Category: Candidate Experience

Co-op Insurance: Significantly Reducing Time-to-Hire for a Leading UK Insurer with a Revamped Candidate Assessment

Posted on by cspivack
EXPERIENCE NOT ESSENTIAL: HOW WE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED TIME-TO-HIRE FOR A LEADING UK INSURER

EXPERIENCE NOT ESSENTIAL: HOW WE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED TIME-TO-HIRE FOR A LEADING UK INSURER

Co-op Insurance came to PeopleScout for a new assessment centre and streamlined recruitment process, resulting in a reduced time-to-hire and quality new talent.

Reduction in Time-to-Hire
Reduction in Time-to-Hire
73 % Assessment Centre Pass Rate

up from 41%

Positive Candidate Feedback
Positive Candidate Feedback

Employing 70,000 people, the Co-op is known across the UK as a leader in socially conscious, community-led business. As well as being the country’s fifth largest food retailer, it is also a major general insurer. Co-op Insurance came to PeopleScout with a problem. They were having big issues recruiting the voices of the organisation: high-quality, productive, right-fit Claims Advisors who would stay. Also, the time-to-hire was very slow and a drag on the time of the resourcing team. Their recruitment process needed a complete overhaul.

SITUATION

The process we were presented started with a manual-intensive CV screen. Because of the volumes that were coming through, the Co-op resourcing team was conducting daily CV screens. This ate up immense amounts of time and resulted in the team screening candidates based on experience. That meant they were inconsistent in the way they were screening candidates (about 70% passed the CV screen). Those who passed this CV screen then had a qualifying call. This was not a formal telephone interview, but an introductory call to check the experience on their CV, discuss any gaps and make sure they were eligible to work in the UK (85–95% passed this stage). Finally there was a face-to-face assessment centre—consisting of a computer-based assessment and interview. Following this, was the offer and induction.

SOLUTION

The right solution meant two considerations: what to assess and how.

  1. WHAT – We conducted a period of job analysis to understand what good looked like in the role.
  2. HOW – We needed to identify a solution which would support progressing candidates at speed through the process, providing a realistic job preview and automatically screening candidates so there was less manual intervention by the resourcing team.

We suggested removing the CV screening step which meant there was less reliance on experience only. This allowed us to assess the whole person, progressing candidates who had no experience but great potential. We developed an online tool which incorporated a situational judgement test which tested for attention to detail and a video interview. Candidates completed this in one sitting, further reducing the time-to-hire. We also supported in the design of an assessment centre.

RESULTS

The Co-op’s resourcing team was delighted with the new process. It’s easy to use and gives them back invaluable time to work on other projects. The assessment centre significantly reduced time-to-hire, owing to the speed and efficiency of the new process. The pass rate at the assessment centre stage is 73%—a big increase on the previous rate of 41%. This means that a much higher proportion of the best fit candidates are going further in the process. In addition, new joiners have been identified by the business as individuals who are motivated to succeed, with a propensity for learning and a growth mindset. Candidate feedback has been very positive, with many saying it gave them a proper understanding of the role.

AT A GLANCE

  • COMPANY
    Co-op Insurance
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS
    Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Talent Advisory
  • ABOUT CO-OP
    Co-op Insurance is part of Co-op Group, one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, owned by millions of members. As a leading UK insurer, the organisation offers coverage for business, home, life, motor, travel and pets.

Disrespect & Demand: Why Candidates Abandon Recruitment Processes

Posted on by akessler

Talent shortages and the effects of The Great Resignation are now well-established narratives in the recruitment space. Yet, organisations are still putting up barriers between great opportunities and great talent. New research shows that candidate abandonment rates are over 65% due to a poor candidate experience. Candidates are dropping out of every stage of the recruitment process, not just the application process.

Often this results in “ghosting”—when the candidate drops off with no communication to the recruiter or hiring manager—with 28% of job seekers admitting they’ve done it. But, it’s a two way street—77% of candidates say that employers have done the ghosting.

Other barriers to candidate engagement that are contributing to abandonment include:

  • Overly complex or repetitive applications
  • Screenings, tests, or assessments take too long or require unreasonable amounts of time and effort to complete
  • Recruiters or hiring managers schedule interviews but never show up (ghosting), or reschedule several times, or are disruptive during the interviews themselves
  • Job offers take weeks or months to materialise
  • Lengthy and arduous onboarding practices (which get worse in heavily regulated industries)

Tips to Reduce Candidate Abandonment

Evaluating your candidate experience, particularly the number of steps and how much time each takes to complete, is imperative. Recruiters should work with hiring managers to prepare them for final stage interviews to ensure that experience is positive for candidates.

Think about any steps that can be eliminated. In times past, we’ve advocated strongly for assessments and even design them through our award-winning Assessment Services team through our Talent Advisory offerings. But, sometimes eliminating or scaling back assessment steps can actually help deliver more qualified candidates at scale and speed. We’ve seen this work particularly well in recent entry-level hiring projects, like customer service roles.

RPO Delivers an Excellent Candidate Experience

Advocating for changes like this can cause some discomfort – but it can also get results. This is an area in which an RPO partner can make a big difference. We can bring the agility and insight needed to problem solve in this candidate-led market. 

Infographic of how to hire in a candidate-led market. Only 12% of companies use candidate feedback to improve the candidate experience. Only 30% of organisations survey new joiners to assess their experience. 8 out of 10 organisations don't have time or resources to improve the candidate experience 54% of organisations surveyed have never benchmarked their candidate experience Only 5% of candidates rate their experience as excellent

Any organisation recruiting right now must meet candidates where they are. The best solution is the one that engages and retains qualified candidates at every stage of the process. Shorter applications, streamlined assessments, commitment to best practice interviewing, clear guidance and additional support in onboarding should all be a priority for your business. Focus on candidate experience through a combination of responsive teams and tech and strengthen the employer brand wherever possible. That’s what gets talent to stick with, not abandon, your recruitment process.

Talking Talent: Building an Inclusive and Equitable Employer Brand and Recruitment Process

Posted on by nfuqua

In this episode of Talking Talent, we’re going deep on an issue that is top of mind for so many employers: diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). We’ve seen a tremendous amount of work done in this area, but there is always more to do. And we know that every organisation is at a different point on its DE&I journey.

This episode specifically focuses on building an employer brand and a recruitment process that is equitable and inclusive of candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. What are the best strategies? How can you build a process that takes things like intersectionality and social mobility into account? And finally, how do you get the buy-in within your organisation to make changes—especially in a challenging hiring environment?

Joining us to talk about these issues is Paula Simmons, our Director of Employer Brand & Communications Strategy. Paula’s background is a combination of PR and corporate communications, recruitment and employer branding. Her role at PeopleScout UK enables Paula to do what she enjoys most: delivering actionable insights and consultancy to clients across a range of industry sectors, nationally and internationally. In essence, helping them to understand, articulate and measure what makes them unique places to work. Alongside this, she also leads our work to help clients better understand and engage audiences from underrepresented groups.

In this conversation, Paula explains the traditional ways that talent acquisition professionals have recruited candidates from underrepresented groups and then explains a new way forward. She explains how intersectionality and social mobility should factor into DE&I programmes and provides a pathway for talent leaders to get buy-in and balance long-term goals with immediate needs.

Recruitment Technology: How to Build the Ultimate Tech Stack

Posted on by akessler

Digital transformation has hit HR, and the world of recruitment has rapidly evolved with the growth of mobile apps, big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics. Candidates now expect a tech-enabled recruitment experience, and building a talent acquisition tech stack has gone from a nice-to-have to a critical part of a global recruitment strategy for any enterprise. However, with the influx of new talent acquisition technology—from foundational platforms like an ATS to point solutions for sourcing, interviewing or recruitment marketing—it can be hard to navigate the recruitment technology ecosystem and know where to invest your budget.

In this article, we’ll help you make sense of all the available talent tech and how each recruitment system can benefit your business. You’ll learn some important things to keep in mind as you build your tech stack. Plus, we’ll provide some details on what features to look for as you evaluate solutions.

Working with a Tech Capable RPO Partner

One of the biggest value-adds that RPO brings is experience with the latest talent technology innovations. In fact, in 2021 PeopleScout saw new RPO engagements with technology included increase from 40% to 67%. An RPO partner can help you assess talent acquisition software to address all aspects of your recruiting process, from identifying talent to creating a more efficient candidate experience. Your provider can show you how emerging technologies like AI, machine learning and predictive analytics can boost your ability to attract top talent. 

In addition to consulting, some RPO providers are investing in proprietary technology solutions including application tracking systems (ATS), candidate relationship management (CRM) tools, analytics platforms and automation tools. This can come in the form of a single platform or as a set of integrated systems, providing a modular approach that lets you add and remove solutions from your tech stack as your needs change.

Integrate Recruitment Technology for Seamless Operations

Any new recruitment tool you consider should integrate with your current talent acquisition and HR systems. Not only does integration let you benefit from existing investments and grow as your needs change, but it also helps you streamline operations by eliminating the need for manual data entry—saving time and effort. 

When evaluating any solution, ask about built in integrations. If one doesn’t exist for one of your existing systems, evaluate the vendor’s ability to support you through an API. An application programming interface, or API, is a connection between pieces of software. Open APIs let you build a custom solution by connecting your talent acquisition technology systems with each other and with your other HR systems—boosting the flow of data and improving operational and cost efficiencies.  

A Word on Security

Any technology you do add to your talent tech stack must comply with data privacy regulations in all regions where you’re recruiting. Pay attention to any rules about where data can be stored, like those stipulated by the GDPR. Look for tools that are SOC 2 certified, which shows they maintain a high level of information security.  

Building Your Recruitment Tech Stack

Now that we’ve covered some important things to keep in mind when evaluating software, here are some tech solutions to consider when building your talent acquisition tech stack.

Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

An ATS is the foundation upon which you will build your tech stack. This platform acts as the system of record for your talent acquisition programme. As a repository for applicants, it helps you manage the hiring process for all your requisitions and satisfies compliance requirements for record keeping.

Some ATS systems let you create branded career sites and landing pages where candidates can learn more about your company, search jobs openings and even apply for a role. Look for a platform with a “quick apply” feature that lets candidates apply in a few clicks even via mobile devices—which has been proven to increase application conversion rates. ATS platforms may also support the candidate selection process through AI-powered keyword scanning and other automated features like approval workflows, candidate and hiring manager notifications, offer letter generation and more—all with the benefit of reducing time-to-fill and streamlining the candidate experience.

AI Sourcing Tool

AI-powered sourcing tools review, sort and rank talent on the open web using sourcing criteria you’ve previously specified like current or past job titles, companies, diversity attributes, industry experience and more. Algorithms crawl resumes, social media profiles and other sources of data to find candidates that match your job requirements. This increases your potential applicants while speeding up your search and reducing the manual repetitive tasks for recruiters.  

AI sourcing can also help reduce bias as it only looks for what you’ve specified and disregards other factors like race, gender or age. It can also be applied to internal candidates by screening the existing employee profiles within an organisation to find strong matches for current open positions.

When designed correctly, AI can help you create a better candidate experience. However, there are dos and don’ts when it comes to automation. Proper testing at each stage coupled with human oversight will go a long way to catching biases or negative hiring experiences, so you can pause and reconfigure your strategy.

Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) Software

Many analysts believe that 70-80% of the recruiting process could be handled by the CRM, so it’s worth looking into complementing your ATS with a candidate relationship management (CRM) system. This recruitment marketing platform helps recruiters create talent pools based on geographies, level of interest and skills. With a CRM, you can differentiate your organisation by nurturing these candidates through automated recruitment emails, SMS messages and more—whether to keep them informed during an active application process or to keep them warm until a suitable position opens up. Communications can be personalised to the candidate for a more engaging experience.

A whopping 89% of candidates think mobile devices play a critical role in the job-hunting process. So, meet your candidates where they are, and look for solutions that are mobile-first and create a consumer-like experience your employer brand deserves. Other features to consider are custom landing pages and careers sites as well as event management tools to support specific recruiting goals. 

Recruiting Chatbot

Consider adding a chatbot to your careers site or investing in an ATS that offers this functionality to modernise your candidate experience. As a conversational interface, chatbots leverage natural language processing to screen candidates, answer candidate queries and schedule interviews. Some even offer candidates the ability to check the status of their application. This reduces the burden on recruiters and hiring managers by taking on some frequently asked questions from candidates, freeing them to focus on other things.

In addition to process efficiencies, chatbots can also be a great way to bring your employer brand to life. We implemented a chatbot for The AA, a UK-based motoring association offering roadside breakdown assistance, as part of their reimagined careers site. Candidates could ask AAbot questions and were served with information tailored to their interests. Not satisfied with a run-of-the-mill experience, we gave AAbot a big personality, reflecting the organisation’s playful employer brand. As a result, we boosted career site traffic by 60% year-over-year and applications by 275%. We even used AAbot in recruitment marketing campaigns and social media posts.

Virtual Interview Management System

A Gartner HR Survey revealed that 86% of organisations conducted virtual interviews during the course of the coronavirus pandemic, and this isn’t likely to decline as businesses recover. A dedicated virtual hiring solution can help you quickly hire the essential talent you need, no matter where they live or how the demand for remote working changes.

Modern candidates expect a hiring experience to be personal, quick and convenient. Rather than just leverage video meeting tools, look for dedicated virtual interview tools that offer multiple options for virtual interviews, including on-demand phone interviews, text interviews as well as live and pre-recorded video interviews. Additional features, like self-scheduling tools and automated candidate advancement tools, help dramatically reduce time-to-hire and enhance the candidate experience.

Virtual Assessment Tool

Speed up the candidate review process by investing in virtual pre-employment assessment tools. Modern options include AI that can evaluate writing samples, phone and video interviews and skills test responses. Digital assessment solutions examine the candidate’s aptitude, personality and skills using predictive analytics and machine learning, ensuring you hire the highest quality talent. This also has the added benefit of reducing bias, as the AI focuses on the content of the responses not the candidate or what they look like.

Platforms range from those providing code evaluations for software development roles to language aptitude tests. Make sure you look at the assessment experience from both the candidate and hiring manager experience before committing to a tool.

Recruitment Analytics

With data flowing across your integrated systems, investing in a recruitment analytics platform offers you a single source of truth for understanding your end-to-end recruitment process. Whether you’re hoping to track time-to-fill, DE&I efforts or overall talent acquisition performance, these tools will satisfy your C-suite’s hunger for insights into your recruitment programme.

Look for a tool with interactive dashboards that make it easy to visually monitor trends and slice and dice the data to identify areas of opportunity—and gain the full value of your recruitment data. Modern analytics tools leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to highlight insights, anomalies and predictions so you have the data you need to drive informed decisions.

New analytics advancements mean cutting edge tools can now provide the ability to query your data via natural language processing. For example, our Ask Affinix feature, powered by Amazon’s QuickSight Q, lets you ask questions of your data in plain language and receive accurate answers with relevant visualisations in seconds.

Onboarding Tool

The new employee onboarding process is an essential element of creating a positive employee experience. Not only should it get new hires up-to-speed on your company and their role, there’s also crucial paperwork steps for payroll, taxes, benefits and more. Consider implementing an onboarding software to automate and support the onboarding process—especially if you’re doing a lot of remote hiring. Checklist features guide your candidates and hiring managers through the first days on the job, so they don’t miss any important steps. Self-service tools let new hires work through all those first tasks and training modules at their own pace. They won’t miss any crucial policies or compliance training, and you’ll have a record of when they completed it in the event of an audit.

Look for tools that let your new hires upload documents online like signed employment contracts, tax forms and right-to-work documents to speed up your payroll procedures. It’s also imperative that this integrates with your ATS and HRIS platforms to keep your employment records up-to-date and eliminate any manual steps which are prone to human error.

Internal Mobility Software

It’s no secret how important career pathing and development are for retaining employees and saving on sourcing costs. In fact, a study of LinkedIn users showed that employees who were promoted within three years of being hired have a 70% chance of staying with the company and those who made a lateral move have a 62% chance. Meanwhile, those who didn’t make an internal move only have 45% chance of staying.

An internal mobility platform lets you share vacancies internally first and help you identify existing employees who may have the skills and experience to move laterally or vertically into a new role. Look for a tool that offers a seamless experience by letting you post to internal and public job boards and view internal and external candidates together in one place, with internal candidates uniquely identified. The system should feature automation like automated invitation emails to qualified internal candidates to speed up time-to-fill and reduce administrative burden.

Conclusion

The recruitment technology landscape is complicated, with new solutions being added all the time. It can be confusing to plan a talent acquisition tech stack but selecting the right tools can boost access to data and help you create both operational and cost efficiencies. Employers should work with a talent partner who can help them customise a technology ecosystem that meets their needs now and prepares them for what’s next.

Learn more about how technology is transforming recruitment in our ebook, Six Tech Trends Shaping the Talent Landscape.

How to Leverage Your Employer Brand to Stand Out in a Sea of Job Openings

Posted on by jpatel

It’s no secret that the pandemic greatly impacted the labour market. Now, employers face a new challenge: Too many job openings and too few workers.

Amid the dual challenges of COVID-19 and Brexit, job openings are at an all-time high—the result of millions of prime-age workers leaving the UK labour market or transitioning to part-time employment. Employers in industries like leisure and hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing and more are struggling to fill open positions with qualified talent. 

So, with all these vacancies, how can employers stand out above the competition to attract the next generation of top talent? It starts with focusing on key candidate touch points—from your employer value proposition (EVP) and employer brand to your recruitment marketing strategy, careers site and application process.  

In this article, we’ll take you along the candidate journey and touch on each aspect you should address to make your open roles stand out in a sea of job openings.

Create an EVP and Employer Brand that Speaks to Your Ideal Candidate  

The ideal candidate journey begins long before the candidate even applies to your job, when they first engage with your employer value proposition and your employer brand. At PeopleScout, we define your EVP, as capturing the essence of your uniqueness as an employer and the give and get between you and your employees. In many ways, your EVP is the foundation of your employer brand—the perception and lived experiences of what it’s like to work for your organisation. 

Your EVP and employer brand carry a lot of weight for the next generation of top talent, because they serve as differentiators between your brand and competitors and allow you to align your organisation’s purpose with your candidates’ passions. It is important to do your research and be aware of what candidates hold in high regard, such as the opportunity for growth personally and professionally or the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Learn what drives your ideal candidate, identify what drives your organisation’s mission and values, and establish an EVP and employer brand that speaks to both.  

Building an Employer Brand for the Lawyer of the Future 

The Situation:
Linklaters approached us with a talent problem for the ages. They needed an entirely new type of lawyer. The profile Linklaters recruited for in the past would no longer bring them the ideal candidates necessary to secure and expand on their position as a heavyweight global law firm. 

The Research: 
We conducted one-on-one interviews and focus groups with hundreds of professionals in 20 Linklaters offices across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. The output of these interviews gave us everything we needed to create the EVP and the framework of the brand on which to build our global advertising campaign. 

The Solution: 
We created an employer value proposition that was a combination of big picture philosophical and a Linklaters-specific selling point. 

GREAT CHANGE IS HERE 

Message: Change is healthy and exciting, as well as unavoidable. Join this modern, international, hugely diverse cohort and you’ll have a truly influential voice that redefines the legal sector and sets you up for an ever-evolving career. 

The Results: 
Glassdoor scores for Linklaters have risen by 8% in the last two years and, importantly, applications from female lawyers—which was a key objective—have increased since the EVP launch. 

How to Communicate Your Employer Brand through Recruitment Marketing  

After evaluating your organisation’s EVP and employer brand, it’s time to showcase both in your recruitment marketing strategies. Digital recruitment marketing is a way for employers to source and attract potential candidates. It can include social media, email marketing, display advertising and more. Consider these three stages when building your recruitment marketing strategy: 

Stage One: Increase Awareness 

When it comes to increasing awareness with recruitment marketing, you want to reach ideal candidates and promote your organisation. To ensure you are marketing yourself properly, it can help to create content that drives a potential candidate to come back to your site, even if they aren’t actively looking for a job. 

For example, acknowledging company accolades and awards can spark interest in your organisation for both active and passive candidates, like this Instagram post from HubSpot. However, content at this stage does not need to be directly correlated to your organisation to be effective. Content regarding professional development and motivation can also lead ideal candidates to inquire further on your website, such as these resume tips from Nestle.   

Stage Two: Generate Interest 

Now that you have increased awareness, the next step is to generate interest. You have succeeded in showcasing your organisation’s knowledge and place in the industry, now it’s time to show what it is like to work at your company. This is where you stress your employer brand—especially via social media—to give potential candidates an inside look as to what it’s like to work for your company.  

A great way of promoting your company culture is giving firsthand experiences from current employees, via quotes about their experience working at your company. 

Social media is a powerful tool that not only generates interest but can also increase applicants for vital roles. For example, PeopleScout helped a manufacturing client increase the number of female applicants and hires in a male-dominated industry through the use of employee spotlights, videos and stories on their social media channels. These posts showcased how women are integrated into the company culture and integral to the organisation’s success, and the client was able to increase female hiring by 3% annually from 2018 to 2021. 

Stage Three: Nurture the Decision 

After increasing awareness and generating interest in your company, it is now time to promote open positions and the benefits, perks and compensation that will come with these roles. The promotion of open roles within your organisation will lead the candidate to your careers site, which plays a pivotal role in the candidate’s journey toward employment with your organisation. Here, it is important to do research on your competitors to see what they are offering for similar open roles. If a competitor is offering better pay, benefits or perks, that can be a deciding factor for an ideal candidate to choose them over your organisation, despite your strong recruitment marketing strategy.  

Build a Careers Site that Stands Out 

At this point in the candidate journey, the potential applicant has made their way to your organisation’s careers site. It’s important to remember that this is not only an area for job postings, but it is also home to many opportunities to stand out above competitors. For example, your careers site is a great place to reiterate the employer value proposition to ensure that the message is carried through every step of the candidate journey. Your careers site should include everything a potential candidate would like to know about working for your organisation. Consider these key areas of opportunity when refreshing your careers site:  

Ensure Accessibility 

In the digital age, it is important to make sure your careers site is user-friendly for those on a computer or a smart phone. This is especially important because 89% of candidates think mobile devices play a critical role in the job hunting process. Unfortunately, if a candidate struggles to navigate your careers site, chances are they won’t be staying on that site for long.

It is also important to make sure your careers site is accessible for those with disabilities. Here are some suggestions from SHRM on how to make your careers site accessible for all:  

  • Screen reader compatibility  
  • Alternative text for images  
  • Color contrast 
  • Keyboard accessibility 
  • Controls for moving content  
  • Captions  
  • Controls for timed content  
  • Labeled forms  
  • Accessible downloadable files  
  • Plain language  

Search Engine Optimisation 

It is important to utilise search engine optimisation on your careers site. This can play a pivotal role in the likelihood of your careers site showing up first over a competitor on major search engines. The usage of keywords and traditional, highly-searched titles will play an important part in helping your roles stand out above your competition. Plus, researching popular keywords can boost your place amongst major search engines, leading potential candidates to your careers site first. Google Analytics and UTM tracking codes are important tools to utilise in your SEO journey to track and report where your clicks are coming from.  

Provide a Personal Touch 

On your career site, adding a personal touch, such as a welcome video, can go a long way. It can help the candidate see the human side of your business; offer an inside look of the facility; and showcase where applicants may fit in within the structure of the organisation.  

This is a great chance to sell the applicant on working for your company and really showcase your company culture. Offer insights, quotes or firsthand experiences from senior leaders to newly brought on employees. Highlight opportunities for growth—both personally and professionally—and provide examples of success stories from your existing employees.  

Let Applicants Know What to Expect 

If the process to apply and interview is not well explained or discussed at all, many applicants may believe their application will get lost amongst others. Be upfront and transparent about what the application and interview process is like and then offer timelines for the applicants. 

Streamline the Application and Interview Process  

Although the candidate has made it this far, you’re not done yet. After all, 80% of the time, candidates don’t finish filling out job applications, according to Glassdoor. To ensure candidates complete your application and interview process, focus on these key aspects to help you stand out:  

  • Mobile-friendly application 
  • Quick response time  
  • Virtual interviews  
  • Automated chat and scheduling 

Consider how technology can help streamline your process in each of the categories listed above. A mobile-friendly application, easy interview scheduling and quick response times can all be enhanced by AI and automation and provide a superior candidate experience. 

Standing Out Beyond the Application 

Despite having a well-built EVP and employer brand, recruitment marketing strategy, careers site and application, the deciding factor for an ideal candidate to choose your organisation will often come down to a strong employment offer. It’s important to keep in mind that if your compensation, perks and benefits (like flexible work options) don’t match up to competitors, ideal candidates in today’s market have the ability to choose to work elsewhere. 

That said, by creating ways to stand out and showcase your EVP and employer brand at each stage of the candidate journey as outlined above, you will be one step closer to securing the top talent your organisation needs.  

Leveraging an Effective Hybrid Hiring Strategy for the New World of Work

Posted on by jpatel

Now more than ever, an organisation’s hiring strategy should adaptable. Throughout the last two years, many employers have had to reimagine their recruitment processes. Due to the pandemic, organisations rapidly moved recruiting processes to virtual models, shifting in-person interviews to digital and transitioning traditional office roles to remote.

Today, as businesses bounce back and job vacancies are at record highs, employers need to hire top talent—and fast. And, just as a hybrid approach to in-person and remote work for employees has become the norm, so, too, will the need for a blended recruiting strategy that will optimise the candidate experience by keeping the advantages of in-person hiring, while also continuing to leverage the benefits of virtual.

In this article, we’ll walk through what a hybrid hiring strategy is, discuss the benefits of in-person versus virtual techniques and provide tips for how to create a hybrid hiring strategy that works for your organisation.

What is a Hybrid Hiring Strategy?

Hybrid hiring—or hybrid recruiting—is a strategy that allows organisations to maximise the benefits of both in-person and virtual hiring techniques. Specifically, a hybrid approach allows employers to leverage the advantages of virtual recruiting when it makes sense, while simultaneously using strategic, in-person methods to add value to the candidate experience along the way.

A hybrid approach to hiring isn’t new. Many organisations employed a mix of virtual and in-person techniques prior to 2020. However, COVID-19 rapidly accelerated the need for safe, efficient hiring models, thereby leading to greater adoption of virtual strategies. Now, because employers have seen the advantages of virtual recruiting, the benefits of a hybrid model have become clear—regardless of social distancing rules. Depending on the type of role you’re hiring for, having a strong hybrid hiring model in place makes it easy to recruit staff 100% virtually when needed, or to use a blended approach.

hiring strategy
Source: Workest by Zenefits

Benefits of a Hybrid Hiring Strategy

Leveraging a hybrid hiring strategy means you get the best of both worlds. But, what does that entail? Here are some of the biggest benefits of both virtual and in-person hiring techniques—and how they’ll play out post-pandemic.

Benefits of Virtual Hiring Techniques

Reduced Cost & Greater Efficiency

When you remove the physical component of recruiting, you see a greatly improved speed-to-hire and an overall reduction in costs. Plus, expenses that would normally be spent on hosting recruiting events—such as travel costs, venue fees and printed materials—suddenly drop to zero. Additionally, your employees save time by hosting events remotely and also reap the benefit of having more candidates in attendance.

Expanded Reach & Reduced Bias

With travel out of the equation and with remote job options in place, employers can then expand the geographies from which they source talent. This offers greater opportunities for candidates and opens up your candidate pool to top talent who may not have been on your radar previously.

Virtual hiring also reduces the amount of hiring bias experienced during in-person interviews. As humans, we judge people on many things (unconsciously or not), including how a candidate may look. But, with virtual interviews, recruiters are able to focus less on a candidate’s appearance and more on what they have to say.

Research from CV Library reveals that a staggering 79% of Brits think that your physical appearance can affect your chances of landing a job.

Overall Convenience

Virtual interviews and other virtual recruiting tactics are convenient for both candidates and recruiters alike. For example, candidates can schedule on-demand interviews at a time that is most convenient for them, and recruiters can watch those recordings at their own convenience. What’s more, through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, candidates can also self-schedule follow-up interviews, ask questions and receive real-time responses that would have previously taken much longer without the technology that has come from the rise of virtual.

Benefits of In-Person Hiring Techniques

Showcase Your Company Culture

One challenge of virtual recruiting is the ability to effectively showcase your company’s culture. Whilst there are certainly ways to do so, nothing quite compares to experiencing how individuals in an organisation interact with one another in-person. Especially for roles that are required to work in an in-person or office setting, providing a time to come in for an in-person interview or assessment can be a great way to show your candidate what it would really be like to work for your company on a day-to-day basis.

Human Touch

Whilst AI and automated tools help with efficiency, improve candidate experience, and speed up the overall time-to-hire, today’s talent pool can also find benefits from a blended model. A phone call and video interview can get the candidate in the door, but an in-person conversation can seal the deal. This is especially true for senior talent who appreciate being brought in for the final stages of the interview process.

Added Value

Furthermore, utilising in-person techniques can also add value to the candidate experience overall. From office tours to final interviews, it’s difficult to recreate the human touch and employer brand when completely virtual. To that end, where it makes sense, in-person meetings can help sell a candidate on why they should work for your organisation, as opposed to the competition.

How to Recruit People Now: Balancing Your Post-Pandemic Hybrid Hiring Strategy

Types of recruitment

Your hybrid hiring strategy will likely depend on your organisation’s needs and what your workforce will look like on the other side of the pandemic.

For example, if some or all of your teams will work entirely remotely, it would make more sense to complete the entire recruiting process virtually. Inevitably, bringing the candidate in for an in-person interview or office tour would waste time and money, and would likely confuse the candidate, leading to a poor candidate experience. Instead, recruiting for remote roles with virtual tools—providing opportunities for human interaction and culture along the way can help candidates know what it will be like to work remotely for your company.

“How do we show candidates our company culture when we can’t invite them to the office? We send personalised, handwritten cards to candidates before their start date (as well as some swag!). We want to give them a feeling of being really welcomed into the company—which is what we’re really about.”

Ewa Zajac, Recruiting Operations Manager at Zendesk

On the other hand, if some of your teams will be working both from home and from the office, a hybrid hiring approach would be the best fit. Virtual options save a lot of time and money in the beginning stages of sourcing, screening and interviewing. Plus, candidates will want the flexibility to complete those initial interviews and assessments from the comfort and convenience of their own homes.

Then, when it comes to final interviews, an in-person interview is a great final step before extending an offer. The candidate will appreciate the time you’re investing to bring them in, and they’ll get a taste of what it will be like to work in-person. This will be especially important for roles that will be primarily in the office or for which relocation is necessary.

In the end, hybrid hiring won’t be a one-size-fits-all strategy. Whether your organisation opts to keep recruiting fully virtual or leverages in-person connection, the candidate experience must remain at the forefront of any model. Think about what candidates want and the recruiting model that makes the most sense for the role you’re trying to fill.

Global RPO: Hiring Niche Engineers for Automotive Manufacturer

Posted on by akessler
Global RPO: Hiring Engineers with Niche Skills for a Global Manufacturer in LATAM and Europe

Global RPO: Hiring Engineers with Niche Skills for a Global Manufacturer in LATAM and Europe

A multinational automotive components manufacturer at the forefront of electric driving technology engaged PeopleScout for a full-cycle, multi-country Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) solution. To continue supplying automotive technology for millions of the world’s cars, they needed to source the next generation of engineering talent across 54 locations in 21 countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia.

100 % New Hires Completed Ahead of Schedule
80 % Candidate Submissions Invited to Interview
1300 Applications Received for 150 Positions
21 Countries | <br> 5 Languages |<br> 3 Continents
21 Countries |
5 Languages |
3 Continents

Scope & Scale

A global automotive parts manufacturer partnered with PeopleScout to initially source 150 hires across locations in Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany and India as well as facilities in Latin America. They needed a global RPO provider who could handle sourcing for niche engineering roles in English, Polish, Spanish, Italian and Hungarian languages.

Challenge

As the client expanded manufacturing into new regions to support their global growth agenda, they turned to PeopleScout to partner with their in-house talent acquisition teams to drive their transformational change projects.

Hiring in Latin America had stagnated as the region became the go-to region for automotive manufacturing. With major car brands moving more of their operations into the region, competition for talent became more and more steep.

Meanwhile in Europe, a shortage of niche engineering skills was impacting operations in Poland. The talent war between organisations in the area hiring for similar roles was driving up salary expectations, but the manufacturer lacked the labour market data to make informed decisions to adjust their strategy.

Solution

AnalySing LaboUr Markets on Two Continents

Our Client Delivery team started by undertaking labour market and workforce analytics in each region. We worked with the client’s HR and operational teams to support their workforce strategy through a competitive analysis which led to recommendations on salary bands for each role and level of experience. For roles in Poland, we helped them explore the possibility of relocating new hires in order to widen their talent pool to other parts of the country where there was more access to experienced engineering professionals.

“PeopleScout has done a great job to support the project, showing high commitment and flexibility in this difficult and changing environment. We’ve had great collaboration together.”

Senior Director of Engineering

Sourcing Passive Candidates with PersonaliSed Videos

Meanwhile, our multilingual teams in Bristol and Krakow began sourcing experienced Product Application Engineers in Latin America and across multiple European locations, as well as Design & Test Engineers in Poland.

Not satisfied with one outreach, we employed a different approach with candidates who were unresponsive after the first communication. Our recruiters created and sent personalised videos introducing themselves and the opportunity to the candidate. This personal touch drove higher engagement and interest from talent who hadn’t engaged initially.

Over 80% of applicants were identified via passive sourcing, with the remaining candidates coming from ongoing advertising campaigns across job boards and social media.

Leveraging Social Media to Boost Employer Brand Awareness

Through our Social Network Awareness Package (SNAP) we identified the best social channels to reach the manufacturer’s audience and created tailored posts, including imagery and headlines. We used this social media content to boost awareness of the client’s employer brand among relevant groups and individuals based on their locations, professional details and interests. Throughout each campaign, we provided a reporting dashboard and analysed engagement which helped shape recruitment marketing activity going forward.

Testing Technical Skills with a Custom Assessment CentrE

These highly specialised engineers, regardless of region, needed to have a good command of English as well as technical aptitude. We assessed for both by designing and executing a technical testing program. Our assessors administered these exams virtually, freeing up hiring managers to focus on running their operations.

Once offers were made, our team continued to keep in contact with successful candidates during their notice periods and onboarding. We notified the client’s HR team of any potential concerns of dropouts, working together to mitigate risks.

Results

In just 10 months, we filled 100% of the manufacturer’s niche engineering headcount, including all openings in Poland—two months ahead of schedule. Our team reviewed over 1,300 applications and screened over 250 candidates, supporting hiring managers with initial phone screens, technical assessments and post-offer communications.

The hiring managers were thrilled with the quality of the candidates they saw, with over 80% of candidates put forward by our team being invited to interview.

Following this success, we expanded our engagement with the client to their India operation, taking over from local third-party agencies. This Recruiter on-Demand solution will support volume hiring challenges and drive cost savings.

“PeopleScout did really great work across hard-to-fill disciplines. We had a fantastic sense of partnership across the whole project.”

Global Head of Talent Acquisition

AT A GLANCE

  • COMPANY
    Global Automotive Manufacturer
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS
    Recruitment Process Outsourcing
  • ANNUAL HIRES
    150+
  • LOCATIONS
    21 countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia
Contact Us

Filling Niche Roles: How a Webinar Improved Candidate Experience and Application Numbers

Posted on by cspivack

How do you persuade valued, highly sought-after professionals to move jobs in this market? By providing an opportunity to engage with the employer and understand the work and culture – before applying.

The Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is regulatory science at its best. Work here is forward-thinking, strategic and connected to decisions made by both Central Government and large-scale business.

SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS

  • SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED AWARENESS OF HSE AND THIS NICHE DIVISION WITHIN IT
  • 55 QUESTIONS SUBMITTED FILLING THE CANDIDATES INFORMATION GAP
  • 70% OF ATTENDEES MORE LIKELY TO APPLY SINCE THE WEBINAR

SCOPE AND SCALE

In undergoing significant change, our client was evolving and working hard to meet the challenges ahead. This required the recruitment of a significant number of Scientists to help ensure the safe and sustainable use of chemicals. This is science with a scale, scope and influence few organisations can match.

SITUATION

The vacancies were based in Bootle and York and market mapping was undertaken into the number of suitable candidates with the relevant skills and qualifications for these roles. This highlighted the scarcity of candidates available. In addition, there was the challenge of how to engage with the target audience and give them the insight and opportunity to better understand the organisation, the vital work they undertake and the opportunities for career development. A recent national study found the number one question from candidates was “What’s it like to work there?”

SOLUTION

With this in mind, we devised and developed a webinar to introduce the work of the CRD. The webinar featured a panel of existing employees, giving the participants an opportunity to hear first-hand what the job would entail. Alongside this we offered a live Q&A so that each person could ask questions. The webinar brought the organisation to life and painted a picture of what it would be like to work there.

RESULTS

The webinar significantly increased awareness of HSE and the niche division within it. The attendees were able to view the webinar remotely and on-demand. During the Q and A, 55 questions were submitted. These filled the candidates information gap and gave them insight as to how they would fit in. 70% of attendees said they are more likely to apply since attending the webinar.

Three Potential Pitfalls of High-Volume Hiring and How to Avoid Them

Posted on by akessler

A fairly large handful of colleagues and clients are aware that my family and I are having some fairly extensive renovation work done on our home. Partly because I have moaned about it on a weekly basis since January. Partly because the endless background sounds of drills, hammers and circular saws— and on one particularly fraught occasion, a builders exposed backside descending from a loft ladder behind me—have all permeated some of my Zoom video calls. 

Now that the work is 90 percent finished, I look back on the project, and there are some aspects of it that I wish we had done differently. In doing such a lot of work at one time, we inevitably compromised on our standards in some small ways when faced with the size of the project ahead. 

Hopefully, you can see where the analogy is leading. When we, or our clients, are faced with a mountain to climb in terms of the complexity or scarcity of required talent in big numbers, it’s easy to deviate away from best practice. And this is never more common than now. 

As organisations switch from hiring freezes to acute growth mode, we are seeing a dramatic shift back towards a candidate-driven market. As the next 12 months play out, I personally believe this will prove to be one of the most dramatic shifts in several decades, and employers will be scratching their heads at just how they are going to close the hiring gap. 

During these impending and inevitably large-scale campaigns, there are three potential risks that stand out to me:

1. Introducing new people will impact the company culture.

Firstly, hiring lots of new people can present a risk to the company culture you’ve spent a lot of effort crafting. This may be more prevalent within smaller organisations or for those hiring at the leadership level, but no organisation is truly immune. With any hiring that significantly impacts a team, you must consider not only the skills and competencies match, but also how the existing cultural makeup of that group will be affected. One way to counter this is through thorough training to help align old and new employees on the same cultural path. This should be led by leadership and serve as a catalyst for people—old and new—to embrace your organisation’s mission and values. 

2. High-volume hiring can increase the risk of compromising on quality.

When it comes to high-volume hiring, hiring managers are more inclined to drop their standards on quality-of-hire. Not so much in terms of matching skills and experience, which tends to be a more objective. Plus, a deviation away from the requisite profile can be harder for the hiring manager to justify in their own mind. However, I’ve seen a “lowering of the bar” when it comes to the softer skills—the personality traits and competency matches which are naturally more subjective. One effective antidote here is robust candidate assessment practices. Backing up your gut feel with a bespoke or even “off the shelf” assessment package can help make your judgement more objective. 

3. Diversity amongst new hires suffers.

Thirdly, there is naturally a risk to diversity in your hiring. We’re all hopefully well-versed on the myriad benefits that fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce can bring. But, what is a valid, primary consideration when hiring one or two team members can begin to feel like an added challenge when filling a large number of openings starts to weigh down on a manager. Is there a temptation to let diversity standards slip if the challenge of filling critical gaps on your team already feels impossible? Is one allowed to be pragmatic in the circumstances and just hire, regardless of the diversity credentials? 

I would argue that you wouldn’t hire someone who has the wrong skills for your team, so you shouldn’t be any more inclined to lower standards on diversity. As we all know, the wrong hiring decision now, only costs us in the long-term when we have to re-hire down the line. Better to get it right first time, whether that be a diversity match or a skills match. 

Ultimately, any short-term concessions we might be tempted to make under pressure to hire at the time will be a source of regret. So, don’t lower your standards and suffer from these pitfalls. Take it from me—the decision not to fit underfloor heating in our family bathroom will likely haunt me for the next decade or two!

9 Strategies for Solving High-Volume Hiring Challenges

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Feedback Loop: The Key to a Strong Employer Brand (That You’re Probably Missing)

Posted on by nfuqua

A good candidate experience is based on a strong employer brand. But, many employers are missing basic steps that can have a drastic influence on how candidates perceive those organisations. In particular, they’re lacking processes to provide feedback to candidates and gather feedback from candidates.

In the recruitment process, feedback should go both ways. Employers should gather feedback from candidates about the experience, but they should also provide feedback – especially to candidates who make it deep into the selection process.

The Candidate Experience Gap

When employers around the globe rate the candidate experience they provide, they often give themselves good scores. However, when candidates are asked to rate their experience, they often have a very different opinion.

For example, in recent surveys by HRO Today and PeopleScout, 65% of companies in North America; 59% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA); and 84% in Asia-Pacific (APAC) rated their candidate experience as “good” or “excellent.” At the same time, only 5% of candidates in both regions rated their experience as excellent.

That is a massive gap and, at the end of the day, it’s the candidate’s opinion that matters. That’s because the effect of a bad experience can be severe. In fact, research by Deloitte shows that 80% of disappointed candidates will share their experience – and that has serious consequences for an organisation’s employer brand.

Additionally, candidates are consumers. In research we completed with one of our telecom clients, we found that disappointed candidates actually canceled the service of that employer – and the potential impact of this was was worth millions of dollars to the bottom line based on the number of applications received in a typical year.

Finally, a bad candidate experience can also mean that employers miss out on the best talent. If another company offers a strong candidate a better experience, that candidate will likely choose that employer. This gap also illustrates that, while employers need to provide a good candidate experience, they also need the right metrics to determine just how good their experience is. And, where should that data be coming from? Candidate feedback.

Gathering Candidate Feedback

In the same HRO Today and PeopleScout surveys, employers reported significant challenges in capturing candidate feedback. In EMEA, 39% of employers said that one of their top candidate experience challenges was that they had “no formal way to capture candidate feedback.” On the flip side, only 26% of respondents in EMEA always ask for candidate feedback, whereas 44% never ask for it.

In North America, the numbers are only slightly better. In that survey, 31% of respondents rated “no way to capture candidate feedback” as a top challenge. And, while 32% reported that they never asked for feedback, only 21% claimed that they always did.

Similarly, in APAC, 23% of respondents cited “no way to capture candidate feedback” as a top challenge. However, far more employers in the region said they already collected feedback. Specifically, 46% said that they always did, while just 10% reported that they never did.

no formal way to capture canddiate feedback grahp
frequency of measuring candidate experience graph

Why is this so important? At PeopleScout, we work with clients to develop and test authentic employer value propositions and employer branding materials based on research, and a critical component of that research is understanding how candidates perceive an organisation. A strong employer brand evolves over time as talent acquisition teams constantly test small adjustments; without candidate feedback, employers won’t know if those adjustments resonate with candidates.

We all know the process for providing feedback in the consumer space. After we get food delivered, we get a pop-up on our phone asking if we liked the food and how the driver did. Likewise, if we purchase a new pair of jeans or a television, we receive an email asking us to write a review of the product. Companies can then use that information to improve their products and services.

In the same way, the practice of asking for feedback should be integrated throughout the candidate experience. This can mean a screen at the end of an application asking the candidate to rate the application. Or, it can be a short text sent to a candidate asking them to rate their virtual interviewing experience after they complete an on-demand interview. It could also be a short questionnaire sent after a candidate completes a final interview – asking if the interviewer was on time and prepared, or if the candidate felt as though they were able to showcase their strengths.

Providing Feedback

As important as it is to gather candidate feedback, the feedback flow can’t just move in one direction. Employers should also provide feedback – especially to candidates who make it to the final round of interviewing. Unfortunately, the likelihood of that is greatly dependent on location.

The HRO Today and PeopleScout survey found that, in EMEA, more than half of respondents made it standard practice to provide feedback after a face-to-face interview, while only 13% of employers never provided it. However, the situation is vastly different in North America, where only 21% of employers reported that they always provided feedback, while 39% never did. In APAC, the numbers landed in the middle, with 38% of employers stating that they always provided feedback and 12% saying that they never did.

feedback to candidates after face to face interviews

This is a significant missed opportunity for employers. By the time a candidate reaches the final interview stage, not only have they invested a considerable amount of time and effort into an organisation, but the employer has also poured a considerable amount of time, effort and money into recruiting this candidate. As such, a candidate who has invested so much time and effort into an employer can only feel an even deeper sting from a rejection, as compared to a candidate who failed to advance earlier in the process. Plus, in Europe, one survey found that candidates ranked providing feedback and providing a reason for rejection as two of the top three most important components in delivering a positive candidate experience. The only other factor in the top three was providing a short, easy application.

Additionally, by the time a candidate reaches the final interview, the recruiter and hiring manager have clearly seen potential for that candidate to be a great employee. And, while a candidate who finishes in second or third place in the recruitment process may not be the best fit for that role at that time, the candidate still has the potential to be a great employee at some point in the future. This makes it even more critical to provide meaningful feedback.

More precisely, providing feedback at this point in the process accomplishes two major things for candidates: First, it provides candidates with something in exchange for the time and effort they’ve put into your organisation. While the candidate may or may not have received 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. Additionally, the feedback provides candidates with actionable steps that they can take going forward if they want to apply to your company again in the future. If the candidate was a close match, the feedback you provide after this interview could help them become the ideal candidate the next time they apply.

Feedback Loop

These surveys reveal critical information about the importance of feedback – both gathering it from candidates and providing it to candidates – at a critical time for employers. With high unemployment across the globe due to COVID-19 and the upcoming “Great Rehire” as world economies recover, employers are already seeing large application volumes and will soon see increased competition for talent.

That combination makes a good candidate experience especially important: When a large number of candidates have a bad experience, it can do significant damage to an organisation’s employer brand. Furthermore, the best candidates won’t stay on the job market for long. A poor experience can mean losing out on the best talent at a time when the right people can aid in a strong recovery. Therefore, now is the best time for employers to develop their processes for giving and receiving feedback.