The Great Re-Evaluation: ‘49% of younger workers plan to quit their jobs in next 12 months’

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Whether we call it The Great Resignation, The Great Shuffle or The Great Re-Evaluation — they all have something in common. Younger workers, wherever they may be based, simply aren’t happy. According to a recent Personio and Opinium survey of 250 senior decision-makers and 1,000 workers in the UK and the Republic of Ireland in small and medium-sized companies across several industries nearly half plans on quitting their job in the next 12 months.

It’s about praise and recognition

Meanwhile, younger workers aren’t just going to quit their jobs. There is a much deeper, underlying sentiment regarding praise and acknowledgement taking place. 70% of younger workers say they haven’t received enough recognition from their employers on their performance over the pandemic. That is staggeringly high compared to 38% of those aged over 45.

Remote working has clearly taken a toll on younger workers.

It comes at a time when remote working has clearly taken a toll on younger workers. 60% of younger workers state remote working has affected their career progression, compared to just 12% of those aged over 45. “These findings highlight just how important it is for [organisations] to reconnect with their people, and recognise their efforts over the last few years”, said Ross Seychell, Chief People Officer at Personio. “Especially those earlier on in their careers.” 

‘A worrying disconnect between HR and reality’

On the HR side of things, 64% of HR managers report that retention is currently their biggest issue. But the research highlights what it calls a ‘worrying disconnect’ between perceived reality and what is actually going on. While younger workers say they are increasingly looking for a better work-life balance (85%) as well as employee wellbeing (88%), those aspects aren’t necessarily met on the HR side of things.

“This highlights an urgent need for their primarily non-Gen Z and non-Millennial managers to evolve quickly to meet the needs of their younger workforce.”

The research shows that only 19% of organisations and HR teams are currently reviewing their employee experience. Meanwhile, just 29% are looking to improve work life balance. “This highlights an urgent need for their primarily non-Gen Z and non-Millennial managers to evolve quickly to meet the needs of their younger workforce”, the report concludes.

“The bottom line is that if businesses fail to implement a holistic people strategy that meets the demands of their entire workforce, they will face the consequences of discontentment.”

“With young people feeling alienated and overlooked at work, HR managers and employers must understand more about their concerns and what they are looking for from the world of work”, Seychell added. “The bottom line is that if businesses fail to implement a holistic people strategy that meets the demands of their entire workforce, they will face the consequences of discontentment. And in the worst cases, an exodus of valuable young talent.”

66% of managers expect remote work to be cut after pandemic

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During the second quarter of 2020, 557 million workers worked from home, accounting for 17.4% of the world’s employment. As organisations around the world pivoted to remote working schemes in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic, it led to many initially interesting discussions. Some companies opted for a full-scale permanent workforce, while others pivoted towards hybrid models.

Coinbase, Shopify and Twitter all announced the intention to go ‘remote-first’. In an interview with ToTalent back in May, 2021, we posed the question whether more more companies would follow in their footsteps to Remotive founder Rodolphe Dutel. “Many companies will stay in this remote state.  Where you do not have to come to the office, only for infrequent meetings and socialising”, he said. “The bulk of them will be hybrid. What you’ll see is a small HQ, that is dedicated to a co-working space where people will meet every now and then. And the rest will work remotely.”

The remote-first U-turn

While remote-first seemingly became a crucial part of business strategies, several companies have since made U-turns. A survey by accountants KPMG in August 2021 showed that just 17% of chief executives planned to cut back on offices, down from 69% in the survey a year earlier. “Either downsizing has already taken place, or plans have changed as the impact of extended, unplanned, remote working has taken a toll on some employees”, KPMG said.

Two-thirds (66%) of 397 UK-based middle managers and HR leaders and C-suite executives don’t believe that remote working initiatives will stay in place after the pandemic.

Now, a few months later, a survey carried out for workplace management firm GoodShape by Ipsos showed that two-thirds (66%) of 397 UK-based middle managers and HR leaders and C-suite executives don’t believe that remote working initiatives will stay in place after the pandemic. Interestingly enough the similar percentage (66%) cited ‘remote working’ as ‘much-needed’.

The need for flexibility 

The research also points at potential tensions as companies look past COVID-19 measures. Employees now view flexibility as the norm, while it may not necessarily be on the cards. Approximately 43% of respondents expect flexible working hours to remain part of their future for work; meaning that the majority of managers and executives don’t foresee it being a big part of their businesses.

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Three steps for skills-based hiring: ‘Nearly 1 in 3 skills for a job will no longer be needed in 2022’

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Business all over the world view the building of skills and competencies as their number one priority for 2022, according to a Gartner report. The emphasis on skills is there for a reason, as those very same business face unprecedented labour and skills shortages. As the total number of job vacancies boom in pretty much every country, the number of skills needed by employees has increased by an average of 6.3% each year since 2018.

Roughly 33.3% of all skills that were needed just four years ago, have become irrelevant for a job now.

And perhaps more problematically, Gartner’s research found that nearly 1 in 3 skills needed for a job in 2018 will no longer be needed in 2022. In other words: roughly 33.3% of all skills that were needed just four years ago, have become irrelevant for a job now. Take the example of data scientists. From a pool of 139,992, just four technical requirements and three years of experience eliminates 98% of the candidate pool. That leaves companies to fish in, what is in many ways a puddle.

Source: Indeed Flex

Go for specific skills, rather than roles

It all brings us to what Indeed Flex expects will have to change in recruitment. In 2022 business will focus on hiring specific skills rather than filling preconceived roles. “This will enable more flexible and strategic operation. As staffing efforts focus exclusively on the value a candidate brings to the business . Not whether they fit a traditional set of expectations”, the research states.

Step 1: Reimagine the interview process

The root of many problems is the first area to attack, say Indeed Flex. The interview process has long been an utilised source of bad decisions. It usually seeks out those who have prior work experience. And it works against those whose CV may be less perfect for the position. “Many businesses will focus on credentials when looking for specific skill sets”, the research says.

“The interview process should therefore be reimagined to give candidates the opportunity to demonstrate specific skills.”

“But this risks missing out on candidates who may have exceptional skills – but not yet the experience to show it. The interview process should therefore be reimagined to give candidates the opportunity to demonstrate specific skills. Including competency tests and problem solving tasks.”

Step 2: Find under-utilised talent pools

Underemployed people are everywhere. The UK has approximately 1.5 million underemployed people. And while the unemployment rate in Europe has gradually decreased, Eurostat estimates that 13.346 million men and women in the EU, of whom 11.225 million in the euro area (EA), were unemployed in January 2022.

“By looking at talent pools which are traditionally not considered, such as students or retired people, businesses may be able to find highly-skilled labour which is more flexible and cheaper.”

“Shifting to a skill-based hiring system is a prime opportunity for employers to widen their recruitment net”, the report states. “By looking at talent pools which are traditionally not considered, such as students or retired people, businesses may be able to find highly-skilled labour which is more flexible and cheaper.”

Step 3: Embrace short-term workers

If it wasn’t already abundantly clear: it is a freelancer’s world. According to Randstad Sourceright’s Talent Trends 2022 report, 71% of human capital and C-Suite leaders plan to shift roles to contingent, project or contract. Europe’s workforce consists of approximately 14.02% freelancers. Eurostat data shows that there were roughly 27.6 million self-employed people working in the 27 European Union countries.

“To combat this, businesses can bring in temporary talent with very specific skills on a flexible basis.”

“Skill-based hiring often leads to inefficient hires, because the candidate is brought in for a particular skill which may not actually be needed 40% of the time”, the research says. “To combat this, businesses can bring in temporary talent with very specific skills on a flexible basis, in order to plug their skills gaps without committing to a full-time hire.”

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Jobseekers much less likely to apply if salary isn’t advertised

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Amid an unprecedented labour shortage and a record number of vacancies, companies must pivot in the way they communicate info about the available jobs. With more than four in ten (42%) companies currently finding it ‘more difficult than usual’ to generate job applications, the research illustrates a clear need for businesses to change the way they communicate the job info. Namely: job salary transparency.

62% of hiring managers believe a lack of salary transparency on job ads has no negative impact on applications.

Interestingly enough, it is the very thing the majority of hiring managers do not think has a negative impact on applications. While jobseekers state salary as being the number one reason to apply for a job, almost two-thirds (62%) of hiring managers believe a lack of salary transparency on job ads has no negative impact on applications. Meanwhile, less than half (46%) of employers have a salary transparency policy.

‘You wouldn’t shop in a supermarket that doesn’t list its prices’

Simon Wingate, managing director of reed.co.uk.

The research found that those that do incorporate salary details, generated more 27% more applications on average. It also ensured those applications were more relevant (38%) according to hiring managers, and ended up saving time throughout the recruitment process (35%). Commenting on the pay transparency research, Simon Wingate, managing director of reed.co.uk, pulled no punches.

Why should we expect people to sift through job ads that don’t advertise salary?

“You wouldn’t shop in a supermarket that doesn’t list its prices, so why should we expect people to sift through job ads that don’t advertise salary?”, he asked. “From our research, it’s clear that jobseekers want to apply for roles at businesses that are open about what they pay. Reed.co.uk always displays salary ranges on its own job ads and encourages employers to follow suit.”

“Businesses need to be more open to salary transparency or risk losing out on the best candidates.”

“Not only will you generate more applications, you’ll likely improve relevancy and save time in the process”, Wingate adds. “You’ll also be able to attract from a wider talent pool and avoid any negative impact to your employer brand. Businesses need to be more open to salary transparency or risk losing out on the best candidates.”

Should it be mandatory?

It raises a question whether job pay transparency should be mandatory. New York City recently passed a new law with which employers must have to include ‘the minimum and maximum salary for any advertised job, promotion, or transfer opportunity’. Employers will also have to include the salary range in all announcements or postings.

In March 2021, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, presented a proposal that aims to ensure both women and men in the EU get equal pay for equal work. “For equal pay, you need transparency”, Von der Leyen said in a statement. “Women must know whether their employers treat them fairly. And when this is not the case, they must have the power to fight back and get what they deserve.”

Ursula von der Leyen. CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2019 – Source: EP

It may take another year and a handful of months, but we could soon have a more definitive answer to Europe’s regulations on pay transparency.

Part of proposal is the notion that employers will have to provide information about the initial pay level or its range in the job vacancy notice or before the job interview. Once adopted, European Member States will have two years to transpose the directive into national law. In conclusion: it may take another year and a handful of months, but we could soon have a more definitive answer to Europe’s regulations on pay transparency.

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Jooble launches unique ‘Work for Ukrainians abroad’ initiative

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As the world’s eyes turn to Ukraine every day in lieu of Russia’s invasion, the country’s inhabitants have fled their country en masse. Meanwhile, companies all over the world have followed each other in closing up shop in Russia. Moving away from the land of Putin. Ukrainian people were in a slightly different scenario. A scenario wherein they had to leave everything behind — their homes, their families and jobs.

According to SimilarWeb, Jooble is in fact the second most visited employment website in the world.

Jooble is a Ukrainian IT company which operates in 71 countries. The company’s main product is a job search website, which is currently used by approximately 90 million people per month. According to SimilarWeb, Jooble is in fact the second most visited employment website in the world. It ranks among 500 top visited websites globally.

Remote job opportunities

As Ukrainians have crossed into Polish, Slovakian, Czech Republican, Romanian, Hungarian, Moldovan and German borders — Jooble is now aiming to get those seeking jobs, into jobs immediately. “You are Ukrainian or Ukrainian. The war forced you to temporarily leave your home. But remember: we are together, we are supported by the whole world. And this site will help you find a job in the country that sheltered you.”

Recruitment rallies behind Ukraine

Jooble isn’t alone in its initiative. Recently, a platform called RemoteUkraine was launched with goals to get skilled Ukrainian professionals to continue working from wherever they may be. StepStone have meanwhile supported a job board called UATalents, which advertises openings to those who have lost employment due to the war.

Indeed has also replaced all Russian job postings with a message denouncing the invasion.

As the world rallies for Ukraine, it comes on the back of more announcements from companies suspending all of their commercial activities in Russia. Indeed, Adzuna, Jobrapido and Upwork have all immediately disabled their Russian sites. Indeed has also replaced all Russian job postings with a message denouncing the invasion.

Does Europe lag behind the US in candidate experience?

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Talent acquisition teams from all over the world were confronted with backfilling more positions than ever. On top of hiring for new positions. It has resulted in the growing number of open job roles and the fierce completion amongst recruiters intensifying. In both cases, it is unchartered territory for the world of TA and recruitment.

While quits are happening (albeit not as the same rate as in the US), they are mostly job-to-job moves, as candidates become aware of the lucrative terms on offer across organisations.

But as the United States saw what has been popularly dubbed The Great Resignation, Europe’s changes have been less apparent. While talent is, by all means, scarce — it hasn’t seen the same type of quit levels as its American counterparts. Europe is currently undergoing The Great Shuffle, as dubbed by Bill Boorman and others. While quits are happening (albeit not as the same rate as in the US), they are mostly job-to-job moves, as candidates become aware of the lucrative terms on offer across organisations.

‘2021 was the year for Candidate Experience’

What is consistent across both continents, though, is the fact that candidate experience has established itself as the catalyst for better talent. “2021 was definitely the breakthrough year for Candidate Experience”, say the authors of Starred’s Candidate Experience Benchmark Report. “2021 reveals what the state of Candidate Experience is and how it was affected by the pandemic and the Great Resignation.”

Source: Starred

Unsurprisingly, the cNPS score is much higher when a candidate is hired as opposed to rejected during the application phase.

To measure Candidate Experience, Starred used the candidate Net Promoter Score (cNPS). They posed a simple question: ‘How likely is it that you would recommend someone else to apply to [insert company name]’. Candidates would then provide a score in the range of “very unlikely” to “very likely” (0 -10). Unsurprisingly, the cNPS score is much higher when a candidate is hired as opposed to rejected during the application phase. In all, on average, candidates who were hired gave the candidate experience a positive score of +79, while rejected applicants — through application, phone screening or assessment — gave cNPS scores of -14, -17 and -15 respectively.

Cultural differences

Remarkably, the United States appears to be ahead of Europe in its overall candidate experience. When candidates are rejected after an interview, the overall candidate experience is positive in the US (+6 cNPS), while Europe scores 10 points less (-4 cNPS). The difference grows even larger when candidates are hired, where Europe scores 16 points lower than the US (+88 cNPS v. 72 cNPS).

‘In Europe where tests are graded on a scale of 0 to 10, students can almost never get a ten.’

This may be down to cultural difference, say Starred, citing a Hubspot study. “When Americans are asked to rate something on a scale of 0 to 10 they give more extreme responses as compared to their European counterparts”, Nataly Kelly of Hubspot writes. “This scoring bias is deeply ingrained in the cultural differences between Europe and the US. American children are expected to get all A’s, even in high school. In Europe where tests are graded on a scale of 0 to 10, students can almost never get a ten. A teacher of my daughter once said that an 8 is great, a 9 is for geniuses and 10, well, only God can get a 10.”

Staffing industry responds to war: Hays ceases all business operations in Russia

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Western giants are moving out of Russia one by one. In recent days, the likes of Netflix, Ikea, Apple, Spotify, H&M and Disney have all announced an immediate ceasing of business operations in Russia. Now the first staffing firm, Hays, has done the same thing. The company will close its offices in Moscow and St Petersburg with immediate effect.

‘Not a decision we have taken lightly’

For Hays, it is a decision that certainly wasn’t made overnight. “This is not a decision we have taken lightly as a business”, said Alistair Cox, Hays PLC CEO. “However, we cannot continue to maintain a presence in Russia, nor assist organisations there in any way, in light of the current situation.”

“We cannot continue to maintain a presence in Russia, nor assist organisations there in any way, in light of the current situation.”

The Hays Russia team at Moscow’s red square. Source: Hays.

As Hays, and many others, move out of Russia, it remains to be seen whether other companies in the staffing industry will do the same thing. Adecco Group, without any direct operations in Russia or Ukraine, recently published a statement wherein it said it will continue to monitor the situation. “The safety of people, of our employees and their families, is our absolute priority. […] We have many Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian colleagues and associates working with the Group.”

“The safety of people, of our employees and their families, is our absolute priority.

On the institutional front, the Group is said to be working closely with the World Employment Confederation (WEC) to support the Employment Industry Federations in the countries in the region. “We have pledged our support to the Directors of Global UN Agencies. Such as the IOM (International Organisation of Migration), the UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) and the ILO (International Labor Organisation).”

WEC and ILO respond

The World Employment Confederation (WEC) also published a statement. “The employment and recruitment industry is focusing on how it can lend its support to people, in particular those displaced by the crisis. The WEC members in the region are putting in place all necessary measures to protect permanent staff and agency workers, working in solidarity and support with relevant partners on the ground.”

“The devastation of jobs, enterprises and livelihoods will be massive and endure for many years.”

The International Labour Organisation (ILO), meanwhile, calls the current situation in Ukraine one of the darkest chapters in ILO’s century long history. “It is a brutal repudiation of our organisation’s mission to promote peace through social justice”, said Guy Ryder, the ILO’s Director-General. “Those responsible for the aggression know full well that among its first victims will be working people and that the devastation of jobs, enterprises and livelihoods will be massive and endure for many years.”

Charles Kenny (CGD): ‘The labour shortage is Europe’s real migrant crisis’

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As recruiters work around the clock and do everything within their power to fill vacancies, sometimes — and perhaps too often — their work is no avail. Europe is currently in the midst of a talent crisis of their own. Recruiters are more stressed than ever. The right candidates are increasingly harder to find. But it may just be the tip of the iceberg. While the increased number of vacancies across the continent poses an immediate problem, organisations across Europe face a much larger problem in the long-run.

That problem is called ageing. According to an extensive study conducted by the United Nations, Europe will have 95 million fewer working-age people (between 20 and 64) in 2050 than in 2015. Some countries come off worse than others. Despite leading the charge in automation, Germany is projected to have a continent-leading worker gap of 7 million by 2050. France, meanwhile, looks set for an overall labour shortage of roughly 3.9 million by 2050.

Source: UN

“There will be a lot more retirees who need home and health care, and still an economy to run.”

In many ways, recruiters look set for many stressful years to come. “I think [the talent crisis] will obviously be a lot worse in 2050”, Charles Kenny, senior fellow the director of technology and development at the Center for Global Development (CGD), tells ToTalent in an interview. “There will be a lot more retirees who need home and health care, and still an economy to run. We’ll need more IT experts, more sales staff, you name it.”

Europe’s real migrant crisis

With the CGD, Kenny is leading the charge in creating awareness and in-depth analyses for one of Europe’s greatest challenges moving forward. While some people hold onto the migrant crisis as a common denominator for why things aren’t quite going according to plan for the continent, Kenny poses a completely different view. Simply put: there aren’t enough migrants coming through European borders.

“It is time for policymakers in Brussels and London to wake up to the real migrant crisis.”

Charles Kenny

“It’s pretty frustrating”, says Kenny. “Too many people in Europe see migration as a problem, not a solution. Our policies focus on control and limits, not facilitating more and better migration. We need to move from wall building to bridge building: helping to ensure European countries get the skilled workers they need. While the migrants themselves, the countries they come from and the communities they join all share the benefits. It is time for policymakers in Brussels and London to wake up to the real migrant crisis.”

“Setting it up so that people who try to move to a better life are part of a ‘crisis’, an invading army, is part of a small-mindedness that spills over into policies toward global cooperation.”

“It makes Europe a poorer, less interesting place. It diverts talent, money and energy into counterproductive policies and leads to tragedy in the Mediterranean and elsewhere. Setting it up so that people who try to move to a better life are part of a ‘crisis’, an invading army, is part of a small-mindedness that spills over into policies toward global cooperation, toward attitudes around climate change and action against pandemics and toward attitudes to minorities at home. It just makes the world a worse place.”

Is Africa the solution for Europe’s labour shortage?

In the Center for Global Development study, Kenny and co-author Yang zoom in on Africa being a big part of the possible solution for European shortages. But it will require a dramatic shift in policies.  Under business as usual, Kenny and the CGD predict that approximately 29 million African working-age migrants will come to so-called high-income countries. “That number equates to about 4% of the growth in Africa’s workforce over that period. It would be great news for Europe and Africa both if more of the other 96% had chances to migrate, temporarily or permanently, north of the Mediterranean.”

“It would be great news for Europe and Africa both if more of the other 96% had chances to migrate, temporarily or permanently, north of the Mediterranean.”

The opportunities are there, according to Kenny. “It means supporting skills development in sending countries through skills partnerships. It means helping migrants integrate through programs like solidarity networks. And it means answering concerns about housing and public services in receiving communities through support for new construction and service expansion.”

“If your workforce doesn’t reflect the demographic makeup of the working age population that suggests you’re probably missing some of that talent.”

While the onus is on policymakers, recruitment and talent acquisition leaders also have a real opportunity, according to Kenny. “I think more staff from recruitment agencies should be getting on planes to Nairobi and Lagos — but they should also look closer to home. We still see real gaps in equal opportunity between men and women and racial majorities and minorities. Talent is equally distributed. And if your workforce doesn’t reflect the demographic makeup of the working age population that suggests you’re probably missing some of that talent.”

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Explained: the differences between AI-powered sourcing solutions SeekOut, hireEZ and HiringSolved

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The recruiting workflow involves an array of niche technologies. According to the 2021 recruitment tech report by Findem, 69% of organisations currently juggle five or more technologies to get their work done. Only 31% have reportedly streamlined their operations to require four or fewer, and about 25% uses 10 or more tools. Growing tech stacks have become the norm for recruiting practices.

According to Findem’s report, a whopping 95% of organisations want to automate more of the sourcing process.

Those tech stacks have been sourcing heavy. According to Findem’s report, a whopping 95% of organisations want to automate more of the sourcing process. hireEZ (formerly known as Hiretual), SeekOut and HiringSolved have all gone all-in on their own respective AI-powered sourcing niche. And they’re hot among investors. Within approximately 18 days in the early going of 2022, hireEZ and Seekout closed their respective investment rounds of $26 million and $115 million.

AI-powered in their own way

From the outside looking in, whenever ‘AI-powered’ is used in mission statements, it enhances the idea that there’s going to be an algorithm doing the hard sourcing. And, that the core product is essentially the same. In this instance, hireEZ and Seekout and HiringSolved clearly belong to the AI-powered spectrum, but there are some differences.

With the new money raised, Seekout announced they will move in the direction of a 360-degree platform for enterprise talent optimisation. hireEZ, meanwhile, will double down on outbound recruiting as their primary USP. There’s also HiringSolved, which aims to turn recruiters into talent advisors by unifying your disjointed databases and convert volumes of data into actionable insights.

“I think that they’re all forced to look at their businesses and say: we can’t just survive on people search and people finder.”

“When you talk to recruiters, the differences are there”, said Joel Cheesman on an episode of the Chad and Cheese show. “But as we look at what I would say would be like the OG’s of the sourcing technology business, they’re all pivoting into different areas. I think that they’re all forced to look at their businesses and say: we can’t just survive on people search and people finder.”

hireEZ: focused on outbound

hireEZ is primarily an outbound recruiting platform that gives recruiters access to untapped talent pools, scalable candidate engagement automation and integrations with leading ATS and CRM platforms. With tight labour markets all over the world, the company has emphasised the necessary shift to outbound recruiting. hireEZ reportedly has access to 750M+ candidates from 45+ open web platforms.

Scalability, therefore, is one of the primary reasons an organisation would opt for hireEZ’s solution. “From my perspective, it’s sort of like a HubSpot for recruiting”, said Joel Cheesman on an episode of the Chad and Cheese show. “It’s like they want to be the outbound marketing arm slash recruiting arm for a business.”

Its range of services: AI sourcing, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), Talent Maps, ATS Rediscovery, Chrome Extension, Boolean Builder.

SeekOut: 360-degree solution

SeekOut, meanwhile, will aim to serve as a 360-degree solution that helps find, grow, and retain a diverse, skilled organisation. Their solutions are threefold, spread across the search, optimisation and analytics. “For SeekOut, the goal is to become a rule the world, cradle-to-grave-type platform”, said Cheesman.

https://youtu.be/RlYSpL0O8m4

Its range of services: Candidate Profiles, AI matching, Diversity Hiring, Cleared Candidates, ATS Rediscovery, Inbound Talent, Candidate Engagement, Internal Talent, Career Hub and Analytics.

HiringSolved: internal search

HiringSolved automates the most time-consuming parts of the recruiting process to simplify the hiring journey. And give recruiting teams the knowledge they need to become Talent Advisors. No matter the recruiting goal (skills-based, high-volume or diversity), the service looks to unify all pieces of data (ATS, CRM, HRIS) into one, integrated service.

https://vimeo.com/394545625

Their platform aims to serve recruiting and talent acquisition needs of all varieties. From TA management to RPO processes. From HR leadership to staffing. “With HiringSolved, the pivot was more like we’re going to do internal search for you better than anybody else”, said Cheesman.

Its range of services: Unified data, Automated Applicant Matching, Analytics, Diversity Prediction, Transparent Scoring, Automated Pipelines, Automate TA Workflows.

Listen to the Chad and Cheese episode

Why 2022 will be the year of the freelancer: uncertainty is driving talent leaders to shift roles

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It’s slowly becoming a freelancer’s world. According to Randstad Sourceright’s Talent Trends 2022 report, 25% of talent leaders have converted more permanent positions to temporary or freelance roles last year. “The shift to more contingent resourcing is not surprising”, Randstad adds. “Organisations just can’t hire fast enough. It’s also in line with the recovery in the staffing market, which witnessed a decline early on in the pandemic.”

The seismic shift to more freelance roles will continue in 2022, the research states. 71% of human capital and C-Suite leaders plan to shift roles to contingent, project or contract. That’s the highest percentage in the history of Randstad Sourceright’s talent survey, and a 15-point increase from last year.

‘A people-focused mindset’

The research surveyed more than 900 human capital and C-suite leaders across 18 markets. They found that business leaders are increasingly turning to a ‘people-focused mindset’, prioritising talent experience to combat the scarcity they face. While one in four human capital leaders say talent scarcity is a ‘major pain point’, 53% are still planning to hire extensively this year. 

“The pandemic may have brought forth the Great Resignation, but it also allowed many leaders to re-examine the relationship between people and their employers.”

Business leaders are more focused on talent experience than ever before, the report states. “The pandemic may have brought forth the Great Resignation, but it also allowed many leaders to re-examine the relationship between people and their employers”, the report states. “Specifically, they are hoping to create more mutually beneficial interactions that drive both greater job satisfaction for their people as well as innovation and productivity.”

Flexibility will be key to attract talent

Flexibility looks set to be the common denominator in the way organisations will aim to attract and engage talent. 86% of leaders see policies, such as flex schedules and remote working as the way to go. “These companies realise that people, more than ever, want more control over their lives”, the report states. “Especially when it comes to work and how they spend a large part of their day.”

“Companies will need to identify what kinds of flexibility matter most to their people and find new ways of working to accommodate [that].”

Among the various strategies implemented, 88% say sign-on bonuses are effective, followed by flexible work arrangements (86%), increasing pay (83%) and engaging in contingent talent (83%). “With millions of people quitting, taking retirement and staying out of the labour market all together, companies face a daunting task ahead. They will need to identify what kinds of flexibility matter most to their people and find new ways of working to accommodate [that]. While also meeting the needs of the business.”

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Jobfishing scam: a fake company tricked dozens of employees, but who’s responsible?

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The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the amount of remote job opportunities, with many job searches now taking place solely online. But without any visit to the company’s HQ, how can jobseekers be sure they’re not being duped? As lockdowns ensued around the world, it seemed to bring along another worrisome occurrence: a fake job epidemic. In 2020, JobsAware, a British non-profit founded to tackle the growth in job-related scams, reported a 70% rise in fake job adverts. Moreover, 74% of jobseekers admitted to applying for a job they later believe did not exist.

Meet London-based design-agency Madbird, which employed dozens of workers across the world, without actually existing.

But sometimes — it can get even worse. People get jobs at a company that is not a real company. In lieu of a global pandemic and the rise of remote work, dynamic influencer Ali Ayad tricked dozens of employees all over the world in one of the most elaborate job-related cons to date. Meet London-based design-agency Madbird, which employed dozens of workers across the world, without actually existing.

Beware of Jobfishing

The BBC’s Leo Sands, Catrin Nye, Divya Talwar and Benjamin Lister spent over a year investigating what happened. We’re familiar with catfishing, but this is jobfishing. They followed the trial of Ayad, who spent countless of hours accumulating a fake senior leadership team, hoping to dupe staff into working for him. “At least six of the most senior employees profiled by Madbird were fake. Their identities stitched together using photos stolen from random corners of the internet and made-up names”, the authors write.

Job ads were posted online for positions within its international sales team — leading to ‘at least a dozen people’ being hired from Uganda, India, South Africa, the Philippines and elsewhere were hired.

By using facial recognition technology, the BBC managed to find out that the company’s co-founder was actually a Prague-based beehive maker, while one of the company’s graphic designers was one of the first results when searching for ‘ginger man’ on Getty Images. Moreover, job ads were posted online for positions within its international sales team — leading to ‘at least a dozen people’ being hired from Uganda, India, South Africa, the Philippines and elsewhere were hired.

‘No one was paid a single penny’

Meetings were done through Zoom, with every employee working from home. After all, everyone was going through a pandemic. No one was paid a single penny, according to the BBC report. “They had all agreed to work on a commission-only basis for the first six months. It was only after they passed their probation period that they would be put on a salary – about £35,000 ($47,300) for most. Until then, they would only earn a percentage of every deal they negotiated. They were all young adults looking for work and living through a pandemic. Many felt they had no choice but to accept the terms in their contracts.”

“Many felt they had no choice but to accept the terms in their contracts.”

Who’s responsible?

Sadly, scams like Ayad and Madbird’s aren’t the first of its kind — nor will they be the last. “Since the start of COVID we have seen a 65% increase in the volume of reports about fake jobs online”, says Keith Rosser, chair of JobsAware. “In the first 5 weeks of 2022 we have received over 50 reports of fake jobs.”

“There is hope that the Online Safety Bill will put more onus on job platforms operating online.”

Rosser says the responsibility lies with platforms where the jobs are advertised. “There needs to be better safeguards on platforms advertising jobs online”, he commented. “In the recent UK Labour Market Enforcement Strategy, Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of the Arts, recently said ‘online recruitment is poorly regulated’. There is hope that the Online Safety Bill will put more onus on job platforms operating online.”

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Top 10 favourite employers in the Netherlands: Government leads the way

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Very little things indicate a person’s desires and needs as much as their favourite or desired place of work. For the Netherlands, according to a widespread survey of 23.676 respondents conducted by Intelligence Group, it shows that even when things change due to an ongoing pandemic, most things still remain the same. So much is true when studying the top 10 list, containing the nation’s favourite employers.

After 10 years, Google reclaimed its spot in the top 10. Apple rose rapidly, finishing 20th, having previously ranked 52nd.

The Dutch Government once more ranks as the nation’s favourite place to work — having previously ranked first in the 2019 and 2020 surveys. The Netherlands Police came in second, while Shell (previously known as Royal Dutch Shell) rounds off the top three. Meanwhile, after 10 years, Google reclaimed its spot in the top 10. Apple rose rapidly, finishing 20th, having previously ranked 52nd.

Source: Intelligence Group

‘There’s no such thing as bad PR’

Two companies who haven’t had a great time from a PR standpoint stand out in terms in the rankings. Despite widespread criticism for Shell’s climate plans, the company increases its position among a wide net of Dutch respondents from fourth to third. The tax authorities, who claimed international headlines for their childcare benefits scandal, rose to fourth place, up from ninth.

“These employers gain in attractiveness because of the interests they represent.”

“There’s no such thing as bad PR”, said Geert-Jan Waasdorp, CEO of Intelligence Group. “That’s what a number of employers can allude to when it comes to their rise as an employer of choice. These employers gain in attractiveness because of the interests they represent. When these organisations get out of the news, there is a chance that they will lose their preferred positions.”

Healthcare on the rise

Healthcare employers, meanwhile, have risen in the ranking. The GGZ, the nation’s Association of Mental Health and Addiction Care, finished ninth up from fourteenth. The GGD, the Area Health Authority, finished 22nd. Erasmus University Medical Center, one of Europe’s largest medical centers, finished 30th up from 46th. Finally, the University Medical Center Groningen rose to 33rd, having previously ranked 58th.

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