Archives for June 2023

The rise of RPO solutions and 10 game-changing benefits for your organization

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The rise of RPO solutions and 10 game-changing benefits for your organization

Content Team

As companies seek more flexible and effective recruitment solutions, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) is making significant strides worldwide. A recent report estimates that the global RPO market will reach USD 7.59 billion this year, and climb to USD 45.59 billion by 2033. While North America currently accounts for the majority of global RPO revenue, the Asia-Pacific RPO market is expanding rapidly, driven by increased demand for recruitment outsourcing.

The rise of recruitment process outsourcing

To understand the trajectory of growth, we should look at the benefits of RPO as a low-risk, high-service business model. Like many business functions, partnering with specialist organizations for recruitment activities allows companies to leverage outside expertise and offerings, while enjoying the focus and dedication of an internal team. Simply put, RPO offers the best of both worlds.

graph of US RPO market size

Source: Million Insights

RPO as a proven business solution — 10 advantages

Could RPO be right for you? Studies have shown that recruitment process outsourcing offers a number of benefits including lower costs, a faster time to fill and a higher fill rate. In line with these benefits, Hudson RPO’s suite of talent services has been beneficial to businesses looking to improve their talent acquisition, retention, and return on investment. With a high quality partner, RPO offers measurable business benefits, including the following advantages:

  1. Improved quality of hire: With expertise in talent sourcing, recruitment process design, employment branding, reporting, DEI, and other specialized areas, RPO providers are in a better position to source, attract, source, and engage quality talent for every role.
  2. Cost reduction: RPO increases cost savings by reducing the need for expensive overhead, training, and consulting. Relying on an external RPO partner, rather than outside staffing agencies, also helps to rein in high agency fees and recruiting costs.
  3. Reduced time to hire: The longer a vacancy remains open, the greater the impact on your organization’s performance. Reducing time to fill is a key deliverable under an RPO model. Driving efficiencies in the recruitment process and developing superior talent attraction strategies delivers significant reductions in the time roles remain vacant, sometimes by as much as 80%.
  4. Scalability: Recruitment process outsourcing lets you scale your recruitment efforts up and down effortlessly to evolve with shifting markets and business priorities. As the talent market becomes more competitive, or business priorities accelerate, an RPO partner can ramp up recruitment efforts rapidly to attract top talent quickly. Conversely, in the event of a downswing, RPO allows you to optimize your recruitment resources more easily.
  5. Flexibility: RPO offers flexible solutions that can be tailored to meet the changing needs of your organization. With a full range of recruitment services, from sourcing to screening, branding, process optimization, training, and more, RPO brings more to your team and candidates, elevating the entire recruitment experience.
  6. Market intelligence: Together with an experienced RPO partner, organizations are better able to stay ahead of changing tides, to navigate skill shortages, and take advantage of new recruitment trends and data. Given broad and deep insights, you can stay ahead of your competition and plan for the future more effectively.
  7. Technology and innovation: Many RPO providers use cutting-edge technology and out-of-the-box thinking to improve recruiting processes, automation, and speed. Leveraging sophisticated tools and unconventional ideas, RPO helps to accelerate internal innovation and efficiency.
  8. Enhanced employer brand: Done well, an RPO solution positions your organization as a magnet for prospective talent. With consistent messaging and by strategically embedding your EVP into all aspects of the recruitment process, RPO partners help you to drive higher levels of interest, satisfaction, and loyalty. RPO recruiters also embed themselves into the fabric of your culture and hiring brand – strengthening your position in the market and amplifying your visibility as a preferred employer.
  9. Diverse teams: RPO providers can help your organization to attract and engage diverse candidates, while also developing inclusive practices that minimize bias (i.e., blind resume screening, diverse interview panels, and inclusive job descriptions). As experts in diverse hiring iniatitives and practices, a high quality RPO partner will be ready to work towards your organization’s DEI objectives.
  10. Better ROI: RPO allows you to bring in specialized talent expertise, extensive experience, and proven processes and technology to improve your results. Less expensive than high agency fees or building out a robust internal team, RPO offers an edge in supercharging your hiring and ROI.

Ready to Evolve Your Hiring?

With more than two decades of expertise, Hudson RPO is here to help you unlock your company’s full potential. Learn more about our talent services, and speak with a talent expert today.

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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Recruitment Process Outsourcing: debunking common misconceptions

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Recruitment Process Outsourcing: debunking common misconceptions

Nicki McCulloch

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) has gained significant traction in recent years as businesses seek more efficient and effective ways to manage their hiring needs. However, misconceptions about RPO still persist, often leading to misunderstandings about its true value and capabilities. Nicki McCulloch, Regional Director of Client Solutions, APAC, sheds light on what RPO truly is – and what it is not.

1. Recruitment Process Outsourcing is not a recruitment agency

One of the most common misconceptions about RPO is that they operate like a recruitment agency. While both involve hiring processes, RPO goes far beyond filling job vacancies. RPO providers focus on building long-term partnerships and enhancing the entire recruitment process. They work closely with organizations to optimize and streamline end-to-end recruitment strategies, deliver innovation and creativity, and think long-term. Unlike short-interaction recruitment agencies, RPO partners become an extension of your internal team, aligning with your company’s culture, goals, and objectives.

2. RPO is not an offshoring solution

Another prevalent misconception is that RPO is an offshoring solution. RPO partnerships are not limited to outsourcing the recruitment function to distant locations. Instead, RPO partners can integrate fully into your onsite and internal teams. Depending on what your requirements are, many RPO teams work onsite, allowing seamless communication and fostering a deep understanding of your company’s values, processes and talent requirements.

3. RPO is not a lock-in contract

Contrary to the belief that RPO involves rigid lock-in contracts, flexibility and scalability are key attributes of RPO partnerships. With RPO, you have the freedom to scale your recruitment activities up or down as your business requirements evolve. Whether you need to ramp up your hiring during peak seasons or downsize during economic downturns, RPO providers can adjust their resources accordingly with minimal risk to you.

Nicki Freeman

“Recruitment Process Outsourcing is more than just a transactional service; it is a strategic partnership that transforms the way organizations attract, acquire, and retain talent. By dispelling the misconceptions surrounding RPO, businesses can unlock the true potential of this collaborative approach, unleashing unparalleled efficiency, scalability, and long-term success in their recruitment endeavors.”

4. RPO benefits go beyond cost-savings

While cost optimization is certainly a benefit of RPO, it is not the only driving factor. RPO partnerships are built on the principles of quality, efficiency, and strategic improvements. RPO partners focus on improving the overall recruitment process, reducing time-to-fill, enhancing candidate experience, and ensuring long-term retention. RPO is a strategic solution that aligns your recruitment efforts with your business objectives, elevating the quality of hires and contributing to the overall success of your organization.

5. Recruitment Process Outsourcing is not just for large, established companies

Some may assume that RPO is exclusively for large, established corporates. However, RPO partnerships are beneficial for organizations of all sizes and stages. Scaling businesses can leverage RPO to access specialized recruitment expertise to grow their teams efficiently. Additionally, RPO providers can support companies looking to expand into new territories, navigating local hiring practices, cultural nuances, and legal requirements. RPO enables organizations to focus on their core competencies while relying on trusted experts for their recruitment.

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is not a recruitment agency, offshoring solution, or a rigid lock-in contract. It offers businesses the opportunity to build strategic partnerships, optimize recruitment processes, and achieve long-term talent acquisition goals. Talk to one of our talent experts today.

Nicki McCulloch Headshot

Nicki McCulloch

Regional Director, Client Solutions

Our passionate talent expert, Nicki, partners with businesses to achieve operational excellence. With expertise in agency contracting, executive search, in-house recruitment, and RPO, she applies a best-practice approach to the talent solutions she designs and leads.

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An introduction to pay transparency: Navigating a Shifting Landscape

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An introduction to pay transparency: Navigating a Shifting Landscape

Jeremiah Stone

At the beginning of 2021, it seemed as if the entire workforce of Colorado had mysteriously fallen out of favor. An analysis of public job postings at the time revealed more than 400 employers had specifically excluded Coloradans from being considered for an abundance of remote opportunities.  “Open to remote work, except cannot work in Colorado,” one prominent company’s job postings bluntly stated at the time, adding, “Colorado candidates will be required to relocate.” 

What exactly triggered this sudden reluctance towards hiring Colorado-based employees? 

Did companies worry that the state’s famously thin air might hinder worker productivity? Were executives apprehensive about visiting employees via Denver’s notoriously strange airport?  No, the sudden shift stemmed from the state’s implementation of the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, the most comprehensive pay transparency legislation in the country when it took effect on January 1, 2021. 

The Colorado law imposed a mandate on all employers with employees in the state “to announce to all employees employment advancement opportunities and job openings and the pay range for the openings.” The purpose of the Colorado statute was to foster pay equity by leveling the playing field and ensuring equal access to pay information. As research has demonstrated, increased pay transparency contributes to narrowing the persistent gender pay gap. The law also included enforcement mechanisms, imposing fines up to $10,000 per violation for failing to disclose pay ranges in job postings. Confronted with the choice between revealing salary information or facing significant financial penalties, those 400 companies chose evasion. 

However, since 2021, the number of pay transparency measures has proliferated among states and municipalities, such that by the dawn of 2023, nearly 1 in 4 US employees resided in a region where employers were mandated to disclose salary information. With the expansion of these disclosure requirements, evasion has become an increasingly untenable strategy, and many of the early resisters to the Colorado disclosure laws have since reversed course. Indeed, the proportion of job postings that include employer-provided salary data has been rising at the national level, growing from 18.4 percent in February 2020 to 43.7 percent three years later. No longer confined to a single state in the Rockies, pay transparency requirements from coast to coast are revolutionizing both the approach to pay disclosure and pay practices in general. 

To help organizations navigate this shifting landscape, we are introducing a series of articles and a pay transparency report that will delve deeper into pay transparency and its implications, including the legal dimensions, benefits, strategies and real-life case studies of transparency implementation. As part of our mission, we hosted the HRO Today Livestream ‘Embracing Wage Transparency and Equity’, see the full playlist of highlights from the session below:

Jeremiah Stone Headshot

Jeremiah Stone

Talent Acquisition Director

Jeremiah, Talent Acquisition Director at Hudson RPO, has a deep experience in talent acquisition and building people capability. With a passion for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, he transforms recruitment functions and drives exceptional results for our clients.

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How to choose the right RPO Partner & fast-track success

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How to choose the right RPO Partner & fast-track success

Content Team

Partnering with an RPO for your recruiting activities can provide many benefits including improved costs, efficiencies, and return on investment — but it takes the right partner to achieve the highest levels of success. Whether you are new to recruitment process outsourcing or looking to optimize your existing partnership, these are our five recommended steps to achieving the perfect fit and setting the stage for success

1. Define your vision, values, & needs

Before engaging an RPO partner, it’s important to define your vision of success, as well as your company values and hiring needs. This exercise allows you to build a solid foundation for the future, and zero in on partners who share your same philosophy and attributes. Be specific about the types of roles you need to fill, your expected volume of hires, your desired time to fill, and other details to get the most out of your initial conversations.

2. Evaluate culture & capabilities

During the selection process, take time to assess the RPO’s culture and capabilities. Look for partners whose culture is compatible with yours. Consider what they have to offer: their industry experience, expertise, technology, and their ability to scale up and down alongside your needs. Ask for references and review case studies to get a better understanding of what they can accomplish, and what it will be like to work together.

3. Set clear goals & expectations

As you hone in on potential partners, discuss your goals and expectations surrounding process, communication, reporting, and other details. This will help ensure your chosen RPO is committed to achieving your same goals and working in harmony with your team. Outline your goals and expectations clearly, and document them in your contract to ensure nothing is missed or misunderstood. Include desired timelines, reporting requirements, and metrics such as time to fill, quality of hires, cost savings, and candidate satisfaction so everything is clear.

4. Establish a true partnership

As with any relationship, RPO engagements work best when there is a true partnership between your organization and the RPO provider. The best partnerships are reciprocal and built on mutual trust and respect. It’s important to enter your partnership with a commitment to collaboration, regular communication, and feedback.

5. Work towards continuous improvement

Your RPO partner is responsible for recruitment activities, yet it’s important for your organization to provide an open line of communication and collaboration. With regular reporting and quality checks, you can continually strengthen your relationship and results. Check in with your RPO partner regularly and provide candid feedback to help them succeed on all fronts. Be candid about your current priorities and what’s on the horizon to ensure you move in lockstep.

A partnership-first mindset

At Hudson RPO, we’re committed to providing exceptional service, solutions, and expertise to fast-track your success. Contact us today to learn more about our offerings and to discuss your goals and vision of success.

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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As you hone in on potential partners, discuss your goals and expectations surrounding process, communication, reporting, and other details. This will help ensure your chosen RPO is committed to achieving your same goals and working in harmony with your team. Outline your goals and expectations clearly, and document them in your contract to ensure nothing is missed or misunderstood. Include desired timelines, reporting requirements, and metrics such as time to fill, quality of hires, cost savings, and candidate satisfaction so everything is clear.

What is RPO?

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What is MSP?

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The role of the office in the new world of work

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The role of the office in the new world of work

Content Team

The world of work continues to undergo rapid transformation with employers facing numerous significant shifts; including hybrid working, the great resignation, quiet quitting, and a two year low in employee wellbeing. Now, there is renewed focus on returning employees to the office.

In this blog post, we delve into the role of the office in the new world of work and explore the diverse perspectives and considerations that shape this transition. Navigating the return to the office requires employers to strike a balance between maintaining their culture, promoting productivity and collaboration, and attracting and retaining talent. What is clear as we explore the current landscape, is that there is no one-size-fits all solution.  

What is driving the return to work in ANZ?

Before exploring the role of the office in the new world of work, it is essential to understand the driving factors behind this shift. Contrary to popular belief, Hudson RPO polls revealed that 70% of respondents’ stated that the return to work was primarily about collaboration, employee morale and culture, rather than productivity monitoring.

Additionally, our polls highlighted that the return to work is largely driven by the C-suite, showing that leadership sees the office as a crucial element for maintaining collaboration, culture, and team dynamics. Seven out of 10 Australian employers expressed a desire to see their employees in the office more often, indicating that even after the rise of remote and hybrid work settings, the value of face-to-face interactions and a shared physical space is still considered key in fostering teamwork and a strong company culture.

graph of consideration to mandate return to office

What the return looks like

According to predictions, 90% of companies in Australia and New Zealand will require employees to return to the office in 2023, even for those currently on hybrid schedules. Within the next six months, it is anticipated that:

  • 13% of companies will shift to full-time in-office work,
  • 40% will require four days a week,
  • and 31% will require three days a week.

This indicates a shift towards a more office-centric working model, with organisations seeking to strike a balance between remote and in-person work. As fully embedded talent experts, we have witnessed a wide range of approaches taken by businesses when implementing a return to work in their respective industries. These experiences offer intriguing perspectives and present insightful challenges for organisations to navigate:

  1. Mandating or recommending a return

One noticeable distinction we have observed is the varying approaches to mandating or recommending a return to the office. Outside of our own observations in the market, the Commonwealth Bank and NAB are amongst those making the headlines with their plans to return. While some employers have mandated a full return to work, others have opted to encourage their teams through value-added initiatives. For example, implementing designated team days in the office where the entire team gathers for meetings and collaborative sessions. In some cases, employers have mandated a return without strict monitoring, allowing employees greater autonomy and flexibility.

Considerations for mandating the return to work also differ across industries. Certain sectors, such as those involving shift work or requiring strict security measures or face-to-face client interactions, have traditionally had limited flexibility in terms of work location. Consequently, the decision to mandate a return to the office may be more prevalent in these industries.

  1. Number of days in office

The number of days mandated for in-office work also varies. Some organisations have embraced hybrid work models, advertising roles as hybrid to attract a broader pool of applicants, while still limiting remote work to just one day per week. Other companies have adopted a more flexible approach, requiring a certain percentage of office presence every fortnight or month, allowing employees greater freedom in shaping their work-home balance.

Interestingly, companies that have mandated more days in the office have experienced a higher drop-out rate among candidates during the hiring process. This observation was also reflected in recent research by Unispace, which found that 42% of companies that mandated a return now report higher levels of attrition. It appears that the desired balance for many candidates is three days of remote work and two days in the office. Organisations that have enforced a full return to the office have encountered increased turnover rates as employees seek alternative opportunities offering more flexible work arrangements.

  1. Challenges returning

Facilitating the return to the office has posed its own set of challenges for organisations. Some employees returning to the office have struggled to find available workspace, leading to a sense of disarray and frustration. Additionally, employees working in the office have had to manage calls with colleagues who continue to work remotely, presenting communication and collaboration hurdles. Furthermore, certain roles have been explicitly advertised as “fully remote” during the pandemic, rendering them exempt from the return-to-office mandate. However, companies still open to hiring fully remote employees often require an approved business case to justify this arrangement.

These observations highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of the return-to-work transition. Organisations must carefully consider industry-specific requirements, employee preferences, and the potential impact on talent acquisition and retention.

Implications for talent

The return to the office has generated mixed responses from the talent market. While some employers view it as an opportunity to strengthen team culture, it has resulted in a trade-off for quality candidates. Some individuals prefer total remote working, while others are open to more flexible options, such as fewer days in the office. This is particularly true for talent currently working on remote schedules. Our online polls, capturing almost 1,000 responses, revealed that 53% of employees would consider leaving the company if mandated to return to the office. Another 26% stated that they would choose to leave immediately under such circumstances.

These statistics underscore the need for employers to carefully consider their return-to-work strategies and communicate clearly with their employees about the reasons behind their decisions. Addressing employee concerns and ensuring their voices are heard is vital to retain top talent. Flexible work arrangements continue to be a top priority for employees in Australia, as reflected in LinkedIn’s 2023 Talent Trends report, which identifies compensation and benefits, flexible work arrangements, and job security as the top three priorities.

No one-size-fits-all solution

As the world of work evolves, organisations must adapt to ongoing trends and find the right balance for their return-to-work strategies. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, as each company has unique dynamics, culture, and employee preferences. It is crucial for employers to consider the diverse needs and expectations of their talent pool. By addressing concerns, communicating clearly, and fostering a supportive environment, organisations can navigate the return to work successfully while retaining top talent. To discuss what returning to work would mean for your talent attraction and retention, talk to one of our talent experts today.

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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Building a More Resilient Workforce to Thrive in Uncertain Times

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Building a More Resilient Workforce to Thrive in Uncertain Times

Content Team
In today’s business and economic climate, companies that actively invest in a resilient workforce gain a competitive edge. Looking back at the pandemic, and related crises including talent shortages, supply chain issues, and other difficulties, companies that anticipated and planned for disruption were the ones that came out ahead.

Cultivating flexibility & adaptability

According to the World Economic Forum, early action was key: “Across the board, organizations that had implemented key actions prior to 2020 surfaced as leaders in resiliency.” Citing Deloitte’s Global 2021 Resiliency Report, these strategic advancements included:

  • Reskilling employees or redesigning work.
  • Diversifying operations.
  • Developing technological capabilities to drive new business models.
  • Adapting to remote working.
  • Maintaining trust between leaders and employees.
  • Valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“Resilience is the ability to not only recover quickly from a crisis but to bounce back better — and even thrive.”

— McKinsey & Company

Is your company resilient?

How do you know if your team is resilient, and has the ability to pivot during challenging times? As Joan Achis, Business Development Manager Americas at Hudson RPO, explains, resilient teams have five characteristics in common:

  • Adaptability: The ability to adjust to changing circumstances, both inside the company and externally.
  • Flexibility: An openness to new ideas and approaches, and readiness to pivot when needed.
  • Problem-solving: Proficiency in identifying and addressing problems, and generating creative solutions.
  • Strong communication: Effective communication and collaboration with colleagues, managers, and clients to advance priorities and goals.
  • Emotional intelligence: The ability to recognize and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.

Preparing for the unexpected

In the face of adversity, resilience is critical to weather the storm of disruption and uncertainty. As demonstrated in recent years, preparing for a single crisis is unfortunately no longer enough. From market swings to natural disasters, emerging technologies and AI, market changes, and more, it’s essential to view risks with a wide lens, to adequately cross-train employees and have suitable plans in place.

How to assess resilience

To identify and assess resilience on your team, Joan suggests the following tools and methods:

  • Personality assessments: Testing for resilience, adaptability, and emotional intelligence during the hiring process.
  • Behavioral interviews: Asking questions that probe into an individual’s past experiences, including how they have responded to challenging situations, and overcome obstacles.
  • Performance evaluations: Reviewing employee performance over time to assess how team members handle difficult situations.

Overcoming common challenges

In order to strengthen resilience, there are several operational challenges to consider. In competitive markets where top talent is scarce, it can be a struggle to forecast and plan effectively, which can lead to understaffing or overhiring. Joan notes that organizations can find it difficult to provide employees with necessary training and development opportunities, to keep teams engaged and motivated. At the executive level, lacking a clear succession plan also opens up critical gaps in leadership.

Future-proof your hiring

How do you strengthen your recruiting function and develop operational readiness, without increasing your costs, risk, or overhead? Learn more about the benefits of RPO as an evergreen business strategy, and contact us to discuss your challenges.

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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