Archives for February 2023

Arah Longford: 33 Years Supporting & Shaping Hudson RPO

Arah Longford: 33 Years Supporting & Shaping Hudson RPO

Content Team

At Hudson RPO, few employees have made as tremendous and long-lasting an impact as Arah Longford. Over more than three decades, Arah has connected and supported Hudson RPOs executive leadership, board, and team across all levels of the organization. She’s tackled ever-increasing responsibilities in corporate functions including human resources and event planning.

Today, as HR Administrator and Executive Assistant to the CEO, Arah faithfully serves the Board of Directors and Management Team. She plans, coordinates, and executes priorities and initiatives to improve the overall health, productivity, and happiness of the Hudson RPO team.

Celebrating three decades with Hudson RPO

Warm, empathetic, and calm under pressure, Arah is known as a quiet achiever who is admired for her professionalism, nurturing spirit and intelligence. She is among Hudson RPOs longest tenured employees and has been involved in our journey since joining the company in 1990.

As we recognize and celebrate Arah’s 33rd work anniversary, we asked Arah to take us back to Hudson RPOs earlier days, to share her proudest moments, and offer advice to others who are also navigating tides of change.

“Arah is truly one of a kind. It's impossible to summarize the impact she's made on our business and team over 33 years. One of the most loyal and consistent people with whom I have ever worked. Hudson RPO is better because of her commitment and her hard work. We are grateful for all that she does.”

—Jeff Eberwein, Chief Executive Officer, Hudson Global, Inc.

Hired by Hudson RPO (Ward Howell International) in 1990, Arah’s first impression was one of excitement. She enjoyed being part of a new company and a growing team. At the time, Hudson RPO was a spin-off from TMP/Monster Worldwide, the parent company of monster.com. Her excitement has stayed with her over the years as Hudson RPO has evolved its focus from talent marketing to what is known today as recruitment process outsourcing (RPO).

“Arah is a highly valued colleague who gets her work done with absolute professionalism, integrity, warmth and a high degree of competence. She genuinely cares for people and manages time zones and logistics like no other! Arah is cool under pressure and takes everything in her stride. Our business would not be the same without her.” 

— Kimberley Hubble, CEO, Asia Pacific at Hudson RPO

Navigating changing tides

In her tenure with Hudson RPO, Arah has been part of several organizational changes. Arah has used these opportunities to fuel her ability to adapt and step into new roles, while also growing her skills and taking on new challenges.

“Arah’s unwavering commitment to her work, her colleagues, and organization have enabled her to make a lasting impact here at Hudson RPO. Her active listening, practical advice, and compassionate nature have been the cornerstone of her success and the reason why she is admired and respected by all who have had the privilege of working with her.”

— Darren Lancaster, CEO, Americas and EMEA at Hudson RPO

A proud history

When asked to describe her favorite career highlights, Arah pointed to the opportunity to work with so many different people and personalities. She is a proud recipient of the Aspire Award, a peer recognition program which celebrates innovation, service and learning.

With an eye for detail and stellar organizational skills, Arah has been actively involved in planning the Aspire Awards in recent years, as well as other retreats and meetings that bring business leaders together to share best practices, deepen relationships and collaborate.

“Arah knows our business inside and out and is one of the most positive people we have ever worked with. She is a great advocate on solutions and a key contributor to our success!”

— Joe Belluomini, CEO, Technology, Hudson RPO

“Working with Arah has been a true privilege. Her commitment inspires all of us.”

— Seonaid MacMillian, Global Finance Director, Hudson RPO

Words of wisdom

While Arah says it’s difficult for her personally to turn off work when taking days off, she points to her time with family, friends and her grandchildren as a healthy respite and energizer.

Her advice to team members and leaders as they advance in their careers. “Speak from your heart and never settle. You must enjoy what you are doing.” Coming from someone who has served at the helm of Hudson RPO and onboarded hundreds of employees in the North American business, those are certainly words to take to heart.

“Arah doesn’t shy away from a challenge. She supported us in successfully doubling our team in 2022. Thank you, Arah, for everything you have done.”

— Tim Farrelly, CEO, Coit Group, a Hudson RPO company.

In gratitude

Congratulations, Arah, for 33 years of exceptional leadership support and dedication. We are grateful to have you on our team.

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 to spot a recruitment scam and protect yourself

How to spot a recruitment scam and protect yourself

Content Team

Recruitment scams happen when a scammer claims to be a recruitment agent, approaching you for a job that does not exist. Unfortunately, job scams and phishing in the recruitment sector is increasing, and we are aware that scammers are unlawfully using the Hudson RPO name and logo in an attempt to obtain your personal and/or financial information. These scams prey upon an individual’s desire to obtain a job and they can sometimes “feel” like a genuine recruitment process.

Whilst employment fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated, the best way to help prevent yourself from becoming a victim of a job scam is to educate yourself on things to look out for during your job search.

We have set out our top tips to help you spot a potential job scam.

  • Beware of initial contact via WhatsApp. This is currently the platform of choice for scammers.
  • Poor spelling or grammar in communications.
  • The job description is vague or poorly written.
  • Communications are from generic addresses such as Gmail or Hotmail accounts.
  • You are asked for unnecessary personal information before submitting your application.
  • You are asked to click unsolicited links or attachments.
  • You are offered a job offer immediately or without an interview.
  • You are instantly offered a high salary.
  • You are requested to open a cryptocurrency wallet for financial transactions.

Remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

An example of a current scam in circulation goes like this:

WhatsApp contact: Hi How are you?

WhatsApp contact: Nice to meet you. I’m Eunice from Hudson RPO. We are urgently hiring for several job positions. May I share the position details with you?

WhatsApp contact: This is our package. PT£32-£38 per hour. FT £900 -£1100 per week.Located in the UK. A flexible application is available to accommodate your schedule. No contract or investment is needed. British Citizen, Permanent Resident, or Visa holder (T&C)

WhatsApp contact: Can the person in charge forward the full job details to your WhatsApp? You can take a look and decide if it suits your preference.

What to do if you think you are the victim of a job scam

  • Take a screen grab or note of the fraudster’s details and report them to Action Fraud, the UK cybercrime reporting centre Action Fraud. If you have given them any money, contact your bank immediately and let them know.
  • Warn the operators of the website/social media site through which you were contacted and let them know that their site is being used by fraudsters.

You can find more information on employment fraud and recruitment scams on the UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/understanding-the-impact-of-job-scams

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.

Related articles

Scam Warning

Scam Warning

Content Team

We have been made aware that someone using the name ‘Eunice from Hudson RPO’ has been contacting individuals about job opportunities via WhatsApp.  This is a scam and does not emanate from any employee within our company.  We have reported this to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre.

You can find more details regarding how scammers may try to take advantage of job candidates by pretending to represent well-known companies, including Hudson RPO here:  Scam Warning – Hudson RPO.

Hudson RPO takes data protection and data privacy extremely seriously.  If you have cause to be concerned about a potential data breach, you can find more details here: EMEA Privacy Policy – Hudson RPO or contact us at [email protected].

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 a change of career created a new sense of belonging. Simon’s story:

How a change of career created a new sense of belonging. Simon’s story:

Content Team
Only three months after entering the world of RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) at Hudson RPO, Simon made his first-ever hire. Part of why many recruiters and talent specialists like Simon enjoy their role in an RPO so much is being able to go above and beyond for clients, as well as for their candidates. Simon felt like he could relate to the story of the candidate he helped into a new role, and it inspired him to share his own.
“I could relate to my candidate. Being able to dedicate time to our screening call made a real difference. She shared with me how she had been a stay-at-home parent and was looking to return to work. Our paths crossed at the right time, we worked together to present her suitability for the role to the hiring manager. The hiring manager was just as excited as I was when I first met the candidate, and she ended up being successful in the role.”

“I know what it is like to long for a change of career later in life. For me, that opportunity arrived when Hudson RPO gave me the chance to join their team and enter the world of recruitment. It is a chance I have jumped at.” 

Simon with two young children
Before I started at Hudson RPO, I had been in industries like food, logistics and retail. The holiday period was always the busiest time of the year. Now, at 40 years old, I am working as a recruiter for a company that values our time and understands how important it is to spend time with my family.

“The set up in the Centre of Excellence is like a learning hub, with a never-ending supply of training, sharing of best practices, and the latest trends in the world of recruitment. It has been an excellent environment to familiarize myself with the ways we can connect top candidates with our clients. The variety of industries, languages, and roles that we work with daily, provide a fantastic way of learning on the job. Also, the support of the team is unlike anything else.”

Joining a new company can be daunting, especially when it involves a career change. Simon describes his experience after he was approached by a member of our internal recruitment team: “The conversation was very pleasant, and we kept on talking until the offer was on the table. I knew what to expect at every stage of the recruitment process. A modus operandi that I copied as ‘best practice’ in my current recruiting activities. Putting candidate experience at heart and communicating openly and consistently transforms the recruitment process for both candidates and clients.”
Coming into a new role, company or career can be a daunting experience. But Simon has risen to the challenge. Not only does he make a difference for his candidates, our clients, and the entire Hudson RPO team consider him irreplaceable. His final word of advice for anyone considering joining our team:
Working in the Edinburgh office means you can get involved in many activities, organised by your colleagues. For example, the film club (above), Friday socials, quizzes, and more.

“I suppose you could describe me as a bit of an introvert. I take a bit of time to come out of my shell. At Hudson RPO that was appreciated, allowing me to bring my true self to work. It does not matter if someone works on a different account, is your senior, manager or even a director, everyone is willing to help and wanted me to feel welcomed. Although I felt nervous to change careers at my age, I have never felt out of place since I started!

Does it sound like you would belong at Hudson RPO too? Do not hesitate to contact our internal recruiters for more information on current openings.

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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