Reflecting on RL100 Crewe Summit: From Starting New Ventures to Leaving a Legacy

The final chapter of the RL100 calendar for 2023 ended with the historic Crewe Hall, where resourcing leaders gathered to engage in compelling discussions and delve into the pressing challenges and opportunities shaping the Talent Acquisition (TA) landscape.

Taking the Leap From TA to HR

Kicking off the event was Gary Manning, whose journey from Talent Acquisition (TA) to Human Resources Director (HRD) defied traditional career trajectories. 

Manning shared how his TA background substantially contributed to shaping a successful HR function.

Firstly, he stressed the importance of building a happy, high-performing team, using the Engagement Bridge model (from Reward Gateway). The model has 10 considerations to create a better workplace. This included the need for open communication, having clear goals, good leadership, and treating employees well. The model also demonstrates the importance of job design, learning, recognition, fair pay, a good workplace, and employee well-being. 

Gary also discussed the necessity of proactive future readiness by leveraging Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP), a skill that TA experience can develop. SWP is key to preparing for the evolving needs of the workforce and unexpected challenges, stressing its role in aligning the company's HR objectives with the anticipated TA requirements. Gary advocated for the integration of SWP strategies as a proactive measure, ensuring the organisation remains adaptable and equipped to navigate forthcoming challenges and opportunities in an ever-changing landscape.

He raised thought-provoking questions about transitioning from TA to HR, addressing challenges, and highlighting critical knowledge gaps bridging the two domains.

Techies for Tesco: Amy Morris's Success Story

Tesco is undoubtedly one of the most well-known and iconic British brands. However, when it comes to tech jobs, Tesco may not be the first company that comes to mind. However, the retail giant was eager to change that perception and bulk hire technology experts from the UK, central Europe, and India. To stand out in a crowded market and demonstrate the impact of working in technology on customers, the company needed to be distinctive.

In the second session of the day, Matt Johnson, Executive Creative Director at Stafford Long & Penna, Amy Morris, Client Services Director at Penna, and Jo Kay, Head of Employer Brand & Recruitment Marketing at Tesco shared their Recruitment Marketing campaign with Tesco.

To improve their standing as a tech employer Tesco launched its award-winning "Tesco's tomorrow, made by you," campaign which aimed to connect with its audience emotionally through storytelling. The campaign was executed across multiple platforms with different messaging tailored for different audiences. Tesco also paid attention to its hiring process by using in-process tactics and providing recruiters with collateral. The campaign's personality and charm helped Tesco stand out in the crowded market.

The Personality Traits of Resourcing Leaders

What are the personality traits that make a great Resourcing and Talent leader?

The personality traits that make a great Resourcing and Talent leader were explored by Becca Guinchard, Head of Strategy at AssessFirst, during a session where the attendees were assessed using the brand-new SWIPE personality method. The session aimed to uncover if there are any shared personality traits among the resourcing leaders present and to determine if there are any consistent characteristics that define excellence in this field.

SWIPE is a short, image-based personality assessment that offers valuable insight into an individual's workplace behaviour. Unlike other personality assessments used in hiring, SWIPE focuses on four specific requirements for modern hiring environments: speed, mobile-friendliness, engagement, and reliability. It is built upon the Five Factor model of personality and is designed to provide a quick and effective evaluation of job candidates. 

The following traits of TA leaders were examined in more detail during the session: a spontaneous approach to others, emotional connectivity, collaborative consultation, a preference for diverse tasks, adaptability to change, and focus on the positive. 

It is important to note that these findings only represent a specific subset of TA leaders and that the broader TA community may exhibit different characteristics, although many may have similar career journeys. The group also discussed what the personality traits of the TA leaders of the future might be. Will they change as the routes into a recruitment career change? Will they become more or less diverse in their personality traits?

Employer Branding in Tech Hiring on a Budget

Sean Allen, the Head of Talent Acquisition at The Very Group, shared valuable insights on "Attracting Talent through Compelling Narratives". The Very Group faced the challenge of scaling tech hiring in the post-COVID market shift and adopted a strategic approach.

During his session, Sean highlighted some great tips, including low-cost strategies that can help develop the employer brand. Some of these strategies included podcasts, events, employee advocacy, referrals, tech returners schemes, and the use of partnerships. You can find some of the collaborative efforts on the Very Group Job Blog at https://theverygroup.jobs/blog.

Sean emphasised the importance of advocacy, authenticity, and differentiation in a crowded tech job market. This is especially crucial for a brand that is not considered a classic tech business. For instance, this blog post uses employee advocacy to share authentic and relatable experiences of a typical working day at The Very Group: https://shecancode.io/blog/meet-one-of-the-engineers-behind-the-very-groups-technology/.

Overall, these creative Employer Branding ideas proved to be successful and low-cost. By using the power of partnerships, you can start to build your brand as a tech haven for those looking for a new role. 

The Great Unlocked: Skills-Based Hiring at BT Group

In their fireside chat, Matthew Howe, Head of Volume Recruitment at BT Group, and Daniel Youds, Solutions Director at Reed Talent Solutions, delved into BT Group's innovative approach to uncovering untapped and diverse talent pools through skills-based hiring strategies. Reed conducted extensive surveys of 1,000 hiring managers and 1,000 unemployed adults, revealing critical insights into workforce skills, recruitment hurdles, and job preferences.

Key takeaways from these surveys can be (and HAVE been) used to address skills shortages effectively.

Talent functions should take proactive measures to enhance and promote flexible work policies. Job adverts should highlight flexible options to attract more applicants. It is also recommended to avoid imposing unnecessary job requirements and omitting specific or recent work experience demands that might dissuade returners. Promoting roles suitable for returners and offering part-time opportunities can be helpful. Collaborating with specialist organisations can help tap into talent pools that might not be reached independently. Experts should be consulted to conduct comprehensive diversity audits to ensure readiness for a more diverse workforce that aligns with evolving needs.

TA Team Effectiveness and Future Skills by Ed Scrivener

Ed Scrivener, Head of Recruitment at Newton Europe, delivered the thought-provoking final session of the day, delving into the intricacies of TA Team Effectiveness. Ed posed critical questions challenging the conventional focus of Talent Acquisition solely as a cost centre, urging a shift toward being a value-creating team.

How can we take steps to make your TA function be seen as bringing commercial value? What are the ways we can demonstrate value to shareholders? This question was discussed in roundtables with many varying outputs. One of the key considerations was whether the cost-for-hire metric is overshadowing more important metrics such as quality of hire and retention. Despite the challenges in measuring these metrics, they are crucial in demonstrating the wider business impact of TA. By encouraging cross-functional collaboration and identifying the best way to quantify results, we can showcase the value of TA to shareholders.

On the other hand, we must also embrace the language of the business, aligning our reporting to the wider objectives. For instance, time to hire, as a metric, might not be as impactful to commercial functions. Is there a way we can align our reporting with the language of the business?

Plenty of food for thought with this session that we imagine will become part of the wider discussion regarding the future of talent acquisition and talent as a whole.

Exploring Leadership and Legacy in TA

The first talk of day 2 was hosted by Nerida Rooney 🇦🇺🇬🇧 , who asked the group how TA leaders leave a meaningful legacy. She posed a pivotal question: can TA leaders, through their roles, contribute to making the world, the industry, or even their office, a better place? When starting a TA career, it's easy to see the direct impact and significance of your job in terms of hiring. However, as you progress to more senior positions, it's easier to lose sight of the ways you can make a difference in people's lives.

So, how can TA leaders leave a legacy?

One way is to introduce impactful initiatives, such as prisoner employment programs, which not only lower recidivism but also profoundly affect the lives of formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. Additionally, refugee employment programs offer opportunities in industries like construction and healthcare to historically disadvantaged groups, aiding them in establishing stable lives. These programs were noted to alleviate skill shortages while also positively impacting society and the industry.

Even small acts, such as advocating for one's colleagues or team, can leave an indelible mark on people. It is all about leading with empathy on both interpersonal and strategic levels.

In essence, Nerida Rooney's session challenged TA leaders to contemplate their legacy, stressing the potential for transformative change through empathetic leadership and innovative programs.

Adrian Thomas's Insights on Future TA Skills

And what a way to end, with Adrian Thomas’ talk on the benefits of a skills-based approach to TA, focusing on the evolving landscape of talent acquisition and the imperative need for skill development within the field.

What are the skills we should foster in TA professionals? To name a few: tech proficiency, employer branding, business acumen, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and data analytics, change management, and many more! These skills will change in the future, potentially with a shift towards specialised roles, particularly in technology-related hiring. Furthermore, data analytics skills are underutilised among recruiters.

However, there are significant obstacles to overcome. First, is a notable absence of consensus of what constitutes excellence in talent acquisition (to demonstrate, ask yourself what an excellent ATS looks like). There is also ambiguity in defining roles. Are we talent acquisition? Resourcing? Recruitment? The lack of a common skills framework only compounds these challenges, with only a fraction of TA professionals receiving adequate training.

So what’s next? Adrian proposed the potential development of a TA Skills Index, (similar to the TA Maturity Matrix) as a future project to help address these challenges and establish a standardised model for the industry.

Closing Thoughts & Takeaways

The summit wrapped up with a reflection on the numerous discussions and insightful presentations that unfolded throughout the event. The focus on bridging gaps, exploring new approaches, and envisioning the future of talent acquisition resonated strongly with attendees. First and foremost, I want to thank Ben Gledhill for his exceptional hosting and insightful contributions. A massive thank you to all our speakers Gary Manning, Matt Johnson, Amy Morris, Becca Guinchard, Sean Allen, Matthew Howe, Daniel Youds, Ed Scrivener, Nerida Rooney 🇦🇺🇬🇧, and Adrian Thomas. Finally, I have to give a massive shout-out to the amazing people at AssessFirst 🦄, Join Talent, Stafford Long and Reed Talent Solutions for making this event possible!

What's Next?

As RL100 concludes its 2023 summits, the collective insights, innovative ideas, and thought-provoking discussions will continue to shape the trajectory of talent acquisition in the years to come. With an eye toward the future, RL100 looks forward to offering even more engaging and impactful events in 2024 around the world!

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the guests, speakers, and sponsors who have contributed to the success of our events. Your presence, insights, and support have been invaluable in making these events possible. See you in 2024!