian and half of those who have lost their jobs Commenting on the findings, Kathleen
minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds since March had found new work by Henehan, Senior Research and Policy
(22%) and those previously working September, falling to just one in three Analyst at the Resolution Foundation,
on insecure contracts (22%). among young people, and 36% of said: “Even if the public health crisis
people in hard-hit sectors. recedes in a few months’ time,
The Foundation adds that the scale Britain’s jobs crisis will be with us for
of unemployment identified in its There is little sign that workers exiting far longer.”
New tool to rank employers for D&I
A new ratings system introduced by FAQ resource offering a list of the
Glassdoor is set to separate the most popular questions job seekers
companies that are genuinely ask about companies, with responses
committed to Diversity & Inclusion taken from submitted reviews.
from those leveraging the trend to
improve their profile. Glassdoor Communications Director
Joe Wiggins says the company’s
The ‘Diversity & Inclusion Rating’ is research shows more than half of UK
Glassdoor’s newest workplace factor employees and job seekers trust
giving employees the opportunity to other employees the most when they
rate how satisfied they are at their want to find out what a company is
current or former company, based on really like to work for, whether
a five-point scale. The website discussing diversity, culture, career
enables workers to anonymously prospects or pay. In comparison, less
submit reviews. than one in 10 would trust the
company website and a mere 4%
The platform is also debuting a new would trust company recruiters.
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 202009
Employment
Recruiters welcome furlough extension
Industry leaders have praised the
government’s extended furlough
scheme as a much-needed support
for UK businesses as redundancies
hit record levels.
While unemployment climbs,
recruiters see a glimmer of light
ahead due to a hiring resurgence. UK
unemployment increased to 4.8% in
the three months to September,
according to the latest update from
230k
the ONS, with young people among
the worst affected.
The Institute for Employment Studies
jobs likely to be saved
Redundancies surged to a record predicts 600,000 lay-offs by December
by the Jobs Support
314,000, an increase of a record Scheme according to
181,000 on the quarter, reflecting the IPPR
how many companies made a third below normal levels. The job
employees redundant as they site’s October market report showed
prepared for the end of the furlough promising signs, with an 8.9% increase strengthening economy and continued
scheme, originally slated for October. in UK vacancies from August to government support for our
September – but the second businesses big and small.”
The Govt’s decision to extend lockdown stalled recovery.
furlough until March, announced as APSCo called for greater clarity and
England went into its second Hunter warns of another redundancy swifter action over coming months.
lockdown, is clearly too late for many. spike once support is removed. “It’s “Confusion as to the exact support
However, recruitment experts have clear that many sectors are keeping a available and delayed responses have
widely backed the extension as a lid on hiring while we battle the impacted staffing companies across
necessary initiative. second wave of the virus,” Hunter the country, leading to jobs lost and
says. “Confidence is key to getting some businesses placed in difficulty,”
Andrew Hunter, Co-founder of Britain hiring again, and that will said Tania Bowers, APSCo Legal
Adzuna, says hiring is tracking around come from keeping the virus at bay, a Counsel and Head of Public Policy.
Workers still unconvinced on gig economy
Four out of five workers would the future of work, drawing on
rather have a permanent job than surveys of more than 11,000 workers
be their own boss in a freelance or in six countries, including the UK.
contract role, according to a new
study by the ADP Research Institute. While many workers coming off
furlough face an uncertain future, a
Even though the gig economy is considerable number will join the gig
booming, many workers believe that economy. One in seven workers in the
a permanent job is preferable for a UK job market are on flexible
host of reasons including regular contracts, up 25% in the last two
hours, better pay, timely payments, decades.
and the ability to get credit.
Expected growth in the flexible
The ADP Workforce View 2020 workforce is creating new tech
Volume Two post-Covid-19 report challenges and opportunities for
explored how employees felt about recruitment, RPO and umbrella firms.
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 202010
Workforce
80% of workers 'don't have right skills'
Just 16% of new employees possess
the skills they need for their current
and future roles, which highlights
why employers are struggling to hire
quality talent, according to global
research and advisory firm Gartner.
Despite an increasing number of
job-seekers in the market, companies
need to dramatically rethink their
recruitment strategies to find the
workers they need. Gartner data
shows that existing roles may require
up to 10 new skills by 2021, at a time
when economic instability has made
traditional talent pools less viable as
70%
high-quality candidates with
traditional qualifications are unlikely
to leave their current positions.
Hiring managers need to consider talent
Lauren Smith, Vice President in the from different locations and backgrounds. of STEM employers
Gartner HR practice, advocates that are struggling to find
organisations pivot from ‘replacing the right talent
the workforce’ to ‘shaping the quality of hire. High-quality talent can
workforce’ – that is, placing less stock have a significant impact on business
on traditional talent pools and outcomes, including individuals who
sourcing more broadly, defining successfully perform in their roles still actively hiring – but 70% say
needs based on skills rather than 20% faster and teams that get a 19% finding the right talent is a challenge.
hiring profiles, and creating boost in their ability to meet future
responsive employment value challenges.” However, more than half of specialist
propositions (EVPs). recruiters said hiring managers in
TECH DEMAND STEM industries were unwilling to
“Traditional recruiting methods are STEM (Science, Technology, consider a larger pool of candidates
unable to compete with the large- Engineering and Mathematics) is a – for example, people from different
scale shifts to the workplace and the prime example of an area where new locations or backgrounds – limiting
labour market,” she says. thinking is desperately required to available talent for interview. The
combat chronic skills shortages. survey canvassed more than 1,000
“The best recruiting functions that Recent research by UK global international STEM leaders and niche
excel in these workforce-shaping recruiter SThree found three quarters recruitment experts, as well as SThree
behaviours see a 24% increase in of employers in STEM industries are internal data.
Shrinking TA teams more reliant on RPOs
An increasing number of employers departments. This is according to a positions quickly.
are turning to RPOs to meet new new report by Alexander Mann
hiring challenges. Solutions and Aptitude Research In its own survey of HR and
which examines talent acquisition Procurement professionals, Guidant
In early 2020, 8% of companies used trends across North America, EMEA Global found that just 21% currently
an outsourced model, but during the and APAC. It found that 38% of have Total Talent Acquisition strategies
pandemic this number doubled as companies put their recruitment on in place and 72% indicated that they
almost half of companies experienced hold as a result of Covid-19 and over will be exploring this within the next
layoffs across their talent acquisition 60% said their top priority is filling two years.
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 202011
Industry
Improved trading boosts recruiter results
ManpowerGroup, Adecco, Randstad,
Hays and PageGroup all welcomed
better third quarter results from
improved trading conditions, despite
continued uncertainty about a
sustained recovery.
Manpower reported revenue of $4.6
billion, a 13% decline from the prior
year period. While the results were
impacted by $50 million in
restructuring costs as well as a
weaker US dollar, the group pointed
to five months of improvement since
April.
500
of the UK's top
performing recruiters
At Adecco, revenue was down 15% are ranked by turnover,
year-on-year organically and trading NFI and PBT at https://
days adjusted (TDA), and down 18% powerlist.talint.co.uk/
on a reported basis, but with on year. CEO Jacques van den Broek
broad-based improvement as the says trading conditions gradually
quarter progressed. The company recovered in most of the group’s
reported its gross margin was up 20 markets during the quarter, with stable and there had been some
bps year-on-year to 19.6% (up 40 bps positive momentum continuing in improvements in Perm, particularly in
organically), and an EBITA margin October. markets previously hardest hit by
excluding one-offs of 4.5%, with an lockdowns.
organic recovery ratio at 64%. Hays reported an 29% overall drop in
net fees for the third quarter, with a PageGroup announced a gross profit
GRADUAL RECOVERY 35% decline in permanent fees and a of £143.5 million for the third quarter,
Randstad reported a 13.1% decline in 25% drop in temporary fees. The UK down 31.9%, compared to a 47.6%
organic growth for the quarter on and Ireland were the hardest hit in decline for the second quarter. The
underlying EBITA of €199 million, an the group’s portfolio, down 34%. Chief group declared a “strong cash
EBITA margin of 3.9%, and a gross Executive Alistair Cox says the Temp position” of around £152 million net
margin of 18.9%, down 120bp year business has remained encouragingly at the end of September.
Resilient recruiters must focus on talent
Consultant retention is a key Income (NFI) in excess of £50 million benefits of automation and
challenge for recruiters who have indicated optimism had remained, cloud-based systems.
shown resilience through the with an average score of eight.
pandemic, according to new survey The high attrition long prevalent
findings from APSCo and However, gaps in staff retention and across hiring companies is another
accountants Saffery Champness. technology investment could hinder potential problem for growth,
progress. The research found that though smaller firms appear to be
The survey asked businesses to score 83% of firms with an NFI over £10 faring slightly better than larger
their company between one and 10 million have, or continue to develop, ones in this regard. Over 53% of
across a number of operational, sector-specific technology; but 35% of firms with an NFI below £10 million
organisational and financial criteria, those with an NFI under £2 million scored themselves eight and above,
with 10 indicating ‘best in class’. scored themselves less than five on whilst just 46% of companies with
When assessing operational tech, indicating many smaller an NFI greater than £50 million
resilience, those with a Net Fee companies have yet to reap the rated themselves as highly.
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 202012
International
TRC & PI each win the double at Aus TIARAs
Winners of the 2020 TIARA
Recruitment Awards in Australia Find out more about
were revealed in a virtual ceremony this year's winners
attended by more than 100 leaders and why they won
from the country’s top performing at https://aus.
Recruitment companies. tiara.talint.co.uk/
winners-2020/
“On the back of one of the hardest
trading periods on record, this year’s
pandemic-defying TIARA winners
have triumphed to achieve continued
growth and development in their
businesses," said David Head,
Director of TALiNT Partners, who The Recruitment Company won two awards
hosted the TIARAs on 13th for innovative use of tech & best training
November.
People Infrastructure and The The Recruit Wizard Client Service people2people who won the Recruit
Recruitment Company were both Award and Morgan McKinley who Wizard Candidate Experience Award
multiple Award winners, each won the Best Mid-Sized Recruitment and Launch Recruitment who took
completing the ‘double’. People Company To Work For accolade. home the Bullhorn CSR Initiative of
Infrastructure were successful in both the Year. The Volcanic Brand of the
the Bullhorn Diversity & Inclusion Several companies made a successful Year was won by Smaart and the
Award as well as The Best Large return, winning trophies for the Growth Company of the Year went to
Recruitment Company To Work For. second or third year running. HorizonOne.
The Recruitment Company were TaylorCare were crowned The
victorious in the Most Innovative Use Volcanic Specialist Recruitment Long term sponsor of the Awards the
of Technology and the Best Training & Company of the Year and Harrier held Ayers Group was on hand to present
Development Award. onto their Best RPO crown. two awards. The Ayers Group Rising
Star Award went to Talenza and the
New winners this year included There were also wins for Horner in Ayers Group Best Small Recruitment
Sullivan Consulting who picked up the Back-Office Team of the Year, Company went to Entrée.
Oz and Kiwi recruiters surf global recovery
International recruitment markets positive picture of the recruitment back from April and has flatlined since
are bouncing back from the impact sector as they demonstrate market June, likely due to the country’s low
of the global pandemic, but new recovery and an upward trend for Covid case numbers helping them to
waves in the UK, the US and Canada new jobs, placements and agency return to ‘Business as Usual’.
are prolonging economic user numbers.
uncertainty, new research reveals. New job orders in the UK climbed back
“While it is very encouraging to see consistently from April, with a big surge
The inaugural 2020 Global the market showing signs of recovery, in September, while the US and Canada
Recruitment Report, released by it’s prudent to remain cautiously have steadily grown.
recruitment software company optimistic as there is still significant
JobAdder, takes a deep dive into the economic uncertainty." TEMP RECOVERY SLOWER
impact of Covid-19 on the Australian Australia and New Zealand have shown
and New Zealand markets, compared From May, new job orders started to steady growth in permanent
to markets such as the UK, the US climb again in Australia, although placements since April, but temporary
and Canada. there was a small drop off in August, placements in Australia were slower to
where the impact of Melbourne’s bounce back. New Zealand bounced
Commenting on the main findings, ‘second wave’ and the subsequent back fast in May with a worrying drop
JobAdder CEO Martin Herbst says: lock-down laws were likely to blame. in September, potentially due to an
“Overall, the numbers paint a fairly New Zealand saw a powerful bounce election.
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 202014
Cover feature - Talent Tech Trends
“Helping people upskill and adapt to this fast-changing world of work will be
the defining challenge of our time. The future of work will require different
skills and leaders will need to focus on reskilling and upskilling their people
more than ever before.”
Chris Gray, Salees & Marketing Director, ManpowerGroup
The Covid catalyst
What are the post-pandemic drivers of tech transformation for employers and what new problems do
talent solution providers need to solve?
As Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said recently, but it has also created new management
“We’ve seen two years’ worth of digital challenges and client expectations.
transformation in two months”. Covid 19 has
accelerated change in how we work, and the “Moving to 100% virtual working has had its
adoption of technology and data to work challenges, but recruiters have proved that they
smarter. The pandemic has created new talent can maintain productivity and performance
challenges, so what are the key priorities for levels,” says Adam Hawkins, TIARA judge and
employers, how have their vendor expectations By Alex Evans, Head of Search Staffing at LinkedIn. “This shift
changed, and what will drive innovation in talent Executive Editor means that recruitment firms are now able to
solutions 2021? offer their people more options around where
they work, which enables greater diversity in the
Who better to ask than winners of our TIARA industry by creating more options for working
Talent Solutions Awards and Talent Tech Star parents and people with dependents.
Awards – and those who judged them?
“Customers expect greater agility from recruiters
“The pandemic and the resulting economic in terms of managing the entire hiring process
difficulties have brought about three major virtually and seamlessly. Firms that have the
challenges for organisations when it comes to technology infrastructure to support everything
their people,” says Stuart Hearn, CEO of Clear from virtual interviews to onboarding will be
Review, which was voted Talent Tech Champion those that maintain strong client relationships.”
of Champions in September.
This was an expectation before the pandemic,
“Firstly, most organisations have had to with early adopters better able to adapt than
dramatically change their talent strategy. their competitors.
Secondly, cost cutting means most organisations
need to get more for less from people, which “Employers are looking for a higher value and
means improving employee productivity and
performance. Thirdly, remote or 'hybrid working'
is here to stay, so managers need to motivate
and support their staff to deliver work and
“The pandemic has put real pressure on
develop their skills with less face to face time. technology that allows for collaboration across
“And all this is set against a backdrop of teams and individuals in different locations.
increased levels of personal stress and anxiety New solutions need to adapt to the large
due to the pandemic, so employee wellbeing is
critical alongside the need for greater brainstorming meeting and the more intimate
productivity. These are the challenges that
organisations are coming to Clear Review to
one on one, where feedback and career
solve right now.” coaching can be given.”
Technology may have enabled remote working, Michael Rendell, Founding Partner, Nala Ventures
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020360-degree service. A solution that truly comes candidates and clients alike want seamless
up the value chain and comfortably blurs the services.”
lines between ‘vendor and client’ is what we
believe a modern partnership will be founded Compliance has moved up the priority list as the
upon,” observes Katrina Hutchinson O’Neill, CEO Government has introduced more employment
of Join Talent and winner of the TIARA Best New legislation that affects contingent labour. “This is
Talent Solution Award. coming from all angles, from HMRC, BEIS, DWP,
Katrina Hutchinson
highlighting non- compliance and tax evasion in
O'Neill, Join Talent
“The drivers of tech transformation are not any their spotlights,” says Louise Rayner, CEO of
different than before; it’s just the focus areas NumberMill, shortlisted for a Contractor and a
within that which have either been dialled up or Compliance Solution of the Year award for the
down in the current phase of the labour market quality of its accountancy support.
impacts of COVID. In particular, top of funnel
assessments to help companies manage very “The Criminal Finance Act and IR35 are just
high application levels, and digital tools for areas further examples of the attempt by Government
like onboarding and ID&V documentation to extend liability up the chain. The Matthew
Louise Rayner
validation are red hot areas of focus across Taylor report & GLAA focuses on eliminating
NumberMill
nearly every sector. exploitation and modern slavery. Ultimately,
failure to ensure compliance will result in
VOLUME APPLICATIONS significant reduction in shareholder value for
The economic impact of lockdown is set to recruiters, RPOs and umbrella firms.”
exponentially boost the gig economy and
contingent workforce, creating challenges and This, combined with rising demand for
opportunities for the talent acquisition industry. contingent workforce solutions, has driven
innovation in compliance, assessment, and
“Un-furloughing millions of workers will trigger onboarding solutions. People Group won
an unprecedented unemployment event for the Compliance Solution of the Year for enabling an
UK,” says John Whelan, CEO of My Digital and 80% reduction in the time spent on it. Judges
former MD of Paystream. “There will be a wave
of job-hunting in a market where needs have
radically changed. Candidates have valid “The problems that need to be solved are things
concerns about office COVID safety, commuting
and work-life balance. Job hunters are looking like the more rapid deployment of blockchain
for Quantum Employment, where traditional
roles are sliced and diced to meet the changing
into the contingent procurement process and
needs of the economy. full integration of smart ID&V validation tech
“Being able to use smart technology to bulk into mainstream FMS & VMS platforms.”
match invoices to bank details translates directly
to the customer experience. With expectations Katrina Hutchinson ONeill, CEO, Join Talent,
set by smartphone apps which almost never fail, Winner TIARA Best New Talent Solution Award
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020were impressed with its People Compliance advantage. Recruiters are in a unique position as
solution, which uses biometrics and facial trusted advisers to counsel their clients on how
recognition to validate identity documents and to broaden their talent pools and attract a wider
can recognise 4,500 identity documents from spectrum of talent with different skill sets.”
over 190 countries. Speed is a growing priority.
Re-skilling and up-skilling of candidates presents
Rising unemployment is driving applicant a new challenge and opportunity for the
Chris Gray
volumes through the roof, which makes the industry as it tries to balance diverse pipelines
ManpowerGroup
candidate screening process unmanageable for with an evolving jobs market.
many jobs.
“The jobs that have been lost in this crisis are
“Many recruiters are talking about a shift in not the same as those that are being created,”
focus from ‘hard to source’ to ‘hard to select’,” says Chris Gray, Sales & Marketing Director of
says Talent Tech Star finalist Chris Platts, ManpowerGroup. “Employees need to be open
Founder of ThriveMap. “This presents an to training and employers need to be poised to
opportunity to redesign hiring processes so that offer new levels of development to upskill their
recruiters spend more time on high-value Chris Platts teams for the new normal. Helping people
activity such as candidate relationships and less ThriveMap switch from role to another will be critical.”
time on manual processes like CV sifting and
candidate screening. Our assessments give RESOURCE AUGMENTATION
candidates a virtual ‘day in the life’ experience Agencies are building longer-term relationships
so they're better placed to decide if it's right for with clients by training talent to fill new roles
them ahead of joining.” instead of moving the usual suspects around.
Specialist recruiters like VHR and Opus Talent
In a candidate survey, ThriveMap found that Solutions were shortlisted for the TIARA
48% left a job because the reality of the role
didn't meet their expectations of it. While
recruiters and RPOs are doing more to drive
diversity, inclusion is an often-neglected
challenge that talent tech can help to address.
“Talent tech providers need to find
“It’s going to be even more important for
companies to assess talent on their skills, as solutions to the problem of how to build
opposed to their experience,” says LinkedIn’s professional relationships when you may
Adam Hawkins. “Doing so will mean they have
the opportunity to attract more diverse talent never meet face-to-face.”
and build organisations where difference is
celebrated and seen as a source of competitive Mike Lander, CEO, Piscari and TIARA Talent Tech Star Awards judge
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020TALiNT International July / August 2020
18
Cover feature - Talent Tech Trends
“There is growing urgency from companies to diversify their talent and create
workplaces where people truly feel that they belong. Recruiters are in a unique
position as trusted advisers to counsel their clients on how to broaden their
talent pools and attract a wider spectrum of talent with different skill sets.”
Adam Hawkins, Head of Search Staffing, LinkedIn and TIARA Awards judge
Recruitment Awards for the success of their this can have an impact on the employee
training services. experience. Employees need to know why
they’re being asked to learn something and how
Skills mapping is another area of opportunity for it fits in within the bigger picture of the
impactful innovation. “A significant challenge in organisation. Once they have this context,
the management of contingent workforces is the they’re able to align their learning and
need to have real time access to skills and development with the goals of the company,
experience data instead of relying on backward Michael Rendell which better equips and enables them to do
looking CVs and self-assessments by Nala Partners their job.
contractors,” predicts Michael Rendell, former
head of transformation at PwC and now “With remote working, it’s easy for people to be
managing partner at Nala Ventures. “Skills forgotten, so we’re also seeing a focus on ways
passports must emerge which draw upon all to reshape communication, so we don’t lose the
relevant current data – projects worked on and connections we had while in the office.”
working on, contacts and connections with
colleagues, and the digital exhaust created by all MAKING CONNECTIONS
their interactions.” Adam Hawkins Recruitment consultants also need to connect
LinkedIn more with clients and candidates. “All too often
This relies on lots of data and the resources to recruiters can get caught up in the low value
manage it properly of course. “With remote, administration tasks, but with automation and
flexible and temporary workforces that are bots, they can focus on doing what they do best:
managed and engaged by in-house teams, developing high quality connections,” says
suppliers and external agencies, it’s often Guidant’s Pam Beard.
difficult to get a true insight into the skills
available within the business,” says Pam Beard, With so many talent tech tools emerging to solve
SVP-Technology & Project Management, Guidant Pam Beard new problems, not only for employers but
Global, Winner TIARA Talent Solutions D&I Guidant Global recruiters and RPOs looking for ways to add new
Award. “That’s where data analytics will really
come to the fore. At Guidant, we’re working on a
‘data lake’ where we’re building the capability
into our analytics to leverage the data and
provide complete workforce transparency.” “We’re seeing a trend in more voice activated
SKILLS SHORTAGES
communication which is likely to present both
Michael Rendell also highlights a challenge an opportunity and a challenge across the
around skills shortages as work evolves and the
limited resources available to a contingent talent solutions industry. Moving online
workforce. LearnAmp, winner of the Talent Tech
Star Learning and the Onboarding Solution of
chatbots into voice activated bots is an
the Year awards, has been helping employers to innovative development that we’re already
address this challenge for the last few years.
investing in; but the challenge lies in ensuring
“The current climate has created a need to find
new learning solutions as everything is so
it works for the employer and the candidate.”
uncertain,” says LearnAmp founder Duncan
Cheatle. “We’re focused on context and
Pam Beard, SVP-Technology & Project Management, Guidant
alignment when it comes to learning, and how
Global, Winner TIARA Talent Solutions D&I Award
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020“Gallup estimate that only 12% of employees think their companies provided good
onboarding – and that was before the pandemic. Strong onboarding improves
employee retention by over 80%, it leads to faster and higher rates of productivity
for new hires and helps to create more cohesive teams by making them feel
connected and invested in the company culture.”
Duncan Cheatle, Founder, LearnAmp, Winner TIARA Talent Tech
Star Learning & Onboarding Solution of the Year
value, the market has become even more to integrate key capabilities on a ‘plug and play’
complex for buyers. basis into one platform so that we can tailor our
offerings to meet client and candidate needs,
“There is no escaping the urgent corporate need and importantly provides us with the flexibility
for savings and improved ROI in this economic to constantly refresh our capabilities to stay
climate,” says Mike Lander, CEO of procurement ahead of emerging client needs,” says
specialist Piscari and former head of Duncan Cheatle ManpowerGroup’s Chris Gray. “This has never
procurement at AMS. “This must be balanced LearnAmp been more relevant as in 2020 and the health
with user experience, user engagement and crisis which has reshaped the way we work.
employee/contractor engagement.”
“Helping people upskill and adapt to this
Mike recommends finding ways for them to be fast-changing world of work will be the defining
involved in the procurement process and looking challenge of our time. Business leaders must do
at how the solution integrates with other tools more to be responsible and responsive - the
they are already using. future of work will require different skills and
Mike Lander, Piscari leaders will need to focus on reskilling and
“Our platform approach to technology allows us upskilling their people more than ever before.”
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 202020
Candidate rejection
"So often, rejection emails can be automated, robotic and
repetitive as if there is a rejection template that they just send
around to every unsuccessful candidate."
The art of saying no
A well-worded rejection email can boost your corporate brand. David Nottage from Footasylum shows
how it’s done.
When David Nottage posted a position for a climate and insecurity in the marketplace. I truly
talent development specialist recently, it was not understand. My girlfriend was made redundant
surprising that it attracted more than 600 at the start of the pandemic and it has been a
applications in less than a week. difficult time for our household. I really do
appreciate you taking the time to consider
However, what happened next was surprising, Footasylum and I sincerely hope you find a role
and a case book example of how to do rejection that suits and challenges you.
David Nottage,
well – even at a time when companies are facing
Footasylum
a tsunami of applications. Keep going. It is tough and I understand it can
make you feel low to receive an email like this,
Instead of sending out a typical corporate but believe me we will all get through these
missive which smacks of ‘the computer said no’, challenging times and I hope that in future you
David Nottage, the Talent Attraction and can consider Footasylum as a brand you would
Acquisition Manager at trainer and streetwear like to work with.
retailer Footasylum - and a former professional
footballer - decided to try a much more human Follow our LinkedIn page where we advertise all
approach. of our latest roles and keep an eye on our careers
site.
His email to unsuccessful candidates
acknowledged the sheer difficulty of applying for I wish you every success with your job search and
jobs in such a tough market, but what really thank you for your interest in our company.
impressed recipients was his authenticity,
backed up by drawing on his own personal Sincerely,
experience: David Nottage
Dear ….,
In a market where job seekers are used to
Thank you for your interest in the Talent receiving robotic rejections, or nothing at all, the
Development Specialist opportunity with us. This response was overwhelming – and a prime
role proved to be very popular with more than example of the kind of positive corporate spin
1000 people applying. This meant a huge number that money cannot buy.
of suitable candidates being considered and
having reviewed your application, we regret to Footasylum received a deluge of supportive
inform you that it has not been selected for feedback via email, as well as thousands of likes,
further consideration. comments, and shares on social media
platforms. Candidates clearly felt their time and
I would say, I know that the marketplace is tough effort had been appreciated and valued; they
right now and the fact we have had so many had been treated as people rather than
applications is indicative of the current economic numbers.
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020One candidate received more than 5,500 likes
and 200 comments for her LinkedIn post: Rejection Do's & Don'ts
“Just thought I’d share this email I received from
Do
FOOTASYLUM. I applied for a role with them and
although I wasn’t successful it was so refreshing
to finally see a considerate and thoughtful Keep it human. While a template avoids legal
response. risk, try to avoid clichéd phrases and
corporate speak.
So often, rejection emails can be automated,
robotic and repetitive as if there is a rejection Include a genuine thank you that
template that they just send around to every acknowledges the candidate’s time and effort.
unsuccessful candidate. But this email was
actually somewhat pleasant to receive. It’s nice Send rejection letters as soon as possible in
to see FOOTASYLUM show appreciation for the
the process.
time taken to fill in an application and to
motivate candidates to keep going".
Don’t
EDIT: I know it’s still an automated email, I’m not
saying it’s not but it’s a lot more compassionate Tell candidates you will keep their details on
and genuine and they took time to draft the file unless it is true.
response and actually reply.
Use negative language such as
(Also, if Footasylum happen to see this post. I “unfortunately” or “sorry.”
love your YouTube content)”.
Say the successful candidate had better
Another candidate described it as the
qualifications.
#bestrejectionever and a third commented that
it had given him a big push to keep going with
his job search. “Never before did an email of this
type make me feel so good,” he added.
At a time when technology is taking over many "Keep going. It is tough and I understand it can
of the traditional tasks of recruiters, Nottage’s
approach is a powerful reminder of not just the make you feel low to receive an email like this,
importance of candidate experience but also the but believe me we will all get through these
big difference a genuine response can make. A
touch of humanity doesn’t hurt your company challenging times."
image, either.
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 202022
Advertorial - HIVE360
Leading the agency
payroll revolution
HIVE360 is championing a new model of employment administration in the UK market, and redefining
employment and pension administration processing.
Today’s world of work is placing unprecedented mobile app is the quickest and most convenient
demands on agency payroll, with off-payroll way for people to access help and support from
rules, the growing burden of HMRC compliance, trained mental health counsellors 24/7,
and new IR35 rules in force from next April. We whenever and wherever they need them.
asked HIVE360 CEO David McCormack to explain HIVE360's Engage App for workers includes all
the benefits of outsourcing payroll, and the these features and has been a lifeline for many
tangible advantages of achieving better throughout the pandemic; we recorded a 273
David McCormack,
engagement of temps and employees. CEO, Hive360 percent increase in demand for mental health
support services in the first week of Lockdown 1.
Q: Why should recruiters outsource payroll?
Outsourcing payroll ensures prompt, reliable and Q: As recruiters adapt to a more remote
accurate payment to the workforce, and enables workforce, what benefits should employee
significant savings on employment and pension engagement solutions offer and why?
administration processing. It's a strategic Research shows engaged workers boost
decision that delivers added efficiency, cost productivity by 18 percent and profitability by 12
savings, staff retention and productivity. percent, but also increase performance,
accelerate business growth, have a positive
With an enhanced solution like HIVE360, it can impact on absenteeism and become very strong
also help boost candidate attraction and brand ambassadors for their employer.
retention with inclusive benefits and wellbeing
support. HIVE360 offers a 360-degree, fully Tech that is easy to use is vital to optimise
compliant and reliable PAYE payroll support employee engagement. It must provide the
solution that reduces overheads and improves information workers want on the platforms and
operational efficiencies. It's a future-proof mobile devices they use every day, with an app
alternative to the traditional umbrella company with plenty of functionality that enables high
solution for PAYE payroll management, with cost- levels of communication, real time recognition,
savings for recruitment businesses at one end and access to complementary solutions such as
and a better experience for workers at the other. digital pay slips, pension information, wellbeing
support, lifestyle benefits and discounts.
Q: What key areas of candidate support should
recruiters look for in their talent tech? Q: How can HIVE360 support recruiters in
The best payroll tech providers will of course reducing costs and increasing profitability?
have HMRC and GLAA compliance. They will also Recruitment businesses working with us report
‘fit’ with the business, offer flexibility to grow savings of £100 or more per worker in the first
and adapt to a changing workforce and working 12-months. HIVE360 is also leading the way in
patterns, with creativity - as a business and with innovating employer engagement for the
customisable, tailored tech – along with recruitment sector with an added-value suite of
scalability, security, accessibility, accuracy, tailored employee benefits, and a constantly
efficiency, and cost savings. evolving choice of tools to aid improved
To find out more communication and recognition of workers.
about Engage, book
Tech should boost worker and candidate a demo at https://
retention and engagement, especially with www.hive360.com/ This enhanced approach to supporting
health and wellbeing support, which our services-hub/ temporary workers is having significant impacts
research confirms is top of workers’ wish lists. engagement-app- on our clients’ ability to grow through securing
For example; offering vital, confidential mental demo/ new contracts and reducing costs by increasing
health counselling and resources via a secure the retention of their candidates.
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020Outplacement for
a changing world
Don’t just tick a box with your Outplacement
service. Offer something that gives your
employees the best chance of securing a
role, whilst protecting your brand.
Omni’s unique service provides an online career hub with training
& coaching to provide your employees with the support they deserve
in these uncertain times.
RPO | MSP | CONSULTANCY | OUTPLACEMENT
www.omnirms.com talenttransition@omnirms.com omni-rms24
PointSix - Tech Transformation
Build or buy, and why?
For recruiters looking to offer training services, consultancy and Saas solutions, is it best to develop
inhouse capability, partner with third party suppliers, or acquire solution providers?
There’s a big question mark over whether more money into technology. “PE do like
recruitment companies should build, buy or businesses which are fit for the future and
partner when investing in AI, automation, and scalable, and, of course, automation can very
HR tech. much help with that,” Ellis says.
The Covid pandemic and the upsurge in remote Osborne Clarke senior partner Andrew Saul, a
working has made this question more critical, as tech M&A specialist, says the legal firm is
even the most traditional firms realise they must Dawn Gibson, currently involved in numerous digital
be technologically competitive to stay relevant in Features Editor transformation projects for recruitment
an agile market. companies. “It's a sector that particular lends
itself to digital transformation and automation
The first session in TALiNT Partners’ M&A in a with its history of lots of manual and paper-
Week Series, held in partnership with Osborne based procedures,” he says.
Clarke and Optima Corporate Finance, explored
valuation risks and rewards as well as the BUY
commercial drivers behind these options. Saul says buying a tech company is the best
option because it enables the acquisition of
Hosted by TALiNT managing director Ken development technology and probably a
Brotherston and TALiNT programme director development team to streamline and scale
Alex Evans, the webinar included insights from business. “This is what I call the Rolls Royce
Philip Ellis, founder of Optima Corporate solution, because it's the most expensive but
Finance, and Osborne Clarke senior partner likely to be the best option if you get it right,”
Andrew Saul. Saul says. “The valuation of the software
business lies in three things – how well the
Ignata CEO Luke Williams and The Hive COO software performs, the intellectual property
Maria Vavoulas also discussed the thinking rights, and its people.
behind decision-making at their companies.
“But buying a company involves more than just
INVESTOR ATTRACTION doing due diligence on the technology and the
HR tech is attracting intense investor interest: people; you're taking on the company with its
TALiNT’s Ken Brotherston pointed out that, full history, so it involves looking at tax, real
globally, more than $1 billion changed hands in estate, customer relationships.”
HR and talent tech deals in the second quarter
of 2020, well above the average for the past 14
quarters.
“That was a huge lesson learned: don't
Optima Corporate Finance founder Philip Ellis,
who specialises in recruitment businesses, says customise unless you are actually
the pandemic has prompted a re-evaluation of building it yourself.”
private equity investment, as companies seek to
reduce their exposure to offices and plough Maria Vavoulas, COO, The Hive
TALiNT International Nov / Dec 2020You can also read
