Margot Moore

Margot has worked across recruitment, employer branding and marketing for over 10 years. In her current role, Margot is responsible for the Hudson RPO brand and works closely with the global marketing team to ensure the consistency and quality of our brand.

Pets of Hudson RPO – Our Favourite Colleagues

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Pets of Hudson RPO – Our Favourite Colleagues

Margot Moore

Bringing joy in challenging times

If there was one group that largely benefited from the COVID-19 pandemic – it was our pets. And while our pets certainly were key beneficiaries of the pandemic, with owners working from home, many would agree that it was our pets that saved us during this challenging time.
While most of us were locked in doors (some of us longer than others), our pets were our constant. They were by our sides, every day. They listened to our sadness, they sat with us while we cried, they became our best friends (if they weren’t that already). While our pets likely thought us working from home was a gift – they comforted us more than they will ever know. 

Our pets’ role in the new world of working

As we move into a new hybrid way of working from home and office, pets continue to bring both physical and mental health benefits to their owners. In fact, 74% of pet owners reported an increase in their mental health from pet ownership, according to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute. The same institution notes five key benefits of pet ownership which further emphasize why our furry colleagues (whilst not very good at their desk jobs), are the best kind.

5 ways our pets positively impact our health and wellbeing:

  1. Pet ownership has been proven to alleviate stress. Multiple studies have shown that pet ownership can improve cardiovascular health, reduce blood pressure and for dog owners – gives us a reason for getting out of the house every day for fresh air.1
  2. Pets improve mood and help to fight depression. According to a HABRI study of family physicians, 87% said their patients’ mood or outlook had improved as a result of pet ownership.2
  3. Pets give us companionship and reduce loneliness. While they may not be able to talk back to us in human languages, they certainly understand us – giving us a buddy we can always rely on to be there.
  4. Pets can contribute to our broader wellbeing by having a positive impact on our lives by bringing joy and comfort.
  5. Pets can provide longer term aid to those with mental health challenges. Owning a pet provides us with a sense of purpose and responsibility. Purpose and responsibility are key contributing factors for alleviating and/or managing mental health challenges.3

The science behind pet ownership

We can thank a chemical known as ‘Oxytocin’ or, the ‘love hormone’, to that rush of happiness we get when we see our pet’s excitement when we come home, or when we look over at our fur-friend doing something silly.  
When our brain releases oxytocin, we experience an array of physical benefits including slowing of the heart rate and breathing, decreased blood pressure, an inhibiting effect on stress and an overall sense of calm, comfort and focus.4

Our people and #ThePetsofHudsonRPO

In appreciation of our pets and everything they do for us; we asked our people to introduce us to theirs.

Meet some of the pets of Hudson RPO below:

Mojo and Manisha

Milo and Benji

Mojo and Manisha
"Mojo is turning 2 on Boxing Day 2022. His favorite snack is tomatoes - I find it weird. He finds the most awkward and funny positions to sleep. We love him to bits!”
Milo at table
“This is Milo, my rescued mutt. I rescued him from the streets in 2019, not knowing that he would later rescue my mental health during the isolation days of the pandemic in 2020.”

Luna, Aura and Concetta

Luna
“Luna and Aura are always next to me. They are very sociable, needy and give lots of cuddles and kisses. They are the best work assistants especially when they steal my pens.”

Hank and Matt

"Hiere is my dog Hank down here in Tampa, FL. He's a 7 year old bloodhoud who loves to nap, eat, and take long rides in the truck."

Tigger and Cameron

“This is Tigger-the-toeless who took on a car at 11 months old and lost, he in fact lost a whole toe and used five of his nine lives. He's a Bengal which means he is quite big, loves climbing and is hypoallergenic (which is great as I am allergic to cats).”

Oliang and Jake

“Oliang is my ‘office mate’- always staying beside me during work. She knows the time when I will start my shift, my lunchtime, and when I will be logging out.”

Murray and Louise

"This is Murray, the Sprocker. He is named after Andy Murray. Total coincidence that he is obsessed with tennis balls!"

Zoewhiey and Karisa

Zoewhiey
“Zoewhiey helped me a lot with my depression and anxiety. She's well known by my colleagues in Hudson RPO. Whenever we have meetings, she needs to be beside me if not she will bark and insist to join the meeting!”

See more #PetsofHudsonRPO here:

Winston
Winston
Frankei
Frankie
Bonnir
Bonnie
Bo
Bo
Monty
Monty
Bailey
Bailey
Dashby
Dashby
Dexter
Dexter
Noodle
Noodle
Hank
Hank
Bohdi
Bohdi
Alfie
Alfie
Bailey
Bailey

Whether it’s a dog, a cat, a bird or a bunny – As we continue to support our people to work flexibly, at Hudson RPO our pets make up an important and large portion of our workforce!

Want to help us shape the future of talent? Join our team today (and bring your pet!).

Sources

  1. Beetz, A., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Julius, H., & Kotrschal, K. (2012). Psychosocial and psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: the possible role of oxytocin. Frontiers in psychology, 3, 234.
  2. Valeri, R. M. (2006). Tails of laughter: A pilot study examining the relationship between companion animal guardianship (pet ownership) and laughter. Society & Animals, 14(3), 275-293.
  3. Brooks, H., Rushton, K., Walker, S., Lovell, K., & Rogers, A. (2016). Ontological security and connectivity provided by pets: a study in the self-management of the everyday lives of people diagnosed with a long-term mental health condition. BMC psychiatry, 16(1), 409.
  4. Beetz, A., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Julius, H., & Kotrschal, K. (2012). Psychosocial and psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: the possible role of oxytocin. Frontiers in psychology, 3, 234.

Margot Moore

Global Brand Manager

Margot has worked across recruitment, employer branding and marketing for over 10 years. In her current role, Margot is responsible for the Hudson RPO brand and works closely with the global marketing team to ensure the consistency and quality of our brand.

Follow Hudson RPO on LinkedIn

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From Olympic talent to talent acquisition: How Conrad went from Rio to Recruitment

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From Olympic talent to talent acquisition: How Conrad went from Rio to Recruitment

Margot Moore

A unique background

Conrad Rapp’s background in Sports Science enabled him to build a successful career in coaching professional athletes through the Rio and Tokyo Olympics. So how, then, did he end up recruiting some of the brightest minds into Macquarie’s European offices? As you’ll learn, Conrad’s most utilised skills were more synonymous between coaching and recruitment than you may think.

After spending five years working with Olympic and professional athletes as a Sports Physiologist and Strength Conditioning Coach, Conrad was ready to transition into a career that would give him more work-life balance and structure.

Conrad as a coach
Conrad coached athletes through the Rio and Tokyo Olympics
Conrad rowing with his dog.
Conrad still enjoys getting out on the water!

“I was getting phone calls from coaches at 11 o’clock at night for 5:30am morning sessions, as well as there being a lot of travel involved. I wanted the ability to continue to do that on the side but really try to transition into a little bit more of a corporate environment,” explains Conrad.

A friend initially introduced Conrad to the world of Recruitment and Hudson RPO. With an open mind and curious demeanour, Conrad decided to give recruitment a go, and joined our Edinburgh centre of excellence as a Sourcing Specialist. The Edinburgh office is considered the engine room of our EMEA region, and where those new to recruitment are given the opportunity to accelerate their learning and hit the ground running.

“I started at the bottom of the barrel, but I found that a lot of aspects like sourcing and the technical components of recruitment came naturally from my research and sports science background. So, I took it on pretty quickly in that sense, and just began to soak up as much as I possibly could,” Conrad says. 

Conrad's house from drone
A drone shot from above Conrad’s home

From grassroots to Macquarie Group

Within just a year, Conrad was given an opportunity to join the onsite team with our largest global client, Macquarie Group, as a Sourcing Specialist to work with hiring managers, recruiters, and candidates across a range of financial services teams. From a grassroots Sourcer, to practicing as one of the most Senior Talent Sourcing Specialists in the Macquarie Group London team, is a clear indication of Conrad’s ability and a testament to his open-minded approach.

“When I joined Macquarie – it was all new to me. To be honest, I’m not really a big finance type of person, but there are a lot of incredible individuals that work at Macquarie so that was one attractive component,” he says.

Conrad works with hiring managers across the EMEA region; from Luxemburg to London and 21 other Macquarie Group offices across the region, which has given him the chance to work with a highly diverse group of people.

“I come from a diverse background, and I’ve always enjoyed meeting people from different backgrounds. And I feel like that’s a big part of my experience – it’s this big international melting pot. You hear numerous languages and experience different cultures and it’s just an interesting environment. You’re in a very tight-knit community but you’re working on a pretty vast global platform,” says Conrad.

And when considering the juxtaposition of Olympic coaching and working for a global financial services organisation, one might question the appeal for Conrad.

“I find the environment to be very dynamic and fast paced. It doesn’t really feel corporate or large which is quite nice. And I think one of the most attractive elements is the people I interact with – they are incredibly talented and very skilled at what they do,” explains Conrad.

Surprisingly transferable skills

Conrad’s theoretical training in research has lent itself perfectly to talent sourcing, but it wasn’t just his technical skills that he has leveraged in his recruitment career.  When asked if there were any similarities between coaching and recruitment, Conrad explains that it comes down to the human aspects.

“In coaching, for instance, we tend to think it has a lot to do with the physical components, but the reality is you’re working with an individual to understand their needs and trying to create an environment to fill those needs. You’re always working towards a goal which is human-centered. Recruitment and coaching are all about being able to understand how individuals work and what their needs are; for individuals, hiring managers and teams,” explains Conrad.

He goes on, “Then there is the cultural fit, understanding what they’re looking for and translating that into finding a role for them. Another aspect I see overlap is when I do project work, you have your eyes on something and you’re always working towards a goal.”

What it comes down to for Conrad, is working with talented people – regardless of the industry. Both his previous role in coaching and now in recruitment gives Conrad the chance to operate in a highly strategic way to achieve optimal outcomes. 

“I thought there’d be a pretty interesting fit. I liked the idea that you’re creating these win-win type of scenarios with individuals and an organisation,” he says.                         

Conrad home office
Conrad now works in a fully remote position. Here he is pictured in his home office.

Contributing to the greater purpose

Working for the Macquarie Recruitment team, also means that Conrad gets involved with a broad range of project work outside of BAU recruitment, adding to the job satisfaction and giving Conrad a sense of fulfilment.

“I take on any project work that I can. One of the great exposures that I’ve had with Macquarie was working with the Green Investment Group. I had the chance to work with the newly established solar division, which led to my involvement in building up a new company to house their global offshore wind endeavours,” says Conrad.

Working with the Green Investment Group gave Conrad the chance to see how broad and far-reaching ‘finance’ can be.

“I wasn’t just focusing on finance roles. I was working with Engineers, the CFO, the Head of HR and across technical roles too. It was the chance to work on a variety of roles in order to create a company and get it up and running! There was almost a pressure that came with it and that’s also enjoyable. I mean, it’s good stress, because we could see something ahead of us and it was the chance to get involved in the creation of something big,” he explains.

The highly strategic and collaborative partnership between Macquarie and the Hudson RPO Macquarie Recruitment team gives our specialists the scope to contribute to the organisation’s greater mission. For Conrad, the exposure to Macquarie’s Green Investment Group has been impactful.

“These components of sustainability and renewability and the impact that you’re actually having is personally very important to me. It’s rewarding and fulfilling and the aspect of being able to have a say in creating these teams, ideally means I’m making a positive impact on the world from an environment standpoint. It’s attractive in that sense,” Conrad explains of his project work with the Green Investment Group.

“There’s kind of bigger picture deadlines, and we’re all working towards a bigger goal,” he says.

Finding the right work-life balance

In addition to finding a genuinely fulfilling role within the Macquarie onsite recruitment team, Conrad has also found the balance and flexibility he was searching for.

“I’m actually based in Galway now, in a fully remote position. We’re based out in the sticks, about six kilometres down a single-track road which leads to a causeway that brings you on to an island where we live in an old, thatched cottage!” says Conrad.

Originally growing up in the United States, Conrad takes advantage of Hudson RPO’s global presence and still visits the London and Edinburgh offices a few times a year which keeps him physically connected to his colleagues from both Hudson RPO and Macquarie.

“It’s kind of funny how I ended up back in the remote scenario! But I definitely still enjoy getting back to the Edinburgh office a couple of times a year. And I try to do the same thing for the London office on the Macquarie side of things,” he says.

Finding the right flexibility arrangements for our onsite teams is always prioritised, so we get the most of our client partnerships and our people get the most out of their careers.

“It’s certainly something that Hudson RPO and Macquarie have been very accommodating with which is great,” says Conrad.

Conrad with his partner, Annika.
Conrad with his partner, Annika, at their thatched home in Galway.

Like in Conrad’s journey, joining the Macquarie Recruitment team can open myriad opportunities – and there is undeniably no linear path to get here. Our internal careers team are always open to having a conversation to understand your career aspirations and potentially find you the right role within the Macquarie Recruitment team.

Are you interested in a career in RPO? Click here to read more about life at Hudson RPO or find all our open roles here.

Margot Moore

Global Brand Manager

Margot has worked across recruitment, employer branding and marketing for over 10 years. In her current role, Margot is responsible for the Hudson RPO brand and works closely with the global marketing team to ensure the consistency and quality of our brand.

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Balancing It All, with Burg

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Balancing It All, with Burg

Margot Moore

It's one big happy family

Burg joined our Manila team in 2017 and is one of the longest serving members of our Centre of Excellence where he has been a Sourcing Specialist and most recently, promoted to a Team Leader.

When describing what he enjoys about working at Hudson RPO, what stands out for Burg is the working relationship he has with his colleagues, clients and managers.

‘Hudson RPO feels like a family, we’re really close. It’s very different from previous companies because it’s more than just being supported to do your job – the people here genuinely care,’ he says.

Managing the family business

Something that Burg believes sets Hudson RPO apart from his previous employers is that he now feels like he has a genuine balance between work and home.

‘My manager doesn’t like us to do overtime. It’s really important to me because it means I can do what I’m passionate about outside of work hours,’ he explains.

And for Burg, one of his main passions is playing an important role in his family business.

‘My work schedule is 7am to 4pm and I still have a lot of extra time after that.’

Burg working at farm
‘After my work, I handle family business. We have a poultry business and I actually go to the farm and take care of the chickens,’ explains Burg.

Time for the things that matter most

The Hudson RPO culture of work life balance isn’t the only thing that supports Burg’s ability to maintain his family business. Another important aspect is being given the chance to work remotely from his home province.

‘It’s really beneficial for me to work from home. When I was working from Manila, I had limited time to do things after work because the traffic is so heavy – it took up much of my time. I was renting a house away from my family and I didn’t have time to do other things,’ he says.

Since joining Hudson RPO, Burg has found a harmonious balance between work and life, including time for his other passions like donating blood regularly and using social media to advocate for local tourism in his home province.

An exciting future

Four years on from joining the Hudson RPO family, Burg is more excited about his future with the business than ever.

‘I am really excited about the growth of the Manila team and to see people given the chance to excel. Our global team and clients recognise that our roles are very important to the overall success of the business, and I am looking forward to future changes and challenges.’

Margot Moore

Global Brand Manager

Margot has worked across recruitment, employer branding and marketing for over 10 years. In her current role, Margot is responsible for the Hudson RPO brand and works closely with the global marketing team to ensure the consistency and quality of our brand.

Follow Hudson RPO on LinkedIn

What is RPO?

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Working flexibly, bringing families together

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Working flexibly, bringing families together

Margot Moore

A unique career

Eugene joined Hudson RPO in Data & Analytics having little knowledge of how RPO’s work. Eugene took on the challenge because he was drawn to the unique work environment offered by Hudson RPO, but soon found that his life was about to change in more ways than simply a new career path.

‘Joining Hudson RPO was something new. I’m a numbers guy and wanted to get a different perspective of data, in this role, I got a new lens when it came to data, customers and clients,’ he says.

A life changing moment

And while the new challenge was a key driver for Eugene, with global clients also a huge draw card, what has really made his experience at Hudson RPO truly unique isn’t his day-to-day responsibilities.

‘The culture is great. In other organisations, I’m always reminded of the levels and hierarchy, but at Hudson RPO, the culture means you are comfortable dealing with colleagues at all levels. Leaders are very approachable and dependable,’ Eugene explains.

But what has profoundly impacted Eugene has been the flexibility at Hudson RPO, allowing him to move away from metro Manila and back to his home province to be with his family full time.

‘For a decade, I only got to see my daughter once a month or 12 times per year. The work from home setup is amazing for me, it’s the most rewarding thing that has happened,’ Eugene says.

Family above all

Hudson RPO is proud of its culture of flexibility and is something that all employees are encouraged to explore to fit their personal and unique circumstances. And that was no different for Eugene.

‘Being able to work and live so that I can spend quality time with my family is very rewarding, very fulfilling. After 10 years, we’re a physical family now, we can do things together and spend time doing all the normal things like watching movies and playing – I don’t have to worry about how they’re doing because now, I am able to see it every day,’ Eugene explains.

Birthday party
‘Being able to work and live so that I can spend quality time with my family is very rewarding, very fulfilling.’

Thriving team spirit

And whilst Eugene works remotely, there is certainly no lack of camaraderie and collaboration with his Manila and global teammates.

‘We still get to know each other. We have a virtual office, our Zoom is on all day so we can see everything, ask questions and update each other. We have team events, celebrate cultural days and my favourite activity – fortnightly bingo. I look forward to it, it helps us unwind from our busy schedule,’ he says.

Despite joining Hudson RPO during a pandemic, Eugene has built great relationships with his colleagues whilst being given the ability to fit his work into his family life.

‘You can really feel that Hudson RPO is about its people – both internally and externally. There is a level of respect given, even if they don’t know much about you. You’ll feel the transparency and the care. I’m really thankful, and I am really enjoying my role,’ says Eugene.

Margot Moore

Global Brand Manager

Margot has worked across recruitment, employer branding and marketing for over 10 years. In her current role, Margot is responsible for the Hudson RPO brand and works closely with the global marketing team to ensure the consistency and quality of our brand.

Follow Hudson RPO on LinkedIn

What is RPO?

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In the ‘Business of Excellence’ with Jess Wardlaw

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In the ‘Business of Excellence’ with Jess Wardlaw

Margot Moore

The Recruiter profession is often bucketed into three key modes: Agency, Internal and RPO – each with their own pros and cons and each offering a unique career path. Many who work in the industry are well versed on the differences between both the Agency and Internal model, however many remain perplexed on how the RPO model works. More importantly though, what’s it like to work for one?

RPO stands for Recruitment Process Outsourcing, and from a client perspective means that a business makes the decision to outsource its recruitment function to another organisation – like us! RPO teams are embedded into a client’s broader organisation and operate as the client’s own employees.
Jess Wardlaw has spent the last 18 years building a successful career in Recruitment and during that time, worked across all three; agency, internal and RPO. Currently, Jess works onsite for our largest global client, Macquarie Group, as a Strategic Business Partner where she leads a team of Recruiters for Macquarie’s front-office groups.
‘My role is strategic. It’s about operational excellence and providing a high level of customer service,’ says Jess who re-joined Hudson RPO after 3 years working for an internal recruitment team.
When asked what brought her back to the world of RPO, Jess explains that it was a combination of the people and Hudson RPO’s culture, coupled with the RPO model itself.
‘For me, coming back was about the strength of the leadership team, the people, and the genuine care factor, which is incredibly high at Hudson RPO. But at the same time, it’s the autonomy to make decisions about the business areas I support and how we manage ourselves day-to-day,’ explains Jess.
Jess and her colleagues from the Hudson RPO and Macquarie recruitment leadership team getting together for dinner after an annual strategy day.
For Jess, the RPO model also means that she feels empowered to do more, too.
‘The major benefit [of an RPO] is that because we are an outsourced provider; we can upscale quickly and we can make sure that we’ve got teams that are well resourced in order to support the client engine and deliver service excellence. I want to deliver a good service,’ she says.
Working as a strategic lead on our largest global client site, means Jess not only has access to her Macquarie stakeholders, but additionally to myriad subject matter experts. With Technology, Data & Analytics and Employer Branding experts at her fingertips, Jess and her team have the freedom and space in their roles to think big and do more.
When it comes to what Recruitment professionals enjoy most about the industry, the RPO model has its strengths for those looking to work in a strategic and consultative capacity.
‘Unfortunately, a lot of people view RPO as a ‘bolt-on’ offshored service,’ explains Jess.
As an RPO, Hudson RPO prides itself on the ability to save our clients’ money, but that’s not our core promise.
‘It’s actually about delivering quality service. If a client wants to create a best-in-class talent acquisition function that’s strategically aligned to their business objectives, then that’s where we come in. Our clients are looking for high-quality delivery and we’re in the business of delivering best-in-class service,’ says Jess.
Accessing subject matter experts and specialist teams, gives our recruiters, sourcers and leads more opportunity to deliver highly tailored solutions and projects as part of their day-to-day. Our teams are doing so much more than executing recruitment processes, they are designing and delivering key strategic work that is contributing to our clients’ overarching objectives.
‘A recent example for us has been working with our broader HR team across Macquarie’s front office business to overhaul the training and subsequent resources for our Hiring Managers. We’ve designed and executed a suite of materials and sessions to make sure our Hiring Managers are equipped to get more out of their recruitment efforts and to deliver fantastic candidate experiences whilst interviewing,’ explains Jess.
‘It’s so much more than simply running a process. It’s about delivering longevity for talent strategies from candidate experience initiatives through to diversity and inclusion projects,’ says Jess.
Jess is a seasoned recruitment specialist with over 15 years in the industry.
Having the opportunity to work in a heavily strategic role and pursue excellence, is ultimately why Jess believes the RPO model is the right balance between operational and strategic for Recruiters looking for more out of their careers. Our RPO teams are also recognised for the work they do, by both Hudson RPO and our clients’.
And while the concept of having a parent company as well as a client ‘employer’ may sound strange or messy, Jess explains that this blend only contributes to a distinctive culture and employee experience.
‘It’s the chance to break away and have fun together as a collective group of professionals and be rewarded and recognised for the impact that we have on our clients. In my experience, I did not get that from previous internal teams. It helps you realise the importance of the role that you play in the company’s strategic direction, and also, the importance of your role within the business that you’re employed under as well,’ says Jess.
For Recruiters who are driven by the pursuit of excellence and approach problem solving with strategic, out-of-the-box thinking, an RPO could be the best place to grow and develop.
‘When hiring for my team, I look for people who have a strong focus on delivering good service. They’re not afraid to try new or different things and are curious as to how we could be doing things differently. They’ll ask, can we make it better? And we’ll be there to help them make things better,’ says Jess.
Our Recruitment team are always open to having a candid conversation from people interested in learning more about a career with Hudson RPO.
Could Hudson RPO be your next career more? Reach out to Skye Kuhlmann for a chat.

Margot Moore

Global Brand Manager

Margot has worked across recruitment, employer branding and marketing for over 10 years. In her current role, Margot is responsible for the Hudson RPO brand and works closely with the global marketing team to ensure the consistency and quality of our brand.

Follow Hudson RPO on LinkedIn

What is RPO?

Learn More

What is MSP?

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