February 2022
Hybrid working Managing the many faces of the new workforce
Plus...
• Talent solutions to enable recruiters • Q&A with TIARA Talent Tech Star judge • The rise and rise of RPOs
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Working the hybrid workforce The Prime Minister has announced the end of COVID-19 restrictions and an end to the pandemic is in sight. But how will these changes affect current workforce policies that have been put in place to facilitate working from home and will flexible working models remain? It stands to reason that if remote working worked during the pandemic, surely it will work post-pandemic? For the last two years governments around the world have told us to stay at home, socially distance, work from home and limit human contact. This way of living has been engrained in society and with a few false starts it’s understandable the Government’s removal of all COVID-19 restrictions has been met with apprehension. Employees are sure to ask whether or not their interim flexible working arrangements will remain. As the workforce returns to normal and employees are expected to return to the office as flexible or hybrid workers, it’s going to be up to employers, talent acquisition leaders and HR teams to ensure that the return to the workplace is smooth and safe and that employees are supported through yet another significant shift in their careers. Technology again will save the day and the success of digital transformations during the pandemic will facilitate a streamlined move towards permanent hybrid working models. Communication is key and so is maintaining that work/life balance that has come into sharp focus since the arrival of coronavirus. By offering a hybrid working model employers are in a solid position to retain their talent and to ensure the attraction of new candidates in the market.
I for one thoroughly enjoy my time in the office but I am also grateful to have the flexibility I need to balance work and life. The return to normal has been a long time coming and I’m excited to see what 2022 has in store. Debbie Walton Editor TALiNT International
“It stands to reason that if remote working worked during the pandemic, surely it will work post-pandemic?”
About TALiNT Partners TALiNT Partners provides insight, content, connections and strategic support to the world’s recruitment & talent acquisition leaders. We work hard to connect, collaborate and concentrate our efforts to ensure our events, experiences, consultancy and media solutions offer the best support for the talent industry. Published by Talent Intelligence Partners Ltd Casa Court Great George Street Godalming GU7 1DX www.talintpartners.com Editorial: debbie@talintpartners.com News & features: debbie@talintpartners.com Advertising & Sponsorship: andy@talintpartners.com Design: annabelle@talintpartners.com
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Contents
Contributors
08 News Analysis
08 UK economic activity slows 09 Drivers of talent tech in 2022
10 The hybrid workforce Navigating the return to the office
14 Blueprint for success Talent solutions to enable RPO
Devyani Vaishampayan HR Tech Partnership & TIARA Talent Tech Star Awards Judge P16
Rachel Barr Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation P18
Declan Slattery Natwest Group P18
Debbie Devenport Rullion P20
Ryan McCabe Odro P20
Kate McCarthy-Booth McCarthy Recruitment P20
Alison Humphries Recruitment Leadership P20
David Lynchehaun Morson Group P20
16 Q&A: Davyani Vaishampayan TI talks to TIARA Talent Tech Star judge
18 AI & DE&I
Extra time for TA teams to focus on D&I
20 TALiNT Advantage programme Facilitating employers’ conversations
24 The Talent Solutions Power List The rise and rise of RPOs
26 TALiNT Talk
The future around the 40-day work week
Picture credits: iStock, Unsplash, Canva 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. © Talent Intelligence Partners
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Louise Shaw MCIPD OmniRMS P20
Martin Ewings Experis P20
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TALiNT Scene
TALiNT Partners have kicked off the year with a number of events in London and the North! We love getting industry leaders around a table to talk change, innovation and trends…
Thursday 27th January: TALiNT Partners and Odro co-hosted the first PointSix event of the year in Manchester, bringing together 30 leaders from staffing and talent solutions firms including Rullion, Airswift, Morson Group, Omni, McCarthy Recruitment, Amoria Bond, Experis, Meridian BS, NES Fircroft, Outsource and RGF Staffing. A panel of peers shared insights on how recruiters can attract and retain their own talent, how to capitalise on market opportunities, and the risks and rewards of new solutions and services. Read more on page 20.
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Thursday 27th January: The first dinner of 2022 was held at the quirky Haymarket Hotel in London and was hosted by TALiNT Partners and Eightfold.ai. London may have been quieter than usual – here’s hoping it returns to its pre-pandemic buzz this year – but our guests in attendance had a lot to say about the challenges of hiring a diverse workforce in minimal time. We also did have time for a crisp glass of chardonnay and a few laughs, too. Join us for the next private dinner here.
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News Analysis
ONS cites increased economic inactivity According to the latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) published by the ONS, economic inactivity has increased by 0.1 percentage points to 21.2%. The increase in economic inactivity since the start of the pandemic was largely driven by those who are economically inactive because they are students or for “other” reasons, revealed the survey. In the latest three-month period however, those who are inactive because they are students continued to decrease, while the increase was driven by those who are inactive because of long-term sickness and “other” reasons. The UK employment rate, however increased by 0.1 percentage points on the quarter to 75.5%, while the number of self-employed workers remained low following similar decreases seen during the pandemic. The number of employees increased to another record high and job-to-job moves also reached record numbers in October to December 2021, driven by resignations. The survey revealed that the number of payrolled employees also increased monthly in January to a record of 29.5 million while unemployment decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 4.1%. Growth in average total pay (including bonuses) was 4.3% and growth in regular pay (excluding bonuses) was 3.7% among employees in October to December 2021. In real terms (adjusted for inflation), total and regular pay fell on the year at negative 0.1% for total pay and negative 0.8% for regular pay. Previous months’ strong
growth rates were affected upwards by base and compositional effects. These temporary factors have largely worked their way out of the latest growth rates, however, a small amount of base effect for certain sectors may still be present. Kirstie Donnelly MBE, CEO of City & Guilds commented: “With just 4.1% of the population unemployed, we are now nearly back to pre-pandemic levels of unemployment, but we’re by no means back to normality. The labour pool has shrunk dramatically thanks to the double impact of Brexit and the pandemic on our non-indigenous workforce. And the number of open job vacancies continues to increase as businesses struggle to recruit the skilled talent they need – now standing at a record 1,298,400, according to the ONS.” Paul Modley, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at AMS also made comment: “We are seeing more and more talent acquisition leaders encouraging hiring managers to rethink their qualification requirements which can often inadvertently limit the intake pool. While there is often a temptation to use language such as ‘demonstrate superior skills’ in a job description, by making small changes to use inclusive wording such as ‘demonstrate competence in…’, employers are far less likely to put off some candidates from applying. By challenging the language used in job specifications, businesses can make an immediate impact on their ability to tap into a wider talent pool at the very beginning of the recruitment process.”
Read the full article
29.5mil Number of payrolled employees
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Growth in average total pay (including bonuses)
4.3%
The UK employment rate
75.5%
Where next for talent tech? TALiNT Partners MD Alex Evans hosted a panel discussion at the virtual World Staffing Summit on 26th January with speakers from Bullhorn, Odro and SourceBreaker for predictions on what will drive tech transformation in 2022. Ryan Odro, CEO of video interviewing technology specialist Odro, said: “The industry is more excited about automation but fear automating too much. On the other side of the spectrum, they understand the benefit of personalisation, but the time involved versus ROI is still quite scary. I think this is the year that suppliers come together to help recruiters scale personalisation.” Adam Dale, CRO of AI-enabled search and match platform SourceBreaker highlighted the staffing challenge for recruiters in their own businesses and the role of tech in retention. “Recruitment leaders are increasingly seeing how automation can free up time for consultants to become specialists and why the slickest processes and best tech stacks are creating stickiness for people.”
Joshua Pines, Bullhorn’s VP, International Alliances, predicted the continued consumerisation of talent tech and automation, saying that: “Forward-thinking staffing firms need to optimise the phones that we all carry around with us as a mobile gateway to talent, not just candidates but existing employees; not only driven by automation but the human touch to connect with the right people and the right information.” Alex Evans concluded with his own observation that: “Internal mobility and upskilling staff is a key focus for inhouse TA teams and the RPOs that have related solutions, including train & deploy and inclusion related services, will be best positioned to maximise growth opportunities. It’s not just about putting talent into businesses but helping employers to keep that talent as well.” These and related themes will be explored further at the PointSix Predictions Summit on 4th March.
News in brief Fin Services vacancies up 52% in Scotland According to Core-Asset Consulting there is an enormous shortfall of candidates in Scotland with pressure to significantly increase salaries and perks which has made for grim reading in the financial services sector. According to the report, factors causing huge employment gaps are an exodus of international staff due to Brexit, COVID-related career changing and the climate crisis. These have left the industry at an “uncertain crossroads”. Findings in the report suggest that these are some of the most extreme market conditions in living memory, and that the Financial Services Asset Management Services industries have remained broadly resilient, with roles such as Business Analysts, Solutions Architects and Regulatory Risk in the highest demand. However, with vacancies up 52% and applicants down 5% on the previous 12 months, this year’s report has highlighted a burgeoning staffing crisis across multiple sectors caused by the perfect storm of Brexit, increased remote working, the cutting of intern and trainee programmes, and the reluctance of many to relocate for work. Apprenticeship applications up by 37% According to data from CV-Library, apprenticeship roles have increased by 28% when compared to 2021 figures and are up 203% in comparison to 2020 figures. These figures have been revealed in the wake of the 15th annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) where the theme for the week was ‘build the future’. NAW brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy. During NAW, focus was given to how apprenticeships can help individuals develop their skills and knowledge required to have a rewarding career and how businesses can develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills. Encouragingly, according to the data from CV-Library’s survey, candidates have made 74,574 searches for apprenticeship roles in February so far, and in 2022 to date, applications to these roles have shot up by +37% on the same year period last year. More than 50% of SMEs expecting growth in 2022 A new report by global expenses app, ExpenseOnDemand, revealed that more than half of small businesses (54%) are expecting to grow in 2022 as optimism rises to highest level since 2019. The report showed that at a regional basis, growth aspirations were highest in London with 57% of businesses expecting growth, compared to the lowest figure of 29% in the combined North East / Yorkshire regional cluster. In terms of business sectors, manufacturing was the most pessimistic about 2022 with a mere 36% expecting growth, and 2.5% of businesses in this sector anticipating that they will permanently close at some point in the next twelve months.
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Managing the new workforce
Hybrid Working: The many faces of the ‘new’ workforce The end of the pandemic is in sight and with it comes a return to a normal way of life we’ve not seen for two years. How are employers approaching the return to the office and is a hybrid workforce here to stay? The adoption of at-home working was completely necessary at the start of the pandemic to keep the wheels of the global economy turning. But as phrases such as social distancing, work-from-home, isolation and quarantine slowly leave our day-to-day vocabularies, the return to a “new normal” flexible and / or hybrid way of working is front of mind for everyone in the workforce. While work-from-home orders were rescinded in July of 2021, the arrival of Omicron in November and a snap back into COVID-19 restrictions, it seems the workforce is somewhat weary of a second return to the office and digging in heels to secure a more flexible or hybrid environment. But while a flexible way of working isn’t a new concept considering we’ve been doing so for almost a year; the end of the pandemic is in sight and employers and employees are asking: will the end of the pandemic signal the end of the hybrid workforce? “Remote work is here to stay and is the new normal. As a result of the pandemic, over the last two years, corporates have been in a reactive mode. However, many are now taking a more strategic and planned approach to managing the challenges of a flexible and remote workforce and digitalisation of the workforce is being looked at in a significant way,” said Devyani Vaishampayan, TIARA Talent Tech Star judge and CEO of an AI consulting firm. According to Josh Bersin, Global Analyst and leader in HR tech, 80% of the global workforce is deskless – this means people in the workforce who can’t work flexibly like hospitality, healthcare and retail workers. But even with most of the workforce unable to work flexibly, businesses across the globe have proven that the show can go on while working remotely. HYBRID FOR THE WIN For the better part of two years the talent landscape has been embroiled in a war for scarce
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Debbie Walton Editor TALiNT Partners
talent that has pushed talent acquisition teams and employers to find and place the best talent in a short space of time – a trying task. But as the candidate-driven market continues to gain momentum, one thing is certain, flexible working is no longer a nice-to-have perk, it has become a condition of employment for candidates looking for new roles. Ryan McCabe, CEO at Odro agrees that hybrid working is here to stay. He said: “Previously people thought that certain industries would fail to adapt and would continue to force people to come into the office every day once lockdown was over. I think it’s now clear that hybrid working is a competitive advantage, if not a minimum requirement, in the war for talent. And if I’ve learned anything in my career, it’s that people are the most important part of your business to get right. Which tells me that the decision has already been made by the masses. The research to support of hybrid working models is overwhelming, believes Omri Dekalo, CEO and Co-Founder of Ubeya, the workforce management solution company. “For instance, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that ‘81% of employees said they would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options.’ Eighty-one percent! It makes perfect sense. If your employer shows they care about you as an individual beyond the workspace, you are more likely to hold favourable opinions of your workplace, feel a sense of genuine satisfaction, and feel like you belong.” Omri feels that the COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on humanity, and it’s obvious now that how employees have responded in the context of their jobs and careers that work/life balance is of paramount importance to them. “Employees now consider work/life balance and work flexibility amongst the top priorities when looking for their next role, and that spans both
FROM THE TOP DOWN To make a success of a new strategy in any workplace, it’s imperative to have buy-in from leadership. “The pandemic has shown us how important flexibility and hybrid working are in the workplace. This is where effective leadership is more important than ever to protect businesses from the potential risks of declining productivity, high staff turnover and the decline of corporate culture. To ensure that hybrid working is as unproblematic and smooth as possible, companies need to treat the old office as a hub for people to collaborate in and work easily with those colleagues that are in front of them that day or are remotely working. To get this working efficiently there shouldn’t be a difference, and the hub should just be seen as another remote working venue,” says Wendy McDougall, CEO at FireFish. Ryan shared Odro’s approach to transitioning to a fully functional, hybrid workforce: “We recently appointed a Head of L&D who carries out 121s with our team members across all departments and ensures that the business is giving them everything they need to perform at a high level in their role – including the environment they must operate within. We made sure everyone in the business had laptops, mobile phones, desks, chairs, monitors etc when we moved to WFA and supported them when they needed equipment. This has also become a checkpoint we make at interview stage for new starts to ensure they’re going to be equipped to do the job and from a good working environment that’s going to work for them, and us.” MANAGING THE RETURN TO THE NEW NORMAL It’s well-established that hybrid working is here to stay, so how do leaders and HR teams manage a workforce that effectively works in two places – home and office?
Devyani Vaishampayan CEO HR Tech Partnership
Ryan McCabe CEO Odro
Matt Burton, CEO at MBA said: “These past few years have taught us that being flexible and having trust in your team is imperative. We believe that transparency in the transition back to office if of the utmost importance, specifically surrounding expectations, safety measures, and flexibility options. The difficulties of dealing with an unprecedented pandemic accompanied by the transitioning back and forth to and from the office has been hard on employees, which is why employers need to be understanding and allow for an open line of communication above all else. Leaving the office was sudden, not allowing much time for employees to process, that is why we at MBA decided to ease everyone into coming back to the office so they could adjust to the ‘new normal’ in a way that works for them. Employers need to ensure that our staff are well looked after, as they are at the heart of what we do.”
“I think it’s now clear that hybrid working is a competitive advantage, if not a minimum requirement, in the war for talent.” Ryan McCabe, CEO at Odro
Wendy McDougall, CEO & Founder Firefish
Omri Dekalo CEO Ubeya
Ryan at Odro agrees that open communication is key, not only from employers but employees, too. “Be open and honest about your position. If you need help, are struggling to find balance or you’re unhappy about your working environment; you must speak up. Without the correct information your employer can’t fix the problem.” FireFish CEO Wendy shared what they’re doing to support to the transition back into the office. She said, “In addition to our hybrid working model, our Head of Remote Working supports our staff, quickly resolving the logistics of remote working and the random issues that always arise. By having a dedicated person on this, we stay
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“The pandemic has shown us how important flexibility and hybrid working are in the workplace.” Wendy McDougall, CEO at FireFish
focused, ensuring that the remote workforce is as productive as possible.”
stresses of parenthood and office working,” said Kevin.
TECHNOLOGY SAVES THE DAY Rapid digitalisation afforded the global workforce to work from home two years ago and it will continue to support and advance the hybrid working model.
“Similarly, many ‘young returners’ are also at risk, with research suggesting the number of 18- to 34-year-olds working in the ‘gig economy’ or unsteady hours has almost tripled since the pandemic. Compared with full-time work with regular hours, this brings additional financial worries and often disruption to healthy habits and social lives,” added Kevin.
Devyani Vaishampayan shared her views on how technology will advance and support this move to permanent hybrid working. “AI and digital technology can deeply accelerate a positive employee experience as it empowers employees and helps personalisation. As these technologies are cost effective and easy to integrate, it will be easier for organisations to adopt and scale them rapidly. Finally, the use of real-time predictive analytics and insights will help business leaders become proactive and focused around solving employee issues.” CHALLENGES OF A HYBRID WORKFORCE While the hybrid working model has many positives and is the way forward for many organisations, it will certainly come with challenges for both employers and employees. “Research suggests hybrid working is the most exhausting working approach – with employees struggling to balance the unique demands of working at home and in the office. However, with everyone having a different view on how they would prefer to work, employers will likely be left to deal with the fall-out whichever decision they make,” said Kevin Thomson, Corporate Healthcare Director, Nuffield Health. Flexible working during the pandemic has been a saviour for many families and the prospect of returning to the office, even for a few days a week is likely to cause concern for some workers. “One group likely to be anxious at the prospect of a return to the workplace is new parents. Those who have welcomed children during the last two years may not yet have balanced the
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Matt Burton CEO MBA
Kevin Thomson Corporate Healthcare Director Nuffield Health
Another potential challenge according to Devyani is getting buy-in. “Many organisations will be persuading traditional managers to adopt this change. There are some that may still feel that a culture of ‘presenteeism’ equates to productivity. Organisations will have to invest and think strategically about tools and training/coaching to help both employees and managers be effective in a hybrid workplace.” With the government finally putting a line in the sand for ending all coronavirus restrictions, a transition back to the way life was pre-pandemic is bound to bring with is uncertainty and apprehension. But with the technological advancements made in the last year along with focus on employee wellbeing and work/life balance, the future of the new way of working certainly does look bright.
“One group likely to be anxious at the prospect of a return to the workplace is new parents. Those who have welcomed children during the last two years may not yet have balanced the stresses of parenthood and office working” Kevin Thomson, Corporate Healthcare Director, Nuffield Health
Embedded TA Solutions - Plug & Play Support With the pressure on internal talent teams greater than ever and agency costs increasing, many organisations are looking to RPO providers to help: • Enhance internal TA capability quickly and efficiently in order to meet business need • Secure candidates in high-demand sectors • Reduce spiralling agency spend by improving direct hiring Working with an RPO provider like Omni enables you to build TA capacity and capability quickly by engaging talent professionals when you need them most. Get in touch to find out if now is the right to time to consider an embedded talent solution.
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PointSix — North
Blueprint for success
The first PointSix event of 2022 explored the talent challenges and solutions that will enable recruiters and RPOs to differentiate and prosper this year As skills and talent shortages continue to drive recruitment demand, the question for recruiters is not simply how long will high demand last, but how quickly will training and technology transform the industry to solve the skills crisis? On the 27th of January, TALiNT Partners and Odro co-hosted the first PointSix event of the year in Manchester, bringing together 30 staffing and talent solutions leaders to debate some key questions. How are they attracting and retaining their own top performers to supply their clients with the talent they need? How can they differentiate as both an employer and partner of choice to capitalise on market opportunities? What new models and services will support more profitable growth this year? And what part will technology play? Adoption of AI, automation and a range of talent tech solutions has sky-rocketed in the last two years but recruiters and RPOs have also demonstrated new value. “We are not automating away the recruiting function – quite the opposite,” commented HR industry analyst Josh Bersin at the end of 2021. “Recruiters have shown the value they bring in understanding cultural fit, adjacent candidate skills, pay equity and refining job specs with hiring managers. They are the tip of the spear of all these HR practices.” This is borne out by two new reports from TALiNT Partners which ranked the top 500 UK staffing firms by turnover (Recruitment Power List) and benchmarked some of the world’s top RPOs (Talent Solutions Power List). The total turnover of the top 500 recruiters in 2020 was £36.8bn, down only 10% from £40.8 billion in 2019, as they offered new services including RPO and MSP (which saw 25% and 13% growth respectively according to the WEC). Asked what their clients most value and what they expect to see more demand for, 79.4% of
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the benchmarked talent solutions providers said Assessment and Deployment of Technology, followed by Screening and Assessment (76.1%), and Employer Brand and Candidate Attraction (74.5%). Alex Evans Managing Director TALiNT Partners
PROFITABLE GROWTH This was explored further in a panel that looked at the risks and rewards of new talent solutions models. Debbie Davenport, Executive Director of award-winning RPO / MSP provider, Rullion, explained that the key to profitability is taking a commercial view over the lifetime of contractual agreements, fully understanding the level of investment required, and identifying opportunities for additional services – which can enhance your core offering and provide additional sources of revenue from new and existing customers. “Price will certainly be a key contributor to success, so work closely with your finance team so the business case for investment is made in line with the expected returns,” she explained. “Utilise a range of market indicators to ensure you are well positioned to spot growth waves such as modular, on-demand talent solutions accelerated by the pandemic as customers seek ‘plug and play’ resourcing models that will give them more agility, flexibility, scalability and cost benefit.” David Lynchehaun, Group Sales Director of Morson Group - which won Best New Talent Solution Provider at the 2021 TIARA Talent Solution Awards – observed that D&I services are a basic requirement from clients who expect more diverse pools of candidates – but demand is growing for more support around inclusion and retention of talent. This latter point was echoed by Louise Shaw MCIPD, Director of Resourcing Transformation at Omni, which was Highly Commended for Tech Transformation at the 2021 TIARA Recruitment Awards. A former inhouse recruiter, she observed that internal mobility and upskilling are priorities
for clients who are looking for partners who can help with skills-mapping and training – of both permanent and contingent workers.
their company brand and built relationships during hiring freezes are the ones who are growing the business.”
Train and Deploy is addressing talent shortages and creating a major new opportunity for recruiters and RPOs. “Time to skill is becoming as important as time to hire as a measure of success,” commented Martin Ewings, Brand Director at Experis, who observed that candidates are being trained, upskilled and engaged as employees and offered careers with client partners.
Video technology has helped consultants to build and enhance their own personal brands whilst automating more personalised touchpoints throughout the recruitment process to keep candidates engaged. Ryan McCabe, CEO of Odro, explained that video technology has evolved to scale the human touch, to reduce drop-offs and no shows and to help recruiters create better connections with their candidates and clients.
Martin Ewings Brand Director Experis
BEST RECRUITMENT COMPANY TO WORK FOR To adapt to these new client demands, recruiters and RPOs must find, keep and develop their own talent. Kate McCarthy-Booth, founder and chair of McCarthy Recruitment, has won numerous best place to work awards, attained Investors in People Gold and announced an MBO just as COVID-19 hit. Commenting on the LinkedIn stat that twice as many recruiters are looking for experienced consultants and fewer are recruiting from outside the industry, she said: “For me, a degree is not important and neither is a specific background. We have always hired on skills and attitude, with training to hone their approach and coaching to help them become better managers and leaders, which ultimately made an MBO an option.” Alison Humphries, an award-winning NED, board advisor and executive coach to recruitment leaders, observed that founders and CEOs who had a crisis plan before the pandemic were able to respond quickly and fairly. The best had then taken the time to find out who their top performers were - and how they contributed value beyond sales. “Business leaders have to genuinely understand and integrate marketing and tech to their offering and this, in turn, was part of their own offering to attract staff. Those who enhanced
Debbie Davenport Executive Director Rullion
“Being able to scale personalisation enables larger recruiters and RPOs to keep candidates engaged throughout the process, while also freeing up consultants to build better relationships and gather greater insight for clients,” he commented. “Using video to enhance your process, from the first touchpoint onwards, can really help you humanise your recruitment at scale – both from a brand perspective and instantly improving the experience for candidates and clients as you move through the different stages of the hiring process. “It also provides data to remove barriers to diversity, with recruiters able to monitor which videos hiring managers have given most and least attention to.”
Kate McCarthy-Booth Founder & Chair McCarthy Recruitment
So what were the key takeaways from this PointSix session? Employers are looking for recruitment partners who can add more value around choosing and deploying the right technology, whether its video interviewing solutions like Odro, D&I tools or solutions for monitoring performance and wellbeing. As employers prioritise the retention of key talent, they are also looking for support with internal mobility, skills mapping and upskilling. A focus on these areas should become the blueprint for success for agencies looking to enhance their service offering in 2022.
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Q&A Talented tech Devyani Vaishampayan is a member of TALiNT Partners’ respected panel of judges for the TIARA Talent Tech Star Awards and CEO of HR TECH Partnership. TALiNT International sat down with her to talk about tech trends, talent and the upcoming awards season. TI: Rapid digital transformations enabled the
use of AI and digital solutions around coaching, employee engagement, performance management, embedding behaviours and wellness has gone up significantly.
world to continue turning when the pandemic hit in 2020. How do you think technology will aid the return to a new normal and hybrid way of working?
DV: Remote work is here to stay and is the new normal. Hybrid working where employees work partly from home will necessarily increase the use of tech. As a result of the pandemic, over the last two years, corporates have been in a reactive mode. However, many are now taking a more strategic and planned approach to managing the challenges of a flexible and remote workforce and digitalisation of the workforce is being looked at in a significant way.
TI: Do you think that companies will continue to Debbie Walton Editor TALiNT Partners
embrace the digital way of working, or will we see a return to in-person working in the coming months?
DV: Very few organisations will return to the
will come out this year?
traditional norm of five days a week in the office. Most will offer hybrid working with two to three days in the office and the choice being left to employees. At one extreme, roughly 10 to 15% of organisations (mostly in the technology sector) may offer 100% work from home. The other change we are seeing is a move to a four day week.
DV: This year will see an increased usage in
TI: Managing a hybrid workforce is sure to have
TI: What innovative technology do you think
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality due to a number of factors. These factors include a greater familiarity with digital technology, reduced costs of headsets and the emergence of Meta by Facebook. These will help step up the replacement of face-to-face interactions with a virtual environment.
its challenges. What do you believe will be an organisation’s biggest hurdle with the return to the new normal?
DV: Many organisations will be persuading
traditional managers to adopt this change. There
TI: Let’s talk about AI. Do you predict an uptake in adoption? And how will that affect the talent industry?
DV: Organisations will see a big uptake in AI
adoption, particularly around the softer aspects of talent management. At the HR TECH Partnership, we are particularly seeing increased interest around areas of leadership and culture, which traditionally were done face-to-face. The
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TALiNT International February 2022
“At one extreme, roughly 10 to 15% of organisations may offer 100% work from home. The other change we are seeing is a move to a four day week.”
Devyani Vaishampayan CEO, HR Tech Partnership
are some that may still feel that a culture of ‘presenteeism’ equates to productivity. Organisations will have to invest and think strategically about tools and training/coaching to help both employees and managers be effective in a hybrid workplace.
TI: How will technology support the successful management of a hybrid workforce?
DV: AI and digital technology can deeply
TI: If you could make one big prediction for the industry this year, what will it be?
DV: More organisations will start focusing on using predictive insights from job boards and apply skill sets for candidate ratings. Enhanced KPIs for better ROI will gain traction. Finally, the emphasis to remove bias will continue. This will contribute towards better candidate engagement during the hiring process.
accelerate a positive employee experience as it empowers employees and helps personalisation. As these technologies are cost effective and easy to integrate, it will be easier for organisations to adopt and scale them rapidly. Finally, the use of real-time predictive analytics and insights will help business leaders become proactive and focused around solving employee issues.
TI: You are returning as a judge this year at
TIARA Talent Tech Star Awards! What new trends and / or innovations are you expecting to see from this year’s entries?
DV: It would be interesting to see if solutions have broader coverage of end-to-end talent management processes rather than just acquisition or onboarding.
TI: What sets the TIARAs apart from other awards programmes?
DV: Nominations at the TIARA Talent Tech Star Awards are of a high quality and a great mix of innovation as well a proven track record. The depth and breadth of judges who bring a practical perspective make this a great awards programme.
The TIARA Talent Tech Star Awards 2022 are now open! View categories
Diversity & Inclusion
AI: A time saving reality Whilst 2022 will continue to see high demand for talent, the perennial challenge of delivering the personal touch and a strong focus on DE&I in the hiring process is stronger than ever. What role can AI play? AI to determine who’d win at the candidate selection process. AI has won every time.
In such a challenging market the notion of getting “bums on seats” is doable on the surface, but when DE&I is front of mind for employers, TA teams are faced with a truly difficult task: Get the staff needed, and quickly, while creating a diverse workforce. How often do we daydream about things we need and want? Sure, there is a level of whimsy around never having to work again, or retiring at 45 in Barbados, but what is always top of anyone’s wish list is one thing: More time. But how do you free up time in an environment that is constantly time-strapped? There could be a way… At TALiNT Partners’ first dinner of 2022, in partnership with Eightfold.ai, we got together with talent acquisition leaders from various industries at The Haymarket Hotel to discuss how AI can positively impact the resourcing and hiring processes while playing into D&I. We had time for a hearty meal and a few glasses of wine as well… WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF AI AND HOW DOES IT PLAY INTO DE&I? According to Max Schroeter, Senior Account Executive for Europe at Eightfold.ai, while AI can help eliminate high-end bias and save time, cultural change within a business is needed to facilitate it. “To free up time in a busy work environment there needs to be a change of habit and internal culture. To maximise the effect of AI, there must be a better understanding of the skill sets needed in candidates and how those skills are acquired. We see the application in such a way that it is designed to help recruiters do what they need to do, very quickly and effectively.” BUT HOW? AI can increase conversion rates on applications. Various organisations have run tests within their TA teams by pitting their consultants up against
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TALiNT International February 2022
Debbie Walton Editor TALiNT Partners
LANGUAGE MATTERS AI is not there to replace the job of the TA team. It’s an application that is designed to source the CVs of candidates who accurately match the job description and possess the skills required to do the job – it can also help find candidates from a more diverse talent pool. “Often when searching for candidates on external databases, you can be given 50 candidates that supposedly could be a good fit for your business, but when you look at them, they don’t meet the requirements at all!” said Todd Harrison, a Global Talent Acquisition Director. By aligning terminology, the notion of sourcing candidates who meet diversity and general requirements for the role becomes easier. By narrowing the search and retrieving CVs that are more relevant to the TA’s needs, the TA team saves time by not having to sort through mismatched CVs and profiles. What also helps the AI to produce accurate results is refining search criteria and using a variety of names and job titles in a search. Once these refinements have been made, the time saved by using AI can be spent sorting through CVs and selecting top candidates. QUICK FIRE HIRES TA teams have never been under as much pressure to hire quickly. But without proper workforce planning, it’s difficult to source a workforce that will stay – which is so important in the current market of high attrition. “If we know what’s coming down the line, we have a better chance of getting hiring right,” said Rachel Barr, Director of Talent Acquisition, EMEA at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. “It’s really difficult to strategise and make sure we find the right people if we don’t have a good
overview of the future of the business,” she continued. “It’s still about ‘bums in seats’ for us. Because we’ve just IPO’d we are hiring at speed because of rapid growth. We have a focus on women in leadership now which is forming part of hiring strategy,” commented a senior team member with focus on DE&I at a social media company. The pandemic has caused many candidates to re-evaluate what they want from their careers. Often candidates are now seeking out employers whose values align with theirs and that culturally fit in with their needs and wants. Therefore, company culture and a sense of belonging plays a very important role in the hiring process. If a candidate is hired and they don’t fit the business culturally and visa versa, the hire will inevitably leave. “AI has made assumptions based on the terminology used and some AI is even able to give the reason why a candidate is a match. It doesn’t have to be only about key word matching,” said Max. “AI can pick up public information and can assist in matching a candidate to your business based on culture as well,” he said. THE DEVIL IS IN THE DATA “The pre-condition to using any HR tool is organised data,” stated Ken Brotherston, CEO of TALiNT Partners. And according to Max, the data you get out is as good as the data you put in but this can often be a challenge. “We capture gender data at application level but didn’t have ethnic tracking capabilities at my previous place of employment,” said Todd Harrison, a Global Talent Acquisition Director. “Data is stark and we’re not going to solve problems through lateral hiring. We need to be more conscious of the future of the business and ask ourselves what we can do to attract and select candidates to support a five-year plan for the business,” said Rachel Barr, Director of Talent Acquisition EMEA at Sumitomo Mitsumi Banking.
Gender, when disclosed by candidates, is tracked throughout the hiring process and using AI gives the opportunity to widen your talent pool. AI helps to predict the potential of the talent pool,” said Declan Slattery, Head of Talent Attraction and Engagement at NatWest Group. “It’s important that data management isn’t confused with AI capability though,” he added. “AI is setting the outcome and tweaking it to get what you’re after only enhances the hiring experience for both candidates and TA teams,” said Declan. At the end of the day, people may have unrealistic expectations or unfounded fears about AI and what it’s capable of, but what it does at its core is it takes care of the mundane tasks therefore leaving the important parts of the hiring process to recruiters to perform more diligently in less time. Who wouldn’t want that?
“To free up time in a busy work environment there needs to be a change of habit and internal culture. To maximise the effect of AI, there must be a better understanding of the skill sets needed in candidates and how those skills are acquired.” Max Schroeter, Senior Account Executive for Europe at Eightfold.ai
TALiNT International February 2022
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TALiNT Advantage
A different conversation In-house talent acquisition leaders are facing the toughest market this century; for many this is the hardest time in their career. Not only is hiring at a peak in most organisations but one of the most difficult roles to hire is a recruiter.
More than ever senior Talent Acquisition (TA) leaders are caught between management conversations on gaps in fulfilment and frustrated sourcing teams who are working hard but struggling to meet demand. It is a difficult and an isolated place to be. The feedback we hear most frequently is: “Thank goodness it is not just me.” IT’S THE RIGHT TIME However, with challenge comes opportunity. Talent acquisition is high on boardroom agendas, both in terms of finding it and keeping it. In-house talent leaders have a voice and provide an important bridge between talent market and talent demand. This is the time to step up.
In 2021 we helped our members to: • Debra Sparshott Employer Programme Director TALiNT Partners
• • • • •
Explore the candidate and competitor landscape with bespoke research and market insight Look at creative ways to attract and develop the talent they need Better understand the early careers space and how to engage with young workers Improve internal collaboration across their organisation Identify ways to improve start rates for new hires Increase awareness of shifts in candidate expectations And so much more…
A safe place to talk and share insight with senior peers offers both market understanding and a meaningful exchange of viewpoints. There are forums out there offering this discussion, but it can be difficult to have a voice in a cast of hundreds and, if the level of delegate is not right, valuable time is spent in “the weeds” and little insight is gained that can be taken away.
•
TALiNT Advantage is different. Members benefit from small peer forums with senior TA Leaders – just like them. Attendees shape the agenda, based on their needs, to ensure that the topics discussed are of real benefit. Rather than just hosting, our team of talent acquisition experts facilitate, participate, and contribute their extensive industry knowledge and experience to the conversation.
Members can also benefit from TALiNT Advantage Advisory Services such as bespoke research, TA workshops and networking opportunities designed to provide specific market intelligence, increase TA team capability, and connect senior TA leaders across subject or sector specific criteria. Our team and network of experts can support ability to manage internal discussions against external factors and peer experience, helping members to raise both profile and knowledge at a strategic level.
We are connected; TALiNT Partners is the only insight company to engage across the whole talent eco-system with programmes across in-house, talent solutions, agency, and technology providers. We join our members with others going through similar challenges, or with
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solutions providers who have the knowledge and expertise needed.
TALiNT International February 2022
Our members cover a broad range of industry sectors, from telecommunications to automotive, from financial services to global retail. We are proud of the knowledge and skills they bring to the table and especially the mutual respect and support they offer one another.
One such advisory service is the Benchmark Programme. The Benchmark Programme is a diagnostic tool that helps talent leaders to review and develop the way they bring top people into
For more information on the TALiNT Advantage Programme please contact Debra Sparshott: debra@talintpartners.com
“In-house talent leaders have a voice and provide an important bridge between talent market and talent demand.”
EMPLOYER BRAND & CANDIDATE ATTRACTION The rise of social values and people-first aspirations are re-shaping candidate expectations and the definition of an employer of choice, the Report found. Results from the report showed increased efforts to align with the employee perspective through partnerships with marketing teams and increased enablement of the recruitment supply chain.
their organisations. Now in its fourth year, this independent, rigorous and thought-provoking tool affords TA and HR leaders opportunities to explore why they do what they do in talent acquisition and where they might improve in terms of processes, tools, people and strategic planning. KEY AREAS OF THE BENCHMARK Key areas analysed and assessed in the Programme are Candidate Experience; Employer Brand and Candidate Attraction; Diversity and Inclusion; Onboarding; Deployment of Systems and Technology; Screening, Assessment and Selection; Internal Mobility and Retention and more.
Candidates’ wants and needs have changed dramatically in the last two years and we’re seeing a great shift towards employees looking for companies that align with their own intrinsic value system. The panellists at the Summit highlighted the importance of the employer brand and how it affects candidate attraction.
In the results from 2021’s Benchmark Report it was highlighted how changes in candidate attitudes are shaping talent strategy across all market sectors, in how they define their employer proposition, how they engage with talent and are using new ways of working to increase access to a more diverse candidate market. There were notable changes in the following of these key areas:
Effectiveness of TA Team’s collaboration with the marketing department to create your employer brand
CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE Results from the report around the everimportant candidate experience category revealed that fierce competition for talent is driving better candidate communication, faster response times during the hiring process and attention to feedback. It also showed that partnerships with hiring managers have increased to improve fulfilment but that the rise in quantity of engagement has been at the expense of quality.
%
50% Low
Moderate
High
ONBOARDING The findings in the Report showed that tightening the onboarding process has been a priority in the struggle to keep candidates post-offer. An increase in communication before the first day comes through but there is concern about detail and the ability to create connection for new joiners in a hybrid workplace. Offer Process Automation
7.0
Quality of communication at each stage in the process
6.0 Average ratings
0%
25
% 25
5.0 Offer Process Automation 2020
4.0 3.0
Offer Process Automation 2021
2.0 1.0
Low
0.0
Offer Creation
Offer Delivery
Document Checking
Referencing
Moderate High
41%
59%
The full results of 2021’s Benchmark Report can be found here and TALiNT Advantage members receive a bespoke and enhanced level of feedback.
TALiNT International February 2022
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TALiNT International February 2022
Upcoming events 2022 Event Name
Date
Audience
Location
Dinner roundtable partnered with Guidant Global
03.03.22
In-house
Dallas
PointSix Predictions
04.03.22
Vendor
London
HR Tech Summit partnered with Deloitte
09.03.22
HR Tech
London
Dinner roundtable
09.03.22
In-house
New York
Dinner roundtable
10.03.22
In-house
New York
Roundtable partnered with Indeed
10.03.22
In-house
Virtual
Roundtable discussion
11.03.22
Vendor
Virtual
Talent Solutions leaders dinner
17.03.22
Vendor
London
PointSix lunch & learn workshop
24.03.22
Vendor
London
Date
Audience
Location
Roundtable discussion partnered with AMS
06.04.22
In-house
Virtual
Roundtable discussion partnered with MyBasePay
06.02.22
Vendor
Virtual
Roundtable discussion
07.04.22
ANZ Vendor
Virtual
Roundtable discussion partnered with AMS
21.04.22
APAC In-house
Virtual
TALiNT Ireland
27.04.22
In-house / Vendor
Dublin
PointSix Lunch & Learn
27.04.22
Vendor
London
Roundtable discussion partnered with OmniRMS
28.04.22
In-house
London
Roundtable discussion partnered with Resource Solutions
28.04.22
US In-house
Virtual
Roundtable discussion partnered with Omni RMS
28.04.22
In-house
London
Event Name
Mar
Apr
VISIT TALINTPARTNERS.COM/EVENTS TO REGISTER TALiNT International February 2022
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Talent Solutions Power List
The rise and rise of
RPOs
During the pandemic the need for rapid support and additional resources resulted in an unprecedented demand for the services provided by recruitment outsourcing providers (RPOs). This heightend demand is projected to continue with little sign of abating this year. Along with the continuous evolution of talent technology into a more complex landscape, many employers are turning to outsourcing providers for support in the identification and initial assessment of Talent Acquisition in a move to solidify partnerships and deliver clients’ talent needs. One of the biggest trends in resourcing and talent acquisition over the last 25 years has been the growth of the recruitment outsourcing sector. From a small number of suppliers providing a fairly rudimentary service to a complex eco-system of global players and a myriad of niche, specialist scale-ups, employers can choose from a simple project resourcing service to a complete total talent management offering, supported by cutting edge technology. Against this multifaceted backdrop, Talent Solutions (TS) providers are having to continuously adapt and adjust to the needs of their clients and complex external market conditions, enriching and expanding service offerings against predicted need. This complexity makes it increasingly difficult for procurement, HR and TA leaders to identify those TS partners best suited to their needs, particularly where there are a variety of views on resourcing priorities. The Talent Solutions Power List (TSPL) is designed to help employers looking to engage with Talent Solutions firms to make the best decision, regardless of whether they are replacing an existing provider or outsourcing some or all resourcing activities for the first time. It also showcases the key capabilities of a range of talent solutions providers which have been validated by an independent panel of global TA leaders. The Talent Solutions Power List has three key objectives:
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TALiNT International February 2022
Ken Brotherston Chief Executive Officer TALiNT Partners
• To enable employers who are considering or changing a recruitment outsourcing provider to make an informed decision based on their own specific needs • To help recruitment outsourcing providers to clearly demonstrate their expertise in relevant areas based on an independent, rigorous evaluation • To provide confidential feedback to providers on ways in which they can finely tune the services they offer to respond effectively to customer needs and market trends. There are two additional features of the Power List which improve its relevance for today’s market. It is designed to evaluate what customers look at when making buying decisions, and it prioritises the type of operational delivery a client is looking for, rather than how big a provider is, enabling a more meaningful, requirement-based comparison between large and mid-sized firms. THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND THE INDEPENDENT ADVISORY BOARD The Power List benefits from the input of a subscriber Steering Committee. This is comprised of senior executives from subscribers to The Power List (i.e the Talent Solutions providers) who meet regularly to ensure the Power List submission process is equitable and clear. They also provide input on the key areas for evaluation. INDEPENDENT ADVISORY BOARD The independent Advisory Board plays a crucial role in ensuring the consistency, accuracy and objectivity of the subscriber evaluation process. The Advisory Board consists of global and regional Heads of TA from some of the worlds’ most admired organisations, offering their extensive experience in commissioning, evaluating, and running complex, multi-country outsourced recruitment services.
“Along with the continuous evolution of talent technology into a more complex landscape, many employers are turning to outsourcing providers for support”
OPERATIONAL FOCUS Talent Solutions providers will have refined and honed specific areas of delivery, based on their expertise and their own strategic objectives, regardless of the size of their business. The Operational Focus tool allows buyers to identify those providers with the right expertise, based on the work they do rather than their size. This is important because when it comes to service capability, the highest scores tend to be achieved by the largest firms with the most resources.
Each Talent Solutions Provider was asked to complete a detailed assessment of a number of categories (see graph below), providing evidence of capability to support areas of high capability and covered key areas. Their input was then reviewed by the Advisory Board and ranked accordingly. The Power List is unique in its focus on evaluating and ranking capabilities around the activities that are most important to employers. Top 3 in each category (EMEA)
The chart below shows operational focus for TSPL Subscribers across EMEA. Each line represents the distribution of priority by each provider, providing a competitive landscape analysis for Trailblazing (identifies new issues and challenges and is first to market), Pace-setting (best in class solution), Adapting (works to configure and adapt existing solutions) and Optimising (increases efficiency and/or reduces cost).
Candidate Experience Employer Brand & Candidate Attraction Diversity & Inclusion
Optimising
Adapting
Pacesetting
Trailblazing
Sanderson
Retinue Talent Solutions
Resource Solutions
Reed
PeopleScout
Page Outsourcing
Manpower Group, Talent Solutions
Lorien
Allegis Global Solutions Hays Talent Solutions
Retinue Talent Solutions
HudsonRPO
Guidant Global
Hays Talent Solutions
Guidant Global
AMS
Resource Solutions
Recruitment Supply Chain Effectiveness
Reed Talent Solutions
Allegis Global Solutions
AMS
Deployment of Technology
Lorien
Resource Solutions
Manpower
AMS
Guidant Global
Allegis Global Solutions
AMS
Reed Talent Solutions
PeopleScout
Manpower Group, Talent Solutions
Hays Talent Solutions
Page Outsourcing
All in all however, the direction of travel is clear and positive for both providers and employers and, when done well, outsourcing has a hugely important impact on an organisation’s ability to find and keep the people it needs.
20%
Hudson RPO
Retinue Talent Solutions
The results from our inaugural Talent Solutions Power List not only demonstrated the ongoing growth of the recruiting outsourcing sector, but, importantly, provided some clear pointers on its future evolution.
40%
Hays Talent Solutions
Allegis Global Solutions
Resource Solutions
AMS
Environmental, Social and Governance
60%
Guidant Global
Hays Talent Solutions
Guidant Global
Resource Solutions
Youth Employment
80%
Comensura
AMS & PeopleScout
Screening, Assessment & Selection
Onboarding
100%
AMS
3 Resource Solutions
Manpower Group, Talent Solutions
Employment Flexibility
Operational Delivery (EMEA)
Allegis Global Solutions
2 Guidant Global
Recruitment Planning & Effectiveness
Retention & Internal Mobility
Results indicate each subscriber’s strategic priority for development of existing and new business, enabling alignment of provider and client, based on the nature of work to be done. There is no ‘right’ answer: each approach is dependent on the subscribers’ strategy, capability and resources and, accordingly, the responses are not evaluated by the Advisory Board.
1 Hays Talent Solutions
*In its first year (2021), The Power List service capability rankings are focused on the EMEA market. In 2022, it will cover the US in more detail and will also look at the key APAC markets (China, India, Australia/NZ, South East Asia and Japan).
TALiNT International February 2022
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TALiNT Talk
The four-day work week – is it friend or foe?
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail… the problem with the fourday work week. As we continue to navigate our way out of the pandemic and try to work out new and hopefully more productive ways of working, the growing clamour for a four-day week seems to be becoming ever louder. But this seems to me to be a classic situation of trying to design a (perceived) problem to fit a solution. At the risk of alienating anyone reading this piece, it also raises the question about who decided we should all be working less in the first place? It’s a serious point. If working less as a society leads to lower growth and higher national debt, we simply store up even bigger problems for future generations. There is a genuine argument that we should all be pulling harder than ever for the next few years to help our economy get back on a stronger footing but that’s for another article. Coming back to the four-day week… my main issue is that it is being presented as a one-sizefits all solution when, in reality, it suits only a minority of employees. That’s not to say that there isn’t a place for it, but one of the lessons that has come out of the pandemic is that there are a number of flexible, dynamic working models that employers can adopt to meet their individual needs. Another incredibly important lesson is that whatever models are adopted, they have to be fair and reasonable. The vast majority of employees understand that they won’t get everything they want, but they will feel much more engaged (and therefore far more likely not to leave) if they believe they have been part of a fair process. Very few organisations can operate a four-day week and improve productivity. For example, a 20% reduction in manufacturing equipment utilisation would need enormous improvements
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TALiNT International February 2022
in efficiency. Likewise, most businesses in the service sector are under pressure to extend their services, not reduce them – and that’s before we even start to think about working across time zones and international markets. Ken Brotherston Chief Executive Officer TALiNT Partners
And, to cap it all, I suspect most employees would simply shoehorn their existing work into four days potentially leading to more burnout and stress… also known as the ‘beware of what you wish for’ syndrome! It’s undoubtedly a positive move that more flexible working is a feature of lots of employees’ working patterns and that being forced to turn up somewhere five days a week for no good reason is increasingly becoming a massive barrier to hiring. For HR and Talent Acquisition leaders looking to find and keep the people they need, there are more opportunities than ever to create an employer brand to engage with wider pools of more diverse, external talent and to build internal marketplaces that support flexible working, effective skills utilisation and much improved attrition. But, as ever, beware of simple answers to complicated problems.
“The vast majority of employees understand that they won’t get everything they want, but they will feel much more engaged (and therefore far more likely not to leave) if they believe they have been part of a fair process.”
DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY HERE TALiNT International February 2022
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