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Hybrid working: How is the new normal changing leadership and talent attraction?

April 7, 2022 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles, Podcast

Hybrid working: How is the new normal changing leadership and talent attraction?

Content Team

April 7, 2022

According to management consultants McKinsey & Company, more than half of workers want to work a three-day week outside of the office, with 30% reporting that they would leave their role if required to return to their offices full time.

However, following the widespread adoption of remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic, employees are steadily returning to their workplaces. Hybrid-working models present many challenges to employers.

Three leadership experts share insights on how business leaders can manage dispersed workforces, maintain company culture in a hybrid world and attract new talent.

About the contributors:

Susanne Braun (01:15) is a Professor in Leadership at Durham University Business School, Director of the International Centre for Leadership and Followership, and PhD Programme Lead for the Department of Management and Marketing. She is interested in the bright sides and dark sides of leadership and how they affect productivity and wellbeing at the work-life interface.

Caroline Roberts (15:30) is the interim HR Director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). She is responsible for the people strategy at the CBI, ensuring that it attracts, retains and develops great people. Caroline began her career in radio production at the BBC and has held several HRD roles in the public sector, media and architecture.

Darren Lancaster (31:30) is the CEO of Americas and EMEA at Hudson RPO. Starting his career in 1997, Darren worked on one of the first RPO solutions in the recruitment sector, joining Hudson RPO EMEA in 2010. Under his leadership, the business has created a culture where ‘curiosity’ is embraced, and employees’ ideas are valued, expanded and delivered.

This Hudson RPO podcast is powered by Future Talent Learning.

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Content Team

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

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How Kieran progressed his career with Hudson RPO – and got promoted 4 times in 2 years.

April 4, 2022 by Content Team

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How Kieran progressed his career with Hudson RPO – and got promoted 4 times in 2 years.

Content Team

April 4, 2022

Kieran started the Hudson RPO in 2019 as a Junior Business Analyst in our Edinburgh office. Drawn in by the experiences of the recruiters he worked with every day, he joined the academy, making him one of the first graduates of the Hudson RPO Academy. From there Kieran’s career has been on a fast-track of development as he moved from business analysis, to becoming a researcher and supporting our clients, to joining the internal recruitment team and a recent promotion to one of our client accounts, all including travelling with us to Dubai, twice!

“I started at Hudson RPO as a Junior Business Analyst and progressed from there. None of this would have been possible without the support of our teams and in-house training, the training on Social Talent and mentoring and guidance from senior colleagues who helped me take each step in my stride.”

At Hudson RPO, professional growth is built into our company culture. Every member of our global team is encouraged to expand their skills, share their talents across our client solutions, industries and geographies and contribute innovative ideas to improve our business. This is underpinned by training programs and a commitment to learning and development and our long-term practice of promoting from within. This is also how we were able to support Kieran’s career aspirations when they shifted from business analysis to recruitment. His recommendation to be successful at Hudson RPO would be to always ask questions and keep learning:

“To get the most out of working for Hudson RPO I would recommend to always ask questions. It does not matter who you ask, your colleagues, your team, senior members in the business, in training sessions, everyone is happy to provide you with the advice you need and to support you in your development.”

Because the recruitment strategies, technologies, and tools we work with in our industry and at Hudson RPO, are in a constant state of evolution, we champion an always-learning mindset. Our employees expand their expertise through direct experience, secondments, mentoring relationships, and a suite of online and in-person training through Accelerate, our Learning & Performance program.

Internal promotions and recognition are important to us. For Kieran this meant travelling to Dubai, twice as part of our internally nominated Aspire Awards.

Keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming story with Paulina, who will share all there is to know about travelling the world while working for Hudson RPO. Still, promotions and seeing the world aside, the best part about working for Hudson RPO according to Kieran is its people:

“One of the best things about working for Hudson RPO is the social aspect, of the job and the company. Every day I am speaking to colleagues from all over the world and I often get together with my Edinburgh colleagues after work.”

We are continuously growing our teams, if you are interested in joining us or would like to chat to one of our recruiters about the opportunities available, click here or reach out to: [email protected]

Hudson RPO

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Introducing the Hudson RPO Technology & Innovation Committee

March 28, 2022 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles

Introducing the Hudson RPO Technology & Innovation Committee

Content Team

March 28, 2022

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

An evolving technology market

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

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

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

Implementing the right technology

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

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

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

Continuous improvement to technology solutions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The 5 C’s of a successful MSP implementation

March 21, 2022 by Content Team

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The 5 C’s of a successful MSP implementation

Content Team

March 21, 2022

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

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

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

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

1: Clear Case for Change

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

2: Collaboration

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

3: Client understanding

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

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

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

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

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

4: Communication

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

5: Calibre of the team

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

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

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

Hudson RPO

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

March 11, 2022 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles

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

Content Team

March 11, 2022

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

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

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How we are #Breakingthebias at Hudson RPO

March 9, 2022 by Content Team

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How we are #Breakingthebias at Hudson RPO

Content Team

March 9, 2022

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

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

Creating inclusive environments

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

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

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

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

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

Challenging bias on all levels

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

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

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

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

Setting all candidates up for success

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

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

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

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

Breaking the bias internally as well as externally.

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

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

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Content Team

Hybrid working: How is the new normal changing leadership and talent attraction?

About the contributors:

Content Team

What is RPO?

What is MSP?

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How Kieran progressed his career with Hudson RPO – and got promoted 4 times in 2 years.

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Introducing the Hudson RPO Technology & Innovation Committee

An evolving technology market

Implementing the right technology

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The 5 C’s of a successful MSP implementation

1: Clear Case for Change

2: Collaboration

3: Client understanding

4: Communication

5: Calibre of the team

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

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How we are #Breakingthebias at Hudson RPO

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