Category: Talent Acquisition Strategy

COVID-19 Series: Preparing for Recovery and Hiring in Uncertain Times

Posted on by nfuqua

As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. We’re talking to our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.

We are focused on the safety of our employees and clients, friends, families and loved ones. However, it is important for many organizations to keep their talent acquisition functions moving – whether to provide essential services or to serve our communities by providing jobs.

In this episode, we talk about preparing for recovery. We don’t know exactly what the economic recovery will look like, but we do know that employers are facing a very different talent landscape than before the pandemic – and many have leaner talent acquisition teams.

Joining the podcast for this discussion is PeopleScout Client Portfolio Leader Chris Gould.

PeopleScout U.S. Jobs Report Analysis – July 2020

Posted on by nfuqua

U.S. employers added 1.8 million jobs in July, a slowdown from the previous month. Despite the growth, the jobs numbers still remain far below pre-pandemic levels. The unemployment rate fell to 10.2%. Year-over-year wage growth was at 4.8%.

July 2020 u.s. jobs report infographic

The Numbers

1.8 million: The U.S. economy added 1.8 million jobs in July.

10.2%: The unemployment rate fell to 10.2%.

4.8%: Wages rose 4.8% over the past year.

The Good

July marked the third straight month of job growth, and the unemployment rate fell to 10.2% from nearly 15% in April. The biggest private-sector gains were in leisure and hospitality, retail, education and health services and professional services. The Wall Street Journal reports that the number of people who are temporarily laid-off has continued to fall, indicating that more employers are bringing workers back.

The Bad

While the job gains are good news, July’s growth lagged significantly behind the 4.8 million jobs added in June, suggesting the recovery is slowing. Additionally, the gains over the past three months only account for less than half of those lost to the pandemic. Currently, 16.3 million people are still unemployed and looking for work. The Washington Post reports that hiring slowed as coronavirus infections began to rise again, and the economic recovery was weakest in the states with the highest numbers of new coronavirus infections.

The Unknown

Several factors could have a significant impact on the economy. First, the U.S. has had more than 5 million confirmed cases of the virus, with around 50,000 added each day. The New York Times reports that the longer the crisis continues, the greater the impact will be for businesses, especially small businesses.

Also, the additional $600 in unemployment payments expired at the end of July, and congress has yet to agree on an additional relief package. It’s not clear yet how much those payments were boosting the economy and what the impact of losing them will be.

COVID-19 Series: What Work Means Now

Posted on by nfuqua

As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. We’re talking to our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.

We are focused on the safety of our employees and clients, friends, families and loved ones. However, it is important for many organizations to keep their talent acquisition functions moving – whether to provide essential services or to serve our communities by providing jobs. Many organizations are also now adapting to a newly virtual workforce.

In that spirit, this podcast shares insights from a wide-ranging conversation from our UK team about the impact of COVID-19 on recruiting and hiring. The pandemic is impacting everything from how we conduct interviews to how candidates view recruitment marketing.

In this conversation, you’ll hear from Simon Wright, managing partner, Robert Peasnell, deputy managing director and Vanessa Hawes, senior employer brand and communications strategist.

[On-Demand] What Work Means Now: How to Attract and Retain Talent

Posted on by akessler

What Work Means Now: How to Attract and Retain Talent

Join Simon Wright, Managing Partner for this on demand webinar, What “Work” Means Now: How to Attract and Retain the Talent.

In this webinar,  we look to the future and discuss the next normal and what is means for you:

  • What changes can we expect to see to the world of work?
  • What will this mean for the relationship between employers and both current and potential colleagues?
  • What will the impact be on the ability for organizations to attract and retain talent moving forward?

COVID-19 Series: The Future of Work and A Global Look at the Role of HR

Posted on by nfuqua

As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. We’re talking to our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.

We are focused on the safety of our employees and clients, friends, families and loved ones. However, it is important for many organizations to keep their global talent acquisition functions moving – whether to provide essential services or to serve our communities by providing jobs. Many organizations are also now adapting to a newly virtual workforce.

In that spirit, this podcast shares insights from three of our leaders here at PeopleScout about how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the future of work, and what HR leaders should be thinking about right now.

You’ll hear from Jennifer Mattocks, PeopleScout’s managing director of the Americas; Robert Peasnell, deputy managing director of the United Kingdom; and Guy Bryant-Fenn, managing director of Australia and New Zealand.

Virgin Media: A Virtual Approach to Call Center Recruiting

Posted on by akessler
Virgin Media: A Virtual Approach to Call Center Recruiting

Virgin Media: A Virtual Approach to Call Center Recruiting

Virgin Media was receiving high customer call volumes and needed to hire 500 new customer service roles across the UK. During the COVID-10 lockdown. In just two months. Enter PeopleScout and our fully virtual RPO solution.

5,500 Applications Delivered
1,800 Virtual Interviews Assessed
300 Offers Made

Situation

As the UK entered lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, enquiries to Virgin Media contact centers—including customer video calls—increased by up to 95% during daytime hours. To maintain excellent service and keep customers connected during this critical time, Virgin Media created more than 500 new contact center jobs in the UK based in Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester and Teesside.

All 500 new hires needed to start in just two months, with the added complication of taking into account social distancing measures. Due to lockdown, candidates could not attend assessment centers or interviews onsite.

Plus, contact center managers did not have capacity to interview so many candidates while maintaining stringent service levels, and right-to-work onboarding checks could not go ahead as normal with an in-person visual review of original documentation.

Additionally, Virgin Media introduced a number of measures to ensure its people remained as safe as possible while continuing to help answer customer queries. This included providing remote working capabilities, where possible, and flexible working patterns.

All of this experience needed to be brought-to-life for candidates at the outset of their application to ensure swift hiring of the right caliber people. Virgin Media engaged PeopleScout for recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) and tech-charge talent assessment solution.

Solution

With a tight turnaround in play, we formed an agile working group which met twice daily to track project implementation and delivery progress. This rigorous schedule resulted in the deisgn and implementation of a new virtual hiring process in less than two weeks. This new fast-tracked application and assessment process used video interviews, dramatically reducing the processing time and allowing new staff to be selected within days and start within weeks.

To generate applications, we built a new page on the Virgin Media careers site and created an enhanced attraction plan to drive applicants there. We diverted existing candidates (whose roles had been cancelled) into the new process. To improve quality of applications and speed-up hiring, The microsite was built with two areas: a hints and tips page and a page illustrating the overall application process.

Recruiting capacity was scaled up, utilizing our global delivery centers to score over 5,000 application and nearly 2,000 video interviews and to support onboarding of successful candidates without delay.

Results

Within two weeks of launch, PeopleScout’s RPO team had:

  • Designed a virtual interview process from scratch
  • Delivered 5,500 new applications
  • Conducted over 1,800 online video interviews
  • Instigated 400 final stage qualification calls
  • Made nearly 300 offers within 4 weeks of kickoff
  • 95% of qualified candidates approved for hire during the Hiring Manager audit step

At a Glance

  • COMPANY: Virgin Media
  • INDUSTRY: Telecommunications
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS: Recruitment Process Outsourcing
  • ANNUAL HIRES: 500 new call center hire
  • ABOUT VIRGIN MEDIA: Virgin Media is a telecommunications, providing telephone, television and internet services in the United Kingdom. It is owned by Virgin Media O2.
Let’s Connect

“We have built a strong and effective partnership with PeopleScout, shown through the complexities brought about by the pandemic and then a large merger.”

Client feedback

Transport for Wales: Growing the Workforce of a Newly-Created Organization

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Transport for Wales: Growing the Workforce of a Newly-Created Organization

Transport for Wales: Growing the Workforce of a Newly-Created Organization

Supporting the launch of Transport for Wales with recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) for specialist engineering, transportation, project management and support roles.

92 % of Candidate Rated the Experience as Excellent
Grew Workforce from 9 employees to 140 During the Initial Engagement
Grew Workforce from 9 employees to 140 During the Initial Engagement
2 Languages, English and Welsh

Situation

Transport for Wales (TfW) was created to drive forward the Welsh Government’s vision for a high quality, safe, integrated, affordable and accessible transport network that the people of Wales would be proud of. As a new rail franchise operator, their initial focus was to grow at speed, recruiting 100 or more key staff within challenging timescales, in preparation for a rail franchise switch over.

As a newly-created organisation, Transport for Wales had no recruitment expertise or talent technology to support their ambitious resourcing plans for roles at all levels, from apprentices and graduates to Directors with every level in between.

TfW selected PeopleScout as their sole RPO partner to build their workforce from just nine employees to over 140 and growing, most of which are permanent with some temporary staff and contractors. Another key requirement was to work in both English and Welsh.

Solution

A Unique Service Model

To establish the Transport for Wales recruitment strategy, we placed a senior recruiter on site with expertise and industry experience who could consult and provide solutions to market challenges and engage with hiring communities and other key stakeholders. The immediate challenge was to identify and hire for key senior positions, starting with the Directors. We then worked with these leaders to build their teams from the top down in order to deliver on their goals.

Best-In-Class Candidate Experience

Our off-site recruiting team provided full-cycle RPO, from sourcing to onboarding services, to ensure that candidates received a best-in-class experience right through to their first day and beyond.

Attracting a Wider Talent Pool

As an RPO provider with a creative flair, we were able to help TfW move away from a more traditional marketing style to something which attracted diverse talent. As leaders in employer brand and candidate experience, this extended into a go-to-market broadcasting strategy that encompassed social media, community management and talent pooling. It also maximized the TfW employer brand story and reduced pressure on budgets.

Results

  • 95% offer fulfilment across all levels of roles
  • Rapid identification and hiring of crucial roles
  • 92% of candidates rated their hiring experience as excellent
  • Talent pools created for future hiring
  • A developed and refined future-proof recruitment strategy

PeopleScout have been excellent in the delivery of the recruitment services into Transport for Wales. They are transparent, hardworking and qualitatively focused. All the team have been dedicated to our growth ambition and have represented our brand well to external candidates. I am delighted to work with the whole team as we share our continued success with our partners.

Recruitment Leader, Transport for Wales

At a Glance

  • COMPANY: Transport for Wales (TfW)
  • INDUSTRY: Public Transportation
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS: Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Affinix
  • ANNUAL HIRES: 100+ roles across specialist engineering, transportation, project management and admin support
  • ABOUT TfW: Founded in 2016, Transport for Wales (TfW) was set up by the Welsh Government to make sustainable travel a reality in Wales. Their multimodal, integrated transport network aims to increase the number of journeys on public transport by 40% by 2040.
Let’s Connect

Transport for London: DE&I Recruiting to Represent Modern London

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Transport for London: Early Careers Recruiting to Represent Modern London

Early Careers | DE&I

Transport for London: Early Careers Recruiting to Represent Modern London

Transport for London (TfL) worked with PeopleScout to boost diversity in their early careers program through an employer branding and talent attraction campaign.

2 x Double the Percentage of Minority Ethnic Graduates Hired
16 % Increase in Female Apprentice Hires

London’s population is projected to reach 10.5 million by 2041. Plus, 16 to 18-year-olds are experiencing rising youth unemployment with some of the most deprived areas in the country set in London. 

As the government body responsible for the day-to-day operation of London’s public transport network, naturally Transport for London (TfL) plays a major role in contributing to the capital’s growth, and opening doors for people from disadvantaged areas was absolutely vital. Supporting this growth means recruiting, retaining, and developing a workforce of Londoners who will take part in the design of their city.

Transport for London (TfL) values the importance of diversity and inclusion and social mobility. Being representative of London is something their success is measured on, and the same standards apply to their apprenticeship and graduate schemes.

These early careers schemes had proven successful in the volume of applications received but weren’t reaching talent from all walks of life. TfL needed a diverse pipeline that truly represented modern London. It was time to rethink their entire student attraction activity. That’s where PeopleScout came in.

Situation

TfL needed to recruit 32 graduate roles and 109 apprenticeships. As their talent partners, our primary objective was to champion these fantastic opportunities to a broader apprentice and graduate talent pool in order to increase female applicants and those from minority ethnic backgrounds.

This meant removing barriers to recruitment, challenging stereotypes and overcoming negative perceptions. We needed to change TfL’s attraction process so that people from every pocket of society would be interested in the unique opportunities available. And we needed to re-position their early careers employer brand as a progressive organization in which everyone—regardless of background or financial situation—could excel.

Solution

A New Brand To Make Better Connections

Together, we transformed the way TfL recruit diverse talent. Ensuring skilled people from all walks of life have a chance to shine in the application and assessment process, our creative team used their audience knowledge to build a dynamic unexpected youth brand, “The Next Move”, which was designed to look different from other TfL

Boosting Success in Assessment Centers

communications, using vibrant, colourful graphics that would better connect with female and diverse applicants. We then shaped a comprehensive outreach program and a completely new assessment process with the aim of helping these candidates show TfL who they are and what they’re truly made of.

From experience, we know that young people often need to build their confidence by filling gaps in their knowledge. To address this, we created “Route-into-Work,” a pre-employment course for all candidates to fill gaps in their knowledge and provide them with the tools, insight and confidence to be successful at assessment centers.

A More Targeted Approach

For Tfl’s apprenticeships, we designed a new strategy for our school outreach program, “Moving Forward.” We identified 251 of the poorest secondary state schools and ran over 50 events, with additional events in three of the most deprived boroughs in London: Newham, Tower Hamlets and Haringey.

Results

We achieved amazing results with the graduate recruitment campaign, comfortably filling all of the roles and meeting the social mobility criteria.

Doubling the Percentage of Graduate Hires from Minority Backgrounds

Most importantly we doubled the percentage of minority ethnic graduates from 27% to 54%, and we substantially grew the proportion of female hires from 18% to 29%.

Growing Female Apprentice Hires by 16%

Similarly strong results were achieved in the apprentice pool, as we dramatically grew the proportion of female hires from 20% to 36%. The Route-into-Work program delivered apprenticeship hires, of which 33% were female and 67% were minority ethnic.

At a Glance

  • COMPANY: Transport for London (TfL)
  • INDUSTRY: Public Transportation
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS: Talent Advisory
  • ANNUAL HIRES: 32 graduate roles and 109 apprenticeships
  • ABOUT TfL: Transport for London (TfL) is the government body responsible for the day-to-day operation of London’s public transport network and management of the capital’s main roads.
Let’s Connect

Talking Talent: Building a Healthy, Authentic Company Culture

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In this episode of Talking Talent, we’re talking about company culture – why it’s important, how to build one that attracts the employees you want to hire and what you can do to embrace authenticity.

Right now, your company culture is especially important. COVID-19 has changed the way we’ve all worked. A strong culture can help support your employees’ mental health throughout this crisis, and in the long term, it can help with a robust recovery by helping you hire and retain the best talent.

In this episode, we hear from three experts. The first is Vanessa Hawes, Senior Employer Brand & Communications Strategist at PeopleScout

As a member of PeopleScout’s talent advisory practice, Vanessa supports our clients to effectively launch, embed, manage and measure their employer brand. Vanessa leads a number of strategic employer brand accounts, as well as supporting the RPO division and PeopleScout globally. Vanessa takes an active interest in inclusion and diversity, especially female representation in business and STEM and social mobility.

The second is Frances-Leigh Husband, Sales Manager at Guardian Jobs.

In her role, Frances heads up both the Guardian Jobs public services and client relationship teams. With more than 15 years of experience at the Guardian, she has overseen the evolution of the digital business model and developed a sales strategy which has produced new revenue streams and delivering growth.

Finally, we’re joined by Helen Durkin, the EMEA Employer Brand Program Manager at Indeed.

In her role, she responsible for building Indeed’s employer brand reputation and owning the content and advertising strategy across EMEA. With more than 10 years in the industry, Helen has experienced most of the challenges within the employer branding space. Helen has won awards for her work—and even served as an award judge herself, so she knows her stuff.

We recorded this podcast earlier this year, before the COVID-19 crisis had impacted much of the world, but we believe the insights are still valuable and relevant today.

How RPO Supports Business Growth in Europe

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For the past few years, the recruitment and staffing industry have been under constant pressure to reevaluate their service delivery strategies. Despite the recent turbulence we’ve been experiencing due to COVID-19, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) offers organisations the opportunity to augment their recruitment functions to support growth in other regions.

Business Growth in Europe

For the past 10 years, the offshoring market in countries like Poland has been an increasingly large component of the global business operations. Offshoring certain business functions offers savings, and enterprises have become more comfortable with managing remote teams—whether through an outsourced provider or their own offshore service centers.

In addition, global businesses are looking to other countries to access a wider, well-educated and experienced talent pool. Some jobs require highly skilled talent, and in order to fulfill all their requirements, expanding to a new region—and acquiring the best skills at a lower operating cost—will become a kay component of organisational resilience going forward.

5 Ways RPO Can Support Your European Expansion

Europe is made up of 44 countries, all with their own distinct traditions and languages. A homogenous approach won’t delivery against your European talent acquisition goals. An EMEA RPO partner can help you navigate these differences and find talent as rich as the cultures this continent has to offer. 

Here are five ways a global RPO partner can help your organisation expand in Europe.

  1. Access local recruitment expertise. With a regional presence and experience, your RPO partners can provide insights into local labour markets and what matters to talent in different areas of expertise or the region.
  2. Expand your talent pool. Whether you’re opening a new factory or looking for top software engineers, RPO can open up a whole new pool of talent for your organisation.
  3. Gain efficiency and agility. Access to flexible teams and leading recruitment technology means your RPO can help optimise your processes and reduce the burden on local hiring managers.
  4. Adapt your approach to cultural nuances. Global RPO partners have multilingual teams who can tailor your recruitment processes to account for the location and role.
  5. Ensure compliance. Each country has its own recruitment regulations and laws, and an RPO partner can help you stay compliant and mitigate risk.

Need an RPO Partner in Europe?

Looking for help with talent acquisition in Europe? Contact us to learn more about our talent acquisition solutions in EMEA.