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Archives for May 2025

The AI Effect: Is Your Leadership Ready for What’s Next?

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The AI Effect: Is Your Leadership Ready for What’s Next?

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Preparing the C-Suite for the Disruption Already Here

In 2025, AI is no longer a futuristic idea; it’s an operational reality. Organizations are rapidly integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into their HR and workforce strategies, with AI now touching everything from talent acquisition to employee self-service. But while technology adoption is soaring, a crucial question remains: Are your senior leaders ready to lead in this new era?

The Leadership Readiness Gap

According to the 2024–2025 HRO Today Annual Top Concerns of CHROs, nearly 45% of senior HR leaders agree that AI will be the biggest disrupter to the HR function within the next two to three years, a number that has tripled compared to those who disagreed (14%) source: HRO Today Annual CHRO Survey, sponsored by Hudson RPO. In EMEA, agreement climbs even higher to 55%, signaling increasing urgency across regions.

Yet despite these concerns, only 41% of North American leaders feel prepared to lead their organizations into this AI-driven future, compared to 53% in EMEA. This reveals a significant leadership readiness gap just as AI disruption accelerates.

The 2024 AI Adoption Surge

In 2024, AI usage in HR jumped dramatically. 65% of HR departments globally reported using AI, up from 40% the previous year. This spike in adoption mirrors broader business trends, as McKinsey reports AI integration across functions rose from 55% to 72% globally in 2024 according to  McKinsey 2024 Global AI Survey (pg 15).

Top applications of AI in HR include talent acquisition (64%), where tools like resume analysis algorithms and AI-powered psychometric tests are used to streamline hiring; workforce analytics (53%), supporting predictive modeling for attrition and skill gaps; and employee self-service (31%), which leverages AI chatbots and automated support systems to enhance HR responsiveness according to the 2024–2025 HRO Today Annual Top Concerns of CHROs, sponsored by Hudson RPO.

Despite its benefits, AI also raises strategic and ethical questions around workforce planning, job displacement, and reskilling. Without AI fluency at the leadership level, companies risk falling behind in innovation and failing to support their people through change.

What Does Future-Ready Leadership Look Like?

AI is not just an IT initiative—it’s a leadership challenge. And the skills required to navigate this disruption are evolving:

Key Traits of Future-Ready Leaders:

  • Digital Fluency – Understanding AI, data ethics, and how technologies reshape job roles
  • Agility – Leading through constant disruption, market volatility, and talent shifts
  • Change Enablement – Communicating vision, guiding transformation, and reskilling teams
  • People-First Thinking – Balancing efficiency with empathy in tech-driven environments

According to the CHRO study, leader and manager effectiveness remains a top concern, cited by 59% in EMEA and 48% in North America. As AI automates tasks and rewrites job descriptions, leaders must redefine how value is created and how human potential is unlocked.

AI Is Reshaping Jobs—Fast

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that AI will impact nearly 40% of jobs globally, and up to 60% in advanced economies according to the IMF AI and Jobs Report, 2024. While some roles may be displaced, many will be augmented—requiring new leadership approaches to talent development, role design, and cross-functional collaboration.

HR leaders, especially those in L&D and talent management, are uniquely positioned to drive this evolution. But doing so requires buy-in from the top—and that means closing the AI fluency gap among executives.

Regional Divergences in Readiness

The CHRO report also points to regional disparities in preparedness and adoption:

Region

 AI Adoption
(HR)		    Believe AI Will Be HR’s Biggest   
Disrupter   		    Senior Leaders
   Prepared
North America 64% 42% 41%
EMEA 69% 55% 53%

In EMEA, concerns about implementing HR tech (48%) and budget constraints (55%) are significantly higher than in North America. Yet despite the challenges, they also report higher investment in internal training and leadership development—suggesting a more proactive approach to future proofing.

Why It Matters Now

The conversation around AI is no longer hypothetical. Leadership readiness is now a business imperative. Organizations that fail to build AI-capable leadership teams may find themselves struggling to adapt, innovate, or compete in a landscape defined by rapid automation and shifting workforce dynamics.

What Hudson RPO Recommends

Hudson RPO is helping organizations turn this disruption into opportunity with tailored solutions that include:

Empower Your Leaders for the AI Era

It’s time to invest in the AI literacy and digital adaptability of your leadership team. Let Hudson RPO help you build a resilient, future-ready organization through strategic talent partnerships, leadership enablement, and cutting-edge workforce insights.
Explore Hudson RPO Services

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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Mental Health at Work: Wellness Fatigue vs. Reality

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Mental Health at Work: Wellness Fatigue vs. Reality

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Why CHRO Concern Is Falling, But the Problem Isn’t

As workforce stress climbs and employee expectations evolve, corporate concern for mental health appears to be slipping. In 2024, the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that more than 77% of workers experienced work-related stress, with nearly 3 in 5 describing negative impacts on their mental health. Additionally, 92% of employees indicated that it is very or somewhat important to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being, according to a 2023 study from the APA.

Yet, concern among HR leaders appears to be declining. According the 2024–2025 HRO Today CHRO Survey, sponsored by Hudson RPO, finds that concern for employee mental health has fallen significantly, dropping out of the top 5 priorities across North America and EMEA.

This disconnect raises a critical question: Is corporate wellness experiencing fatigue, or are we underestimating the sustained impact of mental health on performance, engagement, and retention?

The Stress Is Real And Persistent

Forbes recently did an article that stated, 66% of American employees are experiencing some sort of burnout in 2025, while 80% of the workforce will face burnout from workload and/or financial strain in the next year. These numbers don’t lie. Employees are still struggling, whether or not leadership acknowledges it.

As “mental health” shifts from a pandemic-era buzzword to background noise, organizations risk reverting to surface-level solutions. Yoga apps, monthly webinars, or free snacks are no longer cutting it. Employees are demanding structural changes, not superficial perks.

The Wellness Gap Is Widening

Despite the clear employee mandate, the CHRO survey reveals an emerging misalignment:

  • Only 45% of CHROs are “extremely” or “very” concerned about reducing employee stress and improving mental health, down from 71% in 2020.
  • Concern about retention has also dropped to 54%, despite high burnout and rising mobility.
  • In contrast, availability of skilled workers is now a top issue for 59% of CHROs globally; even more so in EMEA 73% compared to 55% in North America.

Meanwhile, burnout among HR professionals themselves is now the number 1 internal concern, with 41% of CHROs “extremely” or “very” concerned about fatigue across their departments. This concern is more acute in EMEA (52%) than in North America (38%).

“We are seeing a troubling trend where support structures are stretched thin. HR teams are overwhelmed, senior leaders are underprepared, and wellness is deprioritized at precisely the wrong time.”

—Jeff Bettinger, CHRO and CAO of Hudson RPO.

From Perks to Policy: Evolving Mental Health Support

Traditional wellness perks no longer meet today’s needs. While engagement activities and time-off reminders still matter, leading organizations are shifting toward policy-driven changes that address systemic burnout. Companies seeing meaningful outcomes are integrating mental health into:.

  • Manager training
  • PTO policies
  • Workload and team capacity planning

Three things Progressive organizations are doing differently:

  1. Auditing their mental health offerings to ensure relevance and access.
  2. Normalizing mental health conversations across all levels of leadership.
  3. Linking mental health to business performance, not just HR metrics.

Mental Health Strategies That Stick

Instead of “adding” programs, some companies are rethinking the employee experience altogether. Successful strategies include:

  • Psychological safety training for people managers, ensuring leaders are equipped to spot and respond to burnout signs.
  • Unlimited or flexible PTO policies  with actual usage tracking, not just availability.
  • Employee-led resource groups (ERGs) focused on mental health advocacy and peer support.
  • Third-party mental health audits to identify gaps in current wellness strategies. And inform next steps.

The Reality Check

It’s time for HR leaders to reconcile the fading focus on mental health with the unyielding pressure employees continue to face. While corporate concern may be declining, the need for structured, scalable mental health strategies is not.

“You cannot solve burnout with a wellness app. You solve it by changing the way people work.”

—Dr. Christina Maslach, burnout researcher and professor emerita, UC Berkeley

What Organizations Should Do Now

Audit. Adapt. Act.

Here’s how CHROs and leadership teams can close the gap between wellness fatigue and workplace reality:

  1. Realign priorities with employee expectations around wellness, mental health, and work-life design.
  2. Empower senior leaders with future-ready tools to manage AI transitions and emotional resilience.
  3. Rebuild HR capacity with sustainable workloads, tech integration, and department-wide support.

Mental health can no longer be seen as a “soft” issue, rather it’s a strategic imperative tied to performance, retention, and employer brand. If your CHRO priorities don’t reflect what 92% of your workforce values most—mental well-being and psychological safety—then you’re not just misaligned. You’re at risk.

Hudson RPO can help.

Whether you’re facing talent shortages, overwhelmed HR teams, or outdated processes, Hudson provides practical, scalable solutions to build a healthier, high-performing workforce:

  • Outsource HR functions and candidate sourcing to alleviate overloaded internal teams and bring efficiency back to hiring. With expert support, your HR department can focus on strategy—not just survival.
    Explore HR Outsourcing →
  • Flex your workforce through agile, contingent workforce strategies that reduce burnout and provide relief for overstretched teams without compromising productivity.
    Explore Contingent Workforce Solutions →
  • Reimagine your hiring process with Hudson’s Talent Advisory services, ensuring every stage of recruitment is built with psychological safety, equity, and performance in mind.
    Explore Talent Advisory →

It’s time to move beyond wellness as a perk and treat it as a cornerstone of your workplace design. Let Hudson RPO help you create an environment where mental health isn’t just acknowledged—it’s actively supported.

Let us help you build a workplace where wellness isn’t a trend—it’s your competitive advantage.

To read more, download the full Hudson RPO sponsored report, 2025 HRO Today Annual Top Concerns of CHROs.  

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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Talent Talk

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Talent Talk

Content Team

Welcome to the inaugural Hudson RPO Talent Talk! Every month, a Hudson RPO executive sits down to discuss topics that can help keep talent acquisition professionals ahead of the latest trends and ideas in the industry. In this episode, Hudson RPO Global CEO Jake Zabkowicz sits down with David Priestley. David, who has extensive experience in the pharma and biotech industries, as well as oil and gas, is a seasoned TA professional based in Switzerland. They discuss the evolution from the Great Resignation to the Great Hesitation to what’s next.

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.

Follow Hudson RPO on LinkedIn

What is RPO?

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What is MSP?

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Decoding RPO costs: Your guide to understanding financial considerations

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Decoding RPO costs: Your guide to understanding financial considerations

Content Team

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) offers an innovative approach to talent acquisition, but understanding the intricacies of its costs and financial projections can be complex. In this blog, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about RPO costs and financial considerations. 

When is an RPO solution a cost-effective option?

RPO can be a cost-effective option in several scenarios such as businesses that pay high and frequent agency fees, teams with fluctuating recruitment volumes or when your internal recruitment teams lack the subject matter expertise to operate strategically in specific recruitment areas such as recruitment technology, employer brand, candidate and hiring manager experience or specific recruitment projects – to name a few. With a quality RPO partner, you will gain access to a wealth of expert knowledge, so cost-efficiencies and value can be gained broadly.  

How do RPO pricing models work?

RPO pricing models come in three basic cost models:  

  • Management fee: Under this model, an annual management fee is charged, in 12 equal monthly instalments. The fee is linked to the agreed size and cost of the team dedicated to your business, as well as the annual number of placements. 
  • Variable placement fee: Unlike the annual management fee, variable placement fees are charged only when a successful placement is made. These fees can be structured as a flat fee or a percentage of the candidate’s salary, offering flexibility to align with the role’s level and/or source of hire. In some regions, this often looks like an open/close fee where 50% of the fee is due at the opening of the requisition, and the other 50% when the offer is accepted.
  • Hybrid fee: The Hybrid model combines elements of the two models mentioned above. RPO service fees are a mix of a fixed management fee and a variable placement fee. This hybrid approach offers a balanced and adaptable way to meet your organization’s unique needs. 

Who is responsible for managing financial and performance metrics in an RPO contract?

Maintaining leadership oversight of an RPO partnership is important to ensure you are making the most of your solution. We always recommend allocating the necessary time and resources for managing the relationship with your RPO team. Regular insights and reporting from your RPO partner will help you understand how your investment contributes to your recruitment process, identify areas for improvement, and forecast future needs. 

In the world of RPO, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Every organization is unique, and the benefits of an RPO partnership can vary depending on your specific needs and goals. If you’re eager to explore how an RPO solution could work for your organization or if you have any questions about how RPO can transform your talent acquisition process, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of 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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Crafting your perfect RPO partnership: Top tips for a winning RFP process

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Crafting your perfect RPO partnership: Top tips for a winning RFP process

Content Team

So, you’ve decided it’s time to engage a quality RPO partner and conduct a Request for Proposal (RFP) to find the right fit. Crafting a robust RFP is crucial to ensuring you find the right partner who can deliver value, efficiencies, and a long-term strategic alliance. To make this effort effective and thorough, here are our top tips for the RFP process in finding the ideal recruitment partner for your organization. 

Tip 1: Focus on business goals and objectives

Lead your RFP with a clear articulation of business goals, objectives, and measurements rather than a laundry list of requirements. A genuine partner will seek to understand your organization’s pain points, project importance, and desired outcomes, so making sure your criteria is fit-for-purpose is crucial. Emphasizing the “why” behind the project fosters alignment and ensures proposals are anchored in shared understanding and mutual objectives. 

Tip 2: Allow adequate response time

While it’s inevitable that the RFP process will be subject to time constraints, pressuring vendors to rush their responses can lead to inaccurate estimates and overlooked details. By providing potential partners with at least 30 days to prepare comprehensive proposals, especially for complex RPO solutions, you will ultimately receive better quality responses. Since you will likely have several stakeholders evaluate proposals, you will make the most of your time by receiving well though-out proposals. 

Tip 3: Evaluate collaboration through work sessions

Initiating a working session or series of focus groups to foster authentic dialogue between your team and prospective RPO partners are fantastic ways to gauge collaboration styles and whether or not these are synonymous with your internal culture. These sessions also offer invaluable insights into a vendor’s own work style and allow for a deeper understanding of expectations. Engaging in direct interaction helps identify efficiencies, best practices, and areas for improvement that may not surface in a written response alone and may help to uncover core competencies of prospective partners. 

Tip 4: Ensure relevant experience leads the process

RFPs should not be solely driven by generic templates but rather, tailored to reflect your organization’s unique needs. Avoid generic, surface-level questions, and prioritize working with a team who understand the intricacies of talent acquisition and can effectively assess vendor capabilities. Consider conducting a preliminary Request for Information (RFI) session with selected providers to gauge compatibility and alignment with your objectives before requesting full RFPs. These interactions offer valuable insights into potential partnerships and help solidify relationships based on demonstrated success.

Ultimately, crafting a well-defined RFP streamlines the selection process and paves the way for a successful and enduring partnership. It’s not merely about cost or superficial features but about aligning with innovative partners who are committed to delivering tangible business value. By focusing on these tips, you can navigate the RFP process with confidence and secure a trusted RPO and talent acquisition partner, poised to drive exceptional outcomes and organizational success.

If you are about to embark on an RFP process and looking for guidance on designing a process that delivers an exceptional partnership, speak 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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Navigating RPO success: Signs your partnership is on the right track

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Navigating RPO success: Signs your partnership is on the right track

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RPO partnerships, when built and nurtured in the right way, can bring a myriad of and far-reaching benefits. Following are top tips to help you identify the signs that your partnership is on the right track.

Much like any significant business investment, assessing RPO success and return on investment (ROI) is essential. 

1. Success metrics have been defined

First and foremost, a healthy partnership must begin with the end in mind. A quality RPO partner will collaborate with you to understand the end goal and take the time to define what success looks like for your organization. These success metrics should align with your broader talent acquisition and business strategies. Whether your focus is creating more agility and scalability, reducing time-to-fill, lowering recruitment costs, or improving candidate quality, defining these goals provides a roadmap for your RPO journey and is a tell-tale sign of a partnership that is on the right path.

2. Measuring success occurs frequently

When evaluating the effectiveness of your RPO partnership, it’s essential to identify key metrics that can serve as strong signals of success. These metrics often include indicators such as time-to-fill, cost per hire, quality of hire, candidate experience, hiring manager satisfaction, and diversity and inclusion outcomes. However, while these metrics hold significance, they may not represent the entirety of your RPO success story. The most valuable KPIs for your organization might be unique and tailored to your specific objectives. An RPO partner that collaborates closely to identify these key metrics ensures that you are continuously measuring the factors that genuinely reflect the success of your partnership. 

3. Results go beyond the data 

Another sign to look for is an RPO partner who prioritizes building a transparent partnership with you, regularly sharing their progress and opportunities for improvement. While data is key, it’s important that you, and your RPO partner, look beyond it as well. What anecdotal evidence exists from your team? Are they experiencing improved workloads and processes? Have they noted increased ease in hiring and better-quality candidates? These are important signs that your RPO partnership is making a positive impact.

4. Continuous improvement is a priority

A successful RPO partnership isn’t just about reaching predefined goals; it’s about adapting to the ever-evolving requirements of the recruitment landscape. It’s important to collaborate with your RPO provider and identify areas for improvement and innovation together. Regularly revisit your objectives and adjust your metrics as your organization’s needs evolve. Are there new goals or challenges that have emerged over time? How effectively is your RPO partner adapting to these shifts? Look for the signs that demonstrate your RPO partner is always looking for their next opportunity to improve and evolve the RPO solution and service.

The essence of RPO lies in the partnership, where success is defined collaboratively and the path to achieving your unique objectives is tailored to your specific needs. While these metrics provide essential insights, remember that the true measure of success goes beyond the numbers – it’s about the impact on your talent acquisition processes, your team’s experience, and your organization’s ability to thrive in an ever-evolving talent landscape. The right RPO partner will embrace the partnership, celebrate shared achievements, and keep refining your solution to ensure they drive your success story. 

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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