Content Team

RPO services

September 28, 2018 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles

RPO services

Content Team

September 28, 2018

Hudson RPO’s services offer clients a variety of recruitment solutions to meet your business objectives. As an RPO Vendor, we work closely with HR and talent acquisition leaders to customize the most effective solution for your company. Whether full recruitment process outsourcing, contingent workforce solutions or consulting, Hudson RPO offers services tailored to the individual needs of your company.

RPO SERVICES
Leverage our fully outsourced solution whether for a specific division or enterprise-wide across the region or globe, wherever your business needs it most. We’ll show you how to achieve sustainable and measurable results, making your HR function a value-added partner to the C-Suite.
RECRUITMENT PROJECTS
Whether you are a start-up business ramping up quickly or you need a sales force to promote a new product, we’ll find the right candidates while reducing time and backlogs – and saving you the added overhead. Difficult-to-fill positions? Tap into our global resources driven by local market expertise to find just the right candidates.
CONTINGENT WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS
Need a temporary workforce? Hudson RPO can streamline the sourcing, management and on-boarding/off-boarding of Temps, Contractors, Consultants and other project-based talent. From neutral vendor-managed service programs where we select and manage your contingent labor providers to models where we also directly source a contingent workforce on your behalf, let Hudson RPO show you how to be more competitive and cut costs while tracking measurable results.
CONSULTING SERVICES
Hudson RPO will consult with you to determine the optimal recruitment model for your business. We’ll examine quality of talent, hiring speed, team interviewing skills, recruitment costs, employment brand, technology and reporting. We’ll then suggest best-in-class enhancements, or design a new model, and equip your team to manage the new solution on an ongoing basis.
BLENDED RPO
At Hudson RPO, we have the ability to combine our RPO and MSP offering into a blended RPO which is a solution that integrates temporary staffing and permanent recruiting into a single, total talent acquisition approach. As one of the few providers capable of delivering a blended RPO, we’ll implement a blended solution that will fulfill your temporary and permanent hiring needs while improving employee engagement and cutting costs.
BRANDING AND SOURCING INNOVATION
Hudson RPO’s BSI Consulting division provides tailored Employer Branding and direct sourcing solutions to help organisations leverage the changing technology landscape for a competitive sourcing advantage. We offer full Employer Brand Audit, Strategy & Execution services to attract high quality candidates; Direct Sourcing Programs employing both social and offline strategies to develop and engage diverse talent pools; and custom sourcing training programs for individuals or teams.
RETAINED SEARCH
Hudson RPO offers retained search services throughout the Americas. As an RPO provider, our trilingual recruitment team (English, Spanish and Portuguese) is uniquely suited to find top-performing candidates in Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States. We specialize in US$100K+ roles for everything from sales roles to C-suite level roles in Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Management, Pharmaceutical and Sales.

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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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Contract jobs: what to consider before becoming a contractor

June 12, 2018 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles

Contract jobs: what to consider before becoming a contractor

Content Team

June 12, 2018

The contract workforce has grown rapidly over the past few years, with more exponential growth predicted.

If the growth of the contract workforce continues on pace, more than half of the US workforce will be freelancing by 2027, according to a 2017 study by Upwork and Freelancers Union.

As of January 2018, one in five US workers was a contract worker, according to an NPR/Marist poll.

Freelancers classed as working contract jobs include people who are:

doing contract work in addition to a full-time job
freelancing but would prefer a permanent position
contract workers by choice

But is contract work right for you? Read on to discover what it means to work as a contractor.

Contract work employment: the ins and outs

Contract workers — also known as contingent workers, gig workers, consultants, and freelancers — work for a company for a set period of time or on a project basis.

Unlike permanent employees, contractors do not typically receive company benefits.

In the US, contractors may work as 1099 freelancers, which means they are fully responsible for managing their own taxes and buying their own health insurance.

Or, these professionals may contract through a recruitment agency, in which case they’re considered an employee of the agency during that period of work.

Often, contract workers are individuals with high-level, specific skills. For example, a company may need a front-end developer to create a new app for their business, or a senior executive to offer expertise during a period of rapid business expansion. This kind of contract work can be very lucrative, commanding high hourly or day rates.

Should I become a contractor?

More people are deciding to work on temporary projects, rather than in a permanent position.

Between 2014 to 2017, the number of people who described themselves are freelancers by choice rather than necessity rose from 53 percent to 63 percent, according to the Upwork and Freelancers Union survey.

But entering the realm of contract work is a big decision. What suits one person might deter someone else. Nonetheless, read on to discover some of the key considerations before accepting contract work.

Contract jobs have a defined end date

Unlike a permanent role within a company, contract work has a defined end date. You’ll know when the contract expires or when a project is completed.

Your engagement with a company may be long, sometimes even more than a year, but it will eventually reach its conclusion.

Many people thrive under these circumstances. Some professionals enjoy varied work or relish the challenges that come with each new project. But other people prefer to have the time to settle into a role over the course of months and years, without changing employment settings.

The changeable nature of contract work also comes with a higher level of instability than full-time employment. There’s no guarantee that another role will be available when a contract ends. For those who have trouble budgeting for the long term, contract work can be challenging, and the steady paycheck of a full-time job may be preferable.

Effective contract workers recognize and prepare for the ‘feast or famine’ nature of their work. They become the COO of a business of one and make choices that help them bridge periods of light employment.

Contract jobs offer flexibility

Many people like to imagine the life of a contract worker as finishing up a full day’s work while sitting on a tropical beach somewhere. How amazing would that be!

While this may happen on occasion, the reality is probably different. Contract workers must show up and get the job done in a timely manner, or they are unlikely to land the next gig.

The flexibility of contract work can vary significantly. If the job allows you to work from home, as a contract worker you may be able to set your own hours, manage family responsibilities that arise during the day, and complete work at night. But whatever work you’re responsible for during the course of a week or over the course of a project must be completed successfully, no matter where or when it happens.

Be aware that staying in frequent communication and being available to offer input or problem solve is critical when working remotely.

Other contingent positions will require your local presence every day during the contract. In these instances, the flexibility rests in the temporary nature of the position rather than in your ability to complete your tasks anywhere and anytime.

If you need to take a break after a contract expires, you can make that call. After all, you’re unlikely to accrue paid leave as a contractor.

Contract jobs let you test-drive careers

Taking a contract job (or multiple) is an excellent way to explore roles that can elevate your technical or leadership skills, or to transfer your skills to other industries.

In any one permanent role, there are only so many opportunities to up-skill or try something new. Your freedom to pursue new projects also depends upon room in the company budget and decision-makers who share your vision — variables that aren’t always in the offing.

But offering your skills in the contract marketplace allows you to dip your toes into work you’ve wanted to try, but haven’t yet been able to. A site-specific logistics manager, for example, may take on a logistics coordinator role that covers multiple territories. You can also take your skills with you across industries. For example, a pharmaceutical sales rep could explore sales positions within the tech industry.

Stellar contract workers are fast learners, adaptable, and strong communicators. If you can hit the ground running when faced with the new and the challenging — and if you enjoy the process to boot — then contract work may be a great fit for you.

Ready to change your future? Discover new career vacancies, including contract jobs.

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How virtual reality is used in hiring

June 4, 2018 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles

How virtual reality is used in hiring

Content Team

June 4, 2018

When you think about virtual reality, chances are gaming and entertainment come to mind first. But the technology has actually been in use for decades as a training tool for pilots, astronauts, military personnel, and surgeons. Now, as the cost of VR headsets and 360 degree cameras declines, innovative uses for the tech are proliferating — including in the realm of talent acquisition. Here are some ways companies are leveraging VR technology to recruit, hire, and retain top candidates:

Workplace tours for candidates

Helping candidates imagine themselves in a particular workplace is an important element of the recruiting and hiring process. It’s particularly meaningful for highly competitive roles, for example in the tech sector, where most candidates are already employed or fielding offers from other companies in addition to yours. With VR technology, candidates can take an immersive tour of a workplace, as well as peek into the company culture. Online ecommerce company Jet.com, for example, uses VR to let candidates sit in on a meeting with their CEO, tour their busy offices, and check out the vibe at the happy hour for employees.¹

Many companies are bringing VR headsets with them to career events and college job fairs to increase traffic to their booths, as well as to give candidates an authentic inside look at their organizations. After a VR introduction, candidates who take the next steps in the application process are more likely a good fit for your company.

Introducing the job

Similar to the virtual workplace tour, VR can give candidates an immersive experience with specific roles. This is especially helpful in positions with a higher-than-average turnover rate. Misunderstanding the day-to-day realities of a particular job contributes to employee churn, and VR can help clarify the position better than any job description.

German railway company, Deutsche Bahn, was an early adopter of VR tech to help attract Millennial and Gen Z workers when it was preparing for a wave of retirements in 2015.² With VR, prospective candidates could closely follow employees doing different jobs within the company. While the realities of the job were off-putting to some, the talent who continued tended to be more promising and were more likely to stick with the hiring process.

Virtual reality skills assessments

Skills assessments are not new, but VR takes them up a level. Jaguar Land Rover uses the technology to find talented software engineers and mathematicians by asking them to solve puzzles in a virtual garage. The puzzles are designed to test the key skills needed for specific positions, and engage with tech talent who may not have considered working for a car company. Candidates who perform well on the puzzles are immediately invited to jump ahead a few steps in the hiring process.

One day soon, virtual reality is expected to put a valuable spin on the interview question, “What would you do when faced with this situation?” Within a virtual environment, candidates for specific roles will be asked to solve problems common to the position. A company can also ask talent to demonstrate important soft skills, such as communication with co-workers and customer relations.

In LinkedIn’s 2018 Global Recruiting Trends report, 28 percent of 9,000 hiring managers surveyed said VR skills assessments were among the most useful candidate recruitment innovations.

Reality check

While VR technology is becoming more widespread, the percentage of people who own headsets of their own is still small. This isn’t an issue when companies provide VR headsets at career fairs, but requiring candidates to supply their own for interviews or skills assessments can keep promising talent from continuing with an application.

Like all valuable recruiting technology, VR is only one piece of the puzzle. There is no substitute for in-person interviews, an actual workplace walk-through, and real handshakes. But VR is an early hiring touch point that shows promise in attracting candidates who are suited to the job, and enjoy your company culture.

Need assistance sourcing and hiring candidates? Contact us.

Sources

1 Crook, Jordan. “Jet Uses Samsung Gear VR To Recruit New Candidates.” TechCrunch. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
2 Dixon, Lauren. “This Firm Uses Virtual Reality to Recruit. Should Others Follow?” Talent Economy. Web. 13 March 2017.

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Virtual workforce trends: taking work out of office

May 20, 2018 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles

Virtual workforce trends: taking work out of office

Content Team

May 20, 2018

In any given coffee shop on any given day, it is easy to spot the virtual workforce with their laptops open and headphones on to help minimize distractions. Telecommuters. Remote or virtual workers. Work-from-home employees. Digital nomads.

All of these terms refer to talent who accomplish some — or all — of their work at a location that is not a company office, such as a home or at a café with a WiFi connection.

Virtual work isn’t new, but the number of people working out of the office has increased dramatically in recent years.

The number of US employees working remotely increased 115 percent between 2005 and 2015, going from 1.8 million in 2005 to 3.9 million in 2015. That’s according to research by Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs.¹

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22 percent of the US workforce did part or all of their work at home in 2016, up from 19 percent in 2003. Among workers with advanced degrees aged 25 and older, full or partial remote work reached 43 percent in 2016.²

Exploring the pros and cons of remote working

Now that it’s no longer an option for a lucky few, the pros and cons of full- or part-time remote work are under scrutiny.

On one side are those who contend it has a positive impact on productivity, employee engagement, and the bottom line.

Employees who spent some time working virtually were slightly more engaged than those who worked remote or in-office 100 percent of the time, according to a 2017 Gallup survey. Partial remote workers were also more likely to feel their job offered learning and growth opportunities.

On the flip side, however, are those who contend remote work negatively impacts collaboration.

In the past few years, several high-profile companies began scaling back their virtual workforce. In 2017, IBM rescinded the remote option for thousands of employees, and before that, Bank of America and Yahoo called their workers back to the office.

But the virtual work option isn’t going away anytime soon, with experts predicting an expansion of the remote workforce over the next few years. Companies should consider carefully whether and how they’ll leverage virtual employees, and then develop virtual work policies unique to their organization.

Some businesses struggling to draw highly skilled talent may attract better candidates with a remote option. Others may improve employee satisfaction with a partial work-from-home option.

Whether you’re considering adding telecommuters to your staff for the first time, or refining your existing remote work offerings, these are some of the top virtual workforce trends to understand.

Trend 1: Virtual collaboration driven by tech hubs

Increased remote work coincides with the rise of smartphones and other mobile tech that allow people to take the office with them wherever they go. Additionally, collaboration and messaging tools — think Trello and Slack — have become so sophisticated, virtual work can happen in real time.

In virtual hubs and incubators, employees work from where they are with teams across the globe. These hubs, which can exist exclusively online or within shared work spaces, are proliferating around the country.

No longer must tech companies establish a footprint in Silicon Valley to draw top talent. The talent market is tight across industries, but it’s fiercely competitive within the tech sector. For many startups, a brick-and-mortar office in a city with a deep tech talent pool isn’t in the budget.

With a virtual hub, they can access exceptional candidates anywhere in the world, and a team of developers can work seamlessly within web-based hosting services, such as GitHub and Bitbucket. Similarly, tech giants can cast a larger net for developers and software engineers who aren’t willing to relocate. Employers large and small also save money on salaries when their remote workers live outside of expensive tech hubs, such as San Jose and New York City.

Trend 2: Remote work spreading across industries

According to a 2017 study by IT solutions company Softchoice, 74 percent of 1,000 office workers surveyed said they would leave their job for another that offered the option of more remote work.

According to Gallup’s State of the American Workplace — in-depth polling into what matters to employees — “flexible scheduling and work-from-home opportunities play a major role in an employee’s decision to take or leave a job.” To draw top candidates in a tight talent market, employers are taking note.

Tech companies embrace the remote work model, and other industries are finding that telecommuting and flexible work options improve candidate attraction and employee engagement. According to Gallup’s research, the finance, insurance, and real estate industries significantly increased their virtual workforce from 39 percent to 47 percent between 2012 and 2016. During the same time period, the computer, IT, manufacturing, science, engineering, and retail sectors also increased their remote workforce.

Trend 3: A greater proliferation of flexible remote policies

The most effective telecommuting policies aren’t all or nothing.

Gallup’s research found that fully remote and fully in-office workers report the same low level of engagement, with only 30 percent of these employees actively engaged at work. A mix of time spent collaborating with colleagues in the office and working remotely seems to make the most positive impact on hiring. All employees with some remote work flexibility were more engaged than those without the option. But those who worked remotely three to four days a week had the highest engagement levels — from 60 to 80 percent engagement.

Ideally, a company’s remote work policy includes wiggle room to allow for individual preferences. Some employees are likely to feel isolated or out of the loop when they work from home, while others will be adept at navigating collaboration tools so they feel connected and in the mix.

Working remotely is fast shifting from a nice-to-have perk to a non-negotiable option for employees deciding where they’d like to work next. Even if your company isn’t prepared to offer a remote option, it’s important to consider how it might fit with your organization in the near future.

Sources

1 Vasel, Kathryn. “Working From Home is Really Having a Moment.” CNN. Web. 21 June 2017.
2 “On Days They Worked, 22 Percent of Employed Did Some or All of Their Work at Home in 2016.” TED: The Economics Daily. Bureau of Labor Statistics. United States Department of Labor.

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Is total talent acquisition right for your company?

April 13, 2018 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles

Is total talent acquisition right for your company?

Content Team

April 13, 2018

Hiring is changing at a dizzying pace and gathering the necessary pieces of the recruiting puzzle is a challenge. Would a blend of contingent and permanent employees offer the best ROI for your business? Which job boards and social networks most effectively attract talent in your industry? How do you leverage emerging technologies, such as recruiting chatbots and analytics, for improved hiring? Depending on your organization, total talent acquisition can put the pieces of the talent puzzle together.

What Is Total Talent Acquisition?

Total talent acquisition is a hiring and employee management approach that aligns workforce and business strategies to improve outcomes now and in the future. Total talent acquisition zooms out for a big picture view of an organization’s hiring needs and processes, and then zooms in to address geographic talent shortages, increases in product demand that are likely temporary, or employer branding needs.

How Does Total Talent Acquisition Work?

The traditional approach to talent management remains highly siloed, with permanent hiring, contingent hiring, sourcing, employer branding, and analytics often managed separately. Total talent acquisition takes a holistic approach where the need for contingent workers is considered in tandem with permanent workforce needs and industry projections. It also factors in the rising use of robots and artificial intelligence in industries, with an understanding that these technologies are shifting the roles critical to achieving business goals.

With this approach, cycles of hiring and layoffs are replaced by the expansion and reduction of contingent worker contracts. Folding in contingent workers is helpful to cope with market fluctuations, but also for specific expertise that isn’t permanently required. For instance, a logistics company may bring on temporary data specialists to pinpoint emerging markets only when the business is heading into an expansion phase.

The Benefits of Total Talent Acquisition

The workforce is changing, with the number of people filling contingent roles rising fast. By 2020, the number of U.S. workers freelancing part time or full time is expected to top 50 percent. The traditional approach no longer aligns with this fast-evolving hiring landscape, leaving gaps and inefficiencies that total talent tactics can correct. Some of the benefits of total talent acquisition include:

Lower hiring and recruitment costs through centralized management of sourcing, interviewing, applicant tracking systems, candidate management, onboarding, and employee engagement and retention.
Optimizing the balance between permanent and contingent hires in your workforce.
Increased internal hiring by shifting proven contingent hires to open permanent roles.
Improved productivity because this strategy takes a more qualitative approach to contingent hires.
Placing accountability on service providers for permanent and contingent roles, recruiting technology, employer branding, as well as for regulatory compliance issues.
Providing flexibility for shifting forces within your industry and the broader economy.

In the new business landscape, it isn’t just workers who must be agile and adaptive to stay competitive. Companies must also adapt to the new and still evolving hiring environment so their workforce composition spurs business in boom times and helps them weather downturns.

The shift to a total talent acquisition model is challenging but in no way insurmountable. It requires understanding and buy-in from decision makers from the CEO to human resources leaders to procurement managers. Step one? Getting the topic on the conference table.

Need assistance with your hiring? Contact us.

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The best non-monetary perks and benefits for candidates

April 6, 2018 by Content Team

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The best non-monetary perks and benefits for candidates

Content Team

April 6, 2018

To entice candidates to say yes to the job, many companies focus on compensation—the salary, the bonus structure, stock options, and retirement [401(k) Plan or RRSP, for example]—and big benefits such as health insurance and paid vacation. These are important and are weighted heavily by prospective employees. But all other things being equal, non-monetary perks and benefits can make the difference when candidates are on the fence about taking a job at your company.

What are non-monetary perks?

Non-monetary perks are the nice-to-have benefits companies offer, though ‘non-monetary’ is a bit of a misnomer. Often these perks cost companies money, and they save workers time and money. Tech companies draw a lot of attention for their flashy perks, such as on-site chefs cooking free meals for employees, or concierge service to help employees manage personal errands. But non-monetary perks need not be expensive—or envy-inducing—to be valuable to employees and companies. A 2015 Employment Confidence Survey by Glassdoor found that 79 percent of workers prefer increases in perks and benefits to a salary increase, and many of their preferences focused on work/life balance rather than money.

Here are some non-monetary perks to consider adding to your benefits package:

Flexible Schedules and Working Arrangements

The days where all workers were expected to be in-office five days a week are fast disappearing in many industries. Online collaboration tools, such as Slack, and video conferencing apps keep employees up to speed at home, the coffee shop, or in shared workspaces. This approach alleviates employee stress because workers don’t have to cope with a daily commute, or worry how they will manage when a child is home sick from school.

Clear parameters and trust are critical in these arrangements. For example, clarify if the work-from-home option is available only two days per week and set your expectations for timely email responses. Then convey your trust that the employee will be available and get the job done.

Health and Wellness Programs

Busy workers often let fitness, health, and stress-reduction activities slip through the cracks when they have to squeeze them in at end of day or on the weekends. Many companies now offer wellness programs at the office such as yoga and exercise classes, meditation workshops, chair massages, and nutrition counseling. This helps workers de-stress and can lower future healthcare costs for the company.

Career Development

Employees are keenly aware that staying competitive in today’s changing economy means learning new things and adding to their skills. But it’s difficult for them to find time for that when they are busy working long hours. Offer training and workshops in the office that help build your employees’ soft and hard skills. Send them to conferences to keep up to date on the industry, and give them opportunities to network with peers. Offer tuition reimbursement and time for leadership programs and continuing education. This shows employees you are invested in their career growth, which is particularly important to younger workers.

Concierge Services

Let your employees truly refresh over the weekend by taking tedious and time-consuming personal errands off their plate during the week. It doesn’t cost much to hire a concierge company to manage laundry pick-ups, oil changes, and car washes for your employees. Workers usually pick up the cost of the price of the service itself, but the scheduling is managed for them and the service happens while they are working.

Affordable Perks, Big Dividends

The following are a few perks that improve employee satisfaction at little to no cost:

Bring Your Dog to Work Days
Celebrating the birthdays of employees and their spouses
Casual dress policy
Providing healthy snacks
Break room games and activities

How perks benefit companies

These added perks—even simply ensuring workers have fresh, high-quality coffee available through the day—are not insignificant. They make employees feel valued for their contributions to the workplace, and understood as individuals with interests and concerns beyond the office walls, which improves employee engagement and retention rates. Finally, these non-monetary benefits improve your company’s appeal to candidates by showing you are attentive to office culture and care about having happy employees.

Need hiring assistance? Contact us.

Content Team

RPO services

Content Team

What is RPO?

What is MSP?

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Contract work employment: the ins and outs

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Trend 2: Remote work spreading across industries

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