Matthew is a prime example of the calibre of professionals you find in an RPO business. With over 17 years in the recruitment industry, he has a wealth of knowledge and skills to support our clients, his team, and many other departments in our business. His extensive experience in RPO, agency and in-house makes him an invaluable resource for those looking to learn more about the industry and what it means to work for an RPO.
Matthew has worked in recruitment since the very beginning of his career. After working for a recruitment agency for the first 18 months, he realised he was predominantly upselling rather than spending time understanding clients and helping them succeed.
“I didn’t want to be a salesperson. I wanted to work in an HR environment. I was looking to meet with clients, fully understand their needs, and identify people that would best fit those needs.”
After doing some research, he discovered RPO – which at the time was a relatively new business model in Australia. He loved it from day one. It meant having all the aspects of recruitment he enjoyed most without any other sales, allowing him to focus entirely on matching clients and job seekers and driving their recruitment strategy forward.
After three years in RPO, he took on an opportunity to work for an internal, fully integrated team. He explains that even though it offered him broader HR and Internal Recruitment experience, something was missing.
“I missed the support and the expertise I could turn to at an RPO, even though our team was quite sizeable. There was little career trajectory, training, and ongoing support, which encouraged me to apply to a role at Hudson RPO,” explains Matt.
At Hudson RPO, we know talent when we see it, and we were lucky to welcome Matthew back to our team. And it’s not just recruitment that Matthew excels at in our business. Matthew has successfully launched new accounts across different industries and has been involved in many projects to help improve our business and how we support our clients.
“Working in an RPO, I know there is expertise I can rely on. If I bump into a contractual issue, need marketing support, an IT or ATS specialist, I know I can pick up the phone and ask for help. It’s all at my fingertips, allowing me to focus on what I am passionate about,” he says.
There are many benefits to working for an RPO. RPO professionals often mention the support, career growth and exposure to different clients. Another one is job security. Matthew explains that he’s often seen internal and agency teams downsize when the market has been slow. But in an RPO environment the first port of call has always been to look for opportunities for our employees across our various solutions. With clients across all industries and of all sizes, our business is accustom to finding internal opportunities for our people, when and if the need arises.
And let’s not forget about culture. Being part of an RPO means that you will be fully embedded in your client’s team, but you also have the foundation of Hudson RPO.
“I could list more than 20 people who I think are amazing within the broader Hudson RPO team, but what it comes down to is I haven’t found a better group of people to work with. Having two teams might sound like a lot, but it really means a wealth of expertise and support surrounds me at all times,” explains Matthew.
Another highlight for Matthew is the focus on the quality of service above all else. This means there is always something to get involved in such as projects and initiatives. For Matthew, this was largely getting to launch new solutions for new clients.
“In the last five years, I have been involved in two solutions. Even in challenging times like COVID-19 and rising interest rates, our focus has remained on quality, partnering and adding value over anything else. It’s not about revenue; it’s about delivery,” he says.
Finally, the benefit of flexibility can’t be understated. For Matthew, this means making his work fit into his broarder lifestyle and the things that are most important to him.
“Hudson RPO doesn’t just offer flexible working; it is encouraged. I can now drop my son off at school or have lunch with my wife for the first time in my career. If you deliver your work requirements, you can make your work-life balance work for your lifestyle,” says Matthew.
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.
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