Category: Candidate Attraction

Banking on Talent: Sourcing Hundreds of Tech Pros for Financial Services 

Posted on by akessler
Banking on Talent: Sourcing Hundreds of Tech Pros for Financial Services

Tech & Digital Talent for Financial Services

Banking on Talent: Sourcing Hundreds of Tech Pros for Financial Services

This financial services firm engaged their RPO partner PeopleScout for this three-month recruitment project to source in-demand technology pros for a digital transformation initiative.

5 Days to Project RPO Launch
1.5: 1 Interview to Offer Ratio
46 Days from Application to Offer

Situation 

A leading financial services organization was undertaking a digital transformation project to adapt to how their customer wanted to bank—shifting from in-branch and to online and in-app. However, with demand for technology professionals in the UK increasing by more than 40%, the client needed support and asked PeopleScout to manage specialist hiring for five role profiles within their technology team, including customer journey managers, technical delivery managers and product owners.  

The client required us to launch the project RPO immediately to meet their recruitment goals.   

Solution 

We mobilized a dedicated specialist tech recruiting team in just five days. The team included experienced tech recruiters which expedited the screening process. In parallel, we devised a recruitment marketing strategy utilizing job boards and social media campaigns to attract applications from qualified talent.  

Our tech recruiters proactively sourced and headhunted candidates with in-demand technology profiles and in hard-to-fill locations. We supported the full candidate lifecycle including attraction, sourcing, sifting, screening, interview scheduling and offer management using the client’s ATS and other systems. Throughout the project we worked collaboratively with the client to respond to their changing requirements. 

Results 

During the three-month project, we conducted in depth, technical screening calls with over 430 candidates, and we were able to shortlist and present 297 qualified candidates for the roles—all while adhering to stringent financial services regulations. We achieved an interview to offer ratio of 1.5:1, and 94% of candidates who received offers accepted.  

The client was happy with the consistent support they received from PeopleScout. They commended our commitment to innovative approaches and were pleased that we kept the project on track despite obstacles, all whilst prioritizing candidate experience. 

At a Glance

  • COMPANY
    Financial Services Organization
  • INDUSTRY
    Financial Services
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS
    Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Talent Advisory
  • ABOUT THE CLIENT
    This financial service company is a long-time PeopleScout client, receiving RPO services for high-volume customer service roles, specialist professional hires and annual early careers campaigns.
Let’s Connect

Allied Health Recruiting & Retention Best Practices 

Posted on by akessler

With an aging population pushing demand for healthcare ever higher, allied healthcare professionals—physical and occupational therapists, medical laboratory scientists, dietitians and nutritionists, dental hygienists, optometrists, phlebotomists and many more—play crucial roles in the care, diagnosis and treatment of patients. However, healthcare organizations worldwide face significant challenges in recruiting and retaining these vital providers, potentially compromising patient care outcomes. To maintain high standards of care, it’s crucial for healthcare organizations to master the art of allied health recruiting and retention. 

This article will explore common challenges as well as offer best practices for attracting top talent and creating an environment where allied health professionals can thrive. 

Challenges in Allied Health Recruiting 

Allied health recruiting faces several significant hurdles in today’s challenging environment as competition for allied health professionals continues to grow: 

  • Staffing shortages: Demand for allied health staffing often outpaces the supply of qualified candidates and there’s a lack of graduates in many allied health fields. With many organizations vying for the same pool of candidates, standing out can be difficult.  
  • High turnover rates: Turnover rates in healthcare are at an all-time high due to poor work-life balance, lack of career growth, and burnout, especially post-pandemic. Plus, a competitive job market makes it easy to job hop.  
  • Rising labor costs driven by reliance on allied health staffing agencies: In order to counteract staffing shortages and turnover and maintain a high standard of care, healthcare organizations are relying on costly allied health staffing companies to supply contract healthcare workers, driving up overall labor costs.   
  • Budget constraints: Offering competitive salaries and benefits to combat turnover while staying within budget can be a balancing act. Many allied roles are perceived as underpaid relative to the education required to perform them, encouraging allied workers to pursue higher paid clinical roles or opportunities outside healthcare. 
  • Pressure to diversify the allied workforce: In order to provide the best patient care, healthcare systems are increasingly under pressure to match patient demographics which are increasingly multicultural and multilingual.  
  • Evolving skill requirements: As healthcare technology and practices evolve, so do the skills required of allied health professionals. The increasing complexity of patient care requires more specialized knowledge.   
  • Geographic limitations: Some healthcare facilities, particularly those in rural or underserved areas, may struggle to attract candidates due to their location. Rural areas struggle to attract and retain allied health professionals. Urban areas often have higher living costs, making it difficult for these lower-paid roles.  
  • Compliance demands: Extra care must be taken around credentialing and licensing checks for the allied workforce.  
  • Legacy recruitment technology: Healthcare organizations may struggle with old, legacy recruitment technology that is no longer fit for purpose—or not have a recruitment tech stack at all.  

Best Practices for Allied Health Recruiting & Retention 

Let’s dive into some game-changing allied healthcare recruiting solutions to help you overcome these challenges: 

Showcase Your Unique Culture 

Don’t just tell potential candidates about your workplace—show them! Instead of simply describing your environment, use social media and your website to provide a behind-the-scenes look at your team in action. Consider creating video testimonials from current employees or virtual facility tours to help potential candidates envision themselves as part of your organization.  

Another area to showcase is learning and development and recognition. Ongoing education opportunities, conference attendance and skill development programs are all great topics for recruitment content. Additionally, showcase outstanding performers on your social media channels, from an employee-of-the-month or someone who’s gotten special kudos from a patient. This will show potential employees that you’re invested in your team’s growth and job satisfaction. 

Offer Competitive Compensation Packages 

It’s not just about the salary. Consider offering unique perks that set you apart, such as student loan repayment assistance, schedule flexibility, wellness programs or even sabbaticals for long-term employees. These benefits can make a significant difference in attracting and retaining top talent. Remember, you’re not just filling a position; you’re investing in a long-term relationship. 

Streamline Your Recruitment Process 

In the fast-paced world of healthcare, time is of the essence. Make your application process quick, mobile-friendly and frictionless. The easier it is to apply, the more top-notch candidates you’ll attract. Consider implementing a one-click apply option or allowing candidates to apply with their LinkedIn profiles. Remember to keep candidates informed throughout the process with automated updates and clear timelines. 

Leverage Technology 

Healthcare talent acquisition teams often struggle with legacy recruitment technology that hasn’t kept up with modern candidate expectations. Consider implementing AI-powered tools to screen résumés, chatbots to answer candidate questions and video interviews to connect with applicants from anywhere. These tools can help keep top candidates engaged and ensure no promising applicants fall through the cracks. 

Create a Robust Onboarding Program 

First impressions matter. Creating a robust onboarding program is essential for setting new allied health professionals up for success. Onboarding should extend to include check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days, ensuring new hires feel supported as they integrate into your organization. Complement this with a mentorship program that pairs new hires with experienced team members. This approach not only helps newcomers learn the ropes but also builds relationships and fosters a sense of belonging. 

Beyond the onboarding phase, regular communication is key to retaining allied health professionals. Instead of relying solely on annual reviews, implement a system of frequent check-ins. Whether it’s quarterly performance discussions or more informal conversations, ongoing dialogue allows you to catch and resolve issues early, keeping your team engaged and satisfied. By addressing potential concerns promptly, you can prevent minor issues from escalating into turnover, ultimately creating a more cohesive and stable team environment. 

Showcase Clear Career Paths 

Show potential allied health professionals where they can go within your organization. Clear career paths demonstrate that you’re invested in their long-term success. This could include leadership tracks, specialization opportunities or even paths to different roles within the organization. Make sure to discuss these opportunities during the recruitment process and showcase them in your attraction materials. 

Consider RPO for Allied Health Recruiting 

Another option to improve your allied health recruiting outcomes is to engage a recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) partner. RPO recruiting for allied health can help you implement strategies to combat challenges and improve your ability to attract, recruit and retain top allied health professionals. This collaborative approach allows internal HR teams to focus on strategic workforce initiatives while the RPO partner handles the day-to-day allied health recruitment challenges. 

Healthcare recruiting is dynamic and ever evolving. With persistence, creativity and the support of an RPO partner, you can build a strong, engaged allied health recruiting program that drives excellence in patient care.  

Overcoming Healthcare Talent Shortage with Tech-Powered Direct Sourcing

Posted on by akessler
Overcoming Healthcare Talent Shortage with Tech-Powered Direct Sourcing

Direct Sourcing

Overcoming Healthcare Talent Shortage with Tech-Powered Direct Sourcing

An Australian radiology network sought PeopleScout’s Direct Sourcing solution after two acquisitions expanded their geographical footprint, making it increasingly difficult to fill critical skilled healthcare roles amidst a talent shortage and an imbalanced distribution of practitioners across regions.

401 roles filled in just 5 months
112 roles filled in remote locations
83 % engagement rate on doctor campaign

Situation 

This Australian radiology network operates in 270 clinics, employs over 350 doctors and 4,000 staff and performs over six million patient procedures a year, making them one of the largest medical imaging providers in the world. The organization needed to hire high-volume, critical healthcare roles across both metropolitan and regional locations, but they were struggling because of the talent shortage across their newly expanded regional footprint. In addition to the unique talent challenges facing the healthcare sector globally—including employee burnout, widening skills gaps and rising demand among the aging population—the diagnostic imaging sector in Australia faces the additional challenge of ensuring staff distribution across metropolitan, regional and rural areas is proportionate to the population. Historically, most radiology workers have resided in metropolitan areas, creating a gap in rural locations. 

Prior to engaging PeopleScout, the client used disparate, short-term solutions and lacked a single view of the skills within their existing workforce. They did not have a talent technology platform, but instead managed requisitions and candidate outreach efforts using Excel spreadsheets. Our team developed a Direct Sourcing solution to help the client overcome the healthcare talent shortage and meet their workforce goals in all locations.  

Solution 

PeopleScout augmented the internal recruitment team with Direct Sourcing for both contingent and permanent roles ranging from medical receptionists to radiographers, sonographers to IT personnel, by developing and implementing 360-degree talent sourcing and engagement strategy that included:  

  • Multi-Channel Sourcing: We deployed Smart Search, an Affinix™ tool that simultaneously scours multiple external databases, capturing and saving profiles that match desired skills and experience. 
  • AI-Powered Talent Rediscovery: Using artificial intelligence, we matched job descriptions to all candidates in the platform, generating a list of recommended candidates that were scored for suitability, based on industry experience, skills, previous job titles and management experience. 
  • Cutting-Edge Recruitment Marketing: Leveraging Affinix’s capabilities, we built an internal career site and external job portal. These engagement hubs allowed employees and candidates to explore openings, learn about different roles or submit expression of interest forms for hard-to-fill positions. 
  • Sophisticated Talent Nurturing: Candidates were segmented into talent pools by role and region, then added to customized, automated nurture campaigns. This allowed our client to engage or re-engage with active and passive candidates, alumni and referrals effectively. 
  • Data-Driven Insights: Custom Affinix dashboards provided real-time insights on the most active candidates, enabling the team to build automated drip campaigns that kept jobseekers engaged and interested. 

Results 

The impact of our tech-powered Direct Sourcing solution was swift and substantial. In the first five months following program launch, PeopleScout filled 401 roles for the radiology network across 33 locations, including every state and territory where the organization operates.  

Some campaign messaging was role-specific—the campaign targeting 800 doctors had an engagement rate over 80%.  

Other messages focused on the benefits of working in the more remote locations, highlighting the “perfect combination of a vibrant city life in a rural setting.” Of the roles filled, 112 were within these regional locations, where recruitment had historically been more difficult.  

At a Glance

  • COMPANY
    Radiology network
  • INDUSTRY
    Healthcare
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS
    Total Talent, Affinix
  • LOCATIONS
    33 locations across Australia and New Zealand
Let’s Connect

What is Direct Sourcing? Why It Could Open the Door to Total Talent Acquisition

Posted on by akessler

The evolution of remote work has resulted in the growth of the gig economy and the blurring of lines between full-time and temporary employment. Workers who traditionally seek full-time employment are increasingly willing to take up temporary gigs—and vice versa. Organizations that create and nurture blended talent pools of both permanent and contingent workers can be more intentional with workforce planning to address skills gaps and diversity goals. Enter direct sourcing—a game-changing strategy that’s reshaping how companies approach talent acquisition.  

By integrating direct sourcing into your total talent acquisition strategy, you can turn these talent pools into your strongest channel for growing your workforce, bringing forward pre-engaged talent. This results in faster hiring and improves overall organizational productivity. With direct sourcing, you can uncover hidden talent and gain a competitive edge in attracting top-tier candidates. 

But what is direct sourcing, and why should talent acquisition leaders pay attention? In this article, we’ll delve into the importance of direct sourcing, it’s role in total talent management, its benefits, and the crucial role of technology in a direct sourcing solution.  

What is Direct Sourcing? 

First things first, what is direct sourcing anyway? Direct sourcing is a recruitment approach that leverages an organization’s employer brand and existing talent database to build and manage talent pools for both permanent and contingent positions. This method allows organizations to engage directly with potential hires, including former employees, retirees, referrals, interns, and even “silver medalists” and candidates who were runners-up in previous hiring processes. Unlike traditional methods that rely heavily on staffing agencies, direct sourcing creates a pipeline of freelance, temporary and permanent talent, reducing costs, improving hiring efficiency and allowing employers to take control of their hiring needs. 

At its core, direct sourcing involves: 

  • Utilizing your employer brand to attract talent 
  • Creating and managing exclusive talent pools 
  • Proactively engaging with potential candidates 

Direct Sourcing: The First Step to Total Talent Acquisition? 

According to Everest Group, 46% of enterprises are actively exploring ways to combine approaches for contingent and permanent talent acquisition management, and 74% see direct sourcing as the way to do it. By sharing people, processes and technology across vacancy types through direct sourcing, organizations gain efficiency and get closer to total workforce management.  

So, it’s no surprise that more and more organizations are choosing to outsource their direct sourcing program, either coupled with their Managed Service Program (MSP) or through a Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) provider.  

Partners like PeopleScout excel at direct sourcing, as their specialty lies in seamlessly integrating with client teams, leveraging the client’s employer brand to attract top talent. Plus, with a partner, you gain access to specialized technology for managing and curating talent pools, ensuring a streamlined and efficient process while still maintaining the benefits of direct engagement with potential hires. 

The Benefits of Direct Sourcing 

Direct sourcing offers numerous benefits that are driving its adoption among forward-thinking organizations. Let’s explore the top advantages: 

  • Faster Hiring Cycles: With always-on talent pools, direct sourcing can significantly reduce time-to-hire. By eliminating the need for a staffing agency and leveraging candidates who already exist in the ATS and CRM (and are familiar with your employer brand), direct sourcing puts engaged candidates at your fingertips. Having regular access to qualified candidates, referrals and former employees allows you to easily adjust to changing workforce needs. 
  • Greater Cost Savings: Direct sourcing can significantly reduce recruitment costs by minimizing reliance on staffing agencies and their associated fees. An RPO partner who can offer AI-powered sourcing and innovative ways to ensure smarter media spend can reduce your costs and maximize your ROI for direct sourcing.  
  • Higher Quality of Candidates: By leveraging your employer brand and creating curated talent pools, direct sourcing allows you to attract higher-quality candidates who are better aligned with your organization’s culture and needs. Through personalized engagement with candidates, RPO providers can gain a deeper understanding of their skills, experiences and motivations. Additionally, direct sourcing allows companies to build lasting relationships with top talent, creating a talent pool that can be tapped for future openings. 
  • Enhanced Candidate Experience: Direct sourcing means more personalized and human interactions, which improves the candidate experience. By engaging proactively with potential hires, you can provide a smoother, more informative process that reflects positively on your brand. 
  • Employer Brand Attraction: In a direct sourcing engagement, your RPO partner is an extension of your team, transforming your employer brand into a powerful tool in attracting top contingent and permanent talent. Direct sourcing allows you to showcase your company culture, values and opportunities through relevant and engaging touchpoints, helping you become an employer of choice.  
  • Access to Data & Insights: With extensive experience across job families and regions, RPOs are well suited to evaluate your unique recruitment metrics against market trends to enable data-driven decision making for your direct souring program. Detailed analytics help decode top talent behaviors and predict cultural fit, willingness to change companies and future tenure potential to improve hiring speed and accuracy over time. 
  • Improved Diversity: The targeted nature of direct sourcing means you can identify, select and engage candidates from various audiences to meet diversity goals.  
  • Improved Hiring Manager Experience: Direct sourcing provides hiring managers with better access to high-quality and diverse talent pools, freeing them up to focus on leading their teams instead of recruiting. 

The Role of Technology in Direct Sourcing 

While the concept of direct sourcing is powerful on its own, technology unlocks its true potential. Modern direct sourcing solutions leverage AI, multi-channel sourcing, communication automation and analytics to supercharge the approach. 

When deciding on a direct sourcing solution, consider the following technologies: 

  • AI and Machine Learning: These technologies enable superior skills matching, connecting the right candidates with the right opportunities more efficiently than ever before. PeopleScout Direct Sourcing helps you rediscover candidates who are already in your applicant tracking system (ATS) with the use of AI. Affinix™, our proprietary talent acquisition suite, compares your job description against profiles in your database and identifies a list of the best candidates—whether they’re previous applicants, individuals who have filled out an expression of interest form for the role, or silver/bronze medalists from previous requisitions. You receive a weighted role suitability score for each candidate (based on previous job titles and experience, skills profile, and management experience) along with a written summary. Your hiring manager can then determine which candidates they want to pursue immediately, and which to add to a talent pool, where they’ll receive additional outreach before being invited to apply. 
  • Smart Search: In addition to your existing ATS, consider a direct sourcing solution that enables you to search across multiple external talent databases—such as LinkedIn and Indeed—simultaneously and save relevant candidate profiles into your own database. This helps you beat your competitors to hard-to-find talent and source more efficiently with a seamless experience for your hiring managers. AI can be applied to these candidates as well to identify strong candidates—passive or active, known or new to you—within seconds of opening a new job requisition. 
  • Multi-Channel Sourcing: To truly capitalize on your employer brand with your direct sourcing program, a multi-channel approach that leverages recruitment marketing to reach top talent is crucial. This includes custom career site and microsite development, for both internal and external job portals, expression of interest forms and programmatic advertising. This holistic approach will re-engage talent and excite them about your opportunities. 
  • Personalization at Scale: Your direct sourcing solution should feature recruitment marketing technology that helps you develop a series of automated targeted communication touchpoints to engage or re-engage with passive candidates, silver/bronze medalists, contractors, alumni and referrals. Personalized emails and automated drip campaigns will keep your brand top-of-mind. Use analytics from communication and nurture campaigns to access insight into which candidates are engaging most with your content and whether the content you’re distributing resonates with the candidate pool. 
  • Data-Driven Insights: For your direct sourcing program, insist on robust reporting and analytics capabilities. However, according to Everest Group, 52% of organizations who are considering direct sourcing cite the lack of technology integration between permanent and contingent tools as a challenge they are currently facing or anticipate facing. Integrating your existing VMS and ATS into one analytics platform is a must for total talent management in order to gain insight into both your permanent and contingent openings.  

Conclusion 

As the world of work continues to evolve, direct sourcing is poised to play an increasingly important role for organizations aiming to streamline their total talent acquisition processes and attract the best candidates.  

As you consider implementing direct sourcing in your organization, remember that while the human touch remains invaluable, technology is a crucial enabler. Industry leading direct sourcing solutions are AI-powered, combining cutting-edge technology with expert talent curation and engagement strategies. 

By embracing this approach, organizations can position themselves at the forefront of talent acquisition innovation, ready to attract and engage the best contingent and permanent talent in an increasingly competitive landscape. 

Early Careers Recruitment: Meeting Gen Z’s Expectations

Posted on by akessler

Early careers recruitment is undergoing a seismic shift as Generation Z enters the workforce en masse. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all early careers hiring strategies. Gen Zers aren’t shy about demanding more—more purpose, more flexibility, and more growth opportunities. Organizations who can navigate these expectations will win the hearts of Gen Z in the workplace.  

Meeting these expectations isn’t just about filling entry-level positions; it’s about future-proofing your organization. In this new landscape, companies that crack the code of Gen Z recruitment will gain a significant competitive edge. Let’s explore some of Gen Z’s expectations and ways you can revolutionize your early careers recruitment to attract and retain the brightest minds.  

Consumer-Like Experiences in Early Careers Recruitment 

This generation and mobile devices go hand-in-hand—literally. They’re accustomed to digital consumer brand experiences delivered through online platforms and mobile apps.  

Organizations that present tech-powered experiences throughout their recruitment process will get ahead with Gen Z. Consider incorporating:  

  • Mobile-enabled application processes with personalized and automated workflows 
  • Peer-driven recruitment content on socials 
  • Booking and confirming interviews via text message 
  • Tailored email campaigns and meaningful communications that provide hints and tips and explain timelines clearly 

However, just because they’re digital-first, doesn’t mean Gen Zers don’t appreciate a human touch, so personalization is a must-have with regular check-ins from human recruiters to ease anxiety and build connection.  

Authentic Storytelling 

Gen Z job seekers trust employees three times more than the company to provide credible information on what it’s like to work there. They want to hear from their peers, real people who can share their lived experiences in the program or at your organization. Focus on employee generated content rather than highly staged and polished marketing content. 

Featuring existing employees as brand ambassadors in early careers attraction content will help build trust and authenticity. Plus, it will help candidates see themselves in the role. 

Opportunity to Demonstrate Potential 

When it comes to early careers talent, their lack of experience makes it hard for employers to differentiate between candidates using résumés and CVs alone. Using a CV-blind approach, where only the critical requirements are assessed, helps to reduce unconscious bias and level the playing field. 

Emerging talent tends to struggle with competency-based questions and may have difficulty understanding how their studies could apply to a given role. And often, those candidates excelling in competency-based questions have utilized generative AI tools like Chat GPT or coaching from their careers service—which can result in an inauthentic assessment of the individual. 

Struggling to give evidence of a skill or behavior (i.e., competency questions, “tell me about a time when…”) when there is a lack of experience, doesn’t mean there is a lack of the potential. Leveraging realistic job previews, skills-based assessments or job simulations and situational-based interview questions gives emerging talent a feel for the job by showing them a snapshot of the real-life, day-to-day tasks of the role and the working environment. They are effective screening tools, giving candidates an opportunity to show how they might perform and demonstrate their potential. This helps level the playing field, and it can reduce early attrition by setting the right expectations from the start. 

Receiving & Giving Feedback 

What Gen Z lacks in experience, they make up for in enthusiasm. They’re keen to learn and grow and seek feedback in everything they do. While a candidate may or may not receive a job offer, feedback that they can use as they move forward in their career is the next-best outcome. 

Often, candidates may receive a generic email or—even worse—no communication at all. When they’ve invested a considerable amount of time and effort into an organization, no feedback can leave a bad taste. At every stage, taking the time to provide personalized feedback gives candidates actionable steps that they can take going forward in the process, or if they’ve been rejected, that they can use to apply to your company again in the future. If the candidate was a close match, the feedback you provide could help them become the ideal candidate in your next cohort. 

Additionally, with their consumer experience, Gen Z are keen to give feedback. In the absence of a mechanism for feedback, disgruntled candidates can take to social media and student forums to share their experiences and damage your employer brand. Instead, ask for feedback via a candidate experience survey like a Net Promoters Score (NPS) survey, which will allow you to measure your candidate experience and act on the feedback. In addition, monitor your social media platforms and forums and respond to demonstrate that you’re listening and taking it seriously. You may even consider offering candidates a means of contact via a dedicated email inbox and respond to any feedback you receive in a meaningful way. 

Leveraging RPO Expertise for Early Careers Recruitment  

Adapting your early careers recruitment to meet Gen Z’s expectations can be a complex undertaking, but you don’t have to go it alone. An experienced recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) partner can be instrumental in revolutionizing your approach. These specialists bring a wealth of knowledge about the latest recruitment trends, technologies and Gen Z preferences. An early careers talent solution can help you redesign your recruitment processes, craft compelling employer branding strategies and implement cutting-edge assessment techniques that resonate with emerging talent. Moreover, an RPO partner can provide the scalability and flexibility needed to handle fluctuating recruitment volumes, ensuring you’re always ready to capture top Gen Z talent.  

By leveraging an RPO provider’s expertise, you can quickly transform your early careers recruitment program into a powerhouse that not only attracts Gen Z candidates but also sets the stage for building a pipeline of talent that will drive your company’s future success. The organizations that adapt now will reap the rewards of a diverse, skilled and motivated workforce for years to come.

Navigating the Gen Z Era: Insights for Effective Early Careers Recruitment 

Posted on by akessler

Navigating the Gen Z Era: Insights for Effective Early Careers Recruitment 

The future of work isn’t coming—it’s already here, and it’s powered by Generation Z.

Born into a world of uncertainty, Gen Z isn’t just adapting—they’re rewriting the rules. These digital natives are bringing fresh perspectives, unmatched tech-fluency and a hunger for meaningful work. But they’re also demanding authenticity, flexibility and a real commitment to social impact.

Can your organization keep up?

From TikTok-worthy employer branding to creating a workplace that balances purpose with work-life harmony, this ebook, Navigating the Gen Z Era: Insights for Effective Early Careers Recruitment, is your roadmap to successfully recruiting and retaining the Gen Z powerhouse.

In this ebook, you’ll discover:

  • What makes Gen Z tick: Understand their unique values and career expectations
  • Why your outdated recruitment tactics are falling flat with this generation
  • Strategies to align your early careers program with Gen Z’s values and expectations

Download your copy today for expert tips for reimagining your early career recruitment program to become a Gen Z magnet.

What is Talent Sourcing? Uncovering Hidden Gems in a Competitive Market 

Posted on by akessler

With top talent as elusive as ever, finding and attracting exceptional candidates has become increasingly challenging. Talent sourcing has emerged as a critical function in addressing an organization’s workforce needs, regardless of company size or industry. From start-ups to global enterprises, implementing effective talent sourcing strategies is essential for staying ahead in the race for top-tier professionals and ultimately driving organizational success. 

This article will guide you through talent sourcing, from understanding its importance to overcoming common challenges. We will explore how outsourcing can significantly improve your talent sourcing outcomes. 

What is Talent Sourcing? 

So, what is talent sourcing exactly? It involves the proactive identification and attraction of qualified candidates for specific roles within an organization through various channels such as job boards, social media platforms, professional networks and talent databases. By proactively engaging with potential candidates, talent sourcing helps build a strong pipeline.  

The key objectives of talent sourcing are: 

  • Identifying high-potential candidates who aren’t actively job hunting 
  • Creating a talent pipeline for future needs 
  • Improving the quality and diversity of your candidate pool 
  • Reducing time-to-hire and cost-per-hire 

In a talent market in which skilled professionals are in high demand, talent sourcing is a must in order to engage with qualified talent.  

Talent Sourcing vs Recruiting 

Now, before you start confusing talent sourcing with its cousin recruitment, let’s clarify the difference. Traditional recruitment often relies on posting job ads and waiting for applicants. In contrast, talent sourcing involves actively searching for candidates through various channels such as social media, professional networks and online platforms. Talent sourcing emphasizes relationship building and engagement rather than merely relying on job postings. 

Challenges in Talent Sourcing 

Talent sourcing can present various challenges for organizations looking to attract and hire top talent. You’re up against some formidable obstacles: 

  • Competition for top talent: One common obstacle in talent sourcing is the competition for qualified candidates. For example, tech and digital skills are in demand across all industries, not just high-tech firms. 
  • Skill shortages: It can be challenging to find candidates with the specific skills and experience required for the job, particularly if it’s a niche role or in a remote area. 
  • Managing diversity and inclusion: DE&I in talent sourcing is another important aspect to consider. Many organizations struggle to engage a diverse candidate pool and stay aligned with their recruitment goals.  
  • Maintaining compliance: Organizations must ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. This includes adhering to equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws and maintaining data privacy and protection. 

By implementing the right strategies, organizations can overcome talent sourcing challenges and ensure they are attracting the best candidates for their roles. 

Benefits of Shifting Talent Sourcing to an RPO Partner 

Now, here’s where things get interesting. What if I told you there’s a secret weapon that can help you get ahead? Enter your Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) partner! No longer just for long-term recruitment engagement, RPO offers modular recruiting solutions that provide the agility and expertise to turbocharge your hiring process.  

Here are some of the benefits you can experience: 

  • Scalability: Need to hire 10 engineers this month and 100 next month? RPOs can flex up and down to meet your changing needs fast—and you don’t have to hire any more internal recruiters to make it happen. 
  • Talent pooling. Rather than relying solely on incoming applications, RPO provides connected talent sourcers who focus on proactive engagement with candidates through social media platforms, industry-specific job boards and professional networks. This helps you tap into a wider pool of candidates, including passive job seekers who may not be actively looking for new opportunities. Plus, we help our clients to build relationships with candidates over time, nurturing them until the right opportunity arises. You find the best fit for a position and free up your internal team to focus on creating a brilliant candidate and hiring manager experience.  
  • Rapid access to the latest technologies: RPOs are tech-savvy—always up to date with the latest tech. For example, our AI-powered sourcing tool in Affinix™ searches millions of candidate profiles for your requirements in minutes. At PeopleScout, we can also provide recruitment technologies like CRM, ATS, video interview tools, assessment platforms and analytics.  
  • Talent market insights: With the finger on the pulse of the talent market, RPOs can offer invaluable market feedback to benchmark your talent profiles and refine your talent strategy. 
  • Showcase your employer brand: Outsourcing your talent sourcing significantly contributes to your employer brand by highlighting your unique employee value proposition (EVP). An RPO partner can showcase the benefits and perks of working for your organization, such as career development opportunities, flexible work arrangements and company culture.  
  • Maximize diversity: By implementing inclusive hiring practices and leveraging diverse recruitment sources, an RPO partner actively seeks diverse talent. With experience across regions and industries, RPOs have access to an immense pool of professionals from varied backgrounds.  
  • Prioritize compliance: It is crucial to understand the legal framework surrounding talent sourcing to mitigate potential risks or legal issues. Partnering with a trusted talent partner can help ensure compliance and minimize legal risks in all the areas you’re hiring. 

Effective talent sourcing isn’t just about filling seats—it’s about discovering stars to light up your organization. Whether you’re doing it in-house or partnering with an RPO provider, investing in strong talent sourcing strategies will fuel your company’s future growth. 

PeopleScout Talent Sourcing provides the perfect way to boost your recruitment resources, engage with passive candidates and reach your hiring goals faster. Our sourcers act as an extension of your organization’s recruitment team—finding high quality talent, personally engaging them and converting them into applicants. Candidates get a great experience. You get a short or long list of pre-qualified, genuinely enthusiastic applicants ready for interview or assessment. 

Talent Sourcing Use Cases 

Wondering how you could benefit from outsourcing talent sourcing? Here are some real-world scenarios where we supported clients through our Talent Sourcing solution. 

The Niche Specialist 

Situation 

As a leader in higher education in the UK, a British university was seeking a niche role for their student casework team. Battling a tiny talent pool in their local area, they tried recruiting a Deputy Head of Student Casework on two occasions with no success. The client turned to PeopleScout to help them find the right hire with our Talent Sourcing solution. 

Solution 

Our strategy targeted individuals who had:  

  • Previous management experience  
  • Experience working within higher education including complex student casework  
  • Knowledge of academic and statutory framework guidelines  

With only three other universities nearby, we knew our talent pool would be limited in the immediate proximity for this office-based role. So, we extended our search across the entire UK to find candidates who would consider relocating. 

Results 

  • 71 candidates identified 
  • 46% engagement rate (well above the industry average of 18% to 25%) 
  • 8 candidates presented 
  • 1 relocation hire made from our short list 

👉 Read the full case study 

“We are very pleased indeed! Very interesting that all candidates said they weren’t actively looking for a new role, so clearly, we needed to work with PeopleScout.”

Client Feedback 

The Great Expansion 

Situation 

The London Borough of Hounslow, a local government agency, needed to source candidates that shared their values and vision as part of delivering their new Corporate Plan. This large-scale program initially incorporated 19 areas, with more to come in future iterations of the plan. They partnered with PeopleScout for a Talent Sourcing engagement that focused initially on six key job profiles, hiring between 35 and 40 individuals for the corporate Project Management Office (PMO) and the Service Design and Transformation teams. 

Solution 

Public sector recruitment is often challenging due to competition from other sectors. Because of this, we engaged passive candidates to raise Hounslow’s profile in the market and increase diversity within the talent pools. Our focus was on building brand awareness amongst candidates with backgrounds that matched these niche roles.  

We leveraged our Affinix talent acquisition suite to drive better decisions, to track and monitor the client’s DE&I agenda and to provide a mobile-first candidate experience. Throughout the project, we presented market feedback data and hiring metrics through bespoke dashboards. 

Results 

  • 87% offer acceptance rate 
  • 65% of candidates hired identified as non-white, boosting diversity outcomes 
  • 2:1 to interview-to-hire, exceeding the average of 3:1 
  • 39% engagement rate on LinkedIn 

👉 Read the full case study 

“PeopleScout were different to other providers I’ve worked with before. What really set them apart is the time they spent listening and understanding what the roles were and what type of people we wanted. The result is that we trusted PeopleScout’s shortlisted candidates, and we filled our roles quickly with talent that met our quality expectations.”

Mike Burch, Head of Service Design and Transformation Programmes, London Borough of Hounslow 

Talent Sourcing by PeopleScout 

In the grand talent show that is the job market, talent acquisition teams are not just judges—they’re talent scouts, coaches, and sometimes, even magicians, expected to pull perfect candidates out of thin air. Even the best talent acquisition teams need a little extra support to reach their goals! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, PeopleScout is standing by, ready to be your Talent Sourcing ally.  

Learn more about PeopleScout Talent Sourcing solution and our other Amplifiers offerings.  

Talent Sourcing: How We Helped a British University Fill a Niche Role 

Posted on by akessler
Precision Hiring: Sourcing Niche Skills in Higher Education

Amplifiers™

Precision Hiring: Sourcing Niche Skills in Higher Education

As a leader in higher education in the UK, this British university was seeking a niche role for their student casework team. Battling a tiny talent pool in their local area, they turned to PeopleScout to help them find the right hire.

1 Niche Role
71 Candidates
46 % Engagement Rate

Situation 

A British university had tried recruiting for a role in their student casework team on two occasions. They found a successful candidate who, unfortunately, withdrew at the last minute. Upon further reflection they decided they required a more senior candidate so rewrote the job description for a Deputy Head of Student Casework.  

The role was very specialized and had niche requirements and criteria. So, the university engaged PeopleScout to help them source the right candidates with our Talent Sourcing solution, part of our Amplifiers™ suite. 

Solution 

Following a thorough briefing and benchmarking, we had a clear vision of the priorities and an understanding of what the client was looking for. Our strategy targeted individuals who had: 

  • Previously managed a team of people 
  • Strong background in complex student casework 
  • Experience working within higher education 
  • Knowledge of academic and statutory framework guidelines 

Since experience working in a university setting was essential and with only three other universities in close proximity, we knew our talent pool would be limited in the immediate geographical area. So, our search extended across the whole of the UK to identify candidates who would consider a relocation for this office-based role. 

Results 

We identified and approached 71 potential matches, and 33 people engaged with us, achieving an engagement rate of 46%—well above the industry average of 18% to 25%.  

A shortlist of eight candidates was presented to the client, comprised of both candidates within a commutable distance to the university as well as those willing to relocate for the role.  

Following interviews conducted by the client, the university hired one of our relocation candidates who was headhunted by our senior recruiter.  

“We are very pleased indeed! Very interesting that all candidates said they weren’t actively looking for a new role, so clearly we needed to work with PeopleScout.”

Client Feedback

At a Glance

  • COMPANY
    Leading British university
  • INDUSTRY
    Higher Education
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS
    Amplifiers
  • ABOUT THE CLIENT
    As one of the UK’s largest universities, the client offers 350 undergraduate and over 200 postgraduate programs. It is ranked in the top 7% of universities worldwide with students hailing from over 100 countries.
Let’s Connect

Revolutionizing Healthcare Staffing: The RPO Advantage

Posted on by akessler

Revolutionizing Healthcare Staffing: The RPO Advantage

Attracting and retaining top talent is a massive challenge in today’s competitive healthcare landscape. Unlike other sectors, a miscalculation in hiring the wrong candidates can have severe consequences for patients.

That’s where Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) comes in.

In this ebook, Revolutionizing Healthcare Staffing: The RPO Advantage, you’ll discover how RPO can revolutionize your healthcare organization’s talent acquisition strategy. We’ll explore:

  • The unique hiring challenges facing the healthcare industry and how RPO addresses them head-on
  • The benefits of partnering with an RPO provider, from cost savings to improved candidate quality
  • Real-world case studies showcasing RPO’s impact in healthcare settings

Join the growing number of forward-thinking healthcare talent acquisition and HR leaders who have partnered with RPO providers to stay ahead of the competition. Download our ebook today!

Recruitment Process Outsourcing

Posted on by Kate

PeopleScout Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

PeopleScout’s scalable recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) solutions are backed by experience, insight and action to connect you with the talent you need.

Download this fact sheet to learn more about our RPO solutions.

Download Fact Sheet

Learn more about PeopleScout RPO and get answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Learn More

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5 Signs Your Organization Needs RPO 
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5 Signs Your Organization Needs RPO 

Your workforce is crucial for organizational success. However, many companies find themselves struggling with the complexities and challenges of modern recruitment. That’s where Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) comes in—a strategic solution that can transform how organizations approach hiring.   So, is RPO is right for your company?   This article explores five key indicators that it’s time…

Ultimate Recruitment Process Outsourcing Toolkit
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Ultimate Recruitment Process Outsourcing Toolkit

Our complete six-piece toolkit gives you the essential information on how RPO can boost your recruitment outcomes.

Get the Kit
Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Buyer’s Guide
Buyer’s Guide

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Buyer’s Guide

Check out this in-depth exploration of RPO and how it can help you achieve your recruitment goals.

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