Solution: Managed Service Provider

Less Than Two in 10 Job Seekers Rate Their Recent Recruitment Process Experience as Excellent

Posted on by jpatel

PeopleScout’s latest research reveals hard truths about candidate expectations versus the reality of their experiences  

25 January 2023 – Today’s job market is experiencing a clear disparity between candidate expectations and the reality they face when searching for and applying for jobs, according to a recent report by leading recruitment process outsourcing provider PeopleScout, a TrueBlue company. Survey findings showed that less than two in 10 candidates would rate their experience as “excellent”—a clear indicator that expectations for their job search are not being met by employers. The global research report, Inside the Candidate Experience, surveyed over 2,400 job seekers and analysed 217 companies around the globe to see how employers stacked up against candidate expectations.  

Technology, social media and lightning-fast consumer experiences have driven job seekers to expect seamless, quick, digital-first experiences. For employers to succeed in this market, they must deliver the same intuitive and personalised experience. For example, survey results showed that two-thirds of candidates use social media to research companies during their job search. Yet, a third of employers are not consistently posting career-related content to their social channels.  

Job seekers also showed a desire to make an emotional connection with prospective employers. The study revealed that an organisation’s mission, purpose and values are top considerations for candidates when deciding whether to apply for a job. Yet less than half of organisations include this information on their career site. Also, 35% of employers do not feature real employees in their recruitment material.  

In addition, candidates want to know that applying to an organisation is worth their time and effort. Of those surveyed, 21% of candidates said lack of information regarding next steps would make them likely to drop out of the process after applying, but less than two in 10 employers provided candidates with those details. Plus, only 30% of employers clearly stated that adjustments were available for candidates with disabilities prior to starting an application. 

“In my conversations with talent acquisition leaders, it’s clear organisations understand the importance of the candidate experience, yet our research reveals that employers have a long way to go to meet candidates’ expectations,” said Simon Wright, PeopleScout’s Head of Global Talent Advisory Consulting. “PeopleScout strives to make the recruitment process as seamless as possible for both parties, and our hope is that this serves as a rallying cry for employers to get serious about making improvements to their candidate experience, especially as hiring has become so challenging.”   

Download PeopleScout’s full report here for more survey findings and actionable insights for employers. 

Press Contact 
Taylor Winchell 
Senior Manager, External Communications 
pr@trueblue.com 
+1-253-680-8291 

The Future of Work: 4 Key Factors That Will Shape the Workplace by 2030

Posted on by akessler

It’s no secret that the labour market has been volatile over the last several years, and talent acquisition teams have experienced a multitude of highs and lows. In our capacity as trusted advisors, PeopleScout analysed patterns in global workforce trends to help our clients create informed strategies for future-proofing their workforce by examining how these patterns may affect their workforce. While we can’t predict the future of work, we think there are four key factors will shape the world of work over the next decade.

1. Flexibility

Flexibility is here to stay, and it will apply to everything from where and how we work to the roles we do and who we do them for. There will be no hard and fast rules about working hours and shifts in the future.

As life becomes increasingly characterised by change, employees will need to be agile—always ready to reskill. Learning becomes a constant, and we may even find ourselves counting AI robots as our trainers and mentors.

Flexibility and upskilling will manifest differently from generation to generation, so organisations must facilitate working arrangements for different demographics. Over the next decade, the generation gap will widen and then gradually close as Baby Boomers begin to settle down to retirement by blending work and leisure. Millennials and Gen Z will bring their progressive perspectives to work.

10 Predictions for What’s NEXT in the World of Work

DESTINATION 2030

Read the Report

2. Fluidity 

Globalisation will enable much more cross-border, cross-company collaboration. Project teams will be established based on all sorts of factors, not just who’s in what department or which location. People will work with talent from all sorts of specialities as they move from project to project.

Technology helps to support our wellbeing as the lines between work and home become more blurred. But with new technologies come new laws, so security and compliance will also be strategically important, especially for organisations working at the cutting-edge of innovation.

3. Focus 

Organisational culture will become more important than ever before as people make career choices based on ethics, values and purpose above things like pay and benefits. More and more employees will choose to work for organisations that have a clear purpose and are committed to working in the most ethical, sustainable and socially responsible ways.

Technology also plays a role here, in helping people focus on the work that matters to them as automation takes over the mundane tasks. However, more AI and machine learning will make some roles redundant and create many others—generating even greater demand for technical, analytical and digital skill sets across sectors.

4. Forward-thinking 

Organisations will continue to compete when it comes to creating innovative new technologies and using those technologies in the most creative ways. But they’ll also be happy to pool some resources to create a better future for everyone. 

Issues like equality and climate change will continue to grow in importance, forcing organisations to find new and better ways of making social and environmental improvements at speed.

Onward, Upward and Who Knows Where

You may feel more prepared for some changes more than others as we approach 2030, but it’s safe to say that there will be plenty of surprises that will require creative thinking in order to stay resilient.

PeopleScout will be on the journey with you to support, challenge and inspire you—no matter what the future holds.

To learn more about how we came to these predictions and see our research findings, check out our Destination 2030 white paper.

Driving Recruitment Innovation by Collaborating with Suppliers

Posted on by cspivack

By Rachel Harris, Head of Marketing EMEA & APAC


I recently read an article on the CIPS website about Thales, an aerospace company. In the piece, Roque Carmona, Group Chief Procurement Officer at Thales, explained that ‘66% of innovation for Thales customers come from their suppliers’. As a completely customer-focused organisation, Thales has not only seen the value in ‘two heads are better than one’, but they are prepared to speak up about it.

I’m a firm believer that the best business results come from a collaborative approach, where your solutions acquire exponential value as the insights, experience, and resources from supplier organisations feed into your customer-centric strategy.

Of course, RPO was initially developed to outsource hiring during critical business growth phases. But now it has become so much more.

By working across companies, industries, and regions the value of RPO is finally being recognised; not as a quick-fix to hiring, but for the expertise, knowledge and experience that only a global leader with many SMEs in resourcing can provide.

It’s a critical time for HR. The teams that saw us through the pandemic, the people who ensured we could work effectively from home, the leaders who took on-board our well-being during isolation, and then managed redundancies at the start, followed by filling the gaps on our return to the offices—have been burning the midnight oil. And now to fan the HR fire, recession is on the horizon.

In this environment, it’s more critical than ever to collaborate on innovation with your suppliers; to learn from each other, to build better value into solutions and find future-proof processes to ensure that our businesses grow.  

IR35 Reform: How Well Are You Communicating with Your Contingent Workers?

Posted on by akessler

The changes being brought about by the IR35 reforms will have a significant impact on both employers and freelance workers. Yet, it seems that organisations are failing to communicate with contractors about the shift. As an award-winning RPO, MSP and Talent Advisory company, PeopleScout lives and breathes the importance of internal and external candidate and employee communications. 

A Brief Summary of IR35

IR35 is a set of tax laws designed to combat tax avoidance by freelance or contract workers and the organisations using their services (i.e., the end-client). These workers are typically self-employed and engaged by organisations through an intermediary rather than on an employment contract.

Determining whether a contract would be categorised as employment, in which IR35 applies, or as business-to-business services, in which IR35 would not apply, is complicated. If the legislation applies, a contractor could be significantly impacted financially as they would have to pay income tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs) as if they were a full- or part-time employee. Employers would also be on the hook for taxes and NICs.

This off-payroll legislation was introduced to the public sector in 2017 and is now being extended to the private sector.

The Employer’s Responsibilities Under IR35

The responsibility of determining whether a contract sits within IR35 is not just up to the contractor. Both the contractor and end-client are equally accountable, and any unpaid tax can be collected from both parties if an error is made.

Yet, contract workers are largely uninformed about what their end-clients are doing to prepare for IR35. A recent survey of over 1,400 contractors who will be affected by IR35 reform revealed:

  • 57% have not been contacted by their end-client about IR35 reform.
  • Only 15% have received a Status Determination Statement (SDS), outlining their perceived IR35 position.
  • Of those who have had their contract assessed, 56% have been determined as outside IR35, with 44% deemed inside the legislation.
  • 28% have been informed of their end-client’s strategy for the changes but are yet to be issued with an SDS.

Given that IR35 in the private sector has already been postponed from April 2020 due to COVID-19, it’s surprising that companies, contractors and agencies are not better prepared.

The Importance of Communication About Compliance

Most companies are going to be affected in one way or another by IR35 reform. It’s imperative that you prioritise preparation for IR35 to ensure compliance, especially if you have contingent workers with hard-to-find specialist skills and knowledge. 

As with any change, communication is key. Your contractors want to be kept informed about what you’re doing to ensure compliance, and if they don’t receive that reassurance they will move on to other projects or opportunities where the strategy is clear.

The last thing you need is to lose talent. This could impact your ability to service customers, to achieve strategic milestones and fulfil financial objectives. Contingent workers are an important part of your workforce, and communicating about your IR35 plans will keep them engaged and productive.

TOTAL WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS: OPTIMISE TALENT ACQUISITION BY BLENDING RPO AND MSP

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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. 

COVID-19 Series: Building a Modern Business Continuity Plan

Posted on by nfuqua

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 series with our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.

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

In that spirit, we are sharing insights from PeopleScout Global Leader of Business Operations Cindy Cutaia on building modern business continuity plans.

Cindy brings more than 12 years of leadership and 20 years of industry experience in partnering with global organisations to build and deliver strategic, scalable talent acquisition solutions with a focus on operational and process excellence. In her current role, she is accountable for enabling operational effectiveness to support PeopleScout’s unparalleled commitment to clients, including supporting the execution of the strategic business plan and governance of the operational goals and priorities. Cindy’s role also includes executive leadership of PeopleScout’s global delivery centers in India.

2020 TALENT TECH TRENDS

Posted on by suhlarik
Talent Tech

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE includes machine learning, deep learning and automation. Talent tech platforms integrate AI to streamline time-intensive tasks. Through AI, recruiters can find candidates faster, while candidates can receive consumer-like branded employer experiences.

87% of senior executives believe AI is important to achieving overall business objectives.

Source: Forbes Insights

AUTOMATION continues to grow, replacing low-value, manual tasks with more strategic ones. How can employers achieve the right balance between automation and human interaction?

For more on automation, watch our webinar, “The Dos and Don’ts of Automating Your Candidate Experience” on-demand at peoplescout.com/webinars.

BEHAVIORAL ANALYTICS helps explain why people take certain actions. This form of analytics can target passive candidates, as well as help, predict candidates’ future success.

Organisations that use behavioral insights outperform peers by 85% in sales growth.

Source: McKinsey sales growth.

The CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE differentiates and bolsters employers’ brands. Organisations that do not improve their candidate experience may negatively affect their ability to hire talent.

27% of candidates who have a bad experience would “actively discourage others to apply.”

Source: LinkedIn

PRIVACY in the digital age and the way organisations handle candidate information is an ongoing concern made more complex across the digital and international world.

GDPR’s Effect Since Implementation: Large UK companies spent $1.1 billion collectively on GDPR prep. Large American companies spent $7.8 billion on GDPR prep.

Source: www.varonis.com/blog/gdpr-effect-review/

IN 2020, THE INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGY IN TALENT ACQUISITION WILL CONTINUE TO GROW IN EACH STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT CYCLE.

Many in the industry expect talent tech to play an increasingly large role in recruiting activities in the next three years.

Source: Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends survey, 2019.

WHILE THE CROWDED TALENT TECH WORLD EXPANDS, A FEW TECHNOLOGIES WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE RECRUITMENT CYCLE THIS YEAR: ANALYTICS, AI, BLOCKCHAIN AND RPA.

RPO service providers are creating a digital ecosystem using third-party technology providers to provide a seamless experience to hiring managers and candidates.

Source: Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Annual Report 2019: Steering 3D Growth on the Tides of Talent Shortage, RPO Annual Report, page 50, August 2019, Everest Group.

MAKE SURE TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TALENT TECH PROVIDER FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION’S NEEDS

Talent tech growth is driven by the competitive job market and new AI-based solutions.

As an industry, talent acquisition is mid-way through a massive replacement of legacy systems and looking at more nimble models.

When choosing a talent tech provider for your project, ask questions, understand the vision of the project, ask for a road map and agree on the support model.

Source: HR Technology Market 2019: Disruption Ahead, Josh Bersin, Page 50

Talking Talent Leadership Profile: Jennifer Mattocks

Posted on by nfuqua

The roles of talent acquisition and HR are changing. When you talk with Jennifer Mattocks, it’s clear that she’s here to lead that change. PeopleScout’s Executive Leader of the Americas, Jennifer is the daughter of an artist and a mathematician – part creative, part analytical and constantly looking for better ways to work.

Jennifer doesn’t come from a traditional recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) background. With more than 20 years of experience leading enterprise client management and strategic sales teams in HR advisory services and talent assessment, Jennifer has a broad view across the HR function and has seen firsthand the way it’s transforming. She has a deep understanding of not just talent acquisition, but also the full employee lifecycle.

We spoke with Jennifer at our Chicago headquarters about the changes headed for HR, the forces behind that transformation and what organisations should be doing now to be ready for what’s next.

We’re starting a new decade with historically low unemployment and skills shortages, making it more difficult to find and hire the right talent. How should employers approach their workforce planning?

Thinking about the skills shortage, there have been a few statistics that have caught my eye. One is that the World Health Organization predicts that there will be a worldwide shortage of 15 million healthcare workers by 2030. That’s not far away. This is an issue that we need to focus on now. Another is that according to the Department of Labour, 17.4% of workers in the U.S. are now foreign-born, and it’s rising. That means we need to have a global perspective when we’re looking at our workforce.

As it relates to the skills shortage, employers should be thinking about the influence of significant shifts in the talent landscape and how they address them in their workforce planning strategies. Strong talent pipelines will hinge on the idea of the fluid workforce – the idea of non-linear career development – and making sure that we have programmes in place to have the right skills at the right time in the right place.

One way to adapt to the challenges that we’re facing in finding the right talent is through a total workforce solution, which allows employers the flexibility to be able to address skills shortages and low unemployment. For some industries, healthcare included, that means we need to look at ways we can find talent with relevant skills through non-traditional channels. Then, by closely tying training and development with talent acquisition, we have the ability to realign talent to roles and responsibilities that fit with their current skills.

How do you see the role of HR transforming to adapt to the changing world of work?

One role of HR is matching people’s skills to work. As HR and talent leaders, we know we cannot assume that when an individual is placed in a role, that is what they will do – or want to do – for the rest of their career. Creating nimble career paths and opportunities for ongoing development will be critical to the success of any HR leader going forward.

An example to illustrate the change we’ll see from HR is through how we approach career pathing. Right now, we have a career ladder that goes from bottom to top. That ladder is going to be flipped on its side – and it already has, to some degree. Individuals are seeking different skillsets or opportunities to develop within the organisation, which doesn’t always translate to a linear career progression. Employees also want to have stronger ownership and input into their own career development; we see this characterised by input particularly from the millennial and Gen Z talent, who are just starting to enter the workforce and seek variety in opportunity.

I also anticipate that we’ll see the idea of the external gig economy brought in house. Meaning, HR will serve as a hub that is responsible for moving talent throughout an organisation based on individual skillsets, the work that needs to get done and the way talent wants to work. With that, HR as a function will change, and the skills needed to succeed in HR will change, as well.

To this end, I see the need for a much tighter connection, even blending, of talent acquisition and talent development roles. Not only is HR responsible for nimbly fulfilling the talent needs of the business to deliver on the work that needs to get done today, but HR is also responsible for providing structure, resources, and tools for the development of talent pools for the future. So, we will see HR marrying those two roles to a degree we haven’t yet seen.

What is the role of technology in the changing world of HR?

HR leaders first need to have a thoughtful strategy, then make sure the technology supports and enables the strategy. With a strategic foundation in place, technology will facilitate the ability of organisations to do three things.

First is to have visibility into and a more comprehensive understanding of the talent that they have in place today, as well as the talent pools that exist both internally and externally. Second, HR leaders can leverage learning and collaboration technology to build up the skillsets that perhaps are missing or need development within the organisation. I think we’ll see a lot more innovation to come related to this. And third, HR can utilise technology, AI, and analytics to better match individuals at the right time to the work that needs to be done.

Technology will also change the HR roles we see today in a fundamental way. There’s a lot of talk about certain roles being replaced by technology and tasks replaced by automation, but we still need human thought, perspective and ethical input to drive technology to make the right decisions. The human touch will never go away and will increase in importance for organisations to be competitive.

What are you most excited about for the future of talent acquisition?

There are two things. One is that we are at the point in which HR and talent acquisition needs to be prescriptive to drive success. Then, HR needs to deliver on the needs of the business while driving the engagement and productivity of the employees. It’s going to be fun to see that shift start to be more pronounced.

I think the other really exciting shift is one that’s personal to me, given the age of my children, and that’s seeing Gen Z enter the workforce and even start to enter management. This is a generation that more naturally and openly drives inclusivity and values having an ethical decision-making process behind what they do. They really embrace technology in novel ways, and having individuals with those capabilities entering the workforce will be very exciting for talent acquisition. I think it will continue to shape how we hire, promote and develop talent, and I look forward to seeing the positive changes they bring.

3 Economic Trends That Will Affect Talent Acquisition in 2020

Posted on by skatz

Every talent acquisition professional is kind of an economic expert. In the process of filling positions, you become aware of local unemployment levels, current rates of compensation, and the competitive landscape in the sectors and markets in which you work. And, while understanding these specific conditions may be essential aspects of successful talent strategies, there are always larger economic forces at work. In this article, we cover three of economic trends and their impact on Talent Acquisition in 2020.

Understanding these economic trends can help develop an effective workforce strategy. To illustrate this point, PeopleScout has identified three economic trends that will affect talent acquisition and workforce management in 2020 – and potential ways to respond to the challenges and opportunities they bring.

Trade Disruption & Uncertainty

Uncertainty over trade due to Brexit, ongoing trade disputes between the U.S. and key trading partners, and other global commerce issues dominated the headlines in 2019. How will these yet-to-be-resolved issues affect talent acquisition?

Flexible Workforce Planning

Imagine planning a budget without knowing the future costs of goods and services. Due to current uncertainty over trade, this is the dilemma that many enterprises are facing. The imposition of tariffs in the U.S.-China trade dispute has caused shifts in both the price and availability of products, according to The New York Times. Uncertainty over whether Brexit will happen – and, if it does, what the consequences will be on nearly every aspect of the UK economy and other nations – remains uncertain. One way to respond to uncertainty is to make flexibility a key component in workforce planning. Flexible workforce planning can include contingent staffing, sourcing strategies that promote rapid onboarding and employee cross-training in anticipation of potential downsizing.

Sourcing Candidates from Alternative Talent Pools

While low unemployment still characterizes many of the world’s leading economies, trade disruption has also led to some job losses and displacement. For example, in Great Britain, a number of companies have closed, moved or are planning to, as reported by Metro in the UK. In both the U.S. and the UK, the manufacturing sector has seen job losses due to tariffs and trade uncertainty. Fortunately, many of those who work in manufacturing possess transferrable skills that can be used in other industries. Employers that can identify and attract this newly available source of talent will have a competitive advantage in tight labour markets.

The Migrant Workforce & Shifting Talent Landscape

The era of growing immigration to many advanced economies has been disrupted. The Guardian reports that thousands of European Union nationals have left the UK since the 2016 Brexit referendum, in large part due to the uncertainty over their legal status after an eventual exit from the EU. And, in the U.S., a tightening of available visas and selective immigration bans have caused the number of legal immigrants to plummet. On the other hand, 29% of Australia’s population is foreign-born, but the economic growth in many Asian countries – the source of much of Australia’s immigrant population – has contributed to its decline in net migration in recent years. 

Know the Affected Sectors

One important way for employers to respond to changing immigration patterns is to know which jobs are most affected and to plan accordingly. The reality is that immigrants comprise a significant portion of workers in a range of sectors. For example, nearly one-third of hotel workers in the U.S. are immigrants, and more than one in 10 healthcare workers in the UK are non-British nationals (half of these are from the EU), according to the Office for National Statistics. Understanding the sectors and markets that are affected by the falling rates of available talent from abroad may play an increasingly important role in developing effective talent acquisition strategies.

Talent Without Borders

The pool of available talent is exponentially expanded when work can be done outside of a fixed location. Advances in technology and communications have greatly reduced the need for many processes to take place in brick-and-mortar workplaces. For this reason, recruitment strategies may increasingly include a review of job descriptions to determine which positions can work from virtual locations, including those that are abroad. By doing so, employers can move beyond the constraints of limited talent pools and the wage pressures that tight labour markets generate.

OK, Boomer?

According to Glassdoor’s Chief Economist, Dr. Andrew Chamberlain, baby boomers, born between 1944 and 1964, are now the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. workforce. Dr. Chamberlain notes that “A ‘gray wave’ of senior citizens will be impacting the workforce in coming years, both in the United States and the United Kingdom.” In Canada, the percentage of workers aged 55 and older more than doubled in a little more than two decades; they are now more than one in five of all Canadian workers. Similarly, the number of Australians aged 65 and older who participated in the workforce in 2018 was 13%, compared to only 8% in 2006. And, in New Zealand, 22% of retirement-age people worked in 2016, an 87% increase in just 10 years.

Candidates with a Silver Lining

Given these striking statistics, an increasing number of applications from older candidates should be expected. In addition to the talent that these older candidates bring in their own right, they also help employers adopt a holistic approach to upskilling.

Take the case of a recent college graduate who has strong technical skills, but lacks industry knowledge and even critical soft skills, such as effective communication. These deficiencies can be offset by pairing this new hire with a seasoned industry veteran. The ensuing mentoring can go both ways; a tech-savvy new hire can help an older worker who may be challenged in this area, while the seasoned worker can guide and instruct the younger employee on important industry knowledge and work skills. This symbiotic pairing can also become an important element in an enterprise’s succession planning strategy.

Partnering for Success

Responding to economic trends can be daunting for those under constant pressure to fill positions and manage talent. However, tracking newly available workers due to shifting tariffs and treaties, knowing how to find candidates in unknown and far-flung locations, and navigating the process of recruiting from a broad range of age groups may seem overwhelming to even the best-equipped team of talent professionals. This is precisely why leveraging the expertise and resources of a talent acquisition partner can be the deciding factor for success in a complex and rapidly changing economic environment.

Retail Recruiters: Creating a Winning Retail Recruiting Strategy

Posted on by edyson

There is no doubt that the internet has forever changed the way customers shop. Despite this, in-store sales continue to trend upward. In fact, in-store sales revenue growth has outpaced e-commerce sales steadily over the last decade. To support in-store demand and continue growth, retail employers need top-performing talent in the right positions.

Unfortunately, with a tight labour market and various retail recruiting challenges, it is now harder than ever for retail recruiters to find the right candidates. In this article, we cover the best hiring practices for retail recruiters to help you source, attract and hire the best retail talent.

Defining Your Hiring Goals as Retail Recruiters

Regardless of industry, the first step in the recruiting journey begins with outlining how many hires you need to make, what positions you are looking to fill and the timeline you need to hire by. By outlining these goals early on in the recruitment process, you develop a clear strategy that helps you meet your organisation’s talent needs.

As a retail recruiter, your organisation’s hiring goals may fluctuate or change depending on seasonality and store openings, so in addition to your current hiring needs, also anticipate future needs when creating your hiring goals.

Do not be afraid to change your goals as you go. Outside factors, such as new competitors, a change in demand or opening of a new store, might influence the goals you established. If you need to make a shift to your strategy, remain agile enough to do so.

Sourcing Retail Candidates

For a retail organisation to thrive, it takes a diverse range of individuals working together towards a common goal. So, it should come as no surprise that when searching for top retail talent, retail recruiters need to cast a wide net.

While some companies may focus on hiring high school or college students looking for part-time or seasonal jobs, others may want to experienced full-time candidates in search of careers. If you’re hiring low wage, low skill labour, community sites like Craigslist or standard job boards can help you attract students or young individuals looking to gain some experience. If you’re looking for more experienced retail workers, try more targeted job boards like iHireRetail or LinkedIn.

It is essential to know where your potential candidates are active and advertise your open jobs strategically. Use location-specific job boards, local papers or blogs, or other targeted strategies to help pinpoint your area for the best candidates.

When sourcing for seasonal positions, using digital and social media ads along with email as a way to find and attract talent can pay huge dividends. Just make sure you create a specific careers site to send seasonal candidates too. This way it will be easier for them to find information on the opportunity without having to navigate your full careers website.  

Finally, you can also look at your customers as potential candidates when recruiting new employees. When your employees are passionate about your brand and products, like loyal customers often are, they can help increase sales and educate new shoppers about what you offer.

Retail Recruiters Need to Go Online

Retailers of today are operating in a competitive space that requires forward-thinking as well as online and social savviness. If you want to attract applicants who have those traits, you should take your recruitment efforts beyond traditional channels such as job boards. Social media is known to be an effective recruitment tool. LinkedIn, for instance, has a number of talent solutions that enable you to find, vet and contact candidates.

Social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, while not specifically made for recruiting, can also help you find new hires. Use Twitter to spread the word about your openings and put a special careers tab on your Facebook page where your fans can browse and apply for jobs.

Even Instagram has proven to be a good platform, particularly for companies looking for young and fresh talent. As Software Advice cited in this piece on Instagram recruiting, a study by the Pew Research Center found that the largest group using Instagram is adults between 18-29 years of age with some college education. This makes it an ideal platform to attract a new generation of applicants.

So, make it a point to spruce up your employer profile on social media. A good way to do this is to share fun team photos on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. And if you are actively recruiting, spread the word by posting “we’re hiring” images on your accounts and running targeted social media campaigns to attract the right candidates. You can also show your company culture and promote things such as flexibility in the workplace you provide, your commitment to diversity and inclusion and more.

For Retail Recruiters, Attitude is the New Experience  

When hiring in retail, which is a bigger predictor of a candidate’s success: attitude or experience? In the case of industries like retail, an employee’s attitude is often more important than their experience. What’s more, The Future of Work: The Augmented Workforce study conducted by Deloitte found that “skills such as empathy, communication, persuasion, personal service, problem-solving, and strategic decision-making are more valuable than ever.”

Retail Recruiters

Whether it’s assisting customers at a department store or managing an automotive supply store, each role within the retail industry requires the right attitude. So, how can retail recruiters ensure they hire candidates who have the right attitude? You can start by assessing candidates’ soft skills in the workplace.

Key soft skills to look for in retail candidates

  • Willing and eager to learn
  • Patient
  • Inquisitive
  • Competitive
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Responsible
  • Good communicator
  • Strong listener
  • Team-oriented
  • Emphatic
  • Can-do attitudes
  • High emotional intelligence

The good news is that many of these soft skills go hand-in-hand, so finding retail candidates who exhibit these qualities and attitudes will not be as difficult as it may seem.

Group Interviews and Assessing Soft Skills

A great way to find candidates with the right soft skills is to conduct group interviews. Candidates at Disney’s retail Store go through a group interview process where they are quizzed on Disney trivia and are asked to sell a product to the rest of the team.

Conducting group interviews provides you an opportunity to glean insights into someone’s soft skills by observing how they conduct themselves around other people, how they handle a stressful situation and you get to an understanding of how they will fit with your team.

The Gist

Retail recruiters and the industry as a whole face a unique set of challenges when attracting top talent with the right skills. With the majority of the retail workforce comprised of hourly, part-time and seasonal employees, recruiting quality workers quickly is a tall order.

There is no one-size-fits-all strategy or tactic to retail recruiters. However, armed with the tips we have shared you can develop a retail recruiting strategy that fits your organisation’s unique issues, needs and culture. Remember, get to know your candidate pool, create a robust employer brand, utilise the internet and talent technology tools. If you cover all of these bases, you can improve your recruitment process and make smarter hiring decisions.