Category: Talent Acquisition Strategy

How RPO Supports Business Growth in Europe

Posted on by akessler

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

Business Growth in Europe

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

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

5 Ways RPO Can Support Your European Expansion

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

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

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

Need an RPO Partner in Europe?

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

Texting Talent: Driving Engagement and Candidate Communication

Posted on by edyson

In light of the workforce disruptions caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, talent leaders are quickly adapting and transforming their organisation’s talent function to match our present reality. 

The current crisis gives talent leaders the opportunity to assess and fine-tune recruiting practices in a way that will keep both candidates and recruiters safe while better positioning their organisation for the future working conditions.  

Technologies such as text messaging tools built for recruiters offer enormous opportunities to improve recruiter efficiency, time to hire and build stronger relationships with candidates. What’s more, text messaging, when paired with a virtual hiring solution, is a safer alternative to traditional recruiting.   

Before you implement a texting solution, you need a solid understanding of use cases and best practices that can help ensure success and mitigate risk. In this article, we will outline the case for texting and share best practices for leveraging texting in your recruiting programme.  

The Case For Text Recruitment

Recruiters and talent leaders understand that good recruiting begins and ends with building strong relationships with candidates. So, why add yet another communications channel to the recruiting mix?  

The answer is simple: Times keep changing, and so do the ways we communicate. As that happens, the effectiveness of tried and true methods also changes as demographics and preferences shift. 

Texting is Straightforward: Text messages are typically short and to the point, which makes them easier to read and respond to than email messages. Texting also carries with it an expectation of informality which makes it easier to communicate. For example, saying “yes” instead of “Yes.” is totally acceptable via a text exchange. 

Texting is Convenient: Candidates can respond to texts whenever and wherever while they are running errands, on break at work or home watching a movie.  

Texting Has Greater Reach: Many hourly and elderly workers don’t own or have access to a computer and rely on their mobile devices exclusively for job searches. Texting is also more accessible for job seekers who don’t have unlimited data plans or who do not have a smart phone, making your application process more accessible to a broader population.

Texting Builds Dialogue: The nature of conversation is constantly evolving. That means candidates are becoming increasingly open to beginning conversations via text.   

Use Cases for Text Recruitment  

There are as many ways to integrate texting into your recruiting process as there are topics to communicate about. Below, we cover some of the best use cases for text recruitment. 

Automating Candidate Reengagement 

Many organisations already have a large database of candidates in their ATS. Sending automated text messages is an extremely effective way to reach out to those contacts at scale to rapidly generate interest in new positions. You can also use automation to reach out to previous employees, if they have opted-in for texting. To gain that opt in, you could ask for consent as part of the off-boarding process for departing employees. 

Automated Updates  

Sending automated texts to candidates to confirm that their job application has been received and is under review can be a great way to keep them engaged in the process. What’s more, you can set up automated messages that are triggered at each phase of the hiring process to keep candidates up to date with their status. This makes the recruiting process feel more personal and less like their application was sent down a black hole. 

Automated Scheduling 

Interview coordination is ideally suited to texting. Your organisation can send text links for candidate self-scheduling to streamline interviews.  

Enhanced Screening Capabilities 

When handling a high volume of applicants, it can be difficult for recruiters to respond quickly and individually to each candidate. Using texts, you can qualify applicants faster using response templates and automated screening questions. Recruitment texting platforms can be programmed to send back follow up questions, job application links, or other content based on candidate responses. 

This exchange is an example of not just interview scheduling, but also actual interviewing over text. At PeopleScout, we have seen client’s receive an 85% response rate for this type of question and answer exchange, which is higher than other communication channels. 

Better Interview Completion Rate  

Recruiters know that coordinating with the candidate is only half the hiring battle. Recruiting teams can use texts to send automated interview reminders to hiring managers and colleagues, so nothing slips through the cracks. Fewer missed or reschedule interviews means a shorter time to hire. 

Field Recruiting 

Retail, hospitality and other employers with large physical footprints can also utilise text short codes to capitalise on walk-in applicants. Signage placed on doors, at the register, or elsewhere connects job seekers directly to the online job application forms and minimises distractions for managers in the field.  

SMS short codes are five to six-digit numbers that are often paired with keywords for use in text recruiting (e.g. ‘Text JOBS to 123456’). You can utilise them on signage at job events to maximise ROI.  

Best Practices for Text Recruitment  

While mobile phones and texting have become ubiquitous tools in everyday life, it is important to realise that communication preferences vary from individual to individual. It is also critical to recognise that the attributes that makes texting such a powerful recruiting tool – that’s it is direct, convenient and personal – are the same things that make observing best practices so important. 

Secure Permission from Candidates 

Text messages are governed by different laws and standards than email. Employers in the U.S. will want to consider how the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), or similar laws such as the European Union regulations regarding electronic communications, namely the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), apply to different types of recruitment texting activity. Talent leaders should consult their legal counsel and get comfortable with the ins and outs of the TCPA when formulating a text recruiting strategy and all related policies.   

Before you text candidates, you must first obtain express consent from the candidate and it must be easy for them to opt-out of communications. As a starting point, review your organisation’s website and application process and add simple, clear language stating that phone numbers may be used to message applicants. The notice should be placed near the phone number entry field, rather than buried in lengthy terms of service statement and privacy policy should also be updated.  

Consider Compliance Requirements 

Even if your organisation does not have a text recruitment platform, chances are that some recruiters are using personal devices to communicate with candidates via text. This may produce positive results, but places you at greater compliance risk because there is no centralised record of communications. Using personal devices, or even dedicated company devices, also makes it difficult to exercise effective oversight to ensure that organisational guidelines are followed. 

Text messaging activity is increasingly likely to be included in compliance audits, so make sure your bases are covered. Follow all of the same protocols – business and legal – that you would in writing, email or telephone conversations. 

Define Messaging Guidelines for Recruiters 

Texting should be professional and consistent with your employer brand, just like any other type of communication. So, it’s helpful to provide high-level guidelines to your recruiting team to ensure that everyone is on the same page about internal text messaging practices. 

Communicate Clearly with Candidates 

The best text outreach messages get straight to the point. In any initial conversations, the recruiter should answer a few key questions candidates may have to get the best possible response: 

Who are you and why you are reaching out? 
 

What are the next steps? 
 

Setting context and expectations up front maximises engagement. What’s more, these questions can be set up as automated responses, so recruiters may only have to step in once the initial screening questions have been asked and answered.  

Timing is Everything  

Text only during the workday, from 8 a.m. at the candidate’s local time to 5 or 6 p.m. Texting a candidate during off-hours, may lead them to do the same and set an expectation of a response from your team. If job seekers do reach out on weekends or evenings and you do not want your recruiters to engage, you can steer their communications back to the normal business hours. For example, if you receive a text on Saturday, you might set up an automated response that you will follow up first thing Monday. 

Texting is Not Always Appropriate  

Some aspects of the recruiting process require a more personal touch than others. While many consider messaging “personal” and “immediate,” you may want to deliver important information (ex. “you didn’t get the job”) or discuss sensitive topics like salary using other means such as a phone call or email depending on the situation. 

Closing Thoughts  

Automation of the recruiting process is where the candidate experience is headed. As a result, it is going to free up time for your recruiters and allow them to seamlessly connect one-on-one with candidates and holding meaningful conversations.  

Texting has become such a big large part of modern life that embracing it can make your organisation an employer of choice to top candidates in your industry.   

On-Demand Webinar: What Work Means Now – How to Attract and Retain the Talent You Need

Posted on by mhill

Join Simon Wright, Managing Partner for this on demand webinar ‘What ‘work’ means now – How to attract and retain the talent you need’.

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

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

Developing & Leading Diverse, High Performing Teams with Olympian Annie Lush

Posted on by mhill

Annie Lush is an Olympian, round the world sailor and quadruple World Champion.

In 2014/15 she competed in the Volvo Ocean Race with Team SCA, becoming part of the first ever female team to win a leg of the race.  She went on to race with Team Brunel, a mixed crew in the 2017/18 edition, as well as racing on the World Match Racing Tour, with Team Magenta, the first female team to earn a place on the World Tour in its 23 year history.

At university Annie was part of the successful Cambridge University rowing crew who beat Oxford to the finish line of the Boat Race by the smallest recorded margin in the race’s history. It was winning with this team that inspired her to pursue a career in competitive sport and she has been on the water everyday since.

Alongside racing Annie works with teams and business to explore techniques for performing, team building and leading under pressure. She has worked with International business from a range of industries, with National sports teams, and also mentors younger sailors as well as speaking in schools and clubs.

Annie’s main passion is to utilise sport for social change. Annie is one of the founders of The Magenta Project, a charity set up at the beginning of 2016 to advance women in sailing and the marine industry. She is also an educator and ambassador for the 1851 Trust, working with low income children in schools to foster interest in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) through the sport of sailing. Recently she has been delivering workshops across the UK targeted specifically at inspiring girls into STEM and Maritime careers.

Annie speak to Talking Talent to share her take on how organisations can develop and lead diverse, high-performing teams.

Stretch your HR Thinking with David Fairhurst and Robert Peasnell

Posted on by mhill

David Fairhurst is well known as an innovative HR leader and entertaining speaker. He was formerly Global Chief People Officer for McDonalds, one of the largest employers in the world, with 2 million employees covering over 120 countries. He has held HR leadership positions at many of the top global organisations including Heinz, GSK and Tesco.  David is the founder of Orgshakers (Orgshakers.com), helping businesses shape their organisations to achieve short-term performance as well as long-term organisational health.

In this podcast David speaks with Robert Peasnell, Deputy Managing Director of PeopleScout UK, about the future of HR and how you can stretch your thinking to create successful HR strategies.

Listen to find out:

  • How to navigate change and create organisational readiness.
  • The importance of being brave in Employer Brand and EVP innovation
  • Understanding the cultural context for HR in other countries
  • How HR messaging can change organisational behaviour
  • The need to use tech to disrupt the market and win the best talent
  • How to make an impact in communities
  • The likely fundamental shifts after lock–down

Keeping Candidates and Employees Safe with a Virtual Hiring Solution with Allison Brigden

Posted on by edyson

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

This profile shares insights from PeopleScout Global Leader of Affinix Client Success and Strategy, Allison Brigden, on transitioning to a virtual talent acquisition solution. Allison leads the Affinix Client Success Team and our strategic technology partnerships.

Allison shared her insights about virtual hiring solutions from her home in Chicago.

Allison, we know that things are hard right now, but a lot of organisations that provide essential goods and services need to keep hiring and it’s important to keep both employees and candidates safe during the process. What’s the best way to do this?

The best way to do that is to continue your recruiting process, but do it virtually. Recruiting has undergone a digital transformation and essentially all of the recruiting steps can be handled virtually. By moving to this type of process, you can provide access to jobs in a completely safe environment without contact for both the employer and the job seeker. Of course, candidates have been able to apply online for a long time and recruiters can review resumes online, but most interviews have still been done in person. 

Interviews can be done virtually through technology that allows you to have a live, two-way video or a pre-recorded video that the candidate can do on their timeline, at their convenience. Later, the audio or video recording can be reviewed by both the recruiter and the hiring manager.

This technology can easily support a process that can be fully virtual from the time candidates apply through the offer and onboarding. As I said, the technology has been available for a while, but it hasn’t been fully adopted. This is an opportune time for us to use the available technology. 

A virtual hiring solution allows us to put health and safety first, but also provide access to jobs for those who need one during this challenging time. There’s also been a huge spike in jobs for remote workers in the past few weeks. A virtual hiring solution is directly aligned to that remote work environment as well, so it’s a very good time to introduce that and transition to a virtual process for your recruiting.

So, what does a virtual talent acquisition solution look like?

A virtual hiring solution leverages technology, but it can also have a highly personal touch. By using technologies to their full advantage, recruiters can and will have more time to spend with applicants. Technology can engage one applicant with multiple interviewers and live two-way video engagement. You can even have a panel interview with five different interviewers connecting with a candidate at the same time.

You should strive to make your virtual conversations feel more personal, just because you are leveraging technology doesn’t mean that you have to lose that personal touch as part of the process.

To further answer this question, I think a virtual hiring solution should involve the following components:

First, you should have an easy application that can be done on a mobile phone. It should feel like an online shopping experience and should only take four to eight minutes. There should also be an immediate next step, so that the applicant can drive the process.

This could be a text exchange where you’re asking questions about the interview schedule or the requirements of the job, or it can be a video exchange or a candidate-friendly assessment process. All this can be done on their mobile phone. 

Another really important component is automated self-scheduling. This allows the candidate to look at the available interview times and select one for themselves, either via text or via an online web experience. This also allows candidates to drive that next step – whether it’s a phone interview with the recruiter or a live video interview. Giving the candidate the ability to drive forward in the process is also a very important component of a virtual hiring solution.

The offer and the post-offer process can also be done virtually. This has been done over the phone for a long time, but there are also more options for a personalised and engaging onboarding experience, which can help right now when people are feeling a little bit isolated or disconnected. 

As an example, after someone has accepted an offer have a welcome video sent to their phone or preferred device where you welcome them and tell them what to expect on their first day. 

The entire virtual hiring process can be fully branded to elevate your employer brand and the connection you have with applicants. These are the components you’d want to have in place while building your virtual process.

In summary, a virtual hiring solution can be very safe while still being highly effective. It doesn’t require contact, but it also gives you that chance to connect with potential new employees and provide them a personalised experience.

Can you tell me some of the short-term and long-term benefits that people would see with a virtual hiring solution?

Things are changing quickly and it’s very important to remember that we’re all in this together and we need to be understanding and flexible as things develop. PeopleScout can definitely help with both short-term benefits for the job seeker as well as long-term benefits for the company. 

Short-term benefits are fairly clear. The virtual interview and scheduling process provides a completely safe, no-contact method to further the recruiting process, which is a clear short-term benefit. Another short-term benefit is speed-to-hire. We typically see a reduction of four to eight days in the time it takes to fill a job.

Virtual interviews and automated scheduling reduce the amount of time it takes to fill a job and that’s a short-term benefit in getting an essential worker on the job sooner. By providing a more automated applicant-driven process, you can enhance the candidate experience and lead to acquiring better talent faster. 

Virtual interviews and automated scheduling are also a long-term benefit because companies will see improvements in their business outcomes as people reach productivity faster.  A few additional benefits include saving money and travel costs for interviews, if you would normally have candidates travel in for an interview and a lower overall cost-per-hire.

Once you have a virtual process in place, you don’t need to return to previous hiring practices, you can continue the virtual process and reap the same benefits.

Giving candidates more control in the process, whether that be the option to record an on-demand video or audio interview, or scheduling an interview themselves, puts them in a position of controlling the process, or driving the next step, which is a great improvement in the candidate experience. If you implement this virtual process today, you’ll see these short-term and long-term benefits that you can carry forward as the future unfolds.

How do you transition or implement a virtual hiring solution?

The good news here is that this transition is more of a light lift than a heavy lift. Most likely, a large part of an employer’s process is already virtual. Everyone can apply online. Recruiters can work online to interact with the systems already in place.

Mostly you need to focus on the steps that are traditionally face-to-face, like the interview itself or some parts of the onboarding process. You probably don’t need to overhaul the whole application and hiring process, but rather just introduce this virtual interviewing and scheduling component. And, if you’re working with a provider, like a recruitment process outsourcing partner, they can actually handle much of that transition for you. Even if you just have an in-house team, it’s not a very difficult transition to make.

The biggest challenge will be the adoption and training. I would definitely want to have an employer focus their efforts on helping the hiring managers understand the process and share the short-term and long-term benefits so that they can drive adoption within their organisation.

For a lot of organisations, hiring face-to-face may be deeply ingrained into the culture. How can you make virtual interviewing work in a way that still feels authentic and personal for both the hiring manager and the candidate?

A big part of this is comfort level. And the only way to truly get comfortable with something is to start using it. So, the comfort level will increase for everyone involved as they continue to use the technology. This is true for candidates too. The first time they do an interview like this, they might have increased nervousness. 

After they’ve been through it once, we’ve seen that the next time they become more comfortable. But there are things you can do to make it the best experience possible, and to make it feel authentic and personal.

Even though this is a virtual interview, as a recruiter, you want to be prepared so that you have meaningful questions to ask. Make sure you have pertinent information about the job on-hand, and make sure you’ve reviewed the resumes so you’re not going in cold to this interview experience.

As a candidate, you want to be sure that you have the same level of professionalism that you would have in a face-to-face environment. This extends to not just how you dress for the interview, but making sure that you have a quiet place to participate, etc. Another best practice would be to test the technology first. Most virtual interviewing technologies allow you to test your video and your sound, so you’re able to see what the video looks like before you begin the process. 

For employers, I also recommend testing your connections and making sure everything looks and sounds good. Once the video interviews begins you should also reinforce your employer brand by letting the candidate know unique things about your company culture that may appeal to the candidate. Displaying your company culture is important during the virtual hiring process, as candidates do not have to opportunity to visit your facility.

Beyond displaying your company culture and employer brand, you need to make sure you ask the right questions during the interview to better understand a candidate’s experience and competencies, and very importantly, communicate openly and authentically about the role and your expectations. 

After the interview is done, it’s important to provide some sort of feedback to the candidate, and let them know what the next step is in the process. Whether or not a candidate is moving forward in the process or not, provide them that information in a timely way so they’re not left wondering and feeling disconnected from your brand and keep all of the interactions warm. 

Are there any final thoughts you’d like to leave us with?

I would just say that it is important for those essential workers that we need in the healthcare industry and front line retail and essential goods industries to be able to hire at this time. Being able to move forward with this process and keep recruiters busy and employed to fill these critical jobs is very important and it’s a great way to help in this uncertain time. And then lastly, I would just say keep safe everyone. Follow the recommendations of the CDC and the world health organisation and we will all come through this challenging time together.

To learn more about ways employers can respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, visit our Resource Centre. 

Building a Modern Business Continuity Plan

Posted on by jpatel

With the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), many companies have had to put their business continuity plans to the test — shedding light into areas where their plans may not have been as complete or effective as expected. Without a solid and tested business continuity plan in place, organisations may find themselves confused — which can lead to delayed response time and in some cases, a negative impact to the services or products a business provides. 

In this article, I’ll outline the importance of having a business continuity plan, tips for creating a thorough plan and who should be involved in the planning process. 

The Importance of Having a Business Continuity Plan 

Before I highlight its purpose, let’s start with the basic definition of a business continuity plan. It can be defined as: 

A step-by-step business strategy built to be executed at a time when there is a disruption in services to protect people and assets and have the ability to resume operations in an expedient and controlled fashion. In addition, it identifies requirements and an execution strategy related to business operations and people.  

It’s important to have a thorough and complete plan because it’s the only way to ensure organisations are effectively prepared for a business interruption. A solid plan enables organisations to continue critical business processes to minimise the impacts to customers and employees. 

As an example, our business continuity plans at PeopleScout allow us to continue service delivery to clients in any type of adverse condition and lower the overall cost of disruption from incidents, all while ensuring we are meeting our contractual obligations. When it comes to our clients, we always make sure we have a current, tested business continuity plan in place to effectively support their business in any situation.  

Creating a Thorough and Complete Plan 

What should the business continuity plan look like? 

First, it’s important to note that “thorough and complete” does not necessarily mean “complicated” or “difficult to understand.” Also, the technology used to capture the details of the plan is less important than the accessibility of the details that are included along with the plan itself. 

An effective business continuity plan should clearly define: 

  • What to do 
  • How to do it 
  • Who will do it 
  • When to do it 

In addition, a business continuity plan should be easy to use and be detailed enough for any team member to successfully execute. When putting your plan together, take these components into consideration: 

  • Identification of the planning team 
  • Defined processes 
  • Employee list/call list to reach out to 
  • Vital records associated with the process 
  • Telecom needs 
  • Work area recovery strategies 
  • Applications (software, equipment, supplies) 

What steps should an organisation take when building the plan? 

While certain events cannot be planned for, the optimum scenario is to build the business continuity plan when there isn’t an event or disaster happening. Attempting to develop real-time responses during a crisis situation is much more difficult than following a plan that was already created.  

When building your plan, it is important to evaluate, identify and ask questions. 

  • Evaluate your organisation. Understand the unique needs based on location, technology that’s used, number of employees, processes that are completed, etc.   
  • Identify the key participants to be included in the planning effort. This should include a combination of leaders and subject matter experts.  
  • Ask questions! It’s in the answers to those questions that you will truly understand what is needed to build an effective plan. 

After you do those three things, the basic methodology that a company should use to finalise their plan includes: 

Strategic Planning Phase: This is the phase that prepares us for the incident. It includes risk analysis (what could go wrong?), business impact analysis (what are the maximum acceptable downtimes?), requirements analysis (what do we need to recover?) and recovery options (how will we recover?).  

Tactical Planning Phase: This phase tells us how to respond to the incident. The organisation should ensure effective documentation of how to engage the recovery option when the time comes. Lay the groundwork for what you would need to do in the event you need to execute your plan. 

Consider these tips for building a thorough and complete business continuity plan: 

  • Always look for opportunities to improve your plan. The plan should be a living, breathing document that is reviewed on a regular cadence. 
  • Consider hypothetical situations and plan accordingly. If you change how you do things today, consider how it impacts your business continuity strategies. Do they also need to change? 
  • Ask yourself: Is your plan detailed enough to allow junior-level team members to execute the plan at time of incident if your planning team is compromised? 
  • Lead tabletop exercises to discover other opportunities to improve your programme and plans. Does everyone on your team know what is expected of them during a business interruption incident?  

For more information on tabletop exercises and who should be involved in them, listen to this article’s accompanying podcast.  

Advice for Developing Your First Business Continuity Plan 

When you think about developing a business continuity plan, especially for the first time, it’s very easy to get paralysed when you’re starting with a blank sheet of paper. One thing to remember is that the primary objective is planning — this is what creates the ability to recover.  

So, physically writing the plan or documenting specific instructions is the secondary objective. Look at your plan and ask: 

  • Does it clearly state what to do? 
  • Does it indicate how to do it? 
  • Does it reflect who does it? 
  • Does it identify when to do it? 

If the answer to those four questions is yes, and you verify that to be true through the process of testing, then you’re sure to have a plan that should serve you well in the event of an incident and ensure you are prepared for any event that may occur.  

To learn more about ways employers can respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, visit our Resource Centre. 

How to Successfully Engage with Remote Work Teams

Posted on by jpatel

While remote work is new for some — especially amidst the changes that organisations have implemented since the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) across the globe —  I have been working from a home office off and on for almost 20 years, and it’s allowed me to be uniquely prepared for the new reality that COVID-19 has brought to the workforce. 

I have been fortunate to work for a few companies, including PeopleScout, who were very comfortable with a virtual work environment — in some cases, almost everybody in the organisation was working remotely. I also worked for several years where the culture was the opposite, and it would have been impossible for me to advance in my career if I was unable to physically come into the office each day. That experience really solidified what I already knew — I thrive in a remote work environment. 

The experience I’ve had working remote for most of my career has been an absolute blessing. It’s allowed me to spend extra time with my kids, work flexible hours and form relationships with colleagues who I would not have met if I were only working in an office. 

At PeopleScout, nearly half our teams were regularly working remote before COVID-19 social distancing protocols were put in place, and our experience managing these remote teams has helped in the transition as that number increases. 

In this article, I’ll share how to determine whether a remote work strategy is right for your organisation during this time, highlight some best practices for engaging and managing a team of remote workers and outline the reasons why remote work matters. 

Is Remote Work Right for Your Organisation? 

Due to COVID-19 social distancing protocols, many people who wouldn’t normally fit the criteria for remote work are now adjusting to working virtually. However, in a scenario when you have the choice for whether a role should be remote, there are some ways you can help make that determination.  

How can you be sure if a remote work programme fits into your organisation? Consider the following: 

Does your team need to be together? 

If your team works best with a lot of hands-on collaboration, like brainstorming sessions, whiteboarding, and other in-person activities, shifting to remote might be challenging. But if you find that it isn’t truly necessary for each team member to meet face-to-face each day, a virtual strategy could work. Consider collaborative documents and team video calls to offset the facetime you’d be missing if everyone were in the office. 

Do my employees have the tools they need to work virtually? 

In order to successfully communicate and complete tasks, a remote work strategy is dependent on workers having access to a computer, internet and phone. If they do, you’ll also want to restructure your onboarding process to account for remote workers. Although virtual workers can work flexible hours, you’ll want to make sure they understand if there are any specific hours they are required to be “online.” Also, ensure everyone is aware of any time zone differences that could impact communication. 

Can roles be converted to remote? 

Certain roles, such as client-facing or other positions where working in person is a necessity, might not be able to shift to remote work as easily as positions where a person primarily works on a computer. Alternately, if your clients are spread over a wide geography, a virtual worker might be closer to a client and be able to provide even better service than an employee in your main office. Consider offering other benefits, perks and flexible work options to employees where full-time virtual work isn’t a viable option to ensure that no employee feels left out.  

Remote work doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There’s a spectrum when it comes to flexible work options, and here are a few examples: 

  • Part-time telecommuting  
  • Weekly/monthly work from home days 
  • Sponsored co-working spaces outside of the office 

What Does a Successful Remote Team Look Like? 

Whether an employee is newly hired for a remote role or you’re transitioning an existing position to remote due to COVID-19, utilising the right technology is critical. Tools like Slack, Asana and Zoom can simplify employee collaboration and serve as a substitute for face-to-face interactions in a virtual environment.  

In addition to utilising these communication tools, here are some additional tips for staying connected with remote workers that I use while leading teams at PeopleScout:  

  • Set up regular phone calls. I make sure to schedule weekly check-ins with each of my team members to see how they are doing and to stay aligned on project updates.  
  • Embrace informality. When teams are working from a large distance apart, informal communication (in addition to necessary formal conversations like meetings and conferences) can help foster strong connections between team members. Sometimes I’ll send team members a quick text message or IM to check in and remind them I’m available if they need anything. 
  • Celebrate successes. In an environment where it can be easy to feel secluded, remember to personally thank team members for all they do to contribute to the goals of the organisation. 
  • Try new ways of connecting. It’s important that your virtual team doesn’t feel left out from events that may be occurring in the main office. Each year, my team holds a virtual holiday party where we all get together for an hour or so to bring our little community together and reflect on the year’s successes. 
  • Capitalise on face-to-face interactions. While travel is currently limited, when I’m able to visit a PeopleScout office or a town where a team member lives, I’ll always make a point to try to schedule a lunch or coffee break to catch up with colleagues in-person. 
  • Communicate purposefully. Be intentional when reaching out to people. Especially while we are all no doubt facing uncertainty, stress and anxiety about the current COVID-19 situation, be sure to remember to check in and make sure your team members are doing okay. We’re all facing this incredible challenge together, and your team members should feel that their manager truly cares. 

Another important engagement strategy is fostering company culture, which can be difficult to do successfully when not everyone is together in an office each day. At PeopleScout, we have our DNA culture principles which make us who we are. To ensure my team feels connected to these culture principles, I make a point to celebrate each of their individual characteristics. 

One of the beautiful things about having a virtual team is that it allows for a diverse workforce full of people with different backgrounds, talents, experiences, and points of view. Each person brings something unique to the team which continues to add value to our clients in ways that a small local team may not be able to.  

Remote Work is Here to Stay 

While at one time it may have seemed like a fleeting trend, remote work has proved it’s far from temporary. Virtual work has established itself as a workplace norm, and with the challenges brought upon by the outbreak of COVID-19, it doesn’t appear to be leaving anytime soon.  

It’s in the Numbers 

66% – A 2019 report by Zapier shows that 2 in 3 knowledge workers think the traditional office will be obsolete by 2030.  

69% – According to data from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), organisations have increasingly offered telecommuting options over the last five years, with ad hoc telecommuting showing the greatest growth. At 69%, it’s up 13% from 2015. 

74% – 74% of U.S. knowledge workers would be willing to quit their job to work remote, and 26% have already done so, according to Zapier. 

It’s What Employees Want 

According to SHRM, just over a quarter of organisations already offer full-time telecommuting, so setting up a strong remote work system before the rest of the competition can help you stand out in candidates’ eyes.  

Virtual work has benefits for both employees and employers. The leading reasons employees want remote work options are to save money, to be able to work anywhere and have more time with family. Many employees also say they’re more productive at home, and this increased productivity carries over into the organisation. In addition, remote work can have a positive impact on the mental health of employees, leading to a stronger company culture and overall employee experience.  

Working Together Toward Remote Work Success 

As you implement a remote work strategy into your organisation, especially during these uncertain times, it’s important to lead your teams with a lot of understanding and grace. Establishing a successful work from home strategy is going to be a transition for all — and for some, not an easy one.  

Understand that life is going to happen. Doorbells may ring, dogs may bark or kids may yell down the hallway while you’re on video calls. However, it is through consistent communication and purposeful engagement that you and your team will be able to navigate this new normal together.  

To learn more about ways employers can respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, visit our Resource Centre. 

Getting More Vans on the Road for Sainsbury’s

Posted on by mhill

With online grocery shopping becoming increasingly popular, Sainsbury’s looked to PeopleScout to maximise the number of delivery slots that they could offer to customers. In a saturated market place, it wasn’t enough just to target existing drivers, we also needed to find those with transferable skills and encourage them to apply.

The resulting strategy enabled Sainsbury’s to go to market with a number of highly targeted and location-specific attraction campaigns.
The project was a huge success and exceeded targets.

SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS

• MARKET INTELLIGENCE & SOCIO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
• PERSONA DEVELOPMENT
• PROCESS DESIGN
• CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
• INTEGRATED MEDIA CAMPAIGN

SCOPE AND SCALE

Sainsbury’s business strategy is to respond to the changing needs of their customers, enabling them to shop whenever and wherever they want. Seven days a week, Sainsbury’s deliver fresh food, groceries, general merchandise and clothing from suppliers around the world, via 33 distribution centres to their store and online customers, meeting their requirements for flexible, convenient shopping.  Drivers are a vital part of this strategy, ensuring that Sainsbury’s can make deliveries to millions of customers at a time that suits them.

SITUATION

The Grocery Online department is a fast-growing business for Sainsbury’s. When we started this project, one in five employees worked in the department but with changing consumer habits, this was soon to become one in three. Despite being one of the company’s largest employee populations, it experienced high turnover in line with the challenging wider driver recruitment market. Some locations, for example inner-city areas and affluent suburban locations, found it particularly hard to recruit. The level of attrition made it hard for the department to grow, and driver availability became the limiting factor when it came to processing orders. It was vital for the business to hire more drivers immediately but also have a robust strategy for the future too.

THE SOLUTION

  • We used interviews and focus groups to understand the recruitment proposition for drivers at Sainsbury’s
  •  We used market mapping techniques to understand the labour force, reporting on salary benchmarks, competitor activity, and the socio-demographics of hard-to-fill locations.
  • By overlaying these two strands we developed distinct driver personas, each with its own messaging framework and channel strategy. We used these to develop highly targeted comms for each group, responding to their motivations and behaviours.
  • Secondary messaging included; flexible shifts where we knew there was a high student population and non-monetary benefits such as child-care vouchers in areas that had a high density of families.

After speaking to hiring managers, existing employees, and those working for competitor organisations, we found that the majority of people eligible to be a Sainsbury’s delivery driver, didn’t realise that they already had the skills to do the job. In fact, the role required skills like good customer service, time management, and self-motivation which we found to crossover with a number of different sectors.  This led us to design a creative route that focussed on the core messaging of “All you need is a licence” and “Where will your licence take you?”, educating the audience around the training and development new joiners received.

This sat in contrast to another creative route which we used in locations that had high competitor activity where we led with the messaging around the fact that Sainsbury’s offered guaranteed hours where other organisations did not. Before the campaign, Sainsbury’s were engaging with candidates across multiple channels with different communications, which meant they ended up talking to the same audience in different ways, about different things.

By taking this insight-driven segmented approach, Sainsbury’s could instead talk confidently about the things that mattered  to candidates, using the channels that they were most likely to respond to.

RESULTS

The campaign was so successful that the majority of roles were filled within the first 5 weeks of the 12-week campaign, meaning that Sainsbury’s could cut back on their marketing spend. More impressively, seven locations needed to pause their recruitment due to high application numbers including two of the locations that were identified as ‘hard to fill’ areas.

“ The success of the campaign so far has been unprecedented and as such after 5 weeks we are already in a place where most of our stores in the trial have filled all driver hours required. In total, we have received over 2,000 applications. 131 offers have been extended, 106 of which have been accepted so far.”

Kent County Council: Promoting a Career in Care

Posted on by mhill

Support workers make a genuine difference to real lives and Kent County Council (KCC) were finding it hard to attract the right people to fill their vacancies. They approached PeopleScout to develop a campaign to reach an audience that may not realise they had the skills and attributes to become care workers and show them they could have a meaningful career, just by ‘being you’.

SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS

• RAISING AWARENESS OF MISUNDERSTOOD ROLES
• REACHING AN UNAWARE TARGET AUDIENCE
• CREATING STAND-OUT FROM THE CROWD

CANDIDATE SOURCING

SCOPE AND SCALE

Kent County Council, along with over 1,400 partner organisations, are committed to providing essential care and support, working with some of the most vulnerable members of the community. Their need to recruit was based on the requirement to alleviate pressure on nursing homes and hospitals by providing care in the clients’ own homes, therefore freeing up valuable beds elsewhere. Enabling clients to remain at home (when it is suitable) has been proven to be a good solution in healthcare pathways.

It was also important to demonstrate to the wider Kent population that KCC was taking positive and supportive action in what was a high profile and often criticised area for all local authorities.

SITUATION

With vacancies that aren’t clearly defined by specific skills or experience, it’s often challenging to convince potential recruits that a role is right for them. With ‘unskilled’ (in terms of qualifications) positions such
as these, the lure of other opportunities, including retail, is often more appealing and the lack of visibility or explanation of support roles alongside a misunderstanding of what is entailed, compounds this issue.
In addition to this, there was a lack of clarity about the genuine career potential that these jobs could offer potential candidates. KCC’saim was to raise the profile of the work they do in an area that is both sensitive and one that touches most people at some stage in their lives.

THE SOLUTION

To fully understand why existing support workers do what they do, we ran a focus group to investigate the motivators and to hear real life stories. Our creative team then set to work to produce a personal and  appropriate creative identity; one that would put the empathy and natural caring skills needed for these roles, at the very heart of the campaign. We concluded the best way to communicate this was by film, showing everyday situations where people made a difference, doing everyday things and how this translated into a care workers job.

This was driven by the central campaign message of “You’d be surprised how qualified you are to be a support worker – just by being you’’. With a small promotion budget and to ensure that the power of the film’s visuals were maximised, we used our Social Media product, SNAP, to push the film out to the target audience; using geographic and behavioural targeting methods.

RESULTS

The SNAP campaign ran for just over 2 weeks and in that time delivered over 51,000 impressions, converting to over 1,000 ‘clickthroughs’ – an impressive rate of 2.1%. Equally impressive, YouTube delivered almost 172,000 impressions and over 75,000 views.