Archives for March 2022

Introducing the Hudson RPO Technology & Innovation Committee

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Introducing the Hudson RPO Technology & Innovation Committee

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At Hudson RPO, we consider recruitment technology vital to success when sourcing, engaging, and retaining top talent. A good technology solution underpins a robust recruitment process and can deliver improved candidate and hiring manager experiences. However, in a technology market that is constantly evolving, it can be hard to navigate which technology is best for the problem you are trying to solve. Our global technology and innovation committee is a team of experts from around the globe who work to monitor new technology entrants and compare the latest products and developments in the market so we can design a tailored technology solution mapped to the specific needs of our clients.

An evolving technology market

Based in our Americas region, Chris Brevik has been our Director of Technology Innovation since 2019. His advice for people who are looking at implementing new recruitment technology is to stay focused on the specific need of your business and the pain point you are trying to resolve:

“When recruitment technology is constantly evolving, it can be easy to get distracted by the new and latest technology. Filter down and stay focussed on what process you are trying to improve, and the pain points you are trying to resolve.”

He also recommends talking to technology vendors about short paid trials instead of making a long-term commitment. A trial period allows you the flexibility to quickly shift if the technology isn’t the right solution. But, of course, the technology you invest in should be the right one for your business and comparing them is worth the investment of your time. For example, in successful implementations of our technology stack, Chris has improved time-intensive processes like reference checking, ultimately allowing the recruitment team to focus on higher-value touchpoints within the recruitment process.

Implementing the right technology

Based in our Centre of Excellence in Edinburgh is George McRobbie, our Service Delivery Director. What he enjoys most about his role in the innovation and technology committee is having the opportunity to chat with clients on selecting the right technology and how technology can make a tangible, measurable difference in the recruitment space. In addition, George enjoys sharing his knowledge internally at Hudson RPO so our Recruiters can also keep abreast of what is happening in the tech space. He’s excited about the potential of AI in technology and the pace at which recruitment technology is developing.

George McRobbie, Service Delivery Director
George McRobbie, Service Delivery Director

“Without a proper change programme during implementation, even the best technology will not meet your minimal expectations.”

For those looking into recruitment technology, he recommends: “Finding and engaging the right technology is only half the battle. Without a proper change programme during implementation, even the best technology will not meet your minimal expectations. I would also try to remember that, chances are, if you are involved in this area, it’s likely you are quite technically minded and capable. However, you have to remember that your user groups are unlikely to be as technically advanced – make sure the technology is easy to use and speeds up a process. This will also help ensure swift adoption of the technology.”

Continuous improvement to technology solutions

Stephen Fitzgerald is the Director of Technology and Global Projects in our Asia Pacific region. He is accountable for designing technology solutions for clients and leading the technology functions across Hudson RPO operations. Stephen is passionate about helping clients to use technology to create value for their organization through automation of processes, data insights and artificial intelligence that can help reduce time to hire.  Stephen’s advice is to always complete a thorough investigation into understanding what problem or problems need to be solved before considering the technology solution. 

Stephen Fitzgerald – Director of Technology & Global projects
Stephen Fitzgerald – Director of Technology & Global projects

Determining success measures and KPI’s are critical in providing a baseline for ongoing reviews, seeing how the technology is performing and informing continuous improvement conversations.  All of which is integral to ensuring your technology is being optimised and delivering results.

“It's not a typical system implementation, it is a series of transformative steps of which system implementation is just one. ”

As a trained project management professional, Stephen knows the value of a post-implementation review as part of any solution deploying new technology. 

It’s an opportunity to capture learnings and embed a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring each system implementation is better than the last. As Stephen says, “It’s not just a typical system implementation, it is a series of transformative steps of which system implementation is just one”. 

The best recruitment experience strikes a balance between technology efficiency while maintaining a human touch critical for candidate relationships. Our technology and innovation team of experts can help advise on your recruitment technology. We will continue to share our technology experts’ insights as part of the Hudson RPO technology series in the coming weeks. Would you like to start today? Click here to chat with one of our experts.

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Content Team

The Hudson RPO Content Team is made up of experts within the Talent Acquisition industry across the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions. They provide educational and critical business insights in the form of research reports, articles, news, videos, podcasts, and more. The team ensures high-quality content that helps all readers make talent decisions with confidence.

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The 5 C’s of a successful MSP implementation

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The 5 C’s of a successful MSP implementation

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Are you looking to implement a Managed Service Provider (MSP) model within your organization? MSP’s can play a critical role in talent management and HR (Human Resources) strategy, but only if they are implemented correctly.

For organizations managing a contingent workforce, it can be fraught with complexity and challenge. And yet, managing your talent flexibly can be a competitive advantage. Which is why many organisations are turning to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to help them manage their contingent workforce.

As MSP experts we know what works to ensure a successful implementation. By following our 5 C’s – clear case for change, collaboration, client understanding, communication and calibre of the team – you can be sure your organization will be set up for success.

Read on to find out more about each of these key factors.

1: Clear Case for Change

The first step in a successful implementation is ensuring that the business case is clearly defined, understood, and shared with all partners and stakeholders. Aligning goals from the outset gets everyone on the same page and heading in the same direction.

2: Collaboration

Our second success factor, collaboration, is vital and it extends from the project management governance through to the implementation team. From our experience, we know shared values and a shared team spirit underpins a successful implementation.

3: Client understanding

Part of building the business case and the foundation for collaboration is positioning the MSP model internally. All stakeholders need to understand the why, what, and how 

Why? Why are we making this change to the business?

What? What are the benefits that will be realized because of the change?

How? How will it be done, making the change process and transition easier?

After all, an MSP program is not a rollout with a set process, it is a change in the way people work.

4: Communication

Constant communication throughout the implementation is an essential factor of success, especially with the complexity of an MSP. This was very apparent when working with one of our clients and technology partner, Beeline on a complex implementation at the height of the Covid pandemic! It was the consistency and clarity of our communication, which ensured we shared a vision from beginning to end.

5: Calibre of the team

Recruitment is about people, and it is no surprise the final C is all about the calibre of the team that is ultimately embedded into a client onsite. It comes down to having the right people, with the right skills and cultural alignment in place to ensure the program is fully adopted successfully and seamlessly.

If you want to learn more about how an MSP can transform the way your organization recruits, onboards, manages, and redeploys contingent workers listen to our Ready to transform your contingent workforce webinar. Or read about how Australia’s largest gambling entertainment group managed over $380k AUD savings in six months by downloading our partner success story.

Hudson RPO ‘s Managed Service Provider (MSP) Solution helps companies make smart and effective use of their contingent workforce spend. If you would like to have a confidential discussion with an experienced Talent Expert, please feel free to contact us and we will be in touch.

Hudson RPO

Content Team

The Hudson RPO Content Team is made up of experts within the Talent Acquisition industry across the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions. They provide educational and critical business insights in the form of research reports, articles, news, videos, podcasts, and more. The team ensures high-quality content that helps all readers make talent decisions with confidence.

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10 Ways to incorporate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into your Talent Acquisition Strategy

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10 Ways to incorporate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into your Talent Acquisition Strategy

Content Team

Featuring DE&I is key in any talent or retention strategy. However, creating a diverse and inclusive workplace takes effort, commitment, and regular review. Here are our top tips that will set you up for success.

Download our guide

Download our 10 ways to incorporate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into your Talent Acquisition strategy guide now. Or, if you would like to chat further, please get in touch with one of our Talent Experts.

Hudson RPO

Content Team

The Hudson RPO Content Team is made up of experts within the Talent Acquisition industry across the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions. They provide educational and critical business insights in the form of research reports, articles, news, videos, podcasts, and more. The team ensures high-quality content that helps all readers make talent decisions with confidence.

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How we are #Breakingthebias at Hudson RPO

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How we are #Breakingthebias at Hudson RPO

Content Team

International Women’s Day celebrates women’s achievements, raises awareness against bias and encourages everyone to act for equality. At Hudson RPO it presents an opportunity to demonstrate our support and reflect on how we can affect change for women, not only in our organization but across our clients’ organizations.

This year, the theme of International Women’s Day is #breakthebias. Bias affects women every day, both in and out of the professional workplace. As recruitment specialists we play a key role in challenging bias and ensuring equity across the recruitment process. As recruiters, we are at the forefront of challenging bias and implementing diverse hiring practices. So not only did we ask our people to submit their pictures to show their support for International Women’s Day, but we also asked them how they are breaking the bias in their day-to-day. Hear from our Hudson RPO recruitment experts:

Creating inclusive environments

Louise Millar is our Recruitment Lead for EMEA, focusing on top-recruitment talent to join the Hudson RPO team. Louise shares her learnings on breaking the bias in recruitment, and how Hudson RPO contributes to equity for women as an organization:

“One of my initial learnings about bias was focused on job adverts, and how language and content can contribute to inclusion and equity for applicants. I quickly realized this was just the tip of the iceberg, if you want to truly break the bias you have to think bigger. Culture should be about ‘adding to’ rather than ‘fitting in’, virtual workspaces have to be just as inclusive as office spaces, and flexibility should be tailored to the individual rather than a one size fits all.”

“Awareness of bias is just the tip of the iceberg. If you truly want to break the bias, you have to think bigger”.

Louise Miller
Louise Millar

The most important ways Hudson RPO contributes to breaking the bias according to Louise are:

  • Valuing and respecting flexible working arrangements so that everyone can work and collaborate at a schedule that works for them and their life circumstances.
  • Creating collaborative environments where everyone can contribute and challenge without fear.
  • Ensuring female leadership and role models “We have tremendous women throughout the global business, they are knowledgeable, collaborative and approachable, they show that there is room for women at the top.”

Challenging bias on all levels

Erica Carmack is the Solution Design & Internal Careers Manager for our Americas and EMEA region. In her career she has worked with talented leaders who were not only aware of gender biases but partnered with her to drive change. As a recruiter she challenged hiring managers to invite talented individuals into the organization that would bring new ideas and perspectives. As a leader, she continues to challenge herself and her team to do the same:

“As a recruiter, I challenged my hiring managers to invite talented individuals into the organization that would bring new ideas and perspectives. As a leader, I continue to challenge myself and our team to do the same. No step forward is too small.”

Erica Carmack
Erica Carmack

At Hudson RPO, she contributes to #breakingthebias by carrying this forward. She makes every effort to educate leaders and herself, sharing from personal experiences and understanding what being a change champion means.

“I am proud to be part of a global organization that not only solicits my input and values my opinions but also pushes for collaboration across our organization regardless of level and celebrates our strong female leaders.”

Setting all candidates up for success

Skye Lovell is the Internal Careers Manager for Hudson RPO in Asia Pacific. Her team is highly trained and experienced in progressive recruitment practices engaging directly with talent and makes sure that this process allows all candidates to succeed.

She shares that instead of relying on diverse talent to apply to your roles, it’s key to be proactive in your approach by researching alternative and offline sourcing channels. With a diverse group of candidates, it is important that the recruitment process allows everyone an equal opportunity. Eliminate bias right at the start of the recruitment process, and at its early stages like candidate screening and assessment.

“Eliminate bias right at the start of the recruitment process, and at its early stages like candidate screening and assessment.”

Skye Kuhlman
Skye Lovell

Creating a diverse and inclusive interview process is never finished, improvements can always be made so regular review is necessary. The results are worth it, a diverse team in an inclusive culture allows everyone to excel and achieve their goals.   

Breaking the bias internally as well as externally.

#Breakthebias at Hudson RPO goes beyond our internal environments; we also support our clients in breaking the bias. We have worked with our clients globally to improve the gender diversity, equity and inclusion of their graduate and apprentice programs, as well as other key areas such as disability and indigenous and minority groups. For our client in APAC this meant a 51% female intake, opposed to a 6% intake before our partnership started.

We will continue to embrace an inclusive culture of diversity and belonging and are committed to equal opportunities for all. If you would like to speak to a talent expert about how we can help you improve the diversity, equity and inclusion of your recruitment process, click here to start the conversation.

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Content Team

The Hudson RPO Content Team is made up of experts within the Talent Acquisition industry across the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions. They provide educational and critical business insights in the form of research reports, articles, news, videos, podcasts, and more. The team ensures high-quality content that helps all readers make talent decisions with confidence.

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AI in recruitment: friend or foe?

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AI in recruitment: friend or foe?

Kimberley Hubble

AI has the potential to reduce bias and promote diversity in the recruitment process. But exactly how it works and the extent to which it can positively impact diversity remains a mystery to most HR and recruitment professionals, a new study has found.

We know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has incredible potential to positively influence diversity of hire as well as reduce bias in recruitment. But, like any tool, it’s not failproof. How effective is AI at reducing bias? How can human recruiters work with AI to improve diversity outcomes? And how much technical expertise is needed to select and use AI properly? 

When we considered these questions, we found little research had been done in this space, and hence we have partnered with Diversity Council Australia (DCA) and Monash University to undertake a series of ground-breaking studies into AI in recruitment and selection. This research looks at the impact of unconscious bias on recruitment and selection decisions using AI, and what interventions can work to minimise or remove the influence of unconscious bias in recruitment.

Fostering diversity, equity and inclusion is a key part of our recruitment strategy at Hudson RPO, both internally and for our clients. Our clients rely on us to make sure that we positively influence diversity outcomes for them, whether it’s in process, technology, training or tool selection. As trusted partners, we have an obligation to use new technology responsibly and to be informed about how it may impact hiring decisions.

Inclusive AI @ Work

Over the last three months, DCA and Monash interviewed a cross-section of professionals, including recruiters and HR professionals, job seekers, HR subject matter experts, AI developers, and AI subject matter experts.

When it comes to HR and recruitment professionals, the preliminary research uncovered a number of interesting findings:

  • AI has incredible potential. Recruiters and HR professionals have embraced AI and have integrated it into their workflows with encouraging results. AI tools have allowed them to improve efficiencies, elevate the candidate experience, and focus on high-value tasks.
  • The inner workings of AI remain unknown. Although they’ve embraced these tools, the recruitment and HR professionals surveyed indicated that there was a lack of clarity about what AI does and how it works in practice, describing it as a “DIY Black Box”. Some felt they needed more training to better understand the inner workings of AI.
  • There’s a push for greater customisation. Most wished for more customisation, e.g. improving usability and outcomes by refining various inputs, such as through weighting, but did not know who to contact to achieve this. This left them unsure how these tools might impact D&I.

The key takeaway seems to be that AI is neither a friend nor foe for recruitment and HR professionals, and that more training and support is needed to help them use these tools to remove bias and promote diversity.

To explore these preliminary findings further, have a look at this infographic.

Putting AI to work

So, what does this mean for recruitment professionals looking to use AI tools to promote a more diverse hiring environment? Like most technologies, you can’t simply take a plug and play approach. There needs to be careful consideration around a number of factors.

Here are our top takeaways for HR and recruitment professionals who are using AI.

Be clear on where AI can add value (and where it can’t)

One thing this research points to is the need to be very clear about your talent acquisition strategy. Like any technology, you shouldn’t use AI for AI’s sake. Recruitment and HR leaders need to focus on driving outcomes and measurement and then work out where AI fits within this framework.

Review the roles that you’re recruiting for and consider where in that lifecycle can AI add the greatest value. For example, are you operating in a candidate-rich or candidate-poor environment?

For roles where you don’t have a lot of candidates applying, for instance, very senior or technical roles, AI would be best used to source those people. In a candidate-rich environment such as a customer service role, AI would be best used to help screen and assess them.

By understanding where in the recruitment lifecycle you need to enrich the candidate experience, you’ll be able to better determine the type of technology you need to achieve your outcomes.

Carefully research the available tools

AI has infiltrated almost every stage of the recruitment lifecycle – from sourcing to selection to onboarding. By one count there are over 250 different commercial AI-based HR tools available. This proliferation of tools means technology providers are clamouring to gain market share and we are being bombarded with claims of what this technology can do.

But, not all tools are created equal.

Take chatbots for example. There are some chatbots that use natural language processing and sound very conversational – so much so that you may not even be aware you’re talking to a robot. Whereas other chatbots are very robotic and it’s clear that you’re talking to a computer.

And that’s just one small subset of AI in recruitment. There are tools across the entire recruitment lifecycle that all vary in terms of what they claim to do, so it’s worth doing your research before you make your decision.

Be proactive: AI is dynamic and evolving 

Although AI is designed to be intuitive and to learn from itself, it’s not a set and forget tool. It’s crucial that you’re not only training people in how to use it, but constantly evaluating and refining it to ensure it’s working optimally.  

AI technology itself is constantly evolving, and so should your strategy around it. Asking some important questions like these will help you critically assess your tool:  

  • Is the algorithm giving us more diverse candidates? Is there bias creeping into the tool? 
  • Has the data been periodically validated? Has any data become obsolete? 
  • Where does it need to be customised to perform better? 

The AI tool’s creator should have established systems for documenting and monitoring its performance. However, like any relationship, there are two sides. If DEI is an organisational priority for you, it’s important to work hand in glove with your tech providers and recruitment team to continually validate the data and make sure it’s giving you the outcome you desire. The question as to who should review your AI tool is an important one.  

In our business, we have a manager of the solution working hand in hand with our technology team to make sure that the tool is working optimally. This is who our recruiters go to if they’ve got questions or issues. That individual then liaises with the technology provider to get those questions answered or those customisations made.  

If you don’t have someone internally, it’s a good idea to partner with professionals who can help you manage this relationship. It’s far too easy to neglect the ongoing monitoring and review process, especially when things get busy. And considering last year was one of the busiest recruitment years on record, it’s easy to see why this happens. Create some space and resources to perform those reviews and ongoing customisations and your AI tools will continue to serve you well.  

It’s still early days 

Although AI has been embedded into almost every aspect of the recruitment lifecycle, we’re still very much at the early stages of our AI journey.   

We’re at the very start of what will probably be a multi-generational trend. Just as we all felt a little uncertain when Applicant Tracking Systems started to replace our Excel spreadsheets, AI is largely unknown.   

And that’s why this research is so crucial. The DCA and Monash research program is currently in year two of a three-year program. We’re excited to see what comes out of the next phase of research as we uncover the practical recommendations for using AI to reduce bias and improve diversity of hire.  

We would also like to thank our technology partners LiveHire and PredictiveHire® for their valued contribution and support of this research.  

This article originally appeared on the website of Diversity Council Australia, please note that some information is available to members only. For more information about using AI in your recruitment: Get in touch today. 

Kimberley Hubble

[email protected]

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Introducing our Client Solutions Manager in India

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Introducing our Client Solutions Manager in India

Kathi May

As part of Hudson RPO’s continued expansion in the Indian market, we are thrilled to announce the appointment of Lakshmanan (Lucky) Ramanathan as our Client Solutions Manager based in Chennai, India. Lucky joins our already existing Karani team of 600 employees in India, providing recruitment services to local and international markets.

Lucky has over a decade of experience in IT sales, SaaS, RPO and staffing solutions across the globe.

Having supported clients with their talent needs to launch into new markets, he helps his clients scale quickly to meet growth targets and implement market strategies designed to meet their business goals. With experience in supporting start-ups and large, complex multinationals, Lucky understands the criticality of getting the right talent at the right time and at the right cost to support business growth.

When asked about joining the Hudson RPO team, Lucky expressed, “I’m looking forward to joining Hudson RPO and playing an active role in helping them grow their presence in the India market. India is one of the most attractive countries in the world for staffing, but it can also be challenging, which is where a recruitment outsourcing (RPO) solution can help”.

And on the question of how he came to be known as ‘Lucky’. In the southern part of India, Tamil Nadu people tend to refer to the name ‘Lakshmanan’ as ‘Lucky’. He says it’s also an easy name to pronounce when working in overseas markets! But as Lucky himself admits, “it’s hard to forget an interaction with a person named Lucky, and that can be a great advantage!” We tend to agree with you, Lucky!

Lucky is looking forward to talking to Human Resource and Talent leaders of organisations considering expansion in the Indian market, evaluating their current talent acquisition strategy or searching for cost-effective, scalable and flexible solutions to their talent needs.

As specialists in the Healthcare, Financial Services and IT sector, Hudson RPO have expertise in delivering innovative, customised recruitment outsourcing solutions across the APAC region. We believe a talent partner should be scalable and flexible enough to respond to your changing talent needs. Whatever your requirements, we can design the right solution for your organisation.

Lucky welcomes the opportunity to discuss your talent requirements and invites you to contact him for a confidential, complimentary free consultation here.

You can also connect with Lucky via LinkedIn

Kathi May Headshot

Kathi May

Regional Director, Marketing & Employer Branding

Kathi leads Marketing and Employer Branding in APAC and is passionate about helping Hudson RPO clients attract, engage and retain top talent through innovative employer branding initiatives.  She works closely with the Client Solutions team to develop meaningful marketing strategies that promote the benefits of recruitment process outsourcing in delivering cost reductions, reduced time to hire and significant improvements in quality of talent, staff retention and recruitment service levels.

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