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Why ‘Applicant to Hire Rate’ is a crucial metric in 2020

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 07:02:04 +0000

COVID-19 has changed the recruiting game. With lots of talent on the market right now, you’d think finding people to fill roles would be easy. That’s not always the case.

If you’re receiving too many applications for open roles, or too many of the wrong kind of applicants, this is a red flag. The good news is, there is a metric people often overlook that can address this problem.

Want to know about the 5 recruitment metrics you should be tracking in 2020 and beyond? Watch our webinar.

When we start the recruitment process, we have one end goal: to find and hire the right person for the role. To get there, we start with applications. But do you know how many applications you need to find one successful hire? If you’re receiving too many, you’re wasting time and effort sifting through unsuitable resumes. Too few, and you might not have the skills or talent you need for the role.

To determine your hiring sweet-spot, let’s look at one of the most crucial recruitment metrics: Percentage Applicants to Hire.

Percentage applicants to hire is defined as the total number of hires divided by the total number of applications for the role or position. Think of it as reverse engineering from the hire that you made – how many applications were required to find that person? You can calculate your percentage applicants to hire using the following formula:

The applicant-to-hire ratio is critical for organisationsorganizations to understand now and as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. The lower your applicant to hire rate, the fewer applicants you’re saying ‘yes’ to. In these times, it’s about quality not quantity – how many applicants do you need to secure a hire? If you’re taking high volumes of applicants through the recruitment process, you may not be able to provide a personalisedpersonalized, high-touch experience to all of them.

Many organisationsorganizations are not hiring right now. During an economic contraction, there are fewer roles being advertised and high job losses, stand-downs and furloughs.

But what happens when you open up the recruitment cycle again? It’s likely that any job opening will attract more applicants and your applicant-to-hire number will increase.

If your application volumes are high, your applicant to hire ratio will be lower. A low applicant to hire ratio is not something to be desired: it means you’re putting lots of people through the screening process, but only hiring a small fraction of them.

Ask yourself:

Are my job ads targeted enough?
Do I know my most effective talent sourcing channels?
Do I need to revisit my sourcing methods to identify and focus on the talent I need?

Assessing which channels hires are coming from is important, but if you’re inundated with wrong-fit applicants, you may need to work closer with hiring managers to understand the role requirements and be more targeted in your hiring.

If you’d like to learn more about how PageUp can help you track and optimise your current recruitment and talent management approaches, you can request a demo.

How does your rate compare?

According to global PageUp research and customer benchmarking, on average for every 100 applications received, four people are hired. Put another way, on average globally and across all industries 25 applications are needed for 1 hire.

The exact numbers vary based on the industry. So far in 2020, Higher Education has hired 7% of applicants (down from 8% in 2019). Retail in 2020 has only hired 3% of applicants, compared with last year where 4% of applicants were hired. Finance has also reduced its hiring, with only 3% of applicants hired this year, in comparison to last year’s 4%.

These are changing times. If you find your organisationorganization’s metrics differ to the benchmark, there could be a host of new reasons. The important thing is for you to discover the volume of applications required to find the right person for the role.

If you’re receiving high volumes of applications, ask yourself:

Are you an employer of choice?
If you are, a high volume of applications is to be expected, especially with more talent on the market right now.
If you’re not usually an employer of choice, are your job ads targeted enough?
Can you add any screening questions at the start of the application form to sift out non-valid applications?
Are you leaving job ads open for too long?

If you’re receiving a low volume of applications for a role, ask yourself:

Are your job ads reaching and engaging the correct audience?
Do your job listings need to be open for a longer period of time?
Is your application form too long? Is it mobile optimisedoptimized?
Is your careers site easy to navigate and engaging? This is where active and passive job seekers go to find out more about your organisationorganization.
Do you need to improve your employer branding?
Are you providing a seamless and easy candidate experience?

Knowing how to track and optimiseoptimize your applicant to hire rate will help you to cut unnecessary screening costs and ensure you’re providing a high-touch, personalised experience for all applicants.

Of course, recruitment technology goes a long way in automating and improving the candidate experience with less recruiter intervention, allowing you to recruit at-scale – but being targeted and strategic in your job search will always lead to better end-results.

Tools like PageUp can automate a great candidate experience, while also tracking important metrics such as applicant to hire rate through user-friendly dashboards. If you’d like to learn more about how PageUp can help you track and optimiseoptimize your current recruitment and talent management approaches, you can request a demo.

The post Why ‘Applicant to Hire Rate’ is a crucial metric in 2020 appeared first on PageUp.

4 successful recruiting campaigns Coles launched during a pandemic

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 01:52:08 +0000

Here’s how Coles processed 55,000 applications in record time and saved in agency fees – all during a pandemic.

Coles has been at the frontline of the nation’s COVID-19 response, providing essential food, services and supplies to the public throughout the pandemic. Behind the scenes, their essential workforce has been keeping stores staffed and shelves stacked, and deliveries running around the clock for Australians who need it most.

Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, Coles was able to successfully bring on 12,000 new staff in the space of a few short weeks to keep Australia running.

How did they enable finding high-quality talent at-scale and at short notice? The key lies in PageUp’s powerful applicant tracking system (ATS) that provides a full view of current talent, talent pipelines, and internal opportunities.

1. Leveraging internal mobility and redeployment

When the second wave of COVID-19 hit, Coles was once again faced with huge demand as shoppers stocked up on supplies before a looming lockdown. With an urgent need for people to come and work shifts on short notice, their talent acquisition team turned to redeployment to find the skills they need.

But redeployment is something organisationsorganizations can struggle with if they don’t have a clear plan. Coles was able to seamlessly redeploy its staff by leveraging PageUp ATS recruitment functionality to:

1. Define a population set within existing employee data by segmenting employees based on:

Where they work
When they are available
Employment type: casual, full time, part-time
Names and email addresses

2. Create a unique internal application form

This allowed Coles to gain an updated perspective of their people’s details, availability and whether they are willing to work across different stores or regions.

3. Communicate seamlessly with employees

SMS and bulk email functionality allowed the Coles’ talent acquisition team to communicate easily with existing team members around the shifting needs of the business. Many of these correspondences had links to internal application forms, where thousands of employees expressed interest in open internal roles. The details of these thousands of willing employees was then fed directly into Coles’ workforce planning strategy.

2. Processing 55k job applications in record time

As customer demand increased, Coles needed to hire extra hands to replenish key items and re-stack shelves. A ‘Friends and Family’ campaign was born, which relied on internal referrals as a valuable source of quality hires.

Coles sent an application link to employees which they then passed on to the friends and family they thought would be suitable. Based on this reference from an existing team member, Coles hired these interested candidates and moved them to offer status, undertaking reference checking afterwards. This was a fast and efficient way to get people onto the books at-scale – and this approach helped them process the 55,000 applications they received and hire 2,500 family and friends as a result.

The flexibility of the PageUp system enabled Coles to move these applicants from application to offer, getting them onboard quickly and then completing the required background, reference and employment checks post-offer.

Nina Pollard, National Head of Talent Acquisition praised the PageUp system for its flexibility, configurability and ability to adapt to challenging circumstances. “The PageUp system is so malleable, so flexible that you can mold it to your required use cases quickly,” Pollard said.

“The PageUp system is so malleable, so flexible that you can mold it to your required use cases quickly,” – Nina Pollard, National Head of Talent Acquisition, Coles

“You have all the pieces at your fingertips, so really it is just about putting those pieces together to suit your needs. What is great is that you have the ability to get the process down to your own organisationorganization’s level of detail that is needed, for instance, for us we could tailor the job card. It makes the system so powerful and able to support and adapt our unique volume and scale.”

To assist in interviewing thousands of candidates, Coles integrated video interviewing partner Vieple with their PageUp ATS in what Pollard says was an “amazingly fast” implementation time of 48 hours. Coles will continue to use video interviewing for stores now as “store managers love it”.

3. Redeploying employees: Cross-company mobility

When the first round of COVID-19 layoffs arrived, they hit hard. When lockdown was first enforced in April, it’s estimated that 780,000 Australians lost their jobs in the space of just one week.

Many of these were from organisationsorganizations such as YMCA, AFL, and AVC Liquor stores in Queensland – and Coles wanted to help these organisationsorganizations in their time of need. Coles partnered with these companies and many more to identify possible staff that had been stood down or furloughed – then used the PageUp ATS to send these people unique links to apply for roles. In doing so, Coles was able to fill critical gaps in their workforce at-speed, while also supporting Australian companies. It’s a fantastic example of cross-company mobility that sets the bar for collaboration within the Australian business community in the future.

4. Fast-tracking walk-in recruiting

Approximately 30% of Coles hires come from walk-in applicants, which inspired Coles to launch a campaign to fast-track the recruitment process for walk-ins. Using QR codes unique to the walk-in process, in-person applicants could then apply in real time and give store managers their application number in addition to their CV for immediate hiring.

Store managers can now hire walk-ins on the spot, and send their application to be processed through the PageUp ATS back at Head Office. Within 48 hours these walk-ins are ready to commence work, making the recruitment process incredibly fast, efficient and scalable.

To read more about how Coles handles high-volume hiring, see 9 tips from Coles to recruit at scale.

The post 4 successful recruiting campaigns Coles launched during a pandemic appeared first on PageUp.

17 hiring tools to support your online recruiting

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 06:43:37 +0000

The way we recruit has fundamentally changed overnight, and each new day brings fresh challenges for hiring teams. They need to do this in a way that’s scalable, and that still provides a great candidate experience. And they have to do this all completely online – from home offices, or perched at the kitchen table, conducting interviews in the one quiet part of the house (closet, laundry or garage), or propped up on the couch with a pet crying for attention nearby.

It’s a tall order for many hiring teams – many of whom are operating with reduced headcount and resources. Yet these teams are expected to deal with more applicants than ever before. The wave of layoffs and furloughs that accompany the COVID-19 pandemic – over 40 million have filed for first-time unemployment in the US alone, and close to 1 million Australians have lost their job since March – have meant there are huge amounts of people on the market. Some organisationsorganizations have seen a 400% increase in applications for an open role.

This has meant that overnight, tech adoption has been accelerated 10 years. Even laggards have been forced to adopt online recruiting tools to survive, as organisationsorganizations realiserealize that HR tech is the only viable way to scale-up their hiring power and do more with fewer resources.

In this article, we’ll discuss the 15 online recruiting tools every talent team should know about. These tools will supercharge your remote recruiting while still providing a seamless candidate experience with a human touch.

We’ll cover:

How COVID-19 is forcing a move to online recruiting
The 17 online hiring tools you need to master remote hiring, including software for:

What’s changed and why do we need to move online?

More than formal training and industry associations, 76.3% of talent acquisition (TA) professionals believe that an improved tech stack will bolster their recruitment capability. This is according to recent research presented by TalentPod at the recent Next Wave Talent conference about the top talent acquisition trends to come out of the current crisis.

The survey found that 91% of TA teams expect a mix of home and office work will be the way of the future, with 89% of organisationsorganizations already establishing a working from home policy. Talent acquisition will have increased responsibilities coming out of COVID-19, such as keeping employees engaged, and ensuring remote onboarding still keeps people connected to their new role and company. With an average ratio of 1 TA professional to 100 employees, the workload for HR teams is piling up. It’s no wonder organisationsorganizations are turning to technology to help.

What tech is your company exploring due to Covid?

65% are exploring remote onboarding
56% are exploring video – both for interviewing and advertising
54% are exploring online meeting software
45% are exploring online background checking
36% are exploring online testing

Tech will drive the next phase of development as we learn to recruit in a remote world, and in response HR priorities are shifting. People teams are now focusing and prioritising:

78% – Talent engagement
76% – Internal mobility
74% – Onboarding
59% – Outplacement

Technology supports all of the above strategies and provides a streamlined experience for candidates. But with thousands of vendors offering a range of tools, it can be intimidating to find the right tech for your organisationorganization. That’s why we’ve compiled an easy-reference list of tools to get you started on your remote recruiting journey.

17 online recruiting and hiring tools you need to know

1. PageUp recruitment marketing software

OrganisationsOrganizations spend huge amounts of time delivering a great experience for their customers, but many don’t prioritiseprioritize the candidate experience to the same degree. This is a big problem.

Let’s not forget those candidates could also be your customers – whether or not they’re successful in their application, they should still have a great end-to-end experience. Unfortunately, many organisationsorganizations are failing to deliver on the candidate experience due to the sheer volume of applications they’ve received. Most hiring managers would prefer not to go cold or “ghost” candidates, but providing adequate nurture and touchpoints is hardly practical if you’re communicating manually without hiring tools – like recruitment marketing software.

Recruitment marketing can keep candidates engaged and warm in talent pools – even if you’re not hiring right now. Pre-set nurture flows can mass-communicate to candidates at-scale, providing regular updates and personalisedpersonalized touchpoints to everyone in the hiring process. Analytics and benchmarking allows you to see where people are falling off and adjust your approach.

2. Curious Thing: Voice-based AI interviewing

The age of manual recruitment has come to an end. COVID-19 has accelerated remote and tech-enabled recruiting, and even laggard organisationsorganizations are realising they need to think differently about recruitment.

Hiring teams are becoming more open to using robotics and AI to do some of the heavy lifting – giving them hours back in the day to focus on valuable human interactions. AI solutions like Curious Thing handles the initial candidate screening with voice-based AI conversational interviews that are scalable and allow you to screen large volumes.

The AI interviewer is also able to assess candidates using behavioural questions designed to screen for attitudes and competencies – rather than simply scanning a resume. As we move into the new world of work, essential skills like the ability to be change-agile or collaborative and innovative are becoming more important than formal qualifications or “hard skills” and experience alone. The death of the resume may not be far away.

3. PredictiveHire: Text-based AI interviewing and online testing

PredictiveHire automates interviews so that each applicant is interviewed in-depth and at scale via a text chat that surfaces candidates with traits common to success. This helps you surface the best candidates, faster, while remaining completely remote. Candidates are then assessed, scored and ranked using AI technology, dramatically reducing recruiter time and effort. In some cases, this led to 90% recruiter time savings, when compared with standard recruiting processes.

4. Talegent: Online assessments

Combining a first-class candidate experience with predictive analytics tools, Talegent can assess candidates to find the best talent at-scale. Talegent offers a wide range of industry-specific solutions to predict performance: these include personality, cognitive ability and values assessments, allowing you to identify and quickly recruit top performers. The best part is these assessments can be done from anywhere in the world, allowing you to choose the best person for the role, no matter where they are.

5. Vieple: Video interviewing

Without the ability to interview candidates face-to-face, recruiters have had to pivot to video interviewing software solutions practically overnight. One example is Vieple, a video interviewing platform that can be used by recruiters and candidates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This allows candidates to schedule and record interviews regardless of location of time zones. One PageUp client was even able to implement Vieple with their existing PageUp ATS within 24 hours – and all while completely remote. Integrating with Vieple allows you to quickly identify the right candidates and progress them to the next stage of the recruitment process.

6. Alcami: Video interviewing

Alcami provides on-demand video interviewing solutions to help the busy remote recruiter. This helps organisationsorganizations to narrow down a broad talent pool and find the right people, faster. Alcami also delivers an improved candidate experience, giving people the option to take interviews when and where it best suits their schedule

7. HireVue: Video interviewing

HireVue combines video interviewing software with predictive artificial intelligence to allow businesses to surface the best candidates, faster. It provides video interviewing, assessments, and coaching to help remote recruiters interview and evaluate candidates when and where it suits them best.

8. SkillSurvey: Reference checking

Reference checking can be one of the most time-consuming aspects of recruiting. When done remotely, it can be even more tedious. SkillSurvey Reference makes reference checking simple and streamlined, and helps remote hiring teams get meaningful feedback in a timely manner. It’s an online, automated referencing solution that gives you deep, comprehensive insights on all your candidates, whether you’re online recruiting, onboarding, or managing a placement.

9. CV Check: Background checks

CVCheck is a global provider of background checks that provides the verified information you need to make confident hiring decisions by reducing your hiring risks, improving staff retention rates, and increasing efficiencies in the hiring process. Importantly, remote hiring teams can launch checks from wherever they work, making the recruitment process shorter and more efficient.

10. Sterling: Background checks

Sterling RISQ provides comprehensive background and identity verification services, which is perfect for the changing needs of an evolving remote global workforce.

11. Xref: Background checks

Xref makes reference, background and ID checking straightforward, fast and secure. Remote recruiters can request reference checks in seconds, and references can be completed in a little as 24 hours. Backed by local support teams, Xref also offers multi-language capabilities and meets the highest global compliance standards (ISO 27001).

12: PageUp Recruitment Management

When recruiting remotely, the candidate experience can be disjointed, low-touch, and just plain frustrating. To ensure a seamless experience for remote candidates from finding a job listing, to applying, interviewing, and onboarding, the best of breed point solutions we’ve just discussed should all be integrated with a powerful ATS. Integrating with a core ATS also ensures recruiters and hiring managers have a great experience – all backed up by deep analytics.

PageUp Recruitment Management features powerful analytics dashboards and custom-built reports, and with one simple system you can manage, track and optimiseoptimize every stage of the candidate lifecycle.

13. PageUp onboarding

Perfecting remote onboarding should be a priority for all talent acquisition teams. Remote new-starters are likely to feel even more disconnected from their new workplace in their first months, so HR has to work even harder to make the onboarding experience memorable. If they don’t, new starters will feel unsupported in their new role, they won’t be set up to succeed, and they’ll likely leave within a few months. Hiring teams will be left at square one.

Thankfully, technology can make onboarding smooth and efficient, and can connect new starters to the culture and values of their new organisationorganization. Tools like PageUp onboarding can deliver an astounding onboarding experience that sets a new starter up for success no matter where they are.

14. Dropbox Sign: eSignature for easy onboarding

Onboarding remotely doesn’t just present challenges for the new hire. It also raises compliance and payroll headaches for HR teams that need to ensure boxes are ticked and forms signed, all which must now be done completely online.

Dropbox Sign makes filling out onboarding documents easy, providing an intuitive way for organisationsorganizations to send and request e-signatures from new starters. Dropbox Sign lets businesses integrate leading eSignature functionality directly into their onboarding process with an easy to use interface and powerful security.

15. Mumba: SSO for seamless integrations

Boosting new starter engagement starts by providing a seamless employee experience. Mumba boosts productivity and employee engagement by connecting an organisationorganization’s HR and business applications in one central hub. Through system integrations, Mumba brings everything an employee needs into one user-friendly app, accessible from any device.
Through Mumba employees can access payroll, onboarding, training, learning, and other key HR and business systems from one single interface and without the need to login to multiple systems or apps. The result is a seamless digital experience across all employee systems.

16. Frontier e-HR: HRIS and payroll

Getting employees set up on payroll is one of the most important parts of onboarding, but without proper tech to assist you when doing this remotely, important compliance information can be overlooked. Built by HR professionals, Frontier e-HR offers a comprehensive range of HR capabilities to assist you in organising, growing, and paying your remote workforce. Frontier e-HR also offers Payroll Outsourcing services with a dedicated in-house payroll specialist to ensure compliance at every level.

17. Tracker: I-9 compliance

Tracker integrates with your core ATS to provide a centralisedcentralized and seamless remote onboarding experience. Once a new hire accepts their offer letter, the required Form I-9 process is initiated – all in a completely hands-off process. Tracker’s solution automates the onboarding process and reduces administration time all the while ensuring total compliance while remote. The Tracker integration also provides time-based colour-coded dashboards, email alerts, and reporting capabilities to ease the burden of tracking various deadlines.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of online hiring tech out there – there are thousands of best of breed solutions available for you to explore. Think of this as a way to get you started on your remote recruiting journey. And if the team at PageUp can help in any way to help you optimiseoptimize and streamline your recruitment marketing, recruiting and onboarding, do get in touch.

The post 17 hiring tools to support your online recruiting appeared first on PageUp.

Rebuilding your recruitment strategy after COVID-19

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 05:53:22 +0000

COVID-19 has forced an abrupt shift to remote and new ways of work, and many have learned the hard way that organisationalorganizational agility is critical for survival.

In response, hiring teams have adopted flexible and collaborative approaches to rebuild their recruitment strategy, keep the lights on and the business moving forward.

But will this innovative and proactive culture continue once the crisis has passed?

Here’s what we’ve learned so far:

The global pandemic has changed the employment landscape dramatically. Companies in highly impacted industries will continue to find themselves either laying off or furloughing employees. Others will be scrambling to scale up when they come out the other side.

As organisationsorganizations ride out the ongoing restrictions, future-focused HR leaders are beginning to make plans for the next wave of challenges beyond the Coronavirus outbreak. To survive and thrive in the new world of work, organisationsorganizations need to be ready to lead a quick, but considered recovery.

For some, the biggest challenge will be to hire strategically while making complex arrangements for their employees’ return to work. For others, scaling up their workforce and making faster hiring decisions will be top of mind.

It’s uncharted territory for all leaders, particularly those in hard-hit industries who’ve had to make difficult decisions in the face of uncertainty.

But as the economy gradually reopens, organisationsorganizations will need to reboot their recruitment strategy (whatever that may look like) before the competition snaps up talent and they’re left understaffed.

We’re in the unknown

Technology has collapsed the boundaries between work and home. But it’s still too early to predict what the future holds. How do we handle uncertainty and start thinking more strategically? We rebuild a workforce that can weather any storm.

We’ve seen just how valuable and strategic the HR function is in the wake of this crisis. Fluid and timely communications have kept our non-essential businesses running smoothly amid daily changes.

We know maintaining employee support, engagement and performance has been a top priority for HR teams. But now these teams face an even greater test: planning for a return to work against the backdrop of an uncertain future.

What have we lost – and what are we seeing in the market?

Recent ABS figures show the unemployment rate in Australia has climbed to 7.1% in May – making it the highest percentage of people out of work since 1998.

The service industry has taken the biggest hit, with corporate roles in sales, administration, support and talent acquisition also among the first to go. These are the roles that will need replacing as soon as businesses recover. An added challenge lies in the fact that some of these roles are notoriously difficult to fill.

As talent acquisition rushes to speed up the recovery process, the temptation to fill these roles immediately will be greater than ever.

But if an employer can’t find time to identify the key skills needed to support new business goals, they’re putting themselves at risk of enormous setbacks. An increase in employee turnover will put them back at square one.

On top of that, there will be fewer applicants for open roles and top talent on the market who are ready to talk. How will employers attract the best candidates before their competitors do?

Here are five steps you can take to rebuild your recruitment strategy after COVID-19:

1. Revisit and re-evaluate your recruitment strategy (even if you’re not in a position to hire right now)

“Most organisationsorganizations’ first priority has been crisis response and emphasising health, safety, essential services, and the virtualisationvirtualization of work and education. Now, as organisationsorganizations begin to emerge from this response phase, leaders are focusing on the next set of workforce challenges as they plan for the recovery.” (Deloitte, 2020)

Whether freezing, stabilising or ramping up hiring, employers must re-evaluate their recruiting strategy and position themselves competitively in a recovering job market.

Use this time to reassess your organisationorganization’s recruitment goals and make necessary adjustments based on recent changes in the market. Secondly, look at your existing talent inventory first. You may not need the same type of talent any longer.

For example, you may be a retailer that previously hired high volumes of floor staff, but have now shifted to online shopping. You’ll need more warehouse staff to facilitate this.

Keep in mind what has worked in the past won’t necessarily work in the future. Shifts in the labourlabor market, updates to regulations and the tight race for talent should all inform your strategy.

Just like marketers, recruiting teams need to pivot their strategy based on their current audiences’ needs. Similarly, employers should start thinking about how they can target different talent segments to align with their new business strategy.

To formulate a plan, consider setting up a meeting with hiring managers and C-suite to establish KPIs and ask these four questions:

Are you freezing, hiring or stabilising?
What type of roles will you need in future?
What headcount will you need?
How will you screen these candidates – and who will do so?

2. Understand the gaps

Ask yourself, “Where does my organisationorganization currently stand from a people perspective: What have we lost, and what are the new skills we need?”

The current crisis has foregrounded the truth that people are an organisationorganization’s greatest asset. OrganisationsOrganizations have learned that success can be measured by the skills, knowledge, experience and effectiveness of their employees.

According to PageUp research, only 37% of organisationsorganizations say they understand their current skill gaps. COVID-19 adds another element of difficulty.

So, how do you identify and replenish critical skills lost after standing down or laying off your employees?

Identify the roles you have lost

The first step is to identify the roles you have lost. These roles will need filling both in the short term and the long term. So it’s important to have a clear view of the skills you have and the skills you’ll need as the economy starts to reopen.

Investment in talent should be like any other strategic investment choice. Get the complete picture before you make any decisions.

To gain a full understanding of your current workforce, look to your talent pipelines and existing talent. This will inform next steps for building your recruitment strategy.

Understand skills gaps

Secondly, your skills gaps may be different from before. For example, if your organisationorganization has switched from restaurant services to food delivery, you may need different skill sets in your business.

Or rather than simply screening for hard skills and past experience, you might consider hiring for soft skills like the ability to be agile or collaborative

Changing ways of work will also influence your skills gaps. More and more employees are contemplating whether they want to work from home in the future.

Gartner research shows that 80% of Australians want to work from home – higher than the global average. As a result, you may need to screen for remote working skills such as the ability to self-motivate or strong time management.

Increase internal mobility

Some organisationsorganizations have deployed an internal mobility program to fill the skills gaps that have appeared since the crisis unfolded.

Internal mobility allows teams to evaluate the scope of their existing employees and promote lateral career advancements or moves between teams and business units.

For example, if an employee has transferable skills or characteristics, they may not be able to move vertically. However, these employees can be redeployed into different teams or divisions in the business.

Internal mobility is a passion of ours at PageUp. But many organisationorganization’s aren’t doing it well.

Internal mobility allows you to quickly redeploy talent but it’s reliant on understanding where the skill sets lie in your business.

At PageUp, we have been working with our customers to understand, redeploy and re-purpose their existing talent to fill critical roles or seize new opportunities for growth. (Especially within hard-hit areas of the business.)

It’s a crucial move to stay agile and successful in an uncertain landscape. It also leads to significant savings on the direct and indirect costs involved in recruitment and onboarding.

Internal employees get up to speed faster. That’s because they carry the culture and are already invested in the company.

The figures speak for themselves: according to research from the Harvard Business Review, it takes an external hire three years to perform as well as internal hires in the same job.

Read: Internal Mobility: An organisationorganization’s secret weapon in times of change

3. Set yourself up for success (before you hire)

Regardless of whether you’re continuing to hire or in a total hiring freeze, you need to be thinking about building a recruitment strategy now.

To set yourself up for success in the future, consider the following:

Engage relevant stakeholders. Make sure you’re part of the conversation with senior leaders and hiring managers. Identify which roles, behaviours and skills your business will need.

Perform a skill gap analysis. What talent do you currently have in your organisationorganization? Where are the gaps? Is it a matter of replacing what’s been lost or are new roles and skills required?

Ask what skills and behaviours are required to ensure you deliver to your future organisationalorganizational goals. ‘Soft’ or essential skills like the ability to be change-agile and collaborative will become highly sought after. We are already seeing a shift. As mentioned earlier, 80% of Australians have expressed a desire to work from home: you may need to screen for the ability to self-motivate or time management skills.

Align recruitment strategy to business strategy. This is the time to begin – or if you have already begun, accelerate your proactive recruitment. Identify the talent segments you need to target: where are they and what will attract them to your organisationorganization? It’s an uncertain market, and people are unsure and looking at their options. Take advantage of this to build out talent pipelines. Ask yourself:

Commercially, where does your organisationorganization want to be in 6 – 12 months?
Do you know what your talents requirements are apart from the obvious talent shortages?
How can you plan for them?

Create the plan. Determine the timeline for execution.

Be ready to execute. Keep employees, candidates and talent pools warm. While you’re in a holding pattern, what can you do right now? Until you’re ready to pull the trigger, you need to keep talent pools and employees warm.

Here’s how you can do this:

Externally, use recruitment marketing to proactively tap into talent and build robust talent pipelines.
- EOI capture forms
- Engage passive candidates
- Nurture talent pools
Internally, maintain employee engagement.
- Redeploy talent
- Engage furloughed employees
Identify your most effective sourcing channels. Do you know what these are? Do you have a plan in place to tap into those channels?
Build EVP (Employee Value Proposition) and employer brand. If you are replacing roles you currently have an EVP and employer brand. Now’s the time to refresh it, particularly if you’re tapping into new talent segments. When you’re ready to hire there should be consistency of employer brand. Have those discussions with your hiring managers now.

4. Screen for the right skills (and hire the right candidate)

The consequences of hiring the wrong person for the job go beyond turnover costs.

Rush the process or take any wrong turn, and you’ll only delay your recovery and put your business at a competitive disadvantage.

To emerge stronger from the current downturn, companies will need to be more strategic about how they rebuild their workforce (and screen for skills that are most valuable to their recovery).

This may prompt teams to reconsider the types of roles they’ll need to recruit for and realign their requirements with the business after COVID-19.

For example, rapid consumer behaviour changes have forced retailers to look for a different type of workforce to compensate for their lost foot traffic.

Rather than hiring thousands of holiday casuals, they may need to hire for digital skills that support their e-commerce store or marketing channels.

The death of the resume and the rise of the behavioural interview

Experts are hinting at the slow decline of the resume as recruiters look beyond experience-based assessment to select candidates with the right attitude and potential to learn.

OrganisationsOrganizations have diverted their attention from manually scanning resumes to focus on tech-enabled screening for behavioural attributes.

“The need for some skills, such as technological as well as social and emotional skills, will rise, even as the demand for others, including physical and manual skills, will fall.” (McKinsey, 2018)

‘Soft’ or essential interpersonal skills, like the ability to be change-agile and collaborative, will become highly sought after in our future job markets.

But screening hundreds (or even thousands) of resumes for these behaviours is almost impossible. Even before COVID-19, employers received an average of 250 resumes per role and recruiters spent 73% of their time screening candidates.

AI and the future of candidate assessment tools

To pick up on these less tangible traits at scale, hiring managers are using best-of-breed tech vendors that look beyond job experience on a piece of paper.

Using AI, psychometrics testing and other digital behavioural or competency-based solutions, employers are able to predict, understand, and match thousands of people to jobs, faster.

These tools pinpoint job successful candidates with highly sophisticated algorithms that predict desirable traits and future performance.

They even reduce the inefficiencies and inequity of traditional hiring practices, like recruiter biases, that don’t always identify the most promising employees (and aren’t always tied to outcomes on the job).

Watch: Demystifying bias in AI for recruiting

Deliver a great candidate experience

The future of recruitment is changing radically. What hasn’t changed is the need to provide a great candidate experience.

It will be a highly competitive talent market, there will be more applicants than previously, and there will always be competition for high-quality talent.

If you’re not providing a great candidate experience, you’re missing an opportunity to attract the best candidates.

Savvy organisationsorganizations are staying in touch with candidates (even if they’re not ready to hire right now).

They’ve learned that by adjusting their channels, messaging and focusing on candidate care now, they’re setting themselves up for future success.

How do you know if you’re providing a great candidate experience? Look to your offer acceptance rate for an answer.

Your offer acceptance rate is one of the best indicators that your recruitment experience is meeting candidate expectations.

Why?

Because maintaining a positive experience throughout and setting clear expectations from the outset is crucial for convincing a candidate to accept your job offer.

According to PageUp’s recent aggregate job market data, offer acceptance rates averaged across all employers have seen a dip (from 96% and 97% in 2018 and 2019, to 95% today).

This raises alarm bells for market analysts.

Our Head of Customer Insights and Market Research, Rebecca Skilbeck, says these numbers reflect the higher level of uncertainty in the market.

Any time the economy tightens, it’s presumed to be an employer’s market, because there are more available candidates.

Meanwhile, candidates are also feeling the pinch of uncertainty. Hiring teams and recruiters must ensure all conversations with candidates maintain a consistent employer value proposition (EVP) and a clear understanding of the role, salary and company culture.

(Remember: these people might even be your future customers.)

“It’s hard to have a high-touch, high-quality experience when you’re putting a lot more people through the process,” Skilbeck says.

Watch: Delivering a great candidate and employee experience: Integrations make it easy

5. Lean on technology to scale up hiring

Among the hard truths uncovered by the COVID-19 pandemic is the sheer number of organisationsorganizations ill-equipped for the technological demands of the future of work.

This has led HR teams to ask a serious question: How well are we keeping up?

The reality is that technology often evolves faster than the industry itself. Expectations are high, and old habits that rely on time-consuming manual processes and gut feel aren’t up to speed.

HR teams need to rewrite the rules for hiring in the digital age.

The businesses that are perfecting their use of technology (like remote interviewing, screening, candidate video applications and onboarding) now will be well placed to win the best talent when they’re ready to scale up hiring again.

Thankfully, there’s plenty of tech to support businesses in creating a seamless experience for hiring teams and candidates alike. But the ones that don’t evolve will struggle to find the talent they need in the next 6 months.

Choose the right applicant tracking system (ATS)

The rapid shift to remote work has accelerated the uptake of technology, forcing laggards to invest in tools that perform administrative tasks and automate their workflow.

Not only do these vital tools free-up time to focus on the “human” aspect of their role, they’re given access to the best talent.

Take an effective applicant tracking system (ATS) for instance. An essential investment for employers to recruit talent at scale in a changing environment.

In the current job market, where candidate details and availability are changing constantly, industry-leading automation keeps candidate data current and accurate.

An ATS gives recruiters quick access to the information they need to undertake essential tasks. Hiring teams can then manage this data to build sophisticated talent pools faster than competitors and efficiently rebuild their workforce after their COVID-19 layoffs.

Keep in mind that a good vendor should take a partnership approach to deliver an exceptional candidate experience, whilst allowing your business to scale up quickly with minimal disruption.

Leverage recruitment marketing software to provide a great candidate experience

The pace of recruitment will change over the next few months, which is why savvy recruiters are deploying automated recruitment marketing software to build high-quality pipelines of talent.

When organisationsorganizations start to ramp up hiring again, competition for talent will be more intense than ever. Much more than your regular job ad, recruitment marketing tech allows your organisationorganization to strategically win the best candidates.

It does this by broadening your talent network, increasing quality talent applications, and engaging with candidates at every stage of their application journey.

Once you’ve converted a visitor into a candidate, recruitment marketing software uses powerful targeted messaging to build and maintain a positive relationship.

Screen at scale with artificial intelligence (AI)

One of PageUp’s most recent partners Curious Thing is reimagining screening and interviewing with automated interviews that use voice-based AI.

Backed by advanced analytics, a digital interviewer conducts the first round of screening. But not in a way that removes humans from the hiring equation altogether.

A conversational AI speaks to candidates then feeds back data points to hiring managers. This helps them screen candidates’ behavioural attributes and aptitude before progressing them on to a human interview.

Curious Thing AI speeds up and smoothes the process of high-volume hiring, whilst eliminating unconscious hiring biases that influence decision making.

Finally, prepare a future-focused hiring strategy now

Few industries have been left untouched by the economic fallout of this pandemic. We know the implications are felt at all levels of an organisationorganization.

Regardless of where your hiring currently sits on your to-do list, a recruitment strategy is a necessary component of rebuilding your workforce.

If you’re not hiring right now, your approach should be two-fold:

nurturing and engaging with employees and candidates to keep them warm and,
understanding the resources you’ll need for the future.

Rather than waiting until you’re ready to reboot hiring, ask yourself the following:

Is your process seamless and delivering a great candidate experience?
Are you comfortable with your HR tech systems?
Are they set up to scale fast?
Do you have agile interviewing and assessment solutions?

Don’t forget: communication brings trust and a sense of purpose to your teams to carry your organisationorganization through uncertain times.

As businesses recover and look to hire back the talent that’s been lost, there will be a race for talent.

But if leaders are to survive the next wave of economic challenges, and thrive in the future of work, they must put people at the heart of their strategy.

PageUp recognises that 2021 is a year that we all need to try new things and adapt our recruitment strategies to be digital-first.

For some of our customers, these shifts have been small. For others, they’ve had to redesign their entire recruitment process.

To explore how PageUp can help solve the complex workforce challenges you may be facing, get in touch today.

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Running effective recruitment campaigns at-scale: A how-to guide in times of change

Wed, 20 May 2020 00:31:11 +0000

Adapting to rapidly changing environments can seem like a daunting task, and when it comes to talent mobility and recruitment, it’s important to acknowledge that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Hence, the way you run recruitment campaigns could be very different. You may be preparing to hit the ground running when the time comes for you to scale up, or maybe you needed to launch a campaign yesterday because you’re already understaffed. For others it may be the right time to apply recruitment campaign thinking for redeployment within your organisation (read more about how to run effective internal mobility campaigns).

Whatever approach you take, we’re here to help. We’ve put together the following how-to guide to explain how to scale-up recruitment and run effective high volume campaigns from application to onboarding. Even if you’re not currently working with PageUp, we think you’ll find the following strategies helpful in your recruitment planning.

Managing bulk applications

Managing bulk applications is simple with PageUp’s sophisticated, versatile recruitment campaign functionality. Depending on the roles you’re recruiting for, the use case for campaigns can vary significantly. These could include: graduate roles, internships, expressions of interest, evergreen roles (e.g. retail consultants, teaching assistants, drivers), redeployment, and ramp-up (e.g. new store opening, Christmas casuals, emergency services). Each type of campaign has its own nuances, and the PageUp system can be configured based on your specific needs. Below we’ll highlight key elements in the PageUp toolkit that will help you manage your campaigns.

Filtering

When you have a high-volume of applications, the first thing to do is to surface the top applicants right away. Think of this as filtering 1000 applications down to the 50 that you really need to look at when running through your selection process.

Knockout questions

Knockout questions work by filtering out applications that don’t fit the mandatory requirements for a role. For example, the position description for your campaign may require that the applicant has a current drivers licence for a certain type of vehicle, or that they are willing to work a certain number of night shifts. You can choose to make the applicant ineligible on the spot (configured in the application form rules) or shift their application to a status that you know to check once you’ve exhausted other applications.

Selection criteria

When receiving a high number of applications, it’s important to have questions that will filter out applicants that may not have the key criteria you’re looking for. When helping organisations design their graduate application forms, for example, we recommend asking questions that help to determine whether an applicant has previously worked well in teams. Asking about their membership in sporting teams, group projects, and community service may be proxies for experience you’d expect seasoned professionals to have gained from years in the workforce. Here’s a tip: To keep the form clean and simple, consider using conditional questions to ask for more information based on the applicant’s responses.

Scoring

When building suitable ‘knock-out’ questions in your application form it’s important to think about how the responses could be scored in order to automate the selection process. Typically this means presenting responses in a way that you can score at different levels. If you’re asking about the number of years experience, rather than providing a free text box, you could ask this in a structured manner: Less than 1 year, 1-2 years, 3-5 years, 5 years+

Segmentation

Campaigns can attract applicants with a broad range of skills and experiences. It’s therefore important to group applicants by who should review them, the types of roles that they’re appropriate for, and add structured data to their profile so they’re easy to find when searching through thousands of applications.

Sub-campaigns

Often there are so many applications for a single campaign that multiple recruiters need to participate in the selection process. One simple way to segment the work is to use the ‘New application’ rule in the application form for the campaign to automatically push the application into a sub-campaign. This is commonly used for graduate campaigns where recruiters look after individual streams.

Flags & Categories

Flags are designed as a visual indicator so that a recruiter can quickly see certain qualities about an applicant and their application. As there are a limited number of flags (having too many would defeat the purpose of an easy visual indicator), categories can also be set.‘Speaks multiple languages’ could be a flag, whereas the individual languages are stored as a category (though if you want a simple way to capture languages you can also use the canned language profile question). The great thing is you can search for both at the database level via Talent Search for proactive sourcing processes later on.

Automation

While we’ve covered quite a lot of automation already, there are some other areas to consider when processing bulk applications: embedding assessments, and communicating with your applicants to ensure a great candidate experience. Learn more about creating a seamless candidate experience through our suite of marketplace integrations here.

Assessment

One common application rule we see being set is an automated status change to complete an online assessment based on the score that the applicant receives from the application form. It’s actually possible to have all applications go through the online assessment – usage generally depends on how the assessments have been purchased from the provider.

Communication

The most common email communication to automate is the acknowledgement of a new application. Rather than a simple one liner, for campaigns this is an opportunity to guide the applicant on what is going to happen next. Outline the process, typical timelines, and key contact points so that the applicant feels informed and supported. This is a great way to build trust with standout candidates, many of whom will be deciding whether they want to work for you based on the quality of their recruitment experience.

General tips

Make sure you use a question type that makes sense for what you’re asking. If you ask a Yes/No question that should be a ‘radio button’ or a dropdown – not a tick box. How will you filter your applications if an applicant ticks both Yes & No!
If you’re using eligibility questions to automatically send unsuccessful application emails to applicants, make sure that you comply with any government legislation or guidelines and that you’re not discriminating against any minorities (this goes for asking any mandatory questions about demographic data as well).
Use a dropbox for initial emails that are sent automatically by the system. While you should add a more personal touch at later stages in the application process, it’s important not to swamp your inboxes when thousands of people may be applying to your campaigns.
Communicate! Ensure that you communicate with your applicants at regular intervals to keep them engaged. You can either do this through application status moves, bulk communication, or by using the automated email workflows in our Recruitment Marketing solution.

Want more?

Read tips from Coles on how they recruit at scale.

Existing customers can learn more about configuring rules and scoring on application forms on our Knowledge Portal.

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Hiring in the time of COVID-19: 3 key considerations

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 05:51:37 +0000

Work as we know it has fundamentally changed in the space of just one month. As HR grapples with the new realities of remote working and economic slowdown, hiring teams are reimagining recruitment in a virtual world. As some recruiters ramp up their efforts to meet increased demand, others are freezing hiring but looking for ways to keep their talent pools warm.

In these uncertain times, some recruitment trends remain unchanged. The expectations of a positive recruitment experience – from candidates, hiring managers, and recruiters themselves – is more important than ever before. Technology is empowering a new breed of recruiters who are digital-first and can adapt quickly to virtual ways of working. And the organisations that are first to embrace video interviewing software and virtual onboarding programs are the ones that will win the critical talent they need.

If you’re recruiting and onboarding remotely, here are three key things to consider.

1. What are your video interviewing needs?

Organisations now have to find alternatives to traditional in-person interviews – and quickly. From video interviewing software to remote screening solutions, HR teams need to carefully choose the tech they’ll rely on to facilitate this change.

When selecting what technology you’ll use, consider the following:

Ease of use: any solution you choose should be easy to use and mobile friendly.
Are you purchasing new tech or using free tech? There are a variety of options available if you don’t have the budget to purchase new video conferencing tech. Skype and Google Hangouts are two examples of free software options that will allow you to conduct online interviews. If you’re relying on free tech, the features and functionality can be limited – this may not be the best option if you’re looking to recruit at-scale. Zoom and Fuze are popular paid video conferencing options used by organisations around the world.
Do you want to conduct live or pre-recorded interviews? The tech you choose ultimately depends on your business needs: do you want to conduct live, or pre-recorded interviews? Video interviewing providers like Vieple allow recruiters to conduct automated, pre-recorded first-round interviews which reduces time to hire and eliminates scheduling headaches. Pre-recorded interviews can be filmed at a time that suits the candidate, and recruiters can conduct their reviews at a time that suits them. Since launching back in 2012, Vieple has tracked the use of video interviewing. Back then, 7% of organisations used video interviewing. Last year, 52% of organisations were using video interviewing software, and this number will likely accelerate in coming months. The organisations that are the early adopters are usually the ones that have recruiters and technology working seamlessly together.

It’s important to reset candidate expectations during this time. Be up front: the recruitment process won’t look like it normally does: it may be longer (or faster), it will be conducted remotely, and screening may be more intensive.

Virtual recruiting can be awkward at the best of times: internet connections can lag, it’s hard to break the ice from behind a screen, and with most of the country currently working from home, distractions abound. Children, pets, elderly family members are all in close quarters, which can lead to some memorable on-screen moments. It’s best to accept distractions may happen, take them in your stride, and move on.

2. Adjust your approach to screening

Video interviews can be challenging: recruiters may be new to using this software, and many candidates may have never done a virtual interview before. It’s important to adjust your approach to screening to take a range of variables into account.

Provide guidance to candidates on what to expect and tips to succeed. Before the interview, get in touch to suggest that they:

Do a tech test prior
Use a headset
Find a quiet place to conduct the interview
Ensure they have good internet coverage
Select a location that is well lit by indirect light

Hiring managers may also need guidance on how to conduct interviews and make hiring decisions. Things like honing competency-based questions, how to structure interviews when body language cues are absent, and how to put candidates at ease are all important considerations.

Set aside time for housekeeping at the start of each interview to avoid mishaps: having hiring managers ask ‘Can you hear me, can you see me?’ is a good place to start. If an interviewee’s internet is slow, let them know. If they are sitting too far from the camera, or too close, sort it out before the interview begins.

When you’re used to looking for nonverbal cues in face-to-face communication, it can be difficult to pick up on these indicators via video. This makes it difficult to assess for cultural fit, which means recruiters need to get creative and reframe the questions they ask.

Recruiters should ask questions that give a snapshot of the candidate’s personality – their sense of humor, their values and style of communication. Make the interview process as human and personal as possible to compensate for the distance between the recruiter and the interviewee.

Of course, if your organisation has to hire in high volume during this time – like many in the retail and healthcare industries – this high-touch approach won’t always work. When hiring at-scale, screening technology plays a vital role in processing large volumes of applicants and surfacing the best candidates more quickly.

Add screening questions to the application form to quickly rank candidates based on required skills and/or disqualify non-suitable applicants
AI-powered platforms like PredictiveHire surface candidates based on attributes unique to high-performers in the same role. The startup helped fashion chain Superdry screen 150,000 applicants to shortlist the best candidates for a role, and in doing so increased the retailer’s retention rate by 70%.
Career site chatbots can answer common questions candidates may have, and can even handle interview scheduling and automate candidate care.
Background screening providers like Xref can reduce time-to-hire in critical times like these by conducting automated reference and background checks.
Vieple can automatically schedule and pre-record first-round interviews that recruiters can screen in their own time.

3. Onboarding is more important than ever

Starting a new role can be challenging enough without the anxiety and uncertainty of starting at a new organisation during a pandemic. It is more important than ever for organisations to onboard new hires properly and make them feel supported, seen, and connected to their coworkers. You want to curb the negativity of the current situation, and maximise the ‘employee honeymoon’ phase.

Onboarding reinforces employer brand and can cement a new starter’s perspective of your organisation. According to Gartner research, if onboarding is engaging the probability of the employee staying 2 years or longer goes up. If it’s not, you risk losing the people you’ve worked so hard to attract – and it’s millennials who have the least tolerance for a poor experience.

If their first few weeks aren’t positive, new hires might not leave straight away – the economic landscape is too uncertain for that – but they could leave as soon as things begin to return to normal. Gartner research shows that while employees are likely to stay with a business during a crisis, if they’re not treated properly – this means having their efforts appreciated and their wellbeing prioritised – they’ll leave the organisation as soon as the economy recovers.

Luckily for HR teams that are being forced to onboard remotely, face to face onboarding is a thing of the past. Virtual onboarding is gaining momentum, empowered by a raft of technological solutions – from chatbots, to automated software that sends new hires everything they need to hit the ground running before day one.

Once a new hire starts with your organisation, HR has a key role to play.

To become accustomed to any new situation, routine is important. HR should develop a schedule for new starters in their first week to help them get introduced to the key people and teams that they’ll be working with. This regime helps restore a sense of normality and structure so new starters can navigate their first week without feeling lost.

New starters should be encouraged to maintain a regular cadence of contact with team members, and HR should schedule regular check-ins to address any concerns or simply let them know they’re here to help. When new hires arrive back at the workplace, they should feel as connected to their team and your culture as if they’d started in-person.

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Building a successful DE&I strategy: A step by step guide

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 05:52:43 +0000

A robust diversity, equity and inclusion plan is a must for organisationsorganizations in 2020 – no longer just a nice to have. But diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces don’t just spring up overnight. Building a diverse workforce is impossible without intentional and inclusive talent acquisition strategies. HR can lead the way by carefully constructing DE&I strategies to attract, engage and hire people with diverse backgrounds and experience, and create an environment where everyone feels they belong.

The business case for DE&I

McKinsey research shows diverse organisationsorganizations outperform competitors by 35% and decision making by diverse teams delivers better outcomes than that of individuals 87% of the time. Diversity of experience, background and thought brings strength to an organisation. It promotes innovative thought and challenges the status quo, creating resilient and agile teams that are well-positioned to overcome challenges.

According to recent research from McKinsey, companies that double down on their DE&I initiatives now will be better positioned for growth and renewal post-COVID-19.

Some of the qualities that characterize diverse and inclusive companies—notably innovation and resilience—will be much in need as companies recover from the crisis. (McKinsey, 2020)

Truly diverse and equitable workplaces are created by designing processes that are inclusive of all people – regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, education, disability, beliefs and other factors. And a truly diverse culture should be reflected and celebrated in an organisationorganization’s employer brand.

An employer brand that celebrates diversity is critical to attract top talent to your organization. 39% of candidates reject a role or do not proceed with a job application due to a perceived lack of inclusiveness within the organization, a recent McKinsey study shows.

Here’s where recruitment marketing takes centre stage. Recruitment Marketing strategies can support organisationsorganizations to attract, engage and nurture a diverse pool of candidates at-scale. Leading organisationsorganizations often take the following approach:

Showcase diverse content and perspectives from the first engagement with a career site to highlight an organisationorganization’s inclusive employer brand and culture
Build diverse microsites and landing pages that highlight specific DE&I programs or policies
Create inclusive job descriptions and reduce wording bias
Grow and nurture diverse talent communities with targeted campaigns and nurture flows

If you’re new to recruitment marketing, you might be wondering how to get started. We’ve pulled together a step by step guide to help you plan and execute a DE&I strategy that delivers results for your organisationorganization.

A robust diversity, equity and inclusion plan helps you meet compliance obligations and strengthens your bottom line with diverse perspectives. Recruitment marketing ensures you are attractive to the diverse groups of talent you want to recruit. Developing a DE&I initiative involves four main phases:

Data collection & analysis

Planning

Implementation

Ongoing improvement strategies

1. Data collection and analysis

First, you need a complete view of your workforce to understand your employee demographics and identify if there are inequities based on these demographics. Using the information already in your ATS or HRIS, set out to determine the following:

Capture data on employee demographics to identify trends or areas to address
Demographic data including Federal and State protected categories such as Age, Disability, Ethnicity and Gender
Consider capturing data on behavioural attributes, learning and thinking styles

Once you’ve collected this employee data, look for the gaps and areas for concern. See if you can identify underrepresented demographics and then continue to drill down by location, department, and position to identify trends. If you’ve identified areas for improvement, it’s time to start planning a more diverse recruitment strategy.

2. Planning

What are your goals? It’s important to have clear goals in mind before you start to implement recruitment marketing approaches to attract more diverse candidates. Some common goals include: Improve employer brand, fill hard to fill roles with more diverse candidates, capture more quality candidates from underrepresented groups.

Goal 1

Goal 2

Goal 3

What recruitment marketing approaches will you use? Once you’ve outlined these DE&I goals, list the recruitment marketing approaches you’ll use to achieve them. For example, if your goal is to find more female candidates for hard-to-fill roles in IT, your Recruitment Marketing goals may be to add 50+ female candidates to your talent pipelines in IT. If your goal is to hire for a certain type of learning style or behavioural attributes, consider the screening tools that you will need (there are a range of AI-powered screening vendors available on the market that can help reduce bias in the recruitment process).

Approach 1

Approach 2

Approach 3

Focus areas: How will you achieve these DE&I goals? It’s important to hone in on a few key focus areas, rather than trying to achieve everything at once. We recommend you start by considering your current and future workforce needs, then focusing on the crucial diversity gaps that need to be addressed immediately.

Where are the diversity gaps or inequities in your current workforce?

What does the workforce we need for the future look like?

What key diverse groups/talent segments do we need to focus on attracting?

3. Implementation

Follow these 4 steps to successfully implement a recruitment marketing strategy that attracts more diverse candidates and talent segments.

Identify which positions and teams are critical to address

Get your key stakeholders – the hiring managers and business leaders – onboard for input. Together you need to identify which positions and teams are most in need of increased diversity.

Focus on the diverse talent segments you need to attract

Narrow in on the talent segments that are most critical to attract and focus your efforts here. Establish personas (including key values) for each segment that reflect the diverse demographics you’re trying to attract. This will inform your content strategy later on.

Do your research

Take the time to undertake research on the diverse groups and demographics you want to attract before you get started. This helps you understand your audience, their needs and motivations to develop an approach that’s inclusive and effective.

4. Ongoing improvement strategies

Once you’ve identified the diverse talent segments you want to attract, you’ll want to start engaging them with personalisedpersonalized content.

Create content that’s inclusive and catered to each group

Your content should showcase your value proposition in a way that addresses the different perspectives and groups you’re trying to attract. Pay attention to the design of your career site and the language of your job listings: they may have unconscious bias that is deterring diverse talent from applying. Give your target applicants the information they need – and the motivation – to progress down the candidate funnel.

Choose the right channel: go where the talent is

What channels and networks do your target candidates and groups spend time on? Which do they use for social sharing – and which are used to cultivate professional networks? Do these diverse candidates commonly belong to any groups or industry bodies?

Get in front of passive candidates with proactive attraction

Transitioning from reactive recruitment to proactive attraction requires applying a marketing mindset to get in front of passive talent, tap them on the shoulder and entice them to work for your organisationorganization.

Target your ideal candidate at every stage of the journey

Engage target candidates at each stage of the consideration cycle, so that when the time comes when they’re open to a move, you’re top of mind. Create segment based go-to-market plans that move key diverse audiences along the consideration journey and down the funnel.

Use technology to automate a great candidate experience

Recruitment marketing technology can automate targeted candidate communication and candidate care, serve up curated content, track what’s working and what can be optimisedoptimized – freeing recruiters to build valuable relationships with candidates.
AI-powered screening technology providers such as PredictiveHire and Curious Thing can remove unconscious bias from the recruitment process by anonymising and screening candidates on behavioural attributes – rather than having a recruiter simply scan a resume. AI-powered vendors can be leveraged on an ongoing basis to make the language of job listings more inclusive and appealing to diverse groups.

Use metrics and measuring to improve

It’s critical to establish benchmarks and regularly track metrics to monitor and tweak your recruitment marketing efforts, adjusting as necessary until you get the results you’re after.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Lead organisationalorganizational change at a cultural level

DE&I initiatives will not succeed if they are not championed at a cultural level. A proactive recruiting team can fill talent pipelines with hundreds of diverse applicants, but if a hiring manager has conscious or unconscious biases, you’ll struggle to change the status quo. This worksheet focuses on getting you started using recruitment marketing to fill talent pipelines with diverse candidates. The cultural piece is up to you. Ask yourself:

Are there barriers blocking the employment, opportunity or inclusion of people from different demographic groups?
Are there policies or practices that need to be eliminated or re-visited?
Are there potential hiring manager biases that need to be addressed?
Are our company values, culture and beliefs inclusive to people of different religious, ethnic or political backgrounds?

If you’d like to learn more about how PageUp Clinch recruitment marketing solution can help you build a DE&I strategy that delivers results, request a demo today.

The post Building a successful DE&I strategy: A step by step guide appeared first on PageUp.

5 recruitment metrics you should track in 2021

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 03:37:42 +0000

In 2019, when we first released our research on 5 recruitment metrics you should use (but probably don’t), the world was a very different place. It was an applicant’s market, and recruiters had to work hard to win the best talent.

A year later, amidst a global pandemic that has fundamentally reshaped the way we work, these five recruitment metrics still matter (perhaps, even more than ever). OrganisationsOrganizations are freezing hiring, furloughing employees, ramping up recruitment – some are even doing all three. With many hiring teams working on a skeleton staff, the way forward can seem difficult.

These five measures of success can guide your recruitment strategy now and help you track its performance in the future. While recruitment metrics like time to fill or cost to fill tell you what’s happening, the ones we’ve identified are all about answering that ‘why’ question: they tell a behind-the-scenes story of what’s really happening with your organisationorganization’s recruitment in 2020.

Last year, we presented five recruitment metrics that deliver enormous value, but which are underutilisedunderutilized. In this post, we’ll revisit each metric and analyseanalyze how they’ve changed in the last year – and what that means for the future.

Recruitment metric #1: Offer acceptance rate

Why does it matter? Recruiting is expensive and each candidate that turns down a job offer costs your organisationorganization money. It may be a recruiter’s market at the moment with an oversupply of people looking for work – but are you really finding it easier to secure talent, and if not, why not? High-performing organisationsorganizations average a 99% offer acceptance rate each year, while the industry benchmark sits at 95% in 2020.

You go to a lot of effort to find ‘the one’ – the candidate that is the right fit for your organisationorganization. They’ve been screened, interviewed, tested and background checked. They have the skills, experience, attitude and cultural alignment that you want. But do they want to work for you? Tracking your offer acceptance rate will help you understand how you’re performing.

Our 2020 research found the average offer acceptance rate across all industries globally is 95% – which means for every 100 offers made, 95 people said “yes” and 5 said “no”. That’s down from 96% in 2019. To put this in comparison, top-performing organisationsorganizations average 99% each year. So, if your offer acceptance rate is less than 95% it’s worth considering why.

Offer acceptance rates vary between industries and companies. In Retail and Finance, the offer acceptance rate has dropped 3 percentage points and 2 percentage points respectively, year on year. This means more people are saying “no” to a job offer in 2020.

The likely reason for this is that uncertainty prevails. Jobseekers are feeling uncertain about the employment market and are putting their feelers out for multiple different roles. And candidates are unsure if it’s the right time to change roles, so they may be saying “yes” to an offer then rescinding their acceptance. We expect this to change on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis (all the more reason to track this recruitment metric now).

If your offer acceptance rate is below the industry benchmark, ask yourself:

Are you an employer of choice?
Is your compensation competitive?
Did something happen during the recruitment process?
Is your recruitment process fast enough to secure talent?

Recruitment metric #2: Applicant to hire rate

Why does your applicant to hire rate matter? This recruitment metric tells an important story about the effectiveness of your job listings. With more applicants on the market and applying for roles, you don’t want to be wading through more applications than necessary. Tracking applicant to hire rates can show whether job ads are targeted enough to reach and engage the right audience.

Our research tells us that in 2020, 4% of applicants across all industries are hired. This means for every 100 applications received, 4 people are hired (you can think of it as 1 out of every 25 applicants is hired). Globally, this has remained constant from last year, but per industry, the story is different.

Higher education has stayed steady at 7%, but retail and finance have both experienced a decrease in its applicants to hire rate from 4% in 2019 to 3% in 2020. This shows that each role is receiving more applicants.

What does this mean in light of COVID-19? During an economic contraction, there are fewer roles being advertised and high job losses. It’s likely that any job opening will attract more applicants. Many organisationsorganizations are not hiring right now – but when you open up the recruitment cycle again, what happens to that applicant-to-hire number?

If your application volumes are too high, your applicant to hire ratio will be lower. That can indicate your job ads are not targeted enough, you’re not using the most effective sourcing channels, or you need to revisit your sourcing methods. In order to get better-fit applicants:

Work with hiring managers to understand the role requirements to create clearly defined job descriptions
Create targeted job ads with clear role requirements
Revisit your EVP and employer branding to ensure it aligns with your organisationorganization’s culture
Identify and focus on effective sourcing channels and methods

The applicant-to-hire ratio is critical for organisationsorganizations to understand now and as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. Remember it’s about quality, not quantity.

Recruitment metric #3: Candidates to hire rate

Why does your candidates to hire rate matter in 2021? With more talent applying for roles, it can be tempting to put more candidates through the hiring process. A lower % means recruiters are putting more candidates through to the hiring manager interview stage. Failing to track this recruitment metric can cost an organisationorganization hundreds of thousands of dollars in recruitment fees and negatively impact employer brand.

Our research has found that historically the average % candidates to hire sits at approximately 10%. In other words, one candidate out of 10 is hired which means 9 are told “no”.

Globally, in 2020 the % of candidates to hire has fallen to 8% across all industries, or as a ratio, one out of 12.5 candidates are hired (23 out of 25 told no). Of course, this number varies industry to industry, with COVID-19 hitting some industries such as Retail particularly hard. The graphs below show Retail has fallen from 7% in 2019 to 5% in 2020. Finance fell from 9% in 2019 to 7% in 2020, while Higher Education fell the most, from 16% in 2019 to 13% in 2020.

The trend is understandable: with more people applying for roles, there’s a temptation to put more candidates through the recruitment funnel. But there are multiple issues with this approach:

It’s costly and time-consuming for interviewers and hiring managers to screen and interview high volumes of candidates
Keeping hiring managers engaged with the recruitment process becomes a challenge
More candidates lengthens the recruitment process which runs the risk of losing talent to competitors
You can damage your employer brand by providing a poor candidate experience
There’s the potential to impact consumer brand – your candidates may also be your customers

Taking a large number of candidates through your recruitment process is obviously labourlabor-intensive and costly, and it can also mean you’re not engaging your silver medallist talent. Don’t forget to nurture warm talent pools and silver medallistmedalist candidates. This can be achieved with recruitment marketing – but it’s an area of talent acquisition that isn’t yet well-understood by many organisationsorganizations. Sitting at the top of the funnel, recruitment marketing has a vital role to play in today’s talent attraction landscape.

Recruitment metric #4: Sourcing channel effectiveness

Why does sourcing channel effectiveness matter? Measuring sourcing channel effectiveness tells you which sourcing channels are working, and which need to be reconsidered. This can result in significant savings.

In a 2019 Harvard Business Review article, George W. Taylor Professor and Center for Human Resources Director, Peter Cappelli said, “few employers know which channel produces the best candidates at the lowest cost because they don’t track the outcomes.”

PageUp research has found that 54% of applications come via job boards, but these applications only lead to 17% of hires. Compare this to talent relationships: even though only 2% of applications come from talent pools, these applications account for a staggering 22% of a company’s overall hires. This means that talent relationships – in other words, talent pools – is 34X more effective than job boards in producing successful hires.

Comparing year on year, talent relationships has remained the highest-performing channel. It only takes 2.4 applications from talent pools to result in 1 hire.

Contrast that with social media, where in 2020 it takes almost 150 applications to result in 1 hire. Compared to 2019, the effectiveness of social media to produce hires is decreasing. But it’s a channel that gives free access to essentially millions of passive candidates, and targeted campaigns can still be incredibly powerful.

The proportion of applications via careers site increased in 2020, but the proportion of hires decreased: We can see year on year that it’s becoming a less effective sourcing channel. It takes 53 applications to secure a hire compared to 37 in 2019. If your careers site effectiveness has gone down since last year, this should be motivation for a careers site overhaul. Make sure you’re constantly tracking and optimisingoptimizing careers site content to ensure it’s appealing to candidates and is designed to convert visitors into applicants.

Internal mobility is a sourcing channel that has seen noticeable changes year on year. It now only requires 5.9 applications to result in 1 hire – down from 6.8 in 2019. This reflects what we’ve heard in the market – a number of organisationsorganizations have sought to redeploy their workforce internally rather than going out to market to hire.

Job boards have become noticeably less effective in producing hires in the last year. In 2019 it would take 68 applications to result in 1 hire – but in 2020 that number is just over 80 applications per hire. This may reflect the volume of applicants currently on the market, which has increased the number of ‘wrong fit’ applicants coming through more generalist channels such as social media and job boards.

Candidates who are coming through referrals, talent pools and internal mobility, by contrast, are already aligned to your business and what it’s trying to achieve, have largely been pre-vetted, and have already had the chance to self-select in or out of the recruitment process.

Do you know the effectiveness of your sourcing channels? Ask yourself:

What are our main sourcing channels?
Where do the most applicants come from?
Where do the most hires come from?
What is the cost per hire per channel?
How should our sourcing channel strategy change based on this?

Recruitment metric #5: Mobile applications and time to apply rates

Why does it matter? With remote work becoming the new norm, the trend towards mobile adoption isn’t slowing down. Companies need to deliver consumer-grade recruitment journeys to speed up the application process and attract top talent.

Mobile applications and time to apply rates are two separate recruitment metrics, but they work together to tell a story that might otherwise be overlooked.

Are your mobile application and time to apply rates in line with industry standards? Ask yourself:

Is your careers site mobile-optimisedoptimized?
Do you offer applicants the opportunity to pre-fill from social sites/CVs?
Are your job application forms suited to mobile usage?

Tips:

Make application forms shorter
Include screening questions so candidates can be moved through, or out, of the process quickly
Try applying for a job using your own form: where can the process can be streamlined?
Search for a role on your career website using a mobile – was the process easy?

In the past year, 24% of applications were submitted via a mobile device, according to PageUp research. Last year, that number was 23%. That’s up from 15% at the end of 2017, and 19% in 2018.

PageUp research has also found that there is a correlation between abandoned job applications and applications made on a mobile device. As the application form lengthens, the number of incomplete applications via mobile devices increases. Lengthy job applications become tedious on these devices, applicants give up and they don’t complete the application. This doesn’t happen as often on desktop – although lengthy application forms are not recommended on any device.

If you’re looking to optimiseoptimize your mobile recruitment approaches, make it simple and easy for jobseekers to apply on-the-go. Consider allowing candidates to attach their resume or autofill applications from their social media profiles.

Measure recruiting success with PageUp’s powerful platform

Knowing which recruitment metrics to track helps you identify the most effective ways to attract the best talent in a changing landscape. Learn more about how our powerful talent management technology can help you optimiseoptimize your recruitment approaches at pageuppeople.com

The post 5 recruitment metrics you should track in 2021 appeared first on PageUp.

9 things HR cared about in 2020

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 00:55:25 +0000

2020 has been a challenging year for people around the world, regardless of age, background or geography. HR professionals have had it even harder, supporting teams in times of crisis, while also working through these challenges themselves.

But hope springs from adversity, and this year HR has truly stepped up as a leader in the new world of work. Talent management has become everyone’s business, and talent teams are getting the attention they deserve from C-suite leaders that now fully appreciate their worth.

Old, outdated systems have been digitised, processes streamlined and centralised, virtual hiring and remote work practices accelerated overnight. Armed with the business-buy in and the technology solutions to make it work, HR is ready to take a seat at the table as we forge ahead into the new decade.

As we look back at the year that was, we can see how closely HR trends and challenges mirror our society. From a global pandemic and economic downturn, to racial upheaval across the globe, HR is the first responder and the first line of defence organisationsorganizations have to help their teams make sense of the world around them.

2020 will be remembered as a turbulent, tumultuous year. Let’s not forget how HR responded:

1. Employee communication and care

When the first wave of lockdowns rolled out around the world, many organisationsorganizations were forced into remote working arrangements overnight. HR teams had to figure out how to make it work, developing policies on the fly and ensuring teams were supported during this tough transition. With so much uncertainty in the air, HR stepped up and showed real leadership, reminding us what the ‘human’ aspect of human resources stands for. In this piece, we explored how talent teams were managing the shift to remote work, and how they were supporting teams in times of change.

Read: Taking care of teams in times of crisis

2. Mastering remote hiring and onboarding

As organisationsorganizations got into the groove of remote work, some hiring teams found themselves faced with a dilemma: how to provide a great, fully virtual recruitment experience. Even the most progressive organisations had probably met candidates in-person at one stage of the hiring process. Now, recruitment teams had to ensure a streamlined, fully tech-enabled experience that left applicants and candidates wanting more. No problem, right? In this blog, we explored 3 key considerations for organisations looking to find great talent in the time of COVID.

Read: Hiring in the time of COVID-19: 3 key considerations

3. Addressing COVID-19 challenges

This 7-part series saw our Head of Customer Insights and Market Research Rebecca Skilbeck in conversation with our SVP Global Talent Deborah Mason. They tackled how HR could address COVID-19 challenges: supporting employees, encouraging engagement, redeploying staff, managing remote workers and shared their thoughts for the future. It’s a great how-to playbook for HR professionals looking to hear from some of the best in the business about the issues facing the industry today.

Watch: PageUp talks: The COVID-19 playbook (7 episode series)

4. Supporting internal mobility

With the pandemic ramping up and an economic recession looming, many organisationsorganizations put a freeze on hiring. But that didn’t mean skills gaps went away. Roles still needed to be filled by skilled workers, and organisations started to look within to find this talent. In this article, we took a look at how organisations are leveraging internal mobility to meet their hiring needs, while also keeping employees engaged and developing in their careers.

Read: Internal mobility: An organisationorganization’s secret weapon in challenging times

5. Scaling up recruiting to meet COVID-19 demands

Not all organisationsorganizations were halting their hiring. Some were ramping up recruitment to meet demand: many retailers providing essential products were inundated with customer demand as lockdowns dragged on across the globe. Some PageUp customers processed as many as 55,000 applications in one recruitment campaign. To quickly hire the staff they needed at-scale, organisationsorganizations turned to technology to automate candidate care and process bulk applications. This article takes you through setting up and running effective recruitment campaigns at-scale, while remaining agile enough to respond rapidly to change.

Read: Running effective recruitment campaigns at-scale: A how-to guide in times of change

6. Proactively rebuilding recruitment strategies after COVID-19

As we adjusted to the new COVID normal, organisationsorganizations started to look to the future and wonder how they would rebuild. A crucial component of this was their recruitment strategy: what would it look like going forward? As the business landscape shifted, what new skills should they be recruiting for? And what new roles would emerge? This article deep-dives into how organisationsorganizations can rebuild, starting with their recruitment strategy. It takes a step by step approach, examining how COVID has affected the business landscape, how to identify emerging skills gaps, and the crucial behavioural traits you should be looking for in a top candidate.

Read: Rebuilding your recruitment strategy after COVID-19

7. Virtual recruiting tools

HR processes have been accelerated years into the future thanks to the overnight shift to remote working. PageUp is lucky to have a partner marketplace with a comprehensive collection of world-class HR tech vendors and software providers, and in this blog we cover 17 must-know tools to support online recruiting.

Read: 17 hiring tools to support your online recruiting

8. Workplace diversity, equity and inclusion

This year will be remembered not just for COVID-19, but also as the year the world stood up, spoke up and took action on racial inclusivity, diversity and demanded equal opportunity for people of all backgrounds. With organisationsorganizations around the world turning a spotlight to their own DE&I strategies, we took a look at the building blocks of a successful DE&I strategy in this step by step guide.

Read: Building a successful DE&I strategy: A step by step guide

9. Data-based recruitment strategies

What recruitment metrics should savvy hiring teams be tracking in 2020 and into the future? Last year, when we first released our research on 5 recruitment metrics you should use (but probably don’t), the world was a very different place. In this blog, we revisit each metric and analyse how they’ve changed in the last year – and what that means for the future.

Read: 5 Recruitment Metrics You Should Use in 2020 and Beyond

If you’d like to know more about how PageUp can help you adapt and thrive in the new world of work, request a demo today.

The post 9 things HR cared about in 2020 appeared first on PageUp.

Here’s what an effective recruitment marketing campaign looks like

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 03:10:18 +0000

Recruitment marketing drives higher volumes of qualified candidates to apply for a role with best-practice marketing automation, optimisationoptimization and candidate relationship management (CRM). But what are the experiences and touchpoints within a typical recruitment marketing journey?

Attract (amplify employer brand to attract great people)

Recruiter is appointed to uncover the best candidates.

A hiring manager approaches a recruiter for a role that needs filling.
They begin their research to understand the position requirements, looking to existing internal talent pipelines for suitable candidates to target the right talent.

Posts job to careers site: Automation does the rest.

Recruiter posts a job ad on a dynamic careers website optimisedoptimized for search engines (SEO) and mobile-responsiveness.
The job posting is shared automatically across social media and other key promotional channels.

Curious, potential candidate explores options for a career change.

An interested candidate – passive or otherwise – considers the possibilities of a career change.
They begin their research, exploring all the roles that pique their interest.

Dynamic careers site content showcases employer brand on any device.

Next, the candidate visits a company’s careers site to get a sense of the culture and find suitable roles.
Dynamic careers site content showcases the company’s Employer Value Proposition (EVP) and empowers the right-fit candidate to apply.
Enabled by cookies, the candidate receives hyper-targeted EVP content.

Event pages and expression of interest (EOI) forms capture even more hot prospects.

A company’s careers website attracts more high-quality candidates with:
- Expression of interest forms
- Company newsletter sign-ups
- Event registration forms
- Alumni talent network registration forms
- Internal opportunity registration forms

Candidates sign up and enter the talent network.

These ‘Candidate magnets’ allow passive talent to connect with the company they’re interested in.
Calls-to-action (CTAs) and easy to use forms and fields capture their details.

MobiliseMobilize (analyse, prioritiseprioritize and build high-quality talent pipelines)

Jobseeker activity and interaction data is captured to build rich candidate profiles.

A smart careers site pulls in information from multiple sources and channels
Sophisticated candidate relationship management (CRM), scoring, and insights store candidate details and collect data on their interactions.

“Silver-medalist” candidates, alumni and internal talent profiles are captured and kept warm in talent pools.

Valuable runners-up are primed and ready to go for future job openings.
The details of alumni and internal talent are captured and stored in talent pools to maintain lifelong connections or ‘employees for life’.

Candidate relationship management (CRM) software helps sift through candidates with powerful segmentation.

Powerful CRM software helps the recruiter transition from reactive recruitment to a proactive sourcing strategy – they no longer rely on reactive hiring or outsourcing.
Interests, diversity and inclusion considerations, and experience level segment candidates.

Smart recommendations highlight candidates that best fit the job criteria.

CRM automatically identifies best-fit candidates – surfacing hidden candidates along the way.
Automated talent pipelining gives the recruiter more time to engage with suitable candidates.

Recruiter works faster and smarter with a 360-degree view of their talent pipeline.

Consolidated information lets the recruiter analyse, prioritiseprioritize and build high-quality talent pipelines,
This 360-degree view offers more accurate forecasting.
Working smarter, not harder, the recruiter has more time for more high-value activities, leading to a better candidate experience and competitive edge.

Data and insights help hiring teams optimiseoptimize their approach.

The recruiter leverages new insights to adapt and optimiseoptimize their approach.
Focusing investment in the right channels, the recruiter can reduce their sourcing spend and convert even more quality candidates.

Engage (nurture candidates and provide an exceptional experience)

Recruiter creates and schedules automated workflows.

A recruitment marketing automation platform handles manual tasks, reminders, and follow-ups.
These scheduled workflows place the candidate journey design in the hands of the recruiter.

Candidates are carefully engaged with the right message, at the right time, on the right platform.

The recruiter maintains a positive candidate experience with quality talent anytime, anywhere using preset nurture flows and automated follow-ups.
With SMS job alerts, email nurtures, candidates are kept interested and informed.

Chatbots help candidates seek out the information they need.

Chatbots start a conversation before candidates self-select in or out of the application process.
They also answer any questions around salary expectations and role requirements.

Targeted nurture flows automatically progress candidates further down the funnel based on their level of engagement.

The system assesses and scores candidates accordingly, and high-quality applications progress to the next stage.

Candidate hits “apply” and information is fed into an applicant tracking system (ATS)

The recruiter presents the hiring manager with the best options.
Candidate information is stored in an ATS for future reference.

Best-fit candidate is hired. Future-fit candidates are on top of the recruiter’s list for next time.

The recruiter now has a steady pipeline of candidates ready for when a role arises.

To find out more about how you can implement an effective recruitment marketing campaign from start to finish – request a demo.

The post Here’s what an effective recruitment marketing campaign looks like appeared first on PageUp.

The secret to building talent pipelines? A smart careerscareer website

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 06:45:31 +0000

Gone are the days of posting a job description on a job board and hoping the perfect candidate hits ‘apply’. To land great hires in today’s competitive job market, talent acquisition teams must adapt and build a steady pipeline of candidates ready for when a role arises. But piquing the interest of top talent is almost impossible without the appeal of a great company careers website (or careers site).career website (or career site).

Why are careers websitescareer websites so important?

According to LinkedIn data, 59% of candidates visit the company website before applying to find out more about an organisationorganization and what it’s like to work there.

Building interest in job opportunities begins and ends with a company’s careers or job description pages. This is where organisationsorganizations communicate what they do and how candidates connect to organisationsorganizations and their people. Here, recruiters, hiring managers, and their employees can tell an authentic story about their culture and attract quality applicants to jobs: these pages are where jobs and employer brands come to life.

Here’s how modern careers websitescareer websites can help employers ensure their online presence, including all digital recruitment experiences and touchpoints, meets candidate expectations:

Careers websitesCareer websites work proactively for recruiters

While reactive hiring approaches may be useful for short-term goals, proactive hiring helps recruiters pipeline candidates and nurture them in pools to keep them warm. In other words, talent acquisition teams need to proactively build long-term professional relationships with passive talent ready for future opportunities.

But pipeline and pool-building might sound like a tall order for busy hiring teams. Our research found that only 43% of organisationsorganizations have well-established talent pipelines and pools equipped to meet their company’s future hiring needs. Careers sites are a constant touchpoint for all jobseekers, and a good careers site will lure passive candidates into a recruiter’s net without any manual effort.

CMS tools

How? When content management system (CMS) tools and recruitment marketing are combined, careers sites become incredibly powerful. The CMS allows companies to build and easily edit job boards and showcase their employee value proposition (EVP) and employer brand with dedicated landing pages.

In addition to this, modern recruitment marketing tools automate a company’s advertising activities at-scale, like sharing job postings across the most effective hiring channels.

They support an excellent candidate experience

Even despite the recent COVID-19 layoffs and furloughs, many employers still find themselves struggling to attract and retain great people. Talent Board’s latest CandE Recruiting Focus report found that 85% of employers cited improving the candidate experience as a top priority for their organisationsorganizations in 2020.

Candidates are no longer at the mercy of employers picking and choosing who best fits their needs. The power balance has shifted, and employers need to provide a great candidate experience if they want to hire top talent.

Promoting an open role in 2021 requires more effort than a job board post. It requires companies to create beautiful careers sites that offer memorable candidate experiences and considers the unique needs of the talent they seek.

Many organisationsorganizations are now focused on ensuring each applicant (successful or otherwise) has a positive candidate experience. With compelling messaging, personalisationpersonalization, and user-friendly navigation, careers websitescareer websites create the best first impression and make it easy for candidates to apply. They also help hiring managers set realistic expectations about the role, team, culture, and organisationsorganizations to ensure a better job fit, improve quality of hire and employee retention rates.

Candidates love looking at careers websitescareer websites

Knowing where to post jobs in the digital world can be a stressful, costly, often fruitless affair. But year on year, careers websitescareer websites have proven to be the preferred and most valuable channel for candidates researching a potential employer. They’re also the very first place a candidate visits after seeing or hearing about a job.

The good news: there are website content management tools that make it easy for talent teams to showcase their employer brand, without having to write a line of code. With endless customisation, easy-to-use templates, and dynamic content suggestions, these tools help HR teams deliver a personalisedpersonalized experience to everyone who visits their careers site, with pages that are designed to convert.

Useful and attractive pages showcase employer brand

It might be easy for the Googles and Microsofts of the world to appeal to winning talent. But what about companies that are still working on their brand recognition – or those expanding beyond their current market?

According to a 2019 NA Talent Board CandE Benchmark Research Report, employers with the highest positive candidate ratings were those that focused more on engagement pre-application.

High-quality candidates who mean business will often visit the company’s careers site to get a sense of the workplace culture or look for open roles. A massive 39% of candidates now say that company culture is the most important marketing content for their research on prospective employers.

To win the war for talent, companies need to showcase the job, the company values, the perks, and reasons why they are a great place for an employee to build their career. Well-informed, committed candidates will always go further through the recruitment process.

How can a careers site help?

A robust careers websitecareer website does an excellent job of humanisinghumanizing the research and pre-application process. Recruiters can test and measure their content to determine what’s working and what’s not. They can also start a conversation long before a candidate self-selects in or out of the application process. Careers websitesCareer websites ensure more high-quality candidates apply and have a positive experience.

These careers websitecareer website features can empower interested candidates to apply for an open position:

Video job descriptions
24/7 chatbot assistance
Dynamic website content
‘Why work here?’ blogs

What do the numbers say?

Our research has found that in 2020, careers websitescareer websites accounted for 20% of all global applications and 11% of hires. The effectiveness of the careers site as a sourcing channel is 45 – which means 45 applications are required to secure the one hire.

But in 2019, they were more effective: globally, for every 37 applications submitted, one person was hired. In terms of volume, 22% of applications and 14% of hires were via the careers website.

This speaks to the volume of applicants currently on the market, which has increased the number of ‘wrong fit’ applicants coming through these channels. This year, jobseeker behaviourbehavior has changed: with more talent on the market, people have fewer chances to be choosy – and many are applying to whatever opportunities seem like a close fit. Many will be applying for multiple jobs.

Despite this, those applying through a careers site are still much more likely to convert to new hires than job boards and social media channels. These candidates are already interested; they’ve had a chance to interact with the content and get a feel for the culture and vision. They can self-select in or out based on the information provided by the careers site.

What do employers say?

In speaking with our customers, those with highly effective careers websitescareer websites have proactively worked to showcase their values, mission, and culture and create transparency on their response to COVID-19.

Take one of our customers, Klook, for example. As a travel technology business, most wouldn’t expect them to be as visible in the job market right now: but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be. Senior Manager, Global Employer Branding and People Communications, Marilyn Yee, shifted the business’ focus towards building engagement, awareness, and communicating what Klook was doing as a company during the pandemic.

Read: Employer branding with Marilyn Yee (Klook)

SEO allows jobseekers to discover an employer easily

If recruiters want their job postings found, they need to use the keywords and search queries jobseekers are actually using. That means exercising restraint in ‘industry speak’ and funky job titles like ‘Chief Inspiration Officer’ or ‘Recruitment Ninja’. If someone were looking to hire a Digital Marketing Manager, they wouldn’t advertise for a ‘Customer Conversation Artichect.’ Always use plain, conversational language (not buzzwords) when writing about a company and its people.

To get job openings on the radar of top talent, organisationsorganizations should follow these simple Search Engine OptimisationOptimization rules:

Always use SEO friendly job titles and descriptions
Build well-optimisedwell-optimized sitemap structures
Create content that keeps visitors on-page and clicking through
Showcase company blogs on relevant candidate topics
Write copy that answers common questions about roles
Share postings on social media to drive traffic to the website

Pro tip: do some research before posting a job. Which pages come up first in your Google search – and what have these pages done to get there?

Some recruiters take a partnership approach by asking copywriting specialists within their marketing department to look over ads and give feedback. An easier way to do it is to use smart careers websitescareer websites that automatically index pages, flag areas for improvement, and share content via top-performing social media channels.

They promote and support diversity, equity, and inclusion

86% of female millennials look for an employer’s policy on diversity and workforce inclusion when deciding whether to work for someone. But many organisationsorganizations struggle to communicate an inclusive EVP (employee value proposition) on their website to support their diversity hiring strategy and build rich talent pools.

Careers sites aren’t just a home for open roles; they’re a reflection of a company’s values and culture. When executed well, careers websitescareer websites can be a key driver of diverse talent attraction. Rather than forcing a candidate to search far and wide for a DE&I policy or programs, microsites and landing pages tell an authentic story about the company’s culture and values from the moment a candidate arrives.

Best-of-breed careers websitecareer website technology goes the extra mile with advanced analytics that allows hiring teams to measure progress, report on visitor demographics, and make improvements along the way.

Pro tip: language is a powerful tool. Be sure to write thoughtful, inclusive job descriptions that encourage people from all walks of life to apply, regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, education, abilities, beliefs, and communication styles. Tools like Textio can help recruiters keep bias out of their job ads.

Dynamic website content offers a personalisedpersonalized experience

You wouldn’t show offices in San Francisco to someone in Hong Kong – just as you wouldn’t advertise a talent acquisition role to a developer.

But many company careers pages tend to focus on a single audience because few have time to update their content for every visitor or reader. Yet, recruiters still need a wide range of content to create personalisedpersonalized journeys tailored to individuals’ interests, needs, and characteristics.

High-quality careers websitescareer websites deliver unique experiences based on who is looking at the pages. Using website cookies and AI-powered suggestions, candidates are served hyper-targeted EVP images and text based on their location, language preference, demographics, or interests. Dynamic content journeys feel more personal and can be the difference between a successful application or a drop-off.

Strong CTAs hook ‘hot prospects’

Think of a modern-day marketer creating a customer lead magnet: An irresistible website lure that offers prospects something valuable in exchange for contact details. Likewise, careers websitecareer website calls-to-action encourage passive, high-quality prospects to join a pool of candidates. More than just a simple ‘apply now’ button, a careers websitecareer website call-to-action can include:

Expression of interest forms
Company newsletter sign-ups
Event registration forms
Alumni talent network registration forms
Internal opportunity registration forms

A compelling CTA captures passive candidate details and keeps them warm in talent pools. These ‘candidate magnets’ allow passive talent to connect with companies they’re interested in working for. And when the time is right, they’ll have been nurtured and ready to receive their exclusive invitation to apply for a job.

Why is this important? Our research has found candidate relationship management (CRM and talent pooling) is one of the most effective sourcing channels. In 2020, 2% of applications and 22% of hires were via proactive talent relationship initiatives. In fact, on average, less than three (2.4) applications from talent pools were needed to secure a hire.

Mobile optimisationoptimization reduces candidate drop off

86% of all active job searches begin on a mobile device. In 2020, PageUp Head of Customer Insights and Market Research, Rebecca Skilbeck, discovered almost a third of retail industry applications were being filled from a mobile device.

“Recruiters should aim to make mobile application forms shorter while including better screening questions so candidates can be moved through, or out, of the process quickly,” Skilbeck said.

With more people at home searching and applying for jobs on mobile devices, it’s either time to adapt or lose tech-savvy candidates to competitors. Unresponsive page design hurts SEO, and complicated or outdated application processes can put candidates off. On a positive note, PageUp’s mobile-friendly careers sites receive 6x the amount of applications with responsive pages and user-friendly forms to convert quality talent.

Pro tip: recruiters should try navigating their own pages or filling out forms on mobile to see where processes can be streamlined.

Careers websitesCareer websites that recruit for you

Do you know if your careers websitecareer website content is actually working? Our clients see a 37% conversion rate from first visit to completed application.

Represent your brand with pride and attract and convert quality talent with PageUp Recruitment Marketing. Our powerful, easy to manage, responsive, and optimisedoptimized careers websitecareer website builder takes the work out of hiring.

But don’t just take our word for it – get a free recruitment marketing demo to see a PageUp careers websitecareer website in action or learn more about the module here. We’re always here to help you select from the best talent in the market (not just the best who applied for your job).

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Experts share 6 key talent acquisition trends for 2021

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 22:51:18 +0000

2020 was a year like no other, and 2021 is shaping up to bring even more unprecedented challenges, innovations and creative solutions. With the future of work well and truly here, HR professionals are being forced to look beyond the horizon and decipher key talent acquisition trends to survive and thrive.

Once, people teams had the luxury of time to plan, test and tweak approaches. Now, many of us are taking it day by day: ten year plans have been scrapped, and ‘business as usual’ is a distant memory. Many TA teams are looking for guidance. Many HR leaders are doing the same.

In times like these, we look to the experts for advice and predictions in an unpredictable landscape. Industry commentators like Hung Lee have their finger on the pulse of what it means to recruit in 2021, and can help make sense of a landscape that’s shifting every day.

Speaking on a recent PageUp webinar, Hung Lee outlined his 8 key talent acquisition trends for the new year. This is by no means an exhaustive list – but it is a good way to check that your organisationorganization is on the right track.

Here’s what we know so far about what matters in recruiting in 2021:

Everyone is an international recruiter
Digital transformation and automation take center stage
There are new challenges and considerations for diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I)
Alumni (former employees) become an organisationorganization‘s greatest asset
Employer branding becomes a non-negotiable
Internal mobility evolves into a key source of quality talent

2020 was the year that HR truly stepped up and took a seat at the table. In 2021, it’s time to continue that momentum and take the lead in transforming workplaces for the new world of work.

Talent acquisition trend 1: The global talent pool

COVID-19 has accelerated once-distant trends and forced the world’s biggest work from home experiment. Even laggards have been forced to adopt remote tech – and organisationsorganizations are realising it can work. In spite of organisationalorganizational complexities and the challenges of remote work, up to 37% of jobs can now be done fully remotely. In the US, there was a 150% increase in remote jobs from 2019 to 2020. In the UK, there was a 342% increase in the same period (Iain Moss, Adzuna, 2020). In Australia, there was more than a 200% increase in remote work in some states (NSW, ACT and Victoria).

OrganisationsOrganizations are getting into the groove of remote work, and this has opened up possibilities for a global network of talent. No longer constrained by brick and mortar offices, organisationsorganizations can hire the best people in the world – not just their city. In 2021, everyone is an international recruiter.

“Moving the job to where the people are is increasing,” says Hung Lee, curator of recruitment industry newsletter Recruiting Brainfood. Lee observes that “remote means anywhere” – and with technology improving and C-suite leaders enjoying the cost reduction of work-from-home arrangements, TA will shift from on-premise to remote hiring.

This brings about major changes:

Moving away from the traditional full-time hiring cycle, remote workers can be freelancers and contractors. This trend lends itself to a “try before you buy” approach, according to Lee.
There is zero friction for talent to move from company to company – which means the employee experience is more important than ever
Compensation is set by the elite organisationsorganizations. No longer confined to local salary benchmarks, smaller players may struggle to compete with salaries offered by large organisationsorganizations. For many jobseekers, the ability to live in their hometown but get paid a New York-level salary is appealing – and makes it hard for local organisationsorganizations to compete.
Competition for top talent is global

Talent acquisition trend 2: Digital transformation and automation becomes a priority

In a year of constant disruption, even the most progessive companies have had to think on their feet. They’ve achieved this agility through workforce automation. Research shows that 92% of senior executives agree that the lockdown period has made digital transformation a priority.

COVID-19 has forced the automation of in-person human roles, where possible. At the same time, remote working has flourished and given way to a raft of digitisationdigitization and automation. RPA (recruitment process automation) has delivered unparalleled efficiencies in the recruiting process, spurred on by reduced TA headcount and recruiters simply having to do more with less. What was once paper-based, manual and resource-intensive (multiple recruiters and interviewing rooms, onerous rounds of shortlisting and assessments) has become streamlined and fully digital.

Talent acquisition trend 3: Alumni form part of the talent community

“Retain the relationship, not the employee” recruiting guru Bill Boorman advises. This year, cash-strapped and time-poor recruiting teams are turning to the ‘talent community’ – alumni, silver-medalists and internal talent – as a source of pre-vetted, quality hires.

The return of the talent community creates a new job for recruiters – engaging talent even after they’ve left the organisationorganization. In the past, once someone walked out the door they were often gone for good. Now, HR teams are acquainting themselves with the concept of ‘Boomerang employees’ – those that leave the business then eventually return. These people are an invaluable source of qualified talent, external referrals and, when treated well, should become lasting employer brand champions.

As people flow through the company from candidate to employee and eventually alumni, someone has to own and track this experience to ensure it’s a great one. Some organisationsorganizations are approaching this by having a community manager that manages and engages people outside of the company. Others are developing alumni networks and using their career site as a leveraging point to attract alumni back.

Hung Lee shares key ways to engage alumni:

Make relationships the entire point
Bridge community & company. Careers sites are a great way to do this
Treat talent mobility the same as career development
That development might exist outside of company
Not a single career path but career optionality

Talent acquisition trend 4: DE&I

In a year that’s brought us a global pandemic, political unrest and a worldwide shift to remote work, it would take a lot to capture our attention. And yet in 2020, DE&I did just that. As Black Lives Matter protests spread awareness and action around the world, the importance of racial equality, diversity and inclusivity in our own organisationsorganizations captured the spotlight.

Lee says “DE&I has gone from being de-prioritisedprioritized to re-prioritisedprioritized” as organisationsorganizations do the work in “rebuilding institutions that have been historically unfair.” Technology is helping to attract diverse candidates and reduce systemic bias in the hiring process, helping organisationsorganizations to meet their DE&I goals at-scale.

Remote working increases accessibility for roles, but it also presents new hurdles to overcome. Technology opens the door for people from different backgrounds, geographies and ability to land roles, but access to good technology is not universal. Digital inequality – poor internet connection or older tech – can introduce a new set of uncious biases for candidates.

Lee points to a recent study by researchers from USC, who found that audio quality has a direct impact on perceived reliability and expertise. When they presented identical conference presentations in high and low quality and asked participants to evaluate the researcher and the research, people evaluated the researcher and research less favourably when the audio quality was low. As we enter a new remote world, new biases appear which require attention and awareness. According to Lee, addressing these issues of inequality requires “mitigating with more tech, not less”.

Talent acquisition trend 5: Employer branding becomes a non-negotiable

Where once a great employer brand was seen as a “nice to have”, it is now a necessity for organisationsorganizations to compete for talent on a global stage. Lee says that “This is a once-in-a-lifetime period for organisationsorganizations looking to fortify their employer brand.” The way organisationsorganizations respond to this crisis will affect and define their brand for decades to come. This means providing a great experience: caring for employees with trust and transparency, and caring for your candidates with open and regular communication. Maintaining this level of care will become a core TA responsibility and expectation — and technology will help time-poor hiring teams to facilitate this at scale.

Talent acquisition trend 6: Internal mobility

With lockdown restrictions forcing widespread layoffs, and with reduced recruiter headcount forcing hiring teams to do more with less, organisationsorganizations are redeploying staff to cut costs and keep valued skills within the business. According to LinkedIn insights, internal hires increased by 19% in April-August 2020 compared with the same time period in 2019. Internal hires now make up almost 20% of an organisation’s workforce on average.

But according to Lee, “COVID revealed we don’t do internal mobility well.” In a recent survey by HR.com, over a third of respondents say that no one owns the internal mobility process. And over a quarter of employees are unaware of available job opportunities.

In 2021, it will be up to TA teams to gain full visibility of their workforce and identify hidden skill sets or opportunities for development. Technology can help to provide this visibility, and a powerful ATS can even provide smart recommendations for redeployment opportunities.

Lee posits that “TA will be known as ‘Talent Access’ – they will ensure the availability of the entire talent universe to the employer.” Managers will transform into ‘career coaches’ and rely on performance management technology to facilitate everyday feedback and on the go learning opportunities. According to Lee, TA will take ownership of internal mobility and talent delivery, signalling a move away from hiring-manager led placements.

Free playbook: Maximising the potential of your workforce with internal mobility

Final thoughts

These six talent acquisition trends point to a future of work that’s tech-enabled and automated, but that also uplifts the human aspects of Human Resources. With technology automating manual and repetitive tasks, TA teams are freed to do the real work: building meaningful DE&I programs, engaging valued alumni, raising up internal employees to greater heights. As we embark on this uncertain journey together, go safe in the knowledge that the HR world and your talent communities will always be there to share wisdom, support and guidance. And for help on the technology and automation front, there’s always PageUp – get in touch today to see how we can help optimiseoptimize each stage of your talent lifecycle.

Request a demo

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Recruitment CRM or an ATS: which is better?

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 01:04:34 +0000

Last year, 61% of companies spent more on their recruitment CRM software than on their ATS. And a staggering 1 in 4 companies are looking to upgrade their recruitment technology stack this year.

It’s no surprise. Many companies find it difficult to attract the talent and skills they need to be competitive. In fact, 40% of CFOs say skills shortages are the top constraint to achieving their company’s goals, according to our research.

But thanks to modern-day hiring tools, it doesn’t – and shouldn’t – need to be this way.

When talent acquisition teams shift from reactive to proactive recruitment, they can divert more time and resources into nurturing the right people into the business. The trick is to use marketing automation software.

But first, there’s one huge misconception about candidate relationship management and applicant tracking software that needs to be cleared up.

Which is better – recruitment CRM software or an ATS?

It’s actually a trick question.

Many people don’t think they need an ATS if they use a CRM – and vice versa.

But while a CRM is a powerful recruitment marketing tool when used alone, it’s more efficient when paired with an ATS.

It’s also important to take insights from the entire candidate journey rather than just focusing on improving one aspect of hiring. OrganisationsOrganizations that find more ways to maximise their use of time will always have a competitive advantage.

So, what’s the difference between a recruitment CRM and an ATS?

The two systems work at different stages of the candidate journey: one before, the other after a candidate hits ‘apply’.

The CRM is a powerful segmentation tool that automatically nurtures talent and delivers an engaging experience for passive candidates and active jobseekers. In contrast, the ATS is an applicant repository, workflow automation, and compliance tool used by recruiters and hiring managers.

To put it simply, both a CRM and ATS are equally important in delivering the functionality needed to build quality talent relationships with less recruiter effort.

What is CRM software used for in recruitment?

The recruiting CRM is a recruitment marketing tool and pre-apply capability that sits just above the ATS to help organisationsorganizations engage and nurture future talent. Here are some common use cases:

Candidate nurture

Just as marketers use a CRM to manage customer relationships throughout the buyer journey, recruiters can use the same software to build candidate relationships throughout the recruitment journey.

SMS job alerts and emails keep candidates interested and informed. And preset nurture flows and automation enable recruiters to maintain a positive experience with quality talent anytime, anywhere.

Some companies even use chatbots to help candidates seek out the information they need or answer questions around salary expectations or role requirements.

Proactive recruitment

When talent teams think of proactive recruitment, they often think of social media advertising and reaching out to candidates one by one.

But proactive recruitment should never be a frantic search. It’s more about nudging interested candidates in the right direction and keeping them warm.

This type of proactive talent attraction can help build and maintain a more sustainable talent pipeline. (It also gives talent teams more time back in their day for high-value activities that support a better candidate experience.)

The secret sauce? Intelligent careers sites.

AI-powered content management systems allow companies to build and easily edit job listings and showcase their employee value proposition (EVP) and employer brand with dedicated landing pages.

Once a passive candidate’s interest and details (from multiple sources) have been captured, the CRM ensures they’re ready to engage when the right role becomes available. If you’re hiring for hard-to-fill roles, this is how it’s done!

Analytics

Recruiters no longer have to rely solely on instincts to make content and sourcing decisions. With sophisticated candidate relationship management, jobseeker activity and interaction data are captured and used to build rich candidate profiles. Some CRMs even deliver smart recommendations that highlight the best sourcing channels, candidates that best fit the job criteria (candidate scoring), and uncover hidden talent along the way.

With a 360-degree view of the talent pipeline, recruiters can even use internal mobility and alumni rehire strategies to develop their talent bench strength. This kind of data can save organisationsorganizations thousands of dollars in sourcing costs.

Who uses recruitment marketing and CRM software?

Recruitment marketing and candidate relationship management software are still relatively new to most organisationsorganizations. But they’re fast becoming preferred recruitment tools for savvy talent acquisition teams and employer branding specialists.

Many top employers and Fortune 500 companies have already transitioned to a talent-meets-marketing strategy to differentiate themselves in the job market and win the best talent.

Teams are adopting modern recruitment marketing or CRM software to analyse pipelines, optimiseanalyze pipelines, optimize sourcing channel investment and support new, more effective strategies such as:

careers sites, social channels and talent networks,
search engine optimisationoptimization (SEO),
content creation for jobseekers,
employer branding,
mobile-friendly candidate experiences,
high-touch lead nurturing and,
personalisationpersonalization throughout the candidate journey.

Infographic: What an effective recruitment marketing campaign looks like from start to finish

Why do I need applicant tracking software?

Once a candidate applies for a position, their information is automatically fed into an applicant tracking system for the next stage. The ATS enables hiring teams to manage applications faster and deliver an engaging, consistent and personalisedpersonalized candidate experience at scale. Here’s where the ATS delivers value:

High-volume recruitment

If the last 12 months have shown us anything, it’s that talent scalability is fundamental regardless of whether we’re freezing, furloughing, or ramping things up.

There’s no faster or more efficient way of bringing in high volumes of candidates – from the ‘apply’ to ‘offer’ stages – than an ATS. With recruitment workflow automation and powerful analytics, talent teams can move selected candidates from application to offer and complete the required background, reference, and employment history checks pre-offer.

Read: Running effective campaigns at-scale: A how-to guide in times of change

DecentralisedDecentralized recruitment

A decentraliseddecentralized recruitment model focuses on the needs of hiring managers as well as recruiters. Many large and enterprise-level companies shift some of their recruitment responsibilities to remove friction between the two parties and directly connect hiring managers to their ideal employees. It also helps streamline processes, speed up decision making, and adds a personal touch to the candidate experience.

With the right ATS, organisationsorganizations can create, maintain and collaborate on documents in real-time, and ensure total alignment between hiring managers and recruiters.

Compliance

Boring tasks are important. And with the help of an ATS, hiring teams keep doing the boring things without getting bored.

Applicant tracking software lets recruiters keep a record and build custom reports that make hiring decisions quick, easy, and accessible for all. Managing these processes through an ATS saves valuable time and money by reducing human error, double entry, paperwork, and selection bias. It’s also an essential tool for enterprise-level companies looking to mitigate risk and prove ROI.

Good systems are kept up-to-date by automatically rolling out any updates behind the scenes. Compliance mandates are constantly changing, which is why navigating new regulations can be a real headache without automation.

And the journey repeats

Once the best-fit candidate has accepted a job offer through the ATS, all other future-fit candidates are on top of the recruiter’s list for next time. Their details are then fed back into the recruitment marketing system to ‘keep warm’ in the CRM for future opportunities.

Which is the best CRM recruitment system or ATS?

With a whole host of talent technology solutions out there, it’s not easy to choose the right ATS and CRM for your business.

An easy way to approach it is to think about the key selection criteria for your organisationorganization. Eventually, your team will need to put forth a request for proposal (RFP) document for a talent acquisition vendor. So outlining the key features and functions you need to optimiseoptimize your unique hiring process and win top talent is a good exercise.

The 5 most important factors to consider when upgrading your recruitment technology stack:

1. Functionality

Recruitment teams are constantly looking for new ways to be more efficient. Sometimes there’s a need to keep up with seasonal spikes or attract hard-to-find talent. Other times there’s a need to cut sourcing costs. Finding a vendor that can support your unique company objectives is crucial.

With PageUp’s unmatched depth of functionality, we’ve helped customers all over the world streamline complex volume and specialist recruitment practices. We listen carefully to our customers and offer holistic solutions (not just the software) so that everyone can use PageUp to its full potential.

2. Customer support

Many hiring teams make the mistake of upgrading their talent acquisition tech stack but never realiserealize their investment’s full value.

Unlike other vendors, PageUp delivers on its promises. With 24/7 premium support and a dedicated Customer Success Manager, we work closely with you to solve your team’s challenges (even long after implementation). Because good recruitment software is nothing without great customer support.

3. Scalability

Without software that’s fully scalable, running an effective recruitment campaign is expensive and time-consuming and may overlook the nuances of your hiring needs. Always look for a system that can manage bulk applications, offer powerful filtering and candidate segmentation, and automate candidate assessments and communications.

4. Configurability

Some applicant tracking or recruitment marketing systems are sold as rigid out-of-the-box solutions. The best solutions are highly configurable. Meaning they work flexibly to support a range of different workflows and industries depending on the organisation’sorganization’s recruiting challenges. Consider a vendor, like PageUp, that adopts a partnership approach to help you maximisemaximize system features to get the best results.

5. DecentralisationDecentralization

As mentioned earlier, organisationsorganizations now realiserealize that a decentralisedDecentralized recruitment model works better for the entire business. It allows hiring managers to quickly select candidates based on their local knowledge and branch criteria.

It even empowers operators across different functions to access the information they need independently. Whether it’s a hiring manager, member of IT/Security, or faculty member for higher education. PageUp’s cloud-based system is easy for everyone to use.

If you’d like to learn more about PageUp talent acquisition software and the problems we solve, get in touch for a free demo today.

PageUp is a powerful talent acquisition platform with unique capabilities to transform hiring experiences. Our Recruitment Marketing, Applicant Tracking System and Onboarding tools enable businesses to seamlessly find great team members that help drive the outcomes they need to be competitive. It’s the hiring technology you’ve been dreaming of.

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33 ways to get better at recruiting according to the experts

Mon, 03 May 2021 06:42:37 +0000

“How can I get better at recruiting?” you ask.

Every talent professional wants to excel and achieve recruitment success. But what does it take to get the best candidates through the door and into the right roles? The right strategy, tools and a passion for getting to know your candidates better.

In fact, candidates do a lot of the leg work for recruiters. More often than not, they’ll do their own research to find the right-fit role.

But in our current digital age, trying to master the technology and keep up with candidate expectations can be daunting for many recruiters.

Fortunately, there are experts who bring a wealth of experience and tried-and-true strategies to the table. In this article, you’ll learn the techniques they use to achieve benchmark-busting recruitment ROI and win the best talent.

Job descriptions

1. Make your job descriptions more enticing

For Adam Karpiak, job descriptions say a lot about a company – and it’s not always positive. While you may be searching for motivated, eager employees that can remain cool under pressure, describing a role as ‘fast-paced’ can turn jobseekers away before you’ve had a chance to say more.

“Employers, ‘fast-paced’ isn’t a selling point… it’s a warning,” says Karpiak.

When writing job descriptions, eschew jargony terms like ‘hustler’ ‘rockstar’ or ‘guru’ for clear role expectations. Most importantly, portray your unique culture and employee value proposition in a positive light – and articulate why someone would want to work for you.

Remember, a job description is often the first contact a person has with your company. Sell yourself well – don’t sell yourself short.

2. Share stories – not requirements

Sharing stories about your company culture, mission and values is far more impactful than simply listing out requirements for a role. Often, to convince a candidate to join your organisationorganization, you need to connect with them on an emotional level.

“Storytelling is how we connect with people and should be a recruiter’s number one asset,” says Joe Matar.

“I’d take a recruiter who can tell a great story about company, culture, and people all day over a recruiter who knows all the latest tips and tricks and best practices. Tell me a story to prove me wrong.”

Provide a great candidate experience

3. Stop ghosting candidates

Have you been in this situation before? You spend hours perfecting an application for a role you think you’re a great fit for, and then…silence. Days stretch into weeks and months, and you run through different scenarios in your mind. Maybe there was a network outage, and the application was never received? Maybe it got lost in a pile on someone’s desk? Or maybe the organisationorganization is just too disorganiseddisorganized and outdated to communicate with their applicants.

Whatever the reason, your opinion of the organisationorganization is tarnished, and you’re unlikely to apply again when future roles come up. It’s something that’s happened to almost all of us, regardless of whether we’ve applied to a small business or global organisationorganization.

“The IRS, with no budget and an old ass IT infrastructure, can tell 100M people when and how they’ll get their stimulus money, but Fortune 500 companies can’t tell 75 people the status of their job application,” says Adam Karpiak.

All too often, companies leave candidates in the dark about the status of a job application. It’s a fundamentally broken part of the recruitment process, and it has a hugely negative impact on employer brand. If you’re turning away quality talent just because they weren’t the right fit for this role, you’re losing the chance to have them on hand for future opportunities.

“Good recruiters have empathy for all jobseekers…not just the ones they think can be useful,” Karpiak adds.

4. Providing a great experience is the right thing to do

Joe Matar has seen firsthand how damaging a poor candidate experience can be – especially during a global health crisis.

“I was interviewing a candidate this week and she kicked off the interview by telling me how responsive and transparent our #recruiting team had been throughout the entire hiring process.

…But then she went on…

The next part was about all the other companies she had applied to since losing her job due to the pandemic. All the dead ends. All the resume black holes. All the unresponsive recruiting teams she’d encountered. The bar for candidate experience is set so low, yet the emotions run so high.

“It is waaaay too easy to ignore the person on the other side. A resume, an application, and an email on your screen is what we see. But there’s a real person behind all those bytes of data.”

5. Consider the ‘jobseeker bill of rights’

Whenever Katrina Kibben presents, they ask the room a question: “Who here has been a jobseeker before?”

Everyone’s hand in the room usually rises (those who don’t raise their hand are often not listening).

Then, Kibben silences the room by saying these seven words:

“Do you remember what it feels like?”

“The hopelessness? The despair? That feeling that you have no control, and you’re at the very bottom of the list?”

Kibben suggests a Jobseeker Bill of Rights could create a humane candidate experience – and fix the broken way we recruit.

“Every candidate gets access to the profile that’s generated after they take an assessment: every score, every time.
Candidates may respond to ask for feedback on what eliminated them from consideration. Responses are mandatory.
Curious what they’re really saying in a job posting? Ask for clarification, and get it.
Applications will not ask people to submit a resume, then manually enter the entire work history.
Employers set expectations about the types of questions they’ll ask in the interview and what they’re looking for in an interview guide candidates get at least one week in advance.
Honest answers about salary requirements for every candidate.
Only editorial candidates will write cover letters.”

6. Ask why candidates are dropping out of your hiring process

Dr John Sullivan has seen the same scenario play out many times:

“You sourced a candidate who impressed your hiring manager, has all the skills for the job and fits your company’s values. But before you can extend an offer, the candidate changes their mind (or worse, ghosts you). Here’s why it’s happening and what you can do to fix it.

If [the candidate] had an unexciting interview or feels like they are being treated poorly because of a lack of feedback, or even a rude recruiter or disinterested hiring manager, the best will exit quickly.”

If you’re wondering why people are dropping out of your recruiting process, apply for a role to try and understand the experience from end to end. Where are the gaps? Where can the process be sped up or personalised? Understanding how an external candidate experiences your organisationorganization will help you identify the leaks in your recruitment funnel and empower you to fix your processes.

7. Treat candidates like customers

A negative candidate experience has repercussions beyond the current recruitment cycle.

Our Head of Customer Insights and Market Research, Rebecca Skilbeck, says 72% of jobseekers have shared a poor experience on sites like Glassdoor, social media or directly with a colleague or friend. And 27% of candidates would ‘actively discourage’ others from applying for a job with that company.

But that’s not all.

For many businesses, some candidates may even end up being customers. And you can bet they’ll remember their experience and take their business elsewhere.

“Treating candidates with respect and dignity is important, even if you’ve never met face-to-face. It’s small things like giving feedback to unsuccessful applicants that make a business stand out,” Skilbeck says.

8. Don’t over-promise and under-deliver

As head of recruiting at Flexe, Stephen Medawar knows you have to provide a world-class candidate experience to compete for top talent. The key lies in personalisingpersonalizing the experience to appeal to each candidate’s expectations and desires – but he’s careful always to ensure he’s selling an accurate picture of what it’s like to work at the company.

“You start by learning about the candidate’s career goals, what motivates them, and their deal-breakers, and you personalisepersonalize their experience. Then, throughout the interview, show them how they’ll achieve their goals at your company. Always be truthful, though. There’s nothing worse than starting a new job and finding out you’ve been sold a bunch of lies.”

9. Nurture talent pools

If you want to do more with less and demonstrate ROI on sourcing efforts, Joe Matar has one straightforward piece of advice: don’t neglect your talent pools.

“The THREE (3) #recruiting techniques that will give you the biggest bang for your buck for the remainder of the year are:

1. Engage your current database of candidates / applicants
2. Engage your current database of candidates / applicants
3. Engage your current database of candidates / applicants
EVP and Employer Brand”

Employee Value Proposition and Employer Brand

10. Define your EVP or buy your tombstone

“You can either pick an EVP, or you can choose to RIP. Buy a shovel, dig a hole, get in it and bring your company with you,” Alan Fluhrer told attendees at Disrupt HR.

A good EVP is cost-effective and uses common sense, Fluhrer explains. Put simply: an EVP is “a way to communicate your company values, mantra and beliefs across the company, locally, through different functions and geographies.”

Instead of turning to outside consulting firms to manufacture an EVP that feels inauthentic, Fluhrer says HR teams are best-placed to articulate what makes their company a great place to work.

Fluhrer notes there are “multiple EVPs in every company – get used to it”. EVPs can differ depending on whether you’re attracting C-suite executives, Salespeople or operations workers. Even roles in different locations can have unique value propositions – what’s important is finding out what these value propositions are, then using this to tell a compelling story about why people should join – and stay with – your organisationorganization.

11. Employer branding is a necessity for global organisationorganizations

Once employer branding was seen as a ‘nice to have’, it is now necessary for organisationorganizations to compete for talent globally, explains Hung Lee. Lee says that the COVID-19 pandemic has crystallisedcrystallized employer brands as each organisationorganization takes a different approach to support its staff during the pandemic. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime period for organisationorganization looking to fortify their employer brand.”

Watch now: Recruiting Trends in a Remote-First World presented by Hung Lee

12. Beware EVP silos

“Does your EVP reflect the entire company – or just one facet of it?”

Charu Malhotra often asks organisationorganization this question – because all too often, HR is the sole creator, manager, and amplifier of an organisationorganization’s employer brand.

“Marketing, internal communications and talent teams need to work as one team. If employer brand is siloed in HR then content creation and employee advocacy isn’t given an opportunity to flourish,” Malhotra observes.

For an employer brand to truly reflect life at an organisationorganization, you need inputs from all facets of the company – not just HR. Think of your employees as brand champions: valuable sources of authentic content and insights that can be shared across company social media accounts. Encourage them to post about life at your organisationorganization using a dedicated hashtag, and you’ll have a free and authentic way to amplify your unique employer brand.

13. Articulate your employer brand digitally

Remote hiring presents many challenges. Without in-person meetings and office tours, candidates can struggle to get a sense of the culture and atmosphere of a workplace.

Chris Russell observes candidates are struggling to assess company culture and job fit through virtual hiring: Three in four candidates (75%) agree that “virtual hiring makes it difficult to really assess how a company’s values and culture align with my own.”

To help candidates get a feel for your culture, ensure you’re communicating your brand and EVP through virtual platforms. As remote hiring becomes the norm, you should be able to showcase what it’s like to work at your organisationorganization – including ‘day in the life’ videos and employee testimonials – clearly on your careers site and social media platforms.

14. Differentiate yourself from the competition

Tim Sackett often sees organisationorganizations trot out the same old lines about their winning culture and employer brand. For Sackett, these generic sentiments don’t get to the heart of why someone would actually want to work for that company. He suggests asking yourself one simple question:

“For the most part, every organization spouts off about being the best place to work. Statistically, that just can’t be true. Everyone can’t be the best, right?

Why does anyone really want to work at your company?

That is really the only question you need to answer. It might be because you’re the tallest of the seven dwarfs in your marketplace. It might be because it’s a decent-paying job close to home. Maybe you have a friendly culture, and mostly everyone gets along.

But, really, why would anyone choose you?

The answer will set you free. It will allow you to really have fun with who you are and find others that are like you.”

15. Play to your strengths

If you’re a smaller organisationorganization, it can seem impossible to compete with the big guys on perks, benefits and pay. But Tim Sackett says you can still recruit top talent – you just have to be strategic.

“Small companies may not be able to compete with large companies on their benefit packages, but large companies can’t compete with the flexibility small organizations offer.”

16. Transparency will get you far

If you were to ask Erika Klics, former Head of Talent and People at Spot AI, what the secret to recruiting talent is, she’d say it comes down to honesty and transparency.

“Hone in on who you are and what you can offer. Be transparent about the role, the team, and your company. Whether it’s stories from current employees, a clear set of projects they can build, or transparent compensation targets, give people the tools they need to decide if your company is the right place for them.”

17. Quality over quantity

Sometimes when it comes to employer branding, less is more. If you’re doing a good job of employer branding, you’ll be getting more of the right kind of applicants, and less of the wrong kind.

As James Ellis observes, employer branding is one of the few types of marketing where getting more leads, more applications, and more candidates isn’t necessarily better.

“If you’re marketing something like donuts, more ad interactions lead to more sales. Build a campaign that sells a million donuts and you’re getting a bonus. But in recruiting, if your marketing leads to a million people applying, you’ve done something wrong,” Ellis explains.

“The name of the game in employer branding is quality over quantity. Recruiters don’t want more leads and applications, they want fewer, so long as there are enough quality candidates to fill the role…recruiting only can only put one person in the role, so it’s not about finding the most people, but identifying and attracting the best person for the role.”

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

18. Don’t make it a box-ticking exercise

Katrina Kibben is a vocal supporter of diversity and inclusion in organisationorganizations. They explain that ’a few diverse hires’ does not equal a diverse workforce. That work is an ongoing process of continual education, listening, and growth.

“The checklist mentality around diversity has to stop. Just because you have a diverse person does not mean you’ve done the work to build an inclusive company,” Kibben says.

19. Bias is everywhere: learn to fight it

As Jeffrey W Shapiro observes, “Bias is literally everywhere: Proper grammar, accents, slang, use of verbal pauses…. all things that have zero impact on if this human being is qualified for the role but can become a roadblock to job seekers.

Knock It Off. Do Better. Be Better.”

Look in the right places

20. The future is remote-first

If you’re looking to build the workforce of the future, Joe Matar has some simple advice: “Go where your candidates are.”

Rather than expecting candidates to come to them, the best organisationorganizations are seeking top talent out and connecting with them on the platforms and in the communities they inhabit.

“They are remote: connect with them virtually.
They are near your physical office. Connect with them at a coffee shop.
They are remote now but relocating and working in person: connect with them virtually initially, bring them in to see the facility and meet the team deeper in the funnel.

Now optimize the candidate experience for each path and you are well on your way.”

21. ‘Jumping around’ isn’t always a bad thing

It used to be a warning sign if a person had multiple job changes on their resume – now, it’s a sign of growth and ambition, according to Anessa Fike.

“Employers – you will start to see more and more ‘jumping around’ on resumes in the next 5-10 years. Gen Z understands the dynamic that if you want to move up in title and compensation quickly, those are more likely to happen by jumping to a different role and company every year.

If you don’t consider these candidates, you are missing out on a ton of talent that your competitors are not. You are also likely missing out on a ton of talent that isn’t white and male.”

22. Source from your internal talent pools

With lockdown restrictions forcing widespread layoffs and reduced recruiter headcount forcing hiring teams to do more with less, organisationorganizations are redeploying staff to cut costs and keep valued skills within the business.

According to LinkedIn insights, internal hires increased by 19% in April-August 2020 compared with the same time period in 2019. Internal hires now make up almost 20% of an organisationorganization’s workforce on average.

But according to Hung Lee, “COVID revealed we don’t do internal mobility well.” Lee suggests that in the future, “TA will be known as ‘Talent Access’ – they will ensure the availability of the entire talent universe to the employer.”

Managers will transform into ‘career coaches’ and rely on performance management technology to facilitate regular feedback and on-the-go learning opportunities. According to Lee, TA will take ownership of internal mobility and talent delivery.

Free playbook: Maximising the potential of your workforce with internal mobility

Ask the right questions

23. Ditch the script when interviewing candidates

Adam Karpiak says job interviews are “basically someone asking scripted questions to someone waiting to give scripted answers.”

“If you aren’t looking to have an honest conversation with a potential employee, just email the questions and save everyone 60 minutes of fake smiling,” he says.

He also has a withering indictment of stock-standard interview questions such as ‘what’s your biggest weakness?’

“If asked in a job interview, ‘what is your biggest weakness?’ a perfectly acceptable response is, “I can see yours is asking useful interview questions,” Karpiak says.

24. Ask these 3 questions

There are three questions that every interviewer should ask candidates, according to Lou Adler. The answers you receive will tell you whether a candidate will be the right fit for a role, or whether you should continue the search.

“The first question: Can you tell me about your single most significant career accomplishment of all time including when it happened?
The second question: The biggest accomplishment required for success in this job is (describe a major accomplishment or KPO in some detail). Given this, can you tell me about something you’ve accomplished that’s most comparable including when it happened?
The third question: If you were to get this job, what would you need to know to put together a detailed plan for accomplishing (the major accomplishment asked in question two)?”

Invest in training in-house recruitment teams

25. Train hiring managers

Getting hiring manager buy-in is a crucial step to selecting the right person. So why do so few organisationorganizations spend the time to upskill hiring managers in successful recruitment strategies?

As Dawn Burke observes, “If hiring managers are critical to hiring success why do so many forget to train them?”

26. Learn a recruiter’s core competencies

As Celia Harper-Guerra observes, recruiters don’t often formally train to be recruiters – they just learn on the job.

“In order to hire the best talent, companies need to first take the time to invest in their in-house recruitment teams. It seems simple, but it’s a strategic, long-term investment,” says Harper-Guerra.

“Recruiters don’t go to a university to become a recruiter, they often fall into this role, and they learn on the job. There are a number of core competencies that a recruiter needs to be successful. A recruiter needs to be a brand ambassador for your company, a pipeline (sourcing) expert by understanding how to leverage different types of technologies and software, and to be a business consultant for their hiring managers. A recruiter will understand their industry market conditions and what type of talent is available in those markets.”

Taking the time to understand these core competencies will help you become a better recruiter and drive real results in your role.

27. Understand what hiring managers really want

Sometimes, it can seem like there’s a huge disconnect between what recruiters want and what hiring managers want. As a recruiter, you can present a handful of what you think are great candidates for the role, but the hiring manager may have had a different set of expectations for their ideal hire.

Steve Levy recommends sitting down with hiring managers at the outset to determine exactly what they’re looking for in an ideal candidate – and set expectations accordingly.

Speaking at SourceCon, Steve said:

“The chances of you finding that one ‘perfect résumé’ that everyone else has missed is a pipe dream.
Take hiring managers out of the building for coffee.
If the hiring manager can’t describe what ‘it’ is, have them draw a picture of their environment and systems – this is guaranteed to get them to think more clearly about their roles.
They’re not candidates, talent, human capital, or data points – they’re ‘people.’

Rely on technology and automation

28. Reduce time to hire

Getting the ideal candidate to apply for a role is only half the battle. If your recruitment process and time to hire is too long, you’ll lose quality talent in droves.

As Chris Menendez, Lead IT Recruiter at Hays PLC observes,

“The number one gap I observe in the market between candidates and employers is hiring timeline! In an age where strong engineers are on and off the market in literally days, the antiquated system of 3 step interviews over 2 weeks will hurt the hiring process TREMENDOUSLY. The ideal employer has the process nailed down to 1 or 2 steps (one being virtual), and a process implemented so they can make a decision on decline or offer same day.”

29. Technology can personalisepersonalize the candidate experience

Bill Boorman sees the future of recruiting relying on personalisationpersonalization and authentic engagement – aided by automation and pre-set workflows.

“Everything I’m working on now at the moment is being pushed towards personalisationpersonalization and single user experiences,” Boorman says.

“Messaging and communication experiences whether it’s on a career page, Facebook or Snapchat should be a personal experience. To scale it, it has to be somewhat automated, but there are a lot of things we can do with data and making sure it’s the right workflow and infrastructure to make it a reality. It’s all about the person, whether it’s the recruiter, the hiring manager or the applicant.”

30. Technology can surface soft skills and behaviouralbehavioral attributes

Experts at McKinsey are hinting at the slow decline of the resume as recruiters look beyond experience-based assessment to select candidates with the right behavioursbehaviors and potential to learn.

“The need for some skills, such as technological as well as social and emotional skills, will rise, even as the demand for others, including physical and manual skills, will fall.” (McKinsey, 2018)

As organisationorganizations divert their attention from manually scanning resumes, technology allows recruiters to screen for behaviouralbehavioral attributes at scale. Using AI, psychometrics testing and other digital behaviouralbehavioral or competency-based solutions, employers are able to predict, understand, and match thousands of people to jobs, faster.

Watch: Demystifying bias in AI for recruiting

Build lasting relationships

31. Tap into alumni networks

“Retain the relationship, not the employee,” recruiting guru Bill Boorman advises. This year, time-poor recruiting teams looking to do more with less are turning to the ‘talent community’ – alumni, silver-medalists and internal talent – as a source of pre-vetted, quality hires.

The return of the talent community creates a new job for recruiters – engaging talent even after they’ve left the organisationorganization.

32. Make relationships the entire point

Hung Lee shares 5 key ways to engage alumni:

Make relationships the entire point
Bridge community and company (careers sites are a great way to do this).
Treat talent mobility the same as career development
That development might exist outside of the company
Not a single career path but career optionality

Free playbook: Alumni networks re-imagining the employee experience

33. Recruitment doesn’t end after day one

According to Joseph J. Balbi, strategic hiring means considering the value a candidate can add immediately — and their potential future value! Where can development take them, and what can they grow to be. Here are some development stats worth chewing on.

“ROI of Engagement:

Highly engaged teams produce at 21% greater profitability
Top 25% in engagement leads to a 200% increase in success
41% less absenteeism
59% less turnover
17% increase in productivity
20% boost in sales

ROI of Feedback:

45% reporting as engaged say feedback is a factor
14.9% lower turnover when regular feedback is implemented
Feedback on strengths is 30x more likely to boost engagement
92% feel critiques are effective (delivered appropriately)

ROI of Coaching:

The mean ROI of leadership coaching was 700%
20% recouped 5,000% in ROI on coaching investments
Of those coached, 80% say performance, productivity and communication skills have improved

ROI of Recognition:

80% motivated to work harder when they’re appreciated
70% feel that praise improves motivation and morale
49% say they would leave if not acknowledged

Of those recognisedrecognized in the last 6 months, 93% say work has purpose,” Balbi says.

HR teams like yours are driving value with PageUp

Every recruiter cares about getting the best people into the right roles. But sometimes, we miss an opportunity to become more targeted and meet today’s high candidate expectations.

That’s where PageUp comes in.

Request a demo to learn more about our revolutionary hiring software and the problems we solve.

PageUp is a powerful talent acquisition and management platform with unique capabilities to transform hiring experiences. Our Recruitment Marketing, Recruitment Management, Onboarding, Learning, Performance and Succession tools enable businesses to seamlessly find and retain great team members that help drive the outcomes they need to be competitive. It’s the hiring technology you’ve been dreaming of.

The post 33 ways to get better at recruiting according to the experts appeared first on PageUp.

Using ATS to attract & retain top talent

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:15:08 +0000

Attracting top talent has become more competitive than ever. Candidates are moving faster, expectations are higher, and recruitment teams are being asked to deliver stronger outcomes with fewer resources.

Today’s candidates are not only evaluating job opportunities but also evaluating your hiring experience, employer brand and communication style from the very first interaction. If the process feels slow, confusing or impersonal, they will often move on quickly. That’s why organisationsorganizations need a more connected approach to hiring.

At PageUp, we help organisationsorganizations attract and retain top talent by creating more seamless hiring experiences, improving recruiter efficiency and enabling data-driven hiring decisions.

Maintain outstanding candidate experience and engagement

Candidate experience has become one of the biggest differentiators in recruitment. OrganisationsOrganizations that make hiring easier, faster and more personal are far more likely to succeed in attracting top talent.

Candidate expectations are higher than ever

Candidates expect clarity, speed and a process that respects their time. They want straightforward applications, transparent timelines and communication that feels genuine and responsive.

A poor hiring experience can damage an employer’s reputation quickly. Long applications, unclear next steps or delayed responses often cause strong candidates to disengage before the process is complete.

To improve candidate experience, organisationsorganizations should consider:

Simplifying application processes
Reducing unnecessary steps
Creating mobile-friendly experiences
Keeping communication timely and transparent
Ensuring consistency across every touchpoint

With tools such as talent acquisition software, hiring teams can create more connected and engaging recruitment experiences from the very first interaction.

Fast, clear communication builds trust

Communication remains one of the most important factors in candidate engagement. Candidates want to know where they stand and what happens next.

In many organisationsorganizations, communication breakdowns happen because recruitment workflows are fragmented. Hiring managers, recruiters, and stakeholders may all be working across disconnected systems, creating delays and confusion.

Modern recruitment platforms help solve this by streamlining communication and improving visibility across the hiring process.

This allows recruiters to:

Send faster updates
Automate interview scheduling
Keep candidates informed at every stage
Reduce delays caused by manual admin
Create more consistent hiring experiences

Fast, transparent communication helps organisationsorganizations attract and retain top talent while building stronger employer credibility.

PersonalisationPersonalization matters more than ever

Candidates increasingly expect personalisedpersonalized experiences throughout recruitment. Generic messaging and overly transactional processes can make organisationsorganizations feel disconnected and impersonal.

PersonalisationPersonalization helps candidates feel recognisedrecognized and valued. Even small improvements, such as tailored communication or role-relevant content, can significantly improve engagement.

A modern application tracking system allows organisationsorganizations to personalisepersonalize recruitment journeys while maintaining efficiency at scale.

This helps teams improve candidate relationships without increasing recruiter workload, making attracting top talent more sustainable as hiring demand grows.

Proactively build talent pipelines

The strongest hiring teams do not wait until a role becomes vacant to start sourcing candidates. They continuously build relationships with talent so they can respond faster when opportunities arise.

Proactive recruitment strategies create stronger pipelines, reduce time-to-hire and improve hiring quality over time.

Build sustainable pipelines of talent

If every recruitment process starts from zero, hiring quickly becomes reactive and inefficient.

Building sustainable talent pipelines allows organisationsorganizations to nurture future candidates before roles even become available. Instead of scrambling to source talent under pressure, recruiters already have engaged communities they can activate when needed.

Strong talent pipelines help organisationsorganizations:

Reduce time-to-hire
Improve hiring consistency
Strengthen workforce planning
Access better-quality candidates faster
Reduce recruiter pressure during high-growth periods

Technology plays a key role here by helping recruiters organiseorganize, segment and engage talent pools more effectively.

Re-engage past candidates and alumni

One of the most overlooked talent sources is people who already know your organisationorganization.

Past applicants, former employees and silver-medalist candidates often make excellent future hires because they already understand your culture, values and expectations.

Rather than losing contact after a recruitment process ends, organisationsorganizations should continue nurturing these relationships over time.

This includes:

Re-engaging previous high-performing candidates
Building alumni communities
Keeping passive talent connected through campaigns
Surfacing former applicants for future opportunities

Strengthen internal talent mobility

Internal talent pools are equally important. Employees want career growth, and organisations benefit from retaining valuable institutional knowledge.

Creating internal mobility pathways helps businesses identify employees with transferrable skills and connect them to future opportunities.

Benefits of strong internal mobility strategies include:

Improved employee retention
Stronger workforce engagement
Faster hiring processes
Reduced onboarding time
Better succession planning

OrganisationsOrganizations that invest in internal talent development often build more resilient and adaptable workforces over time.

Leverage recruitment technology and automation

As recruitment demands increase, technology has become essential for scaling hiring without sacrificing quality or candidate experience.

The right recruitment technology helps organisationsorganizations streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks and make more informed hiring decisions.

Automation reduces manual recruiter work

Recruiters are often balancing high hiring volumes with limited time and resources. Manual admin tasks can slow hiring significantly and reduce the time available for strategic recruitment activities.

Automation helps reduce repetitive work, such as:

Interview scheduling
Candidate status updates
Workflow approvals
Recruitment communications
Administrative reporting

Automation also helps create more consistent experiences across the hiring journey, improving both recruiter efficiency and candidate satisfaction.

Enable recruitment marketing at scale

Candidates are researching employers long before they apply. Employer branding, career sites and recruitment campaigns all influence how organisationsorganizations are perceived in the market.

Recruitment marketing technology helps teams deliver more targeted and engaging experiences at scale.

This includes the ability to:

Create personalisedpersonalized career content
Manage campaigns across multiple regions
Build branded career pages
Segment audiences more effectively
Nurture passive candidates over time

Use data-driven hiring decisions

Data helps recruitment teams understand what is working, where candidates are dropping off and how hiring performance can improve.

With stronger recruitment insights, organisationsorganizations can:

Improve sourcing strategies
Identify recruitment bottlenecks
Track candidate engagement trends
Improve hiring consistency
Scale recruitment more effectively

Learn how to attract top talent more effectively with PageUp

Today’s hiring landscape demands more than reactive recruitment strategies.

OrganisationsOrganizations need connected systems that support better candidate experiences, stronger engagement and smarter hiring decisions at every stage.

At PageUp, we help organisationsorganizations attract and retain top talent through recruitment technology designed to support modern hiring teams. From streamlining applications and communication to building long-term talent pipelines, our platform helps organisationsorganizations create recruitment strategies that scale effectively.

Our clients have achieved:

10.37x better application conversion rates than the benchmark
28% faster time-to-hire than the benchmark
91% offer acceptance rates compared to the 69.3% global average
32% higher offer acceptance outcomes

If your organisationorganization is looking for a more connected way to attract top talent, improve candidate engagement and support recruiters with smarter technology, PageUp can help you build a hiring strategy ready for the future.

The post Using ATS to attract & retain top talent appeared first on PageUp.

Recruitment software features you actually need in 2022

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 04:21:35 +0000

With more recruitment software vendors to choose from than ever before, it’s not easy finding the right solution for your business.

Modern recruiters are expected to be in a million places at once. Job boards, company websites, social media, email. And there’s a smorgasbord of smart-sounding tools out there claiming to make a recruiter’s life easier.

Some platforms boast slick dashboards but lack functionality. Others are a nightmare to track candidates. Some even market themselves as automated while still requiring experienced recruitment professionals to do low-value manual work.

So it’s no surprise 4 out of 5 companies aren’t satisfied with their current provider.

But here’s the biggest problem: most recruitment software solutions are designed from the wrong perspective.

Why design philosophy matters

Software features are a big part of the story when selecting a vendor. But they’re not everything.

That’s right. Experiences that lead to better outcomes for candidates and hiring managers count just as much.

Still, too many recruitment software solutions are designed purely from the recruiter’s perspective. You only have to look at the actual business outcomes to understand why that’s a problem.

The best recruiting solutions ease the recruiter’s administrative burden while also taking the candidate’s and hiring manager’s experience into account.

Why?

Because it’s in everyone’s best interest.

Candidates who receive straightforward and seamless experiences feel highly valued and exit the process with a positive view of the company.
Hiring managers who are more involved in the recruitment process feel more satisfied and equipped to make decisions.

The best software should walk the line between delivering on the expectations of candidates in the sourcing and screening process – and aligning departments and business goals on the employer’s side.

Unfortunately, it can be tempting to overlook these outcomes in favourfavor of good branding and gimmicky features.

Throughout this guide, we’ll share valuable tips to improve hiring experiences across the board, and consequently, your business bottom line.

Pay for outcomes, not features

The key to selecting software that can deliver real value is to start with the problem and align the solution to specific business needs.

Then, consider true partnerships that support both the product and your team’s vision. If in doubt, dig a little deeper and ask the tough questions to determine whether a provider will actively support your team in the long term. (And whether that comes at an extra cost.)

Know your end goal

At the end of the day, what are you hoping to get out of your recruitment software? A reduced time to fill? Better quality hires?

If you know your end goal, it’s a lot easier to track your recruitment efforts at each step to ensure they lead to the results you’re aiming for.

So, what brings you here? Why are you in the market for a new recruitment system? Here are some of the top reasons businesses invest in recruitment software:

Improving quality of hire

The cost of a bad hire is more than most people think.

Aside from all the recruitment and onboarding costs, poor hiring decisions can be detrimental to an organisationorganization’s culture, productivity, engagement and brand.

Some managers hire in their own image. Others overlook essential soft skills in favourfavor of technical skills and credentials. But the problem isn’t a hiring team’s lack of judgment. It’s a lack of technology to make better-informed decisions.

In fact, 28% of bad hires are the result of a broken or limited hiring process.

Thankfully, there’s tech to empower more high-quality, suitable candidates to apply (and less of the wrong kind). And tools that help recruiters identify high-potential candidates and build stronger relationships with hiring managers across the organisationorganization.

Essential functionality for attracting and selecting better candidates:

AI-powered dynamic careerscareer website content (jobs, blogs)
Automated optimisationoptimization (accessibility, search engine, social media)
Smart talent pipeline building
Candidate engagement scoring
Automated watch list
Powerful talent search and rich categorisationcategorization
Hiring manager interview and selection tools

Improving time to fill

If your goal is to increase hiring efficiency, you need tools that can help you find, identify and hire quality talent faster than your competitors.

According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), it takes a company 36 days on average to fill a role. And each vacancy costs around $500 per day.

Waiting until it’s too late isn’t just expensive business – it opens up the risk of losing qualified candidates to competing organisationsorganizations.

Smart tools help recruiters respond to updates quickly as candidates step through the application process. And useful dashboards give hiring teams the visibility and insights they need to move swiftly on key hiring decisions.

Essential functionality for finding the right fit faster:

An engaging and dynamic careerscareer site
Extended reach through industry leading job boards
Recruitment workflow automation and analytics
Smart talent pipeline building
Pre-employment assessment
Offer management
Automated provisioning for new starters
PersonalisedPersonalized onboarding and eLearning

Automating end-to-end talent acquisition

Today’s recruiters are feeling the pinch of fewer resources and an ever-increasing workload. And competition for talent isn’t going away.

Expectations are high and old methods that rely on manual processes, hunches and ‘gut feel’ aren’t delivering results like they used to.

Delve into the details and the business case to implement modern technology is strong. There’s an opportunity to work smarter (not just harder) at every stage of the recruitment funnel and job application process.

From recruitment marketing all the way through to onboarding software, technology can enable a seamless experience for recruiters, candidates, and hiring managers alike.

Essential functionality for automating the entire hiring process:

Job posting automation
Recruiting chatbot and 24/7 virtual assistants
Workflow management and automation
Automated candidate outreach
Automated interview scheduling
Integrated talent management

Improving the candidate experience

As we mentioned earlier, recruitment software (like an applicant tracking system) has helped ease a recruiter’s administrative burden for a long time. But candidates were often missing from the picture. And the ones that did make it through a company’s online application were forced to play the waiting game…only to be met with rejection.

63% of jobseekers would reject a job offer after receiving a bad candidate experience.

Talent acquisition teams need empathy for all applicants, not just those who are useful to them now.

Make no mistake: candidates left in the dark about their application status will share their poor experience with the world. And you can forget about contacting them for suitable roles in the future.

Today, digital tools can make meaningful human connections with high-touch candidate engagement. Recruiters can now automate fluid and timely communications behind the scenes.

It’s all thanks to modern candidate relationship management (CRM) software – enabling employers to build relationships with candidates throughout their recruitment journey.

Essential functionality for keeping candidates highly engaged:

Easy-to-edit Content Management System (CMS)
AI-powered dynamic website content
Enhanced job description pages (embedding videos and blogs)
Candidate relationship management (CRM)
1:1 candidate communications
Automated assistance and text-to-apply
PersonalisedPersonalized onboarding portal
Job alerts and automated nurture campaigns

Managing applicant volumes

When the pressure heats up for recruiters handling high application volumes, they need scalable solutions that help them find the needle in the haystack.

Whether your organisationorganization is hiring for multiple roles or one really popular job, the best recruitment software makes it easier to visualisevisualize, assess and progress applications (without sacrificing the candidate experience).

Essential functionality for bulk recruitment tasks:

Automated workflows
Automated scoring
Embedded assessments and video interviews
End-to-end analytics
Recruitment funnel analytics (candidate journey insights)
CentralisedCentralized templated communication
Calendar integration (direct interview sync)

Reducing hiring bias

There’s no secret sauce for building a diverse workforce. But there are plenty of tools every talent professional can use to remove unconscious bias and create more equitable conditions for candidates early on.

Whether it’s to remove bias in job descriptions, restructure referrals or source candidates from untapped talent pools – the barriers to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) will vary. It depends on industry, function, role and seniority.

Talent teams need relevant data insights to track demographics at each stage of the process, take action where it counts and measure outcomes.

Essential functionality for building high performing and diverse teams:

Enhanced job description pages
Campaign pages for underrepresented cohorts
AnonymisedAnonymized profile screening
Demographic analytics and reporting
AI-powered behaviouralbehavioral screening

Abandoning multiple tech solutions for an all-in-one platform

Talent acquisition teams today must work proactively, optimisingoptimizing every step of the hiring process to drive the outcomes they need to be competitive.

They need platforms that provide deeper functionality and showcase their organisation’sorganization’s unique recruitment experience and brand.

The problem is that fragmented solutions don’t solve multiple business problems. (Not to mention the nightmare of team members losing access.)

But, there’s no magic bullet like many Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) solutions claim to be. In an ever-changing talent acquisition landscape, the best solutions are the ones that grow with you through 1-way or 2-way integrations.

Essential functionality for quality hires on a single-user interface:

Final thoughts

Many talent acquisition professionals make the mistake of upgrading their tech stack but never realiserealize the full value of their investment.

If you take one thing away from this article, remember that the easiest way to make a poor recruitment software choice is to not have a strategy. If you know which hiring outcomes you’re hoping to achieve, you’re way ahead of the curve and headed towards success.

What recruitment software solutions have (or haven’t) worked for you?

Good recruitment software is nothing without great customer service

At PageUp, we take a partnership approach to customer service – so you’ll always feel like you’re getting the most out of the system.

Unlike others, we listen carefully to our customers and offer real outcomes (not just the software) so that everyone can use PageUp to its full potential. With our deep functionality, configurable system, change management consulting, and dedicated ongoing support – it’s no wonder so many PageUp customers are Raving Fans.

We’d love to work closely with you to solve your team’s challenges. So reach out for a full demo of our modern talent acquisition platform today.

Request a demo

The post Recruitment software features you actually need in 2022 appeared first on PageUp.

The 6 stages of an effective recruitment funnel

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 05:06:32 +0000

There are six stages of an effective recruitment funnel. Here’s a logical, comprehensive picture of the strategies recruiters can use to secure the best people.

Stage 1: Awareness

This first stage of the recruitment funnel is where candidates first become aware of your employer brand. In today’s highly competitive job market, you need to articulate your company’s unique EVP and stay front of mind. You also need a combination of active and passive sourcing strategies.

Think paid and organic job ads, careers site pages, ‘Why Work Here?’ and company values statements, video content, targeted landing pages for key talent segments, employer reviews (sites like Glassdoor) and more.

Common awareness-stage challenges

Weak employer branding
Low visibility with passive candidates
Generic job ads that blend in with competitors
Inconsistent messaging across recruitment channels

What effective recruitment funnels do differently

Promote clear EVP messaging
Use targeted recruitment marketing campaigns
PersonalisePersonalize career site experiences
Build talent communities before roles open

Research shows that 73% of job seekers won’t apply to a company unless its values align with their own. At the same time, organisationsorganizations that invest in employer branding are 3x more likely to secure higher-quality hires.

Using tools like personalisedpersonalized career site content, audience segmentation and campaign automation through recruitment marketing software can help organisationsorganizations stay visible to both active and passive candidates while creating a more connected candidate experience.

Stage 2: Interest

Now, let’s talk about nurturing candidates in the hiring funnel. You’ve probably heard marketers talk about lead nurturing. Well, you can use the same tactics to target unique candidate personas as you scale your recruitment strategy.

That’s why the second stage of the recruitment funnel is so important. It’s where you use personalisedpersonalized content to capture candidate interest. Some examples include custom calls to action, job opportunities, event registrations, projects, and other career-related information.

Examples of candidate nurturing content

Graduate program updates
Hiring event invitations
Employee spotlight content
Industry insights and thought leadership
Tailored job recommendations

Nearly half of professionals follow companies on social media to stay aware of future job opportunities.

For example, a university candidate may respond to graduate recruitment content, while experienced professionals may engage more with leadership opportunities or flexible work initiatives.

Candidates who regularly engage with employer branding content are more likely to move further through the recruitment marketing funnel when the right role becomes available.

Stage 3: Consideration

Here’s where the nurturing becomes more targeted to better your chances of converting talent. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to start reaching out to candidates left, right and centre. Real-time event triggers allow you to instantly reach and engage with candidates in the moments that count most.

Custom calls to action, direct sourcing, recruiter outreach, and an automated list of ‘candidates to watch’ are possible today with modern candidate relationship management (CRM) and automation software.

Without modern CRM tools

Recruiters rely on manual follow-ups
Passive candidates disengage
Talent pools become outdated
High-potential candidates are missed

With CRM and recruitment automation

Recruiters can automate nurture campaigns
Candidate engagement can be tracked in real time
Talent pools stay active and searchable
Recruiters can reconnect with candidates based on behaviour signals

Only 25% of a recruiter’s target audience are active job seekers, which means organisationsorganizations risk missing the passive 75% without a strong candidate recruitment funnel.

At the same time, 90% of professionals say they are open to new opportunities if presented with the right role, yet 90% of recruiting emails are still not personalisedpersonalized.

For example, recruiters can automatically reconnect with candidates who attended an event, joined a talent community or clicked on a specific job category.

Using integrated capabilities within a broader talent acquisition software platform can help recruiters engage talent more strategically while still delivering a personalisedpersonalized experience at scale.

Stage 4: Application

Now that you’ve led quality candidates on a journey through content and made your direct pitch, it’s time to make the application process as quick and easy as possible.

OptimisingOptimizing your application process for mobile is a must. And keeping the forms simple (and screening questions relevant) will be the key to ensuring each candidate moves through the process quickly and has a positive experience. Remember: if you’re not doing it right, someone else will.

Common application drop-off triggers

Long application forms
Too many screening questions
Poor mobile experience
Re-entering resume information manually

Research shows that 60% of job seekers have abandoned an application because it was too long or complicated. Candidates increasingly expect fast, mobile-friendly application experiences. In fact, mobile-friendly job applications receive 11.6% more applications than those that are not optimisedoptimized for mobile.

Stage 5: Selection

Stage five of the recruitment funnel is where you narrow down your talent pool to a select group of potential hires and screen for the right skills.

Tech-enabled recommendations can help you screen for specific skills and flag high-potential candidates. But this is not the time to go cold or ‘ghost’ candidates!

Instead, give candidates the rockstar treatment while they wait. Recruiters can save valuable time by using automation software to deliver timely and fluid progress updates on a candidates’ application status.

Recruitment funnel metrics to monitor

Application abandonment rate
Time-to-apply
Mobile completion rates
Candidate conversion rates

These recruitment funnel metrics can help organisationsorganizations identify where candidates are disengaging during the application process.

What candidates expect during selection

Clear interview timelines
Fast communication
Easy interview scheduling
Consistent status updates
Respectful candidate experiences

Research shows that 52% of job seekers say a lack of response from employers is their biggest frustration during recruitment.

At the same time, talent pools are 34x more effective than job boards at producing successful hires, highlighting the importance of maintaining candidate engagement throughout the hiring funnel.

Automated interview scheduling, progress updates and communication workflows can reduce recruiter admin while helping candidates stay informed throughout the process.

Even small improvements, like confirming next steps quickly after interviews, can improve candidate perception and reduce drop-off.

Stage 6: Offer

Did you know the average offer acceptance rate dropped 3% in 2020 – which means more people are rejecting offers?

At stage six, presenting an offer to the best-fit candidate (before competition snaps them up) is a no-brainer. And for those silver-medallist candidates who just missed out, you can keep them nurtured, engaged and on top of your list for future opportunities.

Common offer-stage risks

Slow approval workflows
Delayed communication
Competing offers from other employers
Candidate disengagement late in the process

How organisationsorganizations improve offer acceptance

Reduce approval bottlenecks
Keep communication clear and timely
Maintain momentum after interviews
Continue engaging runner-up candidates

Companies can lose as many as 89% of potential candidates due to prolonged screening processes.

Research also shows that 63% of job seekers would reject a job offer after a poor candidate experience, reinforcing the importance of a smooth and responsive recruitment funnel.

Fast decision-making and clear communication can help organisationsorganizations secure top talent before competitors do.

Beyond the recruitment marketing funnel: Onboarding

Finally, now that you’ve selected your next star hire, it’s time to roll out the red carpet with an onboarding experience that gets them up to speed before their first day.

While onboarding doesn’t quite fit into the recruitment funnel, it’s a critical step for ensuring a successful hiring process. A great onboarding program immerses new starters in your company culture and gives them the tools and information they need to become productive team members that stick around.

Effective onboarding experiences can include

Onboarding tasks before day one
Welcome resources and training materials
First-week schedules
Team introductions
Automated compliance workflows

The onboarding experience shapes how new hires feel about the organisationorganization from day one.

OrganisationsOrganizations with a structured onboarding process experience 50% greater new-hire productivity, while employees with a negative onboarding experience are 50% more likely to look for another opportunity in the near future.

A modern employee onboarding solution helps organisationsorganizations create more consistent onboarding experiences through automation, personalisedpersonalized workflows and improved collaboration across hiring managers, HR teams and new starters.

Building a more effective hiring funnel with PageUp

An effective candidate recruitment funnel requires more than disconnected tools and manual processes. To consistently attract, engage and convert quality talent, organisationsorganizations need technology that supports every stage of the hiring journey.

From recruitment marketing and candidate engagement through to applications, selection and onboarding, PageUp’s talent acquisition suite helps organisationsorganizations create more connected hiring experiences while improving recruitment funnel metrics. To find out more about how you can implement an effective talent acquisition strategy from start to finish – request a demo today.

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9 Recruitment trends for 2022

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 03:31:50 +0000

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PageUp research: What jobseekers really want from your candidate experience

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 01:03:53 +0000

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How AI tools make hiring faster and fairer

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 05:15:05 +0000

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Are you spending too much on job boards?

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 05:13:32 +0000

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APM’s recruitment marketing wins allied health talent

Sat, 02 Oct 2021 04:26:28 +0000

Since 1994, APM has delivered life-changing human and healthcare services to enable better lives across 10 countries. With a network of 7,500 people, their services reach more than a million people each year.

APM is on a growth trajectory, with high demand for its disability employment, allied and occupational health, psychology and wellness services.

But this created a twofold challenge: finding talent to grow key areas of the business, and growing in a highly-competitive market.

Allied health roles typically receive four applicants per role, in comparison to retail, where there is an average of 90 applicants per role.

International and local border closures meant qualified, available talent was even tougher to access. Attracting enough applicants required a different approach.

Amplifying EVP across multiple brands

To forge a trailblazing talent attraction strategy, APM’s Employer Branding Manager Dario Paolini needed to understand how to attract APM’s ideal candidate personas. He also knew APM needed to elevate and amplify its brand – not an easy feat, considering the organisationorganization operates across 10 different brands.

Paolini started off by undertaking detailed market analysis. It revealed 73% of qualified candidates were passive candidates, and just 27% were active candidates. It typically took four months for candidates to move from awareness to applying for a role.

“With this knowledge, we knew we needed to focus higher in the recruitment funnel. A best-in-class careers site would allow us to educate top talent about our vision, values and story, engage this passive audience and encourage them to apply,” Paolini said.

APM adopted a recruitment marketing strategy to drive content into spaces where their target audience consumed media. This would help the business generate awareness and interest among active and passive candidates. They could then turn that interest into a pipeline of prospective candidates.

A compelling EVP captures top talent

APM used PageUp Recruitment Marketing to launch 19 different job search pages across its 10 brands. With custom content for each brand driving traffic to the careers site, the business can capture the interest of human services and healthcare talent, then move them from awareness to application. A simplified signup process and compelling Calls to Action (CTAs) makes it easier for visitors to enter APM’s talent pool and stay updated with content and suggested jobs.

https://careers.apm.net.au/brands

APM has 10 different brands. The team has created job search pages for each of these which include videos highlighting the benefits and the cultural nuances of each of the different brands.

PageUp software empowered APM’s team with insights to understand the content driving engagement and application rates, where applicants were coming from and how people interacted with the content.

Job landing pages reinforce the employer brand with a video to showcase a ‘day in the life’ stories and recommended jobs in the sidebar. This is based on the candidate’s browsing history.

Within eight weeks, we converted 18 new hires. 40% of candidates who reached the interview stage were hired. They wouldn’t have applied for a role unless they were engaged and nurtured along the way,

Dario Paolini, Employer Branding Manager, APM

Having a full view of the recruitment funnel allows APM to capture visitors and convert them to hires using automated workflows. For example: by setting up automatic notifications to those who did not apply, but viewed or started an application, APM saw a significant increase in applications submitted.

“With these insights, we can continue creating content that speaks to our audience’s values and desires, authentically uphold the APM brand, and convert applications.”

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“This is incredible”: Streamline your talent pipelining with PageUp’s latest LinkedIn integration

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 01:48:21 +0000

In today’s hyper-competitive talent market, recruiters don’t have time to waste on manual data entry or unnecessary admin. At PageUp, we’ve been busy finding ways to streamline processes and automate the ‘busy work’ to give hiring teams more time to be strategic.

That’s why we’re pleased to announce we’ve hit ‘Live’ on our integration with LinkedIn’s Recruiter System Connect. The PageUp product team has been working with a number of early adopter customers to trial the integration, and initial reactions are very positive.

Here’s what Kate Reid, Global Talent Brand and Recruitment Manager, H&H Group has to say:

“Previously we had to download profiles from LinkedIn Recruiter, send to co-ordinators, and manually create profiles in PageUp, there was so much unnecessary work involved. We now have a streamlined process. This is incredible.”

The LinkedIn Recruiter System Connect integration provides a full two-way view of candidates across LinkedIn and the PageUp ATS. Hiring teams can immediately see which LinkedIn candidates are already in their PageUp database, and when viewing candidates in PageUp, they’ll see their most up to date LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn estimates that the integration can save recruiters who actively source candidates on LinkedIn 3+ hours per week.

How? The LinkedIn Recruiter System Connect integration allows customers to connect PageUp’s ATS with LinkedIn Recruiter Hiring teams will now be able to see which candidates have already applied (and the jobs they applied for). The integration also allows you to export candidate profiles from LinkedIn Recruiter directly into open job requisitions in PageUp.

Want to know more? Here’s a full list of the new features

In LinkedIn Recruiter:

An “In ATS” (in PageUp) indicator for LinkedIn members who are already in the PageUp database, including details about their previous application process, hiring outcome details and source of application.
Past Applicants spotlight allows you to filter and prioritiseprioritize candidates who previously applied to your company and/or are already in PageUp.
1-click exporting allows you to export candidates to jobs you are trying to fill.

In PageUp:

1-click exported candidates appear against the relevant job.
LinkedIn profile widgets accompany candidate records, allowing you to view up-to-date LinkedIn profiles and shortcuts to common Recruiter actions within PageUp.

PageUp also allows customers to automatically post jobs from PageUp into LinkedIn job slots managed through LinkedIn Recruiter.

What next?

We’ll be working closely with our customers over the coming months to enable LinkedIn Recruiter System Connect. If you currently use PageUp and are interested to know more, reach out to us through your Customer Success team. If you’re considering using PageUp and would like to know more, you can request a demo and we’ll walk you through the platform in real time.

Want to know more tips and strategies to improve your proactive sourcing? Start with our latest guide, 5 Proactive Recruiting Strategies to try in 2021.

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What jobseekers really think about your DE&I practices

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 07:21:20 +0000

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) practices have become a central focus for HR teams in today’s competitive talent landscape. But how can you ensure this shines through in your employer branding and messaging in a meaningful way?

If your goal is to capture high-quality talent, it’s not something you should leave to chance.

More jobseekers than ever are considering DE&I as an important factor in their decision-making process. And organisationorganizations that don’t have an inclusive online presence are losing the best talent. In fact, 39% of candidates reject a role or do not proceed with a job application due to a perceived lack of inclusiveness.

If you’re struggling to find the talent you need, it could be that jobseekers don’t think your organisationorganization is supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion.

The solution? Increase your organisationorganization’s ability to hire great talent by authentically showcasing DE&I at each stage of the candidate journey. Positive imagery through your job ads, careerscareer site and other channels will help you tell your DE&I story.

What is DE&I (diversity, equity and inclusion) and why does it matter?

More than a “set and forget” talent acquisition objective, companies with strong DE&I strategies create conditions where creativity, productivity and empathy thrive.

Truly diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces are those with fair processes and an employee value proposition (EVP) that supports all people – regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, education, disability, beliefs and other attributes.

The benefits are clear. Gender-diverse companies are up to 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability than those that aren’t. Culturally-diverse companies are up to 33% more likely to outperform their less diverse counterparts. Inclusive teams have also been shown to make faster, better business decisions up to 87% of the time.

So, let’s talk about how the job search has changed and what this means for employer branding.

Today’s jobseekers do their homework

More than 75% of jobseekers state diversity is an important factor for them when evaluating companies and job offers.

Jobseekers search company channels for content that prioritisesprioritizes diversity, like:

Videos, images and quotes on your website and careerscareer site
Employee-driven content, including social media posts and profile stories
Statements about DE&I commitments and policies

That’s right. To attract DE&I jobseekers and diverse employees, companies need to share content that celebrates diversity and is inclusive of all people. Being deliberate with your imagery and language and showing how your company is committing to DE&I can help reinforce your identity as a company for diverse employees.

But remember: if your content doesn’t feature diverse perspectives and representation across all your channels, you run the risk of deterring high-quality candidates from applying. To ensure your content approach is authentic, rather than performative, use real photos of your employees instead of stock images. Candidates want to see content that’s true to a company’s core values and the initiatives it supports.

Are your job descriptions turning away certain applicants?

Often, a few word choices in a job description can unintentionally create bias and limit the size and diversity of your talent pool.

For example, underrepresented groups including women and BIPoC (Black, Indigenous, People of ColourColor) workers are less likely than others to identify as “experts” regardless of their experience or seniority. These demographics are also less likely to apply if they feel they don’t meet 100% of the listed role requirements.

The good news: there are plenty of modern solutions and tools available to assist. Online tools like Textio, can produce gender-neutral job listings. These flag areas for improvement by identifying problem spots in your word choices. (Think words like “competitive” which can be skewed towards males.)

While it’s great to use these tools and limit your list of “must haves”, it’s up to recruiters and employer brand specialists to review job ads carefully.

Does your website and careerscareer site celebrate diversity?

Inclusive job descriptions are an important piece of the puzzle in the candidate experience. But the content on your website, homepage and careerscareer site creates the bigger picture.

Let’s consider companies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Women are doing incredible things in these industries and the number of females taking up these careers is on the rise. But a common question we hear from hiring managers is, “How can I attract more women to STEM roles?”

Share employee profile stories and other content that features women in STEM roles. This is a great tactic to organically attract women in these fields.

At the end of the day, there are many content pathways you can take to feature underrepresented groups. (Videos, images and stories all work well!)

Can you share employee quotes from BIPoC C-suite leaders on your careerscareer site? What about a careers video featuring diverse team members in different roles?

Be authentic and creative in choosing the types of content you want to share. The possibilities are endless.

Read: PageUp introduces new AnonymisedAnonymized Screening feature

Doing the work is just as important

It takes time, effort and attention to build a diverse workforce. Yet diversity is only one part of DE&I. It’s only meaningful if you have the recruitment process and workplace culture to back it up. Providing employees with a sense of belonging, respect and support helps you retain the diverse talent you’ve worked so hard to recruit.

If there’s work to do, you might need to instilinstill conscious inclusion efforts, like bias training, throughout your workplace. Or, embed diversity practices into your culture and everyday learning experiences. Programs, events, celebrations and mentoring are great avenues for this.

Successful DE&I programs don’t have an expiry date. But they are something to sustain and build on as an organisationorganization. Not only will your continuous effort improve financial outcomes and business performance, it will enable you to attract diverse, high-quality candidates in a tight talent market.

If you’re ready to drive meaningful change at your organisationorganization, request a free demo of our modern recruitment marketing software. Our easy-to-edit, intelligent careerscareer sites automatically flag areas for improvement, giving you the tools and insights to create content that resonates and converts.

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5 strategies to hire higher education talent

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 04:47:22 +0000

Universities and colleges were previously seen as some of the most attractive places to work. They’ve had a long tradition of meaningful work and job stability. These factors were crucial talent attraction and retention drivers.

But here’s the thing: perceptions and priorities have changed. Academics are retiring early due to COVID-19. Most employees don’t want to return to campus full-time. And many are prepared to leave their meaningful work behind in search of the compensation corporate jobs can offer.

What’s more, tighter budgets and a leaner workforce have made it almost impossible for HR teams to work diligently to build quality relationships with talent.

To attract and retain the best faculty and staff in the new world of work, HR leaders must adopt a proactive mindset that will allow them to identify and track their future needs.

Every experience will matter – from recruiting and onboarding to exit and rehire. Higher education will need a multi-pronged approach to sourcing, engagement, and development.

Throughout this ebook, we’ll share 5 proactive strategies to help higher education HR design and build a workforce for the future.

You’ll learn:

Why institutions are losing quality talent to competitive markets
Essential high-volume recruiting tactics for hard-to-fill academic and senior management roles
How HR leaders can adapt to changing candidate and employee expectations
5 crucial activities to position your institution as an employer of choice

Gain instant access to the full ebook below.

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PrioritisePrioritize your DE&I efforts: PageUp Introduces AnonymisedAnonymized Screening

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 05:27:38 +0000

When we released our guide to building a successful DE&I strategy, the response was huge. PrioritisingPrioritizing and improving processes to support diversity, equity and inclusion in recruiting really resonated with our customers. In response, our product team spent some time reflecting on what we do really well (more on this below) and where we have room for improvement. Building on client feedback, we’ve evolved our previous ‘blind recruitment’ functionality (relabelled to anonymisedanonymized screening to use more inclusive terminology) to move beyond an ‘all or nothing’ approach.

Why focus on anonymisedanonymized screening?

AnonymisedAnonymized screening is designed to help broaden the representation of diverse candidates that progress beyond the shortlisting stage. AnonymisingAnonymizing personal information reduces capability assumptions influenced by ethnicity, race, gender, and other sociodemographic factors.

Research tells us that reducing unconscious bias requires conscious intervention. We have two systems of thinking – automatic or intuitive, and conscious reasoning. Our intuitive, automatic thinking accounts for 80 – 90% of what’s happening in our brains. It helps us deal with the complexity of everyday life. But the downside is that automatic thinking introduces bias because it relies on intuitive or learntlearned behaviourbehavior. In a hiring cycle this can lead to less diverse candidates moving through selection processes. The conscious reasoning system, on the other hand, is all about active analysis and conscious decision-making. Interventions or “nudges” can promote this system of thinking.

Technology is a facilitator that we can use to nudge users in the right direction. However, we also acknowledge that technology mustn’t get in the way of users achieving their goals.

We’ve made it possible to configure each recruitment process to allow our clients to pilot anonymisedanonymized screening with selected groups within their organisationorganization. To cater to a broader audience, we’ve added anonymisedanonymized profile components into our applicant progress board (a kanban-style board for hiring managers to shortlist and progress applications).

PageUp provides a series of tools that help reduce bias and facilitate inclusive hiring practices:

At the attraction stage, features include the ability to support dedicated microsites and landing pages and create inclusive job descriptions.
The easy-to-edit content management system allows HR teams to blog about an organisationorganization’s culture and practices, and highlight diverse employee experiences.
PageUp provides an out-of-the-box candidate experience that is accessible across all channels for jobseekers with disabilities.
During the job application process, EEO data is collected through permissions based on field capture to meet applicant tracking requirements and ensure that these metrics are hidden on an individual candidate basis.
Affirmative action plans can be tied to position descriptions and EEO criteria pre-populated into job requisitions, along with out-of-the-box diversity dashboards and EEO and OFCCP reporting.

We’ve also taken the approach of ‘hide by default’ while providing a way for users to access a candidate’s name if they really need to.

In phase 1, we’re providing users with a basic redacted resume that removes a candidate’s name and email address. PageUp user experience research found hiring managers still rely heavily on the resume. In fact, it is consistently the top action that our users perform on the applicant progress board. Under consideration for phase 2 is an advanced redaction service that can remove company names, institutions and much more.

What next?

We’ll be working closely with clients over the coming months to pilot anonymisedanonymized screening on specific recruitment processes. If you’re interested and a client, reach out to us through your Customer Success team. If you’re considering using PageUp as your ATS, you can request a demo and we’ll walk you through the platform in real-time.

You can find more about the tools we have to support your DE&I strategy here.

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You can only build what you can staff

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:36:56 +0000

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Exclusive research: Where AEC companies are going wrong with employer branding

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:27:16 +0000

Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) companies are staring at a remarkable amount of opportunity. Data centers. Power. Advanced manufacturing. Mission-critical infrastructure. The work, capital, and demand are there.

But many firms are discovering that winning the project is only half the problem. The industry needs to attract 456,000 workers by 2027 just to keep projects on track, and 78% of contractors have already had to push back at least one project in the past 12 months due to workforce shortages.

That changes the role of hiring.

An open role is no longer just an inconvenience for the recruiting team. It can delay a project, reduce delivery capacity or force the business to walk away from work it could otherwise win.

Hiring capacity has become business capacity.

Most companies still operate as though recruiting begins when a requisition opens: a recruiter gets the brief, a job is posted, candidates are sourced, the pipeline is managed.

That system made sense when this was an employer’s market: when the people you needed were already looking. Now the people AEC companies need most aren’t actively looking for jobs. They need a compelling reason to leave a good one.

This means the hiring decision starts long before the job posting: it starts when someone notices the company, understands what makes the opportunity different, and begins to imagine a better future there.

Most recruiting systems were not built for that.

A snapshot of the research:

We examined 150 AEC career sites, 1,246 job postings and 7,850 LinkedIn posts to see where the industry’s hiring system is breaking down. Here’s a sneak peak of what we found:

Only 13% of job postings explicitly said why someone should join their organisationorganization
Only 3% of job postings gave concrete examples of actual day-in-the-life projects that someone might work on
Two-thirds of the industry is using nearly identical positioning on their career sites

Plus so much more. Perhaps the most pressing concern is the interchangeable messaging being used between organisationsorganizations. When talent is scarce, hiring teams need to shift from a transactional approach to creating demand. And featuring the same message as your competitors doesn’t help achieve that goal.

Why this matters:

This is not an HR argument. It is an operating argument. The next decade of AEC growth will not be won only by the firms with the strongest backlog, best technical capabilities or biggest project portfolio.

It will also be won by the firms that can make the right people want to help build it.

From PageUp:

We partnered with James Ellis to break down where AEC companies are going wrong with their employer branding, and what can be done to fix it.

Download the full report here to see more of the data, and learn the 5 specific moves high-performing firms have made to grow their hiring capacity.

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Register now: Rethinking talent acquisition: Moving from reactive sourcing to a hiring engine

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:24:50 +0000

The post Register now: Rethinking talent acquisition: Moving from reactive sourcing to a hiring engine appeared first on PageUp.

The sourcing channels actually delivering hires in 2026

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 05:06:04 +0000

Application volume rose 29% globally last year. If you’re a TA leader, you might have seen those numbers rolling in and felt relieved. More applications means more choice, right?

Not quite.

A significant portion of that growth didn’t come from a surge of genuinely interested, qualified candidates, but rather from AI. Generative tools are now writing resumes, crafting cover letters and submitting applications at a scale recruiters have never had to deal with before. Volume metrics look healthy. But conversion rates are crashing. This means hiring teams are spending more time than ever processing applications that were never going to convert in the first place.

Fortunately, not all is lost. Our 2026 sourcing channel effectiveness data shows which channels deserve your investment, and which do not.

AI has a preference for certain channels

AI application tools overwhelmingly target high-volume inbound channels like job boards and social media. These platforms are frictionless by design: easy to reach, easy to apply at scale. That’s precisely what makes them attractive to mass applying, and precisely what’s now making them less valuable for hiring teams trying to convert talent.

Meanwhile, proactive channels like talent pipelines, employee referrals and internal mobility are structurally immune to AI noise. You can’t mass-produce a personal referral. You can’t AI-generate a long-term talent relationship. AI hasn’t found a way to replicate that human touch – the trust layer that makes these channels work – and it won’t any time soon.

Not all sourcing channels are equal

To provide a bit more context, sourcing channels fall into two broad categories:

High-volume channels include job boards, social media, and career site traffic. These all work like broadcast advertising. You post a role, and applications come to you. They’re built for volume.

Proactive channels like talent pipelines, employee referrals, and internal mobility programs are all relationship-led. Few applications, but candidates often come with an existing layer of ‘verification’ already in place.

The efficiency, mapped by channel

PageUp’s 2026 sourcing channel data makes the case bluntly. The gap between high-volume and relationship-led channels is sizable: 108 social media applications, to 4 from your talent pipeline.

The global picture

Number of applications needed to secure one hire

Social media

108

Job boards

Career site

Referrals

Internal mobility

Talent relationships

Job boards account for nearly 60% of total application volume globally, but contribute less than 25% of actual hires. As AI-generated applications continue to inflate inbound volume, the return on investment in these channels is in steady decline.

Not all channels are equal (or equally exposed)

Job boards and social media still play a valuable role in building awareness and reaching candidates at scale. The goal isn’t to abandon them, but to rebalance your sourcing mix so that relationship channels carry a little more of the load – particularly at the point of conversion.

It may also help to think about your sourcing mix in terms of two properties: efficiency (applications per hire) and AI-resilience. The best channels score well on both.

AI exposed channels	AI resilient channels
Easy to target at scale	Require genuine human relationships
Auto-apply functions	Trust and context can’t be autogenerated
High-volume	Low volume, high conversion

The distinction matters because it changes how you should think about channel investment, particularly as AI use continues to grow. A talent pipeline built today doesn’t just deliver value for one hire. It compounds across hiring cycles, while job board postings deliver value once and then disappear.

Where does your channel mix actually stand?

It’s time for teams to peel back investment in high-volume inbound spending and reinvest in proactive channels like talent pipelines, referrals and internal mobility. If you want to see how your strategy is holding up against the onslaught of AI applications, here are three questions to reflect on:

1. Where is your budget going, and where are your hires actually coming from?

Pull up your cost-per-hire and applications-per-hire by channel. The channels burning budget are rarely the ones delivering on hires

2. How exposed are you to AI-driven application volume?

If job boards and social media dominate your channel mix, your applications-per-hire metric is likely deteriorating (even if your total hire numbers look stable on the surface). Look at how your conversion rates have trended over the past 12 to 18 months, not just your absolute hire volumes. The trend line will tell you more than the headline number.

3. Are you building pipelines, or just filling requisitions?

There’s a meaningful difference between a team that hires reactively and one that maintains ongoing relationships with talent before a need arises. That efficiency gap only compounds over time.

Volume is not the goal. Conversion is.

This year, it is all about quality over quantity. The organizations that steer into this concept and stop measuring success by ‘applications in’ are going to come out ahead in 2026. It’s important to recognise the impact of AI on volume and quality, and adapt your strategy accordingly.

Global benchmarks tell part of the story. But every sector has its own dynamics, its own talent pool pressures, and its own channel mix to optimise. We’ve got the 2026 Sourcing Channel Effectiveness Benchmarks broken down by industry, so you can see exactly where your biggest opportunities are.

See your industry’s benchmarks

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Source smarter: 2026 sourcing channel effectiveness benchmarks

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:36:06 +0000

The post Source smarter: 2026 sourcing channel effectiveness benchmarks appeared first on PageUp.

Here’s what the best career sites have in common

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 03:01:17 +0000

Your career site has about eight seconds to capture the attention of browsing candidates. If your site is still built like it’s 2015 with a static homepage, a job list, and an “Apply Now” button as the only call-to-action, it’s probably time to give your career site a facelift.

Over the past decade, we’ve collected 55 billion data points from candidate behaviour while browsing career sites. These insights have taken us beyond pageviews and scroll depth, towards things like understanding the content that candidates engage with, and what the big factors are that influence a candidate’s actions (ultimately convincing them to apply).

From all this data, we’ve derived four key takeaways to help you enhance your career site to give candidates the experience they’re searching for.

1. 70% of your candidates aren’t converting to applicants

Roughly 70% of visitors to a typical career site never convert into an applicant. Often, this is because they may not be ready to apply right now. They might not have the time, be in the right space, or maybe there isn’t quite the right role for them available at this point. Regardless, losing 70% of your traffic represents a huge waste of potential candidates, so today’s top career sites have mechanisms built in to capitalisecapitalize on these silent browsers: multiple points of engagement.

If the only action a candidate can take on your career site is to ‘apply’, you’re overlooking those who might be interested in your company but not ready right now. Adding more ways for candidates to engage with your brand is the way to go: perhaps they can subscribe to a career insights newsletter, or sign up for job alerts so that when the perfect role arises, they’re the first to know.

The top-performing 5% of sites convert four times better than average. They’re using CTAs and content that add real value to tap into passive talent and build pipelines that can be nurtured or kept in reserve for upcoming requisitions.

2. Authenticity is key: people trust people

While adding some more varied ways for candidates to connect with you through these new CTAs is a ‘quick win’, the content on your career site also does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to engaging candidates. And our little tip: the type of content matters a lot more than the quantity.

Stock photography and polished brand copy don’t move the needle the way real employee stories do. Employee-generated content consistently outperforms brand content: “meet our people” pages, live chats with current staff, real answers to real questions about what the job and the culture is actually like.

The best careers sites platform the voices of their employees to bring these pages to life. Tools like Employee Connections make it easy, but other tactics like social media takeovers or employee spotlights can help to bridge the gap between top candidates and your workforce.

3. Ask for less, and you’ll convert more (and deter the bots)

Application forms with a dozen-plus fields before a resume is even attached carry an industry-average drop-off rate of 80%. Cut that down to the essentials, and drop-off falls to around 24%. Why? People hate long forms.

Usually, the rationale behind these long forms is to get enough information to filter out poor-fit candidates early. But here’s the catch: those same long, rigid, field-by-field forms are trivially easy for an AI application bot to fill out. By trying to filter out candidates, you’re inadvertently setting the stage for an influx of AI-generated applications (most of which won’t convert in the end).

Application process best practice is actually to ask for the minimum amount of information required to get a candidate started in the process, not everything you’ll eventually need. Gather the rest gradually, through nurture, once a candidate is already invested.

4. Returning visitors are more likely to convert

Because most candidate journeys stretch across weeks or months, the visitors coming back for a second or third look are further along and more likely to apply than a brand-new arrival. So, your career site needs to give them a reason to return.

Blog content is one of the most effective ways to do this. Candidates who read a blog post are up to 4x more likely to convert, but only if the content is fresh and genuinely useful. A blog that offers real value builds trust between candidates and your organisationorganization.

It’s best practice to aim to update your core content (for example, your blog, your job ads and news sections) every 6 weeks, so that returning visitors find something new each time they visit. With the right tech, you can personalisepersonalize the experience further. Recommend content that speaks to them, and make every touchpoint feel built for that person.

Top tip: Tools like PageUp Clinch allow you to personalisepersonalize the candidate experience and give your recruitment team the tools to publish updates themselves with a simple, easy-to-use career site interface (rather than routing every change through an IT ticket).

The takeaway

A good career site is never finished. The data shows what candidates want: more ways to engage, real voices over polished copy, and fresh content that gives them a reason to come back. Small, deliberate, and ongoing iterations are what separate the top 5% of career sites from the rest.

See how PageUp’s recruitment marketing solution can help you turn these insights into a career site that keeps working for you.

The post Here’s what the best career sites have in common appeared first on PageUp.

Is your HR tech costing you talent?

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 01:40:39 +0000

The post Is your HR tech costing you talent? appeared first on PageUp.

The shift to proactive hiring

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 02:47:39 +0000

Hiring does not start when a role opens. Not for teams ready to grow with focus.

For many organisationsorganizations, recruitment still begins at the point of pressure. A role becomes urgent, recruiters need to move fast, and strong candidates may already be speaking with other employers.

That reactive model can increase sourcing spend, stretch recruitment teams and create a gap between workforce plans and talent readiness.

Facing rising recruitment activities and challenges, TA leaders have a clear opportunity to plan earlier. This article explores how proactive hiring helps teams look ahead, build stronger pipelines and stay ready for future talent needs.

What is proactive hiring?

Proactive hiring is a recruitment approach that prepares for talent needs before roles become open. Instead of starting from zero each time a vacancy opens, teams use workforce planning, recruitment data and ongoing candidate engagement to stay ready.

This can include:

Identifying future skill needs across business areas
Building talent pools for repeat or high-priority roles
Keeping candidates warm with useful communication
Using reporting to spot gaps in pipeline coverage
Giving hiring managers better visibility before roles open

The goal is not to add more work for the recruitment team. It is to give them a clearer operating model, supported by technology that keeps data, workflows and candidate activity in one place.

Why reactive recruitment fails in today’s market

Reactive recruitment can look efficient from the outside. A role opens, the job ad goes live and the team gets moving. The issue is that the most important work often starts too late.

This becomes more visible when hiring is driven by replacement needs. In April 2026, recruitment continued to be mainly driven by staff turnover, with 62% of recruiting employers hiring solely to replace staff. When teams are repeatedly backfilling roles, a reactive model can keep recruitment focused on catching up rather than planning ahead.

When hiring begins only after approval, recruiters have less time to build interest, review past candidates or test the strength of the market. Hiring managers may expect fast outcomes, but the team is working with limited preparation and a narrow window.

That pressure can affect cost, quality and candidate experience. Sourcing may need to be restarted for roles that the organisationorganization hires for regularly. Strong candidates may drop away before recruiters reconnect. Hiring managers may also have less market context when making decisions.

This is especially relevant for higher education, where recruitment teams often need to plan across academic, professional and operational roles, and centralisedcentralized and decentraliseddecentralized hiring. For teams in this sector, resources such as five proactive hiring strategies for the higher education industry can offer useful guidance on building stronger pipelines and preparing earlier for future talent needs.

Signs your recruitment model is too reactive

A reactive recruitment model is not always obvious. Teams may still be filling roles and meeting immediate hiring needs. The signs usually appear when effort is high but visibility is low.

Your model may be too reactive if:

Roles often become urgent before sourcing begins
Talent pools exist, but are not actively nurtured
Recruiters spend too much time repeating manual steps
Hiring managers have limited visibility of pipeline health
Reporting explains past activity but does not guide next steps
Candidates receive inconsistent communication between stages

These are not signs of a low-performing recruitment team. More often, they show that the team needs better systems, clearer data and more connected workflows.

Core differences between reactive and proactive hiring

The biggest difference between reactive and proactive recruiting is when the work begins.

Reactive hiring starts with a vacancy. Proactive hiring starts with a business need. That shift changes how teams plan, source, engage and measure recruitment activity.

Area	Reactive hiring	Proactive hiring
Starting point	Begins once a role opens	Begins with forecasting future workforce needs
Talent data	Candidate information may sit across inboxes, spreadsheets and separate systems	Candidate information is easier to find, segment, and act on
Sourcing	Recruiters often rebuild shortlists from scratch and post ad-hoc job ads	Recruiters can re-engage known talent and build stronger pipelines
Candidate experience	Communication often starts when a vacancy is live	Candidates can stay connected through relevant updates and opportunities
Measurement	Focuses mainly on past results such as time to fill, cost per hire and source performance	Looks at pipeline strength, talent pool health and readiness for future roles
Team visibility	Hiring managers may only see activity once the process is underway	Hiring teams can see candidate progress and plan earlier
Technology role	Tools may support individual tasks, but data can still feel disconnected	A connected platform supports planning, automation, analytics and collaboration

How to transition your team to a proactive hiring model

The move from reactive hiring to proactive recruiting does not need to happen all at once. Identify where better planning will have the greatest impact and start there.

1. Identify the roles that create the most pressure

Look at the roles that regularly need extra recruitment effort. These may be high-volume positions, specialist roles, seasonal hiring needs or roles with a longer time to fill.

This gives your team a practical starting point for pipeline planning and helps recruiters focus on the areas where proactive recruitment can create the most value.

2. Review the data you already have

Past hiring activity, source performance, candidate drop-off points and time-to-fill trends can show where the current model needs support.

With PageUp, recruitment teams can use reporting and analytics to see what is happening across the hiring journey and where action is needed.

3. Build talent pools around future demand

Group candidates by skills, location, role type or business area so recruiters can re-engage them with relevant opportunities.

A talent pool should be more than a list. It should be a living source of future hiring momentum.

4. Use automation to keep candidates engaged

Automation can support candidate nurturing without making the experience feel impersonal. With the right talent acquisition software, recruiters can use automated workflows to keep candidates informed, send timely updates and reduce repetitive admin. That gives teams more space for high-value conversations and creates a more seamless candidate experience.

5. Give hiring managers better visibility

Hiring managers need a clear view of pipeline health and candidate progress. When they can see what is happening earlier, they can make better decisions and support recruitment activity sooner.

This turns recruitment into a shared planning effort, not a last-minute handover.

6. Review, improve and keep building momentum

Proactive recruitment strategies work best when teams can see what is working, adjust quickly and keep building stronger pathways to talent.

Use reporting to review talent pool performance, candidate movement and recurring pressure points so your team can keep improving over time.

Plan proactive hiring with PageUp talent acquisition software

Proactive hiring gives recruitment teams a clearer way to plan, connect and act before roles become urgent.

PageUp talent acquisition software helps organisationsorganizations bring that model to life. With connected tools for candidate attraction, applications, recruitment workflows, onboarding, automation and analytics, PageUp gives hiring teams the visibility to forecast demand, build stronger pipelines and keep talent moving.

Move from reactive hiring to ready-to-grow recruitment with PageUp talent acquisition software. Talk to us now to get started.

The post The shift to proactive hiring appeared first on PageUp.

Building a continuous recruitment pipeline

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 02:42:31 +0000

A strong talent pipeline should not sit idle between vacancies. It should keep moving, learning and creating future hiring options.

That matters when hiring demand is still in motion. AHRI reported that 59% of organisationsorganizations planned to recruit in early 2026, underscoring the need for talent acquisition leaders to have a steady way to build interest before roles open.

Continuous recruitment helps teams do exactly that. It turns candidate attraction into an always-on activity, so organisationsorganizations can stay connected with potential talent and move faster when business needs change.

Let’s discuss how continuous recruiting works, how to keep candidate pipelines warm and how talent acquisition software can help teams manage hiring without burning out recruiters.

What is continuous recruitment, and why does it matter?

Continuous recruitment is an ongoing approach to finding, engaging and nurturing potential candidates before a specific vacancy becomes urgent. Instead of only sourcing talent when a role opens, teams build active pipelines around future workforce needs, repeat roles and priority skills.

This is different from keeping a database of past applicants. Continuous hiring is more active. It uses regular communication, candidate segmentation, recruitment data and timely follow-up to keep people connected to the organisationorganization over time.

For TA leaders, this creates a stronger bridge between workforce planning and candidate attraction. Recruiters can see where talent already exists, which pipelines need more attention and which candidates may be ready for the next step.

Tactics to keep your candidate pipeline warm

A pipeline only has value if candidates stay connected. Without regular activity, talent pools can quickly become static lists that recruiters only revisit when pressure builds.

The aim is to create useful, relevant touchpoints that keep people aware of future opportunities. This does not mean sending constant emails. It means building a rhythm that matches candidate interest, business priorities and role demand.

Useful tactics include:

Segmenting talent pools by skill, role type, location or business area
Sharing relevant updates about roles, teams or career pathways
Re-engaging past applicants who showed strong potential
Tracking candidate interest and response patterns
Reviewing pipeline strength before demand peaks

This is also where resources on inbound recruiting 101: creating a thriving talent pipeline can support the broader strategy. Inbound recruiting helps attract people through useful content, employer brand signals and relevant career information, rather than relying only on outbound sourcing.

Teams can also draw on guidance, such as 10 ways to build and nurture highly successful talent pools, to keep pipeline activity practical. The stronger the nurture model, the easier it becomes for recruiters to re-engage the right people at the right time.

Leveraging your careers site for always-on sourcing

Your careers site is one of the most valuable tools in a continuous recruitment model. It should do more than just list current jobs. It can help potential candidates understand the organisationorganization, explore career paths and register their interest before the right role is available.

For always-on sourcing, the careers site should make it easy for candidates to join a talent community, browse relevant job categories and learn what working with the organisationorganization feels like.

This is especially useful for repeat roles, high-volume hiring and specialist skill areas. Instead of losing people who visit when no suitable job is open, teams can invite them to stay connected.

A strong careers site can support continuous recruitment by:

Promoting talent community sign-ups
Sharing role-specific or industry-specific content
Highlighting employee stories and career pathways
Capturing candidate preferences
Connecting interested candidates with future opportunities

Using automation for consistent candidate nurture

Automation helps make continuous hiring more manageable. With talent acquisition software, teams can set up workflows that keep candidates informed, send timely updates and prompt recruiters when action is needed.

This helps recruiters keep relationships active without relying on memory or manual tracking. Candidates can receive relevant communication, while recruiters spend more time on conversations that need human judgment.

Automation can support:

Welcome messages for talent community members
Follow-up emails after applications or expressions of interest
Reminders to re-engage high-potential candidates
Updates linked to relevant job categories
Candidate status changes and recruiter prompts

Common pitfalls in continuous hiring models

Continuous hiring needs a structure to stay useful. Without clear ownership, it can add work instead of easing pressure.

1. Building talent pools without a plan

Talent pools lose value if candidates are not segmented, nurtured or reviewed. Group candidates by skills, location, role type or business area so recruiters can re-engage them with purpose.

2. Sending too much communication

Candidates need relevant updates, not constant messages. A useful rhythm keeps them interested without crowding their inbox.

3. Letting data quality slip

Duplicate records, outdated profiles and inconsistent tagging make it harder to find the right people later. Clean candidate data keeps continuous recruitment practical at scale.

4. Adding more admin for recruiters

Continuous hiring should reduce pressure, not create more manual work. If it depends on spreadsheets and one-off reminders, it will be hard to maintain.

5. Pausing pipeline activity when hiring feels easier

When recruitment conditions improve, it can be tempting to slow down talent pool activity. But this is often the best time to strengthen future hiring options.

In the March 2025 quarter, 30% of organisationsorganizations experienced recruitment difficulties, the lowest level recorded across the survey series. That gives recruitment teams a useful window to refresh talent pools, improve candidate data and build stronger pathways before demand increases again.

CentralisingCentralizing your talent data in a single platform

Visibility is what keeps a hiring pipeline useful. Recruiters need to know who has applied before, who has joined a talent community, which candidates are engaged and which pipelines are ready for future roles.

When that information is spread across inboxes, spreadsheets and separate tools, it becomes harder to act quickly. Candidate relationships can be missed, reporting can become patchy, and recruiters may repeat work that has already been done.

A single end-to-end platform gives teams a clearer view of the full talent journey. It can connect initial attraction, applications, talent pools, nurture activity, hiring workflows and reporting. That helps recruiters understand what is happening now and where the next opportunity may come from.

With the right data in one place, recruiters can focus on the right candidates, hiring managers can see progress earlier and leaders can make better decisions about where to invest sourcing effort.

Build continuous recruitment with PageUp talent acquisition software

Continuous recruitment gives teams a better way to acquire talent proactively. It helps organisationsorganizations keep candidates connected, build stronger talent pools and prepare for future hiring needs without placing extra pressure on recruiters.

PageUp talent acquisition software helps bring that model together in one platform. With tools for attraction, recruitment workflows, automation, onboarding and analytics, PageUp supports a more connected approach to continuous hiring.

Build a stronger continuous recruitment pipeline with PageUp talent acquisition software. Reach out to us today.

The post Building a continuous recruitment pipeline appeared first on PageUp.

How to streamline your candidate experience

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 02:34:42 +0000

A strong talent pipeline can only take you so far if the application process creates too much friction for candidates to apply.

Candidates may be interested, qualified and ready to engage, but every extra form field, delayed update or unclear next step will weaken that interest. For talent acquisition teams, the candidate experience is no longer just a recruitment touchpoint. It is part of how people judge the entire organisationorganization, before they ever speak to a recruiter or hiring manager.

This is where candidate experience optimisationoptimization becomes a real advantage. When the process is clear, timely and easy to follow, candidates are more likely to stay engaged from first click to final decision.

Let’s explore how to improve candidate experience across the hiring journey, where employers often lose strong candidates and how the right systems can help teams create a more consistent process at scale.

Where employers lose top talent in the application process

Candidate drop-off often starts earlier than many teams realiserealize. It can happen before an application is submitted, during screening or after an interview when communication slows down. Below are some of the common points where employers can lose strong candidates.

Poorly written job ads – Poor spelling, incorrect industry terminology, vague job descriptions and other issues with job ads can influence how candidates view and express interest in your role.
Lengthy applications – Long forms, duplicated questions and unclear instructions can make the process feel heavier than it needs to be. If the role is not urgent to the candidate, they may leave before submitting.
Limited visibility – Candidates want to know what happens next, how long each stage may take and when they can expect an update. Silence can quickly create frustration, especially when they are speaking with other employers.
Scheduling friction – Back-and-forth emails, changing availability and unclear meeting details can slow momentum. For recruiters, this adds admin. For candidates, it can make the process feel disorganiseddisorganized.
Generic communication – Candidates do not expect every message to be deeply personal, but they do expect clarity and relevance. A basic update is often better than no update at all.
Disconnected handovers – When recruiters, hiring managers and interviewers are not aligned, candidates can receive mixed messages or wait longer than needed for a decision.

Actionable steps to improve candidate experience

The best way to improve candidate experience is to look at the process through the candidate’s eyes.

1. Review the application journey

Check how many steps candidates need to complete, how much information they are asked to provide and how the process works on mobile. A candidate should not need to fight the form to show interest.

2. Map every communication point

Identify where candidates receive updates, where silence often happens and which messages could be automated without losing warmth. Timely communication helps candidates stay engaged and reduces follow-up pressure on recruiters.

3. Set clear response standards

Agree on timeframes for application updates, interview feedback and final decisions.

Clear internal expectations create a more consistent external experience.

4. Review the interview structure

Candidates should know who they are meeting, what the conversation will cover and how to prepare. This helps them show their best thinking and gives hiring managers better conversations.

5. Share helpful candidate experience resources

Resources such as optimisingoptimizing your candidate experience and mastering candidate experience strategies to attract, nurture and convert top talent can support teams looking to build a candidate journey that improves attraction, nurture and conversion.

Removing friction from the initial application

The initial application should help candidates move forward, not slow them down.

A good first step is to reduce unnecessary fields. Ask for the information needed to assess fit at the first stage, then gather more details later if required. This respects the candidate’s time and can help improve completion rates.

Mobile experience also matters. Many candidates browse roles from their phones, especially during short breaks or outside work hours. If the application is hard to complete on mobile, strong candidates may not return later.

Clear job information is another part of friction removal. Candidates need to understand the role, location, work model, key requirements and next steps before they apply. When job details are vague, the wrong candidates may apply and the right ones may hesitate.

StandardisingStandardizing interview scheduling and communications

Interview scheduling is one of the easiest places for hiring momentum to slow down.

StandardisingStandardizing this process can reduce admin for recruiters and give candidates a better experience. This may include clear scheduling links, automated reminders, calendar invites and consistent interview instructions.

Communication should also be standardisedstandardized across key stages. Candidates should receive confirmation when they apply, updates when their status changes and clear next steps after interviews. These messages do not need to be long. They need to be timely, useful and easy to understand.

Internal communication is just as important. Recruiters and hiring managers need shared visibility of interview stages, feedback and decisions. Without that, candidates may wait longer than needed for an update.

Tools to improve candidate experience at scale

Finding qualified talent is already putting pressure on recruitment teams. With 79% of recruiters saying finding qualified talent has worsened, up from 68% last year, employers need to make every candidate interaction count.

This is where platforms to improve candidate experience become valuable. The right platform can help recruitment teams manage applications, automate updates, schedule interviews, track candidate progress and report on hiring activity in one place.

Talent acquisition software can also help teams reduce repetitive admin. Instead of recruiters manually sending every reminder or chasing every update, workflows can keep the process moving while recruiters focus on higher-value conversations.

Useful tools can support:

Shorter application workflows
Automated candidate updates
Interview scheduling
Talent pool communication
Hiring manager visibility
Reporting on candidate drop-off and process speed

The link between candidate experience and employer brand

Every hiring process sends a message about the organisationorganization.

A clear, respectful candidate experience tells people that the organisationorganization values communication, preparation and people’s time. A confusing or slow process can suggest the opposite, even when the team behind it has good intentions.

This matters because candidates talk. They share experiences with peers, colleagues and online networks. Even candidates who are not hired can leave with a positive view of the organisationorganization if the process feels fair and well-managed.

Employer brand is not only shaped by campaigns or career site content. It is shaped by the lived experience of applying, interviewing and waiting for a decision.

A better candidate experience can support stronger talent pipelines, higher engagement and a more positive view of the organisationorganization in the market. For talent acquisition leaders, it turns the hiring process into a brand-building moment.

Streamline candidate experience with PageUp talent acquisition software

Candidate experience is easier to improve when teams can see and manage the full journey in one place.

PageUp talent acquisition software helps organisationsorganizations connect attraction, applications, recruitment workflows, candidate communication, onboarding and reporting. That gives hiring teams the visibility and tools to reduce friction, keep candidates informed and support a more consistent hiring process.

OptimiseOptimize your candidate experience with PageUp talent acquisition software. Let’s connect!

The post How to streamline your candidate experience appeared first on PageUp.

Building a frictionless TA tech stack

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 02:19:09 +0000

A fragmented recruitment tech stack slows down the people it should support.

When candidate data sits in one system, interview notes in another and reporting needs to be pulled from multiple tools, recruiters spend more time managing admin than moving talent forward. Small delays can turn into missed updates, duplicated work and candidate experiences that feel harder than they need to be.

For talent acquisition leaders, the value of a connected tech stack is clear. Integrated recruitment tools help teams reduce manual tasks, improve visibility and keep hiring activity moving across attraction, recruitment, onboarding and reporting.

To build an effective recruitment tech stack, you need to know how to connect systems with less friction and why the right technology foundation can support a better handover into onboarding.

Signs your current recruitment tech stack is fragmented

A fragmented tech stack often shows up in the daily work of recruiters, hiring managers and HR teams. Below are common signs that your systems may be slowing the process down.

Candidate data lives in too many places
Recruiters may need to check emails, spreadsheets, applicant tracking tools and HR systems to understand where a candidate sits in the process.
Reporting takes too much manual work
If leaders need to pull data from several platforms to see time to fill, source performance or candidate movement, reporting becomes slower and less useful.
Hiring managers lack visibility
When hiring managers cannot see candidate progress, feedback status or next steps, recruiters may spend more time chasing updates for them.
Recruiters repeat the same admin tasks
Manual data entry, copied notes and repeated status updates can create errors and reduce time for candidate conversations.
Candidate communication feels inconsistent
When systems are disconnected, candidates may receive delayed updates, duplicate messages or unclear next steps.
Onboarding starts too late
If recruitment and onboarding tools do not connect well with new hire information, it may need to be re-entered after offer acceptance, creating avoidable delays.

How to build an effective recruitment tech stack

Building an effective recruitment tech stack starts with the hiring journey, not the software list. The goal is to understand what recruiters, hiring managers and candidates need at each stage, then choose tools that support that journey.

Useful steps include:

1. Map the full hiring journey

Review each stage from attraction to onboarding and identify where delays, duplicated work or data gaps appear.

2. PrioritisePrioritize recruiter workflow

Choose tools that reduce manual effort and help recruiters focus on candidate relationships, hiring manager alignment and decision-making.

3. Review candidate touchpoints

Make sure the technology supports clear applications, timely updates and an easy path through each stage.

4. Check reporting needs early

Talent leaders need visibility across pipeline health, source performance, candidate progress and hiring outcomes.

5. Plan for integration from the start

Tech stack integration for recruitment should be part of the buying decision, not a problem to solve after launch.

Core components of a talent acquisition suite

A talent acquisition suite brings key recruitment functions together so teams can manage the hiring journey with a clearer view.

Core components may include:

Careers site and attraction tools
These help candidates discover opportunities, understand the employer brand and join talent communities.
Applicant tracking
An ATS helps teams manage applications, candidate stages, hiring workflows and recruiter activity.
Candidate communication
Automated updates, reminders and nurture workflows help keep candidates informed without adding extra manual work.
Interview management
Scheduling, interview feedback and hiring manager updates help reduce bottlenecks during the selection process. Consistency also matters for quality of hire. Companies that bring structure to their interview process can see a 53% decrease in the need to rehire within the first 12 months.
Offer and onboarding connection
A smoother handover from offer to onboarding helps new hires feel supported before day one.
Reporting and analytics
Recruitment leaders can track activity, spot delays and understand which channels are delivering stronger outcomes.

This is also where resources, such as three real-world benefits of ATS-optimisedoptimized recruitment, can support teams reviewing the role of recruitment software in a more connected hiring model.

Evaluating point solutions vs. integrated platforms

Point solutions and integrated platforms can both support recruitment teams, but they solve different problems. Use the comparison below to assess which approach fits your hiring needs, existing systems and future growth plans.

What to consider	Point solutions	Integrated platforms
Best use case	Solving a specific recruitment task or workflow	Managing more of the hiring journey in one place
Data visibility	Candidate information may sit across multiple tools	Candidate information is easier to view across stages
Recruiter workflow	Can add extra steps if tools do not connect well	Can reduce platform switching and repeated admin
Hiring manager access	May require separate logins or manual updates	Can give hiring managers clearer visibility of progress end-to-end
Reporting	Data may need to be pulled from multiple sources	Reporting can be easier when more activities sit in one platform
Flexibility	Useful when teams need a specialisedspecialized function	Useful when teams need a connected recruitment operating model
Integration needs	Strong integrations are needed to avoid data gaps	Core workflows may already work together, with integrations for wider HR systems

When comparing options, ask if the tool reduces work or simply moves it somewhere else. Candidate, role and onboarding data should not need to be copied manually, and hiring managers need a process they can actually use.

Resources such as the five steps to a successful HR software implementation and the talent tech readiness checklist can help teams assess readiness before introducing new platforms or integrations.

How to integrate recruiting software with existing HRIS systems

To integrate recruiting software with existing systems, teams need a clear view of data, ownership and workflows. The goal is to create a connected flow between recruitment and HR, especially when candidates move from applicant to employee.

A strong integration plan should cover:

1. Data mapping

Decide which fields need to sync between recruitment and HR systems.

2. Workflow ownership

Clarify who manages each stage, from offer acceptance to onboarding handover. This is where clearer ownership and smarter workflows can create measurable gains. For example, one organisationorganization reported improving onboarding processing times by 20% by layering AI into its onboarding process.

3. Access and permissions

Make sure recruiters, HR teams and hiring managers can see the information they need.

4. Testing before launch

Test common scenarios so teams can catch gaps before the integration goes live.

5. Change management

Give teams clear guidance on what changes, what stays the same and how to use the connected workflow.

Consolidating tools to improve recruiter productivity

Recruiters do their best work when they can focus on people, not platform hopping.

Tool consolidation helps teams remove unnecessary steps, reduce duplicate data entry and make the hiring process easier to manage. It can also improve reporting because leaders can see more of the journey in one place.

Consolidation does not always mean removing every specialist tool. It means being intentional about which tools stay, which tools connect and which tools create more work than value.

Create a connected hiring journey with PageUp

A connected tech stack can help recruitment teams reduce admin, improve visibility and create a cleaner path from attraction to onboarding.

PageUp’s talent acquisition software brings key hiring tools together in one platform, helping teams manage attraction, applications, recruitment workflows, onboarding and reporting with greater clarity. For organisationsorganizations reviewing recruitment software, PageUp supports the move from disconnected tools to a more connected talent acquisition model.

Build a frictionless TA tech stack with PageUp talent acquisition software. Contact us to get started.

The post Building a frictionless TA tech stack appeared first on PageUp.

Turning onboarding into retention

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 01:56:58 +0000

Securing the offer is only one part of the hiring journey. The real test begins when a candidate becomes a new hire.

After teams have optimisedoptimized recruitment, improved the candidate experience and connected their talent acquisition tech stack, onboarding is where that investment needs to carry through. A new hire who moves from an accepted offer to day one without clear communication, paperwork or support can quickly feel disconnected from the promise they were sold during hiring.

That matters for retention. Research shows that employees are more likely to stay with an organisationorganization if they experience great onboarding. For talent acquisition and HR leaders, onboarding is not just an admin process. It is one of the first real tests of employee experience.

The next step is building onboarding flows that help new hires feel prepared, connected and ready to contribute.

How is onboarding related to employee retention?

Knowing how to improve onboarding satisfaction and retention starts with treating onboarding as an employee experience journey, not a paperwork checklist.

Strong onboarding helps people move from candidate to employee with clarity. They know what to complete before day one, who they will meet, what tools they need and how their first weeks will unfold. That early structure can reduce uncertainty and help new hires build momentum.

Weak onboarding can have the opposite effect. If communication slows after offer acceptance or key information is missing, the experience can feel disjointed. New hires may arrive unsure of expectations, workplace systems or where they fit.

Onboarding also sets the tone for retention beyond the first few weeks. It introduces people to culture, team habits, career pathways and support systems. This is where internal mobility can also begin. When employees see future pathways inside the business, they are more likely to imagine growth without leaving.

For talent teams, that matters. Internal mobility can help reduce time to hire, lower cost per hire and retain valuable business knowledge.

Why disconnected onboarding processes cause early turnover

Disconnected onboarding often starts with disconnected systems. Recruitment may finish on one platform, HR information may sit on another and onboarding tasks may be tracked somewhere else again.

That creates room for delays, duplicate data entry and missed handovers. A candidate may accept an offer, then wait days for the next steps. HR may need to chase information that was already captured during recruitment. Managers may not receive the details they need to prepare for day one.

The people’s impact is just as important. New hires can feel isolated when the process lacks warmth or structure. Recent research shows 40% of adults report feeling lonely, and that sense of isolation can feel stronger for new hires entering a new workplace, team or role.

A connected onboarding process helps close that gap. It keeps communication moving, gives managers clearer ownership and helps new hires feel expected before they arrive.

Resources such as how to ensure a smooth start for your new hires and how onboarding can make or break your talent acquisition strategy can support teams looking to strengthen the transition from hiring to retention.

How to improve onboarding flows for better retention

Improving onboarding satisfaction and retention starts with treating onboarding as an employee experience journey, not a paperwork checklist.

The goal is to make every stage clear, useful and human. New hires should know what to do, when to do it and who can help. Managers should know what they need to prepare. HR teams should be able to track progress without chasing every task manually.

Here are practical ways to improve onboarding flows for user retention in the employee journey.

1. Start before day one

Send key information early so new hires know what to expect. This can include start time, location, systems access, team introductions and first-week priorities.

2. Create a clear first-week structure

Give new hires a simple plan for meetings, training, role expectations and key contacts. A clear first week helps reduce uncertainty.

3. Build manager ownership

Managers should play an active role in welcoming, guiding and checking in with new hires. Retention is stronger when support is visible from the start.

4. Connect onboarding to career pathways

Introduce learning opportunities, development conversations and internal mobility early. This helps employees see a future inside the organisationorganization.

5. Review satisfaction signals

Use surveys, check-ins and completion data to understand where new hires feel supported and where the process needs improvement.

Automating pre-boarding compliance and paperwork

Pre-boarding should reduce day-one admin, not add pressure before someone starts.

Automating compliance tasks, forms, policy acknowledgements and document collection helps HR teams keep the process moving. It also gives new hires a clearer path through the tasks they need to complete before they arrive.

Automation can support:

Document collection
New hires can submit required information before day one, reducing manual follow-up.
Policy acknowledgements
HR teams can track which policies have been reviewed and completed.
Task reminders
Automated prompts can help new hires, managers and HR teams complete actions on time.
Progress visibility
Teams can see which onboarding steps are complete and which need attention.

Aligning hiring data with day-one training

The information gathered during recruitment should not disappear once a candidate becomes an employee.

Hiring data can help shape a more relevant onboarding experience. Role details, team information, skills, interview feedback and start dates can all help managers prepare day-one training and first-week priorities.

When recruitment and onboarding systems do not connect, that information may need to be re-entered or passed along manually. This can slow the process and create errors.

A connected flow helps teams align:

Role expectations
Managers can use hiring context to shape early priorities.
Skills and experience
Training can reflect what the new hire already knows and where support is needed.
Team introductions
New hires can be connected with the right people earlier.
Onboarding milestones
HR teams can track progress from offer acceptance through early employment.

This is where talent acquisition software can support a smoother transition from candidate to employee by keeping key information connected across the journey.

Extending TA software capabilities into the employee lifecycle

The best onboarding experiences do not stop after day one. They help employees settle, contribute and see where they can grow next by connecting recruitment, onboarding, learning and internal mobility into one clearer employee journey.

For talent leaders, this creates a stronger link between hiring and retention. When teams can track onboarding progress, support manager follow-through and show employees future pathways inside the organisationorganization, they can protect hiring investment and better understand talent acquisition ROI.

Improve onboarding and retention with PageUp

Onboarding is where recruitment momentum becomes employee connection. A clear, connected process helps new hires feel ready before day one, supported in their first weeks and aware of future opportunities inside the organisationorganization.

PageUp’s talent-acquisition software helps teams connect recruitment, onboarding and internal mobility in one talent journey. With tools that support smoother handovers, onboarding workflows and employee pathways, PageUp helps organisationsorganizations protect hiring investment and turn new hires into engaged employees.

Turn onboarding into retention with PageUp. Speak with our team to see how a connected talent journey can support new hires beyond day one.

The post Turning onboarding into retention appeared first on PageUp.

The state of construction hiring in Australia

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 01:44:38 +0000

The post The state of construction hiring in Australia appeared first on PageUp.

Measuring Your Talent Acquisition ROI

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 05:19:31 +0000

Talent acquisition ROI shows how well hiring investment turns into measurable business value. Beyond cost-per-hire, it includes time saved, recruiter capacity, candidate engagement, quality of hire, retention and reporting visibility.

With PageUp, teams can connect recruitment marketing, candidate management, onboarding, automation and reporting in one platform, making it easier to see what is working and where value is being created.

Defining true talent acquisition ROI beyond cost-per-hire

Cost-per-hire still has a place, but it only tells part of the story. A lower-cost hiring process can still create hidden costs if roles stay open too long, candidate quality drops, or recruiters spend too much time on manual work.

True talent acquisition ROI looks at the broader value of hiring activity. It connects recruitment performance with outcomes that matter to the business, including quality of hire, faster hiring, stronger candidate engagement, better use of recruiter time and improved new hire retention.

A stronger model ROI in talent acquisition may include:

Quality of hire
Cost-per-hire
Time-to-fill
Time-to-hire
Offer acceptance rates
Candidate source performance
Recruiter workload
Hiring manager feedback
New hire retention
Onboarding completion rates

How to measure talent acquisition software ROI

Understanding how to measure talent acquisition software ROI starts with a clear baseline. Review current hiring data, then connect each metric to a business outcome.

1. Set your benchmark

Track time-to-fill, admin hours, agency usage, candidate drop-off, offer acceptance rates and new hire retention.

2. Link metrics to value

Time saved can increase recruiter capacity. Better source tracking can improve budget decisions and quality of hire. Stronger onboarding can help new starters settle in faster and can lead to longer retention.

3. Compare before and after

Measure platform investment against reduced manual work, lower hiring costs, faster vacancy closure, improved quality of hire, retention, better reporting and productivity gains.

4. Build the business case

Use the data to show progress, explain investment value and support stronger conversations with senior stakeholders.

Tracking time saved through automation

Automation is one of the clearest ways to measure software ROI because time savings can be tracked across repeatable tasks.

Recruiters often spend hours moving candidates through workflows, sending updates, collecting information, scheduling interviews, and chasing approvals. Each task may seem small, but the time adds up across high-volume hiring, seasonal recruitment, and decentraliseddecentralized hiring.

With PageUp, automation can support candidate communication, workflow movement, interview coordination, approval steps, onboarding tasks, and status updates. This gives recruiters more time to focus on candidate relationships, hiring manager support, and workforce planning.

To measure time saved, review tasks that were previously handled manually. Then compare the average time per task before and after automation.

Useful measures may include:

Number of candidate emails automated each month
Average time saved per interview booking
Reduction in manual status updates
Fewer duplicated data entry tasks
Faster approval movement
Less time spent compiling reports

This turns operational improvement into a clear business story. The value is not simply less admin. It is more recruiter capacity, faster hiring movement, and a better experience for candidates and hiring managers.

Measuring the financial impact of improved retention

Retention is a powerful part of ROI because hiring value and quality of hire become clearer after the offer is accepted.

When the right candidate joins, stays, and performs, the business gains more from its hiring investment. When a new hire leaves early, the organisationorganization may need to restart sourcing, screening, interviewing, onboarding, and training.

Talent acquisition software can support retention by improving job fit, candidate communication, hiring manager alignment, and onboarding consistency. It can also help teams identify which sources, roles, locations, or hiring workflows lead to stronger retention outcomes.

To measure this impact, compare new hire retention before and after platform improvements. Focus on clear points such as 90-day, six-month, and 12-month retention. Then connect these figures with estimated replacement costs, vacancy impact, and recruitment workload.

Useful retention and quality of hire metrics may include:

Early turnover rate
New hire retention by source
New hire retention by role type
Onboarding completion rates
Hiring manager feedback
Candidate experience scores
Internal mobility activity

How top companies measure ROI on talent acquisition solutions

Top companies measure ROI on talent acquisition solutions by linking hiring data to business goals. They do not stop at surface-level recruitment metrics. They look at how talent acquisition supports growth, workforce planning, productivity, and employee experience.

This is also how companies measure ROI on talent acquisition solutions in a more useful way. A global organisationorganization may use reporting to understand which regions are filling critical roles fastest. A healthcare or education provider may track hiring progress across locations. A retail employer may measure seasonal recruitment performance, candidate drop-off, and onboarding completion. A corporate team may compare source quality, agency spend, and internal mobility outcomes.

Strong ROI measurement may answer questions such as:

Which sourcing channels lead to the best hires?
Which roles take the longest to fill?
Where are candidates dropping out?
How much recruiter time is being saved?
Which workflows create delays?
How are new hires progressing after onboarding?
Which hiring campaigns deliver the best return?
How is hiring performance improving over time?

PageUp also offers a guide on communicating ROI in a way the C-suite understands, helping HR and talent leaders turn hiring data into a clearer business case for technology investment, workforce planning and growth.

Using integrated TA suites to centralisecentralize reporting

Integrated TA suites make ROI measurement easier because data sits in one connected system. Instead of piecing together reports from separate tools, spreadsheets, and manual updates, teams can see hiring performance across the full recruitment lifecycle.

PageUp’s talent acquisition software gives teams a connected platform for attracting, engaging, hiring, and onboarding talent. This helps create cleaner reporting across each stage of the candidate journey.

CentralisedCentralized reporting can help talent teams track source performance, candidate progress, hiring speed, onboarding completion, recruiter workload, and hiring outcomes from one place. It also gives leaders a clearer view of how hiring activity connects with business needs.

This is especially valuable for organisationsorganizations hiring across multiple regions, brands, departments, and role types. A connected suite can help teams compare performance, identify bottlenecks, and share consistent reporting with stakeholders.

It also helps close the loop between the earlier stages of talent acquisition and the final ROI story. Recruitment marketing shows how candidates are attracted. Candidate management shows how they move through the funnel. Onboarding shows how new hires begin their journey. Reporting brings these steps together so leaders can measure the value created across the full process.

Measure ROI with PageUp talent acquisition software

Talent acquisition ROI is strongest when teams can connect activity, data, and outcomes in one clear view. Cost-per-hire has its place, but the real value comes from understanding how hiring technology saves time, improves decisions, supports retention, and helps teams build better connections with talent.

PageUp talent acquisition software brings the hiring journey together, helping organisationsorganizations measure performance across sourcing, recruitment, onboarding, and reporting. With clean data, connected workflows, and clearer insight, talent teams can show the value of their work and keep improving the way they hire.

Connect with us today to explore how our talent acquisition software can help your team measure ROI, improve reporting, and build real connections across the hiring journey.

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5 stats reshaping how Australian construction should hire in 2026

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:19:58 +0000

Construction in Australia is booming. Housing targets, a $242 billion public infrastructure pipeline, energy transition projects, and Brisbane 2032 Olympic preparations mean the pipeline is there, and it isn’t slowing down. But the workforce needed to deliver it is telling a different story, and the data from the past year of hiring activity shows exactly where the pressure is building.

We’ve broken down five key metrics that should influence your construction hiring strategy this year:

1. Applications are up 20%. Qualified candidates are down 17%.

More people are applying for construction roles than a year ago. On the surface, that sounds like good news. But the number of candidates who actually clear screening and make it to consideration has dropped. Recruiters are having to work through more applications to find fewer people who fit, which means while volume looks healthy on a dashboard, the actual shortlist gets thinner.

2. Construction’s offer acceptance rate sits below the global average.

Roughly 1 in 5 construction candidates will turn down an offer, compared to 1 in 10 across industries globally. That gap shows that construction candidates in this market have options, and they’re using them. They’re weighing multiple offers, negotiating harder, and walking away later in the process than employers might expect. When a sector is talent-constrained (like construction), losing candidates after an offer is made is expensive, and can have a huge impact on a recruitment budget if it goes unchecked.

Want to improve your offer acceptance rate? Here are four proven ways to do it.

3. 85 job board applicants vs 25 from a careers site: what it takes to secure one hire.

Not all sourcing channels are created equal. Job boards still drive the bulk of applicant volume, but they’re also the least efficient path to an actual hire. Career sites and internal mobility convert at a much higher rate: internal mobility sourcing has grown 50% year on year, suggesting more organisationsorganizations are looking inward to manage the tight talent supply.

The channels that are still often underused are the ones built for the long game: talent relationship and pipeline nurturing. Most construction hiring is still happening in the open market, role by role, rather than through relationships built before the need becomes urgent. By pivoting into proactive recruitment strategies, hiring teams can lower costs and avoid the need to start from scratch with each new requisition. Instead, you’ll build a pool of qualified candidates you can approach directly as new projects are greenlit.

4. Mobile applicants abandon the process at more than double the rate of desktop applicants.

34% of construction job applications now happen on mobile. But the incompletion rate on mobile (13%) is more than 2.5 times higher than on desktop (5%). When you’re fighting for every hire, each drop-off is a viable candidate lost to friction, not disinterest.

The good news is, it’s one of the more fixable problems on this list. A few of the biggest wins are also the simplest: an adaptive layout that resizes properly across devices, buttons and links spaced for touch rather than a mouse, and letting candidates upload a resume directly rather than forcing them to fill out every field by hand. We’ve put together a practical breakdown of how to test and improve your career site’s mobile experience. Fix these problems and it can have a huge flow-on effect to the size of your candidate pool.

5. Just 13% of the construction workforce is female. In trades, it’s 3%.

Research shows there’s a longstanding gender disparity in the Australian construction workforce. As well as a representation issue, this is a supply issue. When a sector draws consistently from such a narrow slice of the available workforce, competition for that slice intensifies. For construction organisationsorganizations, this requires a big shift in culture and focus – inclusive hiring needs to become a core pillar of the hiring strategy.

What this means for 2026

Infrastructure Australia projects a shortfall of 300,000 skilled construction workers by 2027. To keep pace, organisationsorganizations need to shift from reactive, role-by-role hiring toward something more deliberate: forecasting workforce needs, building talent pools ahead of demand, and using data to see where their funnel is actually breaking down.

These five stats are just the surface. We pulled them from a much deeper look at what’s driving the construction hiring squeeze, how employers, recruiters, and candidates are each experiencing it differently, and, most importantly, what the organisationsorganizations pulling ahead are doing differently to fix it. If any of these five numbers reflect what you’re seeing in your own pipeline, the full report breaks down exactly where to start.

Want more detail? Download the full report: The state of construction hiring in Australia – 2026 market analysis & talent dynamics.

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6 ways to remove unconscious bias from your hiring process in 2026

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 01:29:45 +0000

You’ve got 147 resumes in your inbox for an open role, and two hours to screen them all before your next meeting. By the time you’ve completed your rapid-fire review, this shortlist looks a lot like your last one (and the one before that).

Hiring teams are under increasing pressure fueled by time constraints, reduced headcount and an influx of applicant volume driven by AI. Under these conditions, it’s easy for screening to slip from evaluating true capability to pure pattern recognition.

This approach leaves teams wide open to a big hiring problem: unconscious bias.

When bias creeps into hiring

Bias in recruitment rarely happens on purpose; most talent professionals are actively trying to do right by every candidate. But unconscious bias creeps in when many decisions need to be made quickly. The brain takes shortcuts, leaving even the most well-intentioned hiring teams at risk. It can take many forms, but some of the most common forms it takes in recruitment are:

Name bias: Bertrand & Mullainathan’s landmark 2004 study found that applicants with ‘white-sounding’ names needed only 10 resumes sent to get a callback, compared to 15 for applicants with names originating from culturally diverse backgrounds (a 50% gap). Two decades on, the problem hasn’t really shifted. A US study sent over 83,000 fictitious applications to 108 of the largest employers and found that resumes with more diverse names still received fewer callbacks than identical resumes with white-sounding names.

Gender bias: Some research indicates women are 30% less likely to be called for a job interview compared to a man with equivalent skills.

Age bias: Resumes showing graduation dates from earlier decades receive around 40% fewer callbacks than equivalent resumes from recent graduates.

Prestige bias. A big-name employer on a resume signals competence to a reviewer’s brain in seconds. A startup nobody’s heard of signals risk. Neither judgment has anything to do with whether the candidate’s actual skills match the role.

Time-to-decision bias. Research cited by Forbes shows that 60% of hiring decisions are made within the first 15 minutes of an interview, and 25% within the first five – hardly enough time for an in-depth decision to be made about the candidate’s suitability for the role.

While most bias is unconscious, unfortunately some isn’t. And regardless, good intentions haven’t been enough to stop it from perpetuating. The best way to keep bias out of your recruitment process is to build systems that prevent it from being a factor in the first place.

6 tips to remove bias from your hiring process

1. Audit your job ads first

Job ads loaded with gender-coded language (“dominant,” “competitive,” “rockstar”) measurably discourage women or gender-diverse applicants from applying, and long “nice-to-have” wish lists discourage jobseekers who may not check every box.

What to do:

Keep language welcoming and gender-neutral.
Separate “must-have” from “nice-to-have,” and keep must-have requirements focused on skills key to the role.

Head here for some more tips on how to write a stand-out job ad.

2. Show diverse people and stories on your career site

Candidates self-select out of applying long before a recruiter sees their resume. If every photo, testimonial, and “day in the life” story on your careers page features the same kind of person, you’re signalling (perhaps unintentionally) who belongs there.

What to do:

Feature employees across different backgrounds, career paths, and seniority levels.
Include stories from people who didn’t take the traditional route: career switchers, internal promotions.
Audit your imagery and language with the same scrutiny you would apply to a job ad, and ensure it’s reflective of your company culture.

3. Commit to skills-based hiring

Skills-based hiring means evaluating candidates on what they can actually do, rather than where they studied or have worked. Skills are 5 times more predictive of job performance than education, and taking a skills-based approach can increase your talent pool by up to 9 times. It’s not just fairer, it’s also more effective, with 90% of employers who adopt skills-based hiring reporting an increase in workplace diversity, and 56% of people leaders reporting improved retention.

What to do:

Define the specific skills a role requires before starting to look at candidates
Score every applicant against the same rubric, not a gut-feel of “good fit.”
Replace resume screening with skills assessments or work samples where possible.

4. Give your interviews more structure

Time-to-decision bias means most interviewers have made up their mind in the first few minutes of meeting a candidate, before there’s enough evidence to justify it. Creating interview structure can slow this down, and ensure a fairer evaluation.

What to do:

Ask every candidate for a role the same core questions, in the same order, scored against the same rubric.
Use a panel process and have each interviewer score independently before comparing notes, so one person’s early read doesn’t anchor the rest of the panel.
Build in a short gap between the interview and the decision. Even waiting until the next day reduces the risk of snap judgments.

5. Screen with anonymisedanonymized profiles

AnonymisingAnonymizing profiles at the first screening stage removes the name, photo, and graduation year that bias could latch onto, so the initial call is made on skills and experience alone.

This approach is supported by the right tech. PageUp’s screening tools let hiring teams de-identify particular details until a candidate has already cleared the skills bar.

6. Get help from AI that’s actually been proven bias-free

AI was introduced as a fix for hiring bias, as algorithms (should) be more objective than humans. But an algorithm is only as fair as the data it learns from, and most hiring data is full of exactly the patterns outlined above. Train a model on your past “successful hires”, and it will learn your past biases too.

PageUp’s Skills Matching sidesteps this by scoring candidates against the job, not your hiring history. It extracts the required skills directly from the job description and rates every applicant, from ‘Excellent Match’ to ‘Not a Match’, on skills fit alone. Every output is source-cited, and bias-free by design, so you can get a little help without worrying about the integrity of the data. With help from Paige, our new agentic hiring assistant, all this information is one easy conversation away (forget manual rankings or sifting through modules).

Want proof, not a promise? Warden AI independently audits PageUp Skills Matching monthly to ensure outputs remain bias-free. See our latest results here.

Let’s bias-proof your hiring

A fairer hiring process and a stronger hiring process are two sides of the same coin. With the right tech, it’s easy to replace snap judgments and pattern-matching with bias-free, skills-based systems. Book a demo with PageUp to see how it works.

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5 ways to improve applicant quality

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:13:34 +0000

Attracting more candidates isn’t the same as hiring the right ones. And finding the right ones is getting harder.

One-click apply, application automation tools and AI-generated resumes have made it easier than ever for candidates to fire off dozens of applications with minimal effort. This volume, which was once celebrated, is now an omen – a hallmark of a funnel flooded with poor-quality applicants.

What is applicant quality?

Applicant quality is how closely a candidate’s skills, experience, cultural alignment, and intent match the requirements of a specific role. A high-quality applicant must be technically capable, but what’s more, they have taken the time to understand the role, picture themselves in the organisationorganization, and put forward an application that demonstrates this. Low-quality applicants, by contrast, add noise to your funnel, consume recruiter time, and slow down your ability to hone in on the people who matter.

Applicant quality is also directly linked to downstream metrics measured by leaders in talent acquisition: sourcing channel effectiveness, quality of hire, offer acceptance rate, and first-year retention. When the quality of candidates entering your funnel improves, every metric downstream tends to follow.

If you’re ready to shift your recruitment strategy towards candidate quality, here are five tips to help you get started:

1. Get a little help with shortlisting

When hundreds of applications land for a single role, screening becomes unmanageable, and genuinely strong candidates risk being buried in the volume.

This is where tools like Paige, PageUp’s AI recruiting assistant, can help. Rather than juggling multiple apps and tabs, Paige brings everything into one conversation, answering questions, surfacing candidate information, and cutting the admin that eats into hiring time.

For the evaluation itself, PageUp’s Skills Matching takes the manual work out of assessing fit. It extracts relevant skills from job requirements, matches them against candidate resumes, and provides the reasoning behind each match. It explains why a candidate is a strong fit for a particular skill, while keeping humans in control of the final decision.

Alongside skills matching, AI Resume SummarisationSummarization instantly distils hundreds of resumes into concise, consistent summaries, allowing hiring teams to review candidates in seconds without sacrificing quality. The result is a shortlist built on evidence rather than gut feel, and a faster path to the candidates who genuinely fit.

2. Build (and hire from) talent pipelines

Our PageUp customers have found it takes just four applications from their talent community to make a hire, compared to 73 from job boards. That’s about an 18x improvement in efficiency.

By continuously building pools of pre-engaged candidates (through expression-of-interest forms, event sign-ups, silver medalists from previous roles, and alumni networks) TA leaders create a warm audience of people who already know and like the organisationorganization. When a role opens, you’re not starting from zero. You’re just activating existing relationships.

Building and nurturing these talent pools consistently over time is what separates organisationsorganizations that are always scrambling to hire from those that can move fast. AI can further accelerate this by helping with candidate rediscovery. PageUp’s Candidate Recommendations is designed to surface silver medalists and best-fit candidates that might be hiding within your database, saving you in sourcing spend, and improving the quality of the candidates you progress.

3. Showcase an employer brand that allows self-selection

The most underrated quality filter in recruitment is arguably your careers site. When a serious candidate lands on it, they’re trying to answer one question: “Is this actually the kind of place I’d want to work?” Your careers site needs to be able to answer this question authentically. It should reflect a consistent, specific brand voice that communicates your EVP, values, and what day-to-day life actually looks like.

Visitors who read a blog post on a career site are four times more likely to complete an application, meaning content that educates and engages doesn’t just improve quality, it improves conversion too. Pair that with tools like Employee Connections, which lets candidates ask real questions of real employees, and you give serious applicants the confidence to move forward while gently discouraging those who aren’t a strong fit.

4. Write job ads with the right candidates in mind

Poorly written job descriptions are the top frustration for candidates in their job search, and for a senior or specialist candidate evaluating multiple opportunities, a confusing job ad is often enough of a red flag, to move on entirely. Clear, honest, specific job ads function as a quality filter before a single application is submitted. They set accurate expectations, attract candidates who genuinely meet the requirements, and reduce the mismatched applications that consume recruiter time downstream. PageUp’s AI-powered Job Ad Assistant helps TA teams write tailored, compelling ads at scale, improving both the quality of candidates attracted and the speed at which roles go live.

5. PrioritisePrioritize candidate engagement

Quality applicants have options. If your process goes silent after submission, the candidates most likely to disengage are the ones with the most alternatives, which means the pool that remains skews toward those with fewer choices. PrioritisingPrioritizing proactive communication like status updates, clear process timelines, and personalisedpersonalized touchpoints – these things keep strong candidates warm and signal that your organisationorganization takes people seriously.

Putting it all together

Improving applicant quality isn’t a single fix. It takes the right mix of tools and a focused strategic approach. But, the investment is certainly worth the effort: stronger candidates mean better quality of hire, higher retention, and less time spent firefighting further down the line. The organisationsorganizations successfully snapping up top talent are the ones that have made it easy for the right candidates to find them, trust them, and say yes.

PageUp helps TA teams improve applicant quality at every stage of the hiring process. Book a demo today to see how.

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Are hiring managers being left out of HR tech?

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 02:20:43 +0000

So much energy and investment is being poured into AI-powered recruitment technology. Vendors are racing to automate sourcing, screening, scheduling, and scoring. Recruiters are getting smarter tools, faster workflows and AI assistants trained to make their lives easier.

And hiring managers? They’re still muddling through systems they were never really trained on, sending messages to their recruitment team for status updates, and waiting to hear back on where their candidates are up to in the process. They’re watching the talent tech transformation happen around them, without being considered as part of it.

It’s a frustrating cycle for hiring managers, and it eats into recruiters’ time that could be spent elsewhere. A quick question that should be easily answerable turns into a back-and-forth, multiple times a day, across every open role. It shouldn’t be this way.

Hiring managers are stakeholders in every single hire. They define what good looks like, they conduct interviews, and they make the final decision. Yet they’re often treated as peripheral in the hiring process and the HR tech built around them. This results in a visibility gap and friction on both sides of the fence. Recruiters have to field the “any update?” question multiple times a day, and hiring managers get frustrated by a process that feels opaque from the outside.

AI that helps hiring managers: Meet Paige.

This is the gap that Paige (PageUp’s agentic AI hiring assistant) was built to close. Rather than another tool within the ATS, Paige sits on top of the entire hiring ecosystem. It’s built to work for everyone in the hiring process and gives hiring managers direct, easy access to the answers they need, in plain language, without going through the recruitment team for every query.

With Paige, hiring managers can ask things like:

Where is this candidate up to?
Who are the strongest applicants for my role?
What’s the next step in the process?
How does this candidate’s experience compare to the role requirements?

And get a clear answer in seconds: source-cited, and pulled directly from the hiring system, the application, the assessment, or wherever the information lives.

It’s not just status updates, either. When a hiring manager needs to open a new role, Paige can guide them through it step by step. It can prefill details from similar roles and prompt for anything that’s missing, so a job goes live in minutes instead of sitting in someone’s inbox for days. Stuck on a process question, like how many interview rounds are standard, or what the next approval step is? Paige has that answer too, pulled straight from internal policy. No need to navigate the ins and outs of the ATS, and no need to wait on the recruitment team for a response.

Ready to see Paige in Action? Take a tour.

Informed, not automated

It’s worth being clear about what Paige is, and what it isn’t. Paige doesn’t make hiring decisions. There are no auto-rejections, no mystery candidate scores. A human must always make the final call. What Paige does is give hiring managers and recruiters access to all the information within the ATS, collated and served up on-demand. The goal isn’t to replace a hiring manager’s judgement, but to sharpen it. It gives hiring teams greater visibility, so they can move through every interview, every shortlist review, every final decision, fully informed.

Recruiters get their time back too

Every “any update?” message a hiring manager doesn’t have to send is also a workflow interruption a recruiter doesn’t have to handle. Multiplied across a team, across a year, that’s a meaningful amount of time returned to recruiters to do more meaningful things like nurturing candidates and building pipelines.

Hiring with Paige

The challenge	Without Paige	With Paige
Candidate status updates	Hiring managers message recruiters and wait for a response	Instant, source-cited answers on demand
Role creation	New roles created manually from scratch, slowing time to advertiseadvertize	Step-by-step guidance with details prefilled from similar roles
Candidate comparison	Limited visibility into how applicants stack up against requirements	Direct comparison of candidate experience against role requirements
Recruiter time	Frequent “any update?” interruptions across every open role	Recruiters freed up for higher-value work like pipeline building
Decision making	Hiring managers make calls with incomplete or hard-to-access information	Fully informed decisions with all relevant data surfaced on demand, with the source to back it up
Hiring manager experience	Treated as peripheral to the process and the tech built around it	Direct access to the hiring ecosystem without needing to go through recruitment

The hiring manager experience is due for an update

The HR tech revolution has delivered a lot these past few years. Smarter sourcing, faster screening, sharper recruiter workflows. But often, the hiring manager experience has been treated as a secondary concern. With Paige, hiring managers get visibility and answers on demand. Ask a question, get an instant, source-verified answer, and move on with your day.

The hiring manager experience has been waiting for an update, and this is it. Explore what Paige can do for your organisationorganization today.

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What 50 TA leaders told us about the future of recruitment

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 02:28:32 +0000

At our recent Australian customer event in Melbourne, more than 50 TA leaders spent a day sharing their experiences on what’s working, what’s not, and where TA is heading. The highly collaborative sessions brought together a keynote session from Jo Vohland from ATC Events & Media, panel insights from leaders at David Jones, Symbos, Sportsbet and Scope Australia, and open peer-to-peer roundtable discussions that generated some of the most candid conversations of the day.

One message cut through every session: the days of TA operating as a reactive, transactional function are over. Here’s what’s replacing it.

The AI reality check

AI adoption across Australian TA teams is real, but not uniform, and in some cases moving faster than teams can handle. Many organisationsorganizations now have AI embedded across sourcing, screening and job description drafting. Others are still in early exploration. Most are somewhere in the middle, genuinely uncertain about whether the tools are delivering or just creating a different kind of busy.

One unintended consequence that emerged across the conversations: the sheer volume of applications has surged. AI has made it dramatically easier for candidates to apply which means that TA teams are now sorting through a lot more “noise” to find the right fit.

Ben Stevens, Head of TA at Symbos, captured the internal tension many teams are experiencing: “We’re being asked to bring in new tools and new tech, but you also need people to manage those tools and tech. AI doesn’t really solve that problem.”

And while the excitement around AI is real, many in the room were still working out how to measure whether it’s truly delivering. Many were left considering: are the tools we’re adopting genuinely moving the needle, or are we getting swept up in the hype?

Ben Roberts, Head of TA at David Jones, was clear that AI is not about reducing headcount. “I’m not a believer that AI is to strip talent from the team, quite the opposite.” He shared a practical change management approach he calls ‘remove and replace’ conversations. This means being transparent about what is being automated, and what higher-value work will replace it. As he put it: “If we just focus on removing, removing, removing, there’d be a sentiment of, ‘what am I here to do’?”

Even when AI is well-embedded across the recruitment process, teams are still working through the implications, particularly around candidate experience and inclusivity. When one part of the process accelerates, the rest has to keep up. Roundtable discussions reinforced this too: AI-assisted speed at the top of the funnel simply creates downstream pressure if the rest of the process isn’t set up to match.

Overall, the consensus surrounding AI was that it should be treated as a strategic colleague. Teams must avoid accepting outputs without thinking critically about what’s produced. The “easy button” mentality introduces risk that can easily compound across the hiring process. The answer isn’t necessarily using AI less, but ensuring you know how it got to its answer in the first place.

Key takeaway: Before implementing a new AI tool, define the specific problem it is aiming to solve. Build your process around that need, not around the technology.

Ready to trade the “easy button” with AI you can trust? Paige is PageUp’s agentic hiring assistant that always shows its work. Ask a question, get an answer, see the proof.

In-person is back (and for good reason)

As candidates use generative AI to optimiseoptimize resumes and navigate assessment, this has introduced new challenges for verifying skillsets. Hiring managers are reporting a “halo effect”, where candidates appear flawless on paper, but struggle to meet expectations in a live interaction. What’s more, Jo Vohland’s keynote flagged a significant rise in hiring fraud that many TA teams are underprepared for, from AI-generated fake credentials and deep fake video interviews, to proxy candidates completing online assessments on someone else’s behalf. In response, many organisationsorganizations have shifted back toward in-person interviews as a core validation step

Overall, the room agreed on a balanced approach: if TA teams are leveraging AI to optimiseoptimize workflows, it is only fair that candidates do too. The solution lies in designing recruitment processes that expect AI usage while incorporating human-in-the-loop validation milestones to verify authentic skills.

Key takeaway: Review your assessment processes and identify the best places for human validation. If the first live interaction is the final interview, that might be too late to surface any misrepresentations.

Your best candidates probably aren’t on job boards

Up to 65% of top candidates are not actively browsing job ads. Tapping into this passive market requires TA teams to think like growth marketers: pinpoint where your target candidates live online, go to them directly, and speak to them in a way that truly resonates.

Start simple, start small and just start somewhere. Don’t let a lack of budget or expensive production assets stand in your way. Attendees agreed that teams must ditch polished corporate jargon in favour of raw, authentic storytelling.

Kate Reid, Head of TA at Sportsbet, pushed back on the idea that employer branding requires a big production budget. “It’s most authentic when it comes from people themselves. If you don’t have money for high production content, you can get out your phone. At the end of the day, that in itself is even more authentic.”

David Pitko, Workforce Strategy Manager at Scope Australia, shared what happened when they asked hiring managers to post simple values-based content on their personal LinkedIn networks: “It’s driven our applications and referrals from LinkedIn from 4% to 47%, for free.”

One more consideration: your EVP needs to work in AI search, not just on your career site. Around 50% of candidates are now using tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to research employers before they ever look at a job ad. Search your own organisationorganization and see what comes back, then check what your competitors look like. The gap might be bigger than you think.

Takeaway: Employee generated content is an authentic way to connect with candidates. It’s a low-cost way to make your brand more approachable, real, and the compounding effect on your pipeline can be significant.

TA needs to be a strategic workforce function

The most challenging theme of the day was also the most important: TA is moving upstream, whether teams are ready or not.

Jo Vohland put it plainly in her keynote: “The ability to redesign organisationsorganizations as interconnected human and agent systems: that’s likely to become one of the most valuable strategic capabilities in talent over the next decade.”

Future TA teams won’t just fill roles. They’ll help businesses decide how work gets done – by a person, a contractor, or an AI agent. A skills-first approach to that question could increase your available talent pool by nearly eight times. But it requires a different kind of thinking than filling a vacancy.

Attendees described their version of this shift as moving TA away from being “keyboard warriors” toward genuine strategic advisors. Legacy metrics like time-to-fill, that incentivises speed over quality, may not survive the oncoming transition. As TA moves upstream, the measures of success need to adapt as well.

Takeaway: Encourage your team to ask not just “how do we fill this role?” but “why does this role exist, and what is the best way to resource this work?”. That shift in framing is a foundational step towards TA as a strategic function.

Wins from around the room: what smart configuration can do

Alongside these bigger strategic themes, roundtable participants shared operational wins from their existing PageUp environments – proof that significant impact does not always require new tools:

Simplifying internal mobility: One organisationorganization streamlined casual work pickups across 51 regional schools, removing the need for part-time staff to complete a full application cycle every time.
Ditching the paper trail: A manual email ticketing system was replaced with digital forms that automatically trigger approvals and create job cards on submission.
Enforcing decentraliseddecentralized compliance: Platform configured to maintain governance across a model where line managers independently handle all screening, shortlisting, and referencing.

Top 5 tips to take back to your team

Define the problem before you pick the tool. AI works best when it is solving a specific, understood problem.
Pick up your phone and start filming. High production values are no longer a prerequisite for employer branding. Authentic, unpolished video from real employees builds more candidate trust than any corporate content team can manufacture.
Lean on your team to amp up your socials: Move away from generic job advertisements. Have hiring managers post simple, values-driven messages on their personal LinkedIn networks explaining why they love leading their teams.
Build AI governance before you need it. The “easy button” mentality is one of the biggest risks in AI adoption. Partner with HR, risk management and IT to set clear usage policies and embed human oversight.
Stop plugging holes and start getting strategic. Encourage systems thinking across your team now before the shift happens around you.

Final thoughts

As Jo Vohland quoted: “Uncertainty is not a flaw in the universe needing to be fixed. It is simply the natural condition of a mind that doesn’t know everything yet.” For Australian TA professionals, navigating the ongoing uncertainty with technological fluency and authentic human connection will be the defining capability of the next decade.

Want to explore how PageUp can help your team build a more connected, strategic recruitment function? Talk to us today.

The post What 50 TA leaders told us about the future of recruitment appeared first on PageUp.

33 expert-backed tips for building a resilient, AI-enhanced talent acquisition strategy in 2026

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 02:14:37 +0000

While signals from global economies remain mixed, demand for specialisedspecialized talent remains white-hot, creating a systemic issue that “post and pray” methods can no longer solve.

To build a resilient workforce, the best TA teams have moved beyond transactional, reactive, demand-led hiring and instead have carved a new path to workforce sustainability through strategic workforce planning and proactive recruitment.

This shift anticipates future needs by aligning talent acquisition strategies with long-term business cycles. This article outlines 33 expert-backed tips to help your organisationorganization assess its current funnel and build a resilient, future-proof recruitment engine.

What is the ‘Paradox of Scarcity’ in talent acquisition?

The “Paradox of Scarcity” describes the growing challenge organisationsorganizations face when specialisedspecialized talent remains difficult to secure, even during periods of economic uncertainty or slower business growth. While hiring demand may fluctuate, critical skills shortages continue to create long-term workforce gaps across many industries.

How can organisationsorganizations shift from reactive hiring to strategic workforce planning?

Reactive hiring often leaves TA teams constantly responding to urgent vacancies instead of preparing for future workforce needs. This creates inconsistent hiring outcomes, higher agency spend and increased pressure on internal teams.

A stronger talent acquisition strategy starts with strategic workforce planning that aligns recruitment activity with long-term business goals, project pipelines and evolving skills demand. Rather than waiting for vacancies to appear, organisationsorganizations should build talent communities early, forecast future workforce gaps and prioritiseprioritize quality candidate pipelines over application volume alone.

Modern organisationsorganizations are increasingly investing in connected talent acquisition software to support workforce forecasting, recruitment automation and candidate engagement at scale.

Move from reactive to strategic workforce planning

Transition away from demand-led hiring models that only react to live project pipelines, moving instead towards a model that anticipates long-term needs.

Demand forecasting

Build robust talent communities two to three years in advance by aligning recruitment activity with long-term project or growth objectives.

The ‘So What?’ test

Rigorously question the utility of every data point; if a metric does not inform a specific strategic action or operational fix, it is merely noise.

Industry collaboration

RecogniseRecognize that structural issues like ageing demographics and gender disparity are sector-wide problems that require industry-wide collaboration rather than siloed corporate competition.

Talent density

PrioritisePrioritize the “richness” of applicant pools, measuring the percentage of hireable candidates instead of the sheer volume of applications generated or “Quality of Hire.

How to fix recruitment data and workflow foundations

Even the most advanced recruitment strategy can fail without reliable systems and clean data foundations. Many organisationsorganizations struggle with disconnected platforms, inconsistent reporting and metrics that lack meaningful business context.

To improve hiring outcomes, TA teams need visibility into the entire recruitment funnel, from sourcing performance through to offer acceptance and onboarding. Clean integrations, standardisedstandardized definitions and accurate source tracking help teams uncover operational bottlenecks and make faster, more informed decisions.

Using integrated HR analytics tools can also help organisationsorganizations identify workflow inefficiencies, improve reporting accuracy and uncover opportunities to optimiseoptimize hiring performance and communicate the value of the hiring strategy and investment to the business objectives.

What recruitment metrics actually improve hiring outcomes?

Many organisationsorganizations collect large volumes of recruitment data but struggle to translate it into meaningful action. These metrics and fixes can help organisationsorganizations strengthen their talent acquisition strategy.

Metric/Fix	Why it matters
Check the ‘plumbing’	Without synchronisedsynchronized timestamps across ATS, CRM, and career sites, metrics like “Time to Fill” are fictional, destroying data trust.
Avoid vanity metrics	Isolate interview pass rates; high rates may signal low standards, while low rates suggest a strategic disconnect between TA and hiring managers.
NormaliseNormalize definitions	Establishing common definitions for statuses like ‘Application Submitted’ prevents data corruption as information flows between disparate systems.
Weight job codes	Weighting roles (1–12) by difficulty ensures recruiter workload is measured by operational friction rather than just requisition count.
Identify journey ‘sticks’	Integrating ATS data into business reporting tools visualisesvisualizes stage-to-stage conversion lag, identifying bottlenecks like 15-day offer delays.
Proper source tagging	Preventing career sites from overriding marketing agency tags ensures original source-of-hire data remains accurate for ROI analysis.
Monitor over-aggregation	Collapsing ‘withdrawn’ and ‘rejected’ into a single ‘not hired’ status destroys the data fidelity required to identify specific process failures.

How can AI improve recruitment without losing the human touch?

AI is rapidly transforming recruitment, but many organisationsorganizations are concerned about balancing automation with authentic candidate engagement. The challenge is not whether to use AI, but how to use it in ways that enhance human connection rather than replace it.

With the right AI recruitment tools, organisationsorganizations can support high-volume tasks such as interview scheduling, candidate communications and screening while still delivering personalisedpersonalized hiring experiences at scale.

Adopt the ‘Human in the Loop’ mindset

In 2026, AI should be viewed as an augmentation tool for high-volume administrative tasks, ensuring recruiters have the freedom to focus on the human connections that help convert candidates to forge a resilient workforce.

AI-powered résumé summaries

Utilise Generative AI to provide concise snapshots of lengthy résumés, allowing hiring managers to identify core competencies at a glance without sifting through pages of fluff. Recruitment AI co-pilots, such as Paige, can help optimise these filtering processes to pinpoint strong candidates in no time.

Automated interview guides

Empower hiring managers by using AI to generate tailored, consistent interview questions based on the specific job description and the candidate’s unique background.

AI agents for branding

Deploy AI agents trained on your corporate voice to maintain a consistent brand identity across marketing campaigns in the absence of a dedicated creative team.

Audit position descriptions

Use generative AI tools to rewrite and audit position descriptions for task crossover, ensuring that roles are defined by modern skills rather than outdated templates.

Sentiment analysis

Apply Natural Language Processing (NLP) within chatbots to detect candidate frustration or disengagement through their tone, triggering human intervention when needed.

24/7 conversational AI

Implement conversational assistants with relatable human names to provide instant answers to FAQs and facilitate talent community sign-ups outside of business hours.

Automate the ‘Hate’ List

Conduct a ‘Love/Hate’ task analysis with your team to identify the low-value administrative burdens they dislike most and target these for immediate automation.

How do you create a candidate experience that builds trust

Today’s candidates expect recruitment experiences that feel fast, transparent and personalisedpersonalized. Long application forms, poor communication and unclear hiring timelines can quickly damage employer brand perception and increase candidate drop-off.

OrganisationsOrganizations that prioritiseprioritize candidate experience through strategic workforce planning are more likely to improve application completion rates, strengthen employer branding and attract higher-quality talent. Creating trust throughout the recruitment journey requires consistent communication, mobile-friendly processes and authentic engagement at every stage.

Why does the ‘Effortless’ Score matter?

Issue: Complicated application processes create friction that increases candidate drop-off rates and damages employer perception.

Implementation: Deploy post-application surveys specifically measuring “perceived effort” to ensure the process remains seamless and low-friction.

How can trickle texts reduce candidate ghosting?

Issue: Candidates often disengage between offer acceptance and their official start date due to limited communication and uncertainty.

Implementation: Automate SMS sequences between offer and start date that highlight benefits like “money coaching” or “tuition support” to reduce ghosting.

Why do sizzle reels improve candidate engagement?

Issue: Candidates increasingly want authentic insight into workplace culture before applying for roles.

Implementation: Capture raw, authentic ‘Day in the Life’ video content from current employees to provide a realistic job preview and encourage self-selection.

Why is authenticity via employee voice important?

Issue: Overly polished employer branding can feel disconnected from the real employee experience, reducing trust among candidates.

Implementation: Use validated employee stories on career sites rather than corporate scripts to build trust and demonstrate genuine career longevity.

Why is mobile optimisationoptimization critical for recruitment?

Issue: Mobile applications continue to increase, but many organisationsorganizations still create lengthy application experiences that lead to incomplete submissions.

Implementation: Reduce form fields to the absolute minimum for mobile users; current data shows mobile applications have doubled but suffer from high incomplete rates.

Why should organisationsorganizations treat candidates as customers?

Issue: Poor recruitment experiences can directly impact employer reputation, customer trust and future revenue opportunities.

Implementation: Train TA teams to recogniserecognize that a poor recruitment experience directly risks the consumer brand, potentially losing future customers and revenue.

Why does transparency in the hiring process matter?

Issue: Candidates are more likely to disengage when hiring timelines and next steps are unclear.

Implementation: Use the ‘Moments that Matter‘ framework to map the journey, ensuring candidates have clear visibility into timelines and next steps from first contact.

Why is skills-first hiring important for workforce resilience?

As technical skill shortages continue across many industries, organisationsorganizations can no longer rely solely on traditional hiring models focused on direct experience alone. A skills-first hiring strategy allows businesses to identify transferable capabilities, future potential and internal growth opportunities that support long-term workforce resilience.

By prioritising adaptability, learning potential and internal mobility, organisationsorganizations can create more diverse talent pipelines while reducing reliance on reactive external hiring. This approach also strengthens employee retention by creating clearer pathways for career progression and development.

Many organisationsorganizations are also investing in internal talent mobility strategies to better retain high-performing employees and unlock existing workforce potential.

Potential over ability

Shift the assessment focus towards a candidate’s potential to learn and grow, supported by internal L&D, rather than just their current technical skill set.

Skills-first sourcing

Look beyond traditional technical backgrounds for leadership roles, prioritising transferable people skills and emotional intelligence.

Benchmarking for equity

Use situational judgement tests and skill-based benchmarking to reduce unconscious bias and ensure a more diverse shortlist.

Nurture passive talent

Maintain a “warm” talent pool by consistently pushing relevant project updates and company insights to passive candidates before a role becomes available.

Internal promotion focus

Prioritise the development and internal mobility of existing staff to reduce the reliance on expensive, reactive external hiring.

Your talent acquisition strategy for 2026

To thrive in 2026 and beyond, Talent Acquisition and HR leaders must embrace the mix of data-driven insights and human intuition. Making sure the “so what” of every metric is clear. To foster a “test and fail” mentality, blending AI and tech to facilitate experimentation to uncover what truly works for your organisationorganization. Finally, maintain “touch earth” moments to stay grounded in the human element that recruitment ultimately serves.

Build a more connected workforce with PageUp

The future of hiring is proactive, personalisedpersonalized and powered by meaningful connections. By applying the 33 tips above, organisationsorganizations can uncover recruitment bottlenecks, improve candidate experiences and create a stronger, more resilient hiring strategy for 2026 and beyond.

PageUp’s flexible talent acquisition platform helps businesses scale smarter with AI-powered automation, intelligent Recruitment Marketing, configurable workflows, and actionable analytics. Designed to grow with your organisationorganization, our end-to-end solutions help TA teams create seamless hiring experiences while achieving better hiring outcomes across every stage of the talent journey.

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PageUp’s AI Skills Matching has been independently verified as bias-free

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 02:13:37 +0000

Every time a recruiter uses PageUp’s Skills Matching, an AI model is making a judgment call: does this candidate’s experience align with what this role requires?

That judgment influences who gets seen, who gets shortlisted, and who gets hired. It’s one of the most consequential moments in the whole hiring process.

For something so important, we felt that just saying our AI is fair, wasn’t enough. We needed to be able to prove it.

So we got it independently verified.

PageUp has completed an external AI bias audit of our Skills Matching feature, conducted by Warden AI, a specialist third-party auditor, that evaluates whether AI used in hiring is fair, consistent, and free from discriminatory bias.

The audit tested candidate profiles across sex, race/ethnicity, and intersectional combinations of both, using two independent bias-detection techniques across a large sample. The results: Skills Matching came back clear in every dimension tested.

You can see the full results for yourself here.

What is Skills Matching?

Skills Matching is part of Paige, PageUp’s agentic AI recruiting assistant. It works by extracting the required skills from your Job Ad or Position Description, and assessing each applicant individually against the same criteria. The result is a fit classification for every candidate, from Excellent Match to Not a Match, with full transparency into the reasons why.

Learn more about Paige.

What this means for your organization

For DEI and TA leaders:

If not implemented carefully, AI shortlisting tools can inadvertently undermine diversity goals. Not through intent, but through bias baked into how models are trained and what they optimiseoptimize for. This audit is independent evidence that Skills Matching isn’t doing that. The same criteria, applied consistently, regardless of who the candidate is.

For legal and compliance teams

Warden’s methodology is designed to align with emerging AI regulation globally. Having an independent, documented, monthly audit trail puts PageUp customers in a much stronger position as those obligations come into force.

For hiring managers

The match scores that Skills Matching surfaces are now independently verified to be based on skills and experience alone. When you act on a shortlist, you can do so with confidence that the ranking reflects genuine fit, not demographic signals the model should never have used in the first place.

It doesn’t stop here

This isn’t a one-off snapshot taken to produce a certificate. The audit runs monthly, so as PageUp’s AI evolves, the assurance keeps pace. Responsible AI development isn’t a badge you earn once. It’s something you have to keep demonstrating. This is how we’re doing it.

Want to know more? Explore the AI Assurance Dashboard or see Skills Matching in action.

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Four reasons your CFO is saying no to your TA budget requests (and how to convince them to say yes)

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 01:30:52 +0000

Budget season arrives, and you’re ready to make your case. You know which channels are performing. You have a sense of where candidates are dropping off. You’ve done the analysis, and yet you still walk out empty-handed.

The problem usually isn’t the budget request. It’s that TA teams and finance teams often speak in different languages, and are focused on different priorities. Here’s where that communication breaks down, and how you can fix it:

1. Your data sits in silos

Some TA teams are working across disconnected systems. Career site analytics live in one place. Application data lives in the ATS. Hiring outcomes live somewhere else, and retention and performance data may not be in the picture at all.

The result is that you can report on activity, but can’t connect it to outcomes. You can tell your CFO how many people hit ‘apply’, but you can’t tell them which campaign, channel, or piece of content produced your best hire twelve months down the track. It’s making that hidden ROI visible: underlining the impact that hiring the right person (at the right time) has on your organisationorganization’s bottom line.

The fix: Before you build a business case, audit your attribution. Can you trace a hire back to its original source: the campaign, the channel, the content? If not, that’s the first investment to make. Tools that connect top-of-funnel activity to downstream hiring outcomes (like PageUp Clinch) give you the end-to-end visibility that makes a CFO-ready pitch possible. Without it, you are reporting on activity. With it, you are reporting on impact.

2. Your real cost-per-hire is higher than you think

Most organisationsorganizations calculate cost-per-hire by adding up sourcing spend and dividing by hires. That number doesn’t show the full picture. It leaves out the cost that never appears on a budget spreadsheet: recruiter time.

PageUp’s 2026 sourcing channel data shows it takes 73 applications from a job board to produce one hire. Someone is reading, screening, and actioning the 72 that don’t convert. When you apply a fully-loaded hourly recruiter cost to even 10 minutes per application, the hidden labour cost per hire from that channel alone adds hundreds of dollars on top of whatever you spent on the ad before a single interview has been scheduled.

Compare that to a talent pipeline, where the same hire takes 4 applications. The labour cost drops significantly. That gap doesn’t show up in your sourcing budget. But it absolutely shows up in your team’s efficiency.

The fix: Rebuild your cost-per-hire calculation to include recruiter time. Use your applications-per-hire by channel, multiply by average time-per-application, and apply a fully-loaded hourly rate. The number you get will be more honest, and help you make a compelling case for investing in lower-volume, higher-efficiency channels.

Budget approval rarely stops at the CFO. If you’re navigating sign-off from IT, procurement, or change management too, our guide to getting TA and HR tech approved covers the full internal case.

3. You’re optimisingoptimizing for inputs, not outcomes

Time-to-fill. Applications received. Cost-per-click. These metrics tell you how fast and how cheaply you filled a seat. They tell you almost nothing about the quality of that hiring decision.

Quality of hire is the metric that connects recruitment marketing investment to business performance, and it’s the one most TA teams either don’t measure or measure inconsistently. 55% of TA leaders have acknowledged that improving quality of hire is an important priority for 2026. Yet it remains one of the hardest metrics to pin down, with only 25% of TA leaders feeling confident in their ability to measure it.

That’s a measurement problem, not an inherent limitation. Quality of hire can be tracked through a composite of: hiring manager satisfaction scores at 30/60/90 days, time to full productivity, first-year retention rate, and performance rating at the first review cycle. None of these are difficult to collect, but they do require TA to stay in the conversation after the offer letter is signed.

The fix: Build a quality of hire scorecard and start tracking it consistently, even with a small sample. Over time, this becomes a powerful ROI asset, because it’s the only metric that lets you say: “Our recruitment marketing strategy doesn’t just fill roles. It fills them with people who stay and perform.”

4. You’re making the wrong pitch

In 2026, executive attention is split across AI governance risk, compliance exposure, and workforce productivity. A pitch that leads with cost savings alone is leaving two-thirds of the argument on the table.

The business case for recruitment marketing now has three components, and most TA teams only bring one into the room:

Cost saved: the efficiency argument. Lower cost-per-hire, less wasted attraction spend, faster time-to-fill.
Revenue protected: the productivity argument. According to SHRM, a bad hire can cost companies up to $240,000. A poor hire in a mid-level role creates a ripple of lost productivity, rehiring costs, and team disruption that far exceeds the original sourcing spend. Every quality hire your recruitment marketing strategy produces is protecting that value.
Risk reduced: the compliance argument. AI tools used in recruitment are explicitly classified as high-risk systems, for example, under the EU AI Act or NY Local Law 144. This means organisationsorganizations face real exposure if their hiring tools can’t demonstrate fairness, transparency, and human oversight. Documented processes and auditable systems go beyond TA, to risk mitigation, creating a shared responsibility for investing in the right tech.

The fix: Structure your next budget conversation around all three. Lead with cost, but don’t stop there. An executive who sees cost saved, risk reduced, and revenue protected in the same conversation will find it very hard to say no to the ask that follows.

At a glance

The problem	The fix	The outcome
Your data sits in silos. You can report on activity but can’t connect it to quality hires	Audit your attribution and connect top-of-funnel activity to hiring outcomes	Stop reporting on activity and start reporting on impact.
Recruiter time is invisible on your cost-per-hire calculation	Rebuild your cost-per-hire to include recruiter time by channel	A more honest number that makes the case for higher-efficiency channels
You’re measuring inputs, not outcomes.	Build a quality of hire scorecard tracking satisfaction, retention, productivity, and performance	You can prove your strategy fills roles with people who stay and perform
Your pitch leads with cost savings and stops there	Structure your pitch around all three: cost saved, revenue protected, and risk reduced	An executive who sees all three points will find it very hard to say no

Build a business case that sticks

Fix these four things: attribution, true cost, pitch frame, and outcome metrics, and you have the infrastructure to make a stronger business case every cycle, because your data gets richer and tells a deeper story over time.

Ready to build a recruitment marketing strategy you can actually measure, and a business case your CFO will act on? We’re here to help. Talk to our team today.

The post Four reasons your CFO is saying no to your TA budget requests (and how to convince them to say yes) appeared first on PageUp.

6 ways to make your job ads more searchable

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:24:58 +0000

Every day, candidates search for jobs. They open up Google, SEEK, or LinkedIn, type in a job title, a location, a work arrangement, and often click on whatever comes up first. If your job ad isn’t optimisedoptimized for search, it isn’t even a part of that conversation. The candidate finds a competitor’s listing instead, applies, and you never even knew they were looking.

If you’re looking for tried and tested ways to optimiseoptimize your job ads for search engines, and to show up where candidates are looking, here are 6 tips to help you get started:

1. Use the job title candidates are actually searching for

Your internal job titles might make sense within your organisationorganization, but they rarely match what candidates search for when looking for a new role. Roles like “Growth Ninja,” “People Champion” or “Digital Evangelist” might reflect your culture, but they won’t surface easily in job search results.

Use standard, widely-used job titles. “Senior Marketing Manager” will outperform “Brand Growth Lead” in search visibility. Keep titles under 60 characters, avoid acronyms where possible, and don’t bury the core role under department names or seniority prefixes.

The rule is simple: if a candidate wouldn’t type it into a search bar, don’t use it as your job title.

2. OptimiseOptimize your career site

Job searches don’t start on job boards as often as you might think. In fact, 78% of job searches start on Google. An SEO-optimisedoptimized careers site means your roles can be found by candidates even earlier in their journey. A good career site needs to be well-structured, fast-loading and mobile-optimisedoptimized. That way, both candidates and search engines can navigate it quickly and easily. PageUp’s recruitment marketing platform is built with SEO optimisationoptimization at its core, so teams can manage and update content without waiting on IT.

3. Be specific about location and work arrangement

Search engines prioritiseprioritize job listings that include clear location and work arrangement details (and top tip: so do candidates). Whether a role is remote, hybrid or on-site should appear in both the job summary and the body of the listing. For location-based roles, include the city or region clearly, both for search visibility and to reduce applications from candidates who aren’t a geographic fit. “Marketing Manager – San Francisco (Hybrid)” will rank higher than “Marketing Manager” for local candidates.

4. Include salary information

Job boards and search engines consistently rank listings higher when salary details are included, because it increases engagement and reduces bounce rate. Candidates who see a salary range are more likely to click, read and apply. Those who don’t see it often leave. Even a broad range is better than nothing. Avoid using catch-all statements: “Competitive salary” tells a search engine (and a candidate) very little and adds unnecessary friction to the process.

Beyond SEO, salary transparency is increasingly a legal requirement. Pay transparency laws are already in effect across parts of the US, UK and EU, requiring employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings, with more jurisdictions moving in the same direction. Even where it isn’t yet mandatory, the direction of travel is clear. Getting into the habit of including salary information now means you’re ahead of compliance requirements, not scrambling to catch up when legislation lands in your region.

5. OptimiseOptimize for AI search

Some TA teams aren’t thinking about this one yet, but they should be. Candidates are already using AI-powered search tools to research employers, and get a feel for company culture, often without ever even visiting a careers site. If your content isn’t structured and information-rich, you won’t show up in those answers.

The good news is that the same clear, well-structured content that helps you rank in other search tools, will also help AI tools to surface and recommend your organisationorganization. Clear descriptions, consistent messaging around culture and values, and regularly updated content all give AI tools something accurate to work with. PageUp Clinch’s SEO and AI-optimisedoptimized career sites are designed with exactly this in mind.

One area that punches above its weight here is employee-generated content. Candidates want to know what it’s actually like to work somewhere. AI tools draw on published information to answer that question, so highlighting real, authentic employee stories on your career site is crucial to filling that gap. Tools like Employee Connections make it easy to capture and publish authentic employee voices, giving both candidates and AI search tools a credible, straight-from-the-source view of life at your organisationorganization.

6. Write for humans first, search engines second

The best thing you can do for your search rankings? Write for candidates, not algorithms. Modern search tools, including AI, are built to surface content that is clear, relevant and genuinely useful. If your job ads are written well for people, they’ll perform well in search, too.

The reserve is also true. Keyword-stuffed job descriptions might seem SEO-savvy, but search engines (and more importantly, candidates) can see through that approach. Clarity and structure now drive rankings more than density. A job ad with a strong title, honest requirements and a clear sense of the role’s impact will outperform a bloated list of buzzwords every time.

The bottom line

Every unoptimisedunoptimized job ad is a potential missed hire. Multiply that across a quarter of open roles, and it’s a huge gap in your pipeline. AI is accelerating this gap. The candidates who would have found you via Google are increasingly finding their next role through AI-generated recommendations. If your content isn’t structured to show up there, you’re not in the running.

The fix is straightforward, but the time to start is now. Begin with the basics: job titles candidates actually search for, salary ranges included, structured descriptions in place. Get those right, and you’ll already be 10 steps ahead of your competitors.

Want to dive deeper into how you can write the perfect job ad? Check out our job ad checklist for an outline of what to include to nail the brief every single time.

The post 6 ways to make your job ads more searchable appeared first on PageUp.

The talent marketing reality check

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:50:39 +0000

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The 45-second career site audit

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:49:13 +0000

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The buyer’s guide to recruitment marketing software

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:47:18 +0000

The post The buyer’s guide to recruitment marketing software appeared first on PageUp.

The Talent Marketing Playbook

Tue, 12 May 2026 00:12:48 +0000

The post The Talent Marketing Playbook appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Ready or not: Creative strategies to engage the hidden workforce

Thu, 07 May 2026 02:24:22 +0000

70% of the workforce aren’t actively looking for a role right now. But, they’re still scrolling, engaging with content, and potentially still open to the right opportunity if you can reach them where they are.

This means that relying on job boards and inbound applications won’t cut it. Now, talent acquisition teams need to get creative with their talent attraction and engagement strategies.

This session is about the “how”. We’ll move past the theory into practical strategies for finding candidates you can’t get from a job board: influencer marketing, brand-led attraction and nurturing the goldmine already in your database. Featuring real-world insights from Flockity and Travel + Leisure Co, we’ll discuss how to tie your employer brand to creative strategies, drive new organic inbound traffic to your career site, build trust with candidates, and deliver a diverse pipeline of top talent.

We’ll explore:

Why passive talent is your biggest untapped pipeline, and how to activate it.
How to re-target your engaged candidates and hidden gems already in your CRM.
How real people and creators can amplify your EVP more effectively than traditional ads.
How to ensure your employer brand resonates authentically within niche communities.
How to track what’s really working, and shift budget to the channels that convert.

This webinar offers practical, experience-led insights for TA leaders ready to move past the talent shortage and build a human-centric attraction machine. You’ll walk away with a sourcing strategy that goes where your competitors aren’t even looking.

Our panellists

Jay Cocorullo, Manager Employer Brand, Travel + Leisure
Tracey Parsons, CEO, Flockity
Fiona Moreton, SVP Global Partners, PageUp

The post Watch now: Ready or not: Creative strategies to engage the hidden workforce appeared first on PageUp.

Less switching, more hiring: the case for an end-to-end solution

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:56:29 +0000

Here’s a feeling most TA leaders will recogniserecognize. You have a tool for sourcing. A different one for your career site. Another for candidate communications. A separate tool for onboarding. And somehow, despite more vendors and more technology than ever, hiring still feels harder than it should.

This is the point solution trap. The challenge isn’t the tools themselves – most of these tools are great at what they do. The challenge is what happens when things fall through the gaps between them. And it’s costing organisationsorganizations more than they realiserealize: in budgets, lost candidates, and missed opportunities.

The hidden cost of disconnected tools

Hiring isn’t a series of isolated problems. It is a journey. When your tools don’t connect, that journey breaks down.

Candidates fall through the gaps between systems. Recruiters spend time manually transferring information instead of building relationships. Data sits in silos that no one can act on. And when something goes wrong, nobody takes accountability. It leads to time wasted, and long, drawn-out resolutions. The result is a hiring process that feels chaotic from the inside and fragmented from the outside.

A connected platform changes all that. One vendor, one support team that knows your entire setup inside and out. One place to go when you need help, meaning issues get resolved in record time.

One platform. One way of working.

Switching between systems has a cost that never shows up on an invoice. Every platform has its own interface, its own logic and its own way of getting things done. The constant code-switching between multiple platforms slows recruiters down and onboarding a new team member means training on five different systems instead of one.

PageUp gives your team a single, unified way of working, from career site through to onboarding. Same interface, same logic, same data. When recruiters aren’t juggling multiple systems, they’re able to spend more time on actually building relationships with candidates. A central platform that connects every part of your process means it’s faster to learn, faster to use – and ultimately, faster to hire.

The journey starts before a candidate even applies

It starts with your career site. PageUp Clinch offers an intelligent, self-service CMS that gives your team full control to build personalisedpersonalized, on-brand experiences. You can create targeted journeys for different talent segments independently, without needing to involve IT or a developer. Updates happen in seconds, and every visitor interaction is tracked, giving you rich data about what site visitors are engaging with.

But a great career site is only as compelling as the content on it. Candidates are increasingly sceptical of corporate messaging. But people, trust people. That’s where PageUp Employee Connections makes it easy to capture, curate and publish authentic employee stories, Q&As and interactions at scale, breathing life into your culture. It’s the kind of content that makes a candidate think “that looks like somewhere I actually want to work.”

Turn visitors into pipeline and control every talent stream

Up to 70% of career site visitors leave without applying. With the PageUp Clinch CRM, you capture that interest before they close that tab, building talent pools of warm, tagged, segmented candidates organisedorganizedby role, skill and location.

More than just storing candidates, PageUp gives you complete control to create end-to-end workflows for different talent streams within the same platform. High volume retail hiring and specialisedspecialized technical recruitment strategies can run simultaneously, each with its own workflows, its own communications and its own pipelines. All visible, all tracked, and all in one place.

Once a candidate is in your pipeline, automation takes over, with personalisedpersonalized email and SMS workflows firing based on candidate behaviour. Job alerts go out the moment a relevant role opens. Re-engagement sequences reach out to candidates who have gone quiet. The right message, to the right person, at the right time, automatically.

From interest directly to application. No handoff required

When a candidate is ready to apply, the ATS takes over. OrganisationsOrganizations using a PageUp solution see 21% faster hires, 9.2x more application conversions and 32% higher offer acceptance rates. Configurable workflows mirror the way your team actually hires, and because everything sits in the same ecosystem, you can track your candidates back to their first interaction. That way, you can dig into which sources, which content and which touchpoints are contributing to your highest quality hires.

Once they’ve accepted your offer, the journey doesn’t stop there. PageUp Onboarding takes applicants through from offer to acceptance, and guides them through the days and weeks leading to their first day. Every new-starter gets a branded, streamlined experience that handles compliance, paperwork and inductions before they even walk through the door.

AI that works for your team, not instead of it

Running underneath all of this is PageUp AI: purposeful intelligence designed to augment your recruiters, not replace them. It’s packed with features like:

CV summaries that surface the most relevant candidate information instantly
Skills matching that identifies best-fit candidates based on their capabilities, not their credentials.
The ability to draft job ads or landing pages in seconds, giving recruiters a stronger starting point than a blank page.

The result is a team that spends less time on administrative tasks and more time on the conversations and relationships that actually convert candidates.

Analytics that speak everyone’s language

All of this hiring activity generates data. And that’s where disconnected tech stacks often fall down. The data exists, but it lives in different places, owned by different tools, each telling different parts of the story.

Stop guessing where your best hires come from. With heatmaps and integrated data, you can see the exact moment a career site visitor becomes an applicant with PageUp’s analytics. See exactly where candidates are engaging on your career site and where they are dropping off at a page-element level, not just page views. Go deeper than vanity metrics like applicant volume, and track which sourcing channels are producing the best hires. Use these connected insights to link career site performance directly to hiring outcomes and cost-per-hire. No data science degree required – just clear, reliable insights that prove the value of your hiring strategy to the people who need to see it.

Build your dream stack

While PageUp is purpose-built for talent acquisition, which means best-in-class career sites, pipelines, automation, analytics and an ATS built to perform at every stage of hiring. But why stop there? With 150+ integrations spanning HRIS, learning, background checks, assessments, video interviews and more, you can create a hiring ecosystem that extends to every stage of the employee lifecycle – not just the candidate process. One ecosystem from the moment a candidate discovers your career site, to the moment they are thriving in their role (and every stage in between).

The bottom line

Great point solutions solve one thing well. But hiring is not just one thing. It’s a journey, and every disconnected tool is a potential candidate lost.

PageUp brings together every element of your hiring strategy to help you build a talent engine that guides candidates through every step of the journey. From interest, to application, to onboarding and beyond – with less manual effort at every step.

Ready to see what a connected hiring platform looks like in practice? Talk to our team today.

The post Less switching, more hiring: the case for an end-to-end solution appeared first on PageUp.

The recruiter’s secret weapon? A really good blog.

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:57 +0000

At a glance:

Most career site blogs don’t get off the ground because teams don’t know where to start
A simple content framework makes blogging sustainable, even for small TA teams
The best blogs focus on real employee and organisationorganization stories, growth and purpose
Tools like AI and employee-generated content make content faster and scalable – but you still need a plan
Your blog and talent marketing strategy work best when they work together

Many career sites are doing the bare minimum. They’ve got a job-search bar, a few paragraphs on company culture and maybe a photo of the office. What they lack is a compelling reason for candidates to stay, explore or return.

Candidates are four times more likely to apply after reading relevant content about your organisationorganization, yet most TA teams are missing out on this conversion opportunity. What’s the solution? A career site blog.

From blank page to content engine: how to actually get started

For many talent teams, a career site blog sits firmly in the “nice-to-have” category – something you will get to eventually, but rarely prioritise. But in reality, the impact of a well-executed blog is far greater than most teams expect. The problem usually isn’t motivation – it’s not knowing where to begin.

Here’s a practical framework to help get your blog off the ground, and keep it running.

Step 1: Anchor your blog to your hiring goals

Before you write a single word, you need to get clear on what your blog needs to do. Support a niche, hard-to-fill technical role? Your content should be mapped to your hiring priorities.

Attracting graduate applicants? You’ll need blogs that speak directly to this audience
Building employer brand awareness in a competitive market? Tell real stories about your company culture and your people
Supporting niche, hard-to-fill technical roles? “Day-in-the-life” content of someone in that role already is worth more than any job ad alone.

The key takeaway here: tie your blog to your talent marketing strategy from the get-go.

Step 2: Use a tried-and-tested content mix

Once you know your goals, you need content that actually works to engage your audience. These are the formats that consistently work well on top-performing career sites:

A day in the life: Real stories from real people. Highlighting diverse voices from across your organisationorganization helps candidates see themselves in your company before they ever apply.

Internal success stories: Candidates want to know that the people who join your organisationorganization actually go somewhere. Sharing stories of promotions, career pivots, skills development and long-term growth signals that you invest in your people, attracting the kind of candidates that want more than just a paycheck.

What your organisationorganization stands for: DEI, CSR, sustainability, purpose. For 50% of candidates, an organisationorganization‘s mission, purpose and values are a significant factor in their decision to apply. Your blog is the place to unpack these values in a way that inspires candidates to join your cause.

Content that supports your campaigns: Posts and content written specifically to address your current hiring push. Whether you’re recruiting graduates, specialist roles or looking to fill high-volume positions, this targeted content can be used across your campaign through nurture emails, social posts as well as career site content.

Step 3: Make employee stories easy to capture

The best content on your career site will come directly from your current employees. The challenge is capturing these employee stories without making it a burden on your staff or your talent team. A few practical ways to approach this are:

Send employees a few simple questions by email and offer to write the post for them based on their answers
Record a quick chat on Teams or Zoom, and use the transcript as raw material to put together your piece
Ask your hiring managers to nominate members with good stories to tell
Ask the employees directly if they’re interested in contributing
Harness the power of tools like PageUp Employee Connections to capture and scale employee-generated content quickly and easily

The goal is to make participation as low-effort as possible. Most employees are happy to share their stories, especially if the heavy lifting is done for them.

Step 4: Use AI to go from idea to draft faster

It’s one thing to have a content plan, it’s another to have the time to execute it. Creating content takes time, and it’s often one of the first things to fall off an already over-packed to-do list. This is where AI tools earn their place in your workflow.

PageUp’s AI-powered Content Assistant helps you turn your ideas into finished content faster:

Generate a starting point instantly: Tell the AI what you want to write about, for example: “A Day in the Life of a Project Manager” or “What our parental leave policy actually looks like”, and get a solid draft in seconds. Not a finished article, but a framework that means you are editing rather than starting from scratch.
PersonalisePersonalize the content: If you’ve already captured an employee story using the frameworks above, you can use your notes, transcripts or dot-point responses to help get a draft tailored to a real person’s experience from the start.
Match the tone to the audience: Switch between writing styles depending on what you need. Casual for culture content. Narrative for employee stories. Technical for specialist roles. Your brand voice stays consistent even as the content adapts.

Step 5: Measure what’s working and adjust

A blog only becomes a strategic asset when you treat it like one. Once your posts are live, use PageUp’s career site analytics to understand what’s driving results: which topics get the most traffic, which posts convert browsers into applicants, and where candidates are dropping off.

Use those insights to shape your next round of content. Double down on what works. Retire what doesn’t. And if you’re just starting out – don’t overthink it. Start with one or two short posts per month and build from there. Over time, your career site blog will move from content experiments into one of your most reliable hiring tools.

What this means for your hiring strategy

Your career site is a talent tool that works around the clock. A well-executed career site blog helps your company build trust with candidates before they ever hit apply, and gives your employer brand a voice that no job ad ever could.

If you are ready to see how PageUp can power your hiring strategy, book a demo with our team today.

The post The recruiter’s secret weapon? A really good blog. appeared first on PageUp.

AI won’t fix your talent problem. Here’s why.

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:18:20 +0000

More noise. More applications. More AI. Yet somehow, harder to hire than ever. In 2025, 75% of TA teams experimented with using AI in their talent strategy. In 2026, the conversation is louder (and more polarisingpolarizing) than ever.

The pressure on talent teams continues to build

Talent teams are no strangers to “doing more with less”. But in 2026, expectations have risen to a new level. Business leaders want faster hires, strategic workforce planning, stronger retention and measurable ROI. Cost pressures are squeezing budgets, and every hiring decision is being scrutinisedscrutinized for its impact on the bottom line. And running alongside it all, the incredible pace of technological advances – including AI – that is reshaping every industry, with recruitment no exception.

In 2025, we surveyed 270 talent professionals about their biggest priorities in 2026. High application volumes and declining quality topped the list – a direct consequence of AI generated applications making it harder to identify genuine stand-out candidates. Skills gaps are widening, and while teams are investing heavily in speed and efficiency, candidate experience is at risk of being left behind.

Want to go deeper?
Download our 2026 Talent Acquisition Priorities Report for the full data and insights shaping the year to come.

Trust remains the biggest barrier

Only 26% of candidates trust AI to evaluate them fairly. That means three in four people going through your hiring process may already be sceptical before they’ve spoken to a single person on your team. That scepticism goes beyond candidate perception. It’s a major conversion issue.

The organisationsorganizations turning this to their advantage are the ones leaning into transparency in the hiring process. Be clear about where AI is used and how decisions are made and, and what candidates can expect at each stage, is a competitive differentiator. When a candidate is choosing between two opportunities, a personalisedpersonalized, genuine conversation at the right time can be the difference between an offer accepted and an offer declined.

But used well, it changes the game

When used with intention, AI is genuinely transformative. Used well, AI is a support layer – there to handle the repeatable, time-consuming work that pulls recruiters away from the deeper, more meaningful candidate conversations. Writing job ad drafts. Automating candidate outreach. Skills matching algorithms. Workforce planning. Ensuring top talent doesn’t click away at 11PM because they had one simple question go unanswered.

When embedded thoughtfully across a connected, end-to-end hiring ecosystem, AI takes the administrative weight off recruiters and gives them back the time to do the work only humans can do. It’s incredibly powerful – as an enabler, not a replacement.

Is AI the secret hiring weapon of 2026?

Partly. But only as part of something bigger. You need a multi-pronged strategy that puts candidates at the centre, while technology supports better execution. Based on what 270 talent professionals told us, the most effective strategies combines the right technology with smarter ways of attracting, engaging and converting talent. Here’s what we know works:

Authenticity over polish. Real employee stories and a genuine, grounded EVP convert better than anything a brand team produces
Experience over speed. Even if your process is super-fast, robotic recruitment loses candidates
Insight over activity. Quality of hire by channel, drop off rates and candidate experience metrics matter more than time to fill.
Pipeline over post-and-pray. OrganisationsOrganizations that build pipelines before roles open hire faster and cheaper than those still relying on job boards.
Augmentation over automation. AI that supports recruiter judgment outperforms AI that tries to replace it

AI won’t fix it alone (but the right platform does the heavy lifting)

Every priority on this list comes back to the same thing: giving recruiters the time, tools, and insights to do their best work.

You’re being asked to “do more with less”. Luckily, PageUp is built to be the “more”. A connected platform that brings together your career site, talent pipelines, candidate marketing automation, analytics and ATS integration – so your hiring engine keeps working even when your team is not. Plus, we’ve built a purposeful AI solution, that augments your recruiters, instead of trying to replace them. All that, wrapped up with a local, dedicated support team that’s with you every step of the way. Less noise, more hiring. That’s what PageUp is built for.

Ready to see what it’s all about?
Get in touch with our team today to see PageUp in action.

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Watch now: Why Talent Acquisition change fails (and how to ensure yours doesn’t)

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 23:45:57 +0000

Fast-track successful change with lessons from real-world HR leaders.

The rate of change in talent acquisition isn’t slowing down. From new technologies to evolving expectations, talent leaders are being asked to transform how they attract, engage, and hire talent while unifying your C-Suite and recruitment teams behind a single vision.

But before implementation even begins, many teams face a critical challenge: how do you build the case for change and get the buy-in to move forward? And once you do, how do you ensure that it actually sticks?

Watch our webinar for an audit of real-world change management successes (and failures) featuring HR leaders from Virginia Commonwealth University and Gonzaga University as they share their firsthand experiences from securing stakeholder alignment in the early stages to driving adoption during the implementation of new recruitment technology.

We’ll explore:

How organisationsorganizations build the case for new TA technology and gain stakeholder buy-in
Approaches to managing change during implementation
Common challenges and how they were overcome
Strategies for driving alignment and user adoption
Lessons learned and measurable impact on recruitment outcomes

Wherever you are in your change journey, this session will offer practical, experience-led insights you can put into action to ensure project success.

Presenters:

Carol Ann Lawson, Senior Consultant, Virginia Commonwealth University
Sue Anne Berkle, Director of Workforce & Compensation Strategies, Virginia Commonwealth University
Jamie Jamieson Tancrell, Assistant VP, Employee Experience, Gonzaga University
Ray Kliewer, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Gonzaga University
Nicole Toepfer, Portfolio Manager, PageUp

The post Watch now: Why Talent Acquisition change fails (and how to ensure yours doesn’t) appeared first on PageUp.

What Is An Applicant Tracking System

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 23:47:53 +0000

What is an ATS, or applicant tracking system?

Hiring today often involves reviewing dozens or even hundreds of applications for a single role. Managing this volume of candidates manually can quickly become difficult for recruiters and hiring managers. This is where an applicant tracking system becomes valuable.

So, what are applicant tracking systems? An applicant tracking system, commonly known as an ATS, is software that helps organisationsorganizations manage and organiseorganize the recruitment process in one central platform. It stores candidate applications, tracks applicants through different hiring stages and helps recruitment teams coordinate activities such as resume reviews, interview scheduling and communication with candidates.

At PageUp, we offer an AI-powered applicant tracking system designed to support modern recruitment teams throughout the entire hiring process. The platform brings together job postings, candidate applications and recruitment workflows in one environment so recruiters and hiring managers can manage hiring activities more effectively.

Why do organisationsorganizations use an ATS?

As recruitment becomes more digital and competitive, applicant tracking systems have become a critical tool for organisationsorganizations that want to maintain organisedorganized and efficient hiring processes.

With the PageUp applicant tracking system, organisationsorganizations can manage several important recruitment tasks, including:

Managing job postings across different job boards and hiring platforms
Organising candidate applications in one system
Allowing recruiters and hiring managers to review applicants efficiently
Clearly track progress through each stage of the hiring process
Maintaining structured records of recruitment activities

What does an applicant tracking system do?

At PageUp, our applicant tracking system is designed to support recruiters and hiring managers throughout the entire recruitment process. From creating job postings to managing interviews and final offers, the PageUp applicant tracking system helps organisationsorganizations organiseorganize recruitment activities and maintain visibility across every stage of hiring.

Below are some of the key functions supported within the PageUp platform.

1. Managing jobs

The recruitment process begins with creating and managing open roles. Within the PageUp applicant tracking system, recruiters can create job postings, track how many roles are currently open and monitor positions managed by different teams.

This helps recruitment teams maintain visibility across active hiring needs while ensuring that each job posting is properly tracked within the system.

2. Reviewing applications

Once a job posting is live, candidates begin submitting their applications. The PageUp applicant tracking system collects these applications and allows recruiters and hiring managers to review candidate profiles in one place.

Recruitment teams can quickly see how many applicants are available for review and which applications have been advanced to different stages or hiring managers. This structured approach makes it easier to manage large volumes of candidates.

3. Managing job advertisementsadvertizements

Recruitment often involves promoting job openings across different hiring channels. Within the PageUp applicant tracking system, recruiters can manage job advertisementsadvertizements and track which roles are currently being promoted. This helps organisationsorganizations keep job postings organisedorganized while maintaining visibility over where opportunities are being advertisedadvertized and your ROI.

4. Coordinating selection committees

Some roles require evaluation from a panel or selection committee. The PageUp applicant tracking system helps coordinate these reviews by allowing organisationsorganizations to identify roles that require panel assessment and manage feedback from multiple stakeholders. This ensures that hiring decisions involving committees remain organisedorganized and properly documented.

5. Scheduling interviews

Once candidates are shortlisted, interviews need to be scheduled and coordinated. The PageUp applicant tracking system allows recruitment teams to manage interview schedules and track upcoming interviews across roles. By organising interviews within the platform, recruiters and hiring managers can maintain a clear view of interview activity and candidate progress.

6. Managing offers and new hires

The final stage of the recruitment process involves extending offers to successful candidates. Within the PageUp applicant tracking system, recruitment teams can track offers awaiting approval and monitor candidates who have accepted offers and are preparing to join the organisationorganization.

By bringing these recruitment activities together in one system, the PageUp applicant tracking system helps organisationsorganizations manage the hiring process more efficiently while supporting better collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers.

How do applicant tracking systems work?

To understand how applicant tracking systems work, it helps to look at how different tools within the platform support the recruitment process. Here are some of the key ways the PageUp applicant tracking system supports the recruitment process.

Job site

The PageUp applicant tracking system also supports the candidate experience through a dedicated job site. This allows job seekers to search open roles and submit applications easily.

With a mobile-optimisedoptimized job site, organisationsorganizations can provide a strong first impression for candidates while reinforcing their employer brand during the application process.

Sourcing

Recruitment begins with finding the right candidates. The PageUp applicant tracking system allows organisationsorganizations to post jobs across multiple platforms and track where applicants are coming from.

Recruiters can monitor which sourcing channels are delivering strong candidates and identify opportunities to improve recruitment efficiency. By tracking sourcing performance, organisationsorganizations can focus their efforts on channels that produce the best results while reducing unnecessary hiring costs.

Analytics

Understanding recruitment performance is an important part of improving the hiring process and delivering hiring ROI With the PageUp applicant tracking system, recruitment teams can access analytics that show how hiring activity is progressing.

Recruiters can review key metrics such as time to fill, sourcing effectiveness and agency performance. These insights help organisationsorganizations refine their recruitment process and identify opportunities to improve hiring outcomes.

CRM

Building strong candidate pipelines is essential for organisationsorganizations that regularly hire for similar roles. The PageUp applicant tracking system includes CRM functionality that helps recruiters organiseorganize and engage potential candidates.

Recruiters can search candidate databases, apply tags and use AI-supported resume summarisationsummarization to quickly identify suitable candidates. This allows recruitment teams to reach out to qualified candidates and maintain relationships with talent over time.

Dashboards

Recruitment teams often need visibility across multiple roles and hiring activities. The PageUp applicant tracking system provides dashboards that help recruiters track recruitment progress and identify areas that need attention.

These dashboards allow organisationsorganizations to monitor hiring goals, recogniserecognize high-performing recruitment teams and respond to potential issues before they impact the hiring process.

Key benefits of using an ATS for employers

Managing recruitment manually can quickly become complex, especially when organisationsorganizations are handling multiple roles and large volumes of applications. An applicant tracking system helps employers organiseorganize recruitment activities.

These are some of the key benefits employers gain from using the PageUp applicant tracking system.

CentralisedCentralized recruitment management — One of the main advantages of using an ATS is having a single system to manage recruitment activities. Instead of juggling spreadsheets, emails and separate tools, the PageUp applicant tracking system stores job postings, candidate applications and hiring workflows in one platform.

Faster candidate screening — Recruitment teams often review a large number of applications for each role. The PageUp applicant tracking system helps recruiters organiseorganize candidate profiles so they can review applicants more efficiently. By structuring candidate data within the platform, recruiters and hiring managers can identify suitable candidates faster and move them through the recruitment process more quickly.

Improved collaboration with hiring managers — Hiring decisions often involve input from multiple stakeholders. The PageUp applicant tracking system allows recruiters and hiring managers to collaborate directly within the platform. Hiring managers can review applications, provide feedback and track candidate progress throughout the recruitment process. This helps teams stay aligned when evaluating candidates.

Better visibility into recruitment performance — Understanding how recruitment activities are performing is important for improving hiring outcomes. The PageUp applicant tracking system provides dashboards and analytics that allow organisationsorganizations to monitor key recruitment metrics. Recruitment teams can review data such as time to fill roles, sourcing performance and hiring activity across departments.

Stronger candidate pipelines — Many organisationsorganizations need to hire for similar roles repeatedly. The PageUp applicant tracking system helps recruiters maintain organisedorganized candidate pipelines so they can reconnect with potential candidates in the future. By maintaining candidate records and engagement history, recruiters can build stronger talent pools that support future hiring needs.

More consistent recruitment processes — A structured recruitment process helps organisationsorganizations evaluate candidates fairly and maintain consistency across roles. The PageUp applicant tracking system allows organisationsorganizations to define recruitment workflows that guide candidates through each stage of the hiring process.

Common ATS mistakes to avoid

An applicant tracking system can significantly improve how organisationsorganizations manage recruitment. However, the value of an ATS often depends on how effectively it is implemented and used by recruitment teams. Here are some common mistakes employers should avoid when using an applicant tracking system.

Treating the ATS as only a resume database

Some organisationsorganizations use their ATS simply as a place to store resumes. While storing candidate information is one function of the platform, PageUp applicant tracking system supports much more than that.

Recruitment teams can use PageUp to manage job postings, coordinate interviews, track the hiring process and collaborate with hiring managers. Using the full capabilities of the system helps organisationsorganizations manage recruitment more effectively.

Limited adoption across hiring teams

An ATS works best when both recruiters and hiring managers actively use the platform. If some teams rely on manual processes while others use the system, recruitment activities can become fragmented.

Encouraging consistent use of the PageUp applicant tracking system helps ensure that candidate feedback, interview notes and hiring decisions remain visible to everyone involved in the recruitment process.

Ignoring recruitment insights and analytics

Many organisationsorganizations focus heavily on managing applications but overlook the insights available within their ATS. Recruitment analytics can help employers understand how their hiring process is performing.

Overlooking the candidate experience

Recruitment technology should support both recruiters and candidates. If the application process is difficult or poorly structured, organisationsorganizations may lose strong candidates before the hiring process even begins.

Common questions about ATS

Applicant tracking systems are widely used across modern recruitment teams, yet many organisationsorganizations and job seekers still have questions about how these platforms work.

How do you choose the right applicant tracking system?

Choosing the right ATS depends on several factors such as the size of your organisationorganization, recruitment volume and the features your hiring teams require. Many employers evaluate aspects such as workflow flexibility, candidate management tools, reporting capabilities and integration with existing HR systems. If you are evaluating options, it can help to review a detailed guide on how to choose an ATS.

What should organisationsorganizations consider before implementing an ATS?

OrganisationsOrganizations should consider their recruitment workflows, stakeholder involvement and how hiring teams will adopt the system. Planning the implementation carefully can help ensure recruiters and hiring managers use the platform effectively. You can learn more about this in our guide on ATS implementation best practices.

Can applicant tracking systems read PDFs?

Most modern ATS platforms, including the PageUp applicant tracking system, allow resumes submitted as PDF documents to be uploaded and reviewed within the system. Recruiters can access these resumes as part of each candidate profile, allowing them to review applicant information during the evaluation process.

Do small businesses need an applicant tracking system?

While large organisationsorganizations often receive higher volumes of applications, smaller businesses can also benefit from using an ATS. The system helps teams organiseorganize candidate applications, manage the hiring process and maintain recruitment records in one platform.

What information does an ATS store?

An applicant tracking system typically stores candidate resumes, contact details, application responses and recruitment activity records. Recruiters and hiring managers can access this information to review applicants and track their progress through the recruitment process.

Can an ATS support recruitment reporting?

Yes. Many applicant tracking systems include reporting tools that allow organisationsorganizations to monitor recruitment activity. Employers can track hiring metrics, review sourcing performance and understand how their recruitment process is performing.

What is an applicant tracking system in HR?

Within HR teams, an ATS acts as a central system for managing recruitment activities.

Improve hiring outcomes with the PageUp applicant tracking system

An applicant tracking system helps organisationsorganizations manage the entire hiring process from job posting to final hiring decisions in one connected platform. With tools that support sourcing, candidate management, recruitment workflows and hiring analytics, PageUp helps recruiters and hiring managers stay organisedorganized while improving visibility across every stage of the recruitment process.

Request a demo to see how the PageUp applicant tracking system can help your organisationorganization attract, manage and hire the right talent.

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The State of Construction Hiring in the UK: Market Analysis

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 02:58:01 +0000

The post The State of Construction Hiring in the UK: Market Analysis appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Fixing the foundation: Moving construction TA from reactive to resilient

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 01:12:39 +0000

The UK construction industry is facing a persistent paradox: while the broader labour market shows signs of easing, construction hiring pressure remains structurally acute. This is not a cyclical recruitment issue that will resolve as economic conditions fluctuate; it is the result of long-term forces reshaping how labour supply and demand interact.

For TA and HR leaders, the goal has changed. It’s no longer about just filling roles; it’s about building a proactive engine that stays ahead of the curve. Join us as our panel of experts dive into moving beyond the “post and pray” model and show you how to build a high-impact sourcing strategy that actually works.

Backed by real-world examples from seasoned TA practitioners, we’ll show you how to modernise your process, improve candidate experience, and drive measurable ROI.

We’ll explore:

Breaking the reactive cycle: How to move beyond vacancy-led hiring to build proactive talent pools ahead of demand.
Skills-based resilience: Widening your talent pool through inclusive hiring and data-driven workforce planning.
Tech with purpose: Using AI and automation to strip away the admin, giving your recruiters the space to do what they do best: build relationships and trust.
Ensuring delivery certainty: Progressing through the TA maturity curve to integrate workforce planning with project pipelines and reduce reliance on expensive agencies.

Our panellists :

Charlotte Hayward, Head of Talent Acquisition, Tilbury Douglas
Nadeem Mirza, Resourcing Director, Sir Robert McAlpine
Yves Adelbrecht, TA Leader, Laing O’Rourke

The post Watch now: Fixing the foundation: Moving construction TA from reactive to resilient appeared first on PageUp.

Fixing the top of the funnel: Making recruitment marketing a strategic hiring lever

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:13:17 +0000

Many enterprise organisationsorganizations rely on ERP platforms to keep the business running. Payroll, compliance, workforce data, reporting – it’s all there. But when it comes to attracting, engaging, and converting candidates at the top of the funnel, talent acquisition teams often need more than what an ERP alone was designed to deliver.

That’s where PageUp Clinch comes in. When recruitment marketing technology is connected to your ATS and broader HR tech ecosystem, it fills a critical gap. It helps TA teams build relationships earlier, engage talent for longer, and convert interest into quality applications.

Recruitment marketing is the front door to your hiring strategy

Think of recruitment marketing as the front door to your organisationorganization. It’s where employer brand, candidate experience, and engagement all come together. While ERP and HRIS platforms are excellent at managing candidates once they apply, recruitment marketing focuses on what happens before that moment.

Even more importantly, it enables a proactive approach to pipeline building. Instead of reacting to vacancies as they arise, recruitment marketing helps organisationsorganizations consistently attract the right audiences, nurture interest over time, and keep potential candidates warm until the timing is right.

With the right recruitment marketing solution in place, organisationsorganizations can personalisepersonalize how they engage with talent, rediscover candidates who previously showed interest and re‑engage them when new or more suitable opportunities arise. This is especially important for hard-to-fill roles, high-volume hiring, and industries where passive talent makes up a large portion of the market.

When recruitment marketing works alongside your ATS, candidates aren’t forced to apply before they’re ready, and recruiters aren’t pushed to funnel everyone straight into the ATS too early. Instead, interest is nurtured, relationships are built, and applications happen with intent.

Why connected HR tech makes all the difference

Disconnected systems create friction, for recruiters and for candidates. Jobs don’t always match what’s live in the ATS. Reporting lives in multiple places. Recruiters spend hours reconciling data, updating spreadsheets, and chasing insights that should be readily available.

A connected recruitment marketing platform, like PageUp Clinch, changes that dynamic. Career sites reflect live requisition data. Candidate engagement activity connects back to hiring outcomes. Recruiters get visibility into what’s working without spending hours pulling reports together.

Instead of recruitment marketing sitting on the sidelines, it becomes an integrated part of the hiring engine – supporting better decision-making, stronger pipelines, and a smoother end-to-end candidate journey.

How PageUp Clinch strengthens the top of the funnel

Seamless integration with existing HR tech

PageUp Clinch recruitment marketing platform is built to work with your existing HR tech. It integrates seamlessly with your ATS to give TA teams control over the top of the funnel, while keeping everything connected behind the scenes.

Deliver consumer-grade candidate experiences

Candidate expectations are higher than ever. If the experience feels clunky, irrelevant, or transactional, top talent will disengage long before they reach the application stage.

PageUp Clinch delivers consumer‑grade experiences that meet candidates where they are:

PersonalisedPersonalized journeys with relevant content based on role, location, and interests
Rediscovery and re‑engagement of candidates who weren’t ready to apply the first time, keeping them warm until the timing is right
OptimisedOptimized career site experiences that surface the right opportunities and content, reducing drop‑off before application
Stronger conversion across the funnel, from career site visits to applications and beyond

Many organisationsorganizations invest heavily to drive candidates to their career site, only to lose them due to poor conversion. PageUp Clinch helps address the ‘invisible candidate’ problem – talent that visits, browses, and leaves without applying – by improving engagement before the application and throughout the funnel.

With greater self‑service capabilities, recruitment and employer branding teams can quickly launch, adjust, and optimiseoptimize high‑value attraction campaigns without relying on technical support, staying agile in a fast‑moving hiring market.

Enhanced visibility and improved ROI

One of the biggest frustrations for TA and recruitment marketing teams is proving impact. PageUp Clinch addresses this by measuring end‑to‑end candidate journeys – from first interaction through to hire.

This level of visibility enables teams to:

Understand which channels, content, and campaigns truly drive quality hires
See where candidates drop off and optimiseoptimize experiences before and after application
Adjust investment based on real ROI, particularly critical in today’s cost‑conscious environment

Recruiters spend less time on manual data entry and reconciliation, and more time building relationships with talent. Recruitment marketing becomes something leaders can see, measure, and invest in with confidence.

PageUp Clinch and Workday – better together

The PageUp Clinch and Workday partnership brings recruitment marketing and core HR systems together to remove operational friction and unlock strategic value.

By integrating Clinch with Workday, organisationsorganizations:

Eliminate manual work caused by disconnected tools
Ensure career sites always reflect real‑time Workday requisition data
Gain clearer attribution and insight into what drives quality hires
Maintain compliance with automated workflows, audit trails, and reduced risk

PageUp Clinch for Workday delivers immediate operational improvements while laying the foundation for long‑term recruitment marketing ROI. It’s not adding another tool, it’s removing the chaos created by disconnected systems and enabling recruitment marketing to show its strategic value.

Customer story: University of Central Florida (UCF) story

After transitioning to a centralisedcentralized recruitment model, the University of Central Florida lacked the recruitment marketing capabilities needed to attract, engage, and convert talent in a highly competitive market.

By implementing PageUp Clinch, UCF was able to plug critical gaps and deliver a more consistent, high‑quality recruitment experience.

Key outcomes included:

Self‑service control of career site content
Clear visibility into candidate behaviour to optimiseoptimize content and journeys
Improved sourcing channel insight to optimiseoptimize spend
Greater recruiter efficiency through CRM and LinkedIn integration
One system to manage all candidate communications

Results:

67% of talent network candidates completed applications
21 hires from incomplete application follow‑ups
15% of recruiter time freed daily

Read the full story

Unlock strategic recruitment marketing with PageUp Clinch

When recruitment marketing, ATS, and HRIS platforms work together, everyone wins. Candidates get a better experience. Recruiters get time back. Leaders get data they can trust.

PageUp Clinch with Workday helps organisationsorganizations unlock the full potential of their top-of-funnel recruitment – turning interest into engagement, engagement into applications, and recruitment marketing into a measurable business driver. Discover how here.

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The Recruiting Playbook

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:40:58 +0000

The post The Recruiting Playbook appeared first on PageUp.

7 hiring strategies to combat candidate use of AI

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 04:42:56 +0000

AI is now a permanent part of the hiring process whether we like it or not. Candidates are using it to refine their applications, just as recruiters are using it to streamline the hiring process. For talent acquisition teams, the goal isn’t to police AI use, but to look past the polish to assess authentic capability, motivation, and alignment.

As ‘perfect’ answers become the standard, we need to ensure we’re hiring for impact, adaptability, and long-term fit. Let’s look at how to design a hiring process that surfaces true potential.

Why traditional hiring signals are breaking down

Candidates are using generative AI to write resumes, refine cover letters, prepare interview answers, and even rehearse responses in real time. Generative tools are exceptionally good at:

Writing fluent, confident career narratives
Translating vague experience into polished outcomes
OptimisingOptimizing applications for keywords and job descriptions

What they are far less effective at is demonstrating judgment, decision-making, learning, and values in context. That is where modern hiring processes must focus.

1. Redesign applications to reduce AI optimisationoptimization

Generic application steps are now highly AI-friendly. To assess real intent and understanding, applications need to ask better questions. Instead of requesting lengthy cover letters, use short, targeted prompts tied directly to the role and business. Ask questions that require reflection, prioritisationprioritization, or a point of view rather than description.

For example, asking what excites a candidate about a specific challenge in the role reveals far more than asking why they want to work for your company. Well-designed application questions help surface:

Whether the candidate understands the role
How deeply they have engaged with the organisationorganization
Early signs of motivation and alignment

This also improves candidate experience by reducing performative writing and brings to light more authentic responses.

2. Shift from word-based signals to work-based signals

Rather than relying on keywords or experience in a resume, work-based assessments are one of the most effective ways to assess authentic capability, especially when they are lightweight, relevant, and realistic. They also shift quality assessment earlier in the funnel. By introducing simple, role-relevant assessments before the interview stage, organisationsorganizations save time, reduce low-quality progression, and build a stronger, more credible candidate pool from the start.

The highest-signal tasks tend to:

Reflect real work the role will actually do
Include ambiguity or incomplete information
Focus on decision-making, not just outputs

Asking candidates to critique an existing piece of work, respond to a real scenario your team is facing, or explain trade-offs under time constraints provides insight that is difficult to replicate in interviews alone. What matters most is not the final result, but how the candidate approaches the task. This creates a cleaner signal early and ensures interviews are spent on the right people, not just the best-written applications.

3. Structure interviews to surface thinking, not scripts

Unstructured interviews reward rehearsed answers – a risk most organisationsorganizations can no longer afford to take. Structured interviews with adaptive follow-up questions create space for real thinking to emerge. Instead of relying heavily on “tell me about a time” questions, interviewers should focus on how candidates reason, reflect, and learn.

High-signal prompts include questions about:

What they would do differently next time
The hardest trade-offs they faced
What did not go to plan

Candidates who have genuinely lived the experience can reflect on experiences and explain their thinking. Those relying heavily on AI-generated narratives often struggle when asked to go beyond the first layer.

4. Look for consistency across the hiring journey

One of the most effective ways to assess authenticity is to look for pattern consistency rather than perfection. This means assessing the same capability in different ways across the process. Compare how candidates describe their experience in written responses, explain it verbally, and demonstrate it through tasks.

Minor inconsistencies are normal and often human. Overly consistent, generic narratives can be a signal of over-polished storytelling rather than lived experience. Using multiple interviewers to assess the same capability independently also helps reduce bias and surface richer insight.

5. Make values and mission alignment harder to script

Most candidates can generate convincing answers about values. Far fewer can explain how those values play out when things are difficult. To assess real alignment, explore tension rather than agreement. Ask candidates about moments where values were challenged, decisions were uncomfortable, or alignment was imperfect.

Discuss real scenarios that reflect your organisationorganization’s trade-offs. This moves the conversation from aspiration to reality and helps both sides assess fit more honestly. Ensuring authentic mission-assignment can drive engagement, reduce burnout, and lower turnover in the long term.

6. Be transparent about AI use and expectations

Trying to catch candidates using AI creates mistrust and rarely delivers better outcomes. Transparency is now critical. Be clear about where AI use is acceptable and where it is not. This could be included in your job advertisements or a dedicated page on your career site.

Ask candidates how they use AI in their work today and what judgment they apply when using it. This reframes AI literacy as a capability rather than a red flag and provides insight into ethics, maturity, and self-awareness. For many roles, responsible AI use is now part of being effective at work.

Remember, being transparent surrounding AI use is two sided. To build trust with candidates, it is important that your organisationorganization is clear about how you use AI throughout your hiring process too.

7. Train interviewers to assess substance over style

AI has raised the baseline quality of communication, and interviewers need new calibration. This means investing in structured training for recruiters and hiring managers so they can consistently spot green flags and red flags, not just polished answers.

That training should build the capability to:

Listen for reasoning, not eloquence
Probe beyond first answers
Separate confidence from competence
RecogniseRecognize rehearsed responses vs real understanding
Identify risk signals like deflection, vagueness, or surface-level thinking

The mindset shift is simple but important. Great answers are no longer rare, but great thinking still is. OrganisationsOrganizations that invest in interviewer capability will consistently outperform those that rely on intuition alone, because they build consistent decision quality, not just better conversations.

The future of authentic hiring in the age of AI

You cannot out-detect AI, but you can out-design it. Hiring processes that prioritiseprioritize proof over polish, sense-making over storytelling, and real work over hypothetical answers will surface authentic capability, genuine motivation, and true alignment.

AI has not made hiring harder. It has made intentional hiring essential. For talent acquisition teams willing to evolve, this is an opportunity to build fairer, more predictive, and more human hiring experiences.

Discover how TA leaders are tackling some of the biggest hiring challenges. Download 2026’s top talent acquisition priorities report today.

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How to build an augmented hiring process

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 03:21:09 +0000

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Watch now: The proactive pivot: Moving from reactive hiring to ROI-driven results

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:24:29 +0000

The hiring landscape is shifting and leadership is no longer just asking for hires; they’re looking to TA teams to drive strategic growth in a competitive market. Teams are lean and expectations are high, if you want to succeed, you need to know exactly where and how to find the right talent.

Designed specifically for TA and HR leaders in Healthcare, Aged Care, and Allied Health this webinar will move past the “talent shortage” talk and focus on proactive strategies that build a predictable pipeline of ready-to-hire talent.

We’ll explore:

The 2026 Landscape: Navigating the shifting economic climate and the impact on the talent market.
Proactive Sourcing: Moving beyond just using job boards to create a talent attraction machine.
The Tech Advantage: Building a stack that automates, engages and scales with your needs.

Our panellists :

Mike Beeley, CEO, Lightbox Communications
Fiona Moreton, SVP Global Partners, Pageup
Garth Quinn, Director, Hive Talent

The post Watch now: The proactive pivot: Moving from reactive hiring to ROI-driven results appeared first on PageUp.

The power of real candidate connections

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 03:37:03 +0000

The post The power of real candidate connections appeared first on PageUp.

Why mission alignment should be a core part of your hiring process

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:35:05 +0000

Purpose isn’t a “nice to have” in hiring, it’s one of the strongest predictors of long-term engagement and performance. Yet many hiring processes barely touch it.

Gallup research shows employees with a strong sense of purpose are 5.6 times more likely to be engaged at work. They stay committed, push through challenges, and bring energy that fuels team momentum. Purpose also protects against burnout: only 13% of high-purpose employees report burnout, compared with 38% of low-purpose employees. Retention improves too: just 41% of purpose-driven employees actively seek new roles, versus 68% of low-purpose employees. If organisationsorganizations want people who stay, grow, and perform through change, they need to start hiring for mission alignment as deliberately as they hire for skills.

Why hiring often misses the mark

Despite its impact, purpose is still an afterthought in many hiring processes. Most organisationsorganizations focus heavily on skills, experience and short-term role fit, but rarely explore what drives a candidate or whether they feel personally connected to the mission. Gallup found only 30% of leaders consider a candidate’s sense of purpose “very important” when assessing success potential, leaving a major gap between what predicts performance and what hiring teams actually evaluate.

This disconnect shows up later as disengagement, faster burnout, and avoidable turnover. New hires may have the right technical skills but struggle to stay motivated, adapt during change, or commit through challenges. Without mission alignment, even high performers contribute less over time because the work doesn’t feel meaningful.

To build teams that thrive, hiring must evolve from a competency checklist to a deeper understanding of motivation. This means uncovering what candidates care about, how they interpret your mission, and whether they find genuine meaning in the work ahead. When you hire for both capability and purpose, you set the foundation for stronger performance, lower churn and long-term organisationalorganizational health.

How to assess whether a candidate is mission aligned

Alongside AMS, we spoke with TA leaders across industries and regions to understand how they identify mission-aligned talent and embed purpose into every stage of hiring. Here are some of the insights and practical strategies captured in our whitepaper The power of real candidate connections, to help you deepen alignment, strengthen retention and hire people who truly believe in your mission.

Embed your mission into every touch point

Your mission should be woven into every step of the candidate journey, from job postings to interviews and onboarding. Make it clear why your organisationorganization exists, the impact teams make, and how each role contributes. This allows candidates to self-select: those who resonate engage more deeply, while those whose motivations don’t align naturally step aside, saving time and effort for both sides.

Ask purpose-driven interview questions

Move beyond generic “why do you want to work here?” questions. Explore what energises candidates, the kind of impact they want to make, and how their values align with your mission. Look for authentic, reflective answers, not rehearsed responses. Encourage storytelling to uncover true motivators: past projects, decisions, or challenges that reflect their purpose.

“We place a strong emphasis on what we call our cultural capabilities and weave them into our interview questions to help assess cultural fit.”

Deborah Dare, Manager, Talent Acquisition Operations at La Trobe University

Probe past behaviour

Purpose tends to show up in patterns, not isolated incidents. Ask candidates to describe situations where they chose a project, role, or initiative because it aligned with what mattered to them. Look for consistency over time – are their decisions and behaviours guided by values and purpose?

“It’s not just about skills. It’s about whether candidates share our purpose and can thrive in our culture”

RoseMary Costa-Lopes, Director, Talent Acquisition Marketing Strategy and Delivery at Bristol Myers Squibb

Share the real “why” of the role

Don’t just talk about the responsibilities, explain the impact the role has on the team, organisationorganization, and the people you serve. Watch how candidates respond: do they lean in, ask thoughtful questions, or relate the mission to their own motivations? Their engagement and curiosity reveal how well they connect with your purpose.

Involve team members who live the mission

Peer interviews offer a window into your culture and provide a more relaxed setting where candidates often open up. Teams are naturally attuned to spotting authentic alignment – does the candidate “get it,” and would they contribute positively to the mission-driven culture?

Use assessments for cultural capabilities

Structured assessments complement conversations and provide objective insights into what drives a candidate. They help hiring managers measure alignment with organisationalorganizational values, work style preferences, and cultural fit, giving a clearer picture of long-term potential.

Continuously calibrate your process

Mission-driven hiring is an evolving practice. Collect feedback from candidates and interviewers to see which questions, assessments, and touch points best identify alignment. Iterate regularly to ensure you’re hiring not just for skills, but for engagement, resilience, and mission-driven performance.

Embed purpose, drive performance

Mission alignment drives engagement, reduces burnout, and lowers turnover. For TA leaders focused on retention and productivity, it deserves a central place in your hiring playbook.

Discover more ways to connect with candidates and explore insights from industry leaders in the PageUp and AMS whitepaper, ‘The power of real candidate connections’.

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2026’s top talent acquisition priorities

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:28:10 +0000

The post 2026’s top talent acquisition priorities appeared first on PageUp.

How to reposition talent acquisition as a strategic business partner

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 03:20:42 +0000

AI is swiftly reshaping talent acquisition, and it’s not slowing down. Teams are already handing over scheduling, screening, data entry and other lower-value recruitment tasks to automation, and getting back meaningful hours each week. But more time on your hands doesn’t mean fewer people are needed on your team. It means you’re now positioned to deliver high-impact work, elevate your strategic contribution and clearly demonstrate to the business the value of talent acquisition.

The teams that thrive won’t be the ones who cut headcount as AI scales. They’ll be the ones who use this newfound capacity wisely – shifting from task execution to strategic partnership, talent intelligence, workforce planning, and human connection where it matters most. AI gives talent acquisition the chance to level up, redefine its impact, and show the business why talent acquisition is a mission-critical function.

It’s time to redefine the role of recruiters into talent advisors and reposition the talent acquisition function. Here’s 10 key ways your talent acquisition team can become a strategic, business-driving partner and earn the recognition it deserves.

10 ways to reposition talent acquisition as a strategic driver

1. Contribute to strategic workforce planning

With AI handling high-volume admin, recruiters can move upstream and participate in workforce planning. Instead of reacting to requisitions, talent acquisition can forecast skill needs, map capability gaps, and shape hiring plans before the business demands them. This positions recruiters as strategic contributors, not order-takers.

2. Becoming true talent advisors

Freed from inbox-heavy work, recruiters can deepen their partnerships with hiring managers. They can coach leaders on candidate expectations, market realities, and competitive pressures. By challenging outdated job descriptions, influencing decisions with data, and sharing ways to unveil candidates’ true skillsets, recruiters become trusted advisors who guide better outcomes.

3. Bringing the human back into candidate experience

AI accelerates hiring, but real connection still comes from people. Recruiters can lean into personalisedpersonalized outreach, transparent communication, and building real relationships with top talent. These human touches are what differentiate your employer brand in a world where automation is a standard.

4. Moving from reactive to proactive pipelines

Talent acquisition teams need to shift from “filling roles” to building sustainable talent pipelines. By leveraging recruitment marketing and CRM tools, teams can focus on long-term sourcing, segment-based nurturing, and building communities for hard-to-fill and future roles. This proactive approach reduces time-to-fill, strengthens candidate quality, and lowers agency reliance – all major wins for the business.

5. Turning data into direction

Put your data to work to turn key insights into action. Talent acquisition teams can optimiseoptimize channel mix, spot funnel roadblocks, and deliver talent intelligence that helps leaders make better decisions. Solutions like PageUp Talent Acquisition Suite centralisecentralize data across the recruitment funnel, making it easier to deliver insights that shift talent acquisition from an operational function to a strategic, evidence-driven partner.

6. Strengthening employer brand and EVP activation

Talent acquisition plays a larger role in shaping how the organisationorganization appears to candidates. By adopting a marketers mindset or collaborating with internal marketing teams to create authentic content, amplify employee stories, and tailor messaging for different generations and talent segments. The result is a stronger, more consistent brand in a competitive market.

7. Elevating internal mobility and skills-based hiring

As teams get more efficient at sourcing and screening, talent acquisition can invest in identifying internal talent with the skills or potential to grow into new roles. This creates healthier mobility pathways, reduces turnover, and ensures the organisationorganization retains critical capability. It helps shift hiring from credentials to skills, driving fairer and more inclusive outcomes.

8. Leading AI adoption with confidence

Talent acquisition is in the best position to champion the ethical and effective use of AI. There is the opportunity to help teams adopt new tools, develop AI literacy, and ensure technology is used responsibly and without bias. This positions talent acquisition as a forward-thinking, tech-aligned partner to the business.

9. Becoming the organisationorganization’s talent intelligence hub

Recruiters can deliver deeper competitive insights, from hiring trends to salary shifts to emerging skill demands. This intelligence supports better decisions across the business and elevates talent acquisition influence at the executive table.

10. Ensure the right technology supports the shift

To fully realiserealize this strategic potential, talent acquisition needs technology that scales with ambition. Systems like PageUp’s Talent Acquisition Suite streamline processes, consolidate data, and provide tools for recruitment marketing, CRM, AI-driven screening, and analytics. With the right tech in place, talent acquisition can move confidently from operational tasks to strategic impact.

It’s time to elevate your impact

AI isn’t shrinking the recruiter’s role, it’s expanding it. By removing repetitive tasks, talent acquisition is empowered to focus on what drives real business outcomes: strategy, partnership, intelligence, and human connection.

The future of talent acquisition belongs to teams that use AI and the right technology, not just to move faster, but to elevate their impact, influence, and value across the organisationorganization.

Talent acquisition leaders who embrace this shift will move from operational support to strategic influence, proving that recruitment is not just a cost center, but a business accelerator. The question isn’t how AI will change recruitment – it’s how your team will use AI and technology to change the game?

The post How to reposition talent acquisition as a strategic business partner appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Ready, set, recruit! Talent Acquisition Priorities for 2026

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 22:29:21 +0000

Talent acquisition is stepping into uncharted territory. The emergence of agentic AI and virtual recruiting assistants, rising pressure to prove ROI with smarter metrics, and the growing shift to skills-first strategies are reshaping TA. At the same time, candidates are demanding faster, more transparent experiences, whilst recruiters are flooded with low quality applicants.

With so much change accelerating at once, the big question is: what should TA leaders be prioritisingprioritizing now to stay ahead in 2026? Hear from industry experts as they share their firsthand experiences, lessons learned, and predictions for the year ahead.

Our panellists:

Caroline Draper, Talent Acquisition Manager at Michael Hill
Ben Stevens, Group Manager – Talent Acquisition at Symbos
Jessica Williams, Talent and People Partner at Village Roadshow
Hosted by: Tara Bodycote, Director, Strategic Account Management – APAC, PageUp

Whether you’re rethinking your talent strategy, testing new technology, or planning for the year ahead, this session will give you expert insights and practical takeaways to guide your priorities in 2026.

The post Watch now: Ready, set, recruit! Talent Acquisition Priorities for 2026 appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Ready, set, recruit! Talent Acquisition Priorities for 2026

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 22:18:28 +0000

With so much change accelerating at once, the big question is: what should TA leaders be prioritising now to stay ahead in 2026?

Join us for an interactive customer panel where industry experts will share their firsthand experiences, lessons learned, and predictions for the year ahead. We’ll unpack the biggest challenges talent teams are facing right now, explore the trends transforming recruitment, and spotlight the strategies that are delivering impact.

Our panellists:

Sarah McGuire, Head of Talent & Recruitment at Manchester Metropolitan University
Paul Thornton, Talent Acquisition Director at KIER group
Laura Brogden, Talent Acquisition Manager at Places for People
Hosted by Chris Chesterman – SVP Sales EMEA at PageUp

The post Watch now: Ready, set, recruit! Talent Acquisition Priorities for 2026 appeared first on PageUp.

How blogging builds connection, culture and conversions

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 02:42:39 +0000

Did you know candidates are four times more likely to apply for a role after reading a blog? It’s true. It’s one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to uplift your employer brand and attract quality candidates.

If you don’t already have a blog on your career site, now’s the time. Let’s explore why blogs are a powerhouse for talent attraction, how to build a strong content pipeline, and how PageUp Clinch makes it faster and easier to create content that connects.

Why every career site needs a blog

A blog is more than just a marketing tool, it’s your storytelling engine. It gives candidates a real sense of what it’s like to work at your organisationorganization: your culture, your people, your purpose.

By sharing stories, advice, and insights, you:

HumaniseHumanize your brand and bring your EVP to life
Boost discoverability through SEO so more jobseekers find you
Reduce recruiter admin by answering candidate questions upfront
Build connection and trust, long before a candidate applies

And with the help of AI tools, creating that content has never been easier. You can publish authentic, personalisedpersonalized pieces at speed, without sacrificing quality. Fresh, regularly updated content not only ranks better in search engines, but also helps your organisationorganization feel alive and in tune with what matters to today’s talent.

Encouraging employee participation takes it even further. When your people share or contribute to posts, it amplifies your reach and builds advocacy, because candidates trust employees more than corporate messaging.

What great recruitment content looks like

Not all blogs are created equal. The best recruitment content feels real, answers what candidates actually want to know, and shows up often enough to stay top of mind. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Authenticity

Candidates can tell the difference between polished marketing copy and real voices. Authentic content comes from your people – their stories, challenges, and wins. It doesn’t need to be perfect; it needs to be personal. Think employee-written posts, video diaries, or Q&As that show genuine experiences rather than corporate slogans. That honesty builds trust and credibility faster than any campaign ever could.

Relevance

Strong recruitment content speaks directly to the questions candidates are already asking. What does growth look like here? How flexible is your work culture? What does hybrid work actually feel like in your organisationorganization? Addressing these real motivations and concerns turns curiosity into connection. Use data from candidate feedback, application drop-off points, or search trends to guide the topics you write about, this keeps your content aligned with what talent truly cares about.

Consistency

A single great post won’t move the needle. The best employer brands show up consistently with a steady drumbeat of fresh, engaging stories. Regular posting signals that your organisationorganization is active, evolving, and invested in its people. It also boosts your SEO and keeps your career site feeling alive. Tie each post back to your EVP, whether that’s purpose, growth, or belonging, and connect the dots to current opportunities so candidates can take the next step easily.

Blog ideas that attract and convert

Here are a few proven content types that help organisationsorganizations stand out and spark interest:

A day in the life

Give candidates a behind-the-scenes look through employee stories. Real voices and perspectives from different teams, regions, or levels of seniority help candidates picture themselves on your team. These posts build connection and make your brand relatable.

Career journeys and success stories

Show what growth looks like inside your company. Stories about internal mobility, promotions, or personal development show that you invest in your people, and that’s what top talent wants to see.

What matters to you

Today’s candidates, especially Gen Z and Millennials, care deeply about purpose. In fact, PageUp research shows that half of jobseekers say an organisationorganization’s mission and values strongly influence their decision to apply.

Use your blog to show what you stand for – your impact, DE&I initiatives, community partnerships, or sustainability efforts. The more transparent and real you are, the stronger the connection you’ll build.

Content that supports campaigns

Running a campaign to attract early career talent or boost diversity hiring? Use your blog to back it up. For example, a graduate recruitment campaign could include posts like “How to prepare for our assessment process” or “What I learned in my first 90 days as a grad.”

These articles extend your campaign narrative, add value for candidates, and keep them engaged beyond the job ad.

Get more from every post

A single great blog shouldn’t live and die on your career site, it can (and should) power your entire content engine. Repurposing your posts helps you reach new audiences, keep your message consistent, and squeeze more value out of the stories you’ve already created.

Here’s how to make every blog work harder for you:

Social snippets that spark interest

Turn key quotes, visuals, or stats from your blogs into short, scroll-stopping posts for LinkedIn, Glassdoor, or Instagram. A “day in the life” post can become a quick video clip or carousel. A DE&I story might turn into a shareable quote graphic. The goal is to bring your stories to where your candidates already spend their time, and drive them back to your career site for the full story.

Nurture content that builds connection

Blogs make great content for your email nurture campaigns or talent communities. Repurpose posts into short reads for your job alerts, monthly newsletters, or “inside stories” drip sequences that keep candidates engaged between openings. For example, a blog about career growth can become an email series on employee development or pathways to promotion.

Stories that strengthen culture from within

Your blog content can do double duty as internal comms or onboarding materials. Sharing employee success stories or team initiatives internally reinforces pride and helps new hires connect to your culture faster. It’s a powerful way to show that your employer brand isn’t just an external promise, it’s lived experience.

Make it seamless with PageUp Clinch

With PageUp Clinch, repurposing is effortless. You can tag, categorisecategorize, and reuse blogs across different landing pages, campaigns, and channels – from early careers to leadership roles. It’s content that keeps giving: one story, many touchpoints, more engagement.

Smart repurposing turns your blog from a static page into a living ecosystem, one that continuously attracts, engages, and converts the talent you want most.

Create smarter, faster with AI in PageUp Clinch

Creating standout content doesn’t have to be time-consuming. PageUp Clinch’s AI Blog Assistant helps employer brand and talent teams create authentic, on-brand blogs in a fraction of the time.

Here’s how you can use it to fuel your content strategy:

CentraliseCentralize your content

OrganiseOrganize blogs into themes like culture, careers, or leadership, and easily display them across relevant pages on your career site, such as your engineering or early careers landing pages.
Generate AI-assisted drafts

Use the AI assistant to create content outlines or first drafts. For example, “A Day in the Life of a Software Engineer”. You’ll get a strong starting point you can refine and personalisepersonalize.
Match your tone and style

Choose from multiple writing styles to fit your audience, from conversational and story-driven to technical or professional.
CustomiseCustomize for authenticity

AI helps you move faster, but human review keeps it real. Tailor the content to reflect your people, language, and lived experiences.
Track what works

Use built-in analytics to see what content drives the most traffic and engagement, then refine your content strategy based on what resonates.

By pairing AI with authentic human storytelling, PageUp Clinch gives talent teams the best of both worlds – speed, scalability, and substance. It helps you spend less time creating and more time connecting with the right talent.

Tell your story. Connect with talent. Drive real hires.

A well-run blog is one of the most powerful (and overlooked) tools in modern recruitment. It builds awareness, engagement, and trust long before a job application ever lands in your ATS.

The future of employer branding is always-on, story-driven, and powered by smart technology. With PageUp Clinch, you can create meaningful content that doesn’t just attract talent, it builds belief in who you are and what you stand for. Request a demo to see how you can build your next hiring advantage with PageUp Clinch.

The post How blogging builds connection, culture and conversions appeared first on PageUp.

What to look for in your recruitment CRM (and why your ATS isn’t enough)

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 03:34:17 +0000

How to unlock recruitment success with a Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) system built to drive results.

If you’re thinking about investing in a Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) system, you might be asking: “Do I really need this when I already have an ATS?”

The short answer: yes. Your ATS is vital for tracking applicants, but it can feel like a black hole. Candidates go in, but aren’t easily resurfaced down the line. To truly engage, nurture and convert talent, you need a system designed to foster and cultivate relationships.

A recruitment CRM flicks the switch on your hiring process from reactive to proactive by enhancing your entire tech stack. From AI-powered sourcing and smart workflows to candidate engagement and targeted outreach, it’s technology designed to make hiring faster, smarter and more strategic.

Your ATS alone is not enough

Applicant tracking systems have long been the backbone of recruitment tech. They help organisationsorganizations manage candidates once they apply. But as top talent becomes harder to find, relying on an ATS alone only gives you half the picture.

To win the best candidates, you need a strategy for reaching people before they apply. Job boards are expensive, engagement is declining and quality candidates increasingly rely on networks rather than faceless job ads. PageUp data shows it takes just 4 applications from your talent community to make a hire, a huge improvement over the 74 applications per hire from job boards.

This is where a CRM becomes essential, helping you connect with great candidates early, nurture those relationships and keep your talent pipelines warm. It helps teams target specific talent segments, maintain ongoing engagement and ensure opportunities don’t slip through the cracks.

With a recruitment CRM, your team can focus on the human side of hiring: nurturing a connected, qualified candidate pool, ready when you need them.

Hiring from your talent community is 18x more effective than job boards, needing only 4 applications vs 74 applications to make a hire.

Recruiting CRM vs ATS

Understanding the difference between a CRM and an ATS is key to building a more effective recruitment strategy. It’s not a question of ATS vs CRM or which is better: Both systems play an important role, as they support different stages of the recruitment process, from early engagement through to final hiring decisions.

Area	Applicant Tracking System (ATS)	Candidate Relationship Management (CRM)
Primary focus	Managing active applications	Building and nurturing candidate relationships
Candidate type	Active applicants	Passive, active and past candidates
Approach	Reactive	Proactive
Workflow	Structured and linear	Ongoing and cyclical
Core function	Hiring execution and process management	Talent sourcing and engagement
Data structure	Job-focused	Candidate-focused
Time horizon	Immediate hiring needs	Long-term talent pipeline development
Engagement	Limited communication tools	Multi-channel outreach and campaigns

An ATS helps you manage candidates once they’ve applied, while a CRM helps you connect with candidates before they apply. Together, they support the full recruitment process.

What you gain from using CRM and ATS together

When a CRM is used alongside your ATS, your team benefits from a more connected and effective hiring approach, delivering several key outcomes:

Faster, more efficient hiring

Instead of starting from scratch each time a role opens, you can tap into an existing pool of engaged candidates. This helps reduce reliance on job boards and external sourcing while speeding up time-to-hire.

A more consistent hiring process

Your ATS ensures candidates move through each stage in a structured and compliant manner. At the same time, your CRM keeps your talent pipeline active and engaged in the background.

Stronger talent pipelines

By engaging candidates earlier and maintaining those relationships over time, you can build a pipeline of qualified talent. This allows your team to focus less on reactive sourcing and more on connecting with candidates who are already familiar with your organisationorganization.

Better alignment between current and future hiring needs

With both systems working together, your team can balance immediate hiring demands with longer-term workforce planning, supporting a more proactive and strategic approach to recruitment.

Why CRM adoption matters now

The Aptitude Research CRM Index Report highlights a massive gap in CRM adoption: 61% of organisationsorganizations spend more on CRM than their ATS, yet only 14% have fully adopted it. The report identifies a clear reason: CRMs fail to deliver when they’re disconnected from ATS systems and career sites.

PageUp addresses these gaps with a fully integrated suite: ATS, CRM, Recruitment Marketing, Career Sites and Onboarding. This integrated approach ensures your investment drives real results, transforming CRM from “shelfware” into a strategic lever for talent acquisition.

Key features to look for in a candidate relationship management system

Not all CRMs are created equal. When evaluating options, make sure the platform includes the right tools to impact your hiring process:

Talent pipeline management

Build and manage talent pipelines so you’re always ready with a pool of qualified candidates. Segment by skills, experience or preferences, and deliver the right message at the right time, at scale.

Automated candidate engagement

Nurturing relationships with candidates is essential but time-consuming. Automated campaigns, AI-powered content delivery and targeted job alerts keep your talent engaged without extra effort.

AI and automation

Modern CRMs use AI and automation to eliminate repetitive work and uncover deeper insights. Look for a system that can:

Enhance job ad and communication quality through intelligent content suggestions.
Analyse engagement data and send messages when candidates are most likely to respond.
Proactively surface “strong fit” candidates from your existing database.
Turn recruitment data into insights that guide smarter sourcing and engagement decisions.

The goal isn’t to replace the recruiter; it’s to make every interaction more targeted, timely and effective with purposeful AI.

Engagement scoring

PrioritisePrioritize your efforts with a CRM that tracks and scores candidate engagement. Analyse email opens, clicks and application updates to focus on the most engaged candidates and increase conversion rates.

Smart candidate workflows

Automate repetitive tasks like tagging, sharing and candidate follow-ups. With AI supporting workflows, your processes adapt based on candidate behaviour, ensuring no opportunity is missed.

Recruitment dashboards and analytics

Use dashboards to monitor engagement and sourcing performance in real time. PageUp Clinch’s dashboards give you insights at a glance, helping you make smarter, data-driven decisions across your recruitment lifecycle.

Broad integration capabilities

A CRM should never operate in isolation. Integration with ATS, career sites, LinkedIn and job boards centralisescentralizes data, streamlines workflows and ensures a consistent experience across the candidate journey.

When is the right time to invest in a recruitment CRM?

The right time to invest in a recruitment CRM is when your current processes start to limit your ability to attract, engage and convert talent effectively.

You may benefit from a CRM if:

You rely heavily on job boards or agencies to fill roles, especially as costs rise and engagement declines.
You struggle to re-engage past candidates, leaving valuable talent unused between hiring cycles.
Your team spends too much time on manual sourcing and outreach, reducing overall efficiency.
You lack visibility into your talent pipeline, making it difficult to understand what’s working.

A CRM helps address these challenges by organisingorganizing candidate data, automating engagement and improving visibility into pipeline performance.

What does a recruitment CRM look like in action?

A recruitment CRM supports your hiring process long before a candidate submits an application. It helps your team build and maintain a pipeline of engaged talent, ready when opportunities arise. Typically, this process follows a series of connected steps:

1. Capture and organiseorganize candidate data

It often begins with capturing candidate data from multiple sources, including career sites, events, referrals and platforms like LinkedIn. This information is organisedorganized into talent pools based on skills, experience or areas of interest.

2. Engage candidates over time

From there, teams can engage candidates through targeted campaigns, job alerts and personalisedpersonalized communication. These interactions help keep your organisationorganization front of mind and encourage candidates to stay connected over time.

3. Track engagement and intent

As candidates interact with your content, a CRM tracks engagement signals such as opens, clicks and responses. This allows recruiters to focus on the most interested and relevant candidates when roles become available.

4. Convert and re-engage

When the right opportunity arises, candidates can move seamlessly into your ATS, where the structured hiring process begins. Candidates who are not selected can then be re-engaged through the CRM for future roles, ensuring no opportunity is lost.

Overcoming common CRM adoption challenges

While the value of a recruitment CRM is clear, adoption can present challenges if the right foundations are not in place. Understanding these common challenges can help your team plan more effectively and get the most out of your investment:

Disconnected systems

One of the most common issues is disconnected systems. When a CRM operates separately from an ATS or career site, teams often face duplicated data, inconsistent workflows and limited visibility across the hiring process. This can reduce efficiency and make it harder to maintain a consistent candidate experience.

Inconsistent adoption across teams

Another challenge is ensuring consistent usage across the recruitment team. Without clear processes and intuitive workflows, even the most advanced tools can go underutilisedunderutilized, limiting their overall impact.

Maintaining data quality

Data quality can also be a concern. Over time, candidate information can become outdated if it’s not actively maintained and refreshed through ongoing engagement.

Addressing these challenges starts with choosing a CRM that integrates seamlessly with your existing systems and supports automated workflows. When data flows smoothly and processes are easy to follow, teams are more likely to adopt the system and use it effectively.

Your sourcing power duo: PageUp Clinch LinkedIn CRM integration

Our LinkedIn CRM Connect integration allows recruiters to effortlessly bring candidate data from LinkedIn directly into their CRM. This simplifies the process of building and managing talent pipelines and enables recruiters to nurture relationships with candidates without switching platforms.

In other words, recruiters can harness LinkedIn’s extensive network while benefiting from the comprehensive engagement and workflow management that a candidate CRM provides. This creates clear value for both recruiters and candidates by simplifying engagement and improving efficiency.

Case study: Golden Hippo’s success with PageUp Clinch CRM

Golden Hippo is a direct-to-consumer company with a portfolio of over 20 brands in the health and wellness, beauty and pet food sectors. Faced with rapid growth, the recruitment team was struggling to meet their hiring targets. But after implementing the PageUp Clinch recruitment marketing suite, Golden Hippo was able to build an engaged talent community using their recruitment CRM. The result? A steady supply of engaged candidates who are familiar with the brand, ready to hit “apply”.

The Golden Hippo team saw:

A 37% reduction in time-to-hire
5 hours per week saved per recruiter on sourcing and outreach
16% of total hires from proactive sourcing
25% faster closure of hard-to-fill roles

When assessing your CRM strategy, focus on tools that let you build talent pipelines, engage candidates automatically, surface insights with AI and integrate seamlessly. The right CRM turns data into action, helping you connect with the best talent faster and more strategically.

The ultimate tool for proactive recruitment

With PageUp Clinch, you can turn every candidate interaction into an opportunity to connect, engage and hire better. Request a demo to see how you can build a connected candidate experience.

The post What to look for in your recruitment CRM (and why your ATS isn’t enough) appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Making sense of talent metrics for smarter hiring

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 22:00:37 +0000

Recruiting generates no shortage of data. But burnt-out teams, pipelines flooded with AI-generated resumes, and constant pressure to prove ROI have talent leaders asking the same question: what should we actually be measuring?

The problem isn’t a lack of metrics. Most teams are simply tracking the wrong ones. According to Gartner’s Future of Work Trends 2025, organisationsorganizations fixated on activity numbers are missing what truly drives performance: employee well-being, team capacity, and candidate quality. More dashboards won’t fix that. Better data storytelling will.

Join us for a live, candid conversation with industry experts who’ve solved this puzzle. Learn which metrics reveal burnout before it happens, how to spot low-quality and AI-generated resumes in your pipeline, and, most importantly, how to build a business case leadership can’t ignore. Walk away with practical tools you can implement immediately, not another system to manage.

What you’ll learn

The hidden metrics revealing team capacity and burnout signals
How to spot low-quality and AI-generated resumes in your data
Candidate engagement signals that actually predict successful hires
The data story that turns recruiting insights into leadership buy-in

Get practical, immediately-actionable insights you can implement in your recruiting process today.

Meet your speakers:

Damien Glancy, SVP of Engineering, PageUp

Sarah Kummer, Senior Recruiting Manager, T-Mobile

Jim Durbin, Managing Principal, Respondable

The post Watch now: Making sense of talent metrics for smarter hiring appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Ready, set, recruit! Talent Acquisition Priorities for 2026

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 23:12:49 +0000

With so much change accelerating at once, the big question is: what should TA leaders be prioritisingprioritizing now to stay ahead in 2026?

Watch our interactive customer panel where industry experts shared their firsthand experiences, lessons learned, and predictions for the year ahead. They unpacked the biggest challenges talent teams are facing right now, explored the trends transforming recruitment, and spotlighted the strategies that are delivering impact.

In this session, our expert panel discussed:

What 2025 taught us – the biggest wins and lessons for TA teams
How AI and automation are maturing in real-world recruitment
The focus on skills first talent strategies and internal mobility
Shifting candidate expectations and what they mean for EVP and experience
Predictions for the biggest talent trends in 2026 and beyond

The post Watch now: Ready, set, recruit! Talent Acquisition Priorities for 2026 appeared first on PageUp.

The new ATS playbook: From tracking to talent intelligence

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 03:14:35 +0000

The applicant tracking system (ATS) has long been the foundation of talent acquisition. For years, it reliably handled the essentials – posting jobs, tracking applicants, and maintaining compliance. Far from being “dead,” the ATS is now more powerful than ever.

Modern platforms are evolving into intelligent, proactive talent engines, offering features like AI-driven candidate matching, skills-based insights, and integrated recruitment marketing. What was once a system for managing workflows is now a strategic partner helping organisationsorganizations hire more effectively and with greater impact.

According to Aptitude Research, 82% of companies see significant gaps in their ATS, and only 28% are fully satisfied. The reason? The old “tracking” model doesn’t match the speed, complexity, and intelligence modern talent acquisition teams demand.

Today’s ATS is no longer just a workflow tool; it has evolved into a comprehensive solution. The future is intelligent, proactive, and agentic. It’s transforming talent acquisition into a strategic engine for business growth.

1. Why the old ATS model is failing

Traditional ATS platforms were built to streamline the basics of hiring. They standardisedstandardized processes, ensured compliance, and provided a single place to manage applicants. This functionality gave talent acquisition teams structure and efficiency, and for many years, it was exactly what organisationsorganizations needed.

But as the talent market has become more complex, candidates expect personalisationpersonalization, hiring managers want to make faster decisions, and organisationsorganizations need to plan for future skills. Relying on a system designed purely for tracking is no longer enough. The foundation is solid, but it’s time to build on it.

2. Enter the intelligent ATS

The next-generation ATS is far more than a storage system, it’s a talent intelligence hub that actively helps recruiters hire smarter.

An intelligent ATS uses AI throughout the hiring process to eliminate the grunt work and streamline workflows. Generative AI has been adopted to support everyday tasks from fast-tracking job ad creation to crafting personalisedpersonalized candidate communications. Recruiters are now receiving intelligent recommendations, including suggestions for best-fit candidates for roles and guidance on the most effective sourcing channels for specific roles.

Teams are now turning towards skills-based matching that uncovers talent that might otherwise be overlooked. Instead of searching for job titles or exact keywords, it identifies transferable skills and potential, surfacing candidates from both active pipelines and applicants.

For example, PageUp’s Resume SummarisationSummarization tool automatically condenses long, complex resumes into short, easy-to-read insights, helping recruiters identify the most relevant experience at a glance. Combined with PageUp’s Skills Matching capabilities, recruiters can quickly compare candidate skills to role requirements, surface hidden talent, and make more objective, data-driven hiring decisions.

By shifting from passive tracking to active intelligence, the ATS evolves into a strategic partner, freeing recruiters to focus on building relationships and making data-driven decisions.

3. The emergence of AI agents and virtual assistants

The evolution of the ATS doesn’t stop at intelligence. The next frontier is AI agents, autonomous digital assistants that not only analyse data, but actively perform tasks in your recruiting workflows. Think of them as colleagues who never tire, can process vast amounts of information instantly, and handle repetitive work so teams can focus on what truly matters.

VerticalisedVerticalized AI agents, specialists designed for specific platforms and workflows like recruitment, are particularly effective. Paige, PageUp’s AI recruiting co-pilot, is a prime example. Paige solves the core challenges of software adoption and workflow complexity by providing step-by-step navigation and contextual tips that empower users to be effective from day one. By taking over repetitive and data-intensive tasks, Paige allows recruiters to focus on the high-value work that AI cannot replicate, like building relationships, assessing cultural fit, and guiding strategy.

This shift means the ATS is not just intelligent, it’s an active partner. AI agents in recruitment are becoming the silent engine behind sourcing, scheduling, and candidate management, taking over tasks that once consumed the majority of recruiters’ days.

4. Making the shift

Moving to an intelligent ATS isn’t just a technology upgrade, it’s a mindset shift. It’s about designing a recruitment ecosystem where people, processes, and platforms work together intelligently.

The good news is that organisationsorganizations don’t need to overhaul everything at once. By identifying quick wins like AI-assisted sourcing, automated candidate communications, or dashboards that highlight top candidates you can start realisingrealizing benefits immediately while laying the foundation for a fully intelligent, future-ready recruitment process.

Turn data into decision power

Does your ATS simply track activity, or does it provide real-time insights and actionable recommendations? Intelligence is no longer a nice-to-have, now it’s the foundation of modern talent acquisition.

Build for better experiences

Look for features that enhance both recruiter and candidate experience. Automation, resume summarisationsummarization, and skills matching speed up workflows while delivering candidates a more responsive and personalisedpersonalized journey.

Embed AI where it matters most

Map your current workflows to identify repetitive or time-consuming tasks that can be automated. Use AI to augment, not replace, your recruiters’ strengths. Form a cross-functional project team to oversee implementation, maintain compliance, and report on outcomes.

Equip your team to thrive with AI

Upskill recruiters to confidently use intelligent tools. Provide training on prompt design, data literacy, and the responsible use of AI. Pair enablement with clear ownership and performance metrics to ensure AI becomes a genuine driver of efficiency, not just another system to manage.

The bottom line

The ATS isn’t going away, it’s evolving. From a compliance and tracking tool, it has grown into a strategic talent intelligence system that helps organisationsorganizations engage candidates earlier, make informed decisions, and align talent acquisition with long-term business goals.

Companies that hesitate risk falling behind. Competitors leveraging intelligent ATS platforms and AI-driven workflows will move faster, surface better talent, and deliver a more engaging candidate experience.

The new playbook is clear: Stop tracking, start hiring intelligently, or risk being outpaced.

Ready to make the shift?

Discover how PageUp’s intelligent ATS and AI-powered assistant, Paige, can help streamline hiring, surface hidden talent, and empower recruiters to focus on what matters most – people. Request a demo to see intelligence in action.

The post The new ATS playbook: From tracking to talent intelligence appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Rethinking the Talent Acquisition Funnel with AI

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:36:08 +0000

Hiring is about people first, but the reality is, today’s talent teams are under the pump to move faster, deliver standout experiences, and contribute strategically, all with fewer resources. The result? Less time for genuine connection.

This webinar explores how AI can ease that burden: giving recruiters back the time and tools they need to focus on what matters most, building relationships. Rather than replacing humans, AI can amplify their impact, especially as many TA functions are operating with leaner teams.

You’ll discover how to:

Rethink your recruiting funnel so it’s supported by AI, but guided by people
Apply automation in intentional ways that enhance, not replace, the human touch
Move from reactively filling reqs to nurturing lasting talent relationships
PrioritisePrioritize what really drives results, not just “doing more”
Learn from real-world teams already using AI to streamline workflows and build candidate trust

Watch today to learn how to evolve your talent acquisition strategy while keeping people at the centre.

The post Watch now: Rethinking the Talent Acquisition Funnel with AI appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Scaling smarter: maximisingmaximizing talent acquisition efficiency with limited resources

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 02:34:00 +0000

We teamed up with our partners at ERE to host a real-talk webinar on how leading talent acquisition teams are hiring faster, improving candidate quality, and elevating the hiring experience—all without burning out their teams or blowing the budget.

With tighter budgets and leaner teams, TA leaders are under pressure to do more with less. This session explores the practical, proven strategies helping organisationsorganizations simplify hiring workflows, cut back on manual work, and connect with better-fit candidates—while still keeping the experience human.

You’ll learn:

How to scale hiring without overwhelming your team
Which automation tools are saving time without sacrificing quality
How targeted engagement helps surface better-fit talent faster
Ways to deliver personalisedpersonalized candidate experiences at scale
How real-time insights lead to smarter, faster decisions

Speakers:

Sarah Forbes, SVP of Sales for North America, PageUp
Brian Fink, Managing Partner, The ReWork Group
Keirsten Greggs, Founder & CEO, TRAP Recruiter

The post Watch now: Scaling smarter: maximisingmaximizing talent acquisition efficiency with limited resources appeared first on PageUp.

The AI-powered hiring guide

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 03:56:30 +0000

The post The AI-powered hiring guide appeared first on PageUp.

The future of your talent tech and why stability matters

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 01:58:24 +0000

The TA technology market is shifting fast. Mergers, acquisitions, and evolving corporate priorities are more common than ever. While these changes can create new possibilities, they can also bring uncertainty for organisationsorganizations that rely on their platforms to hire and retain talent.

When your platform changes direction, it disrupts your hiring process. Vendors rewrite product roadmaps, rework integrations, and force your team to navigate steep learning curves. The result is slowed recruitment, frustrated hiring managers, and a disrupted candidate experience – and when top talent goes elsewhere, the impact can ultimately hit your bottom line.

Why changes to your tech providers strategy can impact you

The talent acquisition technology market moves quickly. Vendors can shift focus, expand into new areas, or reprioritisereprioritize development areas. While these shifts can create new opportunities, they can also mean that the features and capabilities your team depends on may not get the same level of attention.

Large ERP providers can be especially challenging in this regard. Talent acquisition is only one of many functions competing for development resources, alongside payroll, finance, and other HR processes. This can mean slower innovation for recruiting teams and fewer improvements to the candidate experience.

The stability advantage

A dedicated talent acquisition platform focuses solely on helping you attract, engage, and hire the right people. Because there are no competing priorities from other business units, every product update and innovation is designed to deliver value to recruiters, hiring managers, and candidates.

Stability in your talent acquisition technology is about more than uptime. It is about:

A clear and transparent roadmap so you know what is coming and when
Innovation that directly addresses recruiting challenges rather than competing business priorities
A unified platform that integrates seamlessly with your existing tools
Self-service configuration to adapt quickly without expensive vendor dependency
Transparent, predictable pricing without hidden costs for configuration or maintenance
Dedicated in-region support from a team that understands your market

How PageUp delivers stability

PageUp brings these qualities together in a platform purpose-built for talent acquisition. Our recruitment marketing and applicant tracking solutions manage the entire hiring lifecycle, from attracting and nurturing candidates to hiring and onboarding. With in-house implementation, dedicated local support, and ongoing consultation, we ensure you stay in control of your technology, adapt quickly to change, and keep your hiring strategy on track without the complexity or cost often associated with larger, less focused systems.

Hidden costs of complexity

While large ERP systems promise the simplicity of a single vendor, the reality for talent acquisition teams is often very different. Recruiting is just one of many priorities in a much broader enterprise roadmap, which can slow innovation and limit the ability to adapt quickly.

The trade-offs often include:

Ongoing consulting fees for even minor configuration changes
Slower delivery of TA-specific features as development resources are spread across multiple business units
Limited flexibility to tailor workflows to your unique hiring process
A steep learning curve for users due to the volume and complexity of non-TA functionality
Hidden or unexpected costs that emerge when integrating, customisingcustomizing, or maintaining the system
Risk of product decommissioning – what is the flavour of the month today could be sunset tomorrow, leaving you to scramble for alternatives

These costs add up quickly, increase total cost of ownership, and limit your ability to respond to shifting talent demands. In contrast, a dedicated talent acquisition platform like PageUp keeps complexity low, puts you in control of changes, and focuses every dollar of your investment on solving hiring challenges, not unrelated enterprise processes.

Framework for evaluating stability

If you are assessing your talent technology or preparing for potential vendor change, ask these five questions:

Do you have full visibility of your vendor’s roadmap and priorities?
Are talent acquisition features being delivered and enhanced regularly?
Can you make changes quickly without relying on vendor intervention?
Are there hidden or unexpected costs for integration, customisationcustomization, or maintenance?
Is your vendor committed to providing dedicated, in-region support?

Use these questions and check out the talent tech readiness checklist to identify whether your current platform supports your long-term hiring goals.

Final thoughts

In a market where technological change is constant, staying the course is a competitive advantage. Choosing a platform with a dedicated focus on talent acquisition means you get the features, innovation, and support you need without the distractions or delays that often come with larger, less flexible systems.

Your talent technology should give you confidence, not keep you up at night. The right partner will help you maintain hiring momentum, deliver a great candidate experience, and adapt to whatever the market brings next through continuous, AI-driven innovation.

Is your talent tech ready for the future?
Take the Talent tech readiness checklist to assess the stability, flexibility, and scalability of your current stack and uncover opportunities for improvement.

The post The future of your talent tech and why stability matters appeared first on PageUp.

The ultimate job ad checklist

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 04:16:00 +0000

The post The ultimate job ad checklist appeared first on PageUp.

How to measure and boost your career site effectiveness

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 01:25:22 +0000

Getting your career site up and running is a great first start, but the real magic happens when you start measuring what’s working and fine tuning it for impact. With the right insights, your site becomes more than a brand touchpoint. It becomes a high-performing hiring engine that attracts, converts, and connects the right people to your business.

So how do you know if your career site is doing its job? And how do you make it even better? Let’s break it down.

See what content is clicking with candidates

Your career site should help people quickly decide: Is this the right place for me? It needs to offer the right information, without making people dig for it. That’s why content matters. The words you use, the stories you tell, and even where and how content is placed on the page all play a role in how candidates engage.

To uncover what’s resonating, it’s important to track key engagement metrics. Look at page views, time spent on page, bounce rates, and click-through rates. These give you an overall view of what pages are holding attention and which may be falling flat. If candidates are dropping off quickly from certain pages, it could point to confusing layout, irrelevant content, or slow load times.

To take this further, analytics like PageUp Clinch heatmap technology gives you a way to visually track engagement. You can see where candidates are hovering, clicking, and scrolling, what’s catching attention, and what’s being ignored. Content that performs well is highlighted in green, while low-performing areas show up in red.

Example of PageUp Clinch heat mapping technology

With these insights, you can double down on what’s working, like an employee story that’s driving clicks, and rework or remove what’s not. Over time, this helps you shape a content strategy that’s genuinely candidate first and built to convert.

Measure what matters most: conversions

What does success look like for your career site? It’s not the same for every organisationorganization. You might be aiming to increase completed applications, build a stronger talent community or grow a pipeline for hard-to-fill roles.

Whatever the goal, conversion tracking plays a key role in getting you there. For example, if your goal is more applications, track how many visitors move to apply. If your numbers are low, it could be a sign that your content isn’t resonating, it’s difficult to search for jobs or that the application process is acting as a barrier.

If your focus is building your talent pool, look at how many visitors sign up for alerts, join your talent community, or complete a data capture form. These actions show intent. They signal a candidate’s willingness to stay connected, and with the right follow-up, they can become future hires.

Low conversions? Ask yourself:
Are we reaching the right people? Is the message clear and action-oriented? Are forms too long or confusing? Are we offering something of real value in return?

It’s often small details that make the biggest difference.

Attract more of the right talent

In a tight talent market, quality always wins over quantity. It’s not about how many people visit your site – it’s about how many of the right people take the next step. There are two smart ways to track this:

Visitor-to-hire ratio – how many career site visits does it take to make a hire?
Qualified application rate – how many completed applications meet your criteria and have been added to your talent pool?

These metrics give you a read on how effective your content and targeting are. If you’re attracting volume but not quality, it may be time to rethink your messaging, imagery, or value proposition.

Not reach the right talent? Consider the following:

Building targeted landing pages for specific roles, functions, or locations
Sharing authentic employee stories to give real insight into life in the team
Use plain language to speak to what matters most to your ideal candidate

OptimiseOptimize job ads to increase engagement

Timing is everything. Knowing when your audience is most active can help you get your jobs seen by the right people at the right time.

PageUp Clinch job analytics show peak engagement times based on when candidates are viewing and starting applications. This is especially useful if you’re promoting roles via social media or email. You can line up campaigns with high-traffic windows to maximisemaximize impact.

Example of Clinch’s job analytics

In the above example, darker colors on the heatmap show the best-performing time blocks, while lighter colors highlight less active times. With these insight, you can:

Schedule job ads during high-engagement windows
Better time social content to drive traffic back to your site
Send personalisedpersonalized campaigns when candidates are most likely to act

Over time, this data helps improve visibility, increase applications, and reduce time to hire.

Evaluate how seamless your application process is

A brilliant career site experience can be undone in seconds by a clunky, complicated application form. Today’s candidates expect things to be fast, simple, and mobile-friendly. If your process is long-winded or unclear, people won’t stick around. In fact, research shows up to 80% of candidates abandon an application if it’s too hard to complete (Glassdoor).

That’s why it’s important to track drop-off rates at each stage of the application process. If you’re seeing a big gap between people starting and completing an application, dig into the ‘why’.

Want to reduce your applicant drop off rate? Check for these common culprits:

Too many form fields or mandatory uploads
Poor mobile experience
No progress bar or feedback
Lack communication post-apply to return to complete application

At PageUp, we recommend a “low-barrier to entry” approach. Ask only for the essentials up front. You can always gather more info later in the process. Combine that with automated messaging to keep candidates in the loop, and you’ve got a smoother, more human experience from start to finish.

Encourage repeat visits to build deeper engagement

It’s not just about first impressions. A strong career site encourages people to return, and that’s a powerful sign of brand interest and intent.

New visitors help you track reach and awareness. But repeat visitors are the ones leaning in. They’re comparing roles, researching your teams, or waiting for the right opportunity to pop up. Ideally, 25% or more of your traffic should be repeat visitors.

If your repeat visitor rate is low, ask:

Are we giving people a reason to come back?
Is the content fresh, relevant, and personalisedpersonalized?
Are we using automation to stay connected?

Example of PageUp Clinch’s visitor behavior analytics

With PageUp Clinch, you can automate follow-up workflows that nurture relationships over time. Send tailored job alerts, share new blog content, or prompt returning users with roles that match their interests. All of this keeps your brand front of mind and moves people closer to applying when the time is right.

A careers site in today’s employment market is non-negotiable and leveraging analytics will show how effective it is at supporting your recruitment efforts. Regularly reviewing the data and taking action to boost performance, will turn your career site into a powerful talent acquisition tool for your organisationorganization.

See how PageUp Clinch intelligent career sites can help you achieve your recruitment goals. Request your career site audit today.

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Talent tech readiness checklist

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 01:33:31 +0000

The post Talent tech readiness checklist appeared first on PageUp.

Unlocking your workforce: The internal mobility advantage

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 04:10:04 +0000

Talent acquisition (TA) is no longer just about bringing new people in. It’s also about keeping great people. Internal mobility is a powerful lever for organisationsorganizations faced with rising hiring costs, shrinking external talent pools, and a workforce that needs continuous development to keep up with evolving skills.

For TA leaders, the mandate has shifted from simply filling roles to building resilient, future-ready workforces. Internal mobility is no longer just HR or L&D’s domain; it’s a shared priority. TA plays a crucial role in making it visible, accessible, and aligned with business needs.

With the right approach and technology, internal mobility isn’t just a program – it’s your competitive advantage.

Redefine the role of TA: from recruiters to talent strategists

Talent acquisition teams are increasingly seen as strategic partners in workforce planning. This starts by working closely with HR and business leaders to anticipate future skill needs and identify where internal talent can be developed or redeployed.

Success relies on shared accountability. TA leaders should align with L&D and People & Culture to define common goals and track metrics like internal fill rates, promotion velocity, and internal application volume. Clear metrics will help drive alignment and enable progress.

Where systems and policies allow, TA teams should partner with HR to gain visibility into performance, development, and succession data. These insights can help identify high-potential employees early and ensure they’re considered alongside external candidates. When internal talent is visible and part of the hiring conversation from the start, it leads to more balanced, future-ready hiring decisions.

Build a skills-first internal talent marketplace

A growing number of organisationsorganizations are shifting away from rigid job titles and moving towards more fluid roles. Skills-based hiring and development initiatives focused on upskilling and reskilling have taken off. Skills are now the currency of mobility, and employees want to understand where their current capabilities can take them.

To support this shift, working with L&D and HR teams to map existing skills across the business and encourage employees or managers to maintain up-to-date skills profiles. Use that data to drive smarter internal matches, enabling people to see and pursue realistic career paths within the organisationorganization.

A talent marketplace should offer more than full-time jobs. Include project-based work, secondments, mentorships, and stretch assignments to provide flexible and meaningful growth opportunities. This helps foster a culture of ongoing development, connecting employees with internal roles or projects that fit their strengths and ambitions.

Make internal hiring as streamlined as external

The internal candidate experience often doesn’t receive the same attention as the external one. This presents an opportunity to increase engagement with internal talent throughout the hiring process.

Start by reviewing the entire internal mobility journey. Is it easy for employees to find open roles? Are they encouraged to apply? Do they receive timely responses? Internal applicants should feel valued and prioritisedprioritized, because they are already invested in your organisationorganization.

Consider appointing dedicated internal recruiters or mobility coordinators to support internal applicants through the process. Track how many internal candidates apply, how far they progress, and where they drop off. This data helps identify roadblocks and ensures internal talent is not overlooked.

Promote internal growth like you do externally

Your external talent campaigns are built to attract, inspire, and engage. But how much of that same energy and creativity is directed inward?

Run internal campaigns that spotlight real growth stories, showing employees that careers can evolve in many directions. Launch events, webinars, or career weeks that focus on internal opportunities, skills pathways, and what’s possible beyond someone’s current role.

Make sure your internal career hub is easy to access, visually engaging, and always up to date. With PageUp, you can create dynamic, branded internal mobility hubs that feature employee stories, upcoming roles, and personalisedpersonalized recommendations, helping people see themselves in new roles before they start looking elsewhere.

How Flight Centre is reimagined mobility

In a tight talent market, Flight Centre was focused on three priorities: recruit, retain, and return. The team doubled down on high-impact sourcing channels like internal mobility, referrals, and alumni, while also supporting staff with clearer growth opportunities.

The impact? Over 40% of hires now come from internal movement and referrals, with internal roles taking just six applicants to fill, compared to 95 via job boards.

Armed with the data, the team wanted to fine-tune their recruitment strategy – using job boards to primarily recruit for high-volume entry-level roles, and more senior roles through people movement. Keeping top performers engaged with new opportunities, and delivering ROI for the business.To support this, they launched an internal careers hub, Australia’s Got Talent, making it easier for employees to explore and express interest in new roles.

“It is one of our preferred channels (internal mobility) — you know what you’re getting. The ROI is already created – they’re onboarded, and it’s easier to backfill a more junior role than a senior role.” – Allisa O’Connell, Flight Centre Travel Group

Read the full story

Shift mindsets of hiring managers

Hiring managers play a pivotal role in bringing internal mobility to life. When they embrace it, they help unlock growth not just for individuals, but for the entire organisationorganization.

Encouraging internal movement gives teams access to fresh ideas, broadens business capability, and builds a reputation as a great place to grow. By embedding mobility expectations into leadership KPIs, you can recogniserecognize and reward those who actively develop, champion, and share talent across the business.

Storytelling is a powerful tool here. Share examples of teams that have grown stronger through internal moves, where individuals have stepped into new challenges and their former teams have thrived by building a strong pipeline behind them. Helping leaders reframe internal mobility as a sign of strong leadership, not loss, can shift the culture from protection to progression.

Final thought: internal is the new external

Internal mobility is no longer just a retention tactic. It’s a full-blown talent strategy. TA leaders who embrace this shift will futureproof their organisationsorganizations and create more meaningful careers for the people already on their teams.

Start now. Shift the lens. Re-recruit your top talent before someone else does.

Discover how PageUp can drive your mobility strategy and request a demo today.

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Watch now: Mastering candidate experience Australia with Story House Early Learning

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 01:41:53 +0000

Join PageUp and AMS for a practical webinar, designed for talent acquisition professionals ready to elevate their candidate experience.

In a competitive market, attracting and converting top talent requires a strategic blend of technology, personalisation, and authentic human connection. Join us to see examples of real candidate journeys and the practitioner’s perspective from Kelly Murphy at Story House Early Learning.

Discover how to leverage AI-powered insights while maintaining meaningful human touchpoints, master the art of personalised outreach at scale, and build data-driven processes that continuously improve your recruitment outcomes.

The post Watch now: Mastering candidate experience Australia with Story House Early Learning appeared first on PageUp.

Using AI to engage multigenerational talent

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 03:52:21 +0000

We’ve all heard the saying, “age is just a number”, but for today’s workforce it carries new weight. For the first time, five generations are working side by side: the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. With each generation bringing diverse experiences and varied preferences to the table, talent acquisition teams need to personalisepersonalize experiences to enhance engagement.

Let’s dive into how you can use AI-powered technology to engage multigenerational talent at scale effectively.

Unlocking the power of a multigenerational workforce

A multigenerational workforce brings a wealth of experience, perspectives, and skills. When organisationsorganizations create opportunities for employees of different generations to collaborate, they unlock innovation, drive engagement, and strengthen workplace culture. Encouraging knowledge sharing helps businesses retain critical expertise while fostering an environment where employees learn from one another.

SSE, a PageUp Clinch recruitment marketing client in Scotland, has embraced this by offering mentoring and reverse mentoring programs. These initiatives pair early-career employees with seasoned professionals, creating a two-way exchange of insights. This fosters collaboration, strengthens team dynamics, and enhances overall organisationalorganizational performance.

Understanding generational preferences

With such a diverse workforce, organisationsorganizations must ask: Are we effectively attracting, engaging, and retaining talent across all age groups?

Different generations have distinct communication styles, motivations, and approaches to work. Gen Z, for example, values career growth and purpose-driven work, while Baby Boomers may prioritiseprioritize stability and benefits. Millennials often seek flexibility, and Gen X looks for leadership opportunities. Understanding these differences helps organisationsorganizations craft better candidate experiences.

Managing these nuances manually is no longer practical. Success requires technology that aligns with the values and expectations of each group, delivering automation and personalisationpersonalization at scale.

Using AI to engage talent across generations

Recruiters and talent teams are increasingly turning to AI to manage the complexities of engaging a multigenerational workforce. AI-driven tools streamline hiring processes, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance personalisationpersonalization at scale. These solutions help teams connect with candidates more effectively while ensuring a seamless, engaging experience for jobseekers.

Clinch’s AI Chatbot Assistant provides an always-on engagement channel that boosts efficiency by handling repetitive tasks. Candidates can join talent networks, search for roles, and get instant answers to common questions. The chatbot also integrates with content management systems to share employee-generated content, offering insights from the people candidates trust most – your employees.

For digital-native candidates, especially Gen Z, real-time engagement is an expectation. AI-powered tools personalisepersonalize the candidate experience, offering tailored job recommendations and content that keeps candidates engaged.

Meeting candidates where they are

Beyond sharing content on your career site, consider how you connect with different generations on social media. Facebook appeals to mid-to-late-career professionals, while TikTok and Instagram attract younger talent. AI-powered content assistants can help tailor messaging to resonate across platforms.

Effective multigenerational hiring starts with understanding your audience and meeting them on their terms. AI and automation enable this at scale, helping you build a diverse, empowered workforce.

Balancing AI and human-first recruiting

Alongside AI’s efficiency, the human element remains essential in recruitment. Decision-making should always stay in human hands. While AI can screen candidates and identify strong matches, hiring managers and recruiters must evaluate authenticity and fit. Personal interactions provide candidates with insight into company culture and career growth opportunities.

Research from Gallup shows that beyond salary, candidates accept job offers based on factors like company culture, career development, and personal connections. Interviews with hiring managers and key stakeholders are the most impactful part of the hiring process.

Candidates who experience meaningful personal interactions are 3.2 times more likely to feel connected to company culture and three times as likely to be highly satisfied with their work. OrganisationsOrganizations that meet or exceed candidate expectations throughout the hiring process maintain a stronger talent pipeline and improve retention.

OrganisationsOrganizations that use AI strategically free up time for meaningful candidate interactions. This balance ensures AI enhances, rather than replaces, the recruiter’s role in building strong connections and guiding candidates through critical hiring decisions.

PageUp’s AI-powered talent acquisition platform enables human-first recruiting while optimisingoptimizing hiring processes. Book a demo to see it in action.

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Grow your talent community with recruitment events

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 05:00:13 +0000

Recruitment events have become a powerhouse for talent acquisition. Whether you’re hosting an event, attending a career fair, or holding sessions online, events give you direct access to talent in a way job postings can’t. Walk away with new relationships and gain top-notch additions to your talent pool.

With today’s hiring dominated by digital applications and rising applicant volumes, events cut through the noise and offer a rare opportunity for authentic connection. They bring back the human touch – something increasingly valued in a digital world.

Let’s break down why recruitment events should be part of your hiring strategy and how you can make the most of them.

Why events belong in your recruitment strategy

1. Connect with passive, hard to reach talent

Attracting passive talent (candidates who aren’t actively looking for a job but could be open to the right opportunity) is key to successful recruitment in a competitive talent market. Recruitment events let you connect with these individuals in a more personal way. Instead of posting a job and waiting for applicants, you can engage with talent directly, build rapport, and position your organisationorganization as an employer of choice.

Events are especially powerful for building trust and awareness with niche communities, specialist occupations, early career talent, or underrepresented groups who may not engage through job boards alone.

2. Easily capture candidate information

Talent pipelines are the most efficient way to hire and are 18 times more effective than job boards. Events provide a low-friction environment to collect valuable candidate information, in person or online. You can gather resumes, contact details, and information like candidate preferences at scale. Capturing meaningful insights in real time, creating not just a contact list but a qualified talent community. With the right tools, this will enable greaterpersonalisationpersonalization and candidate engagement down the track.

3. Showcase your employer brand

Recruitment events are not just about filling roles; they are an opportunity to showcase your employer brand. They give candidates a real feel for your company’s culture, values, and what it’s like to work with you. Demonstrate your commitment to diversity, work-life balance, and career development to help set you apart in a competitive job market.

When candidates meet your people face to face (or even via a webinar) they’re more likely to remember you. It’s a chance to create an emotional connection that job ads can’t replicate.

4. Deliver high ROI in a competitive market

While recruitment events require investment, they often deliver stronger long-term ROI than paid job ads. You leave with a rich pipeline of warm candidates, plus the added value of brand exposure and relationship-building. When supported by automation and follow-up workflows, events can continue delivering value well beyond the day they happen.

What to consider when planning your recruitment event

Event format that matches your hiring goals

Not all events are created equal – and that’s a good thing. Different formats align with different recruitment goals and who you’re trying to reach. Understanding the purpose behind each event type helps you build a more targeted and effective strategy:

Campus recruiting events: Ideal for attracting early career talent and interns.
Virtual webinars: Expand your reach to remote, national, or global candidates without geographic barriers.
Niche meetups and conferences: Great for hiring specialist roles in tech, finance, healthcare, and other competitive fields.
Diversity-focused events: Build connections with underrepresented groups by partnering with community networks.
Internal talent showcases: Open up opportunities for internal mobility and employee referrals.
Live chat hiring events: Perfect for high-volume roles. These real-time, text-based events allow recruiters to connect instantly with multiple candidates, answer common questions, pre-screen interest, and direct talent to apply.

Selecting your event format that aligns with your hiring goals will ensure you can reach and engage the right talent that meets your needs.

Set your team up for success: Prep for event impact

The best recruitment events start well before anyone walks through the door. Internal readiness is key to delivering a seamless, high-impact experience.

Brief your team: Make sure recruiters and hiring managers are aligned on messaging, event goals, and what success looks like.
Equip your people: Provide key talking points, highlight priority roles, and give them real-time access to your CRM or lead capture tools.
Align follow-up plans: Who’s responsible for follow-up? What’s the timeline? When this is planned ahead of time, post-event engagement is faster and more personalisedpersonalized.

Strong internal alignment ensures that every candidate conversation is consistent, valuable, and memorable.

Designing an event experience candidates remember

First impressions count. Whether your event is in person or virtual, candidate experience should be front and center.

Make it easy to engage: Use pre-event email reminders, mobile check-in, and QR codes to streamline access.
Create two-way conversations: Let candidates meet hiring managers, ask questions, or see behind-the-scenes culture videos.
Close the loop: Follow up after the event with personalisedpersonalized messages and relevant next steps – whether it’s joining your talent community or applying for a role.

When candidates feel seen, heard, and valued, your brand stands out.

Measure what matters: Tracking event ROI and impact

To prove the value of your recruitment events (and improve them over time) you need to track what works.

Key metrics to measure:

Number of attendees
Qualified leads captured
Conversion to application or hire
Engagement with landing pages and follow-up emails
Cost per lead or cost per hire

PageUp Clinch makes this easy by tying all activity back to your CRM. With real-time tracking and reporting, you can see what’s driving results and optimiseoptimize your strategy for the next event.

Power up your recruitment events with PageUp Clinch

Makes running standout recruitment events simple and scalable with Page Clinch recruitment marketing platform. From capturing candidate info to post-event follow-up, it’s built to drive results:

Capture on the go: Use Clinch’s iOS or Web Kiosk to collect resumes and details instantly, right into your CRM.
Smart segmentation: Automatically tag candidates by skills, role, or criteria to fuel targeted talent pipelines.
Event landing pages: Launch branded, no-code pages to promote events, capture interest, and convert visitors.
QR code integration: Let attendees scan and connect on the spot – boosting real-time engagement and traffic.
Custom CTAs and forms: Create tailored forms that capture the data you actually need.
Post-event nurture: Trigger automated, personalisedpersonalized follow-ups to keep candidates warm and moving forward.

Customer highlight: PagerDuty’s success at RenderATL

PagerDuty’s hiring team knocked it out of the park at RenderATL – powered by PageUp Clinch event capabilities. Their approach was seamless – designed to build relationships with top talent from the moment they walked through the door.

At the heart of their strategy was a dedicated landing page, featuring custom, targeted content that resonated with the event’s audience and showcased PagerDuty’s employer brand. But they didn’t stop there: to bridge the gap between in-person interactions and their online presence, they placed QR codes on their booth – and even on giveaway cookies! Making it fun and effortless for attendees to engage with PagerDuty, explore their tailored landing page with open roles, dive deeper into their culture and a CTA to join their talent community.

The team kept the conversation going with automated email blasts during the event, encouraging booth visitors to stay connected. Candidates were then placed into automated workflows, ensuring ongoing connection after the event.

This strategic combination of Clinch’s event features and automation tools helped PagerDuty engage both active and passive candidates. In short? Recruitment events (done right) can truly transform the hiring process.

Recruitment events are more than just opportunities to fill open positions – they’re a chance to grow your talent community, engage with passive candidates, and showcase your employer brand. In a time when digital outreach alone isn’t enough, events help you stand out and create meaningful moments of connection.

Transform your recruitment events into seamless, impactful experiences. Learn how PageUp Clinch can help you take yours to the next level. Request a demo today.

The post Grow your talent community with recruitment events appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Mastering candidate experience: Strategies to attract, nurture and convert top talent

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 01:18:00 +0000

A webinar discussion on how to build a market-leading candidate experience. Emily Heywood from PageUp and Keira Pintao from AMS discussed companies who are creating innovative and unique experiences, meeting the expectations of candidates across generations and winning the fight for the best talent.

What we cover:

Why tech + humans = better together: Balance AI-powered insights with meaningful human touchpoints for candidate experiences that convert.
Strategies to keep talent pools warm: How to personalisepersonalize at scale and keep your CRM alive with relevant, timely and inclusive outreach that supports your DEI strategy.
The trick to authentic, scalable content: Smart strategies for producing engaging, manageable, and genuinely human content that resonates.
Mastering data-driven decisions: Learn how to identify friction points, build feedback loops, and incrementally improve conversions.

Who is this for?

Employer branding, talent acquisition and people and culture leaders
Recruitment marketing specialists
HR Leaders seeking competitive advantage through candidate experience

The post Watch now: Mastering candidate experience: Strategies to attract, nurture and convert top talent appeared first on PageUp.

6 steps to mastering critical skills

Tue, 20 May 2025 03:45:36 +0000

More and more, talent acquisition and talent management teams are joining forces. They’re building connected processes where recruiting, onboarding and development all work together. The goal is simple: focus on the skills that matter most for business success and employee growth.

Identifying the right skills isn’t always simple. Roles are evolving rapidly, new technologies keep emerging, and the skills your people need today could look very different from what they’ll need tomorrow.

That’s why building a clear, skills-first approach has never been more important. Let’s dive into how to master critical skills within your organisationorganization.

Why identifying critical skills matters

Critical skills are the capabilities your business relies on most. They’re not just hard, technical skills. Think soft skills that are often harder to learn – like adaptability, leadership and creative thinking. These skills fuel performance, innovation and growth.

In today’s market, skills are the backbone of talent acquisition and management strategies. They are being used to navigate top HR priorities including:

Upskilling and reskilling in employee development
Skills-based hiring in talent acquisition
Internal mobility to unlock talent from within

When you know what your critical skills are, you can make better decisions about how to hire, develop and retain your people. This lets you move forward and be more confident that your workforce is ready for what’s next.

1. Align skills with business goals

Start by getting clear on what your business is trying to achieve. Are you entering new markets? Launching new products? Improving customer experience?

Every big goal needs skills to make it happen. Once you know the goals, work with business leaders to map the skills needed to get there. Make this a regular conversation – as business priorities shift, your skills needs will too.

2. Understand your skills gap

Next, take stock of the skills you already have, and the skills you’re missing.

Use a skills gap analysis to see where you stand today. Look at employee assessments, performance reviews and feedback data. Tap into managers’ knowledge of their team’s strengths and where there are gaps. This will reveal where to focus your hiring and development efforts.

According to Mercer, 33% of organisationsorganizations are now actively investing in employee skills development and better talent assessment. Understanding where you stand today is the foundation of smarter, future-focused decisions.

3. Connect talent acquisition and talent management

Recruitment and employee development are working side-by-side more than ever. Hiring managers and talent teams should work together to find people with the skills and potential to grow. Look beyond what’s on a CV – focus on skills, mindset and capacity to learn.

This is the heart of skills-based hiring, which is being increasingly adopted as more organisationsorganizations rethink traditional recruitment practices. Korn Ferry calls this shift “retaining by training” – bringing in people with potential, and then giving them the tools to thrive.

Once people are part of the team, keep building on those skills. Create clear pathways for growth and a culture of ongoing learning. Offer stretch assignments, mentoring and learning opportunities that build on the skills you hired them for. This will help candidates and employees see a future with your business, whilst helping your business stay ahead.

4. Build a skills framework

A skills framework is your guidebook. It outlines the key skills needed across different roles, teams and levels. This is often where teams can get stuck. Our advice – keep it simple. Keep it flexible. And keep it evolving.

A good framework helps recruiters find the right people. It helps managers have better development conversations, and helps employees understand what’s expected of them and what’s possible next.

5. Make internal mobility part of your culture

When you know what skills exist in your business, you can create real opportunities for people to move and grow internally. Internal mobility helps you fill skill gaps faster and is 12 times more effective at finding the right person than hiring through job boards. It shows employees that they don’t have to leave to level up, and it makes the most of the talent you already have.

49% of organisationsorganizations are improving their workforce planning to better inform whether they should buy, build or borrow talent. Internal mobility plays a big role in that strategy.

Make it easy for people to explore internal moves with a dedicated careers page for employees. Share success stories. Encourage managers to have honest career conversations, and create pathways that support skills development across different roles and teams.

6. Embed skills across the employee experience

This is where it all comes to life. The best skills strategies show up in everyday moments.

Recruiting: Write job ads that focus on the skills that matter most and incorporate skills based assessment to assess candidates.
Onboarding: Set new hires up with the tools and learning modules they need from day one.
Development: Offer training, mentoring and opportunities that build the skills your business needs.
Performance: Give regular feedback on skills growth, not just task delivery.
Career paths: Show people how building new skills opens doors to new opportunities.

Upskilling and reskilling your existing workforce will enable you to stay ahead in a fast-moving market. It helps you enhance employee engagement, retain top talent and respond quickly to change. Because no matter how roles evolve or technology shifts, you’ll have a workforce that’s ready to learn, grow and adapt.

Final thoughts

Identifying and defining critical skills is one of the smartest things any business can do. It forges a vital link between talent strategy with business strategy. And it lays the foundation for the kind of workplace where people and performance thrive.

This isn’t just about filling today’s roles. It’s about future-proofing your workforce for whatever comes next. Get the skills right, and the rest will follow.

The post 6 steps to mastering critical skills appeared first on PageUp.

Get TA & HR tech approved: How to build a winning case

Fri, 16 May 2025 04:18:41 +0000

The post Get TA & HR tech approved: How to build a winning case appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Unlock job ad performance with SEEK

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 07:21:06 +0000

The talent market is shifting fast. Rising application volumes are creating new challenges for recruiters, making it harder to identify top talent efficiently. To stay ahead, recruiters need clear insights to track performance and refine their hiring strategies.

That’s where the SEEK Ad Performance Panel comes in.

PageUp is the first partner to launch the new SEEK Ad Performance Panel, giving you seamless access to performance insights within the PageUp ATS.

Join us for this exclusive webinar with PageUp, SEEK and guest speaker Ben Roberts from David Jones. Discover how you can harness the power of SEEK insights to improve your job ad performance, streamline your hiring funnel, and make smarter data-driven decisions.

What you’ll learn:

What the SEEK Ad Performance Panel is and how it supports your recruitment strategy
How to use insights at every stage of your hiring funnel
Actionable strategies to optimise job ad content, selection, and apply flow
How David Jones uses performance panel insights and PageUp ATS to refine hiring strategies and tackle high-volume recruitment

The post Watch now: Unlock job ad performance with SEEK appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Authentic connections: Empowering candidates with real employee stories

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 22:34:47 +0000

The hiring landscape is noisy—but the teams making real connections? They’re the ones showing up authentically.

In this session, we explored how employee stories can build trust, create stronger candidate experiences, and bring your brand to life—without the polish or pressure.

Watch the conversation with Jessica Prosper (Kognitiv) and Lo Rowe (PageUp) as they share how real voices are reshaping recruitment strategies from the inside out.

You’ll learn:

How to turn everyday moments into impactful storytelling
Why authenticity beats polish when connecting with candidates
Where employee voices can show up in the hiring journey
How to start small and scale with intention

Watch the webinar on demand and see how your team’s voice can become your most powerful recruiting tool.

The post Watch now: Authentic connections: Empowering candidates with real employee stories appeared first on PageUp.

Top healthcare recruiting challenges and how to solve them

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 23:16:07 +0000

The post Top healthcare recruiting challenges and how to solve them appeared first on PageUp.

How to attract stronger candidates by fine-tuning your application process

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 22:57:51 +0000

Gone are the days of dreaming of more applicants. As recruitment teams are flooded with resumes, today’s challenge is to get to the best candidates quickly before they slip away. So, how do you cut through the noise and get top talent to not only apply, but stay engaged? The key lies in fine-tuning your application process. When every moment counts, a smooth, candidate-centric experience can be the difference between securing top talent and losing them to the competition.

What’s behind the rise in applications and drop in quality?

Before fixing the funnel, it’s important to understand what is impacting applicant quality.

Technology has made it easier than ever for jobseekers to apply with minimal effort. One-click applications and AI-generated resumes mean candidates can send out dozens of applications in a matter of minutes, often without a second thought into whether they are the right fit.

Economic shifts are also influencing application behavior. Many professionals are exploring new roles to future-proof their careers, sometimes applying outside their usual industry or experience level. This may present an opportunity for companies to look at candidates with transferable skills who may not have previously considered a role in their field.

The way job postings are structured plays a major role. Clear and engaging job descriptions help attract candidates who are the best fit, while generic or vague postings may result in a broader applicant pool that requires more filtering. Companies that highlight their unique culture and value proposition are more likely to draw in high-quality candidates who are genuinely interested in what’s on offer.

By understanding these shifts and optimising the hiring process, organisationsorganizations can turn this influx of applications into an advantage—engaging the right talent while ensuring a smoother, more efficient recruitment journey.

1. Write targeted job ads that attract the right candidates

Your job post is often the first impression a candidate has of your company, so it needs to be clear, compelling, and targeted. Poorly written job descriptions are the top candidate frustration in their job search. A well-crafted job advertisement does more than list responsibilities; it ensures the right people apply while discouraging unfit applicants.

For more effective job descriptions:

Use clear and specific language to describe responsibilities and required skills.
Avoid broad or generic job titles that may attract the wrong audience.
Focus on must-have skills needed to succeed in the role and outline any mandatory qualifications.
Highlight the soft skills that would help someone thrive in the role.
Showcase your company culture and values to attract candidates who align with your organisationorganization.

A well-structured job ad helps filter out unsuitable applicants before they even hit “apply,” saving time and effort down the line.

2. Turn to your CRM to invite talent to apply

Before publishing your job advertisement across multiple job boards, turn to your recruitment CRM. Sourcing candidates through existing relationships is 18X more effective than job boards. Inviting qualified talent can keep your talent pool smaller, save time and resources.

To get the most out of existing relationships:

Send a personalisedpersonalized email to invite talent to apply and align with their skills.
Identify silver medallist candidates who are strong contenders for the role.
Invite them to join talent pools or networking events to maintain engagement.
Ask for referrals from those who aren’t currently open to opportunities.

By nurturing relationships, recruiters can build a pipeline of high-quality candidates who are ready to step into future roles.

3. Use smart screening to filter out unqualified applicants

Not every applicant will be the right fit, but that doesn’t mean recruiters should waste valuable hours sifting through irrelevant resumes. With the right screening methods, you can quickly pinpoint aligned candidates while filtering out those who don’t meet the basic requirements.

Effective screening tactics include:

Knockout questions that require candidates to confirm essential requirements such as experience using a specific tool or background of people management.
Quick skill tests that assess a candidate’s ability to perform a job-specific task.
Scenario-based questions that ask candidates how they would handle real-world challenges related to the role.
Monitor incomplete application rates to identify areas where candidates drop off and ensure .

By integrating these quick assessments early in the process, hiring teams can focus on engaging high-potential candidates rather than sorting through unsuitable applications.

4. Automate repetitive tasks while keeping the process personal

Automation can help streamline the hiring process, but it should never come at the expense of human connection. AI smart search capabilities can recommend candidates based on job fit. However, a personal touch remains essential in keeping top candidates engaged.

To strike the right balance:

Use AI smart searches to quickly filter and rank applications based on job fit.
Resume parsing tools like PageUp’s AI screening assistant uses AI summarisationsummarization to present key insights to enable recruiters to focus on top-tier candidates.
Automate status updates to keep candidates informed throughout the hiring process.
PersonalisePersonalize communication by referencing specific skills or experiences.
Leverage AI chatbots to support with their job search and answering FAQs.
Ensure a recruiter is available to answer candidate questions and build relationships.

When used effectively, automation reduces administrative burden and ensures high-quality candidates feel valued and engaged.

5. Track key hiring metrics to keep improving

A great hiring process is never static. To ensure continuous improvement, it’s essential to track key metrics and identify areas where adjustments are needed.

Some of the most valuable hiring metrics include:

Conversion rates: Measuring the percentage of candidates who move from one stage to the next. For example, the percentage of jobseekers who viewed your job ad converted to an application.
Drop-off rate: This assesses the number of jobseekers who abandoned the process. By looking at the drop-off rate at different stages of the application process, you can identify where recruiters can make improvements.
Mobile : Desktop application ratio: Shows the ratio of applications submitted on each device. Compare with incomplete application rates to track the effectiveness of your application process across devices.
Time-to-hire: This metric shows the efficiency of identifying a suitable candidate by tracking how quickly the successful candidate moves from application to offer acceptance.

Regularly reviewing these recruitment metrics allows organisationsorganizations to refine their hiring strategies and improve overall candidate conversion rates.

Bonus tip: Simplify the application process to reduce drop-off rates

If you’re experiencing higher drop-offs or not receiving the volume of applications you’re seeking, look at how you can streamline the process. A long or complicated application process can cause top candidates to lose interest before they even complete their submission. If applying for a role feels like a chore, the best applicants may move on to a company that makes the process easier.

To keep the application process candidate-friendly:

Ensure the entire process takes no longer than ten minutes to complete.
Remove unnecessary steps, like requiring candidates to re-enert details already provided. Allow resume parsing to auto-fill application fields instead of requiring manual data entry.
Enable social logins to save candidates from creating yet another account.
OptimiseOptimize the process for mobile devices – our latest data shows 34% of candidates apply on mobile.
Use incomplete application rates to identify areas where candidates drop off and consider how you can improve it.

When applying is quick and seamless, the right candidates are more likely to complete their applications and stay engaged.

A smarter process brings better hires

The hiring landscape has changed, and top talent has more choices than ever. If companies want to attract and retain the best candidates, they need to create an application process that is efficient, engaging, and candidate-friendly.

When the process is optimisedoptimized from start to finish, hiring teams spend less time sorting through unqualified resumes and more time securing the right people for the job.

Learn more about enhancing your candidate experience in our latest candidate experience report here.

The post How to attract stronger candidates by fine-tuning your application process appeared first on PageUp.

5 key considerations for crafting a compelling EVP

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 21:53:25 +0000

The post 5 key considerations for crafting a compelling EVP appeared first on PageUp.

Candidate experience in 2025: what really matters

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 04:15:54 +0000

The post Candidate experience in 2025: what really matters appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Building a business case for HR tech: A step-by-step framework

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 23:15:26 +0000

As HR teams look to drive transformation and improve talent management, investing in the right HR Tech solutions can be the key to success. However, crafting a solid business case for technology investment is often easier said than done.

In our webinar Andrea McCartney, Customer Account Executive, PageUp, Sherri Reese, AVP Talent Management, Michigan State University, Jane Gray, Sr. Director of Talent Acquisition, University of North Texas walk you through our step-by-step framework to help align your tech strategy with broader business goals, articulate the specific challenges you’re aiming to solve, and demonstrate the ROI of your HR Tech investment. They also share firsthand examples from HR leaders who have successfully navigated the process of securing buy-in for HR Tech solutions, providing you with real-world insights on overcoming challenges, aligning technology with business objectives, and achieving measurable success.

By watching this webinar, you’ll gain:

A clear understanding of how to build a business case that speaks the language of executives.
Insights into how HR Tech can address critical HR challenges.
Access to a detailed worksheet to guide your own planning process.

Watch today to set your HR department up for success with the right tech solutions.

The post Watch now: Building a business case for HR tech: A step-by-step framework appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Building a business case for HR tech: Demonstrating ROI and strategic value

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 22:34:39 +0000

HR technology is more critical than ever in driving efficiencies, improving employee experiences, and delivering data-driven insights. However, when it comes to securing investment, HR leaders face the challenge of articulating the value of these solutions to senior executives and demonstrating a clear return on investment (ROI).

Watch this webinar where Andrea McCartney, Customer Account Executive, PageUp moderates an insightful panel discussion featuring Rhea Dever, VP – People, Culture, & Wellbeing, Northern Michigan University; Thomas Bunton, CTO, Kansas State University; and Gokhan Turgut, CFO, PageUp. They share strategies for building a strong business case for HR tech and demonstrate its ROI.

You will learn:

How to align HR tech investments with broader business goals, including improving productivity, reducing costs, and enhancing employee retention.
Key metrics and KPIs that matter when measuring ROI, including both quantitative and qualitative results.
Best practices for engaging stakeholders across HR, IT, and finance departments to gain buy-in for HR tech initiatives.
Real-world examples and case studies showcasing the tangible impact of HR

This webinar will provide the tools and insights you need to confidently build a plan to optimize your workforce with the right technology.

The post Watch now: Building a business case for HR tech: Demonstrating ROI and strategic value appeared first on PageUp.

Inbound Recruiting 101: Creating a thriving talent pipeline

Sun, 05 Jan 2025 22:26:08 +0000

Why inbound recruitment is essential

In today’s competitive job market, standing out to top talent isn’t just about posting jobs and waiting. It’s about proactively engaging candidates and showcasing why your organisationorganization is the place to be. That’s where inbound recruiting comes in.

Using marketing techniques, inbound recruiting connects with passive candidates on the platforms they already use. Instead of waiting for applications to roll in, you meet potential hires where they are —online. From there, you can direct them to your careerscareer site, where your employee value proposition (EVP) shines, and they can join your talent community.

Why does this matter? Inbound strategies build stronger talent pools, reduce hiring costs, and speed up the recruitment process. PageUp research shows it takes just four applications from your talent community to make a hire —a massive improvement compared to 74 applications per hire from job boards.

This proactive approach makes filling hard-to-recruit roles more efficient while enhancing your hiring outcomes.

Benefits of inbound recruitment

Attract quality candidates organically
Reduce time-to-hire and cost-to-hire
Enhance the candidate experience
Save time prospecting candidates
Engage passive talent
Build diverse talent pools

How to start your inbound recruiting journey

1. Identify your target talent segments

Work with hiring managers and business leaders to define the critical roles that drive success. Once identified, build personas for your target segments. Research their skills, interests, motivations, pain points, and online behaviour. This data will guide your inbound strategy by formulating tactics to best reach and engage with them.

Pro Tip:

Use external market research for added perspective.
Conduct employee focus groups or interviews.
Leverage HR and engagement surveys.

2. Set clear objectives

Define measurable goals to monitor the success of your efforts. Examples include increasing careerscareer site traffic, boosting content engagement, or improving application conversions. Use data to inform your benchmarks, track impact and adjust strategies as needed.

3. Ensure your EVP is aligned

With a greater understanding of your target talent segments’ motivations and values, does your employer brand and EVP align with what your ideal candidates seek? New research shows 62% of candidates only apply for jobs that meet most of their EVP requirements. Whether it’s flexible work arrangements, growth opportunities, or a sense of purpose, your EVP should address these desires.

Discover more about how to craft your EVP here.

4. Create engaging content

Content marketing is a powerhouse for inbound recruiting. Share blogs, videos, and social posts that align with your employer brand. Differentiate yourself by offering unique insights into your organisationorganization’s culture. By knowing what each segment values most and where they spend their time, you can tailor targeted content for optimal impact.

Your team is a powerful recruiting asset. Consider an employee ambassador program encouraging employees to share authentic content, participate in social media campaigns, and promote your organisationorganization. For example, team hashtags, live Q&A sessions and testimonial videos can humanisehumanize your brand and build trust.

Content Tips:

Maintain consistency with a content calendar to be top of mind with talent.
Mix up formats (e.g., day-in-the-life videos, blogs, events, images) to keep your audience engaged.
Tailor your messaging to which talent segment you are targeting, while ensuring alignment with your employer brand.
Include strong calls-to-action (CTAs) to get candidates to take action on what you want them to do next (e.g., discover our marketing opportunities)

5. OptimiseOptimize your careerscareer site

Your careerscareer site is your digital first impression. It’s where your content leads candidates back to and where they go to research your organisationorganization. The experience can make or break whether a candidate is interested in working for you. Make it memorable with:

Compelling visuals and messaging that highlight your EVP
Segment-specific landing pages with curated content
Simple job search tools and applications to drive conversions
Mobile-friendly functionality
Strong CTA’s to capture talent even if they’re not ready to apply

According to LinkedIn, 70% of people on your careerscareer site are invisible. We need to ensure we have engaging content and features that bring visitors to light by capturing them on our site.

Now, candidates won’t find you if your site isn’t optimisedoptimized. Use SEO best practices, such as:

Apply industry-standard job titles that job seekers searched for instead of obscure titles to make them easier to find and spark interest.
Create blogs that align with what passive candidates search for, such as tips on building your career within a particular function or industry insights.
Structure your site for easy navigation, fast load times and mobile optimisationoptimization.

Gain more insights on how to optimiseoptimize your job advertisementsadvertizements here.

6. Nurture your talent community

The journey doesn’t stop once you have candidates in your talent community. Maintain relationships with candidates using tailored email campaigns— personalisepersonalize messaging based on their skills, location, and preferences. The more nurtured candidates feel, the more likely they will move down the recruitment funnel and convert interest into applicants.

Want to know more about how to build and nurture successful talent pools? Learn more here.

7. Invest in recruitment marketing technology

Use analytics to track your inbound efforts and adjust as needed. Behavioural metrics like engagement rates and conversion success tell you what’s working. Once you identify effective strategies, you can scale them for greater ROI.

Technology is essential for managing a robust inbound strategy. With PageUp Clinch Recruitment Marketing Solution, you can amplify your employer brand, optimiseoptimize your careerscareer site, and nurture talent pipelines seamlessly. This comprehensive tool integrates with your ATS to streamline recruitment and boost results.

Inbound recruiting is about building relationships, not just filling roles. By meeting candidates where they are and offering a compelling reason to join your team, you can attract top talent, save time, and reduce costs. Ready to see inbound recruitment in action? Explore PageUp’s solutions and start transforming your hiring strategy today!

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Build your employer branding strategy with authentic content

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 04:56:07 +0000

The post Build your employer branding strategy with authentic content appeared first on PageUp.

MaximisingMaximizing sourcing channel effectiveness in a high-volume applicant market

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 03:20:10 +0000

When applicant volumes surge, talent acquisition teams are often faced with a paradox: while more applicants can offer a broader talent pool, filtering for the right fit becomes more challenging. Leveraging targeted sourcing channels can help recruiters ensure time and resources are allocated effectively to finding the most suitable candidates.

In this article, we’ll explore why understanding sourcing channel effectiveness is critical in the current market, how to get the most out of your sourcing channels and industry benchmarks to help you stay ahead of the competition.

Rising applicant volumes: Opportunity and challenge

As hiring has eased, we have seen an increase in applicants of almost 50% globally when compared to two years ago. High-volume applicants often signal increased interest in a role or brand, which is great for visibility and having more candidates to choose from, but tough on filtering.

Despite the rise in applicants, recruitment difficulty remains high as organisationsorganizations navigate persistent skills-shortages and face new challenges like the rising use of Gen AI among jobseekers. Recruiters need to strive for quality over quantity, and leverage attraction strategies to encourage great applicants.

That’s why ensuring you’re using the right sourcing channels for each role is so important. With a variety to turn to—from social media and job boards to referrals or internally—knowing which channels are more likely to yield quality candidates who align with the role’s requirements is imperative—that’s where sourcing channel effectiveness comes in.

What is sourcing channel effectiveness

Sourcing channel effectiveness shows the percentage of applications that have resulted in new hires from a specific sourcing channel. This lets you identify the most effective channels for finding talent for your organisationorganization and where you should prioritiseprioritize your efforts. Diving deeper into what channels are most effective for certain role types, functions, or seniorities will enable you to tailor your hiring strategy based on the position to reach the best talent.

Why sourcing channel effectiveness matters

Here are some key benefits behind analysing your sourcing channel effectiveness:

Enhanced candidate quality: Effective channels attract candidates who align closely with job requirements, making it easier to identify strong prospects and reducing the need to sift through unqualified applicants.
Increased hiring efficiency: Focusing on top-performing channels speeds up the recruitment process by receiving higher-quality applicants, reducing time to fill and helping recruiters manage high application volumes.
Reduce sourcing spend: PrioritisingPrioritizing proven channels ensures that budgets and efforts are directed where they’ll have the most impact, maximisingmaximizing ROI.
Improved candidate experience: When channels attract suitable applicants, the recruitment process becomes more engaging and efficient, leading to a smoother journey for candidates, which is better for your employer brand.
Informed strategy: Tracking channel performance provides actionable insights, allowing recruiters to adapt to market shifts or different types of roles and continually improve sourcing efforts.

Sourcing channel effectiveness in 2025

So what is the market telling us about each major channel? Based on PageUp data, the graphic below demonstrates the average sourcing channel effectiveness of the most commonly used channels.

Number of applications required for one hire

Job boards, on average, require 74 applications to make one hire. Despite lower effectiveness, they remain vital for a broad reach, employer branding, and awareness. They contribute, on average, 59% of total applications. Consider identifying and focusing on job boards that consistently yield the most hires across role types to maximisemaximize cost-effectiveness.

CareersCareer sites need 46 applications per hire, outperforming job boards in effectiveness by providing a more targeted pool of candidates. To attract and convert the right talent, careerscareer sites should authentically showcase your employer brand, values, culture and benefits. To further boost applicant quality, employers can create targeted landing pages tailored to different talent segments, ensuring a more engaging and relevant experience for candidates.

Social media has historically shown lower effectiveness. However, this does not mean it should be overlooked. Identify and prioritiseprioritize the social channels most frequented by your target talent segments to engage them effectively where they spend time online.

Internal mobility remains a highly effective channel, with only six applications needed per hire. In the current market, organisationsorganizations focus on upskilling and reskilling initiatives to meet talent needs and increase agility. Ensure you have a dedicated internal careerscareer site and actively promote opportunities to drive mobility while reducing sourcing costs and increasing retention.

Talent relationships need just four applications per hire. These candidates already exist within your talent network, showing they are engaged and interested in your organisationorganization. The high effectiveness of this channel highlights the importance of inbound recruitment strategies. UtilisingUtilizing a CRM to nurture and maintain talent pipelines ensures prospects remain engaged until the proper role becomes available.

Referrals are another high-quality source, requiring 10 applicants per hire. Encourage referrals by actively promoting and incentivisingincentivizing referral programs within your organisationorganization.

Industry benchmark data: Sourcing channel effectiveness

To help you formulate your strategy, here is PageUp benchmark data across industries to see how your organisationorganization compares.

The above data is showing the number of applications required from each channel on average to secure one hire.

Implementing a sourcing channel strategy

As you can see, sourcing channel effectiveness can vary significantly between industries. To enhance sourcing effectiveness in a high-volume environment, recruitment teams need to start by looking at your own numbers – how many applications do you require for each sourcing channel to hire one person? What channels are driving the best return on investment?

Use benchmarks and establish goals on what you expect to achieve from each channel. Then, experiment with adjustments, such as modifying ad placements or refreshing messaging, and continually track performance. Regularly reviewing metrics will reveal which channels need fine-tuning and will help talent acquisition specialists stay agile and drive greater ROI.

For more industry benchmarks, check out our industry benchmark tool and request a demo to find out how PageUp can help you take your analytics to the next level.

The post MaximisingMaximizing sourcing channel effectiveness in a high-volume applicant market appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Trending: Top recruitment themes shaping 2025

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 22:07:04 +0000

In this panel discussion webinar, we countdown the top recruitment trends that we predict will impact hiring teams in 2025. From the ongoing impact of AI, to strategies you can use to increase talent pipelines and key considerations for candidate experience, this webinar is not to be missed if you want to get the most out of your TA plans in 2025.

In this webinar, we countdown the top recruitment trends that we predict will impact hiring teams in 2025. From the ongoing impact of AI, to strategies you can use to increase talent pipelines and key considerations for candidate experience, this webinar is not to be missed if you want to get the most out of your TA plans in 2025.

Featuring:

Gareth Flynn, CEO, TQ Solutions
Carolyn Jenkins, National Talent Acquisition Manager, Myer
John Orr, Talent Acquisition Manager, G8 Education
Rebecca Skilbeck, Head of Customer Insights and Market Research, PageUp

Andrea McCartney, Customer Account Executive, PageUp
Casey Gervolino, Customer Success Manager, PageUp

The post Watch now: Trending: Top recruitment themes shaping 2025 appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: An inside look at an award-winning careers site

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 01:29:15 +0000

Today’s jobseekers expect instant access to everything they need—and your careers site is no exception. It’s no longer enough for your site to be just ‘good’; it needs to stand out and convert top talent. So, how do you elevate your careers site from ordinary to exceptional?

In this webinar, presented by Kate Mosel, Manager Talent and Capability at IGO and Fiona Moreton, Chief Product Officer, PageUp Group you’ll hear tips, tricks and results of implementing an award-winning careers site, focusing on leveraging employee advocates, authentic EVP, and employer branding.

Watch now to learn:

Best practices in developing your careers site
How to feature your employees as authentic brand advocates
The importance of showcasing your EVP and employer brand
How your careers site can be the ultimate tool in reaching targeted talent segments

The post Watch now: An inside look at an award-winning careers site appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: OptimisingOptimizing your candidate experience

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 01:20:13 +0000

In today’s competitive job market, providing an exceptional candidate experience is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. Watch our webinar featuring Shannon Leftwich, Talent Acquisition Manager, Kansas State University and Haley Ruddell, Product Specialist, PageUp where they share how Kansas State has worked to optimiseoptimize their candidate experience enhancing the overall recruitment journey.

In this session they discuss:

UtilisingUtilizing candidate feedback to drive changes to the recruitment processes.
Showcasing your employer brand through recruitment marketing and onboarding systems to authentically represent your organisationorganization, creating a compelling narrative that engages candidates from the outset.
Leveraging technology to streamline the candidate experience, ensuring a smooth transition from application through onboarding.

Whether you’re a seasoned HR professional or just starting out, this webinar will equip you with the tools and knowledge to create a more engaging and efficient candidate experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your recruitment strategy and set your organisationorganization apart in the talent marketplace!

Watch today to take the first step towards optimisingoptimizing your candidate experience!

Presenters:

Shannon Leftwich, Talent Acquisition Manager, Kansas State University
Haley Ruddell, Product Specialist, PageUp

The post Watch now: OptimisingOptimizing your candidate experience appeared first on PageUp.

From offer to onboarding: How to ensure a smooth start for your new hires

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 02:36:39 +0000

The offer was accepted, and now it’s time to put your best foot forward as you welcome your new starter into your organisationorganization. The first days, weeks, and months with your company are crucial in setting the tone for your new hire’s entire experience and long-term success. A well-thought-out onboarding process can help your new employees hit the ground running, feel connected to their team, and immerse them in your company culture from day one.

Let’s dive into ways to ensure you deliver an impactful onboarding experience that sets your new hires up for success.

Make the transition from hiring to onboarding seamless

Don’t wait until their start date to make your new hire feel like part of the team. A seamless transition between the hiring and onboarding process sets the tone for a smooth integration into the company. After they’ve accepted your offer, don’t let communication drop off; be sure to stay in touch to keep new hires engaged and excited.

Use informative welcome emails to build confidence for their first day

The time leading up to day one is an excellent opportunity to make your new hire feel confident and prepared. They shouldn’t be left in the dark about basic details like where to go, what to wear, or what their first day will look like. At Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), they go above and beyond in their welcome emails with details about how to navigate the buildings and where to go, the dress code that links to a Pinterest board with the types of things people wear, and where they’ll be eating lunch on their first day with a link to the menu. Providing them with all the information or resources, will ensure they feel prepared and show them that you are too.

DigitiseDigitize administrative tasks, paperwork and communications

Let’s face it—nobody enjoys being buried under paperwork on their first day. By digitisingdigitizing as much of the onboarding process as possible, you can make things smoother and more efficient not only for your new hires, but for HR, finance and hiring managers too. Whether it’s payroll forms, IT checklists, or mandatory training, these tasks should be simple to complete and provide the right people with visibility over what has and hasn’t been done to ensure compliance.

Camp Australia recently digitiseddigitized their experience with PageUp Onboarding, reducing the time needed to get new employees ‘ready to roster’ down from 3 months to 2 weeks. By leveraging automated onboarding workflows and reminders via SMS or email, they are able to free up time spent following up onboarding requirements and easily identify if anything is slowing down the process. This has enabled them to fill gaps in their workforce efficiently and prepare their educators to provide care to kids faster.

“Because of how the onboarding process has brought it all together, most people are through that process, from offer acceptance to their first shift within two weeks, which is a phenomenally good improvement. We can support people through the process faster and fill the gap in a much more timely fashion.”

– Craig Stewart, Head of People at Camp Australia

Equip Hiring managers to onboard effectively

To equip hiring managers for successful onboarding, it’s crucial to provide accessible and targeted training. Whether they are first-time managers, new to the company, or seasoned leaders, reinforcing the significance of effective onboarding is essential. One valuable tool for guiding managers is the 4 Cs of Onboarding, a framework developed by Dr. Talya Bauer, which emphasisesemphasizes four key areas: Compliance, Clarification, Culture, and Connection. This structured approach ensures that the onboarding process not only covers administrative tasks but also fosters long-term success by helping new employees feel supported and integrated into the company.

Since onboarding can be time-consuming, it’s vital that hiring managers are equipped with the right tools and resources. This enables them to deliver a smooth, impactful onboarding experience, ensuring new hires feel confident, connected, and prepared for success from the start.

“All of our hiring managers have asynchronous on-demand training about how to recruit, hire, and onboard well. Hearing the data and statistics about why onboarding is important is critical to help our hiring managers understand that they play the most important role.”

– Sarah Witcher, Senior Director of Employee Development and HR Communications at SCAD

CentraliseCentralize the process with an onboarding portal

Onboarding isn’t a one-size-fits all approach. PersonalisingPersonalizing workflows and setting up different processes and tasks based on roles or employee groups can ensure the onboarding experience feels relevant and tailored to each new hire’s unique needs. Using an onboarding portal as a central hub that your new starter can keep referring back to with helpful links and resources they might need, as well as clear onboarding tasks and due dates, will provide clarity and help keep new hires on track.

“We make sure all of our onboarding tasks are highly relevant and actionable, and PageUp has really enabled us to do that more efficiently. We can take digital forms that new hires previously had to print, sign, upload and email. Now we have a seamless process, where they can do that all on screen and sign paperwork within the onboarding portal.”

– Sarah Witcher, Senior Director of Employee Development and HR Communications at SCAD

Focus on the moments that matter

Don’t over do it. Streamline administrative tasks to free up time for the things that matter most: building relationships and integrating new starters into the team. Hiring Managers need to ensure they’re set up with catch ups with the right people – key stakeholders, team members and relevant resources. Supporting your new hire to build their network internally will open lines of communication to enable them to access the information and support needed to succeed in their position.

Regular check-ins with their manager also keep the lines of communication open, offering opportunities to address concerns and celebrate progress. A buddy system can help by giving new hires a go-to person who can answer their questions and provide guidance as they settle in. A little effort here goes a long way in making your new hire feel welcomed and supported right from the start. First impressions last, so creating an environment where new hires feel welcomed and valued is essential.

Set realistic goals and celebrate small wins

Onboarding can feel overwhelming with the sheer amount of information new hires need to digest. Help them stay focused by setting clear, realistic goals for their first few weeks and months. What should they aim to achieve? When should they expect to hit key milestones?

Don’t forget to celebrate their small wins along the way. Acknowledging progress helps keep your new hires motivated, reinforces that they are on the right track and makes a more memorable onboarding experience.

A strong onboarding process is more than just paperwork and checklists. It’s about creating a seamless, supportive environment where new hires feel welcomed and ready to thrive. By leveraging digital tools, keeping communication lines open, and focusing on meaningful connections, you’ll build a positive experience that helps your new employees hit the ground running. What does your onboarding process say about your company?

If you’d like to learn more about how PageUp can help streamline your onboarding process and improve your new hire experience, check out our Onboarding solution and request a demo today!

The post From offer to onboarding: How to ensure a smooth start for your new hires appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Transforming talent acquisition with Recruitment Marketing at the University of Central Florida

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 22:57:12 +0000

Traditional recruitment methods must be improved in today’s highly competitive talent landscape. OrganisationsOrganizations are reimagining their recruitment strategies to stand out in a crowded marketplace to ensure they’re building a strong employer brand, engaging passive candidates, and driving higher-quality applications.

Watch our recent webinar with Renee Grigor, University of Central Florida, and Andrea McCartney, PageUp. They provided a comprehensive overview of how UCF has implemented PageUp’s innovative Recruitment Marketing solution to attract, engage, and nurture top-tier candidates in a competitive job market.

In this session, they discussed:

Enhanced Candidate Experience: Learn about the tailored strategies UCF used to create engaging and personalisedpersonalized candidate experiences, fostering a positive employer brand and increasing candidate satisfaction.
Building a Business Case: Learn how UCF was able to build a business case, find a budget, and get approval to move forward with recruitment marketing.
Data-Driven Insights: Explore how UCF utilisesutilizes PageUp’s analytics and reporting features to gain valuable insights into recruitment metrics, enabling data-driven decisions and continuous improvement.
Success Stories and Best Practices: Hear real-world examples of successful campaigns and initiatives that have significantly improved UCF’s recruitment outcomes and practical tips for other institutions looking to leverage PageUp.

Watch this webinar today so you can learn from UCF’s experience and explore how you can achieve similar success in your organisationorganization

The post Watch now: Transforming talent acquisition with Recruitment Marketing at the University of Central Florida appeared first on PageUp.

4 ways to improve your offer acceptance rate

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:22:20 +0000

We’re hearing it everywhere: businesses are struggling to find quality hires. Although the labour market has softened, top talent remains in high demand. The amount of employers experiencing recruiting difficulty sits above 50%, with 75% reporting challenges filling roles.

What’s worse is when organisationsorganizations find the right person for the job, they could be rejected —or ghosted —at the offer stage. PageUp research shows an 11% increase in candidates declining offers over the past year.

To overcome this challenge, top recruiters in 2024 are tracking offer acceptance rate. Using this metric, you can evaluate the effectiveness of your recruitment process and how jobseekers view you in the market.

Offer acceptance rate is expressed as a percentage. It’s the number of offers accepted by candidates divided by the total number of offers made. In a perfect world, this number would be 100%, with every offer made accepted. But we all know that doesn’t happen, so what does good look like, and what should we aim for?

Why does it matter?

You might be asking yourself why you should care? If an applicant rejects your offer or disappears at the final hurdle, were they right for the job?

Sadly, it’s often fantastic candidates turning down job offers. It’s crucial to track and measure your offer acceptance rate to identify areas for improvement. Tracking this metric can help you understand how candidates are experiencing your company —and examine what you can do better.

What does a good acceptance rate look like?

According to PageUp data, the average acceptance rate is 90% —meaning that for every 100 offers given, 10 people say ‘no’. However, not all industries are the same. Our data shows that Government roles have the lowest acceptance rate, at 78% in 2024. In contrast, Retail acceptance rates are at their peak, climbing to 95% in 2024. With the best organisationsorganizations achieving offer acceptance rates of 99% — there is a sizable gap between the top-performing organisationsorganizations and industry benchmarks.

90%

The average offer acceptance rate across industries in 2024

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Offer acceptance rate %

How to improve your offer acceptance rate

1. Focus on candidate experience

A key factor in whether a candidate accepts an offer is their experience throughout the recruitment journey. A negative experience can have a huge impact, with 42% of candidates declining job offers as a direct result of a bad interview experience.

Giving candidates a great experience can be as simple as asking the right questions in the interview. Get to know candidates on a personal level, and make an effort to understand their needs and career goals. This personalisationpersonalization can have a huge impact on the interaction —and the outcome of your job offer.

When it comes to high-volume roles, it’s not easy to keep all candidates informed and engaged. That’s where automated communications come into play. Simply notifying the candidates that you’re experiencing high levels of applications shows them you are interested and provides your recruiter with a little more time to get through applications.

Another way to ensure you’re always providing the best experience is to ask for feedback on the hiring experience from both successful and unsuccessful candidates, as well as those who decline your offer. This will provide you with the insights needed to continually improve your processes, ensure you deliver great experiences, and understand what made them say ‘no’.

2. Differentiate through your employer brand and EVP

Candidates are more likely to accept an offer if they feel aligned to your company. 56% of candidates won’t consider a role if the values are misaligned. You need to highlight what makes your organisationorganization unique to differentiate from the competition.

Creating a strong, tangible employer brand can be a great way to increase your offer acceptance rate. Highlight awards, employee testimonials and reviews to help solidify your employer brand reputation and build trust with potential candidates.

Take some time to review your careerscareer site —is it engaging? Does it promote all the company perks and benefits? Can jobseekers clearly see your DE&I initiatives? Positioning your company as a place people want to work will only benefit your offer acceptance rate.

3. Provide an authentic view of your company

Jobseekers crave authenticity and transparency —and modern hiring practices must reflect this. Consider ways to increase transparency in the recruitment process, such as: disclosing salary, benefits or flexible working arrangements upfront. Give candidates the opportunity to ask questions, and connect with current employees.Tools like Employee Connections allow candidates to interact with current employees, ask questions and receive authentic responses from their peers. They can gain insight into things like company culture, a day-in-the-life stories, and the team dynamic.

PageUp’s Employee Connections tools connect careerscareer site visitors directly with your employees via live Q&A, testimonials, discussions, videos and more.

4. Speed up your processes

It’s important not to waste time in the recruiting process. Top talent will always have options, and long, drawn-out hiring processes means you risk losing your first choice, and your silver medalist, too.

Ensuring you have the best tools in place, like an ATS, can help enhance efficiency by automating tasks, workflows, and communications. These features streamline the management and processing of applications, help identify qualified candidates, and ensure the hiring of top-quality team members. You can also utiliseutilize tools like Text Engage to speed up your time-to-hire, and to reach candidates no matter where they are.

Final thoughts

Knowing what’s working and what’s not is critical to successful recruiting. Tracking your offer acceptance rate, along with other metrics, means you can fine-tune your recruitment activities and stay ahead of the competition. Check out our recruitment metrics report to find out what other metrics you need to focus on.

PageUp can provide one seamless solution for all your hiring needs. Book a demo with our team today to see how it all comes together.

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5 essential metrics for data-driven hiring

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 01:09:17 +0000

The post 5 essential metrics for data-driven hiring appeared first on PageUp.

How to get started with skills-based hiring

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 01:17:15 +0000

Skills-based hiring is on the rise, with an 11% increase in adoption over the past couple of years. As organisationsorganizations face persistent skills shortages, the need to build diverse and agile workforces is on the rise. Hiring teams are increasingly exploring non-traditional recruitment methods in their quest for talent, and in 2026, AI has become a genuine enabler of doing this well.

As the skills-based hiring approach remains uncharted territory for many organisationsorganizations, let’s break down what skills-based hiring is, its benefits, and how you can get started.

What is skills-based hiring?

Skills-based hiring focuses on evaluating candidates based on their skills, capabilities, and potential rather than traditional criteria like education, qualifications, or work experience. This approach uses a skills ontology, a method for defining and measuring relationships between skills, jobs, and people. It creates a dynamic language that connects skills across various roles, industries, and subject areas.

The benefits of skills-based hiring

Increase talent pools

By looking beyond formal qualifications and job history, skills-based hiring uncovers a broader range of skilled professionals who might otherwise be overlooked. This method can expand your talent pipeline by more than nine times, increasing your chances of finding the perfect fit for your team.

Improve DEI

Focusing on skills rather than traditional qualifications levels the playing field for underrepresented groups who have followed alternative educational or career paths. An astounding 90% of employers using skills-based hiring have observed an increase in workplace diversity.

Create organisationalorganizational agility

Shifting from rigid job requirements to a skills-based framework allows for greater flexibility. Companies can quickly adapt to changing economic or market conditions by reallocating employees based on the skills needed. Skills-based organisationsorganizations are 57% more likely to anticipate and respond to change effectively.

Drive performance and innovation

Hiring based on skills accelerates the time to productivity. Skills are five times more predictive of job performance than education and twice as predictive as work experience. By assembling teams with diverse skill sets, you can foster an environment fit for innovation.

Enhance development and retention

As business needs evolve, so do the required skills. Understanding your team’s skills allows for targeted upskilling and reskilling. Providing ongoing development opportunities increases engagement and retention, with 56% of people leaders noting improved talent retention from skills-based hiring.

How to establish a skills-based approach

1. Set your goals Start by defining why you want to adopt a skills-based approach. Whether it’s to diversify your talent pool or build a more agile workforce, having clear objectives will guide your process. For example: “to access a more diverse talent pool” or “to build an agile workforce that can quickly adapt to future business needs.”

2. Build the foundation One of the main challenges is defining a common language for skills. A skills taxonomy categorisescategorizes skills into groups and clusters, making it easier to identify and manage them across your organisationorganization.

3. Determine future needs Align your talent strategy with your business goals. Identify the capabilities needed to meet future demands and the skills required to build those capabilities. This alignment helps you organiseorganize work around these skills, identify gaps, and refine your talent acquisition strategy.

4. Manage the transition Changing established mindsets and practices is the biggest hurdle. Engage and educate your stakeholders on the benefits and methods of skills-based hiring. Equip recruiters and hiring managers with the tools and training they need to assess and evaluate skills effectively. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, so identify the different types of tools to meet your requirements and find what works best for your organisationorganization‘s unique needs.

5. Start small and scale Don’t try to overhaul everything at once. Start with a key talent segment or a specific business unit. Implement the approach, learn from the experience, and gradually expand.

Steps to running a skills-based hiring process

1. Engage stakeholders

As a recruiter, when commencing a hiring process the hiring manager is your greatest ally. Collaborate closely to define the essential skills of the position, leaving out those that can be easily taught on the job. Dive deep into the role’s daily tasks, challenges, and expectations by discussing them with managers, team members, or even department leads. This will provide valuable insight to prioritiseprioritize the most critical skills for the new hire.

2. Identify transferable skills

Switching the focus from specific qualifications or roles to skills can greatly expand your talent pool. A common, dynamic understanding of the connections between skills allows you to spot transferable skills from candidates, even if they haven’t worked in your industry before. Here’s how to do it:

Review the job description: Thoroughly examine the job description and responsibilities to pinpoint the necessary skills.
Analyse similar job listings: Research and cross-reference similar job postings to get a broader view of the common skills required. Consider adjacent roles to understand transferable skill sets.
PrioritisePrioritize essential skills: Focus on the must-have skills and avoid an overly long list that might scare off potential candidates.
Include soft skills: Think beyond technical and hard skills. Consider essential soft skills, which are increasingly important, especially in hybrid and remote roles.
Keep the future in mind: Think about how the role might evolve and what skills will be important in the future, including AI literacy and adaptability, which are now relevant across almost every function.

Once you’ve gathered this information, you’ll have a comprehensive list of skills required for the position.

3. Sourcing for skills

Now, it’s time to start your search and attract talent with the skills you’re looking for. Make sure to:

Review the position description: Clearly outline the required skills, including technical and soft skills, and specify the level of proficiency needed. Clearly communicate the business impact of the role.
Craft your job advertisementadvertizement: Focus on skills and capabilities, removing unnecessary qualifications that could deter good candidates. Use inclusive language to attract a diverse range of applicants.
Consider both internal and external talent pools: Ask yourself if you can fill the position by upskilling current employees or if you need to hire externally. Use talent pooling to create a ready list of candidates whose skills are already known, making the hiring process quicker and more efficient.

4. Screening for skills

Recruitment technology plays a key role in supporting skills-based hiring. When screening resumes and candidate matching within your applicant tracking system (ATS), focus on skills rather than specific job titles or credentials. Be aware that candidates from other industries might use different terminology to describe their skills. This means a candidate’s resume might not perfectly match your search terms, but could still be a great fit. You’ll only know if you take the time to read the resume.

Watch out for unconscious bias: don’t make decisions based on education, degrees, or past employers. Instead, focus on the skills and potential a candidate brings to the table. It’s also important to bear in mind that with 45% of job seekers now using AI tools to enhance their resumes, manual screening alone is an increasingly unreliable filter.

This is where PageUp’s AI Skills Matching becomes a genuine differentiator. Rather than relying on keyword matching or gut feel, AI Skills Matching maps candidate skills directly against role requirements with precision and transparency. Recruiters can see exactly how a candidate stacks up across essential, important, and desirable skills, with clear ratings and supporting rationale for each, making it easier to spot strong candidates who might otherwise be screened out due to a non-traditional background. Importantly, the AI cannot be configured to automatically disqualify applicants. It’s designed to augment human judgement, not replace it.

This matters for skills-based hiring specifically because:

It reduces credential bias: Matching is based on actual skills, not job titles or employer names. It also doesn’t compare candidates to each other, but to the job requirement which further supports reduced bias in the hiring process.
It surfaces non-obvious candidates: Someone from a different industry might not match your search terms, but their underlying skills could be a strong fit. AI Skills Matching will find them.
It creates consistency at scale: Every candidate is evaluated against the same skills framework, reducing variability across high-volume roles or different recruiters.
It is designed to avoid perpetuating historical bias: unlike some AI tools, PageUp’s AI Skills Matching is intentionally prevented from learning based on your organisationorganization‘s past hiring decisions. This is a key safeguard against reinforcing any patterns or biases rooted in historical data.
It gives recruiters time back: Rather than reading every resume before shortlisting, recruiters can focus their attention where it matters most.

Pair AI Skills Matching with AnonymisedAnonymized Profiles (which hide identifiable candidate information to reduce bias) and CV SummarisationSummarization (which generates concise, consistent skill summaries) for a screening process that is faster, fairer, and more accurate.

5. Selecting for skills

Finally, assess candidates’ capabilities through interviews, assessments, and tests. Competency-based interviews, which use behavioural and situational questions, are a great way to evaluate specific skills. For example, ask: “Describe a project where you had to use different leadership styles to reach your goal” or “Tell me about a time you needed to influence people with different priorities from yours.” These questions help you understand how candidates apply their skills in real situations.

Use various assessments, such as psychometric testing, job knowledge tests, and practical assignments, to evaluate candidates’ skills. These assessments help ensure that you’re selecting candidates who are not only capable for the role but also fit well within your organisationorganization.

The future of skills-based hiring

The future of skills is rapidly evolving, and AI is making it possible to execute skills-based hiring with a level of rigour and scale that wasn’t previously achievable. By embedding a skills-based approach within your organisationorganization, and pairing it with the right technology, you can tap into a broader talent pool, foster a more inclusive workplace, and build the agility to meet whatever comes next.

Use these steps to get started, build on them, and adjust to meet your organisationorganization‘s needs. And remember: ensuring you have stakeholder buy-in and the technology to execute is crucial to running a skills-based hiring process effectively.

Learn more about how the PageUp Talent Acquisition Suite, including AI Skills Matching, can support you on your skills-based hiring journey, and request a demo today.

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AI in recruitment: Navigating the new hiring era

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 00:07:14 +0000

Long gone are the days of publishing a job ad in the newspaper. Today, we can’t imagine hiring without digital job boards, automated communications, or virtual interviewing. Technology continues transforming how we hire, with the latest and greatest talk of the town being Artificial Intelligence (AI). With AI adoption rapidly rising and the candidate experience at the top of mind, talent acquisition teams are navigating how to strike the right balance between using AI without losing the human touch.

Let’s dissect the most talked about topic in recruitment this year, uncovering how AI is adopted, what to be aware of, and its impact on the future role of talent acquisition.

How AI is used in recruitment

The most common areas in which HR functions use AI are recruitment, interviewing and hiring. In other words, Talent Acquisition. The types of AI utilisedutilized can be categorisedcategorized into two key areas: Foundational AI and Generative AI (Gen AI). Foundational AI works to streamline hiring processes by providing intelligent recommendations to speed up hiring decisions, while Gen AI leverages the power of machine learning to produce new text, images, or video in response to prompts. Both Foundational and Gen AI are immensely valuable for busy hiring teams, with nearly 9 in 10 using AI to save time or increase their efficiency, allowing HR to prioritiseprioritize tasks that need human intelligence.

Below are some key areas where recruitment teams are currently using AI throughout hiring processes:

Candidate sourcing: AI intelligence can help with candidate rediscovery by surfacing silver medalists, skills matching and using data to predict and build talent pipelines to speed up sourcing.
Candidate experience: Foundational AI can suggest job recommendations or blog posts to candidates on your careerscareer site, delivering a more personalisedpersonalized experience. Gen AI can quickly compose candidate communications for use in email or text quickly.
Chatbots: To enhance candidate engagement, chatbots are used to provide real-time responses 24/7, application assistance, and preliminary assessments.
Generating Content: Gen AI can be used as a starting point to help form copy for job advertisements or descriptions for a target audience and help remove bias from the language used.
Interviews: AI tools can support interview scheduling, screening and management. Gen AI can craft interview questions or develop interview guides to streamline processes.
SummarisingSummarizing or analysing resumes: AI can be used to summarisesummarize CVs or compare suitability to job descriptions to fast-track the screening process.

We are scratching the surface of how AI could evolve to support recruitment processes further. Staying on top of what AI recruitment technology and tools are at your disposal will keep your talent acquisition strategy ahead of the curve.

Key considerations when using AI in recruitment

Without a doubt AI has many benefits that support busy and time-poor recruitment teams. But amidst the excitement of AI, there are things you need to keep in mind to help achieve the ultimate balance between efficiency and outcomes.

Maintaining decision making

One of the top considerations is maintaining the human touch and intelligence. Defining what you are and are not using AI for can guide this. Let AI do some of the heavy lifting whilst leaving humans to make the ultimate decisions. When looking at your sourcing strategy, ensure AI is used without impacting candidate privacy, bias and compliance issues. AI can surface potential candidates, but a person should decide who goes through the process. Identifying and training teams on where and how AI is used within your recruitment process with enable you to maintain the ultimate decision making.

Employer brand authenticity

When we look at employer branding, authenticity is one of the critical aspects candidates value the most when considering whether they want to work for an organisationorganization. Always ensure communications accurately reflect your brand voice. AI can help as a starting point to build content and generate ideas, but ensure you put your spin on the final result. Use AI to speed up manual processes that don’t require a high level of personalisationpersonalization, giving you time back to focus on elements of the candidate experience within the recruitment processes that value human interaction.

Ethical considerations

Instances of bias or unethical outcomes from algorithmic decision-making cast a shadow over the AI-powered recruitment landscape. Despite AI’s ability to reduce bias, if the models are trained on biased or incomplete data sets, they can unintentionally perpetuate inequality. Do your due diligence on what tools are to be embedded in your organisationorganization. Opting for solutions developed with a data-driven approach ensures confidence in the trustworthiness and reliability of any AI recruitment tools integrated into your operations.

Impact on employees

The uncertainty of job displacement has played on many employees’ minds, with concerns of potential losses in the workforce due to automation and AI. Many organisationsorganizations are opting for a blend of AI support and human intervention to address these concerns, aiming to amplify human capabilities rather than replace them. A recent report from the Tech Council of Australia (TCA) forecasted that AI could create 200,000 new jobs by 2030, driving workplace efficiencies and economic growth. Applying a human-centred approach to integrating AI in the workforce will ease concerns and equip employees on how to leverage the technology within their roles.

The role of AI in the future of talent acquisition

AI is empowering recruiters to do less ‘filling the funnel’ and more connecting with candidates to find a great match. As AI adoption increases, we will see advanced personalisationpersonalization across the candidate experience. Talent acquisition teams can create automated campaigns to communicate with candidates using historical and predictive data; these campaigns can be personalisedpersonalized and targeted based on the candidate’s past actions, preferences or recruitment stage, to help drive engagement at scale.

AI equips recruiters with invaluable insights and analytics, guiding informed choices based on comprehensive data analysis. Over time, this can elevate the role of talent acquisition within the organisationorganization to focus on more strategic initiatives. When looking at skills recruiters need in the future, a LinkedIn survey showed the top soft skills in the next five years include communication (77%), relationship building (72%), adaptability (63%), problem solving (62%) and critical thinking (61%). Developing more strategic abilities and being adaptable and receptive to learning new skills will make it easier to embrace AI-powered recruitment tools.

Due to the acceleration of AI technology, it is predicted that by 2030 the skills required for a role will change by 65%. A shift to skills-focused operating models is becoming increasingly popular in order to achieve greater agility within organisationsorganizations. The integration of AI technology and skills-based approaches will transform the TA landscape, enhancing abilities to forecast talent shortages, match talent with skills more effectively, and uncover new talent pool opportunities. If adopted, TA can better prepare organisationorganization for the future by becoming more adaptable to talent shifts, reducing bias in hiring processes and enhancing employee engagement across the board.

The future of recruitment is undoubtedly intertwined with the responsible integration of AI and the evolving regulatory landscape. Greater transparency will emerge as a cornerstone to ease concerns regarding AI ethics. AI promises a more efficient, personalisedpersonalized, and engaging recruitment environment. Striking the right balance between technological advancements, ethical considerations, and human-centric approaches will ensure long-term recruitment success. How will your team harness AI in the year ahead?

Learn more about how PageUp’s powerful AI capabilities can help you enhance recruiter productivity and deliver impactful candidate experiences.

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Watch now: 5 recruitment metrics to amp up your hiring game

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:10:37 +0000

There is no one-size fits all approach to creating the ideal recruiting strategy, that’s why it’s so important to have a data-driven understanding of what is, and is not working, for your organisationorganization.

This webinar dive into 5 key metrics that are pivotal to optimisingoptimizing your recruitment efforts.

Presented by Rebecca Skilbeck, Head of Customer Insights and Market Research at PageUp and Kelly Murphy, Talent Acquisition Manager at Story House Early Learning, we cover:Presented by Sarah Forbes, Country Manager and SVP Sales, North America at PageUp and Jeff Cumberland, Director of Talent Acquisition at Virginia Tech, we cover:

Trends in applicant completion rates and time-to-apply, and what you can do to boost your numbers
Sourcing channel effectiveness – understand where your quality applicants are coming from to optimiseoptimize your sourcing strategy
The importance of understanding how many applicants and candidates are required to fill your open roles and how this can impact your hiring process
Offer acceptance rates – tips for boosting candidate conversion

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Watch now: Recruit faster with LinkedIn CRM Connect

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 01:54:11 +0000

In today’s hiring landscape, TA teams are constantly looking for ways to improve their recruiting workflows, build strong pipelines of warm talent, and optimize hiring processes to remain competitive. LinkedIn CRM Connect empowers talent teams to do all of this —and more.

Clinch is proud to be one of the first companies globally to collaborate with with LinkedIn on their LinkedIn CRM Connect integration. As an early adopter this new integration enables talent teams to seamlessly connect LinkedIn candidates with the Clinch CRM, facilitating targeted communication workflows, sourcing new candidates, and synchronizing candidate information between Clinch CRM and LinkedIn Recruiter – Saving recruiters time to focus energy on high-value tasks, enhancing overall productivity and recruitment outcomes.

Watch our recent webinar as we dive into the functionality and hear from industry leaders to understand how they’re using LinkedIn CRM Connect with Clinch Recruitment Marketing to optimize their proactive sourcing strategies.

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Watch now: Competence Over Credentials: The Skills-Based Hiring Approach

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 03:35:04 +0000

Facing the current skills shortage and competitive candidate market, many TA teams are looking to new sourcing strategies to help find the right talent in 2024. Teams are increasingly turning to a skills-based hiring approach, with recruiters seeking out transferable skills between roles and industries to broaden their talent pools. However, For many organizations, implementing a skills-based hiring approach is unfamiliar territory –so we’ve pulled together what you should consider when starting your skills-based hiring journey.

In this webinar Sarah Frobes, Country Manager & SVP Sales, North America and Erin Pfund, Pre-Sales Consultant at PageUp dive into:

Defining skills-based hiring and exploring the benefits
How to approach it and what stakeholders to engage
Ways to implement skills-based hiring within your organization

The post Watch now: Competence Over Credentials: The Skills-Based Hiring Approach appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Competence over credentials: The skills-based hiring approach

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 08:30:55 +0000

Facing the current skills shortage and competitive candidate market, many TA teams are looking to new sourcing strategies to help find the right talent in 2024. Teams are increasingly turning to a skills-based hiring approach, with recruiters seeking out transferable skills between roles and industries to broaden their talent pools. However, For many organisations, implementing a skills-based hiring approach is unfamiliar territory –so we’ve pulled together what you should consider when starting your skills-based hiring journey.

In this webinar Rebecca Skilbeck, Head of Customer Insights & Market Research at PageUp dives into:

Defining skills-based hiring and exploring the benefits
How to approach it and what stakeholders to engage
Ways to implement skills-based hiring within your organisation

The post Watch now: Competence over credentials: The skills-based hiring approach appeared first on PageUp.

Recruitment Metrics Glossary

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:11:11 +0000

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Watch now: Talking Talent Attraction with Renee Grigor, UCF

Thu, 23 May 2024 01:11:01 +0000

Located in one of the most competitive talent markets in the country, the University of Central Florida is fighting for talent head-on by implementing recruitment marketing and expanding its proactive recruiting team. Hear how Renee Grigor, Assistant VP Talent Management, and her team plan to use PageUp Recruitment Marketing’s Automated Workflows and CRM functionality to increase the productivity and efficiency of their recruiters, to enable more qualified applications flowing into their Workday ATS and into the hands of their departments.

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Watch now: Talking Talent Attraction with Erica Fini-Marten, UW-Madison

Thu, 16 May 2024 01:00:37 +0000

By implementing Recruitment Marketing, UW Madison saw over 30% uptick in submitted applications compared to previous years, but knew there was more to do to ensure they were seen as an employer of choice. Their team kicked off the #WorkWithBucky initiative to increase brand awareness and ensure that they’re front of mind. Listen to Erica Fini-Marten, Outreach, and Sourcing Specialist, discuss how they are using recruitment marketing to capture, engage, and nurture prospective candidates in partnership with UW Madison Athletics at sporting events on campus.

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4 considerations to elevate your hiring effectiveness

Sun, 12 May 2024 23:19:11 +0000

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Watch now: Talking Talent Attraction with Lauren E. Shepard, SUNY Upstate

Thu, 09 May 2024 22:27:14 +0000

Listen to Lauren E. Shepard, HRIS Analyst, who discusses how she was able to leverage PageUp Recruitment Marketing to completely overhaul their careers site without any web design or programming skills. She took advantage of PageUp’s self-service career site and content management system to increase candidate engagement and more powerfully promote their employer brand as one of the leading medical universities in the country.

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Watch now: Strategic sourcing: Elevate your talent acquisition

Tue, 07 May 2024 03:35:33 +0000

From working with lean teams and tight budgets to new ways to approach flexibility and creating a memorable candidate experience, there is no shortage of considerations for today’s TA professionals.

In this webinar our panel of industry experts we will dive into their latest talent acquisition strategies. We look at how different organisations, from varying industries, are approaching sourcing in the current hiring landscape and discuss strategies to tackle today’s hiring challenges.

Featuring:

Ben Roberts, Head of Talent Acquisition at David Jones
Kate Mosel, Manager Talent at IGO Limited
Paul Hayton, Head of People Services at Uniting NSW/ACT
Hosted by Tara Bodycote, Head of Customer Success – Aus and Asia at PageUp

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Watch now: Building a holistic talent acquisition approach with Ability WA

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 04:20:43 +0000

When facing ever-evolving candidate and employee expectations, and tackling challenging employment market conditions it’s imperative that HR and Talent professionals think strategically and holistically about their sourcing and retention strategies.

In this webinar, Aman Singh, General Manager Human Resources at Ability WA walks us through their recruitment strategy from sourcing through to retention, digging into how Ability WA is:

Diversifying their sourcing strategy to reach their target market
Implementing processes to manage high volume applications
Using technology to create a positive candidate experience
Amplifying their EVP to attract top talent

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Watch now: Let data tell your story

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 00:14:28 +0000

In today’s hiring landscape, metrics and analytics are becoming more embedded in everyday business practices; organisationsorganizations are investing more resources to ensure they have access to and an understanding of the key data that is affecting their strategic outcomes. Leadership wants a deeper understanding of why an outcome occurred and an ability to predict what will happen next.

Implementing data-driven decision-making is allowing talent teams to enjoy longer-term planning, smarter resource allocation, and superior recruiting outcomes.

In this webinar, Jordan Johnson, Associate Provost of Business Affairs and Analysis, from the University of Alabama shares how they’ve been able to utiliseutilize PageUp’s Advanced Analytics functionality to provide customisablecustomizable reporting across the organisationorganization saving them time and resources.

By having access to highly interactive and customisablecustomizable visualisationsvisualizations the University of Alabama has been able to focus on the data and metrics directly impacting their specific goals and challenges. This provides transparency between executives, hiring managers, search committees, Deans, and other key stakeholders. Thus allowing them to quickly and easily get a snapshot of their candidates, statuses, compliance metrics, time to fill, demographic data, and more.

Watch this webinar today to learn more.

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Recruitment metrics: the key to your talent acquisition strategy

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 01:09:46 +0000

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Tech trends that will transform your recruitment strategy

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 03:40:51 +0000

Technology is a cornerstone of our daily lives. Does it really make life easier, save us time, and help us achieve our potential? In short, yes. But, as you’ll likely agree, it depends on how you use it.

In the past few decades, the explosion of time-saving tools, integrations, and capabilities have transformed the way organisationsorganizations develop their recruitment strategies. For recruiters, technology enables you to do more with less, regain more time for high-value tasks, make data-informed decisions, and focus on the candidate experience.

Let’s explore current tech trends and their applications within different layers of an effective recruitment strategy, from recruitment marketing, to applicant tracking and beyond. Each serves as a useful framework to understand leading recruitment tools, integrations, and capabilities in action. Plus, unlock more value from your current tech stack with recommended action steps. Not only can these tech trends improve your efficiency, they’ll also support your organisationorganization to create a lasting impression and positive candidate experience.

Awareness and attraction

The right recruitment marketing software can enhance your employer brand and ability to engage talent tenfold. How? By boosting key capabilities such as self-service careers site solutions, targeted campaigns, and publishing integrations with job sites and social platforms. It can facilitate engagement with both broad and precise talent segments, including active and passive candidates.

Use recruitment marketing tech to establish an effective, mobile-friendly careers site, and showcase your company culture and values, with clear calls to action (such as applying for roles, job alerts, or your talent community). This can be paired with automation capabilities to do the heavy lifting afterwards, such as abandoned application communications to increase conversion rates. You may also like to consider SMS recruitment tools to connect with candidates at scale and streamline the hiring process.

If AI and automation are top of mind, perhaps it’s worth distinguishing between them. Automation follows predetermined instructions, while AI can learn from data, and make predictions and decisions based on this information. From a recruitment marketing perspective, you may like to consider automated alerts and personalisedpersonalized messaging. Or, in terms of AI-enhanced capabilities, use it to analyse job market trends or create targeted job ads.

Job ad generators can support you in crafting compelling listings, with capabilities such as customisablecustomizable templates, keyword suggestions, and formatting options, to ensure your ads are concise and optimisedoptimized to attract suitable candidates. Textmetrics, for example, uses smart AI writing software to create engaging, inclusive, error-free content and job listings.

Applications and conversions

If you’ve laid the groundwork with recruitment marketing software to improve your awareness and attraction capabilities, ensure your application process is smooth, simple, and –perhaps it bears repeating– mobile-friendly. After all, 51% of jobseekers search for new job opportunities and 33% submit applications via mobile.

Consider elevating application and conversion touchpoints with personalisedpersonalized automations, such as application receipts, or welcome messages for people who opt in to your talent community or job alerts. And be sure to measure results through your ATS to determine critical recruitment metrics, such as sourcing channel effectiveness.

Applicant tracking and candidate communication

If your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is the central nervous system of your recruitment strategy, it’s helpful to ensure you’re using it to its fullest potential. Consider leveraging tools to improve candidate nurturing and communication, reach diversity and inclusion targets, and create seamless experiences for your recruitment team and hiring managers.

Particularly for high-volume recruitment, automation for personalisedpersonalized communication can create an impressive, lasting experience for candidates. In terms of AI-enhanced capabilities, you may like to use AI tools to screen applications, process, and identify top candidates.

Use in-built Applicant Tracking reporting functionality to measure achievements in different aspects of your recruitment process, such as time to hire and candidate acceptance rates. And make data-informed decisions accordingly.

Interviewing, evaluations, and offers

Of course, TA teams need strong tools and processes for interviewing and evaluating candidates to make the best use of time and resources. But importantly, it must prioritiseprioritize the candidate experience.

As we’ve shared, AI tools make hiring faster and fairer. Essentially, these tools have the power to process high volumes of information at speed, reduce unconscious bias, and create a positive candidate experience with personalisationpersonalization and efficiency.

Powerful video interviewing software, such as myInterview, Spark Hire, VidCruiter, and AI smart interviewing tool Sapia.au, are supporting recruiters to deliver positive candidate experience – complete with customisationcustomization, branding, and personalisationpersonalization capabilities. Interview generator tools, too, automate interview question creation, providing tailored questions based on role requirements and candidate profiles. All are great ways for recruiters to save time, ensure consistency, and streamline the candidate assessment process.

For faster, more effective recruitment screening, there are an abundance of tools to streamline psychometric and behavioural assessments, eligibility and reference checks. pymetrics, for instance, uses data-driven behavioural insights and AI to create a more efficient, effective, and fair hiring process across the talent lifecycle.

Continue analysing recruitment metrics to guide decision-making and demonstrate ROI.

Beyond

Technology has immense potential to transform recruitment strategy and the way we interact with candidates. Beyond the tech tools outlined, there are many which can be applied to other stages in the talent lifecycle, from talent pooling to internal engagement. (For the employee experience alone, there are countless tools for employee feedback, internal mobility, onboarding, training, and more.)

If you’re focused on digital transformation, the technology benefits of intelligent automations, data and reporting, and seamless communication are well understood. Yet, if they’re not thoughtfully implemented, rather than developing authentic engagement with candidates, the opposite can happen. To compete for top talent, recruiters must combine innovative tech with strategic thinking and a data-driven approach. On this final note remember, avoid the trap of data silos. Instead, use data technology to share insights with your recruitment team and executive leadership, and ensure everyone is on the same page about the areas you’re working towards developing or maintaining.

Ready to optimiseoptimize your talent technology with a purpose-built recruitment platform, powered by powerful integrations? Get in touch to transform the way you hire with PageUp.

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6 Ways to attract and retain Gen Z employees

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 05:40:28 +0000

While Millenials make up a massive portion of the global workforce, the tides are turning once again. It’s time to shore up our strategies to attract and engage the latest generation entering the world of work: Gen Z.

According to recent data, Millennials and Gen Z comprise 38% of the global workforce – and this figure is set to rise to 58% by 2030, with the latter comprising 30%. But, it’s important to distinguish the key differences between these two powerful cohorts. Gen Z, classified as those born between 1997–2012, is radically different to their older counterparts. In a tumultuous life stage often marked by milestones such as finishing school or university, they have their own unique set of outlooks, challenges, and beliefs about what success means in life and at work.

Let’s set the stage with some quick facts about this demographic. Typically, Gen Z is characterisedcharacterized as having:

Tech savvy – often turning to the internet to source information, and adept at navigating and using a multitude of platforms.
Strong convictions – valuing inclusive, supportive communities, political and social activism, and personal expression.
Pragmatism – possessing both a complicated sense of idealism, tempered with scepticism in facing pervasive global issues, such as reduced economic opportunity, wars and disruptions, and intensifying climate change.

With these key characteristics in mind, let’s explore how to attract and engage this key demographic set to comprise a huge segment of the workforce, particularly as Gen Xers and Baby Boomers continue to retire.

1. A values-driven group

Gen Z are purpose-driven in both life and work. As such, they’re looking for organisationsorganizations with aligned values. Shared values can support their passion for broader social impact, as well as their personal aspirations through key provisions, such as work-life balance and inclusion.

Research shows Gen Z are more racially and ethnically diverse than previous generations. So it’s no surprise they value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB+). If your organisationorganization has developed a strong DEIB+ strategy and culture, there’s no better way to connect with and attract Gen Z talent than promoting your initiatives. Note: this extends to all types of diversity and inclusion, such as gender, ability, and more. You may like to consider promoting other important organisationalorganizational values, such as climate action and sustainability commitments.

So, how can you communicate these values? A great starting point is authentic recruitment marketing and employer branding. Note: the right recruitment marketing software can be a game-changer for promoting branded, engaging, effective content.

2. PrioritisingPrioritizing authenticity and transparency

Today’s leading organisationsorganizations understand that when it comes to talent attraction, vagueness and lack of information doesn’t cut the mustard – particularly for a generation that has access to, and the capacity to absorb an endless stream of information. Whether they’re researching the best product deals, or the best job opportunities, Gen Z do their homework.

The fact is, your employer brand exists, whether you have a careers site, are active on social media or not. (Simply consider your reputation on major platforms such as Glassdoor or LinkedIn.) It’s up to your organisationorganization to shape and develop it.

Facilitate transparency, strengthen your employer brand, and authentically showcase what it’s like being part of your workplace through avenues such as your:

Careers site – to share new jobs, your Employee Value Proposition (EVP), company values, DEI initiatives, and opportunities for prospective candidates to join your talent community. Pro tip: ensure your careers site is mobile-optimisedoptimised and user-friendly, and you may even like to personalisepersonalize the experience for Gen Zs with a targeted microsite.
Employee-generated content – a great way to populate your careers site, engaging employee-generated content may include photos, videos, employee quotes, testimonials and career stories.
Social media – to drive traffic to your careers site content, and share targeted messaging that speaks directly to this demographic, in addition to company news.
Recruitment process information – to establish realistic expectations about your roles and hiring process.
Talent community news – if you’ve established job alerts or talent community opt-in CTAs, consider automated workflows to share content with your talent community. AI and automation technology can work in your favour here, helping you achieve better strategic recruitment outcomes.

It all contributes to supporting Gen Zs to find what they need to make informed decisions about cultural and professional fit, inspire them to take action, as well as developing your talent pipelines and overall employer brand. Be sure to unlock the value of passive candidates interested in your organisationorganization by conducting regular talent pool analyses and improvements to measure ROI.

Effective recruitment marketing software makes building a powerful careers site that converts simple. Share employee-generated content and drive traffic to your site with minimal effort and maximum results. You may even like to explore software that connects potential candidates with employees via an AI-powered Q&A discussion platform.

3. Showcasing digital capabilities

Perhaps it’s no secret digital devices, online connectivity, and social media are mainstays in Gen Z’s lives. Their social lives, downtime, learning, interactions, and relationships are fundamentally interwoven with online and social media. 54% of Gen Zs spend at least four hours a day on social media, and 73% of job seekers (aged 18-34) find roles through social media channels like LinkedIn.

The numbers paint a clear picture: talent acquisition teams must execute a well-designed social media strategy to reach this audience. An added benefit? It can increase your capacity to reach passive job seekers too. Select your key platforms strategically, use consistent messaging, and post regularly. There’s no better way to engage Gen Z talent than by celebrating your team members, company achievements, initiatives, and culture.

Additionally, you may like to enhance your mobile recruitment marketing efforts. Whether you’re sharing new opportunities or supporting candidates through the hiring process, mobile messaging enables you to connect with candidates more directly on their platform of choice. It’s Gen-Z-friendly, interactive, efficient, and convenient – particularly for scheduling interviews and other important touchpoints – and can reduce time-to-hire.

And if there’s one sure way to lose Gen Z applicants, or prevent them from applying at all, it’s a clunky, out-of-date recruitment process. So most importantly, ensure your recruitment software ensures a smooth candidate experience from start to finish, and measure its effectiveness. This includes everything from your applicant portal, scheduling and video interviewing functions, to screening and assessment, offers, and beyond.

There are many ways to showcase your digital capabilities to attract Gen Z – don’t forget about backend work too. Ensure you’re taking the right steps by measuring results through data and analytics. Track key recruitment metrics, such as careers site traffic, conversion rates, offer acceptance rates, and other data points to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. Analyse and share data to refine your processes and increase ROI. Meaningful analytics lead to better recruiting practices. Data-driven insights empower you to stay agile, make informed decisions, and ensure you’re consistently meeting the evolving expectations of Gen Z candidates.

4. Facilitating financial transparency

According to recent reports, Gen Z values salary less than every other generation. If given the choice of accepting a better-paying but boring job, versus work that was more interesting but didn’t pay as well, Gen Z was fairly evenly split over the choice. But here’s the caveat: salary is still the most important factor for Gen Z deciding on a job.

This makes sense. Considering rising inflation, cost-of-living pressures, and a housing market increasingly out of reach, we can’t ignore the elephant in the room: Gen Z is economically disadvantaged, indebted, and suffering financial stress.

Salary is still the most important factor for Gen Z deciding on a job.

To combat this, pay transparency and sharing salary ranges up front will put organisationsorganizations in good stead. In fact, 85% of recent and upcoming grads state they’re less likely to apply for a job if a company doesn’t disclose a salary range in job postings. Higher job security, economic resilience, and better growth opportunities are also cited as important factors. It could make sense to conduct a comparative analysis of job listings, to assess ROI using data and analytics.

5. Clear career growth pathways

In a similar vein, Gen Zs prioritiseprioritize career progression opportunities in their job search – and a lack of them might be a dealbreaker. Career planning and pathways extend beyond traditional hierarchical structures. It encompasses:

training and development programs
mentorship and coaching
continuous learning initiatives, such as ‘stretch’ projects
lateral moves and internal progression
networking opportunities and events.

Well-designed graduate programs are another powerful way to engage this demographic, ease their transition into the workforce, and give them a balanced, comprehensive introduction to your organisationorganization, departments, culture and team. For organisationsorganizations that can offer these programs, partner with local universities, attend career fairs, and join speaking events to start building connections.

Promoting a range of career growth opportunities will play a pivotal role in empowering young team members to thrive in their careers, explore areas of interest, align their individual potential with organisationalorganizational goals, as well as improve innovation, creativity and retention. Be sure to make them shine through your employer brand.

6. PrioritisingPrioritizing wellness, mental health support, and flexibility

Gen Z report the least positive outlook and the highest prevalence of mental illness of any generation. And it’s no wonder. Their development has been impacted by growing global unrest and wars, financial crises, educational interruptions due to the pandemic, and climate anxiety, among a range of other difficulties.

Here’s how promoting work-life balance, flexibility, and mental health support can make the biggest difference.

In promoting work-life balance, encourage them to take breaks, make time for personal pursuits, and respect time outside business hours. Adopting flexible models can enable organisationsorganizations to be more responsive to employees’ needs, whether it’s with respect to flexible hours, patterns, or locations of work. By establishing the right KPIs, tools, and support, it can also develop greater trust.

PrioritisePrioritize mental health resources, such as training, workshops, webinars, resources, tools, or other initiatives that support employee wellbeing. Offer mental health training for front-line leaders to ensure they’re equipped to offer support and facilitate an inclusive, stigma-free workplace. Individually, Gen Z’s behaviour can often be influenced by their leaders, teams, and work culture.

As Gen Z gives particular weight to mental health resources, making them available and visible may help alleviate stress to make them happier, more engaged, and productive. Not only is this the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense. Being adaptable and empathetic creates a strong work environment for all team members to thrive.

At the end of the day, your organisationorganization’s ability to attract and retain Gen Z hinges on appreciating their strengths and gifts, while understanding their vulnerabilities and struggles. There’s a wealth of opportunity to gain from this emerging, switched-on, and technologically-skilled group. Be sure to continue adapting and tailoring your approach using recruitment metrics to achieve the best outcomes. Consider these recommendations to not only engage this demographic, but to create an inclusive, supportive, multi-generational workplace, where all team members can succeed.

Ready to optimiseoptimize your Gen Z talent acquisition strategy with a purpose-built recruitment platform, strengthened by data and analytics? Get in touch to transform the way you hire with PageUp.

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Watch now: Set your new hires up for success

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 23:47:39 +0000

Are you setting your new hires up for success?

Getting onboarding wrong can cost you, big time —20% of employee turnover happens in the first 45 days of starting a new position. Once you’ve committed the time and resources to hire a great candidate —it’s essential that you do everything possible to keep them. With the right systems and processes in place, it’s easy to leave a lasting, positive impression and set your new hires up for long-term success.

In this webinar, Sarah Witcher, Senior Director of Employee Development and HR Communications at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) walks us through the successful onboarding process they’ve designed to empower candidates from application through orientation.

Key highlights include:

Efficiency – From the HR teams’ involvement to new hire completion, SCAD now provides a seamless experience for submission of all new hire paperwork. Sarah estimates SCAD has saved a minimum of 3 hours per hire
Thorough, purposeful onboarding – saving time on administrative processes has allowed the HR team to dedicate attention to meaningful onboarding tasks
Supporting the SCAD brand – with customization in PageUp, SCAD’s HR brand is well presented in the onboarding portal; this builds affinity for their new hires and helps their assimilation to the university overall. It also creates a cohesive experience from the moment they hit apply, to the moment they start

The post Watch now: Set your new hires up for success appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Managing change during a massive recruitment overhaul: CSU’s story

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 23:27:23 +0000

Join us for an insightful webinar about the transformational recruitment journey of California State University (CSU).

In this session, we will look at CSU’s ambitious overhaul and how it streamlined its recruitment processes across 23 campuses– unifying them all under PageUp. We’ll also discuss the challenges and triumphs during implementation, and how CSU collaborated with PageUp to strike a balance between centralized governance and the need for campus-specific flexibility.

Key highlights will include:

Complete integration: How CSU partnered with PageUp to align 23 campuses (each with its own software system and recruiting practices) to one cohesive system.
Phased implementation: You’ll learn about CSU’s phased approach to rolling out PageUp and why they first worked to develop a platform with consistent templates that could align the campuses.
Governance and support: Get insight into CSU’s governance structure and how they created their different workgroups of campus and systemwide admins.
Why CSU chose PageUp: Learn how PageUp’s world-class customer support, adaptable configuration, and ongoing updates were pivotal in CSU’s decision-making.

The post Watch now: Managing change during a massive recruitment overhaul: CSU’s story appeared first on PageUp.

How mobile-friendly is your career site?

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 23:45:58 +0000

51% of jobseekers use their smartphones to search for new job opportunities.

Why this is so important?

Long, complicated application forms are annoying on any device, but feel particularly potent on mobile devices. So much so, PageUp research shows that 31% of applications started on a mobile device were abandoned in 2023, compared to 15% on a desktop.

In saying that, research also revealed that an impressive 33% of applications were submitted via a mobile device. When we consider how many jobseekers abandoned their mobile applications, yet still a third of all applicants used a mobile device to apply, we can see a lot of opportunity was left on the table (…or device).

Much of this can be attributed to bad mobile experiences.

Is it really that important?

Yes! Who here has lost progress on a mobile website form after clicking the wrong button? Most of us– and we’ll never get those minutes back. It’s discouraging. So much so, that you may not have filled out that form again. Couple this with unresponsive design, slow loading times, and shoddy navigation– well, you have a problem!

A mobile-friendly career site is a testament to a company’s commitment to user-centric experiences, it’s not just about shrinking content or making buttons bigger. There are many benefits to taking it seriously, but let’s take a very brief look at why.

Why mobile-friendly sites are important for jobseekers:

It makes the process easy: Jobseekers desire efficiency and clarity. Navigation should be intuitive, with a clear path to application. This is just as important for mobile as it is for desktop because of the high standard set by mobile applications.
Speed is a priority: Jobseekers demand quick-loading pages. There is little patience for anything short of ‘fast’ anymore because that’s what people are conditioned to.
It’s inclusive: A mobile-friendly site is a necessity for many– particularly jobseekers who rely on mobile devices for internet access.

How to create a mobile-friendly career site

1. Strengthen your mobile career site

Use adaptive layouts: Adaptive layouts automatically resize content to fit any screen (i.e. a computer, phone, or tablet) Many web-building tools and SaaS solutions come with pre-existing adaptive layout options, but manually checking your career site is actually adjusting to those different sizes is important. By taking conscious time out to look and test your functionality on a variety of devices (and browsers), you’ll gain insight into what screens your career site is working on and which ones it isn’t.

Ensure a touch-friendly interface: Buttons and links must be very clear and easy to navigate using touch. They should be adequately spaced and large enough to be tapped without frustration, speeding up the time and positively affecting the candidate experience. Nothing breaks immersion for a potential candidate more than having to frequently pinch-zoom into a small element just to click it!

OptimiseOptimize your content for speed: Large images and videos can drastically slow down your career site on a mobile. Compressing them into smaller files that retain their quality can decide how fast your site loads. For a detailed guide on how to compress, take a peek at this great resource. Additionally, you speed up your career site by decreasing the number of elements that need to be loaded– such as scripts and CSS files– as well as implementing browser caching. Browser caching helps by storing some data on the visitor’s device, so it doesn’t need to be reloaded with each visit.

Use clear calls-to-action: Always use distinct and persuasive CTAs that guide users to apply, learn more, or get in touch. CTAs like ‘apply now’ are arguably the most important career site element for a jobseeker, and definitely the most important for recruitment teams, so it’s pivotal these are as clear as daylight and strategically positioned.

Streamline your menus: Avoid cluttered menus! Desktop/laptop career sites have the luxury of space. They can be more complex because fancy UI design can make complex taxonomies look and feel simple. Mobile? Not so much. Always opt for a simple, intuitive navigation structure that makes it easy for jobseekers to find what they’re looking for. You may have to sacrifice some of your impressive website homepage UI, but mobile is all about efficiency, clarity, and speed.

2. Improve search functionality for mobile

Streamline your search filters: You want jobseekers to quickly find positions. Focusing on the most important filters like job category, location, and employment type is the first step as these are typically the primary criteria. An ‘apply filters’ button will help jobseekers refine their search before seeing results, while a ‘clear (or) reset filter’ will give the user the option to start over. You can further improve their experience by using dropdown menus for filters, so jobseekers don’t need to type it out.

Have a clear job search CTA: An obvious and compelling CTA is a key part of prompting somebody to search for a job. Placing a “Search Jobs” button at the top of the mobile page will make it easily visible without scrolling. Some companies prefer more active copy like “Search Now” or “Explore Jobs” to get attention, but whatever works for you. Make sure you use a contrasting colour for your CTA button, so it stands out against the background.

OptimiseOptimize your job ads for mobile: By displaying high-level job information first (job title, location, and application deadlines) you’ll provide clarity to the jobseeker and speed up a potential application. For the gritty details, you can use expandable or collapsible sections on job descriptions, responsibilities, and requirements.

3. Tailor a mobile-friendly application process

Simplified application process: Keeping forms short and asking only for essential information will give you the best chance of turning a jobseeker into an applicant. Glassdoor revealed cutting down the time needed to complete a job application by 10% percent led to a 2.3% percent increase in mobile job applications. Other factors, like too many buttons and fields, tightly spaced together, can also ruin the user experience and prevent an application from being completed.

Save and return functionality: A great way to safeguard an application, particularly for the busy or easily distracted mobile user, is allowing them to save their progress and return to complete the application at a later time. Many jobseekers will research a role or begin an application on mobile, but prefer to complete it on desktop. Ensuring users can save their progress is helpful to both the user and the recruitment team. You may not receive the application immediately, but you’ve afforded yourself a chance at receiving it later. This functionality may very well land you your best applicant and potential hire.

Resume upload options: One of the easiest ways to create a positive candidate experience is by providing multiple methods to upload a resume. Integrations with LinkedIn, SEEK, and allowing for file uploads are common practices nowadays. That’s for good reason: auto-filling resumes is easy and saves a lot of time!

What should I do now?

Above all else, catering to the modern jobseeker is key. Jobseekers expect an experience as simple as what they have come to expect from their apps. This shift in mindset isn’t changing anytime soon. Likely, the demand for mobile-friendly websites will only increase. Having a career site that is mobile-friendly requires a proactive response, but will lead to a rewarding uptick in applications and brand recognition.

We can help you with that. PageUp’s powerful recruitment marketing software, Clinch, can help you build a mobile career site that recruits for you. But don’t just take our word for it – request a free demo of PageUp Clinch to see the career site capabilities in action or learn more here.

The post How mobile-friendly is your career site? appeared first on PageUp.

11 Essential recruitment software tools for 2024

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 03:52:36 +0000

This year has been another whirlwind of change for talent acquisition teams. Global challenges, such as rising inflation and economic uncertainty, have accelerated the importance of employer branding and recruitment marketing strategies and need for better recruitment management and screening.

In response to these challenges, savvy hiring teams are embracing innovative recruitment software tools to stay competitive, adapt, innovate, and respond in an ever-changing landscape. Discover essential recruitment software tools to stay competitive in 2024.

But note: there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. With so many software for recruitment options available, consider using those best-suited to your industry and most important hiring needs.

Recruitment marketing and employer branding

According to the latest Future of Recruiting report (LinkedIn), the labour market remains tight, and talent is expected to retain the upper hand over the next five years.

As such, the imperative for recruiters to think like marketers still rings true. This means putting your best foot forward (on your careerscareer site and job boards) with strong recruitment marketing and employer branding, with talent acquisition software integrations.

1. SEEK

A long-standing, reputable market leader, SEEK offers tremendous value to organisationsorganizations seeking talent, particularly in the Asia Pacific. A go-to for many jobseekers, the platform boasts more than 13 million candidate profiles, making it a powerhouse in the online employment marketplace. Cost-effective integrations with SEEK enable recruiters to seamlessly post and manage job ads within your CRM (including PageUp), streamline recruitment efforts, and enhance your access to top talent.

21. Indeed

Another global heavyweight in talent attraction and hiring software, Indeed is renowned as one of the world’s top recruiting powerhouses. With more than 200 million unique monthly visitors from 60+ countries, Indeed connects you with job seekers, worldwide.

32. Work180

If you’re focused on improving DE&I objectives, getting the “green tick” of approval from WORK180 can drastically amplify your talent attraction capabilities. Pioneering its new Employer Job Platform this year, it connects women and diverse professionals with the right organisationorganization. Landing on its directory of endorsed employers, dedicated to fostering diversity, inclusion, and equality, can increase your organisationorganization’s reach, reputation, and access to women and diverse talent.

43. Field Jobs

Another platform focused on diverse hiring, The Field is a pioneering job site focused on connecting individuals with disabilities with inclusive organisationsorganizations. It does so by removing barriers and connecting job seekers with disabilities by promoting employers committed to inclusivity and accessibility.

54. Employee Connections

PageUp Employee Connections is a powerful recruitment platform designed to elevate your employer brand and optimiseoptimize your recruitment process. Create compelling, authentic content that persuades potential candidates to apply and foster genuine connections by connecting job seekers with real employees through AI-driven Q&A discussions. Publish content across social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. It’s a recruitment platform to celebrate your brand champions, encouraging employees to share their experiences through videos, photos, live chat, and Q&A sessions.

What’s more: job seekers who engage with Employee Connections are three times more likely to be hired, enhancing candidate experience and conversion ratios.

65. Text Engage

PageUp Text Engage is a cutting-edge SMS recruitment tool enabling you to connect with job seekers efficiently and effortlessly via mobile. It offers automated prompts and predefined, conversational workflows to nurture candidates anytime, anywhere. Build comprehensive CRM profiles for future pipelining without manual data entry.

It also boasts a remarkable 99% open rate, ensuring your messages reach candidates effectively in a low-pressure, informal way for job seekers to apply for roles or express their interest.

Recruitment management and screening

With the right top-of-funnel recruitment marketing and employer branding tools in place, implementing effective recruitment management and screening tools is the next piece of the puzzle. Consider using these tools to streamline processes, ensure thorough candidate assessments, and enhance efficiency for your TA team.

76. Vieple

Vieple is a 24/7, accessible, video-interviewing tool that transcends geographical and time-zone constraints. It enables your team to swiftly identify and progress suitable candidates by automating on-demand interviews.

Essentially, it reduces phone-screening and face-to-face meetings, by enabling recruiters to review candidate responses at their convenience, while fostering an efficient, user-friendly recruitment experience for candidates.

87. Hirevue

Another trailblazer in video interviewing, HireVue’s AI and pre-hire assessments, empowers organisationsorganizations to thrive in candidate engagement. The recruitment platform automates opportunities, assigns evaluators, and shares bulk invitations for video interviews and assessment invitations. Use this tool to enable recruitment efficiency, collaboration, informed decision-making, better time to hire, and an unparalleled candidate experience.

98. CV Check

CVCheck is a screening solution revolutionisingrevolutionizing recruitment across more than 190 countries. It’s a recruitment platform that mitigates hiring risks, boosts staff retention, and enhances hiring efficiency. It also enables you to safeguard your organisationorganization’s employer brand through diverse screening categories, including police checks, visa verification, employment history, psychometric assessments, and more. Overall – creating a secure foundation for confident and informed hiring decisions across borders.

109. Fit2work

Fit2work offers recruiters a seamless, efficient platform for comprehensive candidate assessments and automation. With user-friendly features, it streamlines criminal history, employment, financial responsibility (and many more) checks, providing a unified source for HR screening needs. (And for PageUp CRM users, you’ll receive seamless, real-time status updates for greater transparency, plus reporting functionality.)

1110. Sapia.ai

An award-winning AI Smart Interviewer, Sapia.ai revolutionisesrevolutionizes recruitment with its two-stage chat and video-based applications for a swift, bias-disrupting, and candidate-loved experience. Simply put: candidates can progress through a Chat Interview, delivering valuable insights into their personality traits and competencies, leading to a vetted shortlist for TA teams. This platform also provides a valuable video-interviewing tool, delivering a customizable and engaging experience for both candidates and hiring teams.

1211. Care Advantage

If your organisationorganization depends on frontline care team members, Care Advantage is your secret weapon. Not only does it compare applicants against high-performing benchmarks to secure people who are the right fit for your organisationorganization, it enables your recruitment team to efficiently evaluate applicants through personality profiles and identify risks related to counterproductive behaviors.

1312. Kinatico (includes both CV Check and Cited) Recommended

Kinatico is a fantastic tool for not only facilitating employment, but ensuring ongoing compliance. This platform simplifies compliance management for organisationsorganizations through its SaaS solutions. Think: credential management and data compliance with current regulations. It’s a fantastic tool to mobilisemobilize your workforce and achieve greater insights to create safer workplaces through reliable background screening.

In the dynamic landscape of talent acquisition, harnessing innovative recruitment tools is essential for talent acquisition teams to remain efficient, agile, and competitive – while retaining the human touch.

Beyond functionality, recruitment marketing, employer branding, recruitment management, and assessment tools can make or break your organisationorganization’s ability to hire the best talent. Explore recruitment software tools in line with your organisationorganization’s unique hiring challenges and needs, to redefine success in your talent acquisition strategy.

Ready to optimiseoptimize your talent acquisition strategy with a purpose-built recruitment platform, powered by powerful integrations? Get in touch to transform the way you hire with PageUp.

The post 11 Essential recruitment software tools for 2024 appeared first on PageUp.

The power of collaborative hiring

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 21:07:27 +0000

In the midst of today’s skills shortage, top candidates are being snapped up fast. As hiring teams work to secure top talent, accelerated hiring cycles have led to a rise in ‘panic hiring’ —resulting in lower-quality hires and greater new-employee turnover.

For recruiters, the current talent landscape a represents unique challenge. To hire the best people, a collaborative approach is needed. But in the post-COVID world, where remote and asynchronous workflows have become the norm, teamwork and collaboration look different. Now, instead of all stakeholders working from the same office, teams are challenged by distributed workforces, clashing timezones, schedules and working hours.

So how can talent teams rise above these challenges to build a robust yet efficient hiring process? Let’s dive in to see how hiring teams can leverage collaboration to navigate the asynchronous complexities of the modern recruitment landscape.

What is collaborative hiring?

‘Teamwork makes the dream work’. This old adage has never rung truer than in today’s hiring landscape. Collaborative hiring is an approach that transcends the conventional decision-making model that places the hiring decision in the hands of a sole hiring manager. A collaborative approach involves engaging multiple team members, departments, or stakeholders in the evaluation of candidates. This helps to drive diversity, reduce bias, provide a more thorough evaluation of applicants, and give candidates a better overall experience.

Why hire collaboratively?

Collaborative hiring stands at the forefront of progressive hiring practices, with the potential to elevate decision-making, fortify teamwork, and enrich the overall candidate experience. Having a range of stakeholders engaged in the hiring decision not only leads to more comprehensive candidate assessments but also contributes to higher-quality hires.

Collaborative hiring leads to:

Better hiring decisions: Collaborative hiring harnesses the collective insights of diverse team members. This ensures a comprehensive evaluation process that takes into account multiple perspectives, leading to more informed choices and stronger candidate selections.
Greater employee engagement: Collective hiring decisions spark greater employee engagement as team members become active participants in the hiring journey. This heightened engagement not only contributes to a positive workplace culture but also makes team members more invested in the ultimate success of the new hire.
Lower new-hire churn: Collaborative hiring is a strategic buffer against new-hire churn. With more team members involved in the selection process, there is more opportunity to test compatibility with team dynamics and company culture, ensuring that new hires are well-suited for long-term success within the organisationorganization.
Fostering a long-term collaborative work environment: Beyond immediate hiring outcomes, collaborative hiring helps to foster a long-term collaborative work environment. Instilling a sense of ownership and accountability among team members shapes a workplace culture where collaboration is woven into the fabric of daily operations.
A better candidate experience: The impact of collaborative hiring is also felt by candidates, delivering a more comprehensive view of the company and the role. This transparency enhances the candidate experience, creating a positive impression from the outset.

A collaborative approach to hiring has numerous advantages. Talent teams can use collaborative hiring to establish a more inclusive workplace. Candidates experience a hiring process that is more comprehensive, engaging, and transparent. And, on a broader organisationalorganizational level, the widespread adoption of collaborative hiring practices helps to foster greater diversity in the workplace, contributing to a more equitable, innovative, and ultimately more productive workforce.

How hiring teams can boost collaboration

While the benefits of collaborative hiring are clear, in practice, it can be hard to achieve. In today’s increasingly asynchronous and remote world of work, it’s no longer as simple as getting everyone together in a meeting room: talent teams are juggling conflicting schedules, timezones and locations.

With an increasingly remote workforce, we’ve seen a rise in collaboration tools —programs and apps designed to help teams work more seamlessly together from afar. Research indicates that when done correctly, asynchronous communication accelerates team performance, resulting in a faster time-to-hire, an improved candidate experience, and increased productivity within the hiring team. But, many organisationsorganizations have fallen into the trap of ‘tech-overload’ —a new tool for every task, process or request. This leads to the unintended consequence of greater context switching, where teams are constantly switching between apps and tasks, leading to a loss in productivity.

To establish a successful collaborative hiring process, teams need to think carefully and plan their approach. The aim is to streamline collaboration —and not increase the complexity of the hiring process.

Here are 5 ways teams can boost collaboration in the recruitment process:

Reduce context switching: Encouraging collaboration means minimisingminimizing context switching. Wherever possible, consolidate information and communication channels, so teams can seamlessly engage without the need for constant transitions between different platforms
Create a streamlined flow of work: Streamlining the workflow is crucial for efficient collaboration. Establishing clear processes ensures that tasks move seamlessly from one stage to the next, reducing delays and enhancing overall productivity.
Establish clear lines of communication: The key to good collaboration is clear communication. Start each hiring process with a solid brief to ensure all stakeholders are aligned. Have clearly defined channels for feedback and internal updates throughout the hiring process.
Embrace asynchronous hiring tools: When hiring, consider tools like pre-set video interviews or skills-based assessments that candidates can complete in their own time. Allowing these initial stages to run asynchronously will speed up the screening processes, without compromisingcompromizing on the quality of the assessment or delaying the candidate.
Use technology to support your collaborative hiring: Choose an HR tech stack that works to bring all your processes together under one roof as a central source of truth. These tools should fit seamlessly into the flow of work, rather than adding more steps to the process.

Final thoughts

In 2024, organisationsorganizations that truly embrace collaborative hiring will rise above the competition —through higher-quality hires and greater productivity. By prioritisingprioritizing teamwork, seamless communication and the right technology, talent teams can break free from rigid sequential processes, and build a culture where collaboration is central to recruitment success.

Want to know more about what’s shaping the world of recruitment? Download your copy of our 2024 recruitment trends report to dive deeper today.

The post The power of collaborative hiring appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Building an air-tight business case for employer branding

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:41:19 +0000

In the final instalment of our Employer Branding webinar series James Ellis shares how to develop a business case to gain stakeholder buy-in. Learn how to showcase the impact that your employer branding strategy can have on the bottom line and how to effectively justify your business need, summarisesummarize your key metrics for success and outline plans for the future.

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Watch now: 5 Recruitment trends for 2024

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 02:27:45 +0000

In today’s dynamic working environment, talent teams are facing a range of challenges, they’re struggling to find candidates and fill open roles, they’re facing an ongoing skills shortage and addressing employee productivity-burnout. Employee expectations continue to evolve, with a renewed focus on values and flexible work arrangements. And providing a positive candidate experience remains top-of-mind.

With so many facets to consider, it’s no wonder talent teams are having to get creative with their talent attraction and retention strategies.

So how can organisationsorganizations stay ahead of the competition and secure the best talent?

In this webinar, Rebecca Skilbeck, Head of Customer Insights and Market Research at PageUp shares 5 of our must-know recruitment trends for 2024.

From AI and Automation, to new-models-of-work and skills-based hiring, Rebecca will cover why these trends are so important, and explain how you can use them to build effective talent strategies and maximisemaximize your recruiting efforts in the coming year.

Want to know more about what’s shaping the world of recruitment? Download your copy of our 2024 recruitment trends report to dive deeper today.

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Watch now: How to solve the content gap in talent acquisition

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 23:22:42 +0000

Create a compelling employer brand story to proactively attract talent.

Planning and delivering a content strategy can be daunting —especially if you don’t have a marketing background! But it doesn’t have to be hard. This webinar, presented by Employer Brand expert James Ellis, will share how talent acquisition professionals can create —and scale— an authentic content strategy tailored to your organisationorganization and resources.

The post Watch now: How to solve the content gap in talent acquisition appeared first on PageUp.

How recruitment marketing empowers higher education teams

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 05:50:24 +0000

OrganisationsOrganizations of every size, industry, and location are competing for talent in one of the toughest labor markets we’ve seen in decades — and higher education institutions are no exception.

How are leading universities and colleges anticipating, preparing for, and effectively responding to this challenge? By turning to proactive talent attraction.

In higher education, recruitment marketing is a proactive talent attraction strategy that consistently yields return on investment

What is recruitment marketing?

Recruitment marketing bridges the gap between marketing and recruitment. With recruitment marketing, talent teams use marketing strategies to attract, engage and convert more applicants. Using tactics like advertising, social media, careerscareer sites, proactive outreach and targeted communication, it helps savvy companies source the best talent, and convince them to hit ‘apply’. Through automation and time-saving workflows, recruitment marketing technology boosts productivity, to drive more (higher-quality) applications, with less manual effort.

Can recruitment marketing really enable higher education recruitment teams to save valuable time, effort, and resources in recruiting top faculty and staff members? Considering how content marketing generates three times more leads, and organic SEO performs more than five times better than paid search advertising —investing in recruitment marketing just makes sense.

In higher ed hiring, a well-executed recruitment strategy has the potential to make your recruitment channels twice as effective in converting visitors to applicants.

Let’s explore five ways recruitment marketing empowers higher education institutions to recruit top higher education talent:

1. Create a lasting first impression with a strong employer brand

For higher education bodies, your recruitment marketing efforts may be the first touchpoint potential candidates experience with your college or university. Consider, for example, their first visit to your:

CareersCareer site – to understand your mission, purpose, and values,
Job advertisements – to learn more about your current opportunities, employee value proposition, and employee benefits
Social media presence – to get to know your workplace culture and people

Does your university’s employer brand shine through? The quality of and story behind of these touchpoints can create the difference between potential candidates feeling compelled to take action, or moving on. Savvy organisationsorganizations are harnessing employee-generated content to give potential jobseekers a direct window into ‘real-life’ at the institution, to build trust and engagement. With candidates increasingly discerning, a strong, authentic content strategy is key to driving interest, and empowering universities to recruit the vital faculty or staff members departments depend on.

2. Build talent pipelines and nurture relationships

While there are many ways you can build and nurture highly-successful talent pools of qualified professionals, recruitment marketing can be a shortcut to success.

Use strong calls-to-action and a variety of opt-in opportunities across your careerscareer site to capture visitor interest. Potential candidates may not be ready to submit an application, but they may like to complete an Expression of Interest form for your talent community, to continue learning about your institution while staying up to date with new opportunities. You can extend your reach and drive more candidates into your talent pools by promoting ways to join your talent community across your key recruitment channels —like your careerscareer site or social media channels.

When it comes to higher education talent strategy, creating strong talent pipelines makes hiring great people far more efficient, effective, and manageable. To achieve the best results, it’s important to nurture these relationships through consistent, meaningful communications.

3. Improve efficiency, reduce time-to-hire, and win talent ahead of competitors

Strategic recruitment marketing campaigns, software, and automations can all work together to improve efficiency for higher education recruitment teams. Consider how recruitment marketing software can give your team greater control, flexibility, and efficiency over your careerscareer site —or, how automating ongoing communications can encourage candidates to submit incomplete applications, or inform them of new opportunities.

TCU, for example, uses a multi-pronged higher education recruitment marketing approach to win talent ahead of competitors. By implementing brand guidelines and job templates, its recruitment team can publish opportunities faster, reducing time-to-hire and workloads on internal team members.

4. Use measurable data and analytics to make better recruitment decisions

Leading higher education recruitment teams are increasingly turning to data-driven insights to measure and optimiseoptimize their recruitment marketing efforts.

Recruitment marketing software, tailor-made for higher education recruitment teams can provide you with timely, easy-to-understand data reporting functionality. It can give you the ability to measure and track the performance of your recruitment marketing campaigns —through analytics such as website traffic, referral traffic sources, and application conversion rates.

Columbia University, for one, uses recruitment marketing analytics to track, evaluate and optimize content, understand sourcing channel effectiveness, and give its team great capabilities and control over its careerscareer site.

In higher education hiring, a data-driven approach is key for making better decisions, continuously optimisingoptimizing your strategy, and ensuring your recruitment efforts are efficient and effective.

5. Become an employer of choice by showcasing a strong employee value proposition

Many higher education recruitment teams are tasked with a unique challenge. On one hand, there’s value in representing the time-honored traditions, integrity, and history of your college or university. On the other hand, it may be important to represent the ways your organisationorganization prioritisesprioritizes innovation, cutting-edge technology, and contemporary values, especially for hiring diverse faculty in higher education.

Recruitment marketing is a powerful way to shift the needle on both these fronts. The University of Delaware, for example, developed and amplified its EVP and university employer branding messaging through recruitment marketing, and received a huge upswing in referrals and candidate engagement.

Does your institution offer meaningful benefits for faculty and staff, such as remote-work opportunities, recognition, career development, flexibility, or a greater emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion? If so, it’s important to promote these benefits from the get-go.

Final thoughts

Effective recruitment marketing provides colleges and universities a powerful opportunity to shape and deliver consistent, engaging messaging that builds meaningful relationships with potential candidates. It’s more than simply filling roles; it’s about finding the right fit – for your institution, and potential candidates. Proactive recruitment marketing in the higher education talent landscape enables you to put your best foot forward, compel people to take action, and strengthen your overall talent attraction capabilities. It’s a critical component for leading institutions to attract high-calibre educators, researchers and administrators, and staff, remain at the forefront of talent acquisition, and develop a lasting reputation for excellence.

Interested in exploring purpose-built recruitment marketing software for your higher education institution? Get in touch today to get started.

The post How recruitment marketing empowers higher education teams appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: The Power of a Great Career Site

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 01:00:18 +0000

A great career site can help you engage the best candidates. A poor one can cost you applicants. So how do you get it right?

While every company has a unique employer brand story, the foundations of a great career site remain the same. In this session, we’ll take a deep dive into the core characteristics across all high-performing career sites. Backed by research and real-world examples from TCU and other leading institutions, weshare the essential components you ought to include in your approach.

During the session, you’ll learn:

What key structural elements are needed to increase career site performance
The metrics that really matter in your sourcing strategy
Actionable ways to optimize your site to drive more high-quality applications
And more

Watch today to learn how to turn your career site into a high-converting, application-generating machine.

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Watch now: Level up your careers site

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 04:49:28 +0000

Learn how to get the most out of your companies careers site in this first webinar in our three-part series presented by Employer Branding expert, James Ellis.

Learn how you can optimiseoptimize your careerscareer site to attract more traffic, build rich talent pipelines, improve candidate experience and convert more high quality candidates.

The post Watch now: Level up your careers site appeared first on PageUp.

How to choose the right recruitment CRM for your business

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 23:48:13 +0000

The recruitment process begins, in many ways, like a digital treasure hunt. Finding your ultimate gems (top talent), often hinges on your choice of tools. What if you had GPS in your back pocket, specifically designed to find the brightest stars? Here’s where the right recruitment CRM can be your greatest advantage.

What is a CRM for recruiters, and why do organisationsorganizations need one?

Recruitment technology has evolved significantly, with one of the core tools being the CRM: Candidate Relationship Management System. It’s specialisedspecialized software designed to help organisationsorganizations effectively manage and nurture relationships with candidates throughout the recruitment process.

Your CRM can make or break your organisationorganization’s ability to streamline internal operations, enhance the candidate experience, support your employer brand, ensure compliance and data security, and grow your recruitment tech stack into the future. The list goes on.

Let’s explore a few practical steps to ensure you choose the best recruiting software: a CRM that’s well-suited to your organisationorganization’s talent acquisition strategy, recruitment marketing, and hiring needs.

1. Define your objectives

Savvy recruiters understand the value of aligning their talent acquisition strategy with their organisationorganization’s overarching business strategy. So, in choosing an ideal CRM for recruiters, a good place to start is by defining your most urgent hiring priorities and business objectives.

Consider factors such as your organisationorganization’s size, industry, and current stage of growth. Whether you’re a small start-up looking to grow, or a large enterprise managing a constant flow of applications, your objectives may include: streamlining the hiring process, improving the candidate experience, facilitating recruitment marketing, or strengthening your data capabilities. Keep these goals front of mind throughout your decision-making process.

2. Assess your budget

While understanding your recruitment goals is a useful first step, you also need to consider your budget. Keep your priorities in mind —do you need more advanced CRM capabilities, or are you looking for a more basic solution? Review the pricing structure of CRM software options to determine models best-suited to your organisationorganization’s requirements and financial considerations.

Subscription-based (software-as-a-service) options are by far the most common, popular, and trusted choice for businesses of all sizes. Why? These recruiting software models typically offer predictable fees, automatic updates, and invaluable training and customer support. They’re also scalable with useful integration capabilities to grow your recruitment tech stack.

Other software options, such as one-time purchases, open source, freemium (free versions with limited features) or pay-per-user solutions are available — but present certain, and potentially unforeseen, complications down the line.

If you’re weighing up the total cost of recruitment CRM ownership, consider critical features such as scalability, flexibility, maintenance, training, and support.

3. Research and shortlist

When it comes to making any important decision, thorough research can be your saving grace. Read reviews and seek recommendations from industry peers to create a shortlist of recruitment CRM solutions aligned with your organisationorganizationn’s unique recruitment requirements. And beyond assessing surface-level features, consider providers’ reputation, resources, and customer support offerings.

4. Evaluate features and customisationcustomization capabilities

Take your research one step further by evaluating features, such as candidate sourcing, communication, reporting and integration capabilities (with, for example, recruitment marketing and assessment tools). Consider too, if you need flexibility and customisationcustomization abilities to meet your recruitment needs. For example:

Job-specific workflows
Unique candidate data fields
PersonalisedPersonalized communication templates
Role-based access control for internal team members, to enhance data security and compliance
Integration capabilities with other recruitment tools, such as recruitment marketing systems, assessment platforms, video interviewing software, or background check services
Reporting and analytics
Automated candidate scoring systems
Multi-language support
Advanced search capabilities
CustomisedCustomized feedback and evaluation forms for internal collaboration.

Understanding a recruitment CRM’s customisationcustomization capabilities can go a long way in creating a seamless fit, improving efficiency, and maximisingmaximizing recruitment productivity.

5. Demo and compare

Finally, it’s time to get some first-hand experience of your best recruiting software options. Reach out to shortlisted providers to request demos, to dive deep into the real-world functionality of the solution. While you’re evaluating tools, assess the system’s user-friendliness, scalability, customer support and data security measures. Keep your talent acquisition strategy and overarching business strategy goals in mind. Ensure the solution and vendor you choose can grow alongside your organisationorganization, adapt to your evolving recruitment demands, meet compliance requirements —and ideally, partner with you to achieve your hiring goals.

In an ever-evolving business landscape, the best CRM for recruiters is a compass guiding you towards your recruitment goals. Its vital role in recruitment has made it less of an option, and more of a strategic imperative. And your choice is about more than just software —it’s about shaping your organisationorganization’s future. By defining objectives, assessing your budget, conducting research, evaluating features, and testing thoroughly, you’ll unlock the power of a CRM to attract top talent and supercharge your recruitment efforts.

Ready to start optimisingoptimizing your talent acquisition strategy with a powerful, all-in-one CRM for recruiters? Learn more about PageUp Clinch recruitment marketing solution today.

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10 Ways to build and nurture highly-successful talent pools

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 22:08:18 +0000

The post 10 Ways to build and nurture highly-successful talent pools appeared first on PageUp.

6 steps to build a business case for HR tech

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 23:09:05 +0000

The post 6 steps to build a business case for HR tech appeared first on PageUp.

A comparison: candidate experience and career websites

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 23:33:01 +0000

Dive into the latest insights from PageUp and Talent Table

Talent Table and PageUp have joined forces to share groundbreaking research to help talent teams take their careers sites up a notch. Compare data points from over 185,000 jobseekers and 200 careers sites to unveil what’s driving candidates to hit ‘apply’.

While PageUp’s data drives a deeper understanding of the candidate experience, Talent Table’s research drills down to specific and quantifiable advice to help teams adjust their careers site strategies in real-time.

Inside you’ll find:

Meaningful insights to help shape your talent strategy
Data to help identify and fill gaps in your careers site content
What makes a great candidate experience —including careers site content, design, usability, your application process and more

Download the report

The post A comparison: candidate experience and career websites appeared first on PageUp.

3 real-world benefits of ATS-optimisedoptimized recruitment

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 23:26:07 +0000

No matter your organisationorganization’s industry, size, or location, strategic goals often boil down to a few common themes: improving efficiency, creating better experiences for key stakeholders, and achieving great outcomes through data-based decision-making.

For talent acquisition leaders and teams, it’s easy to see how goals like these translate to recruitment. You may be tasked with improving hiring efficiency, delivering a positive experience for your internal team members and candidates, and using HR metrics to guide your overarching talent strategy.

How can teams achieve these goals? It takes a combination of the right tools and processes. Recruitment software can supercharge your team’s capabilities —starting with your Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

Whether you’re exploring ways to get the most out of your current ATS, find the best solutions on the market, or are building a business case to improve your recruitment tech stack, the benefits of ATS–optimisedoptimized recruitment are the same.

Let’s explore a few core ATS capabilities and benefits, with strategic recruitment goals in mind.

1. ATS software features to improve efficiency

For teams to achieve their greatest potential —the name of the game is efficiency. In the realm of recruitment, efficiency means making the best use of your valuable time and resources, providing great customer (and candidate!) experiences, and being able to spend more time on high-level, strategic tasks.

For talent teams swamped with stacks of resumes, paperwork, and tedious administrative tasks, Applicant Tracking Systems help bypass these challenges.

First, as a single source of truth, it’s an essential platform for recruiters and hiring managers to collaborate, access the information you need, undertake essential tasks, and get back to focusing on more strategic aspects of your role.

Additionally, an ATS can improve efficiency by automating tasks, workflows, and communications. These capabilities simplify managing and processing applications, identifying qualified candidates, and hiring quality team members.

2. ATS capabilities for improving the candidate experience & employer branding

Job ads, applications, emails, interviews: there are so many touchpoints in the candidate experience. By extension, they also contribute to candidates’ perceptions of your overarching employer brand.

Yes, recruitment marketing software is an important puzzle piece —especially pre-application. But post-application and beyond, is your organisationorganization’s hiring process designed to make candidates feel frustrated, or valued?

Here’s where a great ATS can truly shine. Craft personalisedpersonalized communication, streamline job postings, and ensure candidates receive timely updates. It all contributes to creating a positive candidate experience and strengthening your organisationorganization’s employer brand.

3. ATS-powered recruitment insights and analytics

We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating. In the age of analytics, informed data-driven decisions are the cornerstone of organisationalorganizational success.

Your ATS software may equip you with recruitment analytics and insights —but is it automated? Is it easy to view, understand, and explain?

These abilities are a great first step. But, most importantly, harnessing these insights to make strategic recruitment decisions is what delivers the greatest impact. It could be fine-tuning your sourcing strategy, optimisingoptimizing your budget, establishing benchmarks, or measuring your team’s achievements. Ensure you’re using your ATS to its best advantage with recruitment metrics.

Long-standing, national energy leader, Stanwell, for example, uses its recruitment analytics dashboard to manage a vast number of applications, and create greater efficiencies and workflows for its hiring team members.

At the end of the day, tools plus processes, equals results. Your ATS software should work to enhance your team’s capabilities —to increase efficiency, create remarkable candidate experiences, and make data-driven decisions. It’s time to unlock the full potential of your recruitment process, achieve your long-term organisationalorganizational goals and gain the greatest return on investment.

Ready to transform your talent acquisition strategy and rise above the competition? Explore the capabilities of a purpose-built, fully-fledged ATS like PageUp. Start a conversation today.

The post 3 real-world benefits of ATS-optimisedoptimized recruitment appeared first on PageUp.

Demystifying data: HR metrics made simple

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 05:40:47 +0000

Consider this scenario: a sales leader directs their team to boost prospect call numbers, and is encouraged when they increase. What they didn’t bank on, though, were the consequences of incentivisingincentivizing quantity over quality; more lower-quality calls lead to bigger workloads and less real results.

From an outside perspective, it’s easy to see how focusing on incorrect metrics can lead to bad results. But how often does this play out in HR metrics and recruitment strategy too?

If you’re responsible for creating a strong talent acquisition strategy, a focus purely on increasing application numbers may be distracting you from what actually matters: hiring quality team members.

To optimiseoptimize your HR strategy, let’s demystify these HR metrics by viewing them not as standalone targets, but as stepping stones to take meaningful actions, within each stage of the recruitment funnel.

1. Recruitment strategy starts with sourcing channels

Often, new hires come from a variety of channels – so assessing source-of-hire metrics may seem inconsequential. But there’s a difference between knowing which channels applications are coming from, versus how effective they are,

Assessing sourcing channel effectiveness provides a valuable starting point for recruitment strategy decisions by determining where your best-quality candidates are coming from.

University of Delaware, for example, determined its top three sourcing channels, then boosted its investment in these channels to make more quality hires and optimiseoptimize its recruitment spend.

2. HR metrics for a better candidate experience

After gathering top-of-funnel recruitment metrics, it makes sense to view data points within the candidate experience lifecycle.

As PageUp insights reveal employers are struggling to attract enough quality candidates, perhaps it’s no surprise that fundamentally, candidate expectations have changed. Millennials comprise the majority of applicant pools, smartphone usage continues to increase, and many candidates expect recruitment processes that more closely reflect a consumer-grade experience.

If your organisationorganization recognisesrecognizes the importance of overcoming challenges like these in your talent acquisition strategy, there are two metrics that can improve your ability to ensure you’re delivering a great candidate experience: Time to Apply, and Percentage of Mobile Applications.

How to calculate time to apply:

How to calculate percentage of mobile applications:

Analyze these recruitment metrics: is there a correlation between the number of abandoned applications and mobile application rates? Is there an outstanding difference between desktop and mobile application rates? Are there ways for these experiences to be optimisedoptimized?

By considering these questions and making a few small adjustments, recruitment teams can have a huge impact attracting talent in a tight market.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, for example, optimisedoptimized touchpoints within the candidate experience, leading to great results —and top-quality hires.

3. Winning talent ahead of competitors

Finally, as part of an effective talent acquisition strategy, it’s important to assess whether you’re winning your fair share of talent ahead of competitors.

While benchmarks can vary between industries, offer-acceptance rates sitting at 95% or below can indicate it’s worth investigating and addressing potential reasons why.

As our Head of Customer Insights & Market Research, Rebecca Skilbeck, explains in terms of offer acceptance rates: “For talent acquisition professionals, knowing why it’s happening and what can be done about it is of real strategic value to your senior leadership team.”

For talent teams focused on what matters —hiring quality team members— the pathway for creating an effective talent acquisition strategy is clear. Recruitment metrics matter. And identifying and leveraging them may be far simpler than you’d expect.

When it comes to your HR strategy, HR metrics are one of the greatest starting points. It takes interpretation to take meaningful recruitment actions. In doing so, you’ll be better positioned to achieve your talent strategy and overarching organisationalorganizational goals.

There’s a staggering difference between pulling recruitment metrics manually and leveraging purpose-built analytics. Interested in getting automated boardroom-ready recruitment metrics? Get in touch.

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4 must-have tools to win higher education talent

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 01:43:01 +0000

The post 4 must-have tools to win higher education talent appeared first on PageUp.

4 steps to write a stand-out job ad

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 06:14:29 +0000

The post 4 steps to write a stand-out job ad appeared first on PageUp.

How recruiting automation helps talent teams recruit more efficiently

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 00:20:24 +0000

Finding the right person to fill a role is crucial to long-term business success — but finding the perfect candidate can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Luckily, HR tech has advanced to help fill the gap. Today’s applicant tracking systems (ATS) and candidate relationship management (CRM) solutions help time-poor hiring teams to streamline the hiring process by automating key stages of the process.

Over 80% of recruiters agree that recruiting automation can help increase their productivity. By automating time-consuming, manual or repetitive tasks, hiring teams can focus on what matters most: building connections with candidates, and finding the right people for their open roles.

What does this look like in practice? Recruiting automation helps hiring teams find the best candidates quicker, boost applicant quality,and provide a better overall hiring experience. Let’s unpack these points in more detail:

Find the best candidates more efficiently

Our research shows recruiter workloads are 33% higher than pre-COVID. It’s not surprising to hear that 61% of recruiters say their stress levels at work have increased as well. To address recruiter burnout, leveraging recruitment automation tools has become imperative to help drive efficiency. A comprehensive ATS and CRM solution, underpinned by recruiting automation saves hiring teams time, and resources —empowering teams to do more, with less.

Improve applicant quality

According to research, one of the key challenges recruiters face is being able to access a reliable and consistent pipeline of quality candidates. One easy way to improve applicant quality is to enhance and streamline applicant sourcing. Automation tools like, Job Advertising, allow hiring teams to cast a wider net and provide innovative solutions to seeking and identifying new talent.

Provide a stand-out experience for candidates

In today’s talent market, candidate experience is everything. Research has found that 49% of highly sought-after job seekers have turned down job offers because of a poor candidate experience. To establish a strong rapport with potential candidates, there needs to be personal touch. But, in a competitive labour market, recruiters also need to move fast.

Automation tools allow recruiters to automate administrative tasks and keep candidates informed in a timely manner. With less manual admin, it also works to free talent teams up to foster meaningful relationships with candidates.

PageUp Talent Management Suite Automation tools

To truly harness the power of automation, savvy teams are looking for end-to-end solutions. Employing a Talent Management Suite powered by automation presents a distinct advantage —workflows are woven seamlessly throughout the entire recruitment cycle. These tools mean hiring teams are able to save time and reduce manual input across the entire recruitment process: from sourcing and candidate nurturing, to screening, interviewing, and hiring.

The PageUp Talent Management suite has a range of powerful recruiting automation tools to help you streamline processes every step of the way:

1. Nurture candidates with Clinch recruitment marketing

70% of the global workforce is made up of passive talent —they aren’t actively seeking a new role. In today’s talent market, building long-term talent pipelines is crucial to engaging passive candidates. With PageUp Clinch recruitment marketing solution, it’s easy to capture interest, build targeted nurture workflows and keep candidates engaged until they’re ready to apply.

Through automation, recruiters can reduce the manual input traditionally required to keep their talent pools engaged. With set-and-forget workflows, they can send relevant content, automatic job alerts and trigger personalisedpersonalized email and text messages to candidates to help drive greater application conversions.

Today’s candidates value clear and consistent communication. And, with 82% of candidates willing to share a positive recruitment experience with others,- providing a great candidate experience can also have an exponential impact on your employer brand.

2. Candidate sourcing with Job Advertising

71% of recruiters say they would be more successful in achieving their hiring goals if they could automate candidate sourcing. According to PageUp research in 2023, 42% of applications have come via job boards. Automating job board management would be a significant time saving for many recruiters. But, to maximisemaximize ROI from job boards, recruiters need to invest a lot of time managing contracts, researching the most effective boards for specific roles, and navigating pricing with each provider.

The good news is that recruitment automation tools like Job Advertising, can greatly reduce the burden. Job Advertising enables recruiters to simultaneously post job ads on hundreds of platforms, increasing candidate reach. Recruiters can easily select and publish in just a few clicks, eliminating the need to create multiple profiles and accounts across different job sourcing channels.

The tool also offers recommendations on the channels to target for the most suitable candidates, improving the quality of applicants. Performance analytics helps recruiters track and measure the success of their recruitment efforts across job boards. That way, teams will easily know where to invest in the future.

3. Interview scheduling, made easy

One of the largest causes of frustration for candidates during the interview process is poor communication, especially around schedule changes. In fact, 62% of professionals say they lose interest in a prospective employer if they do not hear from employers within two weeks. Hiring teams can improve the candidate experience by leveraging automation tools to streamline the interview process.

PageUp’s interview scheduling integration allows recruiters to schedule interviews based on up-to date availability of users and meeting rooms. With features like 2-way calendar sync and real-time scheduling, this powerful integration drives efficiency and delivers an improved experience for candidates, hiring managers and recruiters.Recruiters, hiring managers and interviewees can easily reschedule interviews in a few clicks and automatically notify stakeholders— reducing frustrations around schedule changes.

4. Fast-tracked background checking through seamless integrations

Background checking is an underappreciated — but highly critical —stage of the recruitment process. 94% of employers engage in one or more forms of background screening. Of those employers, two-thirds find the length of time it takes to complete the screening to be the most significant challenge. This can prove costly: if the process takes too long, the candidate may accept another offer.

Automating background checks accelerates this process. Prompt results allow hiring teams to make decisions in a timely manner, promoting a positive experience for candidates. PageUp partners with the best vendors in the world to offer superior background checking capabilities. With seamless integrations with partners including CVCheck and Fit2Work in To Australia; or HireRight in North America, we are able to offer employers their preferred pre-integrated solution that is quick, efficient and easy to use, ensuring that your employees are screened —and hired— in a timely manner.

Final thoughts

In today’s fast-paced recruiting environment, automation tools need to be a key consideration when evaluating an end-to-end software provider. Whether your goal is to attract top-tier applicants, establish strong talent pipelines, streamline onboarding processes, enhance candidate experience, or empower existing employees, recruitment automation drives productivity, reduces repetitive tasks and gives hiring teams the tools and time they need to prioritiseprioritize outstanding candidate experiences.

If you’d like to learn more about how PageUp can help streamline your hiring process, get in touch today.

The post How recruiting automation helps talent teams recruit more efficiently appeared first on PageUp.

How to provide an outstanding candidate experience with a centralisedcentralized hiring system

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 00:28:34 +0000

Centralised vs Decentralised recruitment: what is the difference?

Every organisation has a slightly different way of structuring their HR and talent acquisition functions. The way hiring responsibilities are organised influences everything from recruiter efficiency to employer branding and candidate experience.

The two most common recruitment models are centralised recruitment and decentralised recruitment. Rather than viewing these as competing approaches, many organisations are now combining elements of both through a blended recruitment model. This gives hiring teams greater flexibility while maintaining consistency where it matters most.

For higher education institutions and other large organisations with multiple campuses, business units or locations, this blended approach has become an effective way to balance local hiring needs with organisation-wide recruitment goals.

What is centralised recruitment?

Centralised recruitment is a recruitment model where hiring responsibilities are consolidated by a central HR or talent acquisition team.

Rather than each department managing recruitment independently, the central team oversees activities such as employer branding, advertising, candidate communications, technology, reporting and recruitment processes. Hiring managers still play an important role in selecting candidates, but they work within shared frameworks, workflows and systems.

Because recruitment activity is managed from a single source of truth, centralised recruitment often makes it easier to share knowledge, reduce duplicated work and create consistent experiences for candidates across the organisation.

What is decentralised recruitment?

Decentralised recruitment gives individual departments, campuses or business units ownership of their own hiring processes.

This approach allows hiring teams to make decisions independently and adapt recruitment activities to their specific workforce needs. Local teams often have greater insight into the skills, culture and priorities required for their roles, allowing them to respond quickly to hiring demands.

However, without access to shared recruitment resources, decentralised hiring can also lead to duplicated effort, fragmented employer branding, reduced visibility of talent pools and inconsistent candidate experiences across the organisation.

Centralised vs decentralised recruitment summed up

Neither centralised nor decentralised recruitment is universally better. The right recruitment model depends on factors such as organisational structure, hiring volume, geographic footprint and internal governance. Organisations are now adopting a blended recruitment strategy that combines the strengths of both models.

Centralised recruitment	Decentralised recruitment
Hiring is coordinated by a central HR or talent acquisition team	Hiring is managed independently by departments, campuses or business units
Standardised recruitment processes	Greater local flexibility
Consistent employer branding	Teams can tailor recruitment to local needs
Shared talent pools and recruitment data	Separate candidate pipelines across teams
Easier reporting and governance	Faster local decision-making
Reduced duplication of work	Greater ownership for hiring managers

The benefits of centralised and decentralised recruitment

No recruitment model is universally better than the other. The right approach depends on factors such as organisational structure, hiring volume, geographic footprint and the level of consistency or flexibility required across the business. Understanding the strengths of both centralised and decentralised recruitment helps organisations design a hiring model that aligns with their workforce strategy while delivering an efficient experience for candidates, hiring managers and recruiters alike.

Benefits of centralised recruitment

Centralised recruitment offers several advantages for organisations looking to create more consistent hiring outcomes across multiple teams or locations. Some of the key benefits of centralised recruitment include:

Consistent employer branding across every hiring touchpoint
Shared candidate databases and talent pools
Better visibility of recruitment performance and analytics
Reduced administrative effort and duplicated work
Standardised recruitment processes and candidate communications
Improved collaboration across hiring teams
Greater scalability as hiring demand grows

Centralised recruitment also makes it much easier to create a consistent candidate experience, ensuring applicants receive the same level of communication, transparency and professionalism regardless of where they apply within the organisation.

One challenge, however, is that a single recruiting team supporting a large organisation can sometimes become stretched too thin. Without the right technology and processes, central teams can experience bottlenecks during periods of high hiring demand.

Benefits of decentralised recruitment

For many organisations, decentralised recruitment provides the flexibility needed to support specialised hiring requirements. The benefits of decentralised recruitment include:

Faster decision-making within business units
Greater autonomy for local hiring managers
Recruitment processes that reflect local market conditions
Stronger understanding of role-specific requirements
More flexibility to respond to changing workforce needs

This model works particularly well when individual departments have unique hiring priorities or operate across different regions. Local teams can make decisions quickly without waiting for central approval, helping maintain recruitment momentum.

The trade-off is consistency. Without access to centralised resources, a decentralised model can lead to double-handling: less visibility of talent pools, weak employer branding, and higher administrative burden — risking a negative impact on candidate experience.

Choosing the right recruitment model for your organisation

The most effective recruitment model often depends on your organisation’s size, structure and hiring complexity.

Mid-market organisations

Mid-market organisations often benefit from a more centralised recruitment approach. Smaller HR and talent acquisition teams can standardise recruitment processes, consolidate reporting and build a stronger employer brand without creating unnecessary complexity.

Centralised recruitment also helps growing organisations establish consistent hiring practices before expansion introduces additional business units or locations.

Enterprise organisations

Large enterprises frequently operate across multiple regions, business divisions or campuses, making decentralised hiring a practical necessity.

Rather than centralising every hiring decision, many enterprise organisations centralise the foundations of recruitment—including technology, employer branding, talent pools, analytics and recruitment marketing—while allowing local hiring teams to manage interviews, selection and workforce planning.

This creates a blended recruitment model that balances governance with flexibility.

Industry influences on recruitment models

Industry can also shape the right approach. Higher education institutions, healthcare providers, government agencies and multinational organisations often have decentralised operational structures because different faculties, campuses or business units have distinct hiring needs.

That’s why many of today’s leading organisations are embracing a blended recruitment approach. By centralising key recruitment capabilities while preserving local hiring autonomy, they gain the best of both worlds.

Many higher education institutions already operate this way. With multiple campuses or departments requiring different recruitment strategies, it makes sense to give hiring teams the autonomy to move quickly while centralising employer branding, recruitment technology and talent engagement.

Here are some best practices higher education teams have adopted to centralise parts of their decentralised hiring processes to attract higher quality talent, provide candidates with a great experience and streamline their approach to recruitment.

Unifying employer branding

Having a recognisable employer brand is crucial as it helps organisations stand out in a competitive talent market and attract top candidates. 80% of talent teams feel that a strong employer brand is crucial to success in today’s market. But, only 50% of companies feel they’ve got the right strategy in place.

For organisations operating with decentralised hiring teams, creating a consistent employer brand can be one of the most effective ways to streamline recruitment while still allowing individual business units to showcase what makes them unique.

Why employer branding matters in decentralised recruitment

One of the simplest ways to strengthen a decentralised recruitment model is by centralising your employer branding. A shared employer brand creates consistency across campuses, departments and locations while giving candidates a clear understanding of the organisation’s values, culture and employee experience. Rather than presenting multiple disconnected hiring experiences, applicants encounter a recognisable brand throughout their recruitment journey.

This consistency also helps hiring teams work more efficiently, with shared messaging, career site assets and recruitment marketing resources available across the organisation.

Create consistency while showcasing local identity

Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) had this as its core focus when revamping its hiring process. As a large education system, each campus has its own leadership, priorities and culture. The central HR support team wanted to create greater consistency while still allowing each campus to reflect its own identity.

“We have 16 entities with independent leadership resulting sometimes in 16 variations of how to do things. When we sought a new provider, the primary focus was consistency, while also overhauling and modernising the overall candidate and user experience.”

Manager of Strategic Talent Acquisition, KCTCS

By overhauling its career site, KCTCS was able to create a unified employer brand, while also giving each campus autonomy, and empowering them to showcase their unique identity. The team used PageUp Clinch recruitment marketing solution software to create microsites for each campus, with custom content and specialised messaging — while the overall branding stayed consistent across each campus. This unified and strong employer brand helped the team to achieve a mammoth 82% application completion rate, while making it easy for each campus to showcase a unique culture.

Delivering a consistent and outstanding candidate experience

A consistent and outstanding candidate experience is vital in today’s talent market. It has a significant impact on attracting top talent, building employer reputation, and increasing candidate satisfaction. In a competitive market, every interaction contributes to how candidates perceive an organisation.

While hiring decisions often remain with decentralised business units, central HR and talent acquisition teams can provide shared resources and technology that make every stage of the recruitment journey more consistent.

Standardise recruitment resources across hiring teams

Supporting decentralised teams with shared recruitment resources allows hiring managers to move quickly while delivering a more consistent experience. This can include:

The creation of standardised templates for role descriptions, job offers and interview guides
Using recruitment technology to support a consistent application experience
Automating workflows to support candidate communications and keep candidates engaged
Centralised FAQs on the career site to make it easy for jobseekers to self-select in or out

These shared resources reduce administrative effort while helping every candidate receive the same high standard of communication and engagement.

Use recruitment technology to create a connected hiring experience

While hiring decisions remain local, technology creates a single source of truth that connects every stage of recruitment. Shared workflows, candidate communications and recruitment data allow hiring teams across multiple campuses or departments to work consistently without removing local autonomy. A connected recruitment platform also makes it easier to maintain employer branding, standardise communications and capture recruitment insights across the organisation.

Improve onboarding through a centralised approach

The benefits of a standardised recruitment experience don’t end once a candidate accepts an offer. Large, decentralised institutions can also strengthen onboarding by creating shared processes that help every new employee get started successfully.

Michigan State University (MSU) recognised this opportunity when looking to bolster retention and improve the candidate experience. Using PageUp, the university developed a centralised onboarding platform featuring accessible resources and easy-to-follow task lists.

As part of this initiative, the team:

Formalised offer letter templates for support staff
Introduced orientations for all employees rather than separate sessions for support staff and faculty
Aligned onboarding activities with the university’s strategic mission, vision and values

These comprehensive changes aimed to align the onboarding process with MSU’s strategic mission, vision, and values while enhancing retention and improving the new starter experience.

Consistency benefits candidates and hiring teams

Standardising recruitment resources means every candidate benefits from a clear, structured hiring experience. Job advertisements follow a consistent format. Applications are easier to complete. Interviewing, reference checking and onboarding all become more structured and predictable.

Hiring teams will benefit too. Rather than creating documentation and communications from scratch for every vacancy, recruiters and hiring managers can rely on proven templates and shared processes. This allows them to spend less time on administration and more time building meaningful relationships with candidates.

When combined with the flexibility of decentralised hiring decisions, these shared resources create a recruitment experience that feels connected for both candidates and recruiters.

Building stronger talent pools

Another tactic that can supercharge recruiting efforts is building and maintaining talent pools. Talent pooling plays a crucial role in optimising recruitment efforts, improving ROI, lowering time to hire, and boosting quality of hire. Organisations operating in decentralised models can effectively harness the power of talent pooling by leveraging technology to support their initiatives.

Build a shared talent pool across business units

Using tools like PageUp Clinch Recruitment Marketing, decentralised teams can create and maintain a centralised talent pool that spans multiple business units or campuses. This proactive approach to talent pooling helps streamline future hiring by reducing the need to repeatedly source candidates for similar roles. Instead of each hiring team working from separate candidate lists, recruiters can access a shared pool of qualified talent and engage candidates for new opportunities as they arise.

A centralised talent pool also improves visibility across the organisation, making it easier for hiring teams to identify suitable candidates who may already have expressed interest in working for the organisation.

Turn candidate data into faster hiring decisions

More talent acquisition teams operating within decentralised recruitment models are prioritising centralised talent sourcing and talent pooling.

California State University took this approach when trialling a more centralised candidate sourcing strategy. The objective was to create visibility of all candidates across campuses so qualified applicants could be considered for opportunities beyond the role they originally applied for. Rather than allowing strong candidates to sit within isolated recruitment pipelines, hiring teams could share talent across locations, improving hiring efficiency and making better use of existing candidate relationships.

Jason Wernick, Executive Director, CHRS at the California State University discusses resourcing as they took the first step toward moving to a centralised hiring model:

“We’re leveraging some campus resources as CSU-wide sourcers, working with a really strong team, this workforce is putting together things like standardised position descriptions and applications.”

Through this approach, the team can remain agile through decentralised hiring decisions while embracing the benefits of shared sourcing strategies.

Why blended recruitment delivers the best of both models

The question for most organisations isn’t centralised vs decentralised recruitment but how to combine the strengths of both. A blended recruitment approach allows organisations to centralise the areas that benefit from consistency, such as employer branding, recruitment marketing, talent pools, technology and reporting, while giving departments or campuses the flexibility to make hiring decisions that reflect their local workforce needs.

This model creates a balance between governance and autonomy. Candidates benefit from a more consistent experience across every touchpoint, while hiring teams gain access to shared tools, resources and recruitment insights without losing the flexibility to recruit for their unique requirements.

Organisations operating across multiple locations, campuses or business units can often benefit from a blended recruitment model. It provides the scalability needed to support long-term growth while maintaining a people-first recruitment experience.

Final thoughts

Adopting a blended recruitment approach by combining centralised and decentralised recruitment models can have a powerful impact on your hiring processes and maximise your ROI.

By centralising key capabilities such as employer branding, recruitment marketing, candidate relationship management and recruitment technology, organisations create a more connected hiring experience while empowering local hiring teams to make informed decisions.

Solutions like PageUp Clinch Recruitment Marketing, alongside a centralised recruitment CRM, applicant tracking system (ATS) and talent acquisition software, help organisations build engaging career sites, nurture talent pools and create consistent candidate experiences across departments, campuses and locations. PageUp helps mid-market organisations establish scalable recruitment processes while enabling enterprise organisations to manage complex, high-volume hiring across multiple business units and locations.

With solutions for higher education, healthcare and government recruitment, PageUp helps organisations balance local hiring autonomy with centralised technology. Gain the tools to attract, engage and hire great people more effectively.

The post How to provide an outstanding candidate experience with a centralisedcentralized hiring system appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Unlock talent attraction: secrets to success in higher education

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 22:06:50 +0000

Unlock your institution’s talent attraction potential in the competitive recruiting landscape. Join us for a webinar featuring a panel of HR leaders from a variety of prominent institutions as they unveil how they transformed their hiring efforts through recruitment marketing. Our panelists will unpack today’s most critical topics, and share their experiences, learnings and actionable advice.

You’ll learn how these leaders championed innovation through recruitment marketing, gaining stakeholder buy-in and showcasing its transformative impact. Hear firsthand how these tools empower teams to attract top-tier talent, reposition their institution as an employer of choice, and compete with corporate and private employers—to level the playing field in talent acquisition. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a competitive edge and elevate your institution’s recruitment efforts.

You’ll learn:

How to show value and build a business case for investment in the right HR software
The importance of employer branding in strategic talent attraction
What it takes to implement a solution, with real-world examples
Why recruitment marketing is a must-have tool for institutions to compete with corporate for top talent —including proven ROI statistics from current users.

Host:

Andrea McCartney, Customer Account Executive, PageUp

Presenters:

Demi Williams, Director HR, Columbia University
Erica Fini-Marten, Outreach & Sourcing Specialist, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Roline Attia, Employee Engagement Manager, Pepperdine University

The post Watch now: Unlock talent attraction: secrets to success in higher education appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: How to convince your C-Suite to invest in a best-of-breed talent strategy

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 00:15:53 +0000

To achieve sustainable long-term growth, it’s more important than ever for organisations to attract and retain top talent. But with competing priorities, convincing your C-Suite to invest in a world-class talent strategy can be a challenge. To help you navigate this complex conversation and secure executive buy-in, our friends at eArcu sat down with the Rectec team to discuss how you can drive stakeholder buy-in, and what you should consider to get your key stakeholders to join you on your talent strategy journey.

Bec Fenlon, Head of Customer Success at eArcu, Rob Green, Founder and CEO of Rectec and Jack Spurway, Head of Marketing at Rectec look at:

How to create an adaptable strategy tailored for your industry
How to identify and influence your key stakeholders
The importance of using data in strategic decision making
Why you need to consider the candidate experience as central to your strategy
What success looks like, and the importance of aligning your milestones with larger organisational goals

Watch on demand now to learn more

The post Watch now: How to convince your C-Suite to invest in a best-of-breed talent strategy appeared first on PageUp.

How to recruit top talent on a budget

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 02:50:56 +0000

Today’s talent teams are faced with two major challenges: sourcing the best talent —and navigating a tumultuous economy. Some teams need to scale up their recruitment efforts and drive higher productivity, others need to navigate reduced headcounts or reduced budgets. Wherever your team sits, in today’s talent market doing more with less and maximising ROI is crucial to success. So how can you get the most from your budget —and ensure you’re getting the best quality hires? Let’s dive in.

Know your numbers

It starts by understanding your metrics: know what channels you’re investing in, their cost, and how you’re measuring ROI for each. One of the most useful ways to evaluate ROI for sourcing channels is to calculate the sourcing channel effectiveness.

Sourcing channel effectiveness helps hiring teams drill down into what channels are really delivering —not just driving high application volumes, but driving successful hires. This provides a clear snapshot of what sources present an opportunity for increased investment, and which to pull back on. From there you can fine-tune your strategy, scale what’s working and stop what’s not, to take your budget further.

PageUp data shows the average sourcing channel effectiveness across our clients’ most commonly used channels. Often, the most costly channels deliver the fewest high-quality hires —presenting an opportunity for talent leaders to re-evaluate their approach.

Source: PageUp data, 2023

Build talent pipelines

Year after year, PageUp data consistently shows talent pipelines to be one of the most effective sourcing channels. A rich pool of engaged talent is an invaluable asset for hiring teams —it takes only 4 applications on average for 1 hire. Not only can a strong pipeline of talent reduce external advertising costs and agency fees, but also greatly reduce time-to-hire.

Rather than scrambling to find suitable candidates when a position opens up, hiring teams can tap into their talent pipeline to access a pool of qualified and engaged individuals. This means higher applicant quality and reduced risk of candidate ‘ghosting’ throughout the recruitment process. This translates into more efficient hiring and significant cost savings in the long term.

Invest in your internal talent

Often underutilisedunderutilized, internal talent offers a high-quality pool of culturally aligned, pre-vetted talent. Providing employees with the opportunity to move, develop and grow within an organisationorganization is widely recognisedrecognized as a great strategy — but one that is traditionally difficult to do well. When executed well, companies that promote internal mobility can significantly reduce their time to hire, boost employee engagement and fill critical skills shortages within the organisationorganization.

Instead of seeking external candidates who may require lengthy onboarding and cultural integration, hiring teams can identify high-potential employees who already understand the organisationorganization‘s values, mission, and dynamics. This results in a smoother transition, faster time-to-competency and reduced hiring costs: overall, it’s 1.7X more expensive to fill a role externally versus internally.

It’s also a great long-term strategic decision for businesses to undertake. 94% of HR professionals say that putting a focus on internal mobility helps to retain talent. In the wake of the Great Resignation, rising burnout and increasingly disengaged employees, retention and churn mitigation need to be front of mind for talent teams —it costs less to retain a top performer than to hire a new one. Research has shown that employees stay 2X longer at organisationsorganizations with a strong culture of internal mobility, making it a great tool in the talent team’s toolkit to reduce attrition.

A strong stance on internal mobility also acts as a drawcard for top candidates, boosting the employer brand. In recent PageUp research, 94% of applicants said that a focus on development was a key driver in pursuing a role —but only 29% felt companies were getting this right. By showcasing a commitment to internal mobility and career progression, talent teams won’t only be able to keep current employees engaged —they’ll also be able to engage external talent more effectively.

Start an employee referrals program

Implementing an employee referrals program can be a highly effective strategy for hiring teams to drive return on investment (ROI) in their hiring budgets. Our sourcing channel effectiveness data shows referrals produce more quality hires than channels like job boards, or social media. While traditional methods like job advertisements and external agencies often incur substantial expenses, an employee referrals program can generate a steady stream of qualified candidates at a fraction of the cost.

By leveraging the networks and connections of current employees, organisationsorganizations can tap into a high-quality talent pool that is pre-screened and recommended by trusted insiders —your current team. Referred candidates tend to have higher retention rates and better cultural fit, leading to increased productivity and employee satisfaction. The program also promotes employee engagement and strengthens the sense of camaraderie within the organisationorganization, as employees feel valued and involved in the hiring process —it’s a win-win-win.

Invest in your careerscareer site

A well-established careerscareer site can lay the foundation for a great hiring process. Not only are they more effective at producing quality hires than job boards, but they also act as your virtual shopfront. A good careerscareer site showcases your employer brand and generates applications —while also capturing the interest of passive candidates, to grow your talent pipelines. It’s a high-value resource that’s important to get right.

PageUp research shows that a great careerscareer site should address these core elements:

OrganisationalOrganizational mission and values
DEI, social, environment, well-being and purpose-based work
Flexible work arrangements and work/life balance
Rewards and benefits
Development, future career opportunities and internal mobility

Your employer brand should shine on your careerscareer site, to help differentiate your company from competitors and attract candidates aligned to your values and mission. But, it’s not about presenting a polished, corporate careers page addressing each of the above elements. Today, it’s vital to present an authentic employer brand. Using employee-generated content is a simple way to establish credibility, trust and authenticity with today’s savvy jobseekers. Encourage employees to share their stories or engage with prospective applicants through live chat sessions, Q&As and video content.

Review your careerscareer site and evaluate it through the jobseeker lens: is it easy to navigate? Can I find and review roles quickly and simply? Is there in-depth information, landing pages and microsites on specific role types, departments etc? Does it feel genuine and show a true ‘day-in-the-life’?

Re-engage ex-employees

Re-engaging ex-employees (also called “boomerang” or alumni talent) can be a highly cost-effective strategy. Targeting alumni talent often means reduced onboarding and training costs associated with bringing in new hires from external sources. Ex-employees who return as “boomerang” employees often bring fresh perspectives, updated skills, and valuable external experiences acquired during their time away. This infusion of new ideas and knowledge can contribute to innovation and growth within the organisationorganization without incurring the expenses, risk and time investment typically associated with hiring external talent. Keeping the door open for alumni talent also creates a sense of trust, loyalty, and mutual investment —as opposed to burning bridges when employees choose to move on.

A clear success story when it comes to alumni recruiting is Flight Centre Travel Group. At the height of the pandemic, FCTG had to make the difficult decision to stand down 70% of its staff. But, as the pandemic restrictions lifted in the following years, the Talent Acquisition team knew they’d need to re-hire —fast. They used PageUp Clinch recruitment marketing solution to create an alumni portal for ex-employees to encourage them to stay connected with the brand. During the low period, these alumni were kept engaged with relevant content until FCTG was ready and able to re-hire en masse. Now, this alumni program remains one of the team’s most effective sourcing channels, with incredible ROI. Cost per hire over the course of the program has averaged approximately $2, and time per hire averaged just 4 hours. You can read more about their story here.

Use technology to boost productivity

Finally, it’s important to find ways to reduce waste and streamline processes to boost productivity and drive better ROI from your budget. With the right tech stack, hiring teams can easily automate key stages of the hiring process that would have otherwise been a heavy administrative burden. With PageUp, you can set up automated workflows to sort and tag prospective candidates, create candidate nurture flows and trigger automatic incomplete application reminders to help drive more conversions, without lifting a finger. Setting up workflows to guide applicants through their hiring journey helps hiring teams find the right candidates, faster than ever, giving them more time to spend on strategic, low-cost talent acquisition, building pipelines and future-proofing their hiring strategy.

Want to learn more about how PageUp can help your team drive ROI and hire the best talent? Book a demo to see PageUp in action.

The post How to recruit top talent on a budget appeared first on PageUp.

What jobseekers really think about your application process

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 00:20:26 +0000

The post What jobseekers really think about your application process appeared first on PageUp.

5 steps to a successful HR software implementation

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 00:20:39 +0000

The post 5 steps to a successful HR software implementation appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Candidate experience in 2023: what really matters?

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 22:18:18 +0000

It’s pretty simple: post a job and jobseekers will apply —right? In today’s competitive market, hiring teams need to do more to secure great candidates. The days of ‘post and pray’ are gone, and the importance of building world-class candidate experiences is on the rise. But what actually makes a candidate’s experience great?

In this webinar, PageUp’s Head of Customer Insights and Market Research, Rebecca Skilbeck, will take you through the results of our Candidate Experience Survey where we asked over 185,000 candidates about their experience throughout the application process.

We cover what jobseekers are looking for at three key stages:

The jobseeker research stage: is your career site giving jobseekers the information they need?
The job search: can jobseekers easily search for and identify the right roles for them?
The application: how can you avoid losing applicants at the final hurdle?

Watch now to gain actionable insights, dive into feedback from real jobseekers, and get the tools you need to enhance your candidate experience.

The post Watch now: Candidate experience in 2023: what really matters? appeared first on PageUp.

Building a business case for a HR tech solution

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 23:23:25 +0000

Hiring the right people is key to business success. With the right HR tech, talent teams can create a seamless experience for candidates, hiring managers and their recruiters. But, for many teams, getting stakeholder buy-in for a new system —or even a change in provider—can be a challenge. With so many choices, vendors and focus areas to consider, it can be overwhelming to know where to start.

Whether you’re looking for a new career site, recruitment marketing tools, an ATS or to elevate your employee experience through onboarding and beyond: the bones of a business case are largely the same. You need to show value. How can you present a compelling business case to gain stakeholder buy-in and set your team up for success?

How to build a business case for HR tech:

Identify the business need

Start by clearly outlining the problem —and importantly, the impact this problem has on the larger business. Present a detailed overview of what your key challenges are, and why it matters to the organisationorganization. Perhaps your current recruitment process is too time-consuming and costing you candidates. Maybe onboarding, retention or future-proofing your workforce is your key concern. If your stakeholders understand the real-world impact of these challenges, it’s easier to make a case for change.

Consider:

As a hiring team, what are your goals?

How do these impact the larger organisationalorganizational strategy?

What’s the risk these challenges pose to the organisationorganization?

Understand who you’re talking to and what matters to them.

It’s important to think about who you’re talking to when navigating stakeholder buy-in. For example, a CFO and COO may have two very different perspectives on the same issue. When creating a business case for HR software, write a list of your decision-makers, influencers and who you need to consult. Consider what the solution means from their perspective. What are their priorities? What do they know about talent management solutions? How will a better hiring process benefit their function? Put yourself in their shoes and speak their language when delivering your business case. Including multiple perspectives helps to position the solution as a win for the whole organisationorganization — not just for HR.

Consider:

Who needs to be involved in this decision?

What are their key objectives?

How will an improved hiring process (onboarding, succession, recruitment –any!) impact them and their objectives?

Get to know your metrics and define your target KPIs

Now that you’ve outlined your problem, and know who’s involved, it’s time to dive into the data. Choose some key KPIs connected to your objectives. If you’re looking for a talent management solution, some to consider are:

Time-to-hire or cost-per-hire
DEI representation
Sourcing channel effectiveness
Employee retention rates
Time to productivity and time to compliance
Candidate-to-hire ratio or offer acceptance rate

Depending on your goal, your KPIs will differ. But, it’s important to align your goals with a metric, so that you’re able to make ROI projections and outline with data how talent software will solve your problem and positively impact those results. Plus, you’ll need these benchmarks to show the impact down the track!

Consider:

How will you evaluate success?

Where are you sitting currently —what’s your benchmark?
What improvement do you need to see to indicate ROI?

Prove the solution addresses the business need

In a business case, data and real-world examples provide much-needed credibility. The HR tech space is highly competitive —how can you show that your solution and your provider are the right choice?

Take the key KPIs you outlined above and aim to find a proof point to support as many as possible. Read case studies, testimonials and ask your shortlisted vendor for previous examples of ROI.

PageUp customers have seen a wide range of benefits, ranging from:

400% increase in referral hires and 50% decrease in agency spend
$1 million savings on recruitment spend
4 hour time-to-hire
40% reduction in onboarding costs and onboarding time slashed from 15 days to 3
Enhanced candidate experience
Better data-driven decision making
And more —we have a range of case studies outlining the numerous benefits.

There are also handy tools available to help you gain a better understanding of how the solution could fit into your budget. The more specific your examples and proof points, the better.

Consider:

What are the main benefits HR tech would give you?

What is the quantifiable/monetary benefit of these outcomes?

What case studies are available to add credibility to your proposal?

Understand your budget and know your costs

Do you know where your current budget is going? Thoroughly review each line item and conduct a cost-benefit analysis. Are you spending a lot on job boards, agencies or other areas that could be reduced with the right tech? Are you needing additional headcount to manage all the admin that could be resolved with a streamlined process? Are you losing new employees due to poor onboarding? Drill down into all your costs: and consider the costs involved in not updating your solution too.

Consider:

Are there any areas you can reduce waste, or anywhere you can cut back?

What’s the monetary impact of things like churn or losing new hires?
How will the savings from reducing waste and improving your processes offset the investment in the software?

Find the right partner

Good vendors will partner with you to build your business case — At PageUp, we have access to benchmarking data, case studies, proven examples of ROI and can help you communicate how our solutions will provide value to your organisationorganization.

We can also help fill in some of the unknowns that often set projects back: like timelines and scope for implementation. When can you expect to commence, launch and most importantly: see real results.

It’s important to know what you’re looking for in a vendor, and start thinking about this early. Beyond implementation, consider their customer support model —which can have a huge impact on the success of a chosen solution. At PageUp, we’re proud of our all-inclusive support model: we work with you to ensure you get the most out of the software.

Consider:

Can the vendor help to build your business case?

What’s your vendor’s implementation process?

What’s your vendor’s approach to on-going support?

Final thoughts

Taking on a new HR software solution is a big decision. But, with recruitment teams stretched thin, it’s no longer a nice-to-have. Whether you’re looking to attract higher quality applicants, build robust talent pipelines, streamline your onboarding, boost candidate experience or set your current employees up for success, HR tech can make the hard work feel easy.

By partnering with the right vendor, building the business case for HR software can be straightforward: ultimately, the solutions pay for themselves. And at PageUp, we’re with you every step of the way —from business case through to guaranteed on-time implementation, backed by 24/7 customer service.

Want to get started? Get in touch today to see PageUp’s end-to-end talent management solutions in action

The post Building a business case for a HR tech solution appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: CentralisedCentralized recruiting in a decentraliseddecentralized hiring model

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 22:43:03 +0000

How Cal State launched a shared-services recruitment model across 23 campuses.

Recruiting today is tough. To secure great talent, the importance of a great hiring process can’t be undersold. Traditionally, centralised hiring lends itself to agility, and makes it easy to provide a consistent candidate experience and promote a strong employer brand. But, in the world of higher education, teams often support recruitment across multiple campuses: a decentralised recruitment model. How can higher education hiring teams adopt the best bits of a centralised approach without impacting the autonomy of campus leaders?

The California State University system is composed of 23 different universities with 23 separate HR offices. After rolling out a shared instance of PageUp across all campuses, they saw an opportunity for a streamlined, ‘shared-services’ approach to attracting talent. But, what does this look like in practice?

Join Jason Wernick, Executive Director, CHRS at California State University and Andrea McCartney, Customer Account Exectutive, PageUp, to unlock their journey towards centralisation of recruitment in an effort to improve the candidate experience.

You’ll learn:

What a shared-services approach looks like in practice
Key learnings, “wish I would haves” and pitfalls to avoid
How recruitment marketing played a key role in transforming Cal State’s approach

The post Watch now: CentralisedCentralized recruiting in a decentraliseddecentralized hiring model appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: The Great Innovation-Solving the biggest hiring challenges of 2023

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 00:30:56 +0000

In this webinar we unpack today’s biggest talent challenges —See what’s really happening in the market, alongside our predictions of what’s to come next. Hear from our panel of industry leaders as they share the creative strategies they’ve used to tackle 2023’s biggest hiring challenges.

We’ll cover:

Where to find talent in 2023
How to shift to proactive talent sourcing
Why your careers site is your biggest asset
What you need to do to build a candidate-centric hiring experience

Featuring:

Jess Morrissey, National Manager Talent Solutions at Calvary Healthcare
Katie Le Page, Talent Acquisition Leader at Energy Australia
Stephanie Beer, Talent Acquisition Lead at Movember
Tara Bodycote, Head of Customer Success – AUS & Asia, PageUp People

Watch now to dive into the latest innovations in hiring strategy—and how you can include them in your approach.

The post Watch now: The Great Innovation-Solving the biggest hiring challenges of 2023 appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Secrets to HR software implementation success

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 07:53:06 +0000

Buying new HR tech is exciting, but implementing it can seem daunting. If you’re eager to modernize your hiring approach and want some advice on how to ensure a smooth implementation, this is the webinar for you.

Watch Derek Story, Director – HR Systems, Training and Communication, Illinois State and PageUp professionals Rhonda Hamilton and Sheena Murphy as they share their secrets, experiences and best practices in delivering successful implementations.

Watch today to learn:

How to get stakeholder buy-in from the outset
Strategies, communication, planning for success
Why building an agile process is critical
How to mitigate risks and maximise ROI

The post Watch now: Secrets to HR software implementation success appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Beyond Hiring: enhancing your 2023 talent strategy

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 00:12:30 +0000

In 2023, your talent strategy needs to go further than just hiring. The talent market is still tight and while some industries are facing layoffs, many are still battling with talent shortages, skills gaps and a reduced workforce. Burnout is on the rise, and jobseekers are looking for more from their employers —like flexibility, work-life balance and a supportive culture. . . In a tumultuous talent market, how can companies thrive?

Allisa O’Connell, Head of People and Culture at Flight Centre Travel Group and Rebecca Skilbeck, PageUp’s Head of Customer Insights & Market Research share their key tactics to help you take your strategy beyond hiring in 2023.

Watch now to learn more about:

The latest trends impacting the hiring landscape in 2023
Why employer branding and culture is crucial to attract jobseekers
How to leverage internal talent and alumni networks to retain employees and fill critical roles

The post Watch now: Beyond Hiring: enhancing your 2023 talent strategy appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Building a candidate-centric hiring framework

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 21:41:09 +0000

Finding great talent today is hard. Keeping them around can be even harder. To successfully hire and retain the best people, you need to go beyond simply delivering a good experience. You need to build a personalized, candidate-centric journey that links recruitment to onboarding, development and beyond.

Watch today to learn how to:

build pipelines of warm and ready talent
break down recruitment silos and leverage internal skills,
use data, automation and the human touch to craft memorable recruitment experiences.

The post Watch now: Building a candidate-centric hiring framework appeared first on PageUp.

10 recruitment trends for 2023

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 02:36:31 +0000

The post 10 recruitment trends for 2023 appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: What are we seeing in the US and EMEA regions? Panel Discussion

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 21:59:41 +0000

With the world on the road to recovery, organisationsorganizations have a hard task ahead of them: finding talent and filling the roles that were lost. With competition for talent and cost per hire at its highest peak in years, TA and HR teams have their work cut out for them.

But it’s not all bad news. HR technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and it’s never been easier to unlock new tools, data and strategies to lighten the load. From employee-generated content tools, to DIY career site builders, advanced nurture and personalisationpersonalization capabilities, and deep data & insights, there’s lots of options out there.

Listen to our recent panel featuring Lori Koval, Director of TA and Employment, University of Delaware; Edita Culjak, TA Business Partner, Ingeus; and Maria Pantuosco, Employee Engagement Coordinator, University of San Diego to hear how they are handling the top trends shaping talent acquisition and the innovation solutions they are adopting to address them.

The post Watch now: What are we seeing in the US and EMEA regions? Panel Discussion appeared first on PageUp.

Everything you need to make hiring a breeze in 2023

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 02:07:26 +0000

It’s been a challenging year for talent teams. But, where some have struggled, others have thrived. Successful teams have been nimble: they’ve adapted their strategies and leaned on support from innovative hiring tools. The key? Working with vendors who can pivot to meet today’s challenges head-on.

At PageUp, we work hand in hand with our customers to solve today’s complex hiring challenges. Together, this helps us build a platform that brings the entire hiring journey to life.

“The global talent environment has changed in many ways over 2022, but something that has remained constant is the need to enhance and simplify the hiring process to attract, nurture and engage the best candidates, and to make the hiring process as friction-free as possible. Our teams have listened to our customers, the market and to candidates to ensure we continue to innovate and provide the best solutions. We see great talent technology as a competitive advantage for our customers to ensure they hire the best people in a competitive market.”

Mark Rice, CEO of PageUp

Here are just a few of our latest releases designed to help talent teams hire faster and smarter in 2023.

Employee Connections: Highlight your authentic employer brand

Jobseekers don’t trust corporate “spin”. In a competitive talent market, how can your team showcase your unique EVP in a real and genuine way? We’ve got the answer: Employee Connections.

Employee Connections is PageUp’s employee generated content tool. It allows you to create, curate and share authentic content from your employees, at scale. This could look like:

Live Q&A’s that connect jobseekers directly with your employees
Stories and blog content
Video testimonials

Not only is employee generated content great for employer branding, it’s also great for engaging quality talent. Candidates who interact with this content are 3X more likely to be hired. Using Employee Connections to engage jobseekers enables hiring teams to attract and hire the right people, with less effort.

Text Engage: Target applicants wherever, whenever

Texts have a 99% open rate. Compare that to email open rates, which sit around 20%. To secure new hires, teams need to meet jobseekers where they are. And where is that? Probably within arms-reach of their phones.

Text Engage allows hiring teams to connect with hard-to-reach talent groups at scale. With just one text, jobseekers can enter a streamlined application process —no matter where they are. Whether a jobseeker sees an ad for your company on a bus, in a shopping centre, or at the cafe, they can easily scan and apply with a few taps. What’s more, Text Engage enables teams to ask preliminary screening questions, while providing a seamless candidate experience all the way through.

PersonalisedPersonalized hiring workflows: because no two journeys are the same

Just like no two people are the same, no two candidate journeys are the same. So, we’ve released Non-linear Workflows to allow hiring teams to build custom-made recruitment journeys as required. That way, your team can deliver great candidate experiences while creating workflows and processes that work for them.

Need to run concurrent background checks? No problem. Need to expedite an offer and run background assessments after securing a star candidate? In this market, we hear you.

Now, with non-linear workflows, it’s easier than ever to create a streamlined candidate experience that suits your company, your candidate and your team.

CRM enhancements: Surface the best candidates, faster

With more jobs ads and fewer jobseekers, a solid pipeline of talent is crucial for a recruiting team to be successful. PageUp’s recruitment CRM has always been a powerful tool that allows you to track and nurture your talent pool —but now, it’s easier than ever to find the perfect person to fill your open roles. With our new feature releases, you can:

Add candidates to a “project” so you can view and manage your pipeline for open positions in one central location
Easily search for qualified candidates from your existing pool
Quickly add candidates directly to your CRM via a handy PageUp browser extension

Visual Email Builder: No code needed

Creating on-brand and professional candidate communications is an important part of employer branding. Whether you’re nurturing your talent pipeline, or taking a candidate through the hiring journey, your email communications need to look sharp.

But, email builders are notorious for requiring HTML experience in order to produce a clean, professional template. We’ve taken the complexity out of creating on-brand email templates with our new Visual Email Builder. Now, PageUp customers can “drag and drop” to create templates to suit their needs.

Flexible Forms: giving the power back to hiring teams

Flexible Forms provide a simple way to customisecustomize form templates. With a centralisedcentralized view for cross-functional collaboration and the ability to track status and history, Flexible Forms empower hiring teams with transparency and access to real-time data.

This gives power back to the recruiting team, allowing them to scale their processes and adopt an agile approach. Flexible Forms currently supports Position Descriptions and Interview Guides, streamlining these processes for a better user and candidate experience.

Recruitment Marketing: drive applications, efficiencies, and ROI

Attract, nurture and convert more applicants with a suite of innovative tools designed to empower talent teams to do more, with less. Using marketing principles, these tools help recruiters engage jobseekers from interest through to application. The low-touch, no-code recruitment marketing suite gives the power back to talent teams — no more time spent waiting on developers. This means hiring teams can be agile and responsive to the needs of tomorrow’s talent market.

A year in review

One of PageUp’s core values is to create software that puts people at the heart of your business. We are constantly innovating to build products that you, your team, and your candidates will love. Want to see how PageUp can help you streamline your hiring process in 2023? Get in touch today.

The post Everything you need to make hiring a breeze in 2023 appeared first on PageUp.

6 Steps to build an award-winning careers site

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 05:26:33 +0000

The post 6 Steps to build an award-winning careers site appeared first on PageUp.

Watch Now: Columbia University’s Recruitment Marketing Journey

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 22:39:27 +0000

In today’s market, great talent doesn’t just knock on the door. So how can you stand out from the crowd and convince jobseekers to hit ‘apply’? By proactively marketing your organisationorganization as a great place to work.

Columbia University saw the need to adopt recruitment marketing approaches to fill the gaps in their sourcing strategy. By leveraging customisablecustomizable career sites, employee stories, engaging content and personalisedpersonalized nurture workflows, Columbia is now drawing candidates in —rather than fishing for talent.

Watch this presentation to learn:

The triggers that pushed Columbia University to try new ways of sourcing.
The focus and goals of implementing recruitment marketing software.
Implementing new software successfully.
Their results so far.

The post Watch Now: Columbia University’s Recruitment Marketing Journey appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Secrets to HR software implementation success

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 22:13:47 +0000

Buying new HR tech is exciting, but implementing it can seem daunting. If you’re eager to modernise your hiring approach and want some advice on how to ensure a smooth implementation, this is the webinar for you.

PageUp professionals Fleur White, Tara Bodycote and Xindi Li shared their secrets, experiences and best practices in delivering successful implementations.

You’ll learn:

How to get stakeholder buy-in from the outset
Strategies, communication, planning for success
Why building an agile process is critical
How to mitigate risks and maximise ROI

After watching the webinar, feel free to download our free checklist – How to choose a talent management platform

The post Watch now: Secrets to HR software implementation success appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Higher Education Trends for 2023

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 20:57:51 +0000

In the new world of hybrid work, institutions need to get strategic to win the best talent. There are 5 key trends shaping the way we hire today: do you know what they are? Join PageUp and Kansas State University as they unpack the most influential strategies and technology you need to hire in 2023.

You’ll learn:

How leading organizations attract talent with authentic content
Why job boards are no longer the best source of hires
How technology drives automation and personalization

The post Watch now: Higher Education Trends for 2023 appeared first on PageUp.

Attract top talent: The ultimate guide to employer branding

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 22:36:29 +0000

The post Attract top talent: The ultimate guide to employer branding appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now : How to build an award-winning careers site

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 22:16:00 +0000

That was Simone Strachan’s plan when she stepped up as Head of Talent at Sportsbet. Over the course of a year, Simone transformed Sportsbet’s old careers site into an immersive, authentic “virtual shopfront” featuring rich content, employee stories, and targeted landing pages. Sportsbet’s new career site was awarded Best Careers Site at the 2022 ITAs — and has attracted hundreds of applicants and increased referrals by 400% in just 6 months.

Hear from Simone when she joins Rebecca Skilbeck, PageUp’s Head of Customer Insights & Market Research, to unpack the behind-the-scenes strategy, planning and execution of an award-winning careers site.

You’ll learn:

What made Sportsbet’s careers site a winner at the 2022 Internal Talent Awards
Why every organisationorganization should think of their career site as a “virtual shopfront”
How Sportsbet’s EVP guides their strategy
Key metrics and KPIs to help prove ROI

To learn more about about Sportsbet’s innovative approach, check out their success story: How Sportsbet created an award-winning careers site that attracts top talent.

The post Watch now : How to build an award-winning careers site appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Using job listings to engage top talent

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 04:05:38 +0000

2022 has been a rollercoaster year for talent acquisition managers and HR teams. With a global workforce shortage, every stage of the hiring journey and candidate experience has come under the microscope. Even a job listing — whether on a high-traffic job board or on your own careers site — can draw in the best candidates or turn them away.

PageUp’s VP of Global Channels, Dayne Nash, was joined by SEEK’s Customer Success Manager Matthew Lanciana as they discussed what jobseekers are looking for in 2022.

You’ll learn how to:

Target the right audience
Encourage diverse applicants
Share information that matters to candidates
Craft content that convinces people to apply
Deliver a personalised, high-touch candidate experience

Content referenced during the webinar:

The post Watch now: Using job listings to engage top talent appeared first on PageUp.

How Mater Hospital competes in a tight talent market with PageUp metrics

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 05:11:11 +0000

Mater is a values-led organisationorganization run by values-led people who care for more than 500,000 patients each year. Founded in 1906 to offer compassionate services for the sick and those in need, Mater has since established itself as a market leader in Australian healthcare. But delivering the best healthcare services requires a top-tier talent strategy.

Mater has been using the PageUp ATS to centralisecentralize its recruitment activities since 2019, which means its talent acquisition team had years of accurate, in-depth recruitment data to draw from. The focus now was leveraging these insights to allow Mater to compete in a tight talent market.

Their key goals? Proactive recruitment, engaging internal stakeholders, and strengthening Mater’s employer brand.

A proactive pivot

In a tight labour market, many organisationsorganizations are experiencing the pinch from low application volumes. Mater was no exception —but Director of Talent Georgie Fisher saw this as an opportunity.

Fewer, but higher-quality applications —when paired with proactive sourcing strategies —could drastically reduce recruitment time and costs.

Fisher and her talent acquisition team identified healthcare professionals as one of the fastest-growing groups on LinkedIn. So they invested in LinkedIn Enterprise to list all jobs in one central forum.

“In just six weeks, we improved LinkedIn as a source of hire from 3% to 20%! PageUp metrics enabled us to demonstrate this return on investment, while we continue to optimiseoptimize this channel and build a business case for additional investment.

– Georgie Fisher, Director of Talent, Mater

Better yet, using LinkedIn for recruitment marketing and promoting Mater’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP) has delivered more boomerang candidates and referrals.

In building on this proactive strategy, the team is also using PageUp to centralisecentralize recruitment advertising and build talent pipelines.

“By creating one talent pool for a department —such as administration —and having one recruiter managing applications, hiring managers can collaborate. Candidates no longer receive multiple interview invitations from separate departments. Talent pools also enable us to share permanent role opportunities with our casual workforce.”

By developing in-depth candidate personas and leveraging PageUp technology, Mater’s talent acquisition team is automating recruitment, while maintaining a personalisedpersonalized experience.

“In recruiting healthcare professionals, the messaging we use for nurses is different to what we use for doctors and physios. The more personalisedpersonalized we make our ads, the more candidates we receive who are aligned with our organisationorganization and purpose.”

– Georgie Fisher, Director of Talent, Mater

Creating shortcuts to “yes”

Like many organisationsorganizations, declining offer acceptance rates presented another costly challenge for Mater.

Centralising recruitment data through PageUp was the first step for Fisher and her team to identify the root cause: delays in sending offers.

To improve their time to hire, they designed a two-pronged approach —engaging hiring managers and improving the candidate experience.

Strategic conversations with hiring managers allowed recruiters to fully understand their needs, develop accurate yet creative recruitment briefs, and present solutions.

“For example, in many cases, we discovered less-experienced candidates were a great fit. Solutions like this have the added benefit of improving our overall employee engagement, retention, and succession planning.”

By becoming strategic partners for hiring managers, Mater’s talent team could then create a personalisedpersonalized, high-touch candidate experience. PageUp’s data insights allowed them to target their messaging and reduce unsuitable interviews and assessments, to secure high-quality candidates faster, and to strengthen Mater’s employer brand.

Winning a critical talent segment

Graduates are a critical source of talent for Mater. But in this competitive market for talent, graduates were often juggling multiple offers from other hospitals. Mater needed to ensure its recruitment process would stand out from the crowd.

Could experimenting with the timing of offers have an impact?

Yes. And the results were surprising.

Using data insights drawn from PageUp’s ATS, Mater could demonstrate offers made later yielded the highest acceptance rates —with one important caveat.

“The key is keeping grads engaged, supporting them with their needs, and being available for them to ask questions throughout the process —these touchpoints have a huge impact,” says Fisher.

“The other benefit is that we only need to keep them engaged for a short period before their start dates.”

Mobile-first

PageUp research reveals up to 25% of candidates apply via mobile. So it’s no surprise that when mobile applications are too long or frustrating, application rates drop off.

With more and more candidates demanding seamless, consumer-grade mobile experiences, a mobile-optimisedoptimized application process was top of mind for Mater. The talent acquisition team worked closely with PageUp to achieve this.

“Because of the nature of our roles, we require thorough applications. But PageUp’s conditional questions streamline the process. It also tracks where candidates first learned about our roles. Opportunities like this to ensure we have up-to-date hiring metrics are so important.”

– Georgie Fisher, Director of Talent, Mater

Gaining buy-in from the top

As Fisher confirms, data alone won’t win buy-in from leadership. But it does provide her and her team with talking points to shift their TA strategy, in line with Mater’s wider organisationalorganizational goals.

“We’ve found the best way to gain leadership buy-in is by contextualising our recruitment data and telling a story,” Fisher explains. “By leveraging data, we can work backwards from the outcomes we’re trying to achieve.”

“We’re so lucky to have PageUp data! It allows us to have strategic conversations, match metrics to our goals, and achieve the best recruitment outcomes.”

– Georgie Fisher, Director of Talent, Mater

The post How Mater Hospital competes in a tight talent market with PageUp metrics appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: How to compete with corporate for top talent

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 00:13:48 +0000

How to compete with corporate for top talent
It’s never been a harder time to hire for higher education and government. With attractive benefits and hefty salary packages, many workers have been lured to the corporate sector post-COVID lockdowns. So how can institutions and government bodies stand out and sell themselves to potential talent?

The answer: think like a candidate. Being able to view the recruitment process through a candidate’s eyes allows you to engage more people and convince them to hit ‘apply’.

In this webinar, we’ll be joined by Michael Sanders, Senior HRIS Consultant, at TCU to discuss how they’re using recruitment strategies to stand out from the crowd. You’ll learn:

What candidates want
How to build engaging career sites that convert
Why authenticity is key
How to build a world-class candidate experience (even with limited resources)

The post Watch now: How to compete with corporate for top talent appeared first on PageUp.

Streamline your interview process with Interview Guides

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 07:50:03 +0000

As competition for talent remains stiff, it’s more important than ever to deliver a positive recruitment experience. The interview process in particular is the stage where candidates have the opportunity to get to know their prospective employer. A smooth interview process leaves a good impression and establishes a connection with candidates. The best companies have invested heavily in refining this process to attract the right talent.

To support seamless interviewing for hiring managers and HR teams, we developed Interview Guides. Let’s take a look at how PageUp’s Interview Guides can help you.

Improve Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Standardising the interview process is one important way to create inclusive and equitable hiring processes. This helps to reduce interview bias across hiring managers and teams. With visibility and transparency over the interview process, you will be able to identify biases in questions easily by looking at trends in responses.

High volume recruitment

Manage, organiseorganize and keep track of interviews when hiring at scale. Use standardisedstandardized templates for cohort hiring and have visibility over changes to interview questions and templates in one centralisedcentralized space. With interview guides, you will be able to control and make changes at scale, significantly saving time when hiring in high volumes.

Key features of PageUp’s Interview Guides

Easily track and monitor past versions to ensure compliance

Working with multiple documents can make it difficult to keep track of previous versions and changes. With PageUp’s Interview Guides, you can easily track version history in a few simple clicks.

Download, save and print

Enjoy the flexibility of typing your candidate’s responses or writing them down on pen and paper. We know that screens can sometimes be distracting, and so we created the ability to save and print your Interview Guide. With our latest feature, you can choose to take notes on paper if that helps you stay focused during the interview.

Manage and control access seamlessly

Enable varying degrees of access for different stakeholders. Choose from a selection of Owner, Editor, Commenter and Viewer access levels to ensure a safe and compliant process that protects you and your candidates.

Engage and communicate with key stakeholders securely

Hiring is a collaborative process and so there are often multiple stakeholders involved. Keep everyone informed and engage with hiring managers and recruiters securely. Add comments or remarks directly on each Interview Guide, streamlining communication and enhancing visibility for your hiring team.

Configure and optimiseoptimize templates to your specific business needs

Your recruitment process, like your culture, is unique. Consult and work with the PageUp team to configure your template to your specific needs. Update, add or remove existing fields. You can even change the layout of your template entirely.

Use new templates for second or third interviews or have multiple templates for different roles.

Interview Guides are a free feature for all PageUp clients. Our team developed this to streamline the interview process and reduce time to hire. Get in touch with our team to learn more about Interview Guides and other products within our Talent Acquisition suite.

The post Streamline your interview process with Interview Guides appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: 5 metrics to improve your hiring in 2022

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 00:52:07 +0000

Watch Rebecca Skilbeck, Head of Customer Insights & Market Research, and special guest Georgie Fisher, Director of Talent at Mater, as they discuss insights from PageUp’s 2022 research report.

Drawing from thousands of customer insights, Rebecca outlines the industry benchmarks for each metric — and what you can do if you’re falling behind.

The post Watch now: 5 metrics to improve your hiring in 2022 appeared first on PageUp.

How onboarding can make or break your talent acquisition strategy

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 15:00:05 +0000

The post How onboarding can make or break your talent acquisition strategy appeared first on PageUp.

Product demo: Harnessing employee generated content

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 05:43:02 +0000

Differentiate your employer brand with scalable content.

Empower employees to create and share engaging content that drives website visits, promotes your EVP, and boosts your social media presence. You’ll increase applications without the need for talent acquisition heavy lifting.

Watch PageUp’s Jennifer Ganev and Marvin Dellosa as they give an inside guided tour of PageUp’s Employee Connections software. Watch and see how businesses create, share, convert:

Tell authentic employee stories to engage their best talent
Create and share on-brand content
Embed compelling, on-brand content into their websites

Learn more about our Employee Connections software.

The post Product demo: Harnessing employee generated content appeared first on PageUp.

8 Ways to PersonalisePersonalize the Candidate Journey

Thu, 12 May 2022 02:46:14 +0000

The post 8 Ways to PersonalisePersonalize the Candidate Journey appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Amplify your brand with employee stories

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 04:47:50 +0000

Employee-generated content is 200% more effective at engaging candidates than company-driven material. People want to hear from a real person about why they should work at a company. The problem is, creating and sharing employee stories hasn’t always been easy —until now.

Employee stories help you engage jobseekers and convince them to hit ‘apply’. Watch this webinar to see how technology can help you harness the power of employee-generated content, focusing on how to create and distribute it in a scalable, authentic way.

The post Watch now: Amplify your brand with employee stories appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Amplify your brand with employee stories

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 04:46:44 +0000

How does a leading organisation like Bendigo and Adelaide Bank attract and hire great talent in such a tough market? They rely on a gold-standard careers site —and authentic storytelling —to draw applicants to them.

In this webinar, we sit down with Belinda Leon from Bendigo and Adelaide Bank to discuss how they amplify their employer brand with authentic employee stories.

You’ll hear:

How leading organisations create and amplify authentic employee stories across their career site and social channels
Why authentic storytelling gets the right applicants to self-select in (and the wrong candidates to self-select out)
How to discover, leverage and re-purpose valuable employee stories from within your organisation today
How to measure effectiveness and prove ROI

The post Watch now: Amplify your brand with employee stories appeared first on PageUp.

Building a successful internal mobility strategy

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 02:52:46 +0000

The post Building a successful internal mobility strategy appeared first on PageUp.

Healthcare organisationsorganizations: don’t create your EVP without reading this

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 05:20:26 +0000

One of the most common questions we hear among talent professionals these days is, “How do I develop an EVP that positions us as an employer of choice?”

It’s a good question. We’re living in a world of endless choice. There are infinite products to purchase, cuisines to eat, and jobs to apply for.

In today’s global, competitive job market, employers must offer and communicate meaningful reasons for people to work for them.

Even lesser-known brands are winning their fair share of talent by sending a clear, persuasive message about the kind of working environment they can offer.

After all, your employee value proposition (EVP) is the foundation of your employer brand. It communicates the unique combination of values, culture, rewards and benefits your organisationorganizations offers.

But most importantly, your unique proposition turns employees into engaged, loyal brand ambassadors who will reward you with the skills and experience your company needs.

Why should healthcare professionals work for you?

Around the world, organisationsorganizations are facing the challenges of employing, deploying, retaining and optimisingoptimizing the performance of their workforce. But particularly in healthcare, with WHO estimating a projected shortfall of 18 million health workers by 2030.

Delivering the best healthcare and aged care services depends on your organisationorganization’s ability to attract and retain top healthcare professionals.

A compelling EVP is one of the best ways your healthcare or aged care organisationorganization can differentiate your offering from talent competitors and attract top talent in a tight candidate market.

As the foundation of your employer brand, your EVP statement communicates the unique combination of values, culture, rewards and benefits employees and prospective employees can expect to receive in exchange for the skills, capabilities, experience and passion they deliver at work.

Whether you’re creating an EVP from the ground up or are looking to refine your existing EVP messaging, here are 3 key steps to understanding, improving and developing a truly inspiring EVP for your healthcare organisationorganization.

1. Gain insights from your existing employees

Don’t rely on “gut feelings” to make important decisions about what defines your employee experience. Just ask.

Conduct a survey to gain meaningful insights from your existing employees to understand what prospective employees look for in an employer. What you uncover may surprise you and will help define your unique offering.

Keep in mind that a strong EVP isn’t all just perks and flexible work. Employers should offer a healthy mix of work, rewards and recognition, culture, relationships and opportunities, like the following:

Work – Do you offer work that is challenging, fulfilling and rewarding? How does the work align with people’s personal career goals?
Rewards and recognition – What rewards, such as bonuses, training or skills development, speak most to your employees’ needs? Will they be recognisedrecognized for their efforts?
Culture – What makes your work environment a happy, safe place to be?
Relationships – How do you help people form productive relationships with team members, leaders and external stakeholders? How do these relationships encourage mutual success?
Opportunities – What opportunities are there for advancement and personal development?

Invite your team members to complete employee surveys. Select people from a range of positions, locations, tenures and levels of seniority.

Understand your current business and talent needs by talking to your leaders and recruitment team about your talent strategy.

2. Define your employee personas

Knowing who your ideal candidates are and what they value is a critical step in shaping your EVP statement. Like any good branding or marketing strategy, developing your employer brand and EVP involves defining key personas.

Create your ideal employee personas by assessing your overall talent strategy and the insights gained from existing employees. Outline the experience, personality, skills and behavioursbehaviors you’re looking for to drive your company towards its strategic vision.

You may have a number of employee segments with a unique set of skills, from creative and tech talent to entry-level and business development. Understanding the backgrounds, needs and concerns of these different groups is a useful way to ensure your EVP messaging speaks to their requirements.

3. Articulate and amplify your EVP

In crafting your EVP statement, outline the EVP elements that are unique to your company. Pay special attention to the rewards, learning experiences, cultural elements and career development opportunities your company offers.

While salary can be a strong motivator for candidates to pursue and accept a new role, top talent are often looking for growth, development and a supportive culture. Do you offer meaningful employee engagement experiences and an attractive company culture or work-life balance?

Your EVP statement should be inspirational and unique, as well as focused and aligned with your company’s strategic vision and goals. It should define why people would want to work for your organisationorganization, excel in their role, and stay with you over competitors.

Test your EVP with existing employees to confirm it aligns with their lived experience. Validate it with your leadership and talent acquisition team to ensure it supports the organisationorganization’s talent strategy.

When it’s time to amplify your message, incorporate it into each stage of the recruitment journey, including recruitment advertisements, careerscareer website, interview process, social media, videos and more.

Cultivate brand ambassadors by promoting your EVP messaging internally. Incorporate it into induction plans, reward and recognition schemes, internal communications, policies and business plans to ensure it is reflected in daily operations. Review your messaging annually so it continues to reflect the changing employee experience.

The culture and values you present in your EVP should be a holistic representation of every team members’ experience in your company. Not only will it help you attract top talent and strengthen your employer brand, but it also gives you the best chance of retaining your best performers.

The post Healthcare organisationsorganizations: don’t create your EVP without reading this appeared first on PageUp.

Don’t create your employee value proposition without reading this

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 04:58:58 +0000

One of the most common questions we hear among talent professionals these days is, “How do I develop an EVP that positions us as an employer of choice?”

It’s a good question. We’re living in a world of endless choice. There are infinite products to purchase, cuisines to eat, and jobs to apply for.

In today’s global, competitive job market, employers must offer and communicate meaningful reasons for people to work for them.

Even lesser-known brands are winning their fair share of talent by sending a clear, persuasive message about the kind of working environment they can offer.

After all, your employee value proposition is the foundation of your employer brand. It communicates the unique combination of values, culture, rewards and benefits your company offers.

But most importantly, your unique proposition turns employees into engaged, loyal brand ambassadors who will reward you with the skills and experience your company needs.

Whether you’re creating an EVP from the ground up or are looking to refine your existing EVP messaging, here are 3 key steps to understanding, improving and developing a truly inspiring EVP.

Gain insights from your existing employees

Don’t rely on “gut feelings” to make important decisions about what defines your employee experience. Just ask.

Work – Do you offer work that is challenging, fulfilling and rewarding? How does the work align with people’s personal career goals?
Rewards and recognition – What rewards, such as bonuses, training or skills development, speak most to your employees’ needs? Will they be recognisedrecognized for their efforts?
Culture – What makes your work environment a happy, safe place to be?
Relationships – How do you help people form productive relationships with team members, leaders and external stakeholders? How do these relationships encourage mutual success?
Opportunities – What opportunities are there for advancement and personal development?

Invite your team members to complete employee surveys. Select people from a range of positions, locations, tenures and levels of seniority.

Understand your current business and talent needs by talking to your leaders and recruitment team about your talent strategy.

Define your employee personas

Articulate and amplify your EVP

The post Don’t create your employee value proposition without reading this appeared first on PageUp.

Designing an EVP for the future higher education workforce

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 03:39:01 +0000

With population growth, a retiring workforce and skills shortages, U.S. higher education institutions recognize the growing demand for top educators and faculty staff.

Institutions can no longer assume that the American workforce will consider higher education a great industry to work in. In fact, a recent CUPA-HR study showed that most millennials and Gen Z have poor perceptions of the industry’s culture and compensation.

The study also found that 70% of Black Americans and 60% of LGBTQ+ Americans aren’t convinced higher education can offer a diverse, inclusive, and equal opportunity work environment. These perceptions pose huge challenges for colleges and universities looking to diversify their workforce and build strong teams.

In today’s global, competitive job market, higher education institutions must offer and communicate meaningful reasons for people to work for them.

After all, your employee value proposition is the foundation of your employer brand. It communicates the unique combination of values, culture, rewards, and benefits your company offers.

But most importantly, your unique proposition turns employees into engaged, loyal brand ambassadors who will reward you with the skills and experience your company needs.

Whether you’re creating an EVP from the ground up or are looking to refine your existing EVP messaging, here are 3 key steps to understanding, improving, and developing a truly inspiring EVP.

Gain insights from your existing employees

Don’t rely on “gut feelings” to make important decisions about what defines your employee experience. Just ask.

Work – Do you offer work that is challenging, fulfilling, and rewarding? How does the work align with people’s personal career goals?
Rewards and recognition – What rewards, such as bonuses, training, or skills development, speak most to your staff and faculty’s needs? Will they be recognized for their efforts?
Culture – What makes your institution’s workplace a happy, safe place to be?
Relationships – How do you help people form productive relationships with team members, senior management, and external stakeholders? How do these relationships encourage mutual success?
Opportunities – What opportunities are there for advancement and personal development?

Invite your team members to complete employee surveys. Select people from a range of positions, locations, tenures, and levels of seniority.

Understand your institution’s current skills gaps by talking to your leaders and recruitment team about your talent strategy.

Define your employee personas

Knowing who your ideal candidates are and their value is a critical step in shaping your EVP statement. Like any good branding or marketing strategy, developing your employer brand and EVP involves defining key personas.

Create your ideal employee personas by assessing your overall talent strategy and the insights gained from existing employees. Outline the experience, personality, skills, and behaviors you’re looking for to drive your company towards its strategic vision.

You may have a number of employee segments with a unique set of skills, from academics and faculty to tech talent and entry-level roles. Understanding the backgrounds, needs, and concerns of these different groups is a useful way to ensure your EVP messaging speaks to their requirements.

Articulate and amplify your EVP

In crafting your EVP statement, outline the EVP elements that are unique to your company. Pay special attention to the rewards, learning experiences, cultural elements, and career development opportunities your company offers.

While salary can be a strong motivator for candidates to pursue and accept a new role, top talent are often looking for growth, development, and a supportive culture. Do you offer meaningful employee engagement experiences and an attractive company culture or work-life balance?

Your EVP statement should be inspirational and unique, as well as focused and aligned with your company’s strategic vision and goals. It should define why people would want to work for your institution, excel in their role, and stay with you over competitors in other sectors.

Test your EVP with existing employees to confirm it aligns with their lived experience. Validate it with your leadership and talent acquisition team to ensure it supports the institution’s talent strategy.

When it’s time to amplify your message, incorporate it into each stage of the recruitment journey, including recruitment advertisements, careers website, interview process, social media, videos, and more.

Cultivate brand ambassadors by promoting your EVP messaging internally. Incorporate it into induction plans, reward and recognition schemes, internal communications, policies, and business plans to ensure it is reflected in daily operations. Review your messaging annually, so it continues to reflect the changing employee experience.

The culture and values you present in your EVP should be a holistic representation of every team members’ experience in your higher education institution. Not only will it help you attract top talent and strengthen your employer brand, but it also gives you the best chance of retaining your best performers.

The post Designing an EVP for the future higher education workforce appeared first on PageUp.

What the Great Resignation means for recruiters

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 02:44:58 +0000

You may have noticed it already: each week, a new e-farewell card to be signed. A promising new starter gives their notice. An old colleague parts ways with the team. Across the country, people are leaving their jobs in droves.

The Great Resignation boom is upon us. After a tumultuous 18 months of layoffs and stand-downsfurloughs, employees are the ones left holding all the cards.

Job openings are soaring. According to PageUp data, there are 50% more open job ads than there were before the pandemic.

At the same time, the number of AustralianAmerican workers quitting their roles to pursue new opportunities is increasingat its highest rate in two decades. New research shows 38% of Australian workers plan to look for a new job in the next 12 months, and a further 39% are open to new opportunities. A recent survey shows over a quarter of workers plan to look for a job at a different company once the pandemic has subsided.

There are a few reasons for this.

Faced with the prospect of returning to the office, many workers are simply quitting their jobs rather than surrendering the flexibility of their work from home lifestyle.

Dissatisfied with pay freezes and burned out from increased workloads, employees are jumping ship for greener pastures. The best talent knows they have many options.

But it’s not all bad news. For working professionals, there is optimism and hope for the future. It’s much-needed after a long year spent weathering a health and economic crisis.

For talent acquisition teams, resignations mean high turnover costs and business disruptions. But it also means more talent on the market, and more people searching for jobs better suited to their skills and interests.

The opportunity lies with businesses that are quick enough to snap up this talent, and strategic enough to retain their most valued people.

Rethinking rewards and benefits

In an effort to keep a hold of talent, some employers are raising wages and offering bonuses.

Wage conversations are always a factor in whether an employee takes a new role or stays put. But they aren’t the only reason a person leaves a job.

COVID-19 has created a seismic shift in what employees and job seekers look for in a role – and it’s no longer just about the money. OrganisationsOrganizations should be prepared to re-think their benefits and Employee Value Proposition for a remote-first world.

For example: More than half of Australian working professionals would take a pay cut if it meant they could work from home 100% of the time.For example: Most American workers would take a pay cut if it meant they could work from home.

Today’s workers are used to the flexibility and freedom of a work from home lifestyle, and they don’t want to go back. In fact, 34% of employees look for a new role if their employer didn’t provide remote work options. 39% of employees would consider quitting if their employer didn’t allow some remote work flexibility.

But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Three quarters of Australian workers say they’d like a mix of in-person and remote work. Instead of advertising a signing bonus to attract reluctant candidates back to the office, offering a mix of remote and in-person options could be a far bigger drawcard.Over half of employees (55%) say they’d like to be remote at least three days a week. Instead of advertising a signing bonus to attract reluctant candidates back to the office, offering a mix of remote and in-person options could be a far bigger drawcard.

Engage employees with internal mobility opportunities

If your employees have an appetite for change, feed it. Internal mobility opportunities like cross-functional team assignments and secondments in new business units give employees fresh challenges and new perspectives.

Internal mobility opportunities increase cross-company collaboration, which is crucial for keeping employees engaged, motivated and connected to the organisationorganization.

As we wrote in our Top 60 Employee Engagement tips article,

“Collaboration is important for employees to feel included and engaged. Studies show teams that share leadership responsibilities, interpersonal interactions and a cross-functional mentality have lower levels of conflict and stress, and higher levels of overall satisfaction.”

And remember: if you don’t offer employees opportunities for growth and career development within your organisationorganization, they won’t hesitate to find it elsewhere.

Get onboarding (and re-boarding) right the first time

Perhaps an inevitable trend to emerge from the pandemic is high turnover among new employees. Most of these workers were onboarded remotely, and many have never met their co-workers in person.

Sustaining a relationship remotely is difficult. Building a relationship remotely is even harder.

But it’s something organisationsorganizations need to do if they are to hold on to their hard-won talent.

20% of employee turnover occurs within the first 45 days, and 90% of employees make the decision to stay at their company within the first six months.

Considering how much it costs to replace an employee (up to 60% of their first-year salary) it’s clear that it pays to invest in proper onboarding.

Onboarding sets the tone for a new starter’s time at an organisationorganization, and is particularly important when welcoming remote hires. If that first impression isn’t a great one, new hires can become disengaged, overwhelmed, and leave.

When onboarding remotely, it’s imperative to make new hires feel supported, seen and connected to their coworkers online. You want to maximisemaximize the “employee honeymoon” phase, and minimiseminimize anxiety and disengagement.

When organisationsorganizations get onboarding right, new hire productivity increases by 62% and retention of new hires increases by more than 50%.

Just as important is “re-boarding” employees who return after time away. Whether it’s an ex-employee who has been re-hired, a staff member returning from maternity leave, or a furloughed worker you’ve brought back on board, taking the time to get them up to speed will ensure they hit the ground sprinting.

This helps returnees reintegrate into the workplace culture more easily, introducing them to new processes and technologies instead of throwing them in the deep end.

In a tight labourlabor market, organisationsorganizations have to be proactive to retain their valued people. With competition for applicants at an all-time high, technology plays an important role in providing a great talent experience – from first interaction to first day, and beyond. If you’d like to see how PageUp makes it simple for HR teams to hire and retain great talent, request a demo to see how it all comes togetherrequest a demo today.

The post What the Great Resignation means for recruiters appeared first on PageUp.

Saving $35K per hire with Flight Centre

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 01:54:30 +0000

Flight Centre Travel Group was among the first and hardest hit by COVID-19. But in the face of adversity, and buoyed by a resilient culture, the Flight Centre team has re-hired and re-deployed their valued ex-‘Flighties’ using PageUp Clinch recruitment marketing technology. The results speak for themselves:

86 new recruits in the first 3 months since launch
A saving of $35,000 per hire

Hear how Allisa O’Connell, Head of People and Culture, Flight Centre built a successful alumni (ex-employee) network from the ground up – and with limited budget.

Full transcript

Speaker: Allisa O’Connell, Head of People and Culture, Flight Centre Travel Group.

We are one of the world’s largest travel companies both in retail and corporate travel. We are Australian owned. We opened in 1982 in Sydney. And after that, we had a thousand stores in Australia and 10,000 people in Australia, 24,000 people globally.

And then COVID hit. We now have 3,800 people in Australia, 10,000 people globally, and a market cap of only 3.6 billion. I say only because we have seen a significant downgrade of our organization. So we fortunately got to live through the last 12 months.

What was the challenge? Well, for us, we had a government mandated closure of industry. When COVID hit and our Prime Minister decided to close our borders, 70% of our travel was international. 30% in leisure was domestic and in corporate it was about a 60, 40 split the other way. But we suddenly were confronted with the fact we no longer had a viable business. We no longer had a viable business model and we had to move very quickly.

There was one stage where we sat on our Level 15 over at South Point and looked at our cash runway and realized we had three months worth of cash until our business was defunct. So it was like having a gun held at your head and someone saying, “Come on, what are the answers? “What are the answers?” So we moved very quickly.

We actually had to decide what we were going to do with our business. Were we going to remain in leisure and corporate travel? We had customers demanding and needing refunds. Both domestic and international travel was affected. And we really had no revenue streams. In fact, we saw over a billion dollars be paid back to customers in refunds. So we were confronted with some unusual circumstances.

And as you heard before, I’ve been in the industry, well, I’ve been in the industry and Flight Center for 33 years. And I have never been confronted with such a sharp, extraordinary event as COVID hit our business.

We had to stand down the majority of our staff. We actually stood down over 7,000 people and we then had to go about making 5,500 of those people redundant. So that was a challenging and difficult set of circumstances to find ourselves in.

We were all asked at a business level to discern who we needed for the next two years. And that team were the only team that could stay. Everyone else either had to be stood down or eventually made redundant. That was unusual. And when we very first had an engagement with PageUp to ask how we could work together, I remember sitting in the room with Sam, my head of talent, thinking what the hell are we gonna say to these guys?

What do we need to work with PageUp for? We’re not gonna recruit for the next two years or so we thought at the time. But we needed to find a solution to the problem of telling 7,000 people or 5,500 people that we didn’t have an opportunity to have a job for them, that they might’ve been career Flight Center people who loved us and wanted to stay but we had no roles for them to do.

So, what does recruitment look like for us now and into the future? Even though our businesses were telling us they didn’t need to recruit for two years, we always knew there was an element of lies in that. We kept actually one recruiter that became two, which has now become four recruiters over the last four months. But at the time we had to remove a really large acquisition talent acquisition team. Let them go and keep one person because we didn’t believe we’d be recruiting.

We had been exposed to PageUp, they are our partner. We wanted to work with them on what it looked like to have recruitment marketing, moving into the future. We did have a budget. We even had a recruitment marketer. We have no budget. We have no recruitment marketer. We have, like I said, four recruiters for our 3,500 people. So we sat down together and we sat down with PageUp to work out what other organizations were doing and how we could actually communicate with and work with the people that had left us.

So the 7,000 people that were stood down which then became five and a half thousand people we made redundant, how would we engage them? How would we keep them excited about Flight Center and give them opportunities to return?

We created an Alumni network, which we worked with PageUp on to have recruitment marketing, targeted communications, opportunity for automated workflows which took it out of the hands of our recruitment team and ensure that we could keep in contact with it and build that opportunity.

What we had to do because as I told you, we had no budget, in fact, we were given a COVID spend and each and every month I had to be able to explain why we were living or not living within our means to the cent. Because we had no revenue, and we understood that every spend meant that our cash runway was diminishing. So our one recruiter each month would have to fill the roles that we had, and if we weren’t able to fill them we’d have to beg and plead for another recruiter or another way to actually attract talent.

We needed to figure out what was a business case that we could propose to the business to show them that the opportunity that we were being provided by PageUp to create an Alumni was not just a dream but it was something that was real and substantive to support our recruiters. So we worked really hard. We knew what it costs to recruit someone in our business. We knew what it cost to attract someone. We actually had a very large attraction and retention team previously. So we understood exactly what it costs to bring a candidate to the doors.

There’d also been a change in our business. In the past, the applicants that we were predominantly recruiting were retail consultants to work in our retail store network, not professional staff to work in our office. But with COVID, we no longer needed to recruit retail stores staff because we actually had no retail stores or diminished we’re now sitting at 250 down from a thousand. So that shows you the change in our network.

But we needed to find developers. We needed to find data experts. We needed to find more finance people. So there was a change in who we were bringing to the business. We realized and understood the cost of going to externals to bring these candidates to the door. And we created a really strong ROI that proved the cost of our investment in the recruitment marketing opportunity we had with PageUp would be resolved in only two hires.

For us as a company, if we made an investment to work with PageUp I knew that we would return that after two hires. In fact, as I was putting the business case together to take to our executive team, one of our businesses went external to a recruiter to place two people. And I was able to walk into the executive team and say, “Here’s the business case. “Oh, and by the way “it was already spent by person X in two recruits.” So that was a fantastic opportunity for me to show the significance of what we’re involving ourselves in.

It’s a $45,000 investment to recruit someone new and then six months for someone really to be up and running in our business as a retail consultant. We knew that if we could keep in touch with our consultants who left us, we could bring them back, and just by doing a simple risk check and an HR check. We’d have a candidate ready to go, who knew our business, who knew our culture, who was capable and already trained.

Not only did we not have to invest in recruitment and recruitment marketing, we also did not have to recruit in any ongoing development, which was a huge saving for us because we only had three trainers.

So what does our Alumni look like? Forever Flighties is our opportunity to reach those who’ve left our business. If you get to have a look at our site, which is from the PageUp marketing support that we were given, we actually make it very emotive and it’s positioned to ex Flight Center employees. So if you join this page and you weren’t a Flight Center person, it probably won’t have the same sentimental value. It speaks directly to Flight Center ex-employees. It shows pictures of things that are important to us, like our global ball. It shows pictures of our staff. There’s a fantastic video that replays a lot of our memories with peoples in it and the voiceover is very emotive. Speaking to the things that are important to us as Flighties that, we have this saying internally that you can leave Flight Center but you’ll always come back, it’s Hotel California. You’ll forever be a Flightie. And the whole page and the sentiment on here speaks exactly to that. So it’s pitched to ex-employees.

Our team did a fantastic job of creating the content, so it was rich. People felt like it was theirs and they attached to it and understood what it was about. And I’m pleased to say that when we launched this to our 7,000 people who were then still stood down, we got a 99% re-engagement. In fact, we got five people who told us to take our Alumni and don’t come back. The rest of our ex-employees were interested and wanted to understand more. It didn’t mean that they all necessarily stood signed up but they were certainly interested in what we had to offer and being involved in it.

We then went out on LinkedIn, our Managing Director of Australia posted, I posted, we got a great amount of support and interest from LinkedIn. Our People & Culture team all did the same thing, went to their social network. I saw a lot on Facebook ’cause I’m an old woman, obviously as Mike has already told you. Also a lot of my friends, ex Flighties posting what a fantastic initiative, how they were pleased to be involved in it, how they’d joined up.

It hit the market, was highly emotive. It was speaking to our brand. It was speaking to those people that were stood down and allowing them to stay connected. Now those stood down people were then made redundant, a lot of them, but they still wanted to be kept engaged. So what actually did we derive from this? What is the ROI? How did it all go? Well, those are the rehires. I can tell you that this slide is actually wrong. As at last week it was 46 people, but as at today, we have had 86 hires since the 22nd of February when we launched our Alumni. So that’s 86 candidates, ex Flight Center staff who have rejoined the business at no cost other than our additional outlay to create this site. So no training, no recruitment time. Simply put the job out there, through the system as we have it, we can identify where people have worked before, the skills, the capabilities, we can match the right job ad to the right candidates. They want to come back.

All of our people know that we didn’t create the COVID circumstances, and most of those people want the opportunity to return. So when we can put the right job offer in front of those people, where they have the right capabilities it’s just a simple match, Tinder opportunity.

When we did launch it, 21% of people came to the site. 46 of those registered their interest. Like I said, 99% of people were keen to stay reengaged. In terms of our productivity, there’s no productivity loss. When we can employ someone and bring them back into the business they immediately can pick up the role they were in previously or move to a different part of the business. But because they’ve already been culturally part of Flight Center, it’s an easy transition for them.

The onboarding process is very simple and our cost is minimal. We think that using the Alumni, it’s about a 35,000 case saving for us. But when I look at that 86 people that we’ve managed to recruit, you know, we have exponentially been rewarded for the investment that we’ve made. We talked about a saving of 700K. I think the saving is considerably more for us because what we’ve been able to do is match people who have not necessarily the same role that they were in but where we have roles existing, we can simply invite an ex Flightie to take on that role as a transition back into the company. So you don’t have to put people back into the same role, it’s a way to bring them back into the business. They can do a contracted role for a period of time and then we move them throughout the business.

For us it has been an extremely exciting opportunity to be involved with PageUp and to have the Alumni. I would say the 86 people who have been reemployed are delighted, as well as our 5,000 people who have engaged with us. And the engagement level is high from our people, and we hope that it is the easiest way to keep our talent pool warm and excited and part of our business.

The post Saving $35K per hire with Flight Centre appeared first on PageUp.

Internal mobility: Maximizing the potential of your workforce

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 04:21:39 +0000

The post Internal mobility: Maximizing the potential of your workforce appeared first on PageUp.

Internal mobility: Maximising the potential of your workforce

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 04:18:30 +0000

The post Internal mobility: Maximising the potential of your workforce appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Accelerate Your Hiring While Staying Ahead of the Covid-19 Vaccine Tracking Curve

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 21:19:58 +0000

Watch now to hear our webinar hosted in partnership with Sterling to learn how you can accelerate your hiring while incorporating vaccination tracking into your onboarding processes. We discussed:

Tools designed to help you keep up with hiring demands while delivering a seamless candidate experience
Tactics to accelerate your hiring while incorporating vaccination tracking into your onboarding process
How to leverage technology to manage compliant record keeping for new hires and your existing workforce
Flexible options to track exemptions and booster

The post Watch now: Accelerate Your Hiring While Staying Ahead of the Covid-19 Vaccine Tracking Curve appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Re-imagining talent acquisition with APM and TQ Solutions

Wed, 19 May 2021 01:52:54 +0000

Watch now to hear Dario Paolini, Employer Brand Manager at Advanced Personnel Management (APM), and Will Innes, General Manager: Growth Brand & Experience at TQ Solutions discuss the need for more strategic efforts across the entire talent lifecycle and how leading organisations are reshaping their workforce with a multi-pronged approach to sourcing, engagement and development.

Dario and Will cover:

Future models of work for TA professionals that go beyond attracting talent.
How organisations like APM are using technology to gain greater access to the skills they need for growth.
How recruitment marketing is enabling a new era of Talent Access experts through full-funnel engagement, communications and personalisation.

The post Watch now: Re-imagining talent acquisition with APM and TQ Solutions appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Working towards sustainable talent pipelines with Lightbox Communications and Flight Centre

Thu, 06 May 2021 08:52:08 +0000

Watch now to hear Allisa O’Connell, Head of People and Culture at Flight Centre and Mike Beeley, CEO at Lightbox Communications discuss the transformation from reactive recruitment to proactive hiring, and explain how you can lead the shift from seeking to finding great talent using marketing outreach and automation, while sharing real-life examples.

They focus on:

Flight Centre’s journey to create an effective alumni recruitment marketing strategy.
How you can use recruitment marketing to target hard-to-fill talent segments.
What sourcing channels you should explore to see what’s working – and what’s not.
How to embrace this new way of recruiting in your organisation and get stakeholder buy-in.

The post Watch now: Working towards sustainable talent pipelines with Lightbox Communications and Flight Centre appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Recruiting Trends in a Remote-First World presented by Hung Lee

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 21:36:17 +0000

The shift to remote working is the dominant fact for everyone working in recruiting & HR. But we are only now beginning to see the true ramifications of configuring an organisationorganization in a distributed way. It will modify everything that we did BC (before Covid) and change how we think about recruitment, culture and company.

Watch this on-demand webinar now to hear Hung Lee of Recruiting Brainfood explore how remote working will force us to rethink recruiting conventions and make the case that ‘remote first’ means ‘radical’ now.

The post Watch now: Recruiting Trends in a Remote-First World presented by Hung Lee appeared first on PageUp.

Watch on demand: 5 Online Recruiting Metrics You Need To Know

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 03:23:05 +0000

The way we recruit has changed overnight – and so has the way we interpret the metrics we need to be measuring. With the shift to online and remote recruiting, there are new measures of success.

In this webinar, we discuss the 5 key metrics you should be tracking and optimising to perfect your remote recruiting, and how these have changed over the past year. We discuss trends we’re seeing year on year in our data, including:

The critical recruitment ratio to monitor when there’s lots of talent on the market
How to tell if you’re providing a poor recruitment experience
The metric that tells you why candidates are saying ‘no’ to your job offer
Why people are ‘dropping off’ during the application process

View on demand

The post Watch on demand: 5 Online Recruiting Metrics You Need To Know appeared first on PageUp.

Internal mobility: An organisationorganization’s secret weapon in challenging times

Fri, 08 May 2020 06:51:04 +0000

“Build a team that can respond to whatever challenge is thrown at them, and you’ll be well-placed to weather any industry disruption.”

These are words of advice we shared back in 2018 – and today, they hold truer than ever. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, organisationsorganizations are fundamentally rethinking their people strategy: whether that’s freezing hiring, standing down their workforce, redeploying staff or hiring to fill critical skill gaps. In this uncertain, rapidly changing landscape, internal mobility takes center stage.

Internal mobility allows you to build a clear view of key skills in your organisationorganization, then establish internal pipelines of talent that can be deployed as needed to respond to shifts in the market. It also allows you to keep valuable employees working, rather than standing them down.

To survive these challenging times, organisationsorganizations need to be fast, agile, and mobile. Internal mobility arms HR teams with the tools to respond to this challenge, leverage the skills at their disposal (without having to spend time and money on recruitment) and quickly respond to change.

OrganisationsOrganizations are using talent mobility to survive this crisis

Many organisationsorganizations are finding they need to redeploy people (to avoid having to stand them down) in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Internal mobility plays a key role by giving HR teams a complete picture of their existing talent so they can understand what skill sets are available in order to pivot and become dynamic.

Internal mobility provides a timely picture of employees’ aspirations and skillsets. Things like internal expression of interest forms and employee profiles help to build a comprehensive picture of the workforce to manage redeployment.

Not all industries are freezing hiring and standing-down workforces. Some companies are turning to redeployment to fill critical skill gaps in the wake of unprecedented demand. Supermarket retailers, for instance, are hiring hundreds of thousands of new staff to cater to demand from shoppers, while healthcare providers are ramping-up hiring to staff hospitals with much-needed healthcare workers. Call centers are bringing on more people as customer enquiries rise and hotlines ring around the clock.

Over these past weeks, PageUp has been helping our customers recruit at scale and process large volumes of applications, and redeploy existing resources. What we’ve seen from working with our customers is that internal mobility has a symbiotic relationship with hiring: and it can be a coordinated effort between multiple organisationsorganizations.

Right now, there is more cross-organisationalorganizational mobility than ever before. Woolworths has been redeploying staff from BWS and Dan Murphy’s, Coles has been working with Flight Centre to find work for employees who were stood down. One Qantas pilot found work in a hospital after being furloughed.

How organisationsorganizations treat their workforce during this pandemic will impact their employer brand for years to come. Savvy organisationsorganizations are thinking about skillsets in the business that could be impacted and using internal mobility to keep these people working.

The way employees work across teams, borders and now even companies has evolved since the start of the century. In the wake of COVID-19, it will continue to do so at an accelerated pace.

The implications that COVID-19 will have on a global workforce demonstrates the need for organisationsorganizations to be adaptable, agile and accustomed to flexible ways of working. But it’s not just COVID-19 that’s necessitating the switch to increased internal mobility. Underlying this all is a skills shortage that’s growing more serious by the year.

Fighting a looming skills shortage

Although these unprecedented times are resulting in major shifts in the employment market, one thing remains the same: there is and will continue to be a skills shortage. Even with higher unemployment deepening the pool of available talent, this doesn’t necessarily mean the talent with the skills you’re looking for will be available.

With many organisationsorganizations slowing down or freezing hiring right now, critical skills gaps still exist. By 2030, the Australian workforce will be 29 million skills in deficit. How will organisationsorganizations fill these roles?

The problem isn’t limited to Australia: in a McKinsey Global Survey on future workforce needs, nearly 9 in 10 executives say their organisationsorganizations either face skill gaps already or expect gaps to develop within the next five years.

Although most say their organisationsorganizations consider it a priority to address skill shortages, few say their organisationsorganizations understand how to find the workforce skills they will need most. In fact, according to recent research from McKinsey, only one-third of executives say their companies are prepared to cope with the workforce disruptions resulting from technology and market trends. In light of COVID-19, these numbers will likely fall even further.

How will you equip your organisationorganization with the workforce you need for the future – especially if you’re not hiring right now? Look to your greatest source of talent: internal mobility.

The highest-performing companies are reskilling their existing workforce and leveraging internal mobility to address talent shortages and skills gaps. It’s why internal mobility is a crucial part of any savvy recruiter’s strategic toolkit. Instead of relying solely on acquisition alone, recruiters should strategically look both outside and within the organisationorganization to fill roles.

To make a start, recruiters should split their time between EVP and attracting passive candidates, and focus on developing internal mobility and career paths. Not only will you save money on external recruitment costs, you’ll also reduce turnover when you give internal talent the opportunity to grow and develop. In every organisationorganization there are great untapped resources; if you’re not developing them and giving them opportunities to grow, they will leave – and you’ll lose your best talent.

Take the below chart as an example: have you ever had a similar scenario unfold?

It doesn’t have to be this way. By investing in developing your existing people through internal mobility, you’re investing back in your organisationorganization. Your top performers stick around for longer, your employer brand is defined by development opportunities, and you’ll create a culture that attracts motivated, engaged people who are seeking opportunities to grow.

In Bersin’s 2018 Talent Acquisition industry study, 3 out of 4 of the leading talent acquisition teams tapped into internal talent pools, compared with roughly one in 10 low-performing teams. These high-performing talent acquisition teams are five times more likely to offer a strategic approach to internal mobility.

All evidence suggests internal mobility is a vital tool to keep the best employees in your organisationorganization. As researchers at McKinsey observe, “A 21st-century company should put as much effort into developing its talented employees as it puts into recruiting them.”

The business case for internal mobility

Internal mobility is a critical HR strategy, but other decision-makers in the business may not be aware of its benefits. How can you build the business case for internal mobility and convince C-suite leaders to invest in an internal mobility program?

So far we’ve talked about how internal mobility improves employer brand, keeps the best people inside your organisationorganization, and helps recruiters be more strategic. But how does that relate in hard numbers to bottom line savings? In the following 4 ways:

Avoid recruitment costs by looking within
Avoid the cost of turnover by choosing someone already aligned with your culture
Improves employer brand so you can cut advertising costs
Avoid the ‘doom loop’ (more on this later)

The business opportunity with internal mobility is clear. First, you can avoid replacement and recruitment costs incurred when people leave – an especially attractive proposition considering many organisationsorganizations are currently slowing down or freezing hiring. Second, you can reshape your employment brand and workplace culture to attract more of the right-fit candidates – making recruitment faster, more effective, and less expensive. And most importantly, you can avoid the “doom loop”.

Let’s explore further:

Internal mobility by the numbers

1. Avoid recruitment costs by looking within

Though most companies spend only 6 percent of their recruitment budgets on internal candidates, these candidates fill 14 percent of job openings.
Internal mobility is a cost-effective way to find candidates, and bypasses the costs of onboarding, training, and other upfront expenses associated with external hiring.

2. Avoid the cost of turnover by choosing someone already aligned with your culture

New hire turnover is a major issue for organisationsorganizations. Up to 20% of employee turnover happens in the first 45 days of a job. When you already know an internal candidate, there’s less chance you’ll choose someone who isn’t the right fit, less chance they’ll leave, and less chance you’ll have to start the hiring process all over again.
Whose resume would you trust more: an external candidate or an internal candidate? The internal candidate has a demonstrated work history, performance reviews, and alignment with your organisationorganization’s culture. The external candidate is an unknown.
According to research by Harvard Business Review, it can take an outside hire 3 years to perform as well as an internal hire in the same role – even though it takes 7 years for an internal hire to earn as much as an outside hire.
According to Deloitte research, organisationsorganizations that promoted internally are 32% more likely to be satisfied with the quality of their new hires.
It typically takes 2 years for the performance reviews of an external hire to reach the same level as those of an internal hire.
Compared with internal hires in similar positions, external hires are 61% more likely to be laid off or fired in their first year of service and 21% more likely to leave.

3. Improves employer brand so you can cut recruitment advertising costs

As we touched on before, internal mobility improves retention and employer brand, which attracts more of the right talent to your organisationorganization.

Surveys show that all workers—especially millennials—expect the opportunity to grow within an organisationorganization. Without this, they’ll likely look elsewhere.
On-the-job development opportunities such as lateral moves and stretch assignments can increase engagement by up to 30%.
People want to grow and build their careers rapidly. Internal mobility provides those opportunities, which keeps talent engaged and stops them from leaving. It’s a powerful employer brand magnet: jobseekers view your organisationorganization as one that prioritises growth and development opportunities.
According to Deloitte research, at many low-performing organisationsorganizations, talent and strategy are seen as separate channels.
At many high-performing organisationsorganizations, recruitment and retention and internal mobility are linked. These organisationsorganizations go out of their way to create employee experiences that encourage growth, learning, engagement, and communication by coaching and developing employees and creating cross-functional training opportunities – and that’s reflected in their employer brand.

4. Avoid the doom loop

We’ve talked a lot about the cost-saving potential of internal mobility – better fit hires, high performers, and an improved employer brand. But what about the cost of not having an internal mobility program?
Heavy turnover can significantly impact the company’s employment brand. Call it the doom loop: There’s no implied loyalty between employees and employers, so employers don’t want to invest in learning and development programs. Because there are no development programs, employees don’t have the skills to be considered for promotion—and there’s no internal mobility. Faced with a lack of growth options, the best employees keep leaving, damaging the organisationorganization’s employer brand. This doesn’t have to happen!

5. Implementing a successful internal mobility program

So how do you establish an internal mobility program that works? Let’s cover the building blocks of a successful internal mobility program.

Champion internal mobility at the highest level

Many organisationsorganizations struggle with an internal resistance to internal mobility. Some even have a culture of ‘talent hoarding’ where managers are reluctant to give up their best talent – and hiring managers are actively discouraged from ‘poaching’ top performers.

To overcome this internal resistance, internal mobility needs to be championed at the highest level, and baked into the culture of the organisationorganization. This will only work if you have buy-in from leaders.

Shift mindset

OrganisationsOrganizations need to think about internal talent as a long-term investment. This requires leaders to realiserealize that losing an employee comes at a significant cost to the company: the loss of institutional knowledge, client relationships, and productivity alone is a huge loss, not to mention the costs of recruiting and training a replacement. If that valued team member was in a revenue-generating position, the cost of them leaving increases even more.

Encourage career ‘storytelling’

Career storytelling champions those who have climbed the career ladder, and gives people a narrative they can model their own careers on. In turn, this gives recruiters a pre-made pipeline of talent.

To inspire others to follow in their footsteps, business leaders need to make their career stories known. Some organisationsorganizations hold ‘Town Hall’-style interviews with leaders in the business, to make them accessible to everyone in the organisationorganization. OrganisationsOrganizations like Deloitte prominently post the career journeys of their staff on their career site.

Mentor programs are another great way to promote inter-organisationalorganizational opportunities and increase collaboration and visibility of skills within the business.

In these uncertain times, internal mobility is a key strategy to future-proof your workforce. Whatever the future may hold, people are still an organisationorganization’s greatest asset. With many organisationsorganizations slowing down their recruitment, hiring teams need to learn to leverage and develop the talent that already exists in their teams. The organisationsorganizations that can do this successfully will be well-placed to weather whatever challenges come their way.

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Watch now: How to think like a marketer to secure the best talent webinar

Mon, 04 May 2020 06:19:47 +0000

Are you equipped to capture the best candidates before your competitors do?

Savvy hiring teams are thinking like marketers to find and convert the best people for their organisationorganization. The key is to treat candidates like valued consumers – and add a personal touch.

In this webinar Etienne O’Neill, Global Digital & Operations Manager and Mai Shinkai, Talent Acquisition Consultant at PageUp walk through marketing best practices and explain how top recruiters are implementing them today.

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Q&A Session: Tackling Recruitment Challenges

Wed, 27 May 2020 01:35:49 +0000

At a time when we are all being bombarded with advice and guidance, XRef and PageUp teamed up to bring you this session where your burning questions have been answered directly by leading voices of the industry.

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Building a recruitment strategy that sets you up for success post COVID-19 webinar

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 05:09:42 +0000

In a post-COVID world, there will be a race for talent. As recruiting teams start to scale-up their hiring again, how can organisationsorganizations recruit without compromising on quality?

And in this new world of work, what new skills should you be looking for?

Rebecca Skilbeck, Head of Customer Insights & Market Research at PageUp and David McKeague, Co-Founder & Chief Strategist at Curious Thing discuss how to create a recruitment strategy that ensures you’re growth-ready post COVID-19. They’ll cover:

The new skills you should be screening for at-scale
Why even happy employees are looking for a ‘Plan B’
How AI tools can can support recruiters to surface the best candidates, faster
Talent reactivation: how to re engage with talent pipelines

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Watch Now – Employee-centric Talent Management Framework Webinar US

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 00:19:00 +0000

To recruit, develop and retain great people in a competitive landscape, a modern talent management framework needs to deliver more than just great recruitment, onboarding, learning and development, performance, employee engagement and succession outcomes. It also needs to ensure that the candidate and employee experience is outstanding.

PageUp has worked closely with HR professionals to understand what’s required of a modern talent management framework and understand how organisationsorganizations can optimiseoptimize talent management across the entire talent life-cycle.

Taking the valuable insights gathered over the past eight years, we’ve has formed the employee-centric talent management framework – one that puts employee experience at its center.

Join Lauren Harris, VP of Higher Education Sales – North America at PageUp and Amber Pritchett, Employment Specialist at Mercer University, as they discuss how to create a talent management framework to serve your organisationorganization, and delight candidates and employees.

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PageUp webinar – Unlock your organisationorganization’s potential through internal mobility

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 00:21:40 +0000

In these uncertain times, it’s vital for organisationsorganizations to have visibility of key skills and the ability to redeploy talent where they’re most needed.

Look to your greatest source of talent: internal mobility.

The talent you’re looking for may already be in your organisationorganization. But many recruiters are completely unaware that the best person for a role is right under their noses. Or, they’re unwilling to ‘poach’ high-performers from other teams.

To help your organisationorganization grow, you need the home front advantage. People who are already engaged with your organisationorganization’s goals and aligned with its culture. And when you consider it can take an external hire three years to perform as well as an internal hire in the same role, internal mobility becomes even more attractive.

PageUp’s Dayne Nash and Penny Street discuss how to implement an internal mobility plan that works. Watch now to hear how to:

Move from hierarchical or siloed structures to cross-functional teams
Promote career opportunities internally
Deal with ‘talent hoarding’ managers

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PageUp Webinar – Delivering a seamless candidate and employee experience – Integrations make it easy

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 01:24:29 +0000

Delivering a seamless candidate and employee experience – Integrations make it easy

Candidates and employees, from their experiences as consumers, are expecting organisationsorganizations to deliver simple, quick and easy candidate/employee experiences, creating challenges for HR, or are they?

To create this consumer like experience, organisationsorganizations are utilising the cloud API and integration capabilities of their Talent Management technology. Jovaline Lee, Head of People Experience at Guild Group, provided insights into how she and her team are delivering a seamless HR Technology experience to lead their candidate and employee engagement.

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Watch now: 5 Key Trends in the US and UK a Panel Discussion

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 22:52:23 +0000

During our recent PageUp User Community Summit Sarah Forbes our Vice President for North America and EMEA was joined by Claire Dewhurst, Recruitment Business Partner for Ishida Europe, John Lackey, Chief of Talent Acquisition for UNICEF, Tammy Dietzel, CHRS (Common Human Resources System) Implementation Manager for the California State University System Chancellor’s Office, and Liz Braden – Associate Vice President for HR Systems, Planning and Operations, Columbia University to discuss key trends they’ve observed within the market.

During the panel they discuss the following 5 trends:

Hiring local talent
OrganisationsOrganizations adopt remote working overnight
HR tech has been accelerated by 10 years
Internal mobility and redeployment take center stage
DE&I becomes a top priority

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Watch now: Building a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy at Mutual of Omaha

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 22:58:32 +0000

“Diversity is being asked to the party – inclusion is being asked to dance”

When Mutual of Omaha set out to build a successful diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, they knew it had to start from the top-down.

RecognizingRecognising that inclusive organizationsorganisations are 6x more likely to be innovative – and 2x as likely to meet or exceed financial targets – the organizationorgnisations set out to transform its DE&I approach with an intentional, inclusive workplace culture.

Their mission was clear: “to build a corporate culture that respects and values the unique strengths and cultural differences of our associates, customers and the community.”

Bringing this mission to life meant re-imagining the way they recruit, and implementing these key strategies:

Requiring a diverse slate of candidates to mitigate similarity bias
Building interview panels and candidate questions that demonstrate diversity of thought
Regularly reviewing candidate pools for diversity – and conducting diversity sourcing where necessary
Supporting an employee resource group to help deliver on their commitment to DE&I

Join Mutual of Omaha’s Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion, Angela Cooper, and their Talent Acquisition Director, Amber Svajgl, as they share their DE&I learnings, best practices and secrets to success.

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The ROI of recruitment marketing

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 04:21:35 +0000

Recruiters need to move fast to secure talent that allows their organisationorganization to outperform competitors. In an increasingly tight labour market, recruiters are fighting to win the best people – and many are turning to recruitment marketing to attract and convert the talent they need.

But what exactly is ‘recruitment marketing’ and why should organisationsorganizations be implementing it?

Recruitment marketing optimisesoptimizes each touchpoint you have with a potential candidate – careers site content, social media, emails and personalisedpersonalized job ads – to convert jobseekers and passive candidates into applicants. With these channels optimisedoptimized and automated, recruiters can spend less money on advertising roles – while still getting the same number of applicants. This steady flow of applicants means recruiters can have their pick of talent which feeds into high-quality talent pools.

How does recruitment marketing save you $$$?

Recruitment marketing is based on the principles of marketing automation and content marketing. Well-utilisedutilized in the marketing world, 68% of marketers use marketing automation, according to recent HubSpot research, and 79% of top-performing companies have been using marketing automation for three or more years.

Recruitment marketing adopts the same approaches that your marketing team may already be using: but instead of appealing to potential customers, recruitment marketing optimisesoptimizes each touchpoint a potential candidate has with your organisationorganization.

Just like a customer journey, a potential candidate discovers your SEO-optimisedoptimized career site, is served personalisedpersonalized content based on their browser cookies, applies for a role and is nurtured with regular communications. At each stage of this journey, recruitment marketing is optimising these touchpoints with best-in-class marketing tactics. Consider the statistics below:

Marketers using automation software generate 2x the number of leads and are 2x as effective.
Organic SEO performs about 5.66 times better than paid search ads.
Businesses who nurture leads make 50% more sales at a cost of 33% less than non-nurtured prospects.
Content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising.
Video content is 50 times more likely to drive organic search results than plain text.

Using the above statistics as a reference point, we assume that recruitment marketing can make your recruitment channels 2x more effective in converting visitors to applicants.

With an effective recruitment marketing system in place, your recruitment channels are optimisedoptimized to convert visitors to applicants, which allows you to spend less on advertising open roles. We predict that recruitment marketing can make your advertising channels 2x more effective, which allows you to reduce your advertising spend by 50%, resulting in significant savings.

For some organisationsorganizations, this 2x increase in conversion rate prediction may even be conservative. One organisationorganization using PageUp Clinch recruitment marketing solution achieved a conversion rate of 51% – a 5x increase in effectiveness on the industry average conversion rate of 8.5%

Let’s break it down further

If we consider the cost of advertising roles on job boards and maintaining a career site, the cost to secure an applicant for a role (Cost Per Applicant or CPA) can be high. In the marketing world, this is referred to as Cost Per Lead or CPL. In marketing terms, CPL is determined by taking the total advertising expenditure for a campaign, and dividing it by the total number of leads the campaign generates. The final number is the amount it costs to acquire each lead in that campaign.

Marketing campaigns with a high CPL are generally undesirable – often they are not optimisedoptimized to reach the right audiences, or they may not have a compelling Call To Action (CTA), which means these campaigns receive low numbers of conversions. Campaigns with a low CPL are desirable: they are targeted and engaging, and are able to successfully convert high numbers of visitors to leads.

With recruitment marketing, the same principles apply. If your careers site or job boards are not optimisedoptimized to convert visitors to applicants, your CPL – or in this case CPA – will be high. If your recruitment channels are optimisedoptimized to convert visitors to applicants, your CPA will be low. Recruitment marketing can optimiseoptimize your recruitment channels so that you can spend less on advertising – while still getting the same amount of applicants. We predict that recruitment marketing can increase your conversion to applicant rate by 2x, which can in turn allow you to reduce your advertising spend by 50%, resulting in significant savings.

How does that translate to dollars?

Recruiters need to present a strong business case based on tangible ROI to convince decision makers to invest in recruitment improvements.

Using the reasoning and marketing statistics above, this calculator will tell you exactly how much you can save with an effective recruitment marketing system in place.

To help hiring teams cement their position, we’ve created an interactive ROI calculator which clearly demonstrates the value of recruitment marketing in dollar value. Not only will your findings get stakeholders on side to improve processes, it will also help you make an informed decision about your future hiring strategies. This calculator helps prove to decision makers that recruitment marketing can provide serious returns. Try it out yourself!

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4 Tips to communicate the return on investment of talent management

Fri, 06 Dec 2019 06:27:04 +0000

PageUp works with organisationsorganizations of all sizes to optimiseoptimize their talent management approaches.

Aaron Hardy is VP Operations & Strategy – Asia at PageUp

The one biggest challenge they all face? Communicating ROI in a way the C-suite understands.

Over a decade working with our customers, I’ve built so many ROI calculators for HR leaders to measure the value of recruitment, onboarding, learning, performance and succession.

We’ve finally put them all together in this guide, together with 4 key tips to communicate the value of talent management to stakeholders including your:

If you’re looking to prove your worth and build the business case for talent management, you’ll love this new guide to owning your ROI.

It covers:

Why it’s important to measure and communicate ROI
4 Tips to measure ROI
ROI calculators

Why ROI

Measuring the ROI of your talent management work lets you see what’s working well – and identify areas for improvement. Without this knowledge, more savvy competitors will take the best talent, and you won’t be able to hire the best to gain an advantage.

ROI lets you build the business case for talent management. By showing how HR can impact an organisationorganization’s bottom line and contribute to business goals, you position talent management as an investment – rather than a cost.

4 tips to measure ROI

1. Link ROI to business outcomes

How will the talent management initiatives you’re going to showcase contribute to business outcomes? Whether it’s developing employees or retaining top talent, linking HR outcomes to the overall business objectives will help prove the value of your efforts. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Recruiting

Reduced time to hire gets the right people in the role faster, minimising downtime and lost productivity
Reduced administrative time and effort frees HR teams up to do strategic, value-added work
Reduced agency spend saves an organisationorganization thousands – or millions – in their recruitment spend

Onboarding

Reduced turnover as a result of consistent onboarding saves an organisationorganization the cost of recruiting a new employee – which can be as much as 2.5x their salary
Reduced new-hire administration saves labour and administration costs and gets people up to speed faster

Learning

Reduction in cost of training processes saves money and time with no need for trainers or physical training materials

Performance management

Reduced turnover as a result of effective performance feedback keeps high-performers in the business and saves recruitment costs
Increasing workforce productivity by a conservative 1% can help reduce total headcount.
Time saved by using templated performance reviews or processes can reduce the administration time by five hours per manager per year.

2. Know your stakeholders

To make a business case for HR improvements and/or technology, you need to present solid returns to senior leadership. The decision to invest in talent management improvements is made when c-suite see recruitment, onboarding, learning and performance as an investment rather than a cost. But figuring out how to measure ROI is only half the challenge. Articulating this ROI in a way that individual stakeholders will engage with is equally complex.

There are three people that you should consider when communicating ROI. Your CFO, Chief Information Officer (CIO) and CEO. Each have different interests, objectives and pain points they need to solve. The table below gives you an idea of how each approaches talent management, their pain points, goals and motivators.

Take a look at the chart and consider:

What your CIO wants
What your CFO wants
What your CEO wants
What your HR team wants
What employees want

CIO

Pain points

Wants to streamline processes with fewer systems
66% of CIOs believe there’s a talent crisis
They rank talent the No. 1 barrier to achieving their objectives.

Goals and motivators

“I want to do more with less by embracing analytics and improving our processes so that we can scale in the market.”

CFO

Pain points

40% of CFOs view internal talent risks such as skills shortages as the factor that’s the top constraint to achieving their company’s goals
Too many platforms used across organisationorganization
Unclear of benefits of spending on tech

Goals and motivators

“I want to get better ROI from talent management software and extract more value from existing vendors.”

CEO

Pain points

71% of Australian CEOs feel that a lack of key skills is a threat to their growth
62% say their people costs are rising more than expected because of this skills deficit
64% of employees wait to be told by leaders what to do during change

Goals and motivators

“I want to improve employee retention and productivity, attract the right people and return better results for shareholders.”

3. Establish a baseline

Without a baseline to start with, you won’t be able to measure how much you’ve improved. The first step is choosing metrics that matter, then measuring these over time. Be intentional in measuring these baselines: what aspect of talent management do you want to track and improve in your organisationorganization? Understand how you’re going to measure and report them consistently and on what cadence.

Ask yourself:

What is the metric you’re tracking?
How will you measure it?
At what cadence will you review it?
What actions will you take to improve?

4. Always provide context

Providing context with industry benchmarks when communicating ROI lets stakeholders know how you’re doing in relation to the market and your competitors. If you’re behind, it can seem disheartening to look at industry benchmarks and see how far you have to go. Remember: The most important person to measure yourself against is you – your starting point is the most important benchmark. Keeping in mind everyone has different circumstances, industry benchmarks provide valuable, relevant and timely context that empower HR teams to make more informed decisions.

A common mistake people make is to fixate on trying to hit an industry benchmark. Benchmarks should act as a way to determine your HR strategy, not dictate targets you have to meet. They show you how you’re tracking relative to others in your industry so you can see where you’re doing well and identify areas for improvement.

How do you choose the right benchmark for you? When choosing a benchmark for comparison, look for one which aligns with your HR focus areas. Do you want to lose less candidates during the recruitment process? Look into your time to hire and see if it compares to industry benchmarks. If new hires are leaving, examine how your first year retention compares to the industry average: this could tell you whether you need to revamp your onboarding process to engage new starters, or revisit your selection process.

Below are some examples of how you’d present benchmarks once you have the relevant numbers for your industry or region.

Recruiting

“Our time to hire is ____, the industry average is 68 days, we are doing well / there is room for improvement.”

Onboarding

“Our first year retention for new employees is ____, the industry average is 75%, we are doing well / there is room for improvement.”

Learning

“Our payroll spend on L&D is ____, the industry average is 3-5% with 11% of that allocation spent on technology and tools, we are doing well / there is room for improvement.”

Performance

“Our employee engagement is ____, the average for Oceania is 70%, we are doing well / there is room for improvement.”

ROI calculators

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9 tips from Coles to recruit at scale

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 00:13:32 +0000

When it comes to recruiting at scale, Coles is an industry expert. With up to 30,000 roles filled each year, the hiring team knows how to find the best person for the role, while maintaining a great candidate experience at scale. Here are 9 secrets to their success:

1. Understand what a day in the life of a recruiter looks like

If you want to hire at scale, first walk a mile in a recruiter’s shoes. According to Paul West, Coles Technology and Process Manager, doing so helps you understand a recruiter’s daily activities, pain points and frustrations. “Understanding their activities from one click to the next helps to design a simple process that adds value to the hiring manager, the team and the organisationorganization,” says West. Paying attention to the nuts and bolts of the recruitment process helps to strike a balance between usability and output – something that West acknowledges is “very difficult to get right.”

2. Your candidates are your customers

“We’ve noticed a shift in the industry towards looking after the candidate experience,” West says. “Whether the candidate is or isn’t successful, they should still leave with a positive impression of your organisationorganization.” This is particularly true for a big retailer like Coles, where most of its applicants will also be current or potential customers. No matter the size of your organisationorganization, today’s candidate may be tomorrow’s customer: their experience could determine whether they want to do business with you or recommend a friend work or buy from you in future.

3. Reduce time to hire to avoid losing candidates

Once you’ve found the right person for the role, how do you make sure they don’t ‘ghost’ you? For West, efficient onboarding is one of the most vital aspects of recruiting at scale. If not done properly, you risk losing star employees. “You spend all this time and effort trying to locate the right people, you go through an interview process and a suite of checks, then you get to the end, and often the recruitment process can fall over.” West says.

“If your metrics indicate that you’re getting a high percentage of no shows on day one, that could mean you’re taking too long to secure candidates and tick that last box to link recruitment to your onboarding processes.

“Focus on improving and speeding up the steps from job offer through to getting new starters in the door for their first day.”

4. Automate communications

It can be particularly difficult for organisationsorganizations with large, dispersed workforces to ensure a consistent recruitment process between different stores or locations. It’s a problem even large retailers like Coles have experienced.

“We used to go through the interview process, and it would take a day or two or potentially longer for our recruiters to be notified of how those interviews went. So, we’re already a couple of days behind in terms of speeding people through those final steps,” says West.

Timely communication is the first step to maintaining quality recruitment processes at-scale.

“PageUp worked with us to find a solution where real-time communication could be rolled out,” West says. As a result, the Coles recruitment team can now update statuses, progress candidates and gain approvals through the system in real-time, which can be instantly picked up by stores in other locations.

“It increased the visibility and the speed that we can move people through to those next steps. If you’re reflecting on the big picture, you’re taking a process which was manual – whether it’s phone or email – and you’re shifting to a platform that everyone can use for all of their recruitment needs.”

5. Turn to technology

For Kirsty Williams, Coles National Operations Recruitment Manager, technology is a vital recruitment aid that helps manage multiple stakeholders and provide a single source of truth.

“We like to work at pace and we need to have multiple people involved in setting up a basic requisition. There’s a lot of people that want to be involved in decisions such as whether it’s the right time to recruit,” Williams says.

Williams and her team rely on the PageUp job card to keep track of each job posting, adding as much detail as possible to each card to eliminate the need for multiple contacts, emails and phone calls.

“We put all that information in at one point, and then that information flows through to the other stakeholders involved. By the time recruitment receives that job card, it has all the detail needed to move quickly on getting out to market to capture the best candidates,” says Williams.

6. Encourage internal mobility

Hiring from within your organisationorganization saves time and money that would otherwise be spent on advertising, recruitment agencies, screening and interviewing candidates. Internal mobility is a recruiter’s secret weapon when hiring at-scale – but only 28% of recruiters say internal talent is an important source of people to fill vacancies. What’s more, 50% of respondents in Deloitte’s 2019 Human Capital report said it was easier for employees to gain employment outside of their organisationorganization than internally. The best talent may already be in your organisationorganization – but if recruiters and hiring managers don’t have transparency of internal skills, this star talent will be overlooked.

“We try and be transparent with our vacancies to enable people to express their interest or apply internally,” says Williams. “We always ask before we recruit: Am I utilizing my existing team? Are there other team members or other people out there in other stores that can fill this vacancy?”

To promote internal mobility, organisationsorganizations should measure and communicate from the top-down its importance in delivering great outcomes. Managers should be encouraged to embrace and support internal mobility, and employees should have visibility of open opportunities. When done well, organisationsorganizations can experience lower churn, longer tenure and a more engaged workforce.

7. Know what to automate

What’s the one process you would automate if you had to recruit at scale tomorrow? According to Williams, the most important process to automate is the application stage. Asking an applicant specific questions about the role they’re applying for allows them to understand the role and self-qualify or disqualify themselves as suitable candidates. It also allows Coles to collect valuable information about the most suitable applicants at the very first stage of recruitment.

“Ask questions that will exclude people that don’t meet the basic criteria of the role. You can automate that process to ensure that if somebody answers a question a certain way, that they will be automatically discounted.

“There are some scoring options in PageUp. We can add scoring into answers so we can make sure we get that funnel of candidates down to the best suited candidates first.”

8. Talent pooling

The secret to recruiting at-scale? Robust talent pools and proactive sourcing. Yet as few as 14% of organisationsorganizations are actively talent pooling, according to PageUp research. From expressions of interest campaigns to engaging silver-medallist candidates with personalisedpersonalized email communications, there are a variety of ways to build pools of warm, pre-qualified people for the role.

“We constantly run expression of interest campaigns. If a candidate was to go to our website and there wasn’t a job in that specific location, we give them a chance to register and tell us they want to work with us,” says Williams.

“That builds a really great pool of people that want to work within our business. We get some basic information that helps us target the individuals around certain areas, then directly target those candidates and let them know when jobs come up in those locations. As a result we can quickly turn around some of our job vacancies.”

9. Engage internal stakeholders

As your processes evolve, quite often your tech will have to as well. When you’re scaling your talent management processes, make sure you get buy-in from relevant stakeholders.

This will keep the project aligned with the goals of the business. Early engagement with IT, for example, is a must to ensure success when implementing new HR systems and processes.

“It’s really helpful to have someone from your IT department, or even a project management office, to support you. The keys to success in these projects can come down to the change management process, how well the business has been engaged and has got that buy-in to what you’re doing,” says West.

Great technology facilitates even greater efficiencies in the talent lifecycle. If you’d like to learn more about how PageUp can help scale your talent management, get in touch today.

The post 9 tips from Coles to recruit at scale appeared first on PageUp.

Webinar: The anatomy of a great career site

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 23:07:54 +0000

Do you know what it takes to build a career site that converts quality candidates?

There are a handful of key features that every successful career site has in common. These features can turn any organization into a talent attraction magnet.

Join Haley Ruddell, Professional Services Manager – North America at PageUp as she shares practical, real-life examples to optimize your career site to:

Showcase your EVP and employer brand
Write job descriptions that convert
Highlight your unique culture
Attract diverse talent
Broaden your reach in a competitive talent market

Do you know what it takes to build a career site that converts quality candidates?

Watch our recent webinar to find out.

The post Webinar: The anatomy of a great career site appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: 6 Recruitment trends for 2022

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 01:37:36 +0000

Is the future completely digital, or do people still crave the human touch? Is talent still talent even after they’ve left the organisationorganization? And are people really hiring through TikTok?

There are a raft of new recruitment trends emerging as organisationsorganizations recover and re-hire post-pandemic. Not all of them are what you’d expect: but every one can be implemented today.

In this webinar, Rebecca Skilbeck, Head of Customer Insights and Market Research at PageUp, discusses the 6 must-know recruitment trends for 2022. She shares why these trends are so important, and explains how you can implement them in your organisationorganization right away.

The post Watch now: 6 Recruitment trends for 2022 appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: The anatomy of a great careers site

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 23:46:44 +0000

Do you know what it takes to build a careers site that converts quality candidates?

There are a handful of key features that every successful careers site has in common. These features can turn any organisation into a talent attraction magnet.

In this webinar Sam Hannaway, Senior Solutions Consultant at PageUp shares practical, real-life examples to optimise your careers site to:

Showcase your EVP and employer brand
Write job descriptions that convert
Highlight your unique culture
Attract diverse talent
Broaden your reach in a competitive talent market

The post Watch now: The anatomy of a great careers site appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Rebuilding the workforce – Data-driven strategies to hire great people

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 07:21:35 +0000

The race for talent has ramped up. Organisations can’t rely on the same old recruitment tactics if they want to stand out in a crowded market.

In this webinar you’ll discover the data-driven recruiting strategies leading organisations employ.

We cover:

The state of play: What is causing the tightest talent market in years?
How to hire in a worker shortage
Data-driven strategies to put a laser-focus on your hiring
The best ways to retain and engage your hard-won talent

The post Watch now: Rebuilding the workforce – Data-driven strategies to hire great people appeared first on PageUp.

Watch now: Getting pay equity right at the hiring stage – PageUp & CURO webinar

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 22:49:50 +0000

Pay equity is a crucial concept in 2021 but not many organisationsorganizations get it right from the start. From the early recruitment stages, through to new hire and performance management, pay equity plays an important role in building an attractive EVP and maintaining employee motivation.

In this on-demand webinar, Ruth Thomas, Industry Principal and Senior Consultant at CURO and Dayne Nash, VP Global Channels at PageUp discuss best practices and industry case studies to help you achieve pay equality and identify areas of risk.

They cover:

How to get pay equity right at the hiring stage
The relationship between pay equity and performance management
Addressing pay equality at key touchpoints in the talent lifecycle

The post Watch now: Getting pay equity right at the hiring stage – PageUp & CURO webinar appeared first on PageUp.

7 Recruitment trends for 2020

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 02:41:00 +0000

The expectations of the recruitment experience – from candidates, hiring managers, and recruiters themselves – is evolving. Technology is empowering a new breed of recruiters who are strategic, savvy and supercharged in their ability to surface the right candidates for the roles. Below are 7 recruitment trends HR professionals should be aware of in 2020 – how ready are you for the new world of work?

1. Employers are prioritising candidate experience

Candidates – and everyone involved in the recruitment process – expect a consumer-level tech experience. The organisationsorganizations that attract the best talent are adept at creating experiences that turn candidates into employees.

According to Talent Board, since 2010 over 1,000 organisationsorganizations globally have worked together in a research initiative that aims to define and measure candidate experience. This collaboration between HR professionals is rare – and speaks to the critical importance candidate experience has on an organisationorganization‘s ability to attract top talent.

Employers that are able to create an exceptional candidate to employee experience have their pick of talent.

People who are satisfied with their candidate experiences are 38 percent more likely to accept a job offer.

Regardless of whether they get a job offer, applicants who are satisfied with their candidate experience are more than twice as likely to recommend the hiring organisationorganization to others, compared with those who were not satisfied (62% vs. 28%).

87% of candidates say a great recruitment experience can change their mind about a company they once doubted. On the flip side, 83% of talent say a negative interview experience can change their mind about a role or company they once liked.

There are three components to creating a great candidate experience:

Creating a consumer-grade candidate experience – and measuring the success of your approach.
Aligning your candidate experience strategy with your organisationorganization’s culture, values and goals.
Segmenting candidates – contractor, casual, freelance, part-time – and choosing technology and journeys catered to candidate expectations.

1. Create a hiring journey that convinces candidates to become employees

OrganisationsOrganizations that provide a great candidate experience focus on making the candidate feel valued throughout the recruitment process. This can be done through a combination of technology and personal touchpoints.

Technology can make it streamlined and simple to find and apply for roles with mobile-optimisedoptimized careers sites, autofill functionality on applications and multiple candidate touchpoints from application to interview and offer stages. Technology allows recruiters to tailor different automated messages to applicants depending on how many times they’ve applied with the organisationorganization. Tech can also speed up the process from interview to offer – to make sure you’re not losing candidates to other faster competitors.

Tech should enhance – but not replace – the role of the recruiter and hiring manager in this process. Recruiters play a key role in delivering a great candidate experience by providing feedback and information to candidates along the way. Just like you would keep a customer informed during a business transaction, recruiters can keep candidates informed throughout the hiring process.

The job search is tiring: finding roles, applying, and preparing for multiple rounds of interviews is time-consuming and requires considerable effort. Reward that effort by providing meaningful feedback to unsuccessful candidates. In a time where ‘ghosting candidates’ has become a common term, set your organisationorganization apart by helping jobseekers leave the recruitment process in a better place than they started. Recruiters can be a valuable resource to jobseekers, providing feedback on their resume, interview style, and how they can best position themselves to the market. Your silver-medallists will remain warm in talent pools, and other unsuccessful candidates will leave with a great story to tell about their experience. As researchers at Deloitte observe, “Not every candidate will join your organisationorganization. But every candidate will have an opinion about whether your organisationorganization is worth joining.”

2. Align the candidate experience with your organisationorganization’s strategy

The candidate experience you build should be consistent with your organisationorganization’s employer brand and strategy. This creates a focused, consistent approach to hiring that’s fully, holistically integrated with your talent acquisition goals. Consider the role technology plays in your overall employer brand strategy. While technology can improve the candidate experience, it’s also important to keep the human touch. Does your organisationorganization have a strong internal culture? Make sure candidates get a sense of the people and values that make your organisationorganization a great place to work. Savvy employers have a workflow that includes both tech-enabled and human touchpoints designed to build meaningful relationships with candidates.

3. Segment candidates

OrganisationsOrganizations hire for a range of roles – contractors, part-time, casual, freelance. Take the time to understand and define key talent segments, understand their needs and motivators, and pinpoint ways to improve the experiences most important to them. The factors that motivate these different cohorts of workers vary hugely – choose technology and journeys catered to each candidate’s expectations.

It’s important to customisecustomize messages for different talent segments and deliver these messages on the channels they use most. Create a detailed persona profile for each segment and map out their candidate journey to see which moments matter to each segment.

2. OrganisationsOrganizations are hiring for soft skills

Skills are the currency of the future. We are in the midst of a national skills shortage that’s predicted to grow to 29 million skills in deficit by 2030. The bulk of these missing skills will be soft skills, with two-thirds of jobs created between now and then expected to be strongly reliant on skills like communication and empathy. To address this skills shortage, recruiters are shifting their focus to hire for the ability to adapt to changing roles in flexible organisationalorganizational structures.

OrganisationsOrganizations have historically always hired for soft skills. What is new is the current shift in focus based on a number of converging factors – and we expect this trend to accelerate.

Between now and 2030, demand for social and emotional skills will grow across all industries by 26% in the United States and by 22% in Europe. While some of these skills – such as empathy – are innate, others – such as advanced communication – can be honed and taught.

But first – what do we mean by ‘soft skills’? It’s been debated how representative the term ‘soft skills’ is to refer to attributes like collaboration, agility and communication. Why do we call the crucial skills of inductive reasoning, teamwork and critical thinking ‘soft’? Some propose a move to ‘essential skills’, others, like researchers at Deloitte, have called them ‘skills of the heart’.

Driving this focus on hiring for essential skills is a looming skills shortage. At the start of this decade, the typical worker lacked 1.2 of the critical skills needed by employers seeking to fill a given position, according to Deloitte research. Today, the average worker is missing nearly two of the 18 critical skills advertisedadvertized for a job, equating to 23 million skills shortages across the economy.

“If we continue as we are, our national skills shortage will grow to 29 million by 2030, and far-and-away the bulk of those ‘missing skills’ will be those of the heart,” says Deloitte Access Economics partner, and lead report author David Rumbens.

To address the fact that recruiters will not be able to recruit against their perfect wishlist, candidates that exhibit essential skills are being hired into the organisationorganization – rather than a specific team – with the rationale that essential skills and agile characteristics are more important than past experience. The role you hire into may not exist in a year thanks to automation – but flexible, agile workers will be able to upskill and cross-functionally move into new and emerging roles.

In today’s world of work, roles and technology evolve quickly. In response, recruiters are looking for people who can adapt quickly to the changing face of technology and rapid economic shifts. Hiring for soft skills like the ability to innovate, be agile, communicate, and collaborate, is essentially hiring for the ability to change and adapt. Niche specialisationsspecializations can often be inflexible. People hired off a specific set of experiences may not have the skills to adapt or change when those experiences are no longer required.

AI and automation will re-shape traditional roles. McKinsey estimates that 25-46% of current work activities in Australia could be automated by 2030, and hard skills are most susceptible to automation. There are a number of innate soft skills that will give people a competitive edge over AI and machine learning in the future. These are inherently human skills like communication, relationship building and empathy – skills that machines have not yet mastered. As Duncan Wardle, former vice president of innovation and creativity at Disney observes, “The foremost employable skill sets we should be looking for are the ones we are born with: creativity, imagination, intuition, and curiosity.”

How do you hire for soft skills?

Hiring candidates for soft skills requires a different screening process. Vendors like PredictiveHire screen candidates for traits common in successful employees. Technology vendors like Weirdly allow for soft skills assessments.

3. People analytics are influencing strategy

As organisationsorganizations become more sophisticated in the way they use analytics, HR is playing a greater role in influencing company-wide strategy. OrganisationsOrganizations are moving from descriptive analytics to diagnostic and predictive analytics. The majority of HR teams still sit in the descriptive stage, where they can capture data to tell them what’s happening – but aren’t yet digging into the ‘why’ of those metrics. 71% of companies see people analytics as a high priority, but only 9% believe they have a good understanding of which aspect of talent management drives performance in their organisationsorganizations.

OrganisationsOrganizations that are more mature in their use of metrics sit in the diagnostic stage, where they can understand the ‘why’ of their metrics – and adjust their approach to meet strategic goals. Driven by advances in technology, these organisationsorganizations are measuring and optimising how their tools and integrations improve time to hire and other recruitment metrics.

Industry-leading organisationsorganizations are mature in their metrics and sit in the predictive phase. Confident in their data and able to gain meaningful insights from it, these organisationsorganizations can model and predict future trends.

Across the board, HR professionals are getting better at identifying the metrics that matter. OrganisationsOrganizations are holistically looking at analytics across the entire talent lifecycle – from performance to retention, engagement, assessment, workforce planning and skill gap analysis to inform their recruitment strategy. But there are roadblocks – many organisationsorganizations still lack the technology and skills required to surface meaningful people analytics.

Gerard Ward is no stranger to analytics. As the CEO of video interviewing platform Vieple and co-founder of psychometric assessment platform Testgrid, he’s seen firsthand how organisationsorganizations get recruitment right (and wrong). Ward often sees organisationsorganizations struggle to get the right recruitment data – or have enough confidence in that data to make company-wide strategic decisions informed by it. Analytics isn’t a core skill set that recruiters have had in the past, so without proper training they lack confidence in their ability to surface analytics and present them at a strategic level.

4. The strategic recruiter

The role of recruiters is changing. More tech-enabled than ever, they are supercharged in their ability to engage with stakeholders including hiring managers, candidates and employees. They are able to move from reactive recruitment to proactive sourcing from internal and external talent pools. The benefit is a great experience for everyone involved in the recruitment process, thanks to easy to use technology which facilitates an accelerated workflow.

Technology allows hiring managers and recruiters to have a closer relationship than ever. Hiring managers can flag flight risks and recruiters can help build bench strength in one transparent, streamlined workflow. This visibility helps to remove barriers to great talent pool management and internal mobility.

The strategic recruiter looks both outside and within the organisationorganization to fill roles. Instead of solely focusing on attracting passive candidates, strategic recruiters realiserealize there are great untapped resources in every organisationorganization – and are proactively developing internal mobility and career paths.

The strategic organisationorganization

The ability for a recruiter to be strategic is reliant on the organisationorganization: what sort of innovation culture does it have? The organisationsorganizations that are the early adopters of tech are usually the ones that are able to get new systems and recruiters working well together.

Vieple has tracked the use of video interviewing since it launched in 2012. Back then, 7% of organisationsorganizations used video interviewing. Now, 52% of organisationsorganizations use this software in their recruitment process. For recruiters to be strategic, an organisationorganization needs to be willing to innovate and experiment, fail and succeed.

5. A compelling employer brand is crucial to attract candidates

In today’s competitive market for talent, a compelling employer brand is crucial to attract the best candidates. Companies with great employer brands receive 50% more qualified applicants and see a 50% reduction in cost-per-hire, according to LinkedIn research. With 75% of jobseekers considering an employer’s brand before even applying, an attractive brand may be the difference between finding the perfect person for the role – or losing them to a competitor.

So what goes into a great employer brand? Perceptions about what makes a top employer are changing. Candidates aren’t just focusing on monetary incentives, perks or corporate prestige: they also want culture, values and ethics alignment. A study of workers in the UK found 42% of the workforce wanted to work for an organisationorganization that has a positive impact on the world.

Employer brand encompasses every touchpoint a person has with your organisationorganization. Your careers site and social media presence, the endorsements of employees and reviews of the company on Glassdoor all contribute to how your organisationorganization is perceived. The challenge is not just projecting a great employer brand, but maintaining authenticity across these touchpoints.

Building brand resonance

Leading organisationsorganizations are moving away from the generic employer brand to achieve ‘brand resonance’. This means listening carefully to jobseekers, candidates and employees to create a brand proposition that attracts the people you want.

“I recently returned from New Zealand where I was discussing employer brand with a large professional services company. We agreed there was a lack of authenticity in employer brand: it was generic across larger organisationsorganizations, and the corporate EVP was not a realistic representation of what it was actually like to work in the organisationorganization.”

– Gerard Ward, Vieple CEO

Employer branding can be misrepresentative. The look and feel of the recruitment journey can all be linked to the corporate brand – but the employee experience may not meet expectations. This disconnect leads to higher turnover: to be effective in attracting and retaining the right people, an employer brand must be authentic and reflect what it’s like to work in the organisationorganization.

The number one obstacle candidates experience when searching for a job is not knowing what it’s like to work at the organisationorganization. One way organisationsorganizations are addressing this is with ‘A day in the life’ videos that follow an employee on a regular day in their role. These videos are displayed on an organisationorganization’s careers site to give jobseekers a behind-the-scenes look into the company from the employee perspective. For Ward, these videos should be informal and personal. “Applicants should see the people they’re going to work with, and authenticity is key,” he says.

“This isn’t supposed to be a corporate video – it should give candidates a real-life look into the role as their first touchpoint with the organisationorganization. This personal touch is crucial to creating a compelling employer brand.”

Employees can also be valuable brand ambassadors behind the camera. Savvy organisationsorganizations are recognising the power of authentic, organic employee endorsements on social media in place of shiny corporate marketing campaigns. An example of this is Salesforce, who encourage their staff to share their working experiences on social channels through the #salesforceohana hashtag – which is Hawaiian for ‘Salesforce family’. Candidates trust a company’s employees three times more than the company itself to provide credible information on what it’s like to work there.

The rise of social sharing can be a double-edged sword. Employees and candidates review the recruitment and employee experience on sites like GlassDoor – which is an authentic endorsement for organisationsorganizations that do it well, and bad publicity for those that don’t. According to Ward, millennial candidates are much more likely to research what it’s like to join an organisationorganization before they apply. “As digital natives, they’ve grown up researching reviews as their default mechanism before making a decision. They’ve got their eyes wide open – and they’re not interested in a controlled marketing exercise, it’s about real-life.”

“As digital natives, millennials have grown up researching reviews as their default mechanism before making a decision. They’ve got their eyes wide open – and they’re not interested in a controlled marketing exercise, it’s about real-life.”

– Gerard Ward, Vieple CEO

6. The warm talent pool

To fuel growth, organisationsorganizations need to look internally and externally to fill skills gaps through pools of internal and external talent. OrganisationsOrganizations have historically focused on external recruiting to find people for new roles, but with growing skill shortages and low unemployment rates, they are finding that acquisition alone isn’t enough to access the capabilities they need.

Made up of pre-qualified candidates and silver medalists, talent pools allow hiring managers to deploy talent for roles when needed. Talent pools have been around for a long time – but many organisationsorganizations are handling them poorly. They fill pools with passive candidates that they aren’t nurturing, and they don’t revisit silver medallists. In a skills shortage, organisationsorganizations are spending big to bring in talent – can they afford to let these candidates become disengaged? The best way to retain talent is by nurturing a warm talent pool of internal and external candidates.

Feeding your talent pool

As they mature, talent pools should be fed by a holistic mix of external candidates, internal talent, contractors and contingent workers sourced from careers fairs, expression of interest campaigns, internal mobility and proactive social outreach.

As organisationsorganizations look to globaliseglobalize their operations and expand into new markets, they are faced with one question: will they build or buy the workforce of the future? Considering the high cost and resources associated with recruitment, and the fact it takes three years for an external hire to perform as well as an internal hire, a strategy that incorporates internal talent is crucial.

To fuel growth, organisationsorganizations need to more effectively tap into their current workforce to identify and deploy people with the required skills, capabilities, motivation, and knowledge of the organisationorganization and its culture. 76% of C-suite respondents in a recent Deloitte survey rate internal mobility as important, and 20% rate it one of their organisationorganization’s three most urgent issues.

One of the greatest barriers to internal mobility is managers who are reluctant to share their talent. Keeping the best performers in a team is a sure way for that team to keep reaching its KPIs, which is directly related to a manager’s performance. To overcome this hurdle, organisationsorganizations can introduce a KPI that requires a certain proportion of hires to be sourced internally. Giving internal candidates visibility of open roles, and helping them craft a resume highlighting their relevant experience to put them front of mind for hiring managers can also promote internal mobility.

What does effective talent relationship management look like? Recruiters who nurture relationships with potential talent and keep them warm and engaged will be the most successful in identifying and hiring people when roles come up. Consider sharing information, holding events or simply booking a bi-annual coffee catch up with candidates in your talent pool. Use technology to pre-set automated, tailored communications to different cohorts.

7. AI matures – but still has a way to go

Heralded as an unstoppable force of industry disruption, AI has been portrayed simultaneously as both the answer to all recruiter’s problems and their biggest competition. The reality lies somewhere in between the two extremes, as AI matures and early adopters gain perspective on its strengths and limitations.

There’s clearly some anxiety about the future of work. Up to 46% of current work activities in Australia could be automated by 2030. But rather than seeing that as a threat to our jobs, researchers at McKinsey go as far as to say this will “help drive a renaissance in productivity, personal income and economic growth.”

In a 2017 Deloitte survey, 76% of respondents said they believed that cognitive technologies could transform their business within three years. By 2018, expectations were tempered – just 56% felt the same way. The same was true of early adopters’ view on AI’s potential to transform their industry. In 2017, 57% of respondents believed transformation would happen within three years. Last year, that number fell to 37%.

AI is being used to enhance the role of the recruiter – but not replace them entirely. Unlike humans, artificial intelligence does not bring biases to the candidate screening and selection process. This does not mean that AI makes wholly unbiased decisions: the machine learning algorithms are still subject to the programming choices of the people building them and the existing biases in datasets inputted. But if carefully designed, AI can reduce overt and unconscious biases in the recruitment process. OrganisationsOrganizations like PredictiveHire evaluate candidates using data, pattern recognition, and natural language processing to gain insights into applicants. In doing so, they are able to reduce bias in the selection process, and better match candidates to roles.

AI can be leveraged throughout the candidate journey to free HR teams from tedious, manual processes and enhance candidate experience. Conversational chatbots can engage candidates at crucial points in the recruitment journey, AI can do the heavy-lifting when it comes to pre-screening candidates, and creating an agile, intuitive recruitment experience. But it’s not there yet.

Despite the great promise of AI, 23% of HR professionals surveyed in recent IBM research were concerned that AI in HR could perpetuate or even increase biases in hiring and talent development. Given recent headlines about bias in AI tools, their concern is understandable. It is essential to continuously test datasets and model outcomes for bias and make adjustments as necessary.

Final thoughts

In an industry landscape that’s moving at breakneck speed, it’s easy to be anxious about technology and the role it will play in an uncertain future. These 7 trends show technology playing a supporting role behind the scenes – rather than taking centre stage. As the tools recruiters use become more sophisticated, the end goal remains the same: to attract the right people for the role by creating a beautiful candidate experience with a human touch. At all stages of the recruitment journey, technology can enhance the aspects that make us inherently human – critical reasoning, communication and empathy – and free recruiters from the tedious, manual processes that hinder them.

The post 7 Recruitment trends for 2020 appeared first on PageUp.

What is recruitment marketing and how will it help me?

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 02:20:15 +0000

Recruitment marketing lets you attract, engage, nurture and convert great candidates. It’s definitely a buzzword right now – but what does it actually mean? And how does it help HR teams get what they really want: the right people, in the right role, at the right time?

Learn how to beat the competition and secure the best talent with this step-by-step recruitment marketing guide.

The post What is recruitment marketing and how will it help me? appeared first on PageUp.

Top 60 Employee Engagement Ideas from the Experts

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 03:39:48 +0000

Keeping a remote workforce engaged is one of the greatest challenges HR teams and people leaders face right now.

That’s why we’ve pulled together these 60 employee engagement tips to keep people connected to your organisationorganization and supported in these uncertain times.

In this ebook, you’ll learn how to keep people engaged through:

Reward and recognition
Strong leadership
Providing learning and development opportunities
Effective performance management

The post Top 60 Employee Engagement Ideas from the Experts appeared first on PageUp.

Recruitment marketing: Everything you need to know to get started

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 03:19:57 +0000

The post Recruitment marketing: Everything you need to know to get started appeared first on PageUp.

An employee-centric talent management framework

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 06:23:49 +0000

When it comes to talent management, employees are now in the driver’s seat. To attract, develop and retain talent, HR professionals and senior leaders are shifting from a top-down, hierarchical approach to one focused on creating a positive employee experience.

Instead of focusing solely on how to get the most out of employees (or perhaps to ensure they do), leaders are considering how they can create an experience and environment that attracts, develops and retains the best people. Eighty per cent of executives rate employee experience as important – but 59% admit they’re not ready for the challenge. And what do employees think? When asked to rate their experience, the Net Promoter Score is -22. It’s clear there’s room for improvement.

Creating a great employee experience is vital to keeping employees engaged and delivering on organisationalorganizational goals. OrganisationsOrganizations where employees are highly engaged have higher productivity, customer satisfaction and profitability. So how can companies reimagine talent management to create an exceptional employee experience which is aligned to, and delivers on organisationalorganizational goals? Enter the PageUp Talent Management Framework.

PageUp Talent Management Framework

The PageUp Talent Management Framework puts the employee at the centre. Image credit: PageUp

An employee-centric approach to talent management

An organisationorganization’s approach to all aspects of talent management should deliver an exceptional candidate and employee experience.

The employee is at the centre of the employee-centric talent management framework, with all aspects of talent management processes and people practices designed with employee experience in mind. This is integral to creating a great employee experience that keeps people engaged and motivated.

An employee-centric framework allows information and data to flow seamlessly from one talent management process to another without silos. It gives people confidence that performance reviews, development plans, learning outcomes and career discussions lead to transparent and equitable access to rewards and recognition, development opportunities and internal mobility.

Technology is placed in the outer circle because it supports each stage of the employee journey. From recruitment, onboarding, performance, recognition and reward, learning and career development and internal mobility – technology drives efficiency and creates a seamless experience from the employee’s perspective.

Culture and wellbeing

An organisationorganization’s culture underpins every aspect of its talent management. To unleash the potential of people, organisationsorganizations need to create an environment which engages employees and entices others to join. People need to:

feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work
feel inspired and valued
be supported by leaders, managers and team members
be recognisedrecognized for their accomplishments
be given opportunities for learning and career development.

Highly-engaged employees are aligned to the mission and values of your organisationorganization. OrganisationsOrganizations need to understand the highly personal and individual nature of engagement – and how it can influence business outcomes.

Creating a culture which increases employee engagement starts with leadership. Strong vision and support from leaders is required to transform talent management to focus on employee experience. Managers need to move beyond quotas, compliance training and ticking diversity boxes to become coaches, developing people for current and future roles.

In a bid to support health, wellbeing and work-life balance, organisationsorganizations will need to create greater flexibility for both where and when people work and how the work is done.

Recruitment and onboarding

Taking a candidate-centric approach to recruitment is vital to win the war for talent. Today’s candidates vote with their feet and demand a consumer-grade experience. Their recruitment experience will determine if they want to work for you, or a competitor. On average 14% of millenials and Gen X jobseekers say that they would decline an offer based on a lack of HR tech in the application process. An even greater 26% of Gen Z candidates would decline a job offer based on this lack of tech. The onus is on organisationsorganizations to leverage technology to provide a seamless, hassle-free recruitment process.

To attract and retain the best talent, organisationsorganizations need to take a two-pronged approach: create a seamless and engaging candidate experience that also creates superior outcomes for the organisationorganization. OrganisationsOrganizations want the right people, in the right role at the right time. A carefully-considered employer brand and employee value proposition is essential to attracting quality talent.

75% of jobseekers research a company before even applying for a role, which means an attractive employer brand is a must to tempt top talent. Companies with great employer brands receive 50% more qualified applicants and see a 50% reduction in cost-per-hire, according to LinkedIn research.

People want to work for organisationsorganizations where the culture, mission and values align with their personal values. Creating, communicating and showcasing an appealing employee value proposition (EVP) on social media, careers sites and throughout the recruitment process is critical to attracting high-calibre talent.

Beyond first impressions, organisationsorganizations are optimising the entire recruitment process to reflect their employer brand. Prioritising candidate experience not only creates a strong employer brand – it also influences corporate brand reputation. Many candidates are current or potential customers: if they have a poor recruitment experience, they may choose to take their business elsewhere.

Finding and attracting talent is an ongoing battle for many organisationsorganizations, but it doesn’t need to be. Hard-to-fill roles and volume recruiting can be optimisedoptimized by having pools of warm candidates and building continuous pipelines of talent. High-quality unsuccessful candidates or silver medalists should also be added to talent pools. This empowers hiring teams to connect with qualified, pre-screened applicants for future roles: improving the experience for both candidates and hiring managers.

Effective onboarding is just as important as recruiting the right people. Onboarding introduces new hires to the people, tools and experiences that will help them be successful and sets the tone and expectations for what’s to come. When onboarding is a seamless continuation of the recruitment experience, it reinforces employee engagement and ensures new hires hit the ground running. It’s the first, critical step in the employee’s continuous learning journey.

When organisationsorganizations get onboarding right, new hire productivity increases by 62% and retention of new hires increases by more than 50%.

Performance management and rewards

The employee-centric talent management framework enables delivery of a seamless, employee-centric recruitment and onboarding experience to set people up for success. As people settle in to their roles, how do you keep them as engaged and enthusiastic as they were on day one? The answer lies in everyday performance management that’s linked to flexible reward and recognition initiatives.

The fundamentals of performance management – aligning people to business goals, evaluating and providing feedback, recognising and rewarding high performers – should drive productivity and lead to engagement. But traditional yearly performance reviews have failed to deliver.

In response, many organisationsorganizations have shifted to continuous feedback models to improve employee engagement and productivity. Already 76% have reinvented performance management to be more continuous and 81% of organisationsorganizations are planning to, or have shifted to regular performance discussions which are focused on future career and development.

As well as improving engagement and productivity, regular feedback enables:

relevant and timely learning and development opportunities to be identified;
people to be continuously reconnected to organisationalorganizational goals;
organisationalorganizational agility: the ability to quickly pivot and realign objectives in response to changing business needs.

In an employee-centric talent management framework, performance management is built on a foundation of ongoing feedback, recognition and improvement. Effective performance management should:

connect employees to the purpose and mission of the organisationorganization by clearly articulating how personal objectives contribute to achieving organisationalorganizational goals;
help employees to craft their own KPIs or objectives. Those who are brought along on the goal-setting journey are 3.6 times more likely to be engaged than those who are not;
create a high-performance culture by embedding ongoing feedback and recognition into day-to-day people leadership. Regular constructive feedback increases confidence and helps people identify areas for improvement.

One of the challenges for many organisationsorganizations is a timing misalignment between performance feedback and reward. Although over three-quarters of organisationsorganizations are moving to a continuous feedback model, less than 10% are adjusting salary more than once a year.

How can organisationsorganizations align rewards with the new era of continuous performance management to create a great employee experience?

Tailored rewards: When it comes to rewards, one size does not fit all. By understanding individual motivators, organisationsorganizations can create meaningful, diverse and personalisedpersonalized rewards. Currently, only 8% of organisationsorganizations say that their rewards program is ‘very effective’ at creating a personalisedpersonalized, flexible solution. For rewards programs to have a positive and lasting impact, they need to be designed with employees, for employees.
Increased frequency: people who receive regular small rewards – even verbal acknowledgement or thanks – are 8 times more engaged than those who only receive an annual bonus.
Transparent and fair processes: The organisationorganization needs to communicate the process for allocating rewards clearly to employees, and these processes need to be perceived as fair and equitable. Employees who do not understand the pay process are 60% more likely to leave the organisationorganization. To get the most out of reward and recognition initiatives, align these with the organisationorganization’s strategic focus.

Learning and career development

For organisationsorganizations to create the workforce needed now, and in the future, it’s important to invest in learning. In an employee-centric talent management framework people own and drive their development in line with their interests and career aspirations

To encourage the uptake and success of learning initiatives, it’s important to connect organisationalorganizational goals to employee wants and needs.

49% of employees want just-in-time learning to upskill themselves when they need it.
42% of millennial employees say they are likely to leave a job because they are not learning fast enough.
33% of jobseekers say professional development is the most important factor in accepting a new job.
94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development.
83% of employees believe it is their responsibility (rather than their employer’s responsibility) to keep their skills up to date.
74% of people who feel they can drive their own career say their manager supports their development.

How can organisationsorganizations create an employee-centric learning focus?

Embed a culture of continuous learning. From just-in-time learning to close a specific skill gap in the current role through to development of competencies and behaviours needed for future roles. The continuous learning culture is both driving and being reinforced by shift to ongoing performance management.
Support employee-led learning. Create personalisedpersonalized learning paths and content to support development in current and future roles. Make content easy to access, up to date and relevant so employees can learn on demand – when, where and how they like – whether that’s informal, on the job, collaborative, social or structured.
Link to career development and internal mobility. Opportunities for job rotation, cross-functional team and collaborative projects keep employees on a continuous development journey. It’s important to link to career goals and internal mobility – without the linkage the value of the training may be reduced for both employees and the organisationorganization.

Technology can help organisationsorganizations meet employee expectations by improving usability and learner experience. For example, employees are demanding frictionless, just-in-time learning, where and when they want it. Mobile and social learning approaches can provide on-demand resources and development opportunities for employees on-the-go.

The key to driving engagement and uptake of technology is usability. Technology that offers a consumer-grade experience has become the expectation, and many organisationsorganizations are placing the learner and manager experience at the top of the priority list. organisationsorganizations are replacing or augmenting their Learning Management System (LMS) with a Learning Experience Platform (LXP).

An LXP can:

personalisepersonalize the learning journey
recommend content based on current role, experience or interests
allow employees to curate, publish and share content
identify skill gaps and learning needs using AI, data and analytics.

Over three-quarters of employees do at least some of their learning on a mobile device. Despite this, mobile access is rated the second largest challenge from an employee’s perspective. The good news is, technology now enables organisationsorganizations to deliver relevant, self-curated content available on-demand on any device.

Internal talent mobility

Talent mobility is the ability to proactively and strategically move people from role to role at any level of the business to meet organisationalorganizational goals. In today’s fast-paced global economy, it’s not enough to hire the best: to succeed organisationsorganizations must leverage and mobilisemobilize existing talent into new roles, departments or offices. This mobility enables organisationsorganizations to quickly meet changing business and market needs, increase efficiencies, unlock talent potential and future-proof their workforce.

Today, organisationsorganizations are strategically deciding whether to buy or build the workforce they need for the future. This means going out to market to acquire the talent they need, or developing the skills and competencies of their current workforce through internal talent mobility.

To build internal pipelines of talent to meet future business needs, HR and senior leaders need to:

understand the skills and competencies required
have visibility of the bench strength of talent
identify the current gaps
create and execute plans to develop the skills and competencies required.

Building on the foundations of workforce planning, talent mobility focuses on driving employee engagement and retention. The emphasis has shifted from treating employees as assets, to engagement and retention strategies that focus on non-linear development and career opportunities, ongoing learning and continuous feedback. Opportunities for non-linear internal talent mobility include cross-functional team assignments, secondments and job rotations.

The majority of HR professionals agree that internal mobility is important to talent strategy,
but they face several barriers. Often managers are unwilling to encourage internal mobility and people don’t have visibility of internal career opportunities.

From the employee perspective, to drive their own career they require visibility of internal opportunities and support and encouragement from managers to develop towards their future career aspirations.

Put people first

The PageUp talent management framework is not just a structure to help you integrate multiple HR processes. At its heart, it is a tool for leaders and HR professionals to make employee-centric decisions more effectively. The right people are essential to business success. Taking the time to invest in and develop your team will help you meet organisationalorganizational goals, attract the best talent, and ensure they stay around.

References

The Employee Perspective on Employee Experience: Three Top Findings. s.l. : Bersin, 2018

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Measuring the ROI of performance management

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 23:45:28 +0000

Performance management plays a crucial role in an organisationorganization’s talent management strategy. It provides the framework for an employee’s growth and development, and gives visibility over how people are performing. Effective performance management has huge benefits, but also requires considerable resources. Often, it can be hard to articulate the return on investment (ROI) of performance management in quantifiable terms.

Aaron Hardy, VP Operations & Strategy – Asia at PageUp helps our customers design talent management solutions. As organisationsorganizations embrace automation to streamline their performance management processes, it can be difficult to prove ROI to the wider business. “Measuring the impact and return on investment needs to be intentional. A business case may help to acquire the budget, but if the measures and senior stakeholder buy-in aren’t baked into the process, then the success of any program is already at risk,” says Hardy.

With the help of our interactive performance management ROI calculator, you can estimate the ROI of your performance management system.

How do we calculate ROI?

Implementing a performance management system can save your organisationorganization time and money, but it can also be hard to communicate its value to the wider business. To prove the success of your efforts, or to track how you’re progressing and identify areas for improvement, it’s important to track the ROI of your performance management.

To help organisationsorganizations articulate the impact of their performance management approaches, we’ve built an interactive ROI calculator. Our calculator can help you measure the ROI of performance management at your organisationorganization in three key areas – reduction in turnover, increased workforce productivity, and time saved. You can take into account variables specific to your industry or business situation in your final calculations.

ROI measure #1: Reduction in turnover

An important metric for businesses to track is staff turnover rates, and how performance management processes reduce this. Our calculator can estimate attrition rates and how much organisationsorganizations can save by eliminating the need to replace people.

As we know, high employee turnover hurts an organisationorganization’s bottom line. It can also impact staff morale and productivity, particularly if there are high volumes of people leaving over a short period. Technology can help facilitate efficient performance management processes – and effectively retain employees. Aligning people with overall organisationalorganizational goals can help them see the road up ahead: and motivate them to stay in their roles (instead of applying for opportunities elsewhere).

Technology can also increase efficiency in HR processes – by effectively deploying people to areas where they’re needed most. One customer we work with which has 2,000 employees was able to demonstrate the ROI of their performance management solution by reducing the number of HR staff required to facilitate the performance and learning processes. “When these types of ROI advantages are achieved what we see in practice is usually the re-allocation of resources to more strategic work, or headcount reduction through natural attrition rather than redundancies,” says Hardy.

“Aligning people with overall organisationalorganizational goals can help them see the road up ahead: and motivate them to stay in their roles.”

ROI measure #2: Increased workforce productivity

OrganisationsOrganizations need to ensure that their workforce is fully engaged so productivity levels remain high and teams are working towards the overarching organisationalorganizational goals. This is another important metric for organisationsorganizations to understand. Use the calculator to help articulate how performance management – in particular goal-setting and alignment – can increase productivity. Gallup research on employee engagement has found organisationsorganizations with highly engaged employees have substantially higher customer engagement, higher productivity, better retention, fewer accidents and 21% higher profitability. It’s important for organisationsorganizations to understand how they’re tracking.

ROI measure #3: Time saved

Time is money – and adding greater efficiencies in performance management using automation can help save both. Use the ROI calculator to demonstrate how eliminating manual processes from performance management can save money and positively impact an organisationorganization’s bottom line. By automating performance management, organisationsorganizations can free up people leaders from time-consuming, administrative tasks like filling out forms and manually inputting data.

Effective performance management drives tangible business benefits. The key to effective performance management is implementing a system that aligns people’s goals with business objectives. By using this principle as the foundation for performance management, people have a better understanding of their deliverables – which can reduce turnover, boost productivity, increase engagement and save time. When all of these elements align, organisationsorganizations see better ROI: and can savour the benefits of increased revenues and maintaining a competitive edge in the market.

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PageUp Webinar: The PageUp employee-centric talent management framework

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 02:52:15 +0000

To recruit, develop and retain great people in a competitive landscape, a modern talent management framework needs to deliver more than just great recruitment, onboarding, learning and development, performance, employee engagement and succession outcomes – it also needs to ensure that the candidate and employee experience is outstanding.

Watch this webinar to hear Forbes thought leader and PageUp Head of Customer Insights & Market Research Rebecca Skilbeck share her template for a talent management framework that puts employee experience at its centre.

The post PageUp Webinar: The PageUp employee-centric talent management framework appeared first on PageUp.

MaximisingMaximizing AI and technology to attract nurses to your organisationorganization

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 03:38:34 +0000

US healthcare organisationsorganizations are battling a myriad of nursing resource challenges: high staff turnover rates; retiring nurses; high levels of burnout – the list is extensive.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections 2016-2026, “Registered nursing (RN) is listed among the top occupations in terms of job growth through 2026. The workforce is expected to grow from 2.9 million in 2016 to 3.4 million in 2026 – signalling an increase of 438,100 or 15%.” The Bureau also projects the need for an additional 203,700 new registered nurses each year through 2026 to fill newly-created positions and to replace retiring nurses.

McKinsey research suggests the adoption of technology including Artificial Intelligence (AI) is on the rise. In 2018, 47% of respondents said their companies had embedded at least one AI capability in their business process, compared with 20% of respondents who said their companies were using AI in a core part of their business or at scale in 2017.

With the need to recruit nurses in US hospitals growing at an accelerated rate, hiring teams need to stay ahead of the curve. Here’s how technology can add value at every stage of the recruitment journey.

Understanding the talent funnel

A talent funnel illustrates the stages of recruiting employees – to attract, engage, assess, nurture, invite and convert candidates. Considering this six-stage process helps organisationsorganizations create strategies and workflows to fill roles and close knowledge and skill gaps. Leveraging technology at each step can free up recruiters to spend more time focusing on overarching strategic goals.

Attract: attracting key potential candidates to your organisationorganization through recruitment marketing and strong employee value propositions.

This stage of the talent funnel is about attracting potential candidates who will be exposed to your employer brand through your recruitment marketing and employee value propositions. Your employer brand is what sets your organisationorganization apart from the rest. In a healthcare context, it answers the question: what does it mean to work at your hospital?
Every great employer brand is underpinned by a strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP). An EVP is unique to your organisationorganization’s culture and articulating this requires you to consider what makes your company culture and employee offerings attractive to current and future team members.
At this stage, it’s important to position your organisationorganization as an employer of choice. Nursing candidates will be scouring multiple platforms to understand the culture of your organisationorganization including:

external job advertisements
careers sites
social media channels
reviews from past and current employees

To attract the best people, it pays to provide an accurate and consistent message at each touchpoint.

Engage: engaging potential talent so they want more information and to commence building a relationship with you.

Once nursing candidates are familiar with your brand, they’re ready to start assessing your organisationorganization as a potential future employer. Make it easy for candidates to learn about your culture. It’s important to ensure your website and careers site stand out against a competitor’s – and at the very least, is easy to navigate. It’s equally imperative to include targeted messaging to capture strong candidates. Here’s a scenario: a nursing candidate sees a job advertisement that links through to your organisationorganization’s careers site. At this stage, they may or may not apply for a role. This is a golden opportunity to remarket to the candidate who could be an employee further down the track. Remarketing is a digital marketing tactic that serves targeted messages to people who have visited or taken action on your website. Remarketing tactics can include:

offering candidates the opportunity to sign up for your organisationorganization’s e-newsletter
enabling candidates to submit an Expression of Interest form

It’s important for organisationsorganizations to have a number of remarketing strategies in their arsenal to continue engaging active and passive candidates.

Assess: company and potential talent move into more serious consideration of the opportunities they can pursue together.

At this stage, both parties are interested in pursuing the relationship further. Candidates are comparing your organisationorganization to a competitor’s offerings and deciding which best aligns with their desires and values.

OrganisationsOrganizations are qualifying candidates to ascertain whether there’s a role for them. Here’s where AI can step in and start conversations with candidates. An example of this type of technology is XOR’s chatbot, which helps automate cold outreach. XOR chatbot recruiting assistants engage with candidates to answer questions and reduce manual processes. The chatbot recruiting assistants ask targeted pre-screening questions including:

Are you legally authorisedauthorized to work in the U.S.?
How many years of experience do you have?

Credit: https://www.xor.ai/chatbot-features

Artificial Intelligence can play a crucial role in reducing bias in recruitment processes – adding more diversity to the candidate mix. Using AI to assist in hiring for diversity strengthens an organisationorganization’s employer brand, making it more attractive to potential candidates.
Forward-thinking organisationsorganizations can turn to technology to improve diversity. PredictiveHire’s AI technology does this by conducting the first round of candidate screening based on survey responses and predictive modelling – bypassing attributes like gender, race and age.

It’s imperative to deliver a great candidate experience across all platforms, including social media. According to a Clutch survey, nearly 15% of jobseekers use social media in their job search. CRM systems have built-in capabilities to connect with candidates on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Some organisationsorganizations go a step further and allow candidates to populate job application forms from social media or upload their CVs from the cloud on a mobile device. This stage is all about fostering a positive candidate experience – and meeting candidates on the channels they’re already using on a daily basis.

Nurture: nurturing relationships that have been created through earlier stages to keep the candidate engaged and well-positioned when a role comes up.

Having great connections is only valuable if they’re nurtured. An effective approach is building talent pools of strong candidates – and keeping them warm and engaged. These talent pools are made up of pre-qualified candidates and ‘silver medalists’, so hiring managers can find talent for roles when needed.

Communicating with people in talent pools doesn’t need to be tied down to manual processes. Hiring teams can automate sending emails and updates. Social media can also be used to nurture candidates. LinkedIn and Facebook empower recruiters to target candidates who have previously engaged with their brand. This presents an invaluable opportunity to invite candidates to visit your careers page. If a candidate navigates to your careers page and shows interest, chatbot recruiting assistants can step in and help with the job search.

Credit: https://www.xor.ai/chatbot-features

Invite: confirming that the candidate is suitable for a role and inviting them to an interview.

With the heavy lifting done at earlier stages of the journey, a suitable role has been identified for the candidate. They meet all of the key criteria and are invited to attend an interview. Arriving at this stage doesn’t mean communicating your employer brand or providing a great candidate experience can take a break. It’s just as important to provide a seamless and hassle-free process: including the interview process and the interview itself. Hiring teams can take back hours in their day – and lean on automated interview scheduling to arrange interview times, send reminders and reschedule interviews.

Convert: completing the recruitment and onboarding process to hire your new talent.

Through rounds of interviews, the candidate has demonstrated they’re the right person for the job and been offered a role. Once they’ve accepted your offer, the onboarding process can be kickstarted automatically. When a candidate accepts a job offer on PageUp, they immediately have access to their initial onboarding tasks – from compliance, to providing essential details about equipment and watching videos to immerse them in your culture. Providing a great onboarding experience makes new hires feel supported and helps reinforce their decision to work with you.

Technology has opened up new avenues for organisationsorganizations to build high-touch, automated candidate pipelines. When used as part of an overall talent management strategy, technology can empower hiring teams to make more data-informed decisions, streamline manual tasks and engage candidates at every step of the recruitment journey.

The post MaximisingMaximizing AI and technology to attract nurses to your organisationorganization appeared first on PageUp.

How to make 9-box succession planning work for your organisation

Mon, 20 May 2019 04:20:41 +0000

HR practitioners and leaders understand how tricky it can be to define a person’s performance. How can you rate an employee’s potential to grow, or recogniserecognize the leadership qualities that make them suited to succession roles? As an organisationorganization, how can you set a benchmark that lets you compare all employees objectively and with a degree of fairness?

That’s where succession planning tools like the 9-box grid can prove useful for HR and people leaders.

The 9-box grid is a popular tool for talent and performance management that helps organisationsorganizations create efficient succession plans. The model is simple, visual and effective in helping senior leaders by:

Developing people for senior or complex leadership roles
Identifying employees who need further development
Pinpointing gaps where external recruitment is needed
Classifying the critical talent and roles within a workforce

“A 9-box succession plan gives you the ability to visualisevisualize your organisationorganization’s talent and bench strength in one click. It not only facilitates career discussions, but allows for a greater focus on development efforts,” says Marion Robinson, Chief Growth Officer at PageUp.

Let’s explore the 9-box in more detail:

How the 9-box grid works

Imagine you have a person who is both a high performer and has high potential. They will be ranked in the top right hand corner. Moving to the middle of the grid is reserved for moderate performers with moderate potential. Conversely, the bottom of the grid represents employees who demonstrate low performance and low potential.

In most cases, a set of leadership qualities are rated alongside an employee’s performance and potential, to ensure that employees are measured consistently and fairly, rather than contrasting the competencies for the different roles many employees may be in.

Using the tool to collaborate

The 9-box grid is best used as a collaborative exercise where people leaders and leadership teams come together to position each team member on the grid. Once completed, the 9-box grid helps you plan the progression of each team member to map out your organisationorganization’s future leadership positions.

Not all organisationsorganizations restrict themselves to 9 boxes. Some use a 4 box grid, while others opt for 25 boxes. It depends how finely organisationsorganizations choose to segment their employee data, and how many specific actions, programs or funding they have to allocate for employees in each box. Here are five ways to make the 9-box succession grid successfully work for you.

Five ways to use the 9-box succession grid:

1. Prepare early

As with everything related to performance, it’s a good idea to start planning early. This involves preparing your leadership team for the 9-box planning session. That way, you can ensure it’s not going to waste anyone’s valuable time.

How do you prepare your management team? Talk them through the process in advance, give them plenty of time to understand what’s involved and let them gather their thoughts before the session. Some organisationsorganizations find it beneficial to engage a facilitator who can help coordinate everyone and ensure they’re prepared prior to the session.

2. Set criteria

While it might be easy to pick the ‘good’ and ‘not so good’ performers, the leadership team may struggle to place people in the other categories. That’s why it’s important to set the criteria for each box and agree on the standards employees should meet.

‘Potential’ is particularly tough to grade, since it’s predicting future performance. It’s best to provide a definition so everyone is on the same page. In short, it refers to the ‘promotability’ of an employee to a leadership role.

It’s also a good idea to have concrete criteria to grade your employees on. This will differ between organisationsorganizations but could take the form of certain attributes or assessments that help you evaluate people.

3. Ask questions

It’s important for the leadership team to ask questions and remain objective throughout the 9-box rating process. The ratings must also be unbiased, and objective to ensure consistent, meaningful outcomes. Here’s where HR teams can play a role by setting guidelines for this process.

4. Analyse results

Once your leadership team has calibrated and positioned people in the 9-box grid, it’s time to evaluate the results. It doesn’t hurt to take a step back and do another sweep to ensure you’ve placed people according to their performance and potential. This is the time to have healthy debates about placement. This gives the leadership team the chance to advocate for their people.

5. Schedule catch-ups

Leadership teams shouldn’t be limited to have one meeting per year. See it as an opportunity to schedule regular catch ups with the leadership team to discuss any changes – especially if your organisationorganization has experienced significant changes in staffing levels.

Now that we’ve set the foundations for successfully using the 9-box tool, here are 15 reasons why it works:

15 reasons to do succession planning

There are a number of advantages to using the PageUp Succession Planning module. It comes with an intuitive, fully interactive 9-box tool that allows teams to rate employees, attach comments to performance reviews and assign learning tasks to help people stay on top of their goals.

1. Establishes tomorrow’s leaders

Using the 9-box grid helps you identify employees with high potential so that you can develop them into future leaders. It’s important to make people feel like you’re invested in their development: as this also plays a crucial part in keeping them engaged at work.

The 9-box grid helps you determine which employees are ripe for promotion – typically those who are high performers and with high potential. Once you’ve identified these top performers, keep them engaged with challenges, rewards and recognition.

2. Identifies role suitability

The 9-box grid can help you identify employees who are well-suited to their current responsibilities, those who may perform better in a different role, and those who may be unsuited to your organisationorganization altogether.

For example, high performers who rate low-to-medium in potential are often perfectly suited to their current role and fulfilling their duties capably. If that’s the case, you may want to ensure they’re rewarded appropriately so you can retain them in their current roles.

The 9-box grid also allows you to identify team members whose roles and abilities are misaligned. For example, a high potential/low performance ranking could indicate that someone is not well suited to their role. This opens the floor to discuss other opportunities, starting with identifying what they are interested in and what roles might be of interest within the organisationorganization.

Low potential and low performance could that mean people need close Performance management monitoring, and may be an unsuitable fit for your organisationorganization.

3. Plans for success

It’s not always easy to keep track of benchmarks and compare every employee to the same standard. It can also be hard to have all the information you need to properly assess employees.

The 9-box grid gives you a framework to assess each employee to the same standard, while also encouraging open discussion among your management team. This is a great way to plan effective performance reviews.

4. Sets goals

Going into a performance review with a clear plan will allow your leadership team to set clear and consistent goals for your employees’ performance and potential.

5. Tracks performance

Using the 9-box grid allows you to spot trends in your employees’ performance (both positive and negative) – giving you the chance to make changes and adjust your management approach. That way, all employees have the best chance of improving their performance to reach their full potential.

6. Encourages communication

Unlocking the potential of the 9-box grid is important. If you’re meeting for a short period and just jotting down names, you won’t take advantage of the tool’s full potential.

You will find it much more beneficial if you allow plenty of time for discussion about the top performers, potential leaders and talent gaps in your organisationorganization. The 9-box grid is a fantastic facilitator for this. It opens up communication and allows you to find common ground on which to judge the performance of employees and plot their potential.

7. Enables collaboration

Nine-box succession planning also allows your management team to develop their teamwork and leadership skills. Everyone gets a chance to say their piece and they can each lead meaningful discussion. It’s a great way to bring the management team together, and gives everyone the chance to collaborate.

8. Supports people leaders

The 9-box tool is designed to bring senior people leaders together to ultimately build a stronger organisationorganization. As a collaborative exercise, the team is responsible for making decisions, listening to each other and remaining supportive throughout the decision-making process. This is particularly helpful if there are difficult conversations to communicate with people – senior leaders can lean on their peers for support and positive encouragement.

9. Promotes transparency

The 9-box tool places everyone in a grid, which gives HR leaders complete clarity of where each employee is positioned against their peers within the organisationorganization. “Having transparency across not only a business unit but the whole organisationorganization enables Human Capital Risk Management,” says Marion Robinson, Chief Growth Officer at PageUp.

10. Empowers development

If people understand where they rank on the grid, it gives them the opportunity to take control of their development. This might prompt them to adopt different methods for learning and development (L&D) like mobile, social and microlearning.

11. Facilitates ownership

Identifying an employee where they’re placed on the grid gives them visibility and ownership of their position in the organisationorganization. From there, an employee can engage in performance conversations with their manager and agree on future goals, challenges and development opportunities. It helps to set high-performing employees weekly, monthly or yearly challenges to keep them engaged and focused for the journey ahead.

12. Saves money

Eliminating external courses and program costs makes great sense for organisationsorganizations looking to curb their spending. External performance assessment courses usually come with a high price-tag, which goes against organisationsorganizations that are looking to save. There are obvious cost saving benefits in using a free 9-box grid. However, organisationsorganizations looking to invest in a long term solution can purchase a specialisedspecialized platform like PageUp Succession – to help identify its full bench strength, map out roles and make career progression plans for people.

13. Motivates people

The 9-box grid helps people visualisevisualize and understand where they sit in the organisationorganization, which can be a source of motivation, particularly if a team member has the ambition and potential to move into a succession role within the organisationorganization.

14. Retains talent

It’s a well-known fact that people leave companies that don’t provide them with good development opportunities. If top performers know there is the potential to move into succession roles, they’re more likely to stay around.

15. Identifies risks

Is your organisationorganization fostering a culture of high performers who have been in a role for too long? The 9-box succession tool helps identify high-performers who are likely to jump ship if another opportunity comes along. “Identifying the right skills in the right place at the right time is the lever for growth,” says Marion Robinson, Chief Growth Officer at PageUp.

It’s also important to analyse how other people are tracking in the rest of your organisationorganization. Are they remaining stagnant in the same position on the grid year after year, and holding your organisationorganization back? Having visibility of low and average performance can help identify learning and development gaps. Senior management can use this information to implement strategies to keep people engaged and motivated in their roles – especially if the majority of people are clustered towards the middle and the bottom of the 9-box grid.

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Pay transparency, equity and fairness are vital parts of the Employee Value Proposition

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 01:14:14 +0000

In the last 25 years, there has been a seismic change in the compensation landscape. Where once details of pay were mandated by contract to be strictly private and confidential, we’re now seeing progressive companies like Buffer embracing complete pay transparency. Pay transparency can drive performance: organisationsorganizations such as Whole Foods champion pay transparency as a way to motivate employees to work harder and seek success and promotions. There is also a political rationale for pay transparency: publicly disclosing pay differentials can drive pay equity and highlight instances of disparity and inconsistency. But one of the most compelling benefits of pay transparency is that it contributes a sense of fairness and equity to an employer brand.

To explore this further, PageUp hosted a joint webinar with our partners Curo to discuss why pay transparency is becoming critical to the employee value proposition.

The employee value proposition

Employees are increasingly expecting some level of pay transparency from their employers, according to Curo industry principal Ruth Thomas. Thomas explains that communicating a sense of fairness in pay policies is crucial to an organisationorganization’s employee value proposition, which helps to attract and retain talent. This becomes particularly important in the information age, where sites like GlassDoor and Indeed make it easy to access detailed pay data that would otherwise be confidential.

3 key employee needs

To communicate a sense of fairness and equality as part of your employee value proposition, you need to address three key employee needs. These are:

Employee understanding
Belief in fairness
Trust in pay practices

Understanding

A GlassDoor survey conducted in 2015 shows that 69% of employees wish they had a better understanding of fair pay rates for their position and skill set in the market. Often, this lack of understanding leads to a disconnect between employee’s perceptions of how fairly they are paid – and reality. In fact, a Harvard Business Review study showed that 64% of employees who were paid at market rate thought their earnings were less than market rate. Considering the employee-focused nature of the EVP, it’s crucial to cultivate an understanding of what a fair pay rate looks like in your organisationorganization.

Belief in fairness

It’s also crucial for organisationsorganizations to use pay transparency to cultivate a belief in the fairness of their pay, Thomas says. “When you look at why an employee leaves for reasons relating to pay, it’s not over the absolute value of what they’re paid – it’s the perception of whether they’re paid fairly relative to their peers and market.”

Thomas says that when it comes to an employees’ pay, there are three things they want to know:

How their pay was determined
How they can influence their pay
How their pay compares with others

The difficulty with instilling employees with a sense of ‘fairness’ is that it’s too emotive to be quantifiable and it’s not proveable. Instead, organisationsorganizations need to demonstrate that their remuneration policies are equitable: that’s what really matters to employees. For Thomas, assessing pay fairness is far easier when employees have pay transparency. “What they want to know is that the system for awarding pay is fair. Pay transparency is a way of allowing that assessment of fairness,” she says.

Trust in pay practices

Pay transparency also establishes trust in pay practices, which Thomas says forms a crucial element of the employee value proposition. “Ultimately, transparency breeds trust between employers and employees,” says Thomas. For millennial employees in particular, breeding trust and transparency are key drivers of engagement. According to Thomas, pay transparency eliminates any friction or noise around how pay is determined. This creates a more open and trusting environment where people feel comfortable that their efforts and contributions are appropriately recognisedrecognized.

Pay transparency is crucial to cultivating a sense of equity and fairness in the workforce, which helps an organisationorganization stand out from the rest. OrganisationsOrganizations looking to hone their employee value proposition should consider how cultivating a transparent, open system of compensation can help to attract and retain top talent.

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What aged care HR practitioners need to know about the new Quality of Care standards

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 05:45:17 +0000

Australian aged care regulators can now enforce legislative standards requiring aged care providers to provide structured performance, learning, development and complaints escalation processes. This follows a commitment made by the Australian Federal Government in the 2015-16 budget to streamline quality frameworks for aged care service providers.

The rationale

The amendments to the Quality of Care Principles 2014 create a single, streamlined set of standards designed to provide better, safer and more inclusive services to people living in aged care facilities. This new quality framework replaces the numerous sets of standards that aged care providers previously had to meet.

Over the past two years, the Federal Government has worked with aged care providers, industry experts and the community to develop the amendments, which frame aged care recipients as consumers deserving of great consumer outcomes.

By highlighting that aged care recipients have the right to quality care from skilled, trained and caring staff, the government is upholding a commitment to respect and ensure positive outcomes for these consumers.

This leaves HR practitioners to take action now to ensure compliance with the amendments.

Key provisions

The amendments to the Quality of Care Principles are effective from 1 July 2019 and have major implications for how aged care providers manage people and organisationalorganizational governance. Schedule 2, Standard 6, 7 and 8 of the amendments have particular relevance for HR practitioners at aged care institutions. These amendments set out standards that require aged care providers to:

regularly seek input from the workforce to inform continuous improvements for aged care recipients and the organisationorganization as a whole
provide quality services with a workforce that is sufficient, qualified, and trained to respect each person’s safety, culture and diverse identities
maintain an organisationalorganizational culture of engagement, safety and accountability
maintain an effective system of organisationalorganizational governance.

HR practitioners can ensure compliance with these amendments by facilitating effective onboarding, learning and development opportunities performance conversations and complaints processes.

Feedback and complaints

The purpose of Standard 6

The Standard 6 amendments require HR practitioners in aged care organisationsorganizations to regularly seek input and feedback from the workforce. According to the amendments, employees should also be engaged in processes to address feedback from aged care recipients, and this feedback should be used to inform continuous improvements for aged care recipients and the organisationorganization as a whole.

Standard 6

Consumer outcome

(1) I feel safe and am encouraged and supported to give feedback and make complaints. I am engaged in processes to address my feedback and complaints, and appropriate action is taken.

OrganisationOrganization statement

(2) The organisationorganization regularly seeks input and feedback from consumers, carers, the workforce and others and uses the input and feedback to inform continuous improvements for individual consumers and the whole organisationorganization.

Requirements

(3) The organisationorganization demonstrates the following:

(a) consumers, their family, friends, carers and others are encouraged and supported to provide feedback and make complaints;

(b) consumers are made aware of and have access to advocates, language services and other methods for raising and resolving complaints;

(c) appropriate action is taken in response to complaints and an open disclosure process is used when things go wrong;

(d) feedback and complaints are reviewed and used to improve the quality of care and services.

What this means for HR practitioners

This standard requires HR practitioners to regularly seek feedback from the workforce and use this feedback to inform continual improvements for both:

aged care recipients
the organisationorganization as a whole

The standard also requires that the organisationorganization demonstrates that feedback and complaints from aged care recipients are reviewed and used to improve the quality of care and services. As some complaints from consumers may be about employees, or can only be corrected by employees, it’s important to have a structured and effective employee feedback approach to ensure complaints are addressed.

How HR teams can uplift feedback and complaints processes

HR and people leaders will need to find an approach that works for them to routinely seek and action feedback from employees to comply with Standard 6(2).

Approaches to gather feedback may include:

a traditional ‘complaints box’
a prompt at weekly one-on-one meetings with managers
a complaints email inbox
a regular survey.

The standards specify that feedback and complaints must be reviewed and used to improve the quality of care and services. So, once a feedback mechanism is identified, it’s important to ensure there are established processes to address feedback and complaints.

Building a culture where people can raise issues benefits everyone. Employees feel heard, the organisationorganization uncovers potential issues and can improve as a whole, and consumers reap the benefits of improved care.

Accountability is an important requirement of standard 6(3)(d), which requires an organisationorganization to demonstrate that complaints are reviewed and used to improve the quality of care and services. This means HR leaders not only need to put the mechanisms in place to receive feedback from the workforce, they also need a structured approach to escalating and actioning that feedback.

When designing a process to address complaints, consider:

how you can thank employees for providing feedback and encourage future feedback
how you can engage the people who provide feedback in finding solutions – this may be through a regular meeting, or even participation in a hackathon to find potential solutions
how you can ensure your process is well-documented.

Learning and performance

The purpose of Standard 7

The purpose of Standard 7 is to ensure positive outcomes for the people in aged care. This standard requires that an aged care organisationorganization demonstrates that its workforce is recruited, trained and equipped to deliver quality care that is kind, caring and respectful of each person’s diverse identity and culture.

Standard 7

Consumer outcome

(1) I get quality care and services when I need them from people who are knowledgeable, capable and caring.

OrganisationOrganization statement

(2) The organisationorganization has a workforce that is sufficient, and is skilled and qualified, to provide safe, respectful and quality care and services.

Requirements

(3) The organisationorganization demonstrates the following:

(a) the workforce is planned to enable, and the number and mix of members of the workforce deployed enables, the delivery and management of safe and quality care and services;

(b) workforce interactions with consumers are kind, caring and respectful of each consumer’s identity, culture and diversity;

(c) the workforce is competent and the members of the workforce have the qualifications and knowledge to effectively perform their roles;

(d) the workforce is recruited, trained, equipped and supported to deliver the outcomes required by these standards;

(e) regular assessment, monitoring and review of the performance of each member of the workforce.

What this means for HR practitioners

This standard sets out that people should get quality care and services when they need them from:

A workforce that is sufficient and is skilled and qualified to provide safe, respectful and quality care and services
People who are knowledgeable, capable and caring

How HR teams can ensure a sufficient workforce

Attracting and retaining talent in aged care organisationsorganizations is challenging.

Ensuring you have a sufficient workforce at all times takes an intentional and consistent approach. To enable achieving this, consider:

mapping critical roles in your organisationorganization
monitoring talent bench strength
identifying and developing future leaders

Having an effective succession planning process in place will also help identify skills gaps, show areas for improvement, and reduce vacancy risk and turnover costs. Technology offers development and succession planning tools that can help you develop a robust talent bench, flag leadership potential, and monitor key roles to ensure your workforce is sufficient, accountable, and dedicated to continuous improvement.

Having a streamlined recruitment approach will not only ensure you fill roles faster with qualified candidates, but allow you to identify how much you’re spending with agencies and how you can find more affordable resourcing channels.

How HR teams can build workforce skills and capability

Ensuring employees are:

kind, caring and respectful of each consumer’s identity, culture and diversity;
have the qualifications and knowledge to effectively perform their roles; and
are recruited, trained, equipped and supported to deliver the outcomes required by the standards

is the focus of the amendments in Standard 7(3).

This focus on building skills and capability means HR teams must ensure that learning programs are formalisedformalized and consistently captured to meet compliance with the standards.

For existing workforces this may mean conducting cross-facility training, including diversity and inclusion training, and ensuring that a central register of all licences, skills and competencies is complete and up-to-date.

For recruiters and people leaders onboarding new employees, it is essential that new employees’ skills, competencies and licences are captured in a central register, and any gaps are addressed during onboarding. It is a good idea to include diversity and inclusion and or cultural sensitivity training as part of your onboarding programs.

A Learning Management System (LMS) can deliver role-based learning activities automatically through an intuitive learning library that lets people drive their own development. A good learning management system will include an application so that employees who aren’t at desktop computers can easily complete learning tasks. Compliance checking and certification tracking is another key requirement of the new amendments, and an effective LMS can help HR practitioners ensure people are safe, certified and compliant with the amendments.

Having each person’s learning and onboarding activity tracked in one system (ideally linked to your recruitment management system) enables your facility to respond to audits quickly and with confidence.

How HR teams can implement regular performance management

Ensuring regular performance management for aged care employees is the focus of the Schedule 2, Standard 7(3)(e) amendments. This standard dictates that each member of the workforce receives regular:

assessment
monitoring
performance reviews

People leaders can ensure compliance with the standard by first building a culture of feedback that empowers regular development conversations, rather than just yearly performance reviews.

If people leaders aren’t accustomed to giving performance feedback, you may wish to roll out training to enable them to do this, with a focus on continuous improvement.

Look to streamline the feedback process and maintain a single record for performance across your organisationorganization to create a consistent, transparent performance feedback process. This will help remove the friction and formality associated with performance management, making it easier to conduct regular feedback and performance monitoring activities.

Aged care institutions can adopt a flexible approach to performance by using tools like mobile applications to conduct regular feedback conversations anywhere, anytime.

OrganisationalOrganizational governance

The purpose of Standard 8

The purpose of Schedule 2, Standard 8 of the amendments is to ensure aged care organisationsorganizations are well run and their governing body accountable for the delivery of safe and quality care and services.

Standard 8

Consumer outcome

(1) I am confident the organisationorganization is well run. I can partner in improving the delivery of care and services.

OrganisationOrganization statement

(2) The organisationorganization’s governing body is accountable for the delivery of safe and quality care and services.

Requirements

(3) The organisationorganization demonstrates the following:

(a) consumers are engaged in the development, delivery and evaluation of care and services and are supported in that engagement;

(b) the organisationorganization’s governing body promotes a culture of safe, inclusive and quality care and services and is accountable for their delivery;

(c) effective organisationorganization wide governance systems relating to the following:

(i) information management;

(ii) continuous improvement;

(iii) financial governance;

(iv) workforce governance, including the assignment of clear responsibilities and accountabilities;

(v) regulatory compliance;

(vi) feedback and complaints;

(d) effective risk management systems and practices, including but not limited to the following:

(i) managing high impact or high prevalence risks associated with the care of consumers;

(ii) identifying and responding to abuse and neglect of consumers;

(iii) supporting consumers to live the best life they can;

(e) where clinical care is provided—a clinical governance framework, including but not limited to the following:

(i) antimicrobial stewardship;

(ii) minimising the use of restraint;

(iii) open disclosure.

What this means for HR practitioners

The above standard requires organisationsorganizations to demonstrate:

The organisationorganization’s governing body promotes a culture of safe, inclusive and quality care and services
The organisationorganization’s governing body is accountable for the delivery of these services
Effective organisationorganization-wide governance systems relating to
- Continuous improvement
- Workforce governance, including the assignment of clear responsibilities and accountabilities
- Regulatory compliance

A culture of safety and quality care

HR practitioners should take the lead in cultivating a culture of compliance, safety and inclusivity in their aged care facility. This can be achieved by uplifting employee competencies during onboarding and throughout their employment journey with activities like diversity and inclusion training, safety and compliance activities

These learning activities uplift employee skills, and by extension promote an organizational culture of safe, inclusive and quality care. When HR practitioners invest in their people’s learning and development, it also improves the organisationorganization as a whole.

It’s a good idea to have these learning activities and certifications delivered and stored in one single online system. This makes regulatory compliance easy to track, and ensures an organisationorganization’s governing body is accountable for the delivery of these services.

Workforce governance

The amendments also require an aged care facility to demonstrate an effective system of workforce governance including the assignment of clear roles and responsibilities. This can be achieved by:

having clear position descriptions
articulating key performance indicators for each role
ensuring people leaders update position descriptions when required and use key performance indicators when discussing performance.

Can we help?

PageUp is working with several of our valued Aged Care clients to help them meet the requirements of the amended regulations which come into effect on 1 July 2019. If we can be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us for a demonstration today.

The contents of this article are intended to provide general information and do not constitute legal advice. Formal legal advice should be sought in particular matters.

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Correcting employee pay perceptions

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 06:39:29 +0000

Guest post from Ruth Thomas, Industry Principal and Senior Consultant, Curo

Employees’ perceptions of how they are paid often differ from the reality. And when it comes to retention we also know that one of the most compelling facts about employee turnover is that when an employee leaves an employer for reasons relating to pay, it is not over the absolute value, but over whether they believe they are paid fairly relative to their peers and the market. Perceptions of fairness are critical when it comes to pay, engagement and talent retention.

A joint Harvard Business Review study with Payscale of over 71,000 employees back in October 2015 revealed just how big gaps in pay perception can be. They found while the majority of employees paid below market concurred with their perception of market relativity, well over half of employees paid at market felt they were paid below market and even for those employees paid above market, still over a third believed they were paid below market and only 21% aligned with their actual market position.

Similarly, Glass Door’s Global Salary Transparency Survey from 2015 covering employees across seven countries (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, The Netherlands, and Switzerland) highlighted that many employees don’t understand how their pay is determined. A whopping 69% wished they had a better understanding of what fair pay is for their position and skill set at their company and in their local market.

What’s evident is that unless you share information with employees it’s likely their perceptions will not align with reality and they will find it hard to assess whether pay is fair or not.

But proving fairness is hard and can only be assessed if there is an element of transparency. But how do you decide what to be transparent about? A good starting point is to understand the three things employees most often cite they want to know about their pay:

How their pay was determined;
How they can influence their pay;
How it compares with others.

Explaining how you make pay decisions is critical. So if you use market pay data, then explain to employees how market studies are conducted, what your market positioning is and why. If you use job grades with associate pay ranges explain how those relate to skills and experience, where an employee sits in the range and how pay progression works. Even if decisions are made on a wholly discretionary basis explain how you set pay budgets and what guidance you give to managers when making pay decisions so employees can understand what they can do to influence their pay.

Many companies struggle with how much to communicate and there is definitely a continuum here. Where you sit or how fast you progress will very much depend on your culture and goals as well as historical pay approaches. But not having any methodology is obviously going to make transparency hard.

Another critical success factor when it comes to tackling employee perceptions on pay is to make sure you empower your line managers with the information they need to make and communicate pay effectively. Pay conversations can be uncomfortable, mainly because pay still has very personal implications for employees. It impacts their livelihood and lifestyle and it can also quantify their worth – as rate of pay is determined by the skills, experience and performance an employee brings to the table – so it kind of represents how much you value them. Managers are often caught in the middle of HR and employees when talking about pay, they have to follow strict guidelines, but they also want to keep their teams happy and engaged. Most are unprepared for detailed pay discussions. In Reward we think we have done our job if we have sent them a nicely articulated policy or briefing document – but practically we don’t often prepare them for actual pay discussions; especially for push back from employees. The following tips for managers are useful:

So communicating with employees is critical or they may come up with their own perceptions of how their pay is determined and make their own assessment of fairness. Even then fair pay isn’t always provable, can be too emotive to be quantifiable, and it definitely dynamic. However, if you can demonstrate that your policies are equitable and that the system for awarding it seems fair you stand a better chance of tackling those inaccurate perceptions. It’s worth noting too that top-performing organisationsorganizations have greater aspirations for being transparent with their pay practices: 62% of top performing organisationsorganizations aim to be transparent about pay in 2018 (vs. 56% of typical) according to Payscale’s 2018 Compensation Best Practices Report.

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Five recruitment metrics that you should use (but probably don’t)

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 03:13:25 +0000

Time to hire, cost to hire, quality of hire – we’ve all heard of these recruitment metrics before, should we be focusing on them? Time to hire and cost to hire may not offer the insights we’re after – at the end of the day we want the right person in the right role. Does it matter if it takes slightly longer or costs more? Quality of hire: that’s the ultimate goal. Unfortunately, measuring the quality of a hire during the recruitment process is difficult.

So what metrics should savvy HR practitioners be paying attention to? PageUp’s Head of Customer Insights & Market Research, Rebecca Skilbeck recently completed research into which recruitment metrics organisationsorganizations should focus on. She worked with organisationsorganizations to understand their hiring processes and identify which metrics were adding value – and which weren’t. Skilbeck’s research also uncovered proactive steps organisationsorganizations are taking to improve their hiring processes.

Here are the five recruitment metrics Rebecca identified that organisationsorganizations should be using.

1. Offer acceptance rate

You go to a lot of effort to find ‘the one’ – the candidate that is the right fit for your organisationorganization. They’ve been screened, interviewed, tested and background checked. They have the skills, experience, attitude and cultural alignment that you want. But do they want to work for you? You make the offer and… they accept (success!) or decline (what? why?).

Understanding and tracking your offer acceptance rate will help you understand what’s going on. “As talent acquisition professionals, knowing why it’s happening and what can be done about it is of real strategic value to your senior leadership team,” says Skilbeck.

PageUp research has found the average offer acceptance rate across industries is 94%. Top performing organisationsorganizations average 99% year-in, year-out. If your offer acceptance rate is less than 95% it’s worth reviewing the potential reasons why. Consider asking yourself:

Are you an Employer of choice?
Did something happen during the recruitment process?
Are your benefits and compensation competitive?
How do you rank against your competitors?
Is your recruitment process fast enough to secure talent?

Is your offer acceptance rate acceptable?

To deep dive into the importance of offer acceptance rates, Skilbeck took talent acquisition professionals at two organisationsorganizations through their current rates of acceptance. The first team had an ‘aha!’ moment when they calculated a total of 112 declined offers year-to-date. This prompted a team brainstorm session to understand why the rate was so high, before they collaborated on ways to bring that number down in future.

The second organisationorganization initially felt that their offer acceptance rates were in line with their expectations. However, when their results were compared to the industry benchmark, not only did they rank below their industry – they also ranked below the average for all industries. Again, a quick brainstorm session helped the team identify three reasons for their low ranking, so that they could change their approach going forward.

Talent acquisition professionals often have an understanding of why candidates are not accepting an offer, but most don’t track it formally, and so can’t answer the question conclusively. It’s important to understand why this is happening and to start taking proactive steps to address the problem.

Your insights are only as good as the data

Another organisationorganization in Skilbeck’s research were experiencing phenomenally high offer acceptance rates. The team drilled down into why this was happening and quickly realisedrealized they were only progressing candidates to a formal offer after receiving a verbal acceptance. A great strategy in practice, but not so clever when they weren’t capturing verbal offer decline rates: thus skewing their offer acceptance rates. To get an accurate measure, it’s crucial to capture all of your data, from all sources.

Lifting your employer brand

If you feel you are not an employer of choice, you need to understand why. Often, it’s a case of improving your employer brand. As we know, to attract top talent it’s imperative to have a strong employer brand. If you don’t, it pays to investigate why, especially if there’s damaging consequences.

This was the case at another organisationorganization in Skilbeck’s research: past employees were leaving negative reviews of the company on Glassdoor. What steps did they take to improve their employer brand? By taking a creative approach and filming a ‘day-in-the-life’ of their employees. The stories were added to their careers site and social media pages to uplift their employer brand. This gave potential candidates a window into positive employee experiences, and helped detract from all of the negativity. And as Skilbeck reiterates from this organisationorganization’s experience, “Be proactive about sharing your employee experience on your careers site and online.”

“Be proactive about sharing your employee experience on your careers site and online.”

Location, location, location

Another organisationorganization in a remote, less-desirable location was faced with the challenge of attracting candidates. What was their approach to get people over the line? They went above just selling the current role: they sold candidates a future with the organisationorganization. An important takeaway from this scenario: “It pays to emphasise ongoing career opportunities as part of the recruitment process to attract candidates, not just to the current role, but their potential future career at that organisationorganization,” says Skilbeck.

Discuss salary early

Another learning was that during the application process, some organisationsorganizations found they were paying the standard wage, but were unable to compete on benefits. Candidates were progressing to the final offer stages without understanding the full remuneration and benefits package – then turning down offers if these were not in line with their expectations. This practice not only wasted valuable time and delivered a poor candidate experience, but also had the potential to damage the employer brand. “It’s crucial for candidates to understand salary and benefits early in the recruitment process,” explains Skilbeck.
Once you understand your offer acceptance rate and fill any gaps in your current processes, it’s important to track it over time to see how you’ve progressed.

2. Applicant-to-hire rate

How many applications do you need to find a qualified candidate? How many applications do you need to secure a hire? If you don’t have this data to hand, it’s easy to either leave positions open for longer than necessary or close them too early. Too many applicants can create unnecessary work, while too few can limit your ability to find the best people.

On average, for every 100 applications received, four people are hired (or 25 applications are needed for one hire), according to PageUp research. The exact numbers vary based on the industry: Higher Education hires 8% of applicants whereas Retail only hires 3% of applicants. Finance comes in at the overall average, 4%. What does this mean? If you find your organisationorganization’s metrics differ to the benchmark, ask yourself:

Are you an employer of choice?
- If you are, a high volume of applications is to be expected.
- If you’re not, are your job ads targeted enough?
- Can you add a screening question at the start of the application form to remove non-valid applications?

If you’re receiving a low volume of applications for a role, ask yourself whether your job ads are reaching and engaging the correct audience.
- Check wording for role description, bias, skill and competencies.
- Is your application form too long? Is it mobile optimisedoptimized?
- Is your careers site easy to navigate and engaging? Don’t underestimate the power of your careers website. This is where active and passive job seekers go to find out more about your organisationorganization.
- Do you need to improve your employer branding?
- Consider niche or additional job boards, career fairs, social media and referrals.

Feedback from organisationsorganizations in Skilbeck’s research highlighted that a frustrating candidate experience impacts the volume of applications. “It’s important to revamp your careers site – improve content, showcase your employer brand and simplify the online process to help increase the volume of applications,” says Skilbeck.

“It’s important to revamp your careers site – improve content, showcase your employer brand and simplify the online process to help increase the volume of applications.”

Testing shorter position openings

Another organisationorganization trialled shorter position opening times, with positive results. The volume of applications they received were lower, but the quality of applications and offer acceptance rate remained unchanged. The right candidates progressed to the next stages. It improved time to fill and hiring manager engagement as qualified candidates were presented much quicker. The success of this strategy was promptly demonstrated to the rest of the organisationorganization.

3. Candidates-to-hire rate

Applicants include everyone that has applied for the role, regardless of whether or not their experience, skills or behaviours match the requirements. As you move further down the recruitment funnel, non-suitable applicants are screened, leaving candidates that match the role requirements and have the experience, skills and behaviours that indicate they may be a good fit for the organisationorganization.

Out of this pool of potential candidates an average of 9% successfully land the job, according to PageUp research. These figures vary from industry to industry: Higher Education hires 19% of these qualified candidates, whereas Retail only hires 7%. Finance comes in closer to the overall average at 10%. This means nine candidates out of 100 are hired and 91 are unsuccessful.

Having a high volume of unsuccessful candidates can potentially impact your employer brand: maintaining a high-touch approach and adequate candidate care is difficult across large cohorts. What’s more, taking high volumes of candidates through recruitment activities is costly and labour intensive. A robust screening process that identifies highly suitable candidates early on is crucial to cut down the time and cost to hire.

“Having a high volume of unsuccessful candidates can potentially impact your employer brand: maintaining a high-touch approach and adequate candidate care is difficult across large cohorts.”

Solving critical business issues

When we asked organisationsorganizations about the key business problems they were trying to solve and how they measured success, a number of themes emerged:

Finding and attracting talent
The candidate experience (and minimising brand damage)
Hiring manager engagement (simple, streamlined processes)
Being an employer of choice (how to build and maintain employer brand)
Hard to fill roles
Insufficient volumes of candidates or the opposite: large volumes of candidates and the lack of proper management method.

The most common pain point across the board was finding talent quickly. Some tactics organisationsorganizations who successfully find talent quickly include:

Using recruitment marketing
Keeping talent pools warm
Implementing a continuous pipelining strategy

Effective use of talent pools and engaging ‘silver medallists’

What’s the value of a talent pool? One organisationorganization found they were not using their talent pools effectively. This prompted them to think about those ‘silver medallist’ candidates – the second-in-line candidates who just missed out on a role. It’s imperative to keep highly-qualified candidates in talent pools and nurtured. The team discussed how this practice could save them time and money when it came time for the next round of recruiting. PageUp research shows only 43% of organisationsorganizations have well-established talent pools to meet the future needs of their company.

4. Sourcing channel effectiveness

Where do the best quality candidates come from? Being able to answer this question is vital to optimising sourcing efforts. Understanding the most effective source of talent for your organisationorganization ensures the best ROI on recruitment time and financial investment. Knowing this information helps you create targeted, results-driven recruitment campaigns.

When asked about the most effective sourcing channels, most of the organisationsorganizations Skilbeck spoke with felt they were lacking knowledge. There is a difference between knowing where your applications come from and knowing how effective each channel is. PageUp research has found that 26% of applications and 17% of hires come via a company’s careers website. Even though only 3% of applications come from employee referrals, these applications account for 9% of a company’s overall hires. That means employee referral is 4.3 times more effective in finding suitable hires than a company’s career website.

“Employee referral is 4.3 times more effective in finding suitable hires than a company’s career website.”

Interpreting sourcing channel effectiveness requires reliable metrics and context. Someone who first hears about a role through social media may be less suitable than a job seeker who already works at the organisationorganization or a referral. Although referral and internal candidates are higher quality, they’re not always available, so a mix of channels is required.

5. Mobile applications and time to apply rates

Mobile applications and time to apply rates are two separate metrics, but they work together to tell a story that might otherwise be overlooked. There are several converging trends driving the adoption of mobile-optimisedoptimized recruitment.

Demographics are changing: baby boomers are retiring and millennials will make up 50% of the workforce by 2020.
Smartphone adoption rates amongst casual, remote and blue collar workers are increasing.
People are demanding a consumer experience at work. There’s pressure on technology to deliver seamless connectivity for everything, including social and mobile.

In response, many organisationsorganizations have optimisedoptimized their careers websites and recruitment processes to be compatible with mobile devices. But are you measuring the uptake of mobile functionality? If it’s lower than expected, do you understand why?

In the past year, according to PageUp research, 19% of applications were submitted via a mobile device. That’s up from 15% at the end of 2017, and notably higher than the external benchmark of 16%. PageUp research has also found that there is a correlation between abandoned job applications and applications made on a mobile device. As the application form lengthens, the number of incomplete applications via mobile devices increases. Lengthy job applications become tedious on these devices, applicants give up and they don’t complete the application. This doesn’t happen as often on desktop.

If you’re looking to optimiseoptimize your mobile recruitment approaches, make it simple and easy for jobseekers to apply on-the-go. Consider:

Allowing candidates to attach their resume or autofill applications from their social media profiles (saving time to manually fill in employment information).

Enabling desktop-standard search and application functionality from mobile devices.

Candidates expect to search and apply for jobs from their mobile devices. This is especially important in industries that have low desktop usage like Retail, Healthcare, Mining, and Manufacturing. If jobseekers find the application process frustrating, they may choose another employer who matches their technology expectations.

Ensuring you collect and analyse the data you need to measure these five often overlooked metrics can save your organisationorganization significant time and money and help you attract the best talent for your organisationorganization.

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3 ways Artificial Intelligence can speed up the recruitment process

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 03:13:37 +0000

Advances in technology continue to drive efficiencies for HR practitioners looking to make their talent acquisition processes smarter, faster and more efficient. From reducing bias in hiring to screening the first round of applicants based on performance potential, emerging technologies like machine learning have the ability to automate manual processes, reduce human error and remove prejudice from the hiring process. PageUp has recently partnered with machine learning startup PredictiveHire to help organisationsorganizations accelerate recruitment processes and reduce bias in the screening and selection stages. Here are three ways HR can leverage Artificial Intelligence to make recruiting faster and more effective.

1. Fast, consistent applicant screening

One of the most time-consuming parts of the hiring process is manually sifting through a large number of resumes to find the best candidate for an open position. To find that star candidate, recruiters or hiring managers often have to whittle down a pile of unsuitable – and in some cases irrelevant – applications. Sometimes, the sheer volume of applications received for a single role can be overwhelming for hiring managers. In these cases, the best applicant may be lost in the crowd. By conducting the first round of applicant screening, artificial intelligence can quickly filter out those candidates that aren’t suited to the role. Leveraging proven performance data and survey responses, artificial intelligence platforms like PredictiveHire can evaluate thousands of applicants to narrow down the pool to those most likely to succeed if hired.

2. Leveraging proven performance data

Leveraging proven performance data empowers hiring managers to focus on candidates with the soft skills that determine success in any role. Rather than wasting time on guesswork and multiple face-to-face interviews, artificial intelligence can use proven performance data to identify the traits to look for in a candidate early on.

PredictiveHire creates candidate surveys that leverage an organisationorganization’s performance data to determine with 88% accuracy the traits shared by its high performers. This allows recruiters or managers to screen for these desired traits at the early stages of the hiring process, to quickly determine which applicants will likely be successful in the role, and which will not.

3. Diversity attracts candidates

Artificial intelligence can also play a crucial role in reducing bias in recruitment processes. Aside from the obvious compliance benefits, more diverse hiring decisions result in a more attractive employer brand. Uber’s well-publicisedpublicized lack of diversity highlights how important it is to have a diverse employee cohort. After stories of its troubled internal culture became well-known, the company struggled to secure top talent.

In an already competitive jobs market, organisationsorganizations need to put their best foot forward when it comes to attracting quality candidates. Using artificial intelligence to assist in hiring for diversity strengthens an organisationorganization’s employer brand, making it more attractive to potential candidates. Having a talent pool of candidates that are pre-screened, engaged and interested in your organisationorganization can speed up the hiring process by creating strong talent pipelines to fill key roles as they become available.

Rather than looking at attributes like gender, race and age, PredictiveHire’s AI technology helps recruiters make more objective hiring decisions by conducting the first round of applicant screening based on survey responses and predictive modelling.

By using proven performance data to free recruiters from guesswork and manual processes, machine learning has the power to make hiring more effective, efficient and equitable than ever before.

If you’re interested in learning how AI can accelerate and improve your recruiting process, speak to us today.

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How to keep in touch with your talent funnel (without getting creepy)

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 03:20:39 +0000

Here’s a familiar scenario. You’ve advertisedadvertized a vacant role. In just a few days, it’s gained traction on various online job boards. There are numerous applications to be pre-screened, but only a select few will make the first cut. Through the process, you’ve built up a pool of good, strong candidates who aren’t quite right for this particular role. Which begs the question – what do you do with this invaluable candidate pool and how can you put it to good use in the future?

If you haven’t already, it’s time to implement a talent funnel. A talent funnel is a continuously evolving pipeline of candidates that allows you to hire efficiently when the need arises.

Defining a ‘talent funnel’

Just like a sales funnel where prospective customers are moved down the path to purchase, a talent funnel (or ‘recruitment funnel’) is the journey of the candidate as they move from their first point of contact with an organisationorganization to becoming an employee and advocate. When utiliseutilize correctly, a talent funnel can be a lifeline for recruiters. A well-designed (and well-maintained) talent funnel can expedite the hiring process – allowing recruiters to identify and reach out to top talent quickly.

Throughout the entire recruitment process, it’s imperative to have a sound Recruitment Management System (RMS) in place. This lets you keep a repository of candidate resumes, applications and profiles, with flags and notes about each candidate. A good RMS will give you an overview of people’s skills and what roles they can potentially step into.

To ensure your talent pool remains current and valuable, it’s important to stay in touch with prospective candidates. Here are three ways to keep in touch with people.

1. Make the ‘silver medalist’ phone call

The ‘I’m sorry you weren’t successful in this role’ call is one most recruiters dread making. At the same time, it presents an opportunity to highlight the silver medalist candidate’s skills, attitude and enthusiasm for the role – great reasons to advise them why you’ll keep them in mind for future roles within your organisationorganization. Says Gareth Brannigan, Talent Acquisition Consultant at PageUp, “It pays to keep strong candidates in a talent pool. It means when a relevant role comes up, it’s easy to pick up the phone and reach out directly to them. We already know their skill set and cultural fit, which means they don’t need to go through the entire process all over again.”

“It pays to keep strong candidates in a talent pool. It means when a relevant role comes up, it’s easy to pick up the phone and reach out directly to them.”

2. Be proactive and reach out

There are no hard and fast rules about reaching out to candidates (provided they have given you permission to do so). It doesn’t hurt to give them a call, or send them an email to see where they’re at in their job search. Even if they’ve found a new role and not ready to jump ship now, they might be in the next 12 months.

3. Implement a continuous pipelining strategy

Equally important is engaging candidates with your organisationorganization. This can be done by providing past candidates with updates about your wins, innovations and thought leadership: all things that provide an insight into the culture of your organisationorganization. “We run candidate email communications every quarter at PageUp. These include tech blogs, articles on emerging trends in HR tech, and even our own PageUp Hackathons, so we can make people aware of the technological developments we’re implementing. That way, we keep potential candidates continually interested in our brand, culture and offering,” says Brannigan.

“Equally important is engaging candidates with your organisationorganization. This can be done by providing past candidates with updates about your wins, innovations and thought leadership: all things that provide an insight into the culture of your organisationorganization.”

Having a good Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) system to manage all of the above adds efficiencies to the process. PageUp research found organisationsorganizations that use effective CRM and proactive sourcing have an offer acceptance rate of 98% compared to the industry average of 89%.

With so many great candidates out there, it’s advantageous for your organisationorganization to build a talent pool and utiliseutilize a number of strategies to keep in touch with silver medalist candidates. They were narrowed down as a finalist for a reason and soon enough they will be ready to earn that gold.

The post How to keep in touch with your talent funnel (without getting creepy) appeared first on PageUp.

Four ways higher education human resources is changing

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 02:52:05 +0000

The last decade has brought major changes and challenges to the higher education landscape. With reduced government funding forcing many institutions to fundamentally shift their business models, HR systems have had to adapt to support a changing workforce. Consider the higher education landscape at the present moment and you’ll notice some common themes appear: limited resources available to HR departments, compensation concerns, and limited long-term job security. With rollbacks in government funding meaning hiring head counts are tighter than ever, how can HR professionals adapt to attract and retain the best talent?

Just because the employment landscape for higher education has shifted in the past decade, that doesn’t mean HR processes need to suffer. Here are four ways HR approaches in higher education institutions have changed over the last decade, and how you can leverage these changes to improve your talent management processes.

1. Digital transformation

With the higher education landscape in a state of flux, HR plays a crucial role in supporting emerging and changing talent frameworks. This need for flexibility goes hand-in-hand with the digital transformation higher education HR is currently experiencing. Once tied down with time-consuming manual processes, operational and compliance-based activities are now becoming automated to allow more time for strategic work. Free from manual processes, human resources professionals can focus on the needs of their institution in a shifting industry landscape.

Automating processes is not the only way digital transformation drives efficiencies in people management. Providing digital-first experiences is now becoming increasingly important not only for students but also for university staff and academics. From learning management systems to automated workflows, technological tools are empowering the effectiveness and success of faculty members.

“Another change we are seeing is more automation on the recruitment side: higher education institutions are becoming far more sophisticated in their recruitment efforts,” says Rebecca Skilbeck, Head of Consumer Research and Insights at PageUp.

“Providing digital-first experiences is now becoming increasingly important not just for students but also for university staff and academics.”

For adjunct professors and contingent faculty, technology allows for strong onboarding and training programs to get them up to speed at short notice. For academic leaders, reviewing and coaching faculty member performance is made simple with integrated performance management solutions and goal-oriented learning management systems.

2. Emphasis on faculty learning

As organisationsorganizations dedicated to learning and development, it’s ironic that higher education institutions are falling behind when it comes to offering these opportunities for their staff. In fact, when they’re not in the business of educating students, universities rank around the bottom quartile for “learn and grow” employee opportunities compared with other industries in the U.S., according to a recent Gallup survey. This survey found that only four out of 10 higher education staff and faculty strongly agreed that in the past year they had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

To fill this gap, higher education institutions are beginning to focus more on learning and development programs for employees. “Universities have very good educational systems to educate their pupils but they don’t necessarily have good systems to educate faculty staff and admin,” says Skilbeck. “Universities are now asking, ‘How do we actually do learning and development for our staff?’, and they’re figuring that out for each different cohort. This is a change that’s still occurring.”

“Universities have very good educational systems to educate their pupils but they don’t necessarily have good systems to educate faculty staff and admin.”

3. A focus on employer branding

In an increasingly competitive higher education landscape, institutions are realising that attracting top talent requires strong employer branding. Articulating the things that make an organisationorganization a great place to work is especially necessary for institutions that may exist in remote locations.

“How do those who are in less geographically desirable areas still get the people?” Skilbeck asks. “Institutions are starting to focus more on employer branding and how they attract the staff they want when they are in a less preferable location.”

Universities looking to attract top candidates should think about how to articulate the best aspects of their institution, then make sure external touchpoints like their website and recruitment processes reflect that. This will help align your institution with its employer brand, allowing you to put your best foot forward in a competitive job market.

4. GlobalisationGlobalization of higher education

In the last century, U.S. institutions dominated the higher education world. Nowadays, universities the world over are competing for both student and faculty talent on a global playing field. With overseas institutions spending large amounts of capital to lure top talent from the U.S., HR practitioners have to work even harder to appeal to candidates by incorporating international opportunities into their employer brand.

HR practices have had to adapt to focus on the candidate journey, and institutions should now consider how to incorporate academic mobility and view their mission in international terms. According to Skilbeck, taking a global-first approach to talent management is necessary when managing the international needs of academic talent.

“HR practitioners have to work even harder to appeal to candidates by incorporating international opportunities into their employer brand.”

“When you become an expert in your field it becomes quite a small global community: if you want to get to the top of your field, you need to have a willingness to live and work overseas as opposed to just staying domestically,” says Skilbeck.

To remain attractive to a globally mobile talent pool, some U.S. institutions have partnered with institutions in other countries to offer academics, faculty staff and students opportunities to study and work abroad. Others have set up their own branch campuses overseas. Consider if your talent management processes are flexible enough to adapt to a workforce that’s increasingly unconstrained by institution or geography.

The last decade has heralded major shifts in the higher education landscape, which has in turn forced HR processes to adapt in-step to these changes. While the industry is currently in a state of flux, HR practitioners that can understand these trends and leverage technology to enhance the employee experience will be well-placed to weather any challenges the future holds.

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Top 11 employee learning trends for 2019

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 15:37:00 +0000

Each new year brings with it new learning and development trends, and a few key themes are already shining through in 2019. OrganisationsOrganizations are placing a strong emphasis on learning, while employees want more control of what, where and when they learn. They’re also adopting both conventional and unconventional approaches to maximisemaximize their learning. This blog will uncover the latest trends in learning for 2019 including:

Continuous learning culture
Employee led learning
People leaders as coaches
Social learning
Employee-curated content
Mobile (aka on-demand)
Microlearning
Data and analytics
Learning Experience Platform (LXP)
Gamification, Augmented and Virtual Reality
People data

The learning landscape is shifting. With continuous advances in technology, employees are taking control of their own education and development. OrganisationsOrganizations are stepping up to help shape the future of learning. They’re focusing on providing coaching, ongoing feedback and resources for learning opportunities.

Technologies which focus on usability and experience are helping improve learner engagement. Unsurprisingly, mobile and social learning are gaining traction and feature heavily in a modern learning environment. Learners are demanding just-in-time learning, where and when they want it.

Explore the shifts in learning with our updated learning trends for 2019.

1. Continuous learning culture

The shelf-life of skills is diminishing. The need for ongoing learning and development is greater than at any previous point in history. 38% of CEOs believe a shortage of key skills is the top people-related threat to growth. That’s up from 31% in 2017. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that building a culture of continuous learning is currently a priority for L&D leaders. This encompasses just-in-time learning designed to close a specific knowledge gap in a current role, right through to development of competencies and behaviours needed for future roles.

Today’s learner expects (and is expected to) continually learn and develop. This culture of continual learning is simultaneously driving and being reinforced by the shifting attitude to performance management. As everyday performance and ongoing feedback approaches gain momentum, the desire to upskill, develop and close skill gaps reinforces the symbiotic relationship between performance and development.

“The culture of continual learning is simultaneously driving and being reinforced by the shifting attitude to performance management.”

2. Employee-led learning

OrganisationsOrganizations are moving away from top-down driven development frameworks and empowering employees to lead their own learning. Some examples of employee-led learning include:

moving away from a one-size-fits-all’ approach
creating personalisedpersonalized learning paths to help develop employees in their current role, next role and future roles;
basing content on both development needs and interests.

68% of employees prefer to learn at work, according to recent research by LinkedIn, but they don’t always have time to complete learning activities. In fact, the same research found that the #1 challenge for talent development is getting employees to make time for learning.

As the above diagram suggests, over half of employees (58%) want to learn at their own pace depending on their requirements, development needs and interests. But employees still want their manager’s input on how to improve, with 56% saying they would spend more time learning if their manager suggested activities.

Instead of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, organisationsorganizations are creating personalisedpersonalized learning paths that develop employees in their current role, next role and future career paths.”

3. People leaders as coaches

Finding the time for learning is the number one development challenge employees face. The second-largest challenge is getting people leaders to take an active role in employee development. It’s no longer only the responsibility of the L&D department to ensure employees get the training they need. Learning professionals are now looking to people managers to own and develop their teams. Empowering people leaders to help employees on their continuous learning journey is becoming a priority. When it’s done well, it’s highly successful. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of employees who felt empowered to drive their own career say that their manager provides coaching and supports their development.

“Learning professionals are now looking to people managers to own and develop their teams.”

4. Social learning

In addition to social collaborative tools, organisationsorganizations are also experimenting with cross-functional project-based learning, creating online learning marketplaces and structured mentoring forums. At the very minimum, employees expect workplace technologies that allow:

social networking
instant messaging,
online collaboration;
video conferencing.

Humans are social by nature: 87% of employees say that sharing knowledge with their team is critical for learning. 34% of organisationsorganizations are already investing in social learning tools and over the next few years we anticipate the uptake will accelerate. The increasing complexity of work, rise of the contingent and freelance workforce, and the desire to work ‘anywhere, anytime’ will drive the adoption of social collaboration and knowledge-sharing tools.

5. Employee-curated content

Relevant content is what matters most to employees. Yet less than half (46%) of employees are satisfied with the relevance of the content provided by their organisationorganization. How can we help employees cut through the clutter? Employees want the ability to create their own online content and share learning resources. It’s no surprise that peer-to-peer learning continues to gain traction – empowering people to share relevant content with their colleagues.

OrganisationsOrganizations are also supporting apps which curate, publish and share content to keep peers, teammates and managers across the latest and most relevant content. Crowdsourcing means content is constantly refreshed, removing the barrier of irrelevant information which can deter time-poor learners.

“OrganisationsOrganizations are also supporting apps which curate, publish and share content to keep peers, teammates and managers across the latest and most relevant content.”

6. Mobile (aka on-demand)

Employees expect to access content anytime, anywhere via a mobile device. Although this trend isn’t new, corporate adoption levels have lagged behind employee expectations. Over three-quarters of employees do at least some of their learning on a mobile device and 99% of mobile learners believe the mobile format enhanced their learning. Despite this, mobile access is ranked as the second-largest challenge to learning from an employee’s perspective. Tellingly, access to mobile learning doesn’t register within the top three perceived challenges L&D professionals face. Looking to the future, 23% plan to purchase mobile learning solutions and this trend is expected to accelerate. OrganisationsOrganizations that want to improve the learning experience of their employees need to ensure mobile is part of the solution.

7. Microlearning

Making time for learning isn’t easy. Our constantly-connected lifestyles also means that attention spans are shrinking. A solution could lie in Microlearning: this is bite-sized chunks of learning content, completed in three to five minutes, that makes learning easily digestible. Some examples of successful microlearning can be found on popular mediums including:

podcasts
blogs
eLearning
videos

As a medium, videos are still a popular way to learn. More organisationsorganizations are turning to mobile devices to create quick, inexpensive, easily uploadable content. According to Training Journal (TJ) “In 2019, we can expect to see even more of this ‘guerilla’ film production with high-end features with interactivity that will be distributed on mobile devices and applications for easy accessibility.”

Online content can be parceled into smaller components, so employees can learn where and when it suits them.

This trend has been driven not only by a better understanding of how we learn, but also by advances in technology. The uptake of mobile and cloud technologies means content can be accessed as needed. This can have a positive impact on a company’s bottom line. OrganisationsOrganizations that empower their employees with microlearning experience a 63% increase in revenue compared to their peers.

“The uptake of mobile and cloud technologies means content can be accessed as needed. This can have a positive impact on a company’s bottom line.”

8. Data and analytics

Employee training budgets have increased year-on-year since 2017 from 33% and are expected to trend upwards in the coming years. In 2019, companies will spend $1100 per employee on training. Learning and development is a multi-billion dollar industry: with this level of expenditure, the stakes are high and the expectations of tangible returns are real. Executives are looking for financial returns, yet many L&D professionals struggle to tie real-world results to talent development spend. Nearly one-third (32%) of executives say demonstrating ROI is the top challenge for the talent development team. Only 22% of people managers feel the same. So how can organisationsorganizations measure and articulate the ROI of investing in learning and development? The key is to take an evidence-based approach to gathering learning insights that’s based on robust data and metrics. Articulating the ROI of learning and development initiatives requires assessing an organisationorganization’s development needs, analysing the outcomes of learning, then describing how this closes development gaps to drive productivity.

9. Learning Experience Platform (LXP)

The traditional Learning Management System (LMS) is no longer enough to meet employees’ expectations. Increasingly, organisationsorganizations are either replacing or augmenting the LMS with a Learning Experience Platform (LXP). Usability is the key to driving engagement and uptake of technology. Many organisationsorganizations recogniserecognize this and are placing learner and manager experience at the top of the priority list.

The LXP approach has the ability to personalisepersonalize the learning journey by:

recommending content based on an employee’s current role;
allowing employees to curate, publish and share content, based on experience or interests;
using data and analytics to identify skill gaps and learning needs.

Although the LXP market is currently smaller than the LMS market, it’s hot on the heels of its predecessor, growing at 200% annually.

10. Gamification, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR)

Although gamification has been around for a while, we expect it will continue to gain traction as more millennials enter the workforce. Current research by HR Technologist states, “Younger generations today are intimately familiar with the concept of gamification. Most of them grew up with video games and smartphones, so gamifying corporate learning can become a natural extension of learning.”

Gamifying elements of learning such as compliance training gives people a ‘safe’ environment where they can take risks and get positive reinforcement. It also helps people see how they stack up against their peers, earn badges, collaborate and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Relative newcomers to L&D are Augmented and Virtual Reality. These technologies allow people to experience real life situations in a virtual sense, and reach their own conclusions in a safe environment.
“With AR and VR, you have technologies that have been shown to increase engagement and improve results”, reports the Association for Talent Development.
Companies who realiserealize its potential for learning and development should start experimenting now.

11. People analytics

Learning and development is not a stand alone function. It has a crucial role to play in underpinning the organisationorganization‘s strategic workforce vision. Forward-thinking organisationsorganizations are moving beyond descriptive to predictive analytics. Learning data is increasingly being incorporated into people analytics to understand the impact of learning on things like retention and staff promotion. People analytics help organisationsorganizations understand their workforce by making data about employee attributes, behaviour and performance more accessible, interpretable and actionable, according to research by ScienceDirect.

In situations where there’s a need to pivot quickly (opening a new office or factory in a different global location or simply re-shuffling people to upskill for succession roles), organisationsorganizations need to see who has the right skills or certifications to support them in a growth or reorganisationreorganization phase.

What’s next?

L&D professionals are faced with multiple challenges: juggling new technologies, shifts in learning styles and executive expectations to deliver tangible benefits. The shelf-life of skills is decreasing, the shortage of soft skills is increasing, and robotics and AI mean the future of jobs is uncertain.

Careful and deliberate adoption of technology to support organisationalorganizational learning culture is required. L&D leaders have now reached a pivotal point and are poised to launch their organisationsorganizations into a bright future (or watch their competitors overtake them).

The post Top 11 employee learning trends for 2019 appeared first on PageUp.

Future-proof your workforce with talent mobility

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 18:38:00 +0000

Build a team that can respond to whatever challenge is thrown at them, and you’ll be well-placed to weather any industry disruption. But crafting an agile, world-class team takes more than just good hires. It’s about knowing how to identify key skills in your organisationorganization, and establishing internal and external pipelines of quality talent that can be deployed on-demand.

In this increasingly competitive landscape, only the smartest and fastest organisationsorganizations will survive. To respond to this challenge, savvy businesses have to empower their workers with the skills and tools to collaborate and become truly mobile.

What is talent mobility?

At its heart, talent mobility lets you leverage the skills in your business to quickly respond to change. In a hypercompetitive world, incumbents are just as likely to be unseated by a fast-growing startup as they are by an established competitor. The key to staying relevant is talent mobility: this lets you deploy the skills needed to respond to shifts in the market at a moment’s notice.

Adopt a startup mentality

New technologies and digital platforms make it easier than ever for new business models to pop-up overnight and turn an entire industry on its head. Often, the startups behind this disruption are fast-moving and unconstrained by tradition or hierarchical structure. They are able to immediately pivot based on feedback from the market, and are often trying to unseat incumbents and their old-school models with a simpler, more flexible alternative.

Forward-thinking organisationsorganizations are now looking to adopt a startup mentality to remain competitive. Established companies can learn from the flat structure many startups adopt, which fosters dynamic, cross-functional teams. Doing away with the top-down structure creates a work environment where every employee can bring something to the table, regardless of their seniority or tenure.

If your organisationorganization is built on an established hierarchy, it may seem challenging to adopt this agile approach. Here’s where events like hackathons and internal accelerator programs can help employees break out of their structured teams to solve real business problems. These forays into startup culture provide great ways for organisationsorganizations to identify and leverage key skills which previously may have gone unnoticed. Having better visibility of each employee’s talents means HR leaders can mobilisemobilize these skills across the business when needed.

Build mobility through internal talent pipelines

In today’s fast-moving consumer landscape, speed is the new competitive differentiator. Mobile organisationsorganizations that can respond to industry changes and accelerate speed to market will be the ones that survive. That’s why cultivating internal talent pipelines is vital. Internal pipelines let you source the right skillset from the employees at your disposal: this is talent that already understand your organisationorganization’s values, culture and pain points, and they can be deployed on-demand as required.

Most importantly, internal talent pipelines allow you to identify and mobilisemobilize key skills within the business. Many organisationsorganizations suffer from internal silos and hierarchical barriers which make it hard for HR leaders to see where their talent lies. The best skills could be found in-house, but if you don’t have visibility across teams, these skills could be going to waste.

Internal talent pipelines remove barriers between teams and let you create actionable plans to develop key skills for the future. Conditioning key talent for future leadership roles allows for solid succession planning, meaning you’ll have upskilled workers ready to step up to roles as they become available.

Build deep talent pools

Even with great internal pipelines, it’s not always possible to find the skills you need within your organisationorganization. Solid external recruitment practices are vital if you want to have key talent on standby.

To future-proof your talent acquisition practices, build pools of qualified, interested candidates that can be engaged when the time comes. Cultivate talent pools by creating a candidate funnel that attracts potential talent to your organisationorganization, then engage and develop relationships with them. Keep these quality candidates on-hand in databases to reduce the cost of recruitment and the time to hire when the need arises.

7 steps to building deep talent pools and providing great careers

1. Identify critical roles based on the current and future requirements of your organisationorganization
2. Undertake periodic talent reviews to determine the skill and competence levels of your employees
3. Understand internal talent bench strength for each role through succession planning
4. Allow employees to voice their own career aspirations
5. Provide development opportunities to prepare them for their next role
6. Develop external talent pipelines for critical roles with low bench strength
7. Nurture internal and external talent – consider sharing information, holding events or simply booking a bi-annual coffee catch up

Future directions

The rapidly changing future of work promises a brave new world of industry disruption and workforce fragmentation. Yet no matter where the future of work takes us, the ability to identify, attract and retain the best talent will always be relevant. OrganisationsOrganizations with teams mobile enough to respond to these changes will not just weather these changes, but be empowered by them.

Irrespective of what the future holds, employees are still an organisationorganization’s greatest asset. Learning to leverage the talent that already exists in your teams while proactively attracting and engaging potential talent will be the key to future success.

The post Future-proof your workforce with talent mobility appeared first on PageUp.

15 tips to engage and motivate nurses

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 03:49:38 +0000

Hiring in healthcare has always had its challenges —but now, in a post-pandemic world, the stakes are even higher. Nurses in particular have felt the immense pressure, heavy workloads and long hours during the pandemic, and beyond. It’s no surprise that burnout is on the rise, with more than half of healthcare workers reporting insomnia, rising stress levels and increased mental health challenges. With 52% of nurses saying that they plan on leaving the clinical setting, these pressures will only continue to grow.

With rising burnout, the healthcare sector has also seen a rise in “quiet quitting” —where staff don’t go above and beyond, but do the minimum required of the role. Without continued investment and support in the employee experience, this rise in quiet quitting and burnout not only impacts the stability of the workforce, but can negatively impact patient outcomes in the long term.

While talent teams are focusing on sourcing new hires, equal (or greater) focus needs to be put on retaining current nursing staff and keeping them engaged, motivated and supported. Equipping your team to improve the employee experience is essential to combat quiet quitting, boost the well-being of nursing staff and drive improved patient outcomes. Here are 15 tips to get you started.

1. Build a strong employer brand

Getting the right people in the door —and keeping them around— starts with a strong employer brand. An employer brand is your organisationorganization’s reputation as an employer (as opposed to your reputation related to the products or services you sell) and communicates your employee value proposition (EVP). While an employer brand is unique to every organisationorganization, there are common themes that run through all successful employer brands: —they highlight the things that make your organisationorganization a great place to work.

Your employer brand must be communicated consistently across all touchpoints where candidates encounter your brand. This could include social media, careers websites, job ads and careers fairs – right up to the response to applications, the ease of scheduling an interview and the interview itself. If you communicate a strong employer brand that offers a window into life at your organisationorganization, you’re likely to attract the right people whose values align with yours – resulting in higher employee engagement.

A great way to do this in the healthcare setting is through employee-generated content, like PageUp Employee Connections. This solution offers a way for employees to share their stories with prospective applicants, answer their questions and address challenges head-on. The authentic medium is engaging and builds trust —with jobseekers more likely to trust their peers, than polished corporate ‘spin’. What’s more, involving current employees in the process and empowering them to share their experiences as experts in the field, you’ll see renewed employee engagement.

2. Communicate your ethics and core values

56% of jobseekers wouldn’t consider a job at an organisationorganization if its values were misaligned with their own. People drawn to careers in the healthcare sector are often caring individuals —with many choosing roles or staying in roles out of loyalty to patients and their care. So, to attract and engage healthcare talent, values play a significant role.

But, core values need to be more than just words on a page. They need to influence how work is done and how decisions are made each day — and they should be central to your mission and your employee value proposition. If your organisationorganization’s values are to provide the best quality healthcare —communicate it, authentically. Remind people of their contribution and purpose regularly. That way, people will feel a sense of pride in their work and feel more motivated to deliver on their goals.

Your career site is the perfect place to outline your values and purpose, and showcase your EVP. RecogniseRecognize the impact of current team members and showcase how your organisationorganization delivers on its purpose. Use dedicated landing pages and microsites to take prospective jobseekers on the journey and provide real-world examples of employees embracing the company values.

3. Provide a great onboarding experience

Onboarding begins as soon as a candidate accepts their offer. It’s important for organisationsorganizations to provide a seamless onboarding experience to help new nurses feel they are supported –which will lay the foundations for ongoing engagement. It’s equally important for new starters to understand the tools, people and practices they will need to be successful in their roles. Good onboarding can also reduce employee turnover rates. OrganisationsOrganizations can start with the basics: outline the new starter’s first week, and set up a positive work environment so they feel prepared. A plan can include:

assigning a buddy to help a new team member get up to speed
safety and compliance training
logins and access to internal systems
orientation sessions to cover facility training and processes, explaining electronic medical records processes and introductions to other departments.

See how the Medical University of South Carolina uses PageUp to optimiseoptimize its hiring strategy

4. Drive engagement through daily huddles

Connection is crucial to driving engagement —and in a busy clinical setting, team building and community can easily be overlooked or deprioritiseddeprioritized. But to drive engagement in the long-term, it’s important to set time for all team members to communicate with their peers. This practice helps nurses feel connected with their team members, and prioritisingprioritizing this open team communication can help ensure the best patient outcomes. Daily huddles are a common practice at healthcare organisationsorganizations. Huddles are usually led by nurse managers and give nurses the opportunity to raise concerns, discuss planned surgeries and discharges and any goals the team can achieve together.

According to the Lippincott Nursing Center, “Patient safety starts with teamwork. Huddles impact the entire team’s approach to providing care by emphasisingemphasizing the value of each coworker in contributing to the care of all patients. After discussing patient problems as a team, staff members know that patient safety is a shared responsibility and that they’re not alone in developing a safe and effective plan.”

What’s more, daily huddles provide a great forum for leaders to check in and notice the initial signs of burnout in their team. Leaders can then ensure their staff have access to appropriate support, encourage team members to take breaks and work to re-engage and re-motivate their team.

5. Create a positive work environment through a culture of respect

Nursing is a tough role —physically, mentally and emotionally. A key driver of employee experience is the work environment: if you don’t respect people, they’re likely to feel undervalued and unsupported. Respecting people might seem like a simple thing to do, but it’s one of the most meaningful actions leaders can take to help people feel supported. A SHRM survey found that 67% of employees surveyed rated respectful treatment of all employees at all levels as very important.

6. Lead by example

It might seem obvious – but people leaders need to lead by example. They must bring passion and energy to their own roles if they want nurses to follow suit. To achieve higher engagement within the team, leaders need to create and constantly drive a positive work environment where people can feel valued and receive feedback on a daily basis.

Leaders have a huge impact on culture —they can champion your organisationalorganizational vision and mission to their teams. By offering leaders education on your organisationalorganizational goals and creating opportunities for meaningful recognition, you create brand ambassadors that live and breathe your values. This plays a key role in improving the experience within your organisationorganization.

7. Provide ongoing development opportunities

A key driver of employee motivation is development —people want to learn and grow. PageUp research shows that 94% of jobseekers rate development opportunities as an important factor when applying for roles. It’s important for leaders to provide their teams with opportunities to develop new skills and map clear pathways towards future roles. Learning and development shouldn’t stop after their initial training: many nurses need to be challenged and have opportunities to upskill to stay motivated. As nursing technology and practices are constantly evolving, it’s imperative for leaders to provide nurses with opportunities to keep their skills relevant —and to keep them engaged. OrganisationsOrganizations can support this through formal and informal training opportunities —such as seminars or peer-to-peer learning —and carving out a prioritisedprioritized space for this in the nursing team’s busy schedules.

Talent teams can also support ongoing development by creating and facilitating a culture of internal mobility. Consider using an internal careers site, so it’s easy for team members to search and apply for relevant roles, and explore opportunities outside of their own team.

8. Encourage connection through events

Events and conferences are great ways for nurses to connect with other nurses and medical professionals. These opportunities provide excellent ways for nurses to:

meet and learn from peers.
learn from thought leaders.
understand new research findings.

These forums provide opportunities for nurses to get out of “their own four walls”, and to re-ignite their passion for the profession. Plus, they’ll learn valuable new skills to bring back into the organisationorganization.

9. Create a courageous culture

Does your organisationorganization foster an environment where people can bring their authentic selves to work and voice their opinions without judgement? Cultivating a courageous environment promotes authenticity and encourages diversity. It’s all about respecting and valuing people’s opinions and creating a safe place where people can contribute to achieving the organisationorganization’s vision.

What’s more, fostering a courageous culture helps organisationsorganizations to promote diverse hiring —which improves talent attraction. Research shows that 76% of jobseekers will look for evidence of a diverse workforce as a key factor when applying for a role, making it a key pillar of modern talent strategies.

10. Provide emotional support

In a medical environment, many factors can take a toll on a nurse’s emotional wellbeing. High patient mortality rates, supporting patients with terminal conditions, dealing with verbal and physical abuse from patients – the list is endless. A sympathetic ear can provide the support nurses need to stay engaged and motivated through the role’s challenges. OrganisationsOrganizations can leverage specialisedspecialized counselling services like employee assistance programs – and proactively advertiseadvertize support services in common areas like nurses stations, kitchens and cafeterias.

11. Introduce rewards to increase employee satisfaction

Does your organisationorganization recogniserecognize people who go above and beyond to provide great patient care? One of the top reasons people leave roles is lack of recognition —and research from Gallup has shown that 65% of employees haven’t received any form of recognition for good work in the last 12 months.

Feedback and recognition can be formal or informal. Aside from thanking people for their contribution in day-to-day feedback, more structured rewards programs can ensure individuals are being celebrated regularly and publicly. These could include spontaneous rewards like movie or dinner vouchers and gift cards, or formal processes with open nominations and a selection committee. Some healthcare organisationsorganizations have introduced regular awards including Employee of the Month, Nurse Excellence and Zero Harm awards to show appreciation of the hard work and dedication of their teams.

12. Encourage prioritisingprioritizing health and wellbeing

In a profession providing around-the-clock-care, where long shifts and over-time are often required, healthy habits can easily fall by the wayside. OrganisationsOrganizations can help encourage healthy habits and work-life-balance by offering subsidisedsubsidized gym memberships, yoga and pilates classes. Healthcare organisationsorganizations can further support a healthy work environment by encouraging staff to take their breaks, and providing nutritious snacks at nursing stations and in break rooms.

13. Learn what motivates people

Surveys and face-to-face conversations can help leaders understand what people value at work and what they like doing in their spare time. Knowing what motivates people is the first step to keeping them satisfied and engaged. Whether seeking feedback informally, or through channels like an employee engagement survey, leaders should always capitalisecapitalize on the opportunity to receive feedback and improve their approaches. The act of seeking feedback from the team builds trust, improves communication and increases employee satisfaction.

Motivation is highly individual —a leading cause of quiet quitting is leaders not taking the time to understand their individual team members’ perspectives and goals. By understanding what drives each team member, leaders can better support them in their aspirations, leading to higher engagement and less burnout.

14. Advocate performance reviews and encourage ownership

Many organisationsorganizations in the healthcare industry conduct yearly performance reviews to see if people have accomplished their goals and are meeting the overarching goals of the organisationorganization. Nurses rate their own performance first, prior to meeting with leaders. It’s important for leaders to have regular check-ins with nurses outside the annual performance cycle to provide feedback, answer questions and ensure goals are aligned and expectations are met. Nurses are time-poor, so it’s important to empower them to capture milestones and record their progress on-the-go. Solutions like PageUp can help to empower both nurses and leaders to keep track of goals, share feedback with peers and upload journal entries. When it comes to performance review time, everyone is on the same page.

15. Address quiet quitting and burnout

In healthcare, instances of workers “quiet quitting”, or experiencing burnout have risen steeply. The pandemic has left nurses exhausted, feeling undervalued and overworked. It’s been shown that burnout is contagious —it will spread from the top down. Make time to have open conversations about wellbeing and motivation across all divisions, from leading doctors to admin support staff. Foster an environment where employees are empowered to find work-life balance.

Whether it’s through recognition, performance conversations, internal mobility and development opportunities or an environment that promotes work-life-balance, it’s vital that organisationsorganizations tap into the resources at their disposal to not only attract new nursing talent, but keep current employees engaged, motivated and providing the best patient care.

Final thoughts

Ensuring nurses are engaged at work is important not only for nurses’ physical and emotional health but the overall patient experience. Healthcare organisationsorganizations and leaders need to put proactive measures in place to attract, engage and retain the best in the industry.

PageUp offers solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of healthcare hiring. From interest to application, onboarding and beyond, PageUp offers an end-to-end solution to help you build, develop and retain high-performing healthcare teams. Want to get started? Get in touch today to learn more.

The post 15 tips to engage and motivate nurses appeared first on PageUp.

How HR can ensure the success of hospital mergers and acquisitions

Sun, 05 Aug 2018 20:46:00 +0000

Mergers and acquisitions are an exciting marker of two hospitals joining to expand market share, but they can also be a cause of uncertainty and stress for the employees involved. The success of this transition doesn’t solely rely on finding a strategic fit: it’s also about achieving cultural alignment in the hospitals coming together. This is where HR plays a critical role in driving the success of this change from within.

Merging two companies with two different internal structures, cultures and bylaws is inevitably going to be complicated. When you throw in hundreds of hospital staff, extensive administrative procedures, and situations where lives are on the line, the stakes are raised even higher.

So how can HR processes ensure the success of hospital mergers and acquisitions in the busy world of healthcare? Let’s take a look at some critical factors.

Stay focused on your goal

Hospital mergers and acquisitions have various goals, often including:

strategic expansion
entering a new market
adding facilities and equipment

These transactions are about growth and opportunity. That’s why it’s so important to have strategic objectives and core principles driving the process. This will ensure the hospital can move forward without getting stagnated in administrative minutiae. HR plays an important role here by establishing a common goal and sense of collaboration within both management teams and staff.

To avoid ‘deal fatigue’ and internal inactivity, cumbersome processes should not be allowed to overtake the ultimate objectives of the M&A transition.

“HR plays an important role by establishing a common goal and sense of collaboration within both management teams and staff.”

HR can help by setting out people-focused objectives: this often means preserving the independence and management of the existing workforce, and championing the needs of employees when it comes to transition of positions and titles, duties, salaries and benefits.

HR drives communication

With any change in life, reluctance and uncertainty is inevitable. When that change affects employment, responsibilities and workplace culture, it can be all the more intimidating. That’s why managing the concerns of hospital employees proactively with a well-implemented, focused HR plan is so important. Throughout any change, communication is key.

“Throughout any change, communication is key.”

HR can be a facilitator of conversations between management and staff during this time, assuming the role of intermediary for any questions and concerns from both parties. When the HR team ensures engagement between employees and leadership during the transition process, the process can be seen as collaborative rather than threatening.

Culture is crucial to success

Ensuring alignment in not just the objectives but also the cultural values of the merging hospitals will mean that new processes are respected by staff who are kept informed and involved in the transition.

By first identifying the existing cultural values of both organisationsorganizations, and then developing a new set of values that builds on and adopts from this past, HR can ensure that the two hospitals come together as a cohesive whole.

Encouraging cultural integration was vital to ensure the success of the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital after its launch. Built to replace Brisbane’s Royal Children’s and Mater Children’s Hospitals, one of the greatest challenges it faced was merging two sets of employees with different values and ways of operating. Through monthly staff forums and an ‘open door’ management policy, the new hospital was able to resolve teething issues and take on board employee feedback as it arose. By proactively encouraging open communication and facilitating employees working together to forge a new set of values the hospital established a shared culture unique.

“Ensuring alignment in not just objectives but also in cultural values is crucial to success.”

It’s important that HR takes time to check in with employees during this time of change. Through employee engagement and satisfaction surveys, people can have their voices heard. Communication facilitates the vital buy-in needed for staff to create and adopt a new culture together.

Similarly, using these open HR communication channels to uncover any voices resistant to change is a key way for hospitals to manage potential issues before they get out of hand.

HR due diligence avoids potential obstacles

The most common obstacles faced in the M&A process are also ones that can be avoided through HR due diligence.
Issues like:

cultural differences
poor integration and
operational failings

can even be avoided before due diligence by conducting an internal evaluation of any concerns or questionable practices within hospitals.

This allows time to resolve or explain any issues before going into the due diligence process. By anticipating what the other party will want to know, rather than waiting for problems to be raised by them, HR can be proactive in ensuring a good organisationalorganizational fit for a potential merger or acquisition.

“The most common obstacles faced in the M&A process are also ones that can be avoided through HR due diligence.”

HR drives effective integration

When facilitating the integration of two hospitals, HR plays a crucial role in ensuring employee handover happens with minimal disruption. By creating employee handbooks that cover important information, facts and questions about the transition, HR can ensure employees start off on the right foot from day one.

In mergers and acquisitions where existing HR practices conflict with the parent company’s new set of rules, these processes are reconciled by a proactive approach to integration. It’s up to HR to collect and thoroughly understand important documents like bylaws, employee handbooks and employment agreements to identify potential conflict and establish new ground rules.

“HR can ensure employees start off on the right foot from day one.”

HR also assumes the key responsibility of ensuring personnel policies are coherent and up-to-date in this time of transition. By making sure all employees are aware of new policies covering core issues like drug and alcohol testing, anti-discrimination, discipline and record retention, HR ensures all staff are on the same page moving forward.

When it comes to unpaid sick and vacation pay, employee benefits and welfare arrangements, HR also plays a vital role in managing these changes and ensuring their hospital is not exposed to potential liabilities down the track.

Things to remember

While it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and business potential of a merger or acquisition, it’s important to remember the important role HR plays in managing the fundamental pillars of this transition. At the core of every hospital are the people that run it on a daily basis. Making sure the factors that affect them, from their employment structure to the internal culture they form part of, are understood and accepted is crucial for a successful integration of hospitals.

The post How HR can ensure the success of hospital mergers and acquisitions appeared first on PageUp.

Universities share the 5 recruitment metrics they track to supercharge their hiring

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 01:18:40 +0000

Knowing which recruitment metrics to track tells you what’s working well in your hiring – and what needs attention. Based on PageUp research and conversations we’ve had with customers, we’ve uncovered 5 recruitment metrics that HR practitioners should be using, but which many don’t. We spoke to leading higher ed HR professionals from the University of Central Florida and the University of Delaware to uncover how they’re tracking the metrics that matter – here’s what they had to share.

Lori Koval is currently the Associate Director of Talent Acquisition for the University of Delaware (UD). She is passionate about recruiting, marketing and employment branding, and has experience successfully managing major change initiatives across an organisationorganization. One metric that her organisationorganization tracks and have optimisedoptimized is offer acceptance rate.

1. Offer acceptance rate

Offer acceptance rate is the percentage of candidates that accept a job offer. PageUp research has found offer acceptance rate varies across industries and between organisationsorganizations but on average it’s 94%. This means for every 100 offers made 94 people say yes and 6 people say no.

Top performing organisationsorganizations average a 99% offer acceptance rate year-in, year out. At the other end of the spectrum are organisationsorganizations that come in at the low to mid 70th percentile.

“The University of Delaware’s offer acceptance rate is currently 99%. We are proud of that statistic and equate it to the great job our recruitment team does,” Koval says.

She attributes their success to an attractive EVP and a focus on being transparent and communicative with candidates.

“UD is an employer of choice based on our culture, our location and strong benefits package,” she says. “As a recruiter, we establish relationships with candidates from the initial conversation to find out the reasons why they would consider UD. We can also be made aware of any potential issues and address them up front.”

“We aren’t able to always pay as competitively as the corporate world. We try our best to be transparent with candidates from the start about our salaries while stressing the value of our benefits package and overall work culture.”

Understanding UD’s high offer acceptance rate allows Koval’s team to focus on the 1% that isn’t accepting the job offer and uncover the reasons people say no.

“One issue that we’ve attacked this past year is cutting down the length of our hiring process. We’ve lost some strong candidates due to an extended interview timeline and that is definitely something under our control. We have a strategy meeting with our hiring managers at the beginning of a search to make sure we are on the same page for a realistic timeline.”

Building trust from the beginning is another way the University of Delaware keeps its offer acceptance rates high.

“If you can build trust with the candidate, we’ve found that you are blindsided at the 11th hour a lot less. We want to provide a positive candidate experience from the first phone conversation throughout their first year as an employee.”

2. Applicant to hire rate

Tracking the rate of applications you receive to people you hire tells an important story about the effectiveness of your job listings.

If you’re receiving too many applicants for a position, you may be leaving your job postings open for longer than necessary, or your role descriptions may not be targeted enough. This creates unnecessary work and slows down the recruitment process.

If you’re not receiving enough applicants for the position, you may be closing your job listings too early. This means you may not have the choice of skills you’re after.

Our research shows us that the average percentage of applicants to hire is 4% across all industries. As you look more closely at each industry, this figure changes. Higher Education hires 8% of their applicants, whereas Retail only hires 3%. Finance comes in at an average 4%, while Government roles only hire 1% of applicants.

For every 100 applications received by a Higher Education institution, 8 people are hired. Put another way, for every 1 hire you need 12 applications. In speaking to many of our customers it seems applicants to hire is a metric that recruiters either measure religiously or not at all.

The University of Delaware has experienced both high and low applicant to hire rates, depending on the position advertisedadvertized. In roles like administration, HR and athletics coordinators, the university will receive over 100 applications. In specialisedspecialized roles such as grant analysts, there may be only 10-15 applicants.

“In the situations where we don’t feel like we are getting enough applications, we will regroup with the hiring manager and see how creative we can be,” Koval says.

“We will discuss tapping into referrals. Great people typically know great people, and even though we don’t currently have an established referral program, we will offer incentives for one-off roles. We will also see if there are additional specific job boards or listservs we can tap into.”

The University of Delaware is also tapping into internal talent pools to find or develop employees for specialisedspecialized roles, as well as proactively reaching out to candidates.

“For our grant analyst positions, after many discussions with hiring managers we are investigating creating a training program and grooming our own internal talent pool. In addition, we’ve been looking to utiliseutilize social media to “share” the word about openings not only through our recruiters but with the hiring manager and their teams. Sometimes a candidate will feel more inclined to respond to a posting if they see it coming from someone in the department. We also proactively target passive applicants by researching comparable roles at other institutions and through searches in LinkedIn.”

Abbee Camen is the Associate Director of Employment Services & Records within Human Resources at the University of Central Florida. Her university proactively recruits those hard-to-fill positions by targeting people who may not even be looking for a new role.

“Our College of Medicine proactively recruits for positions by attending medical conferences, or targeting member lists for different professional association memberships for medical specialties that are harder to fill,” she says.

It’s an approach that works: Research shows that the majority of people who took a new job last year weren’t looking for one – someone proactively approached them for the role.

If your applicant to hire volumes are much lower than you’d like, ask:

Are your job ads reaching and engaging the correct audience?

Make sure the wording of your role descriptions are free of bias, targeted and specific enough to reach the right audience.

Are you advertising in the right locations?

Are job seekers aware there is a position open? If the vacancy isn’t reaching them, they can’t apply. Consider niche or additional job boards, as well as career fairs, social media and employee referrals.

Does your careers site showcase your employer brand?

Don’t underestimate the importance of your careers site. This is where both active and passive job seekers go to find out more about your University, your values and employee value proposition. Revamping your careers site, improving the content, showcasing the employer brand and simplifying the online application process increases applications.

Is your application form mobile optimisedoptimized?

From the applicant’s perspective, the application process speaks volumes as to what type of tech experience they will have at work. If it’s too long or hard to complete on any device, applicants are likely to give up – or find an employer that meets their technology expectations.

3. Percentage candidates to hire

How many candidates do you say ‘no’ to when filling a role? How many candidates do you need to present to hiring managers so they are confident that they’re seeing the best talent? Some organisationsorganizations work on ‘number’ of candidates – a rough rule of thumb is that 5 to 6 candidates should be presented to the hiring manager.

We define percentage candidates to hire as the total number of hires divided by the total number of candidates for the role or position.

Our research has found the average percentage of candidates to hires is 10% – but this number varies from industry to industry. For Higher Education 19% of candidates are hired, whereas Retail only hires 7%. Finance comes in closer to the average at 10%, and Government bodies hire 4% of candidates.

If we use the Higher Education figure of 19% candidates to hire, this means 20 candidates out of 100 are hired and 80 are told ‘no’.The lower the percentage the more candidates are being told no.

Why does tracking candidates to hire rate matter? Taking high volumes of candidates through recruitment activities is costly and labour intensive. It’s also hard to provide adequate care to high volumes of applicants – which means candidate experience suffers. The experience candidates have during the recruitment process will influence whether they want to work for you – or your competitor. Maintaining a good candidate to hire rate is also important to keep hiring managers engaged in the recruitment process.

The University of Central Florida receives roughly 68,000 applications a year – but not all these applicants are qualified for the positions they’re applying for. “We find that some candidates apply for a variety of positions that they are not necessarily qualified for. Candidate care is something that we are emphasizing more with our hiring departments as we are very decentraliseddecentralized. Many departments keep in contact with the candidates via phone calls, emails, and even text messages to try to keep them engaged. The bulk communication tools within PageUp are assisting us with this,” says Camen.

“Hiring manager engagement is challenging as some positions can sit for several months before interviews are scheduled, and then they want the individual to be hired right away. Managing expectations is very important.”

Koval has also been working on improving hiring manager engagement by optimizing UD’s rate of candidates to hire. This includes:

Setting up an initial strategy meeting for each role to be filled
Understanding the hiring manager’s pain points, expectations and what a successful candidate looks like.
Sharing information about current market conditions for the role, and recommendations to streamline the interview process to ensure they don’t lose candidates along the way.
Asking hiring managers and their teams for candidate recommendations. “I’ve even recommended coffee break referral time where employees come for some coffee and snacks and brainstorm people that the recruiting team can network with,” says Koval.
Setting up weekly calls with hiring managers to ensure they are aligned with the timeframe of the recruitment process and to regularly address any issues and questions that arise.
Having ongoing touch-base calls with candidates. “A lot of our success comes from building trust with the candidate and with the hiring manager so that we can tackle any issues before they become insurmountable,” says Koval.

4. Sourcing channel effectiveness

There is a difference between knowing where your applications come from and knowing the effectiveness of each source. Sourcing channel effectiveness tells you which channels are delivering quality candidates, and which channels aren’t worth the cost.

When we talk to our customers about sourcing channel effectiveness we always ask the following 4 questions:

What are your main sourcing channels?

Where do most of your applicants come from?

Where do most of your hires come from?

Which channels do you think are the most effective?

At the University of Central Florida, employee referrals account for 4% of all applications – and lead to 29% of hires. This is a lucrative source of quality candidates for the university, and Camen is on the lookout for other high-performing channels.

UD has even greater volumes of employee referrals: they account for 14% of their applications, and the university hires a whopping 47% of these employee-referred candidates.

“Great people typically know great people so we try to tap into referrals. We are planning on rolling out an official employee referral program in 2020 which should increase those numbers,” says Koval.

“We needed to be able to prove where our hires were coming from in order to share what sources made sense to post our jobs to. We are marketing our employer brand through Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. By sharing relatable stories of working at UD, we can connect to more people and have a wider reach to attract more passive applicants.”

Koval plans on using these data points to further show hiring managers where they’re seeing strong ROI – and which channels are a waste of money. Understanding the most effective source of talent for your organisationorganization ensures you get the best ‘bang for your buck’ both in terms of spend and recruitment effort.

5. Mobile applications and time to apply rates

These are two separate metrics that work together to tell a story that might otherwise be overlooked.

There are several converging trends driving the adoption of mobile-optimisedoptimized recruitment:

1. Demographic changes

93% of millennial workers say that a business having up-to-date technology is an important factor when choosing a workplace.

2. Smartphone adoption rates

There are now more mobile devices than people on the planet. The number of mobile devices surpassed the global population in 2014 and the smartphone adoption rate continues to climb.

3. The expectation of a consumer experience at work

Candidates, recruiters and hiring managers all expect a consumer-grade experience at work. Candidates want to be served a seamless experience from the job search through to applying for a role. Hiring managers and recruiters expect to be able to approve requisitions, book interviews and move candidates through the process from their mobile device.

Percentage of mobile applications calculates the proportion of applications that come in via mobile devices such as smartphones or tablet. Time to apply is the time it takes the job seeker to fill in and submit the application form.

The these two metrics have a close relationship. Many candidates will abandon an application process, survey or form if it is too long or difficult to complete on their mobile device. Our research has found a correlation between time taken to complete the application and mobile device usage. As the application form lengthens the number of incomplete applications via mobile devices increases.

Tracking mobile application rates has shown the University of Delaware how mobile-optimisedoptimized their application process is. This ensures they’re matching candidate technology expectations.

“PageUp allows us to have a mobile-friendly application process. This was an important point for us as we know how many people do everything they possibly can on a mobile device. We didn’t want to lose out on strong candidates because our mobile platform was not user-friendly,” Koval says.

“As for our application itself, we’ve cut it down to capture only the most important information so that it shouldn’t take an applicant too long to fill out. We are eager to utiliseutilize the data further so we can make additional tweaks to our application process.”

Taking this proactive approach ensures you’re not missing out on top talent to competitors who are able to meet a candidate’s technology expectations.

Ensuring you collect and analyse the data you need to measure these five often-overlooked metrics can save your organisationorganization significant time and money and help you attract and retain the best talent.

The post Universities share the 5 recruitment metrics they track to supercharge their hiring appeared first on PageUp.

The top 5 challenges facing higher education HR

Wed, 22 May 2019 04:19:12 +0000

Dramatic shifts in the higher education landscape are placing considerable pressure on universities and their HR teams. Cuts in government funding, the increasing casualisationcasualization of the workforce, and a competitive market for talent mean HR professionals have to work harder than ever to find and retain great people.

These challenges can be traced to a dramatic reduction in government funding over the last two decades, coupled with the increasing demand for higher education. This has forced institutions to fundamentally shift their business models to service an influx of students on a tight budget with minimal increase in head count. HR processes have to adapt to support a workforce that is now 73% contingent or casual.

Despite these challenges, HR professionals still need to ensure great employee and student experiences. Technology is an invaluable tool for HR practitioners looking to optimiseoptimize processes while attracting and developing the best talent.

Here are five ways institutions can overcome their toughest HR challenges with the help of technology.

1. Complicated position description requirements

University hiring teams often have to grapple with onerous position description requirements; a challenge unique to their industry. The number of position descriptions required by any one institution varies significantly, as do the compliance requirements that accompany them. To better understand the pain points of this process, a group of PageUp team members from across the business visited eight higher education clients across the USA. After sitting with HR teams on campus to hear their challenges, unique requirements and ideas, the team returned to Australia to analyze this research.

These valuable insights will now be used by our team to create technology that makes position description management more streamlined, collaborative and straightforward. To ensure compliance and keep position descriptions current, institutions need to have the most up-to-date information at all times. We’re now working on solutions to make this information accessible when and where HR practitioners need it.

2. Competition for talent

Finding and hiring the best talent before another university does is a constant challenge for higher education leaders. The market for talent is competitive, and organisationsorganizations can no longer rely on prestige or legacy to attract star candidates. Appealing to jobseekers is now as much about creating a compelling employer brand as it is about salary and remuneration. There are many components to a great employer brand: a careers site that communicates what it’s like to work at an institution, an alignment between a jobseeker’s personal values and a university’s social responsibility, and a consumer-grade journey from applicant to employee.

Institutions can clearly articulate their employer brand through mobile-optimisedoptimized careers sites that let applicants seamlessly auto-fill from social sites and CVs while on-the-go. Branded careers portals that support rich content like video are crucial to communicating a clear employer brand, and form part of a consumer-grade applicant experience. Savvy recruiters are also automating and streamlining processes tailored to different cohorts to create personalised, high-touch recruitment journeys.

3. Hiring, onboarding and supporting multiple cohorts

There are multiple cohorts that make up an institution’s workforce, from full-time academic staff to contingent faculty, casual contractors and non-academic staff. These cohorts all have inherently different needs and motivations throughout the employee lifecycle – the challenge is supporting them in separate but streamlined processes that recogniserecognize this.

Institutions should look to adopt talent management processes that are tailored to the specific needs of each cohort. For example, some institutions are using contingent hiring solutions specifically designed to ensure visibility of their large contingent workforces, and consistency and separation in processes.

4. Paper-based processes

Despite major shifts in the industry landscape and a growing focus on the employee experience, many universities haven’t adjusted their talent management process to reflect these changes. Processes are often still paper-based and cumbersome – at times, HR practitioners have to circumvent procedures just to get things done. Critical functions like recruitment are often slowed down by onerous, manual approval tasks.

Working closely with higher education HR professionals has shown us that replacing manual input and paper-based processes with streamlined automation reduces human error and improves compliance and accuracy. Our higher education customers use a simple interface that lets people leaders participate in the recruitment process at various stages to expedite approvals and promote full transparency.

5. Internal silos

OrganisationalOrganizational silos affect institutions of all sizes. They often form between teams, departments, and HR functions, and without effective tools to encourage communication and collaboration, they can be hard to break down. Institutions can avoid internal silos by consolidating their talent management onto one platform, where everyone has visibility over the status of processes and approvals. Without this transparency of processes, fundamental HR tasks like recruiting and onboarding can quickly become bureaucratic and cumbersome.

Understanding “who did what, when” is the first step to breaking down internal silos. This provides insight to remove blockers and continually improve processes. Consolidating talent management in the one platform ensures that processes are streamlined and analytics are surfaced across the entire talent journey.

Set your institution up for future success

Even though the higher education landscape is facing challenges and uncertainties, that doesn’t mean talent management needs to suffer. To adapt to an industry in flux, HR professionals can leverage technology to optimiseoptimize internal processes and put the employee experience at the center of talent management.

The post The top 5 challenges facing higher education HR appeared first on PageUp.

Having trouble filling nursing roles at your organisation? 9 nursing staffing tips

Wed, 22 May 2019 04:14:29 +0000

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing projects an additional 203,700 nurses will be required by 2026.

With a high demand for nurses, US healthcare organisationsorganizations are challenged with finding quality nurses to fill gaps. The number of nurses working is shrinking and the challenge only gets greater with an aging population of registered nurses taking invaluable experience with them as they retire. OrganisationsOrganizations across the country are competing for the same high-quality talent.

Overall, nursing is a tough role. Providing quality, around-the-clock care is difficult. Nurses are feeling the pressure and experiencing high levels of burnout and leaving their roles: with turnover rates sitting between 8.8% and 37%.

Healthcare organisationsorganizations are finding that their current approaches to sourcing talent aren’t as effective as they need to be. They have to get creative. Here are 9 tips to get nursing staffing right:

1. Leverage the power of social media

Connecting with nurses through social media is a great way to engage with nurses who are either actively or passively seeking roles. Platforms like Facebook have a large number of healthcare professionals as users. Social media recruiting specialists Work4 report that nearly 1.5 million US nurses use Facebook. With smartphone users checking Facebook on average 14 times per day, there’s a high chance of attracting attention. Developing advertising campaigns that are specifically targeted to location, connections and interests is a great way to reach out to passive candidates.

2. Use referrals and incorporate incentives

Nurses are highly likely to be connected with other great nurses, either through internship training, as ex-colleagues, or even in their personal friendship circles. It pays to encourage referrals to help attract top nursing talent. Incentivizing referrals with monetary rewards could also be a great way to prompt people to reach out to nurses within their social spheres.

3. UtiliseUtilize internal job posting boards

Your internal job posting boards are more powerful than you think. Leverage every opportunity to promote your job boards through newsletters and internal communications to help spread the word.

4. Attend nursing careers fairs

Some organisationsorganizations attend nursing careers fairs, where they can connect with upcoming graduates (and potentially recruit for roles).

5. Offer a fully-optimisedoptimized careers site

If you plan to attend careers fairs, ensure that your careers site reflects your employer brand.
PageUp research shows 19% of all job applications were submitted via a mobile device, so it’s also important to ensure that your careers site is mobile-optimisedoptimized to provide a seamless candidate experience.

6. Encourage graduate program enrolment

In 2010, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) introduced NursingCAS, allowing graduate nurses to apply for multiple courses to upskill and add to their qualifications. Healthcare organisationsorganizations should encourage people to enrol at participating schools to help them advance their careers – and put themselves in a better position for a nursing role.

7. Offer signing bonuses

OrganisationsOrganizations are using upfront signing bonuses to attract nurses: with some figures sitting around $25,000 (as offered by Pikeville Medical Center in eastern Kentucky).

8. Encourage paid, on-the-job training

It’s important to give people the opportunity to develop. Providing nurses with paid, on-the-job-training will help them realise their future potential with your organisationorganization. And ultimately, this could sway their decision to work for you over a competitor. An Irving-based hospital took a creative approach by giving employees and volunteers the chance to upskill to earn free associate degrees in nursing. Their strategy worked. The organisationorganization trained over 300 nurses and retained 80% of its nursing staff.

9. Build talent pools

Healthcare organisationsorganizations should also consider the value of building internal talent pools using a CRM system. A talent pool is where ‘silver medallist’ candidates (who didn’t earn that gold the first time around) are nurtured until an appropriate role is available. HR teams can utiliseutilize their CRM system to send regular communications and keep people informed about the organisationorganization’s developments. When the need arises to fill roles, they are able to access top talent right at their fingertips.

By using a combination of these nine tips, forward-thinking healthcare organisationsorganizations can build effective strategies to help attract, fill roles and retain nurses for the future.

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Building a Great Employer Brand for Healthcare OrganisationsOrganizations

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 05:34:30 +0000

Thanks to an aging population, a workforce approaching mass retirement and threats of national health budget cuts, the healthcare recruitment landscape has become a high-pressure environment. Healthcare providers including registered nurses, nursing assistants and medical assistants are projected to see the most job growth over the next decade, with increases between 11.5% to 22% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In a time when tales of nursing shortages have become regular features in the news, how can HR be the game-changer in recruiting healthcare professionals?

It’s now up to HR to handle many different stakeholders – from the nursing leadership to the finance and operations teams – to make sure that jobs are filled and costs are low in the face of talent shortages, union navigation, fierce competition for talent and dealing with new junior leaders.

What is employer branding?

Your employer brand is different and distinct from your corporate brand as a healthcare provider. When building your employer brand, there is one main question you need to answer: what does it mean to work at your hospital?

Employer branding is a key building block for effective talent pipelining and turnover reduction. It’s especially important if your hospital isn’t nationally ranked, which can make it harder to attract top talent or inbound applications.

Identifying your employee value proposition

EVP: Used to provide a consistent platform for employer branding, an EVP is the unique set of cultural principles and offerings that appeal to current and prospective employees.

Each workplace offers an employee value proposition that is unique to its internal culture.

How do you decide what your employee value proposition is? Articulating this requires you to consider what makes your company culture and employee offerings attractive to current and future workers.

An appealing and authentic employee value proposition can lead to a range of benefits, including:

50% reduction in compensation premium for new hires
50% greater reach into the labor market to attract passive candidates
69% reduction in annual employee turnover
29% increase in commitment of new hires

When articulating your employee value proposition, you should aim to capture what working at your organisationorganization is really like. Here’s where you can highlight the features that employees will engage with: from your core values to your employee perks and benefits.

Creating your employer brand

After identifying your employee value proposition the next step is to develop an employer brand. This brand will be communicated through a variety of channels including your careers website, social media, and job advertisements. There are, however, ways an employer brand is communicated that are not as easy to control.

Previously, word of mouth was a key way for prospective employees to learn about a new workplace. Speaking to someone who had worked at the organisationorganization was a sure way to get an honest snapshot of an employer’s brand, but finding current or former employees to ask wasn’t always easy.

Now, candidates don’t need to know people who have worked for your hospital to get their insights. Sites like Glassdoor and Indeed provide third party reviews that allow current and former employees to rank companies and CEOs. With candidates often turning to these platforms to gain insight into a company before applying for or accepting a role, it is integral that what you promise in your employer brand is what you deliver upon in the actual employee experience. If the brand you’re selling is inauthentic, your organisationorganization will likely be called out online.

A compelling employer brand is attractive, authentic, and visible

Attractive

To attract high-quality prospective hires, your employer brand needs to be instantly appealing. When considering an employer, candidates will be looking for clear information about culture and values, mission and vision, and perks and benefits. Incorporating what you know employees want and will be looking for is crucial to building a compelling employer brand.

To ensure your employer brand is attractive to candidates, you might want to borrow an approach marketers have used for years – personas. For each group of people you’re wanting to attract (for example doctors, nurses, or surgeons) you create a persona or two. You can give them a name, and also outline their skills and education, personality traits, rational and emotional needs, interests and communication styles – anything that helps you get to know the type of people you’re trying to attract. Each time you’re looking to attract these kinds of people, you can revisit their personas to ensure you’re appealing to them in your messaging and the places you advertiseadvertize.

Visible

If you want to capture attention and generate awareness of your company’s offerings, your employer brand needs to be visible to the right people. Being present in the spaces your target audience inhabit – from the websites they visit to the social media platforms they use – is key to achieving positive exposure. In these cases, the medium is half of the message.

Authentic

When developing an employer brand, authenticity is key. If your employer brand doesn’t reflect the actual experience of your employees, new recruits will soon realiserealize. A common reason new hires leave workplaces is that their expectations of the role they are recruited into aren’t met. To avoid this, make sure you have clearly defined and validated your EVP, and communicated this in an employer brand statement.

The approach you use to communicate your employee brand can also lend it authenticity, and stories, blogs and videos featuring existing employees can be a powerful way to deliver this message.

When it comes to an employee’s first point of contact with the business, you should also make sure the onboarding experience creates positive associations with your workplace from the outset.

Attract and keep top talent

In the end, your employee value proposition isn’t about you – it’s about your employees. What reasons would they have to work here? The answer to this is tied to a variety of factors including compensation, benefits and the tasks of their role, but in a tight healthcare labor market it simply isn’t possible to ignore your employer brand and your employee value proposition.

When you practice what your employer brand preaches, you’ll not only attract top talent more easily: you’ll also keep the best people within your organisationorganization for longer.

Putting together your EVP and employee brand can take a little time, but the power it gives your recruiting and staff retention is worth the effort. Learn more about current approaches to hospital recruitment in our free ebook: Getting health recruitment right.

The post Building a Great Employer Brand for Healthcare OrganisationsOrganizations appeared first on PageUp.

11 employee motivation ideas successful organisationsorganizations use

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 11:41:00 +0000

Sometimes it can be all too hard to motivate your employees – and once one person’s motivation levels reach a low-point, it appears to catch on like a bad case of the flu.

You may believe in the company, but without employees who can match your enthusiasm, your company just won’t reach its full potential. In fact, that lack of motivation could lead to poor performance, unsatisfactory customer service, decreased revenue, and a spiralling brand reputation.

Understanding and tapping in to the sources of your employees’ motivation, on the other hand, will lead to a more engaged workforce that has the drive and capacity to reach – and even surpass – their goals.

Employees respond to productive working relationships with their managers, a positive work environment, and a few extra incentives to encourage them on their way!

We’ve compiled an extensive list of the best employee motivation ideas and techniques that successful organisationsorganizations use every day to get the most out of their talent. These employee motivation ideas can help you transform your workforce from humdrum to a busy beehive in no time.

Employee motivation idea #1: Set SMART goals

Planning and setting goals is a great way to motivate employees, but if the task is too great your employees can feel overwhelmed.

That’s where SMART goals come into play. They’re bite-sized goals that appear easier to achieve, with each one bringing your team one step closer to completing the big goal.

SMART stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Agreed Upon
Realistic
Time-based or Trackable

Set weekly SMART goals, and you’ll keep your employees motivated and on track to reach that big end goal.

Employee motivation idea #2: Reward and incentivise

Not all work offers an immediate reward for employees, but providing incentives helps them define goals: nothing works better than a reward to encourage employees to reach their objectives!

When you’re planning rewards and incentives for your employees, remember to keep the goals clear. They must be achievable and the rewards must be something your employees actually want. Take this opportunity to ask your employees about their preferred perks: having tailored incentives might be the motivation they need to pick up the pace or push a product with passion. You can use bonuses or gift cards as incentives, or benefits like better parking spaces.

Incentives can motivate your employees to increase customer satisfaction, drive more sales, and encourage more collaboration. It can even promote more employee loyalty and help you retain top-performing talent.

Employee motivation idea #3: Remember that trust breeds loyalty

Your organisationorganization’s success relies on the quality of work your employees produce. Be sure to let them know that you and the business depend on their work and that you trust them to put in their all.

Showing you have trust and confidence in their abilities could help them feel a part of the team and encourage greater loyalty in your organisationorganization. Once employees are committed, it’s natural for them to be more motivated!

Employee motivation idea #4: Cultivate enthusiasm

Positive and negative attitudes are contagious, so it always helps to promote a positive and enthusiastic office culture that will encourage your employees to view their workplace in a good light. It’s a good sign if they’re not dragging their feet to work each morning!

Positive workplaces all share some common characteristics – these include:

Having open and transparent communication channels
Having a focus on training and development
Providing recognition for hard work
Promoting a sense of unity, tolerance and acceptance

Even on bad days, employees will find it difficult to remain miserable in an upbeat office. Banish negativity and your employees will enjoy their working environment. If work isn’t a slog, they’ll put more effort in.

Employee motivation idea #5: Promote transparency

Being honest with your employees is the best way to promote loyalty. Let them know about organisationalorganizational plans and always keep them informed about the direction the company is headed in. Allow them to feel included in the big decisions.

If they know about the big picture, they’ll honour your honesty with loyalty and increased motivation.

Employee motivation idea #6: Schedule regular one-on-ones

Scheduling one-on-one meetings between managers and their staff will ensure you can address issues before they become major problems.

Individual sessions show that you care about your employees as individuals. These sessions can help you:

assign incentives that suit them
set individual smart goals
motivate them to work toward the common company goal

Employee motivation idea #7: RecogniseRecognize and celebrate achievements

It’s important to recogniserecognize your employees’ achievements. Whether this is in a Monday morning meeting, or during Friday night drinks, celebrating and praising your employees will encourage them to continue their good work.

Employee motivation idea #8: Get to know your employees

If you’re having motivation problems in your workplace, why not suss out why that lack of motivation is there in the first place? Find out what work employees look forward to doing, and what jobs they always leave until last.

Chances are if your employee enjoys a certain kind of work, it’s because they are good at it. Learning more about your employees’ skills and interests, proficiencies and passions, may lead to you finding new opportunities for the company in unexpected places.

Employee motivation idea #9: Value work-life balance

Work isn’t everything, and sometimes stressed and unmotivated employees just need to take a break from the daily grind. Encourage your employees to make the most of their holiday leave, and they’ll come back refreshed and ready to work.

It’s important for everyone to separate their work and home life. Finding the perfect work-life balance will allow your employees to rest and relax in their personal time and return to work ready to take on the big challenges.

Employee motivation idea #10: Listen to employees’ ideas

If you are looking for fresh ideas and new business opportunities, it’s a great idea to look within the organisationorganization for inspiration. Who knows your business better than your employees?

Fielding ideas and recommendations from within won’t just build your relationships with employees: it will also encourage them invest themselves in how the business operates.

Employee motivation idea #11: Use leadership opportunities as motivation

Giving your employees more responsibility might be just what it takes to motivate them. This won’t work for every employee, but those with a lot of potential will benefit from the added responsibility and greater trust in their abilities.

Showing employees that you appreciate their work and that you trust them to take on a leadership role could change their entire attitude towards the business, while also helping your succession planning.

It comes down to a simple takeaway: don’t let your workplace descend into the doldrums. Instead, opt for an environment of positivity, community and transparency. With a little bit of positive encouragement from top management, along with incentives and opportunities for growth, your employees can become much more engaged in their work. Having satisfied, motivated employees means you can also reap the rewards of an employer brand that attracts – and keeps – top talent.

Learn more about how to motivate your employees and promote loyalty and engagement in your workforce with articles, whitepapers and more on the PageUp Resource Hub.

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What does your careers site say about your employer brand?

Fri, 06 Dec 2019 04:33:01 +0000

To attract top talent in a competitive market, organisationsorganizations need a tech-optimisedoptimized application process that focuses on the candidate experience. That’s where career sites do the heavy lifting.

Today’s candidates can often pick and choose the organisationsorganizations they apply to, and jobseekers expect a consumer-grade experience. That means organisationsorganizations need a streamlined, tech-optimisedoptimized application process. Here’s how organisationsorganizations can create a great applicant experience which brings their employer brand to life through a thoughtfully-designed careers site.

Keeping pace with change

Technological disruption has far-reaching impacts for all industries. Job applicants are busy and spoilt for choice. They have expectations of a tech-aligned, mobile-optimisedoptimized job search experience – applying with the click of a few buttons, not completing reams of application forms. Competitors are using new and emerging technologies enabled by artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the user experience is now at the centre of attracting top talent. The technological overhaul of the HR world is forcing organisationsorganizations to re-think the way they approach recruitment and employer branding to attract candidates – otherwise, they run the risk of losing top talent to competitors.

In addition to technological changes, we’re seeing a shift in the composition of the workforce. There are now four generations of people in the workforce, and millennials make up more than one-third (35%) of this cohort. Millennials expect a tech-optimisedoptimized recruitment experience that focuses on culture and corporate social responsibility, which means organisationsorganizations should consider how they can engage candidates through a mobile-optimisedoptimized recruitment experience that highlights their employer brand.

What makes a good employer brand?

Personal and professional come together: employees expect alignment between personal values and their employer’s values

Political, environmental and social corporate responsibility
Holistic factors including employee benefits, flexibility, legacy and corporate reputation

OrganisationsOrganizations that are looking to attract top talent are investing in their employer brand. Each organisationorganization has its own unique employer brand, and it’s up to HR and hiring teams to clearly articulate this.

So what goes into an attractive employer brand?

Both the personal and the professional are part of the employer brand. Your careers site should bring jobseekers on a personal and social journey.
Attracting candidates is as much about political, environmental, and social corporate responsibility as it is about salaries and legacy. People have come to expect an alignment between their personal values and those of their employer.
Attracting and retaining the best talent is no longer just about remuneration. It’s about a holistic set of factors that include:
- An employer’s brand
- Employee benefits
- Flexibility
- Legacy
- Reputation

It’s clear that a strong sense of ethics and company culture is more than a nice-to-have for today’s employees. In fact, 90% of professionals have researched the culture of a company before accepting a role, which is why it’s so important to take a strong stance in your organisationorganization’s beliefs. Applicants will often assess an organisationorganization’s overall brand, rather than simply the position description, to see if they are a good cultural fit.

What candidates expect

Your careers site is often the first point of contact an applicant has with your organisationorganization. Does this site showcase what makes it a great place to work? The modern candidate expects:

social integration
proactive targeting
personalisedpersonalized touchpoints

An organisationorganization’s social media presence and mobile connectivity both have an impact on the success of its recruitment efforts. The ease of use could be the deciding factor in whether an organisationorganization can successfully recruit high-value talent. Applicants are looking for a mobile-optimisedoptimized application process: if your careers site doesn’t offer this, it says that your organisationorganization is not committed to delivering a great employee experience. High-value time-poor candidates will apply elsewhere.

Create a thoughtful career site experience

The design, look and feel of your careers site is important: Ask yourself:

Does your career site match the branding and feel of your organisationorganization‘s site?
Is the environment easy to navigate – can users easily search, save, and share content?
Are generic photos used in borders and postings, or are you leveraging branded images?
Are you using quotes and testimonials from employees to communicate positive messaging?

Leverage social media

Social media and mobile devices have reinvented the expectations of an organisationorganization‘s online presence and can set the tone for an engaging employer-employee relationship.

86% of job applicants are using social media for their job searches
84% of organisationsorganizations are now using social media for recruiting
Only 17% of companies have a clearly defined strategy to strengthen their employer brand using social networks

Eighty-six percent of all job applicants are using social media for their job searches. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have all become valuable recruitment channels. Actively participating in the platforms prospective candidates are already using is one of the best ways for employers to speak to this cohort of potential talent. Eighty-four percent of organisationsorganizations now use social media for recruiting, but only 17% of companies have a clearly-defined strategy to strengthen their employer brand using social networks.

Does your organisationorganization have a social media strategy in place to attract prospective candidates? If not, consider adopting an approach that incorporates the following:

Share your organisationorganization‘s employer brand on social networks with images that showcase your unique culture
Constant, regular posting to keep your audience engaged and your organisationorganization top of mind for jobseekers
A careers site which allows for direct uploading from social media sites including Facebook, LinkedIn, Dropbox, and Google Drive to pre-fill applications. This makes the recruitment process faster and easier for the applicant, especially if they’re applying on a mobile device.

Mobile optimisationoptimization

The modern candidate expects to be able to search, apply for and accept a position on a mobile device. When you consider that 86% of all active job searches begin with smartphones, it becomes imperative for a successful careers site to be mobile optimisedoptimized. The amount of applications completed on mobile devices is also increasing: PageUp research shows that 19% of job applications were submitted via a mobile device in the last year. That’s up from 15% at the end of 2017, and notably higher than the external benchmark of 16%.

As the number of applications submitted via mobile devices increases, candidates expect to apply for jobs quickly and easily from their mobile devices with pre-filled information and succinct application forms. PageUp research has found there is a correlation between abandoned job applications and applications made on a mobile device. As the application form lengthens, the number of incomplete applications via mobile devices increases. That’s because lengthy job applications become tedious on these devices, and this lengthy time to apply leads prospective candidates to give up without completing the application.

Incorporate real-life insights

To effectively communicate your unique employer brand through your careers site, incorporate real-life insights that show what it’s like to work at your organisationorganization. ‘A day in the life’ testimonials that follow an employee’s day-to-day activities work well to provide an authentic look at an organisationorganization’s internal culture. Some organisationsorganizations go one step further and give jobseekers a micro-level insight into an employee’s career journey. For example, on Deloitte’s career page you can see an interactive infographic timeline of certain employee’s career journeys with the organisationorganization.

Incorporating real people into your career site branding can set realistic expectations of what it’s like to work at your organisationorganization. Unfulfilled employer brand expectations are a major cause of early-stage staff turnover: 22% of staff turnover occurs in the first 45 days of employment, and 33% of new hires look for a job within their first six months. Engaging job applicants from the outset with a real-life look at your organisationorganization can dispel any misleading employer brand expectations before their first day.

Communicating your Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

What makes an attractive EVP?

Career progression and learning opportunities
Social, economic and environmental corporate responsibility
Strong internal culture
Ethics (75% of employees trust their employer to do what is right. Only 57% of employees trust their employer to do what is right, and only 47% trust media to do what is right).

Communicating your organisationorganization’s unique EVP is a crucial part of an effective careers site. But what makes for an attractive EVP? What we’re seeing from PageUp customers is that an attractive EVP doesn’t primarily focus on pay scale or benefits.

Instead, an attractive EVP focuses on:

Career progression
Learning and development opportunities
An organisationorganization’s social, economic and environmental corporate responsibility

This focus on corporate ethics is in line with wider cultural and political shifts. What employees expect from their employers is changing: according to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer, people have shifted their trust to the relationships within their control, which includes their employers. Globally, 75% of people trust “my employer” to do what is right, which is significantly more than NGOs (57%), business (56%) and media (47%). This means hiring teams not only have to communicate the things that make their organisationorganization a great place to work: they also have to communicate the things that make their organisationorganization a place applicants would be proud to work.

Map the recruitment journey

Mapping the recruitment journey from the point of application through to the interview, selection and onboarding process sets expectations for employees around timelines, next steps and future action items. In high-volume recruiting, mapping the recruitment journey sets expectations and keeps applicants informed at-scale. This provides candidates with a more transparent recruitment experience and reduces the administrative enquiries that hiring teams would otherwise spend time and resources responding to.

Attract talent all year-round

In today’s competitive recruitment landscape, it’s not enough to have a careers site that just communicates your brand. Successful organisationsorganizations will attract candidates with a career’s site that constantly connects with, captures and engages potential candidates at every stage of the recruitment process – not just when it’s time to fill a role. Many industries – particularly those in healthcare, retail, higher education and hospitality – are struggling to find quality, relevant candidates to fill open positions. When you do find those star candidates, there’s increasing competition for these people.

In order to beat your competition, you need to connect with people before they are actively looking for roles and build a relationship with them. This can be done through expression of interest forms that allow you to connect with talent year-round – not just when a specific role is available. Capturing the details of people who are engaged in the role and have the experience you’re looking for means you’ll have a warm, engaged talent pool of candidates to draw from when the time is right.

Careers sites are considered a reflection of an organisationorganization’s values and culture. Extending your brand through a thoughtful career site experience is key to attracting top talent. With recruitment increasingly focused on the candidate experience, the healthcare organisationsorganizations that can create a hiring journey that’s seamless, authentic and mobile-optimisedoptimized will be the ones that find and retain the best people.

Careers sites that recruit for you

Our platform’s careers site builder and robust admin features allow you to post jobs online and reach top talent across the globe in a few short clicks. An easy-to-use CMS means that no html or CSS skills are needed to deliver professional career pages that showcase your company and culture. Don’t just take our word for it – you can request a demo today to see a PageUp Recruitment Marketing careers site in action.

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How to Avoid CV Fraud

Sun, 22 Apr 2018 18:58:00 +0000

Have you ever had a candidate who looked perfect on paper, but ultimately underperformed in their role? Sometimes, if a candidate’s past experience looks too good to be true, it is.

During the hiring process companies of all sizes – from small businesses to multinational corporations – can fall victim to applicants with fraudulent CVs. Not only does it hold up the recruitment process, but CV fraud can also undermine the reputation of a company. Here’s how to spot and avoid it when making your next hire.

What is CV fraud?

CV fraud can take many forms, from an embellished history of volunteer work or a padded-out work timeline, to fabricated qualifications from a university the applicant has never set foot in.

The rate of CV fraud in Australia may be more widespread than you think. Last year, the South Australian government fired their recently hired chief information officer Veronica Theriault after she allegedly used a fraudulent resume to get the job, prompting then-premier Jay Weatherill to call for an urgent review of the government recruitment process.

Theriault was arrested and charged with deception, dishonestly dealing with documents and abuse of public office. A public servant who assisted her in undertaking this fraud was also arrested and charged with deception, showing the repercussions of CV fraud can extend far beyond simply losing your job.

The repercussions of CV fraud can extend far beyond simply losing your job.

Why do people commit CV fraud?

With an ever-increasing pool of candidates vying for positions in a competitive employment landscape, it’s no wonder some unscrupulous applicants try to gain a leg up on the competition.

With HR teams reticent to conduct background checks on applicants, increasing numbers of fraudulent CVs are going undetected, despite candidates facing hefty fines and jail time if caught.

With many job postings now requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher to be considered for the role, the internet has made it simpler – and safer – to obtain the fake qualifications needed to get a foot in the door.

Increasing numbers of fraudulent CVs are going undetected, despite candidates facing hefty fines and jail time if caught.

Which industries attract the most ‘padded’ resumes?

Not all industries were created equal, and some attract far more embellished CVs than others.

Sectors like hospitality and retail typically see a high volume of imaginative claims. More worryingly, finance and healthcare boast some of the highest levels of embellished resumes.

Here are the industries that see the most creative approaches in the applications they receive:

Finance: 73% of applicants have padded resumes
Leisure and Hospitality: 71% of applicants have padded resumes
Information Technology: 63% of applicants have padded resumes
Healthcare: 63% of applicants have padded resumes
Retail: 59% of applicants have padded resumes

Can anyone fall prey to CV fraud?

Just as concerning as the ease of carrying out CV fraud is its prevalence in high-level positions. This suggests many candidates are either unaware or unconcerned their misrepresentations will be caught out by recruiters.

With some studies suggesting more than half of all candidates are prone to lying about their past experience, fraud occurs in roles of any seniority, and organisationsorganizations of any size. High-profile fraud cases involving employees from Telstra and Myer show the problem isn’t confined to small businesses lacking the resources to carry out thorough background checks.

Many candidates are either unaware or unconcerned their misrepresentations will be caught out by recruiters.

When Telstra’s chief technology officer Vish Nandlall stepped down last year after falsely claiming to have an MBA from Harvard University, it proved the issue is still a major challenge HR teams need to face. Likewise, when Myer’s general manager of strategy Andrew Flanagan was ousted after just one day of work, it reinforced the need for vigilance in screening even the most of senior staff.

How can you avoid CV fraud?

Faced with a growing stack of applications, how can a HR team find the time to ensure each CV they accept through is accurate and honest?

The practice of background screening is becoming widely acknowledged as a crucial step in the hiring process, with 95% of US employers conducting comprehensive applicant checks. Background screening uses information from third party resources like CVCheck, which help evaluate and screen potential candidates on behalf of the hiring team.

The practice of background screening is becoming widely acknowledged as a crucial step in the hiring process.

Having your background check provider integrated with your recruitment system makes conducting background checks a seamless part of your hiring process. This practice reduces the potential risk of an unsuitable hire, and frees up recruiters to focus on hiring the best talent for the role, rather than seeking out potential cases of fraud. CVCheck is one of the background search providers that integrates with PageUp.

Conclusion

Hiring can make or break a business, and a bad or fraudulent hire can cost countless hours of time and money, leaving the HR team back at square one.

While CV fraud may be a more widespread issue than many people realiserealize, the good news is procedures like background screening can now ensure the credibility of a candidate’s claims before they’ve even walked through the door.

The post How to Avoid CV Fraud appeared first on PageUp.

Five Ways Technology is Becoming More Human

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 22:15:00 +0000

Humanising technology, rehumanising technology, digital humanism. Choose the descriptor that works best for you. These terms are all being used to put people at the centre of the digital age and to explain the evolution of technology to better understand, support and augment human experiences.

Leading research firm, Gartner, has created the Digital Humanist Manifesto to help IT leaders adopt this approach.1 Josh Bersin says “technology and cognitive software will prompt us all to reinvent ourselves, become more human” 2 and the PwC 2017 CEO Survey shows that “the enduring winners will be those who can successfully navigate technology and preserve the human touch.” 3

The factors behind this movement are varied. There is a focus on enhancing user experience to engage discerning consumers (and employees). At the same time, we have access to technology that can complement and build on our capabilities and even take on human traits.

Here are five ways this trend is playing out and some of the implications for Human Resources (HR):

1. Technology Creates Better Human Experiences

Technology makes it possible to access personal, relevant content and take action when and where we need to. Done well, it simplifies our lives and makes things just work. A desire to create better workplace experiences has spurred the development of a new breed of mobile-enabled HR tools available when and where we need them. For example, PageUp’s Everyday Performance and Everyday Learning apps provide continuous feedback and learning as people engage in their work. Our ongoing investment in the PageUp marketplace gives customers access to the service providers they trust and removes friction for candidates and employees.

The widespread application of design thinking is another way this trend is playing out. Design thinking seeks to create an experience that people want and need, rather than impose a process to comply with. It’s being adopted in HR to transform outdated practices, such as performance management, and enhance employee uptake and engagement. The full potential of this approach is yet to be realisedrealized.

2. Technology has Human Characteristics

Is any of your technology smart and friendly? Perhaps it’s even funny. According to PwC, nearly 50% of people say their virtual assistant has these characteristics. Of course, the same percentage say it’s robotic and limited, and there is some way to go until these tools can hold meaningful conversations.4 Nonetheless, advances in chatbots, voice recognition and natural language processing are giving technology an increasingly human tone.

“Technology has grown manners to fit it with our ideals of social niceties” 5

We want to be treated with sympathy and care, and we appreciate a little humour. Companies such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft understand this and they are hiring behavioural scientists, comedy writers and poets in a blending of science and the arts.These conversational interfaces promise to automate many aspects of HR. If you’re embarking on this journey, start simple and focus on getting the basics right.

3. Humans Augment Smart Technology – and Vice Versa

Consider this. Technology exists for pilotless planes today, but passengers don’t have the appetite for it. Artificial intelligence makes more accurate medical diagnoses than humans, from melanoma to pneumonia, but receiving this diagnosis from a machine doesn’t sit well. Most of us would prefer to talk to a doctor, preferably one with a pleasant bedside manner, who can answer our questions and alleviate concerns. And there is nothing more frustrating than cycling through online help content and voice recognition systems that don’t understand our specific needs. Just let me talk to somebody, please!!

For the foreseeable future, a human interface will continue to be the norm in many situations and bring the intuition, empathy and creativity that we demand. Jobs will be designed for people to augment smart technology with a human touch, and this process of re-design can start in HR.

4. Technology lets us Focus on “the Human Touch”

The industrial revolution changed not only how we work but how we view work. At the turn of the last century, advances in technology meant manufacturing jobs were broken into small pieces which resulted in a deskilling of the workforce. Workers were highly productive, but no longer artisans and creators. You made a bit of an engine rather than the entire engine. At the same time there was an explosion in the number of specialisedspecialized occupations. The result – a workforce ranging from highly skilled knowledge workers through to routinisedroutinized menial work.

Fast forward 100 years to the digital revolution and exponential growth in automation, AI and machine learning. Is it different this time? Will robots or AI take our jobs? In reality less than 5% of occupations are fully automatable, but in many cases up to 30% of a role could be automated.6 This gives us the opportunity to focus our time on what we as individuals do best. Imagine a world where AI acts as your very own personal assistant. Technology has the power to remove the negative aspects from work such as bias and boredom, freeing up time and space for the uniquely human characteristics of creativity, intuition, conceptual thinking and compassion. HR can start asking critical questions now to help their company reshape for this future: What should the organisationalorganizational structure look like? How will core jobs evolve and change? How can we best equip the workforce for these future roles?

5. Technology Fosters Connections and Communities

Humans are social creatures. Being part of a community is integral to how we’re wired. We need to connect, we need to belong, we need to feel we’re part of something bigger than just ourselves. Technology has created a global village where we can just as easily converse with someone in Timbuktu as our neighbour three doors down. Instant messaging means we can “talk” to anyone, anywhere at any time. We no longer lose contact with friends and colleagues and we can join communities on just about any conceivable interest. To date, Facebook has more than two-billion active users7 and LinkedIn has half a billion professional users.8

Many organisationsorganizations are adopting internal social platforms to facilitate communication, information sharing and learning opportunities. Savvy recruiters are connecting with talent on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Most office workers (78%) view technology in the workplace as a positive force enabling them to connect with their co-workers.9 HR has an opportunity to facilitate, coordinate and drive the uptake of technology connecting talent within and outside the organisationorganization.

Where to Next?

Technology has had a profound impact on how we work and will continue to do so. HR has an opportunity to help shape the way this unfolds into the future. From allaying fears (we are not replacing you with a robot) through to reskilling employees (yes, we replaced part of your role with AI). HR has a crucial role in coaching and mentoring managers to use technology to be the best versions of themselves. We can’t hide behind the technology, we need to maintain our authenticity and vulnerability. At the end of the day we find our greatest sense of achievement doing meaningful work, with managers that recogniserecognize and support us, and being part of an organisationorganization we believe in. These are all profoundly human qualities, technology just helps create the space to do it.

Learn more about the future of HR and technology with some of our other articles, whitepapers and case studies on the PageUp Resource Hub.

Footnotes

Definition: The Digital Humanist Manifesto created by Gartner includes three principles: (1) put people at the centre; (2) embrace unpredictability; (3) protect personal space.
Source: Bersin, Josh (2017). The HR software market reinvents itself. HR Tech Fest, Sydney, Australia.
Source: PwC (2017). 20 years inside the mind of the CEO … What’s next? www.ceosurvey.pwc
Source: PwC (2017). Bot me: A revolutionary partnership. How AI is pushing man and machine closer together. www.PwC.com/CISAI
Source: Driver, Abby (2017). Why humanizing technology is the next logical step.
Source: McKinsey Global Institute. (2017). A future that works: Automation, employment, and productivity.
Source: FaceBook Newsroom (2017). https://newsroom.fb.com/company-info/
Source: Darrow, Barb (2017). LinkedIn claims half a billion users. http://fortune.com/2017/04/24/linkedin-users/
Source: Onrec (2017). Two-thirds of UK office workers want a personal AI-powered assistant. http://www.onrec.com/news/news-archive/you%E2%80%99re-hired-two-thirds-of-uk-office-workers-want-a-personal-ai-powered-assistant

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Why Learning and Performance Should be Joined at the Hip

Sun, 24 Sep 2017 15:00:00 +0000

How many times have you seen this scenario play out? You finally find the time to conduct a performance review with your team, identify a few development gaps, put some performance targets in place, and then cross your fingers as you exit the meeting in the hope they’ll find a way to address it. Then you tick employee performance reviews off your to-do list, before moving on to the next task.

Now let’s look at the flip side: Your employee has just had their long-awaited performance review and it was ‘okay’. They hit some of the key targets, but missed the mark on a few others. By the end of it they’re left feeling like you’ve set some arbitrary goals for them, but have no idea how to get there. The question they’re asking themselves as they leave the meeting is likely “what am I actually supposed to do to address the gaps we discussed today so that I can do my job better? Or, how will I find time to focus on my development in addition to my day job?”

These are fair questions – and questions you should help them answer well before their next performance review given the countless evidence that shows learning and development accelerates individual and organisationalorganizational performance. Research by Brandon Hall Group shows that the link between learning and performance improves performance 95% of the time.

The positive relationship between learning and performance is both intuitive and relatively well-documented, but the relationship between the two is not as straightforward as it seems. Not all learning leads to improved performance.

Research shows the causal relationship between the two depends on:

What is being learned;
How closely aligned the learning is to an individual’s’ performance goals, and;
The time delay between learning and performance.

So how can you help your team excel in their careers? Ask yourself these simple questions:

Can I provide my team with easy access to relevant learning material to help them close specific skill gaps identified?
Can I track all forms of learning consumed (eg; informal vs formal)?
Can our employee learning program at an organisationalorganizational level be tailored to meet the individual needs of my team?
Can my team access tailored learning content that aligns to their development goals, in a simple and straightforward manner? For instance, can they access recommended reading remotely, such as during their daily commute?

These are big questions, but if you answered no to either of them, you may be experiencing a severe case of learning and performance hip dysplasia (ie; when your hip joints are severely out of whack!). From an HR technology standpoint, it could mean the left hand (e.g. your Performance Management framework) is most likely not talking to the right hand (e.g. your Learning Management System [LMS]). Even worse, if both of these programs reside in different places, a lack of visibility between the two can make it difficult for managers to identify and serve up relevant learning content that aligns to specific performance goals. This forces employees to have to navigate in and out of various systems to join the dots and make the connection themselves. In our experience, if it’s not easy for employees to view their performance goals, set their objectives and then complete the allocated learning, where and when they need it, they simply won’t find the time to do it.

Here are three big reasons Learning and Performance must be seamlessly connected:

1. Employees today need to know where they’re going, AND how to get there.
Today’s employees demand clarity. They want to know where they’re headed and how to get there in the quickest way possible. This is especially true when it comes to engaging Millennials who crave a sense of purpose and achievement (shout out to our Millennial peers!). Providing clarity removes confusion, and when an employee understands how they’re progressing and where they are falling short, they can be more effective, and so can the organisationorganization.

By having an integrated performance and learning process that identifies the employee’s objectives and assigns relevant learning, whether formal or informal, employees are provided with a clear pathway to success – and what better way to ensuring career progression within the organisationorganization and drive engagement?

2. Embedding a high-performance culture requires every day learning and ongoing feedback
The difference between performance and learning is that performance is a goal that is achievable through learning. It’s something tangible that can be measured. Whilst learning is about honing our skills, and mastering new ones. It’s lifelong and we continue to do it throughout our lives, making us more aware of the environments we live and work in. One of the most effective ways employees learn is through the delivery of ongoing, regular feedback. It explains why many organisationsorganizations are now opting for more regular performance catch-ups throughout the year, in addition to the annual performance review.

Structured feedback, together with the ability to foster continuous conversations helps managers and employees stay future-focused and drive progress. Evidently though, many managers find giving regular, constructive feedback difficult, making it hard for employees to identify development gaps and tackle them quickly. A recent study found 76% of organisationsorganizations say that they lack leaders who are effective development coaches, but giving feedback doesn’t have to be bad news. Teams that focus on positive feedback and their strengths every day achieve 12.5% greater productivity.

Tightening the link between your Performance and Learning products can equip managers to become better development coaches. With a seamless talent management strategy in place, managers can identify strengths and weaknesses, initiate feedback and assign relevant learning without the awkwardness and confusion.

3. The outcome of measuring learning needs to be performance, not learning itself.
According to a study by Brandon Hall Group, the number one driver for developing a learning strategy is to align L&D goals with the goals of the business. In other words, the outcome of learning needs to be performance and not simply learning itself. The impact on the business is the biggest ROI learning can have.

It’s not just about measuring the impact of traditional courses and development training either. Learning today must be simple, social and spontaneous to stick. Modern employees are being conditioned with informal, bite-sized content they can share with their peers every day in their private lives thanks to advancements in consumer technology. This expectation for how people want to consume information is entering the workplace. Leading organisationsorganizations are already starting to harness mobile technology like PageUp’s Everyday Learning App, to deliver bite-size learning content, such as blogs, articles and videos, which can be linked to their LMS, and encourage content sharing between peers. This is where being able to measure the effectiveness of your learning program on performance outcomes becomes important. If managers are not able to easily see cause and effect then it can be viewed as learning for learning’s sake.

Thankfully, recent research highlights that by incorporating more informal learning to the L&D mix, companies say they are better able to make that crucial link between learning and both personal and organisationalorganizational performance.

The research by Brandon Hall, which looked at organisationsorganizations that have annually improved KPIs such as revenue, market share and customer satisfaction, found that these organisationsorganizations:

Support proactive learners — employees who take responsibility for their own development and seek out learning.
Provide easy-to-use tools that present employees with opportunities to connect to formal and informal knowledge sources throughout the organisationorganization and;
Present each and every employee with opportunities for development based on personal strengths, weaknesses, job roles, or interest from sources that go beyond their immediate leaders.

Increasing productivity is the Holy Grail for organisationsorganizations faced with the ongoing challenge of maximising and sustaining competitive advantage. Linking Everyday Performance with learning provides an easy way to ensure development discussions aren’t being left until the next annual performance review so that company and individual goals are always aligned. Seamlessly integrating continuous feedback and ongoing development channels helps employees to understand their contribution to the overall business goal and shows them how their development can have a real, profound impact on the greater success of the organisationorganization.

You might even boost employee morale and retention at the same time – and that alone is a good enough reason to look into that niggling hip problem you may be currently experiencing.

Click the links to find out more about how PageUp’s Learning and Performance Management can help you make employee development a truly simple, social and seamless experience. Or contact us to speak to one of our trained experts.

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Top 60 Employee Engagement Ideas from the Experts

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 12:00:00 +0000

How often do you see this scenario play out?

A new employee joins your team excited, motivated and full of new ideas. Then as the days turn into months, the energy and enthusiasm they walked through the door with plateaus, then inevitably plummets.

For many organisations, keeping staff engaged is an ongoing struggle. If your people are disconnected and aren’t engaged with the work they’re doing, how can you expect potential customers to get excited about your company?

Disengaged staff can also mean higher rates of absenteeism, lack of productivity, higher turnover, more room for human error, safety incidents, and much more.

If this sounds familiar, don’t panic. You are not alone. Many top HR leaders, CEOs and successful entrepreneurs have experienced these same frustrations and roadblocks. But many of them have also found ways to tackle this engagement head on.

Here at PageUp, we’ve compiled a list of ideas to help you reboot engagement in your organisation. We even approached some HR experts to contribute their own favourite engagement ideas.

Driving employee engagement could be one of the most important changes you make for your organisation that impacts your bottom line. In fact, companies with engaged employees perform 202% better than those with disengaged teams, research shows.

What drivers of engagement are you most keen to improve on over the next 12 months?

1. Identify the drivers of employee engagement

Despite what many people leaders may think, motivating employees takes far more than just remuneration and staff perks. The factors that drive engagement also can’t be applied with a broad stroke: they differ based on organisation, generation and role. So how can you identify the drivers of employee engagement in your organisation? Research shows us a few constants that have been proven to drive employee engagement across a range of generations, industries and demographics: these include leadership, learning and development opportunities, and a sense of meaning at work.

Some researchers, like the ones at HR Consultancy Penna, identify what they call a hierarchy of engagement: at the bottom are the basic needs of pay and benefits, next are development opportunities and the possibility for promotion. Leadership style plays an important role next: do leaders make an employee feel respected in their role? Finally, the overarching driver of engagement is an alignment of values and meaning: this is described by researchers as “a true sense of connection, a common purpose and a shared sense of meaning at work.”

Researchers at Culture Amp take their own view of what engages workers, but like the Penna researchers, they still place leadership near the apex of the engagement pyramid: in fact, Culture Amp puts leadership-related factors as three out of the top five drivers of employee engagement.

There is no hard and fast rule as to what drives employee engagement. It’s clear, however, that leadership, development opportunities and the chance to contribute to a meaningful vision are crucial to motivating employees, no matter the size or scope of an organisation.

2. Spend Time with Employees

“In 2011, The Society for Knowledge Economics released research from interviews with 5,661 employees in 77 Australian organisations. The findings demonstrated that the single biggest difference in leadership behaviour between high and low performing workplaces was the time spent by leaders with their team members.

In 2016, Google confirmed that through a careful review of their own company’s performance data, they could prove that frequent conversations between a leader and his or her team members was a leading indicator of a team’s high performance.

I believe that the time spent by a leader with his or her team members needs to be a mixture of formal time (in training, coaching, performance managing, etc.) and informal time (a coffee, lunch, general chat) etc.”

– Ross Clennett, High Performance Recruitment Coach

3. Good Leaders Are Meaning Makers

People (including employees) can be physically engaged (present with hands and feet) but not emotionally engaged (contributing with heart and soul).

Emotional commitment comes when employees find personal meaning from the work they do. Meaning need not be grandiose, and is inherently personal.

I find meaning from teaching and seeing students learn; Wendy (my wife) finds meaning from helping clients unravel emotional knots (psychologists). Others may find meaning in relationship, creativity, innovation, service, or reaching goals.

Good leaders are meaning makers who help each employee find his or her personal meaning through their work activities.

– Dave Ulrich, RBL Group, Author The Why of Work

4. Provide more than just a job

In the day-to-day grind, it can be easy to lose sight of why we do what we do. But for leaders looking to keep their employees engaged, providing more than just a nine-to-five is crucial. Of the 560 employees surveyed in Deloitte’s Talent 2020 report, one truth rang resoundingly clear: “Engage employees with meaningful work – or watch them walk out the door.”

It’s impossible to be engaged at work if the work you’re doing is not engaging. In Deloitte’s survey, 42% of respondents seeking new employment believed their current job did not make good use of their skills and abilities.

Similar surveys have yielded the same results: HR consulting company Penna conducted research into the role meaning plays in employee engagement. They found that employers who can unlock the secret of what provides meaning at work will find the key to employee engagement. Regardless of age, sex, region or length of time with their employer, 55% of respondents said that their motivation levels would increase if they were doing meaningful work. An additional 42% said they would be more loyal to their employer. Over one third said they would take more pride in their work and be willing to put in extra hours to ensure the job was done.

“In short, someone who has found a true sense of meaning at work and has therefore bought into the dream, is far less likely to leave than one who is simply paid a lot,” says Penna CEO Gary Browning.

“Put simply, organisations need to provide more than just a job.”

5. Establish a clear vision for the future

Employers looking to give employees a sense of meaning in their work must establish a clear vision for the future. In fact, 77% of employees surveyed in the Society for Human Resource Management’s annual Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement survey said it was important to their job satisfaction and engagement to have a clear understanding of their organisation’s vision and mission.

The more clearly a leader communicates a vision that inspires employees, the more likely they will want to contribute to that vision.

To make sure everyone is on the same page with an organisation’s goals and visions from day one, HR practitioners can deploy onboarding software and elearning modules to communicate this vision at-scale to employees.

6. Measure Output Instead of Input

Claire Autruong from the todoist.com suggests moving away from monitoring and measuring success based on input, or hours worked, and focusing instead on measuring outcomes.

Does it really matter how many hours your employees do in the office? As long as the work they deliver is on time and to the standard agreed on, becoming outcomes-focused puts more emphasis on the end result.

This approach shifts the responsibility to employees, while empowering them to work in a way that fits their lifestyle and personal needs, thus driving engagement.

In fact, a Harvard Business Review study reported that companies who granted employees more choice in how they can work grow substantially while reducing their turnover.

Whether it suits people to finish early to pick-up the kids from school, or log back on late at night once the kids are in bed, letting people work when they’re most productive means you can focus on measuring the quality of work.

7. Be Proactive about Engagement

Have ever you hired someone who seemed lively, engaged and energetic in their job interview, only to lose their passionate attitude after a few months? Initial impressions may give way to a different story once an employee is settled into their role.

Instead of hiring employees to bring engagement to a role, proactively work with them to create roles that are engaging in the long-term. Todd Raphael of ERE media says that engagement is a two-way street:

“The best tip I can offer is to say that engagement and passion for a job are a two-way street. Hiring someone you’ve decided is loud or bubbly or outgoing or enthusiastic may provide a sugar high.

But if all the things that we all know provide engagement (pay, promotions, recognition, appreciation, interesting work, and so on) aren’t there, the passion is fleeting.

Expecting people to be engaged because the employer thinks they’re passionate types isn’t a long-term winner.”

– Todd Raphael, ERE Media

8. Rid Yourself of Process Driven Activities

Too often leaders get bogged down in process-driven managerial tasks that are not only monotonous, but time consuming. It’s why 75% of recruiters and hiring managers use applicant tracking or recruitment software to improve the hiring process.

If a function is repetitive, it lends itself to automation, so don’t be afraid to lean on technology. For instance, modern talent management technology can help you do everything from onboarding new starters, to keeping track of their ongoing development activities and professional goals.

It can free you up to spend more time engaging them in new opportunities and recommending the tools and learning they need to perform in their role.

– Marion Robinson, Global Head of Growth, PageUp

9. Tailor Communication Styles to Your Employees

“We read all the time about the ‘employee work experience’ and the need to customize that to each employee. That might be a challenge given the structure of your company. However, one thing that can be done is to sit down with each employee and truly learn how they like to be communicated with, then do it.

Adapt your style to their desired way of communication. This will be more effective than making them change their way.

If you truly want to customize their experience, you have to work at it. Find out how they like to learn and then structure their opportunities to learn around that style.

Seeing you adapt to their ways should increase their engagement because you have shown that you listened to what they said.”

– Mike Haberman, Omega HR Solutions

10. Make sure your leaders follow through on their promises

It’s no surprise that the actions of senior leadership have a direct impact on employee engagement. As the arbiters of change, leaders play a crucial role in creating meaning for your people. Because of this, it’s crucial that team leaders follow through on their promises: any feedback should be met with actioned, tangible change.

Conduct a 360 degree feedback process to get a sounding board for the pain points in your organisation, then develop a plan to action these changes. Employees will be judging their supervisors on what they do, not what they say, in response to their feedback.

Once you’ve gained an insight into what makes your employees tick, you need to have the resources and desire to act on these results. As HR consultant Gary Browning observes, “If you ask and don’t act you create more damage than if you don’t ask at all.”

11. Don’t ignore the truth: analyse your current approaches

Your existing workforce tells an important story about how effective your current talent management approaches are. Take a hard look at your employee turnover figures: retention is a litmus test for whether your employees feel engaged in their work. Any churn rate greater than 10% suggests a problem in your internal practices. Consider conducting an employee engagement survey as soon as possible to find out where you’re going wrong, and how you can improve your approaches.

12. Don’t have exit meetings – have ‘stay’ meetings

Rather than farewelling disengaged employees that have decided to jump ship, have ‘stay’ meetings before a goodbye is necessary.

Often, organisations meet with employees after they’ve announced their intention to leave. Before it gets this far, take an example from McDonald’s, who have ‘stay’ meetings to reduce the need for ‘exit’ interviews.

A stay meeting allows employers to measure an employee’s job satisfaction and engagement on a regular basis, feeling out the pain points and positives of their role. This can help reduce employee turnover rates and address people issues before it’s too late.

13. Respect employees

It may seem simple, but acknowledging and treating each employee with respect is one of the most meaningful things leaders can do to boost engagement. That doesn’t mean showering employees with constant praise and platitudes, but rather making employees feel valued and included in your organisation.

“Employees don’t automatically become engaged when you give them more praise, thanks, or any other type of acknowledgment. But, employees can quickly become disengaged if they feel like they’re invisible,” says entrepreneur Mike Kappel.

A recent SHRM survey found that 67% of employees surveyed rated respectful treatment of all employees at all levels as one of the most important drivers of engagement and satisfaction in their workplace. This study found that “By fostering a workplace environment that emphasizes communication, respect for others and collaboration among workers at all levels, HR professionals can expect higher levels of engagement from their employees.”

14. Lead by example

Engaging employees is as much about giving them meaningful work as it is about creating an environment where they experience engagement on a daily basis.

If the managers in your organisation aren’t passionate about their people, or aren’t engaged in their own role, it’s going to be hard for any employee reporting to them to remain engaged. Higher-ups should lead by example and bring the same passion and energy to their roles as they expect from their employees.

Empower Learning & Development

15. Provide ongoing opportunities for development

An employee’s development shouldn’t stop after they’ve been trained in their role. Employees need to constantly be challenged and upskilled in the workplace to keep them engaged.

This development doesn’t have to take the role of prescriptive training. Embrace a holistic approach to professional development – from attending conferences to meetups and hackathons, let employees hone their skills in the way they learn best. Instead of offering rigid learning opportunities, the key is to provide employees with the tools and opportunities for self-directed development.

16. Establish leadership pipelines

Establishing clear leadership pipelines shows employees you’re invested in their development and in their future with the company. Succession plans make employees feel like they are headed somewhere, which is crucial to keeping them engaged in their role. In Deloitte’s Talent 2020 series, which surveyed over 500 employees across the globe, 37% of employees changing roles cited a lack of career progress as their top reason for leaving the company.

If your workplace lacks formal leadership pipelines, you’re not alone: it’s an issue many organisations struggle with. In fact, research suggests that 53% of younger workers want to take on leadership roles, but only 6% of organisations have strong leadership programs in place to empower them to do so.

Addressing these leadership roadblocks has been proven by industry-leading organisations to dramatically increase employee engagement. Of Australia’s Top 100 best workplaces, 90% draw up individual development plans for employees of all levels.

17. Onboarding

Starting off on the right foot has a huge role to play in whether an employee feels engaged in their role. In fact, close to 60% of new employees are more likely to stay with your company for longer than three years if their first impression is a positive one. Engage employees before day one with onboarding that gets them up to speed before they’ve set foot in the door. Onboarding and training is when employees learn how to properly do their job, and provides an important chance for them to engage with you, ask questions and clarify concerns.

If an employee doesn’t have a solid grasp of their new responsibilities, they’ll be confused, frustrated and rushed: all of which leads to disengaged, unhappy workers. One SHRM survey reports that one-third of new hires leave their jobs after six months, which highlights the need for meaningful, engaging onboarding processes in organisations of all sizes.

18. Accelerate speed to competency with learning modules

Properly training new hires is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure employees are engaged at work. When you consider that employees who can master their new roles have a better chance and meeting their goals and taking pride in what they do, you’ll realise the cost of a proper onboarding and learning regime pays for itself.

Consider implementing learning modules into your onboarding experience that walk new hires through everything needed to upskill in their role, through to important (but dry) compliance processes like Health and Safety training. You can use off-the-shelf learning courses for this, or create your own learning modules uniquely tailored to your organisation.

You can also accelerate a new hire’s cultural competency by creating custom learning courses that explain your organisation’s values and vision. This will not only help new starters assimilate into your company culture faster, but it will also help foster employer brand allegiance from the beginning.

19. Use technology to provide constant learning opportunities

Technology is one of the most powerful tools an organisation can leverage to develop employees and keep them engaged. Employees can now drive their own learning in a range of ways: from podcasts to TED talks, webinars and online courses, learning doesn’t need to happen during seminars or training days.

Learning opportunities are more than just a way to train employees for new roles, according to Deloitte’s Human Capital trends report. According to the report, “Learning opportunities are among the largest drivers of employee engagement and strong workplace culture – they are part of the entire employee value proposition, not merely a way to build skills.”

20. Don’t assume money creates meaning

When it comes to showing employees your appreciation, don’t assume money creates meaning. Investing in developing your talent can make employees feel far more valued in your organisation than a bonus would.

“Create an environment which delivers challenge, enjoyment and development of skills in the workplace. This makes such a positive difference in showing you care about and value your people,” says Penna chief executive Gary Browning.

Whether it’s sending employees to conferences or developing skills and running training in-house, investing in learning and development gives employees vital buy-in for their future with your organisation.

21. Set constant challenges

Even though many employees seek out a sense of community in their workplace, it’s still important for individuals to feel like they can celebrate personal successes. In a recent survey that looked to identify the drivers of employee engagement, close to half the respondents said they found meaning in their sense of personal achievement and thrived on personal challenge.

Identify your high-performing employees and set them weekly, monthly or yearly challenges. These can be performance-driven, like raising KPI’s or sales targets, or cultural, like making a new work connection every week.

ENCOURAGE OWNERSHIP AND GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

22. Include Employees in Company Strategies

Gaining buy-in from employees can be the difference between a collaborative, agile business and an organisation stagnating in its old ways. Here’s what Ted Bauer, author of the blog ‘The Context of Things’ has to say about employee inclusion:

“How about a community of strategy? The New York Public Library invited its 2,500+ employees to collaborate and work on projects with senior leadership. They believed you couldn’t call the Library “nimble” or “agile” if senior leaders were allowed to unilaterally make decisions about the strategy moving forward, so they opened strategy up to the entire staff community.

The employees were energized, including some benefits:

Employees would feel more connected to their work.
They’d also feel more empowered.
There would be an increasing sense of respect, which doesn’t exist at many companies.
You’d get better ideas.
You’d also get different ideas, as opposed to the senior leaders who have been saying the same stuff to each other for 3-5 years.
It doesn’t cost anything.
Turnover would likely be reduced because employees would feel like they had a strategic stake in the future of the place.
Those who show leadership potential are revealed within the organisation.

Employees are being recognized without any Starbucks gift cards needed.

– Ted Bauer, The Context of Things

23. Help Your Team Network

Providing networking opportunities can encourage your employees to bring fresh ideas and best practice knowledge into the workplace. It also reinforces the idea that they’re valued within the organisation.

Introduce your employees through formal and informal networks both within and outside the organisation. Ideas include bringing together teams from different departments for a workplace lunch, organising internal hackathons or sending chosen employees to industry conferences or expos.

Don’t forget the power social networks have to help employees feel more engaged in their work. Through access to social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter, Slack or Yammer, people can support each other in knowledge sharing and problem solving at the click of a button. This increases overall job satisfaction and the ability to cultivate strong professional relationships.

24. Provide the Triple Threat

Recruitment coach Ross Clennett identifies a trifecta of factors that lead to employee engagement:

“An employee is far more likely to be engaged when they have clear performance expectations, the tools to do their job well and a manager who cares about them as a person (rather than just an ‘economic unit of production’) and communicates effectively with them.”

– Ross Clennett, High Performance Recruitment Coach

25. Remember the 3 Ways to Increase Motivation

Remember Dan Pink’s three conditions for motivation: autonomy, mastery and purpose. Then look at ways in which you can increase autonomy, ensure everyone is competent and show them the bigger picture.

This requires a culture change across leaders at all levels but is hugely worth the effort in increased loyalty and efficiency.

– Nigel Paine, nigelpaine.com

26. Plan for a Fluid Workforce

It’s time to throw old engagement strategies out. These days, companies are a diverse blend of full time, part time, contingent, contract and flexible employees.

What motivates a freelancer will be vastly different to what motivates a full-time staff member. Tailor and segment talent management solutions that fit people’s different work style, rather than taking a one-size-fits all approach to people management.

A proactive leader might think about it in terms of the virtual talent warehouse, rather than a permanent workforce. Indeed, some of this talent might be ‘permanent’ but much of it could be task- or project-based, purchased for the purpose of getting particular jobs done.

Maybe some of this talent isn’t even human. With the new capabilities that AI, cognitive computing and robotics will unleash, a new suite of solutions presents itself when it comes to bridging skills gaps

– Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith, Senior Vice President, PageUp

27. Invest in Training

A work relationship is like any relationship. A bit of give, a bit of take.

It may feel superfluous, but by investing in your employee’s professional development, you will foster a community of empowered individuals and reap the benefits when they eagerly put their new-found skills to the test.

Ensure you have the tools in place that make learning fun and easy to access. Consider modern learning and development software to prove to your staff you’re willing to invest in their continuous, everyday learning.

Creating comprehensive training programs is not just crucial for keeping employees engaged and invested in their role: it also pays off. In fact, companies that offer in-depth training programs have a 24% higher profit margin than those who get by without formal training programs. These companies see a 218% higher income per employee. Even though training and development programs may mean an up-front cost, continuing to invest in an employee’s development will drive serious returns. That’s because training and development empowers employees with the vital skills they need to be more productive.

28. Encourage Accountability

Almost no one washes their rent-a-car before returning it, but we do fill it up with gas. Why? Accountability.

Likewise, leaders need to avoid the short-term temptation to take away employee accountability for their meaning. Employees should feel like they have the agency to make choices that help them reach their desired outcomes.

Marshall Goldsmith calls this ‘active engagement’ and encourages the words ‘did I do my best to….’ in front of most engagement questions. Did I do my best to build a relationship with my boss? To create a positive work environment? To earn my pay? To get along with my peers?

– Dave Ulrich, RBL Group

IMPROVE WORKPLACE CULTURE

29. Hiring for culture fit is important

If you want to build teams of engaged employees, don’t just hire for experience and competence. Make sure you’re hiring for attitude and alignment with your values. Cultural fit is one of the most important aspects of retaining great employees – employees who don’t feel at home in their new role often leave within the first year. In a recent Robert Walters survey, as many as 73% of professionals surveyed admitted to leaving a job due to poor cultural fit. Considering the cost of this turnover is between 50-60% of that employee’s salary, it’s clear that it pays to get it right the first time.

Recruiting for attitude and behaviour is essential – it’s not always the most qualified candidate that delivers the best results. Look within your organisation to identify those who aren’t in the right frame of mind to add value. Sometimes, all it takes is to find a role for this team member that makes better use of their talents. If you can’t find a role for this employee within your organisation, it may be time to have a robust conversation with them:

30. Create a Courageous Culture

Cultivating an environment that promotes deeper employee engagement takes commitment, hard work and courage, but the benefits will deliver the most outstanding results for your people and your business.

Embedding a ‘courageous environment’ is an excellent way to promote authenticity, cultural diversity and company values. It’s about respecting and valuing everyone’s opinions and ultimately creating an environment where people can thrive.

Organisations can consider implementing the following initiative:

Set the Scene

Create a token of empowerment, such as a ‘Courage Coin’ which can serve to break down any barriers (perceived or otherwise) and encourage open, timely and transparent dialogue.

Share stories as to how the coin can be used – E.g. if an individual is worried about asking a question of their manager, and is too shy to ask this of them in a face to face situation, they can email their manager with a note mentioning that this is difficult for them, and they are using the ‘courage coin’ within the email.

Create and share the vision – explain why it is important and how it will benefit everyone in the organisation

Set Expectations

Establish some simple and clear guidelines around what ‘courage’ is and more importantly what it isn’t to help minimise risk of inappropriate application.

Outline behaviours expected when using the coin – remain respectful, attentive and open to the presenter’s thoughts and opinions. Listen to what they say and do not interrupt or become defensive – the person presenting this token is being courageous. Also thank the person for providing their opinions.

Communicate

Active participation from everyone across the business is crucial in embedding the initiative.

Communicating and sharing stories that emerged, such as the “leave your egos at the door” sessions when teams are providing each other with feedback.

We tried and tested the idea at PageUp and found the ‘Courage Coin’ really opened doors for people who would typically feel confronted by initiating tricky conversations.

– Deborah Mason, Senior Vice President, Global Talent, PageUp

31. Encourage Healthy Lifestyles

Don’t underestimate the power of buying into your people’s wellbeing. Healthy minds lead to healthy business performance and productivity.

The Australian Government is encouraging employers to invest in employee health and wellbeing. Their belief is that workplaces which adopt health and wellbeing programs often attract and retain employees and are able to drive better business performance.

Supporting health and wellbeing at work could range from offering staff discounted gym memberships to hosting lunchtime yoga classes in the office. It could be as simple as replacing the biscuit tin in the team room with fresh fruit options.

A simple initiative that doesn’t cost much is ‘walk and talk’ meetings which encourage people to get up and moving. You’d be amazed at how much more productive people are after getting out for some fresh air.

It’s as much about creating healthy minds as it is about physical health, and needs to be supported from the top to be embraced.

32. Encourage cross-functional collaboration

In today’s global economy, it’s important to have agile, cross-functional teams to respond to rapid industry changes on-demand. Not only is this mobility crucial for forward-thinking businesses in future, but it’s a key way to drive employee engagement.

Collaboration is important for employees to feel included and engaged. Studies show teams that share leadership responsibilities, interpersonal interactions and a cross-functional mentality have lower levels of conflict and stress, and higher levels of overall satisfaction.

Encouraging cross-functional collaboration means breaking down internal silos and stepping out of traditional hierarchical team structures. Intrinsic in cross-functionality is the idea that anyone in the organisation can contribute their skills to a problem – regardless of their seniority or tenure.

33. Establish a team mindset where everyone contributes

Responsibility for employee engagement doesn’t just fall to leaders and managers. All employees in an organisation play a critical role in ensuring everyone is an engaged and contributing member of the team. In fact, in SHRM’s Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement Report, 70% of respondents placed high importance on working in an organisation where employees are encouraged to take proactive action when they see a problem or opportunity. Another 65% placed high importance on colleagues that could quickly adapt to challenges or crisis situations, and those that persevered in the face of difficulties in the workplace.

These figures demonstrate how important it is for employees to feel that they’re contributing to a team that has perseverance, agility and a goal-focused mentality. Fostering a culture of teamwork and problem solving encourages employees to think outside the box and solve problems within their teams, rather than relying on guidance from management.

34. Help foster meaningful working relationships

Developing good relationships with coworkers is crucial to cultivating a sense of engagement in the workplace. We’re social creatures, and we often spend more time with our colleagues than with our friends and family – it’s only natural to want to connect with those around you.

Research shows us that the relationships an employee cultivates with their co-workers and supervisors has a direct influencer on their psychological sense of meaningfulness at work. This sense of personal meaningfulness and contributing to a team is crucial to foster employee engagement and motivation in the workplace. Two out of five employees feel that relationships with their co-workers are very important to their satisfactions, studies have shown.

Encourage company practices that see workers regularly interacting and working with each other: this creates a sense of community and shared purpose. These can include daily routines like standups with team members, messaging platforms like Slack and Trello that encourage cross-team communication, to company events like bootcamps and getaways.

36. Give employees the opportunity to give back

If providing meaning in work is a fundamental part of keeping employees engaged, then you should consider ways to add value to each role that extend beyond just achieving your organisation’s goals. Take a holistic approach that acknowledges the importance of social responsibility in the workplace, and in life.

Give employees the opportunity to give back through their work in large ways or small ways: whether that’s organising a charity fun run, or facilitating charity events with the workforce. This opportunity is particularly valued in over-55’s – a recent survey of organisations that offer employees a chance to contribute to society through their work found more than one-third said the opportunity made their current role feel more meaningful.

Della Wolfe of business management consultancy service The Curve Group says empowering employees to engage with charitable activities at work is a great way to improve employee retention. “Giving employees a chance to give back to their communities helps to instill a sense of pride in themselves and their organisation,” she says. “They are proud to work for a company that supports philanthropic programs, which can lead to increased loyalty and better retention.”

36. Give employees a chance to contribute to the overall success of the organisation

Of the top three factors that contribute to employee engagement is the opportunity to contribute to the success of the organisation, according to a study on employee engagement conducted by the Penna Institute. In the study, close to half the respondents said that the opportunity to contribute to the success of the organisation created a positive work experience that led to personal development and satisfaction in their role.

37. Create a strong employer brand

One of the most powerful tools for engaging your employees is creating a strong employer brand. Having a clearly articulated employer brand offers a sense of direction and adds meaning to each employees work. What’s more, attracting new talent is often dependent on the strength of your employer brand. Younger workers (32%) are more influenced in their choice of employer by its brand and reputation than older people (21% of those over 45).

Attracting and retaining the best talent is no longer just about remuneration: it’s about a holistic set of factors that include an employer’s brand, employee benefits, flexibility, legacy, and reputation. That means organisations should take a holistic approach to attracting talent that allows them to build on their corporate reputation.

A good employer brand should allow you to differentiate your organisation in a sustainable way, according to PageUp Senior Vice President of Global Research Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith: “A strong employment brand that offers clarity on the organization culture and what it stands for ensures that the right people are attracted to the organization and the wrong people apply elsewhere,” she says.

38. Encourage friendships and communities to form outside structured company events

Encouraging friendships and organic communities to form outside structured company events can lead to more engaged employees. These communities could be formed around books, sports, cycling – anything that’s not work-related.

Organisational psychology tells us that the more friends employees have at work, the more engaged they are in their role. One study found that only 28% of employees who had no friends at work were engaged in their role. This is compared with an engagement rate of sixty-nine per cent in employees with 25 or more work friends.

Encourage informal communities to organically develop within your organisation outside of formal social events. These communities will often naturally emerge if you step back and create the space for them to develop and flourish.

39. Embrace flexibility

Long hours in the office are no longer the hallmark of a passionate, engaged employee. True engagement means meaningful, thoughtful work is being done. Often, allowing flexibility in the work week can be a way to achieve more productive output.

“10 hours a day at 70% performance will always deliver less to the business than eight hours a day at 100%,” says McDonald’s vice president and chief people officer David Fairhurst.

Create a flexible work culture that encourages productive, focused work: not meaningless busy work. From flex time to remote work, sabbaticals and secondments, flexibility can keep your employees engaged and challenged.

Think about what flexibility means for your people: different employees may seek different forms of flexibility, and it’s important to create an environment that is conducive to the way they work best.

40. Consider a 20 Percent Program

Google famously introduced the 20 percent program, where employees can spend 20 percent of their time at work doing whatever they like.

Studies have shown that employees with the most productivity are able to take effective breaks. In fact, statistics prove that the optimal work-to-break ratio is 52 minutes to 17 minutes.

41. Encourage applying personal interests to roles

We spend a large part of our lives at work (whether we like it or not) so it makes sense to incorporate the interests we pursue in our spare time into our daily roles, where possible.

HR professionals can take the concept of work-life balance a step further by encouraging employees to apply their personal interest to their day to day roles. An overwhelming 96% of workers agree that being able to apply personal interests in their career would make them happier in general, according to a survey released by Philips North America.

From encouraging employees to contribute illustration and design skills to your weekly EDMs, to getting startup-minded employees to help you facilitate an upcoming hackathon, allowing workers to bring their personal interests to their daily roles can make them happier and more engaged in the work they’re doing.

42. Place importance on your values and ethics

A strong sense of ethics and company culture is more than a nice-to-have in today’s working landscape. 90% of professionals have researched the culture of a company before accepting a role, one study shows, which is why it’s so important to take a strong stance in your organisation’s beliefs.

People leaders need to establish a clear set of values if they are to attract a younger generation of workers which ranks ethics above promotion prospects when looking for new companies to work at. In fact, values fit is becoming increasingly important for workers: 14% of all respondents in one survey rated it as a key determinant of their decisions to join their current employer.

It’s not enough to pay lip service to a lofty ethical ideal: your organisation needs to embrace it in practice. Follow ethical business policies and practices, and you’ll not only instill a feeling of pride within your existing workers – you’ll also attract the right talent that’s aligned with your values.

“Don’t just set a credible and inspiring vision – communicate it, embed it, and live it,” says Penna chief Gary Browning.

43. Anxiety Parties (Inspired by Google Ventures)

The design team at Google Ventures used the idea of “Anxiety Parties” as a form of feedback for teams that are tightly knit and follow a flat organisational structure. This idea can be used among team members who have high levels of respect and trust and are open to discussing their anxieties with each other.

An anxiety party is simply a meeting with fellow team members that goes like this:

Each team member spends 10 minutes writing down their biggest anxieties about their interactions with the other members, and then ranks them in order of severity.
Members then take turns to read their anxieties out loud and the remaining members will rate the person in a 0-5 point scale where 0 indicates “It never even occurred to me that this was an issue” and 5 indicates “I strongly believe you need to improve in this area”.
For those anxieties that were given higher ratings, the team can discuss ways to tackle it.

This way, an employee can understand which of his/her anxieties is unfounded and which ones need addressing.

Dealing with anxieties helps build relationships at work and also increases a sense of autonomy within the individual as they are less worried and more focused about developing themselves and moving forward – all important dimensions of employee engagement.

– CheeTung, EngageRocket

44. Regularly Seek feedback

We are constantly giving feedback as leaders and it can be easy to neglect asking for it in return. But just like employees, employers need constructive comment on what is working and what isn’t to evaluate and make change.

One HR professional, Tracy Russell, shared her approach to fostering employee engagement strategies in a recent interview. While she was sharing tactics local governments used to keep their employees engaged, her advice has applications across multiple industries. According to Russell, it’s about “developing a culture based on open communication so your employees feel comfortable to give their honest opinion and trust it will be actioned”.

45. Actively Promote Creativity

Make creativity a top priority in your management agenda and you’ll keep employees engaged on a daily basis. If timesheets are part of your company’s policy, include a creativity code and advocate strongly for staff to use it. Turn brainstorms into games. Encourage your staff to take advantage of any resource the office has to offer to light a spark or launch a business idea.

Hitachi Foundation President and CEO Barbara Dyer, says thekey to fostering creativity is creating an environment in which it will flourish:

“All organisations have creative people and they should be encouraged. But there is an important distinction between welcoming the occasional out-of-the-box idea and cultivating creativity as an approach to doing business.

“Promoting a culture of creativity requires honing the skills of observation and invention – generally the purview of artists and designers – throughout your organisation and aligning core systems to reinforce the creative process.”

46. Random Acts of Fun (RAF)

To complement group and individual recognition, it is sometimes useful to create a working environment that is rewarding in its own right.

This encourages people to want to come to work and spend time with each other, while also strengthening the loyalty they have to their team and company. This creates support for everyone in building a culture of spontaneity and fun.

To begin Random Acts of Funs:

Identify a handful of people who naturally would enjoy livening up the workplace. These would be your RAF officers.
Provide loose guidance on how often to spring these RAFs on the team, but leave it up to the RAF officers.
Let them use their creativity to come up with ideas. Examples could include (these have actually been done):
- Walking around the office with a rubber chicken
- Flying a toy drone around the office bringing sweets to random people
- Bringing a guitar into the office and spontaneously breaking into song
- Holding a fancy-dress potluck lunch.

Improving the relationships between colleagues and bosses through these activities enhances employee engagement and team loyalty.

– CheeTung, EngageRocket

47. Instill a mantra

How can you engage people in a few words? ‘Kick the s#@t out of option B’ if you are Facebook. ‘Don’t be evil’ if you are Google.

Colin Mitchell from the Harvard Business Review explains that internal marketing helps your employees develop a powerful emotional connection with your brand and product. He says mantras help unite people under a common sense of purpose, which in turn increases motivation and engagement.

Stick your brand mantra on posters. Print it on t-shirts. Cry it out in meetings. But most importantly make it meaningful so it unites employees under its rally cry.

48. A tailored approach

Take a leaf out of any marketer’s book. If you want to influence and engage audiences, you have to segment and refine your target groups to ensure the messaging is specific and relevant.

Some companies have started using the same approach in the way they communicate to their workforce. By recognising that employees are motivated by different factors, companies can provide targeted communications that will keep them present and engaged with what’s going on in the organisation.

Divide employees not only by their age and gender, but by their interests and specific wants and needs to create personalised solutions that resonate.

49. Positive reinforcement

Build a culture of rewards. When your employees feel as though they are kicking goals on a daily basis their motivation to achieve will be higher. In fact, consistent studies have found that positive reinforcement is closely linked to employee performance.

Offering employees recognition, rewards and reinforcement has a direct effect on their motivation levels, engagement, productivity, and retention, according to Dr. David Ballard of the American Psychological Association.

Praise someone for finishing a task on time. Show you appreciate late nights with a day in lieu. Rewarding desirable behaviour will not only enhance your employee’s self-confidence but strengthen motivation and productivity.

50. Start the Day with a Team Huddle

Many workplaces begin the day or a shift with a WIP meeting, but that doesn’t mean you need to limit the topic of conversation to work-related affairs.

Use the team huddle to pass on important information, share a joke, quote an inspirational saying, or point out someone’s achievements.

A team huddle also encourages a sense of unity and team spirit that always goes down well in the workplace. At PageUp we start the day with a team ‘stand-up’ where we gather together for a rapidfire catch-up (10-15 minutes max) and share our wins, roadblocks and focus for the day. It’s a great way to ensure all team members are being kept in the loop on daily happenings and is now natural part of our culture.

– Deborah Mason, Senior Vice President, Global Talent, PageUp

51. Clear CSR Strategies

Indicate how your CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) efforts affect employees and clearly explain how they can be part of the program.

Don’t stop there: get them involved in coming up with CSR ideas they believe in, as well as developing and implementing these initiatives. A bit of corporate goodwill goes a long way in making employees feel like they can be part of something meaningful.

This was true for Advanced Micro Device (AMD)’s “green teams” – groups of eco-minded employees who work together on things like reducing waste in the cafeteria, saving energy, and saving water.

According to Tim Mohin, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, AMD asked their green team members if being able to contribute to a cause while they’re at work improved their commitment and level of engagement to their core job function and to the company. Their response? 96% of them agreed.

IMPROVE RECOGNITION AND FEEDBACK

52. Listen and learn

In any organisation, your people are your greatest asset. Use psychometrics, surveys and face to face conversations to understand what they value both in the office and in their spare time. Knowing what motivates your employees is the first step to keeping them satisfied and engaged.

PageUp Vice President of Global Research Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith says that leaders should always capitalise on an opportunity to receive employee feedback and improve their approaches.

“Having a voice matters to engagement,” she advises.

53. Take Weekly Surveys

Rather than using Net Promoter Score, do this:

Designate one person — be it HR or elsewhere— as a legitimate “employee engagement tracking” employee.
Every week, send a quick survey to every single employee. The survey is simple. It asks:
Three things you liked this week about your job.
Three things you didn’t like this week about your job.
This will not be anonymous, because confidentiality destroys accountability.

Let’s say you have 60 employees and 40 of them each week fill this out. That means every week, you have 120 positive things from your employees and 120 negative things. In a month, you have 480 each.

Now do this: Go through those 480 good/bad responses and assign them out to broader categories, then department, then individual managers.

Now we’re cooking. Here’s what we’ve got:

Broad categories of things that are good and bad.

How departments feel about what’s good and bad.

What employees are saying about their managers writ large.

This is legitimate, hey-this-is-how-people-feel information.

– Ted Bauer, The Context of Things

54. Ask the right questions

If you want to find out what’s really driving engagement in your company, you need to ask the right questions. While each company is different, taking the time to critically engage with what may be improving and impeding employee engagement is the secret to success. Many organisations have solely relied on the popular, yet also simplistic Employee Net Promoter score as a litmus test for employee engagement. While the eNPS is appealing in its simplicity – it poses a single question: whether someone would recommend their company as a great place to work – engagement is a complex framework that takes a series of survey questions to understand.

Culture Amp’s chief scientist Dr. Jason McPherson believes asking a range of questions on a specific topic provides a more holistic view of what factors influence engagement. “In general, statisticians agree that well-constructed, multiple-item indicators are more reliable and tend to provide better external validity than single-question metrics,” he says. To get a look at the whole employee engagement picture, McPherson suggests asking employees to rank how much they agree or disagree with the following five statements:

“I am proud to work for [Company]”
“I would recommend [Company] as a great place to work”
“I rarely think about looking for a job at another company”
“I see myself still working at [company] in two years’ time”
“[Company] motivates me to go beyond what I would in a similar role elsewhere”

55. Don’t adopt a one-size-fits-all approach

Workers place varying levels of importance on a range of factors depending on their generation. Millenials, for example, have been shown in studies to place greater importance on career development opportunities than Baby Boomers. Likewise, if you’re a member of Generation X you may find an organisation’s commitment to professional development provides greater satisfaction than if you’re a Baby Boomer.

This means that rather than adopting a homogenous approach to talent management, you should be looking to tailor to each employees needs and motivations as much as possible. As baby boomers retire and the demographics of the workforce shift, HR professionals should be aware of the factors that engage employees of different generations.

56. Permit a “Well” Day

Everyone needs to take a sick day, but why not encourage your employees to take a “well” day if they’ve performed in a way that exceeds expectations? Many companies are reportedly discarding the traditional annual leave and sick leave system in favour of a pool of paid time off that employees can choose to use at their convenience.

Of course, this would have to be monitored carefully so the concept isn’t abused. But it could be the perfect incentive for employees who find themselves working late into the night or on weekends.

57. Make the Small Successes Count

Here’s a really simple but amazingly effective tip: Encourage your managers to make a point of saying ‘thank you’ to someone or some team once a day until it becomes part of what the organisation does automatically. So easy to forget get to praise but be quick to criticise.

Be the place that rewards and celebrates success. Small celebrations at frequent intervals work better than making an overly big deal of it once in a blue moon. Staff really appreciate this as it is a recognition for their hard work and the fact that many went the extra mile.

– Nigel Paine, nigelpaine.com

58. Give and Receive Feedback

My employee engagement tip is to give and receive feedback. Even more importantly, lead by example and show how you, as the leader, give constructive feedback and handle constructive feedback yourself.

It shows both your humility and confidence, inspiring employees to follow suit and aspire to be like you. At the same time, employees feel great receiving recognition from you for even the small deeds.

– Elisa Ang, hoorah.io

59. Reimagine Performance Management

Numerous organisations have begun to abolish the annual performance appraisal because of their suggested links to disengagement, however in many cases, this has also stopped meaningful feedback that is crucial to employee engagement.

The key here is to find the happy medium and accept that an approach that might work for one organisation may not work for another – there is no ‘best practice’.

The way to achieve the desired combination of productivity and engagement is by understanding the objective of the performance process and crafting a suitable approach.

Rather than abandoning performance reviews, organisations should endeavour to reimagine performance management so that ongoing feedback, acknowledgement and development become the driving themes. Bringing these components together in a personalised experience will drive employee engagement

Organisations can consider:

Embedding pulse performance practices in business as usual that encourage regular feedback, ongoing discussions and agile alignment to objectives
Investing in leadership development by coaching managers in providing feedback and ‘what needs to be done next’ rather than rating past performance
Using multiple sources to collect and analyse data on an employee’s performance and create a deeper perspective

– Rebecca Skilbeck, Head of Customer Insights and Market Research at PageUp

60: Make performance reviews BAU

Instead of relying on the much-dreaded yearly performance review, consider engaging employees in a more casual feedback loop. Removing the formality of the performance review process can paint it as a friendly, collaborative experience, rather than a personal critique. People Leaders looking to keep their employees engaged year-round should consider building performance conversations into business-as-usual activities. This can take the form of informal one-on-ones and weekly stand-ups to providing coaching and feedback on-the-go.

No More Excuses: Improve Your Engagement!

The pinnacle of employee engagement is the ability to tap into the discretionary effort of your team and this requires a genuine commitment to their professional and personal success.

Enable your star performers to thrive with the help of PageUp’s Talent Management Software-as-a-Service.

Let us show you how we can help, request a demo for a call back today!

The post Top 60 Employee Engagement Ideas from the Experts appeared first on PageUp.

What Does Learning Look Like in Today’s OrganisationOrganization? Re-examining 70:20:10

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 12:00:00 +0000

The landscape of learning is changing. Disruptive technologies and changing demographics drive an imperative to constantly update skills to remain relevant. Social, mobile and cloud connectivity are transforming how, where and when people learn, with the consumer experience reshaping workplace expectations.

Research by Deloitte indicates a change in the way forward-thinking organisationsorganizations tackle learning.1 There is a move away from structured, formal learning that is controlled by HR towards self-directed, employee-centric, continuous learning. Yet many organisationsorganizations struggle with aligning the current L&D mindset, toolset and resources with the new expectations.

Most L&D departments endorse the 70:20:10 framework for learning and organisationsorganizations are spending over $130 billion annually on learning and development.2 Despite this, 73% of CEOs say the skills shortage is a threat to their business.3 What does learning look like in today’s organisationorganization and where is the disconnect?

Revisiting 70:20:10

First up, 70:20:10 is not a fixed ratio. It’s a useful framework to help us visualisevisualize how learning naturally takes place in the workplace. Economic, market and technological factors will all influence the mix. For example, in Asia’s high growth, developing economies, the need to accelerate learning to meet the leadership skills shortage, supports an adjustment to 50:30:20.4

“70:20:10 is not a fixed ratio, it’s a guiding framework”

The majority of how we learn sits outside the control of the L&D and HR Departments. Although L&D can’t control informal and social learning (the ‘70’ and the ‘20’), they can and should support, encourage and enable it. We foresee a shift in the mix as advances in technology accelerate social collaboration and the delivery of on-demand, informal learning content. The ability to access information on-the-job from wikis, podcasts, search engines and online courses, coupled with social connectivity tools will erode the ‘10’. It may become more relevant to view learning as the Three ‘S’s – self-directed, social and structured learning.

“Three ‘S’s of Learning – Self-directed, Social and Structured”

Is there a disconnect?

Learning is a continuous endeavour. The shelf-life of skills is shrinking and to remain relevant in today’s workplace individuals need to constantly learn and develop. Despite the demand for constant learning, most corporate learning infrastructure fails to deliver what employees need. People are time poor – less than 1% of the working week is available for learning.5 Attention spans are shrinking due to multitasking and constant connectivity. Employees want information in short, sharp bursts. Individuals want to learn where, when and how they want and this doesn’t align with structured, formal learning. Having content which is outdated, difficult to find, not mobile-optimisedoptimized nor available on-demand does not deliver the tailored, consumer-experience expected by today’s learner.

Two thirds of learning professionals admit they have trouble engaging employees.6 And from an employee perspective, many individuals are taking control of their own development. People spend up to 5 times more time on self-directed learning than L&D-led learning every week and 61% would put in even more time if they received professional credit for the effort.7 Although the majority (85%) of learning still occurs at work, 67% of individuals do so on personal time and 18% learn whilst commuting.7 Over three-quarters of employees do at least some of their learning on a mobile device.7

So what does the future of learning look like?

Well it’s exciting! Technology is available to support the myriad of ways people learn – social, collaborative, video, written, structured or bite-sized microlearning. Mobile, social, app-driven and cloud-based technologies can deliver customisedcustomized learning on-demand. The challenge for L&D departments is letting go of traditional approaches and embracing the new mindset. Moving from structured, directive learning (telling people what to do) to providing access to resources, tools and content for self-directed learning.

The emphasis becomes two-fold:

A shift from teaching employees, to inspiring individuals to learn.
Supporting employees to get access to the learning they require as well as desire – both from within AND outside of the organisationorganization.

Within the ranks of HR, some are moving away from the one-size-fits-all approach towards personalisedpersonalized, targeted learning through next-generation learning technologies that meet the needs of the individual. Already the benefits can be seen with more mature L&D departments delivering 20% less learning via traditional training and eLearning, and 90% more via on-demand resources.8 They engage people to learn anytime, anywhere and build capability for superior business results. However, despite an understanding that mobile, social and on-demand learning are the way of the future, many L&D departments are yet to act. At present, only 25% plan to purchase mobile learning solutions,9 only 34% are investing in social learning tools6 and only 20% expect to allocate funding to on-demand learning tools.9 That’s a very slow adoption rate by technology standards. The impact? Without a digital learning culture, organisationsorganizations will struggle to attract, develop and retain the workforce they need. The modern worker expects to have a much greater say in their own learning journey.

Where does your organisationorganization sit on the learning spectrum? Are you ready embrace this bold new direction in corporate learning?

To find how PageUp is empowering organisationsorganizations to capitalisecapitalize on this new direction in consumer-centric, self-directed learning, click here. Or learn about our other unified talent management modules, like recruitment systems or succession planning systems.

References

Deloitte University Press, 2016. Global Human Capital Trends 2016. Deloitte University Press.
Bersin J. 2014. Spending on Corporate Training Soars: Employee Capabilities Now a Priority. www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2014/02/04/the-recovery-arrives-corporate-training-spend- skyrockets/#3b98bf724ab7.
PwC, 2015. People Strategy for the Digital Age: A New Take on Talent: 18th Annual Global CEO Survey.
Vorhauser-Smith, S. & Cariss, K. 2014. Talented Southeast Asia. Singapore PageUp People.
Bersin by Deloitte, 2014. Meet The Modern Learner (Infographic).
Tauber, T. 2015. Investing in Learning Content: Redefining Priorities to Keep Up with the Modern Learner. Bersin by Deloitte, 2015.
Degreed, 2016. How the Workforce Learns in 2016.
Bersin by Deloitte, 2015. Corporate Learning Factbook.
Training Magizine, 2015. 2015 Training Industry Report. www.trainingmag.com

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Own Your Future: How to Prepare for the New World of Work

Wed, 24 May 2017 15:00:00 +0000

In a world where robots, automation and gamification become the norm, how can a workforce adjust to be future-ready? For a start, by becoming more human. Here, we explore how technology is revolutionising the workplace.

In the movie, Back to the Future II (1985), Dr Emmett Brown (“Doc”), an eccentric inventor and scientist, briefly transports protagonist Marty McFly to 21 October 2015. McFly, a curious teenager, gets a glimpse into the future and sees technology that is now taken for granted. Today biometric recognition and smartpay are both incorporated into the Apple iPhone, while high-tech glasses that the movie characters use to watch TV look surprisingly similar to Google Glass and Oculus Rift. What was once considered futuristic is now our reality. As technology augments our lives and simplifies processes, we need to consider how these advances impact our jobs and the workplace.

Impact on the Worker
Work, as we know it, will continue to shift towards increasing task automation. McKinsey & Company research published in 2016 shows that after researching 800 jobs in the United States and studying 2,000 tasks for all occupations, current technologies could automate 45% of the activities people are paid to perform. They estimate that about 60% of all occupations could see up to 30% of their constituent activities automated. However, McKinsey’s research also finds that fewer than 5% of occupations can be fully automated by current technologies. This means that leaders need to analyse their team’s tasks to identify what is likely to be automated and how this will change workers’ engagement with their jobs and companies.

Both high-paid occupations as well as lower-wage occupations will be impacted. “We estimate that activities consuming more than 20% of a CEO’s working time could be automated. Conversely, there are many lower-wage occupations such as home health aides, landscapers and maintenance workers, where only a small percentage of their work can be automated with readily available technologies,” explains Oliver Tonby, Managing Partner, Southeast Asia at McKinsey.

As robots grow ever more skilled at mimicking human tasks, the human touch will become increasingly valued. Automation of work tasks also means that some workers cycle through positions faster. “We anticipate the rise of rollercoaster career paths. As technological changes and industrial restructuring proceed at a faster pace, skills and job categories become obsolete and force more workers to undergo retraining and mid-career job changes,” explains Tan Gan Hup, Associate Director (SMU-X), Singapore Management University.

Should we be wary of these changes or is there an opportunity to harness these advances and use them to the advantage of the company? Is it time to slip on the virtual reality (VR) goggles, and revisit organisationalorganizational culture?

The Company’s Responsibility
Just as individuals need to anticipate the future, companies must also look at their current talent and predict future gaps. What rote or time consuming tasks will be automated in the next five years? Or in the next 10 years? HR leaders need to look forward and work with business to predict future needs. “Leaders from the C-suite to the front line will need to redefine jobs and entire business processes so that their organisationsorganizations can take advantage of automation potential. The opportunities exist far beyond labour savings. The benefits typically are between 3 to 10 times the cost, and the magnitude suggests that the ability to staff, manage and lead increasingly automated organisationsorganizations will become an important competitive differentiator,” explains Tonby.

Here are three ways that leaders can get their companies ahead of the talent curve by acting on tomorrow, today.

1. Understand the future of work
“Many employers are taking advantage of new technologies (such as big data analysis) to help develop far more targeted training programs,” explains Fraser Thompson, Director, AlphaBeta, a strategy advisory business. Why do people join companies? Millennials, for example, sign up where they feel they share similar values. Millennials, more so than Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, look for companies that provide opportunities to learn and grow. Since employees no longer join companies for life, companies must look to attract and retain through their professional development. And with the use of big data analysis, HR can discover how to raise engagement; discover what motivates, deters and inspires employees; and use data to develop and accurately measure key performance indicators (KPIs).

2. Do what you can do with your existing talent pool
Look at your employees’ skill sets and what their current tasks are. Identify what will likely not exist in the next two to five years. How can you help to upskill and re-skill your current team? What can you move around to help them cope with future tasks? For example, today people are trained in how to operate a forklift. But in the near future, that same employee will likely need to know how to operate the robot that will control the forklift. “Rather than destroy jobs, technology can be expected to instead change roles, allowing workers to focus on other key areas of their work,” states a recent report from Hays Journal.

An example is self-service checkout lines in supermarkets and algorithms that can search documents for specific information. How can you begin to transition your team so that they use more technology or automation?

3. Bring in fresh talent, smartly
What stretch assignments can be assigned that will better align your team with their future plans, interests and prospects? How can this be done in a way that matches their personal aspirations?

How can your company better use metrics to predict performance? Let’s take Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as an example. TCS employs over 362,000 professionals and in the financial year 2016, hired 90,000 new employees. One way they simplified hiring was to adopt a gamified system called Campus Commune, in which they engaged with students from their first day at university. For example, training modules and coding or design challenges help evaluate potential bright sparks among users. Over three to four years, the digital footprint yields a clear picture of likes, abilities, interests and existing competencies.

How can you implement something like this? One way is to track employees’ digital footprint from day one. Include psychometric assessments and personality tests — both personal and professional — and their feedback. Also, work towards using gamification for upskilling and as a fun alternative to e-learning for policies and HR.

Embracing the Future
Rather than fear the future and how automation may change work, this should be looked at as an opportunity. Just think of the time-intensive and repetitive tasks that could be automated: lawyers will spend less time in prep work, hospital staff will speed up administrative tasks like patient paperwork and HR professionals will onboard new employees in far less time. The advances in technology could mean more energy dedicated to creative tasks, critical thinking and to improving humankind itself. It’s the responsibility of employees to prepare for the future. While what that will look like remains uncertain, developing the skills mentioned above will prepare us for our VUCA world.

In the surrealist novel Invisible Monsters by American author Chuck Palahniuk, he posits, “When did the future switch from being a promise to being a threat?” The novel is a tale of a former model who reinvents herself after an accident. The unnamed protagonist deals with the realisationrealization that her future won’t be what she always thought. Palahniuk is onto something — what if we seek opportunities and look for promises of the advantages the future will bring? In the process, how will we respond if we get blindsided by abrupt shocks?

In many ways, the future is what we make of it. If we approach it as a time of great opportunity, and choose to continually bounce forward despite temporary setbacks, it might just turn out a fulfilled promise. In other words, let’s look at the future with rose-tinted VR glasses — and power on.

This piece was written with insights taken from the PageUp publication, CLIFFHANGER – HR on the Precipice in the Future of Work which addresses the major factors impacting the current HR and business landscape. Modelled off the book, PageUp is conducting a one-day intensive workshop across multiple cities, entitled CLIFFHANGER BOOTCAMP, that will explore emerging business and HR challenges and develop practical strategies that delegates can use to navigate their careers and organisationsorganizations into the digital age. Find out more about CLIFFHANGER BOOTCAMP here.

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6 Best Practices for Employee Onboarding

Tue, 28 Mar 2017 15:06:00 +0000

The advantages of great onboarding are clear: almost 60% of new employees are more likely to stay with your company beyond three years if they experience a positive introduction to the company! Despite this, too many companies still don’t invest enough time and resources into new employee onboarding…

The best onboarding practices should make your new hires familiar with company culture, knowledge, and behaviour, as well as their performance expectations.

This in turn results in new employees adjusting to the workplace faster, helping them to become productive and successful additions to the company in a shorter timeframe. In fact, research shows more formal and structured onboarding has a high return on investment.

Read on to learn about some of the best onboarding practices you should be considering for your organisationorganization!

1. Prepare Early for the Start Date

It’s a good idea to reach out to your new employees before their start date. Keeping in close contact can reinforce a relationship with the company as well as give new hires a better idea of what to expect on day one.

By contacting new recruits, you can send out helpful information they’ll need to know for their first day, such as parking facilities, public transport, dress code, lunch plans, and more. It can also set out the agenda for your new employee’s first week.

To make onboarding more efficient, many companies also send out emails to the hiring manager reminding them of the new recruit’s first day.

This email can help managers ensure that a checklist is in place and being followed for the new recruit’s onboarding. Indeed, Google has found that using reminder alert emails can help bring a new employee up to speed 25% faster.

2. Create an Onboarding Checklist

Having an onboarding checklist can give new employees a more tightly structured onboarding experience – but it also serves to guarantee you cover every aspect of their recruitment.

Such a checklist can help to ensure the new hire has signed off the right documentation, undertaken the appropriate training, met key staff members, and more.

It can be easier to use recruitment and onboarding software to facilitate the onboarding process. Such software helps automate onboarding procedures by providing to-do lists that allow the HR team and managers to seamlessly track a new recruit’s progress!

3. Create a Comfortable Work Station

Welcome your new employee with everything they need on their first day to get on with the job. Ensure their work station is complete with all the equipment they will need. A welcome pack won’t go astray either.

Creating a comfortable work station includes setting up their email accounts and other important services. Include an employee handbook, important paperwork, and any company documents at their desk for review.

4. Introduce Them to the Company

Your company’s culture and values might not be immediately recognisablerecognizable to outsiders and new employees. That’s why it’s an important aspect of all onboarding material.

Find a way to express your company’s values to new employees and synthesise the most important aspect of the company’s culture. An easy way to do this is to provide a company handbook that lays out ground rules, explains internal jargon, and answers common questions.

Your handbook can be a physical document, but it can just as easily be a Trello board, a software module, or as Facebook has, an internal Wiki.

5. Match Mentors to New Recruits

Mentors are one of the best ways to acclimatiseacclimatize your new employees to the company. They can get advice, ask questions and make connections within the company in a safe setting. It can also ensure employees feel engaged within the company, positively impacting your company’s productivity and retention rates.

A mentoring program also provides great leadership training for your more experienced staff. In fact, it’s been found that people who serve as mentors experience greater job satisfaction.

6. Set Reasonable Expectations

Research has shown it can take between six months and a year for new employees to reach full productivity. Beginning at a new workplace can be stressful, so it helps to keep the workload light on the first week of the job. Your new recruit will likely be bombarded with new information, so it helps to give them time to take it all in.

Try setting milestones for new recruits for certain intervals throughout their onboarding experience. Give them goals for every 30 days. Having short and long term goals also helps managers to gauge a new employee’s progress, while the employee can also see their own improvements.

If you are ready to streamline your onboarding processes and improve your new recruits’ time to productivity, you may benefit from tailored recruitment and onboarding software.

PageUp’s Recruitment Management and Onboarding software-as-a-service can help you implement onboarding best practices by providing automated forms, trackable workflows and an engaging learning portal.

Learn more about our recruitment and onboarding solution today to get your new recruits up to speed more quickly and efficiently.

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What is Talent Mobility, Really?

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:43:00 +0000

Imagine this scenario: Your business leaders inform you that your company is entering a new market/launching a new product/shifting the strategic focus of the company. They ask you: Do we have skilled, available talent to move into the new roles? If not, what do we need to do to close the gap? How quickly can we execute on the strategy?

Are you ready to deliver on these challenges? If your answer is ‘no’, then read on to discover how Talent Mobility can help futureproof your workforce.

In today’s ever-changing, fast-paced global economy, organisationsorganizations need agile, flexible workforces. For HR, the ability to shift resources and rapidly meet changing business needs requires a deep understanding of internal talent pipelines, as well as external talent networks, so that key skills can be leveraged and mobilisedmobilized anywhere around the business, or around the globe, at any time.

Talent mobility is critical to your organisationorganization’s ability to dynamically develop and align your current and future workforce to strategic business needs. It’s the process of moving talent from role to role. In other words:

The right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time

Although it includes cross-border moves, assignments, secondments and promotions, it’s more than just geographic relocation. It’s about transitioning skills across business functions and teams to help organisationsorganizations increase efficiencies and futureproof their workforce. It has expanded beyond the internal movement of employees to include external talent networks and non-traditional work arrangement such as contractors, freelancers and virtual workers.

More than just traditional succession planning

Moving beyond traditional succession management, talent mobility is critical to your ability to dynamically develop and align your current and future workforce to strategic business needs. Future organisationalorganizational capability is ensured through leadership development and by laser focus on creating a skilled, educated and adaptable workforce.

The ability to proactively and strategically move people from role to role at any level of the business to meet organisationalorganizational goals, requires intelligence and visibility into current and future skill gaps. Where are the gaps in your organisationorganization and what is the plan to resolve them?

Our research found only 41% of respondents believe their company has an established or mature process for moving talent between roles.1 Visibility was even lower; just 37% understood current skill gaps.1 Frameworks and practices to move talent and close the skill gaps, are required. These include promoting or moving current employees, acquiring new talent and the development of existing employees through learning management systems.

The need for strategic sourcing – more than talent acquisition

Do you have visibility over your entire talent pool? Current employees, past employees, contractors, freelancers, past and potential applicants? If you answered ‘no’, you’re not alone. As new models of work continue to develop and evolve – think flexible work arrangements, the ‘gig’ economy and the on-demand economy – the ability to strategically source permanent and short-term talent will become increasingly important.

Talent acquisition strategies, that build internal and external pipelines of talent, are needed so that skilled talent can be quickly identified and mobilized. How can this be achieved? Move recruitment strategy beyond acquisition based on skill-set and experience, to encompass attitude – willingness to challenge the status quo, comfort with ambiguity, creativity, and a solution-based mindset. Create talent pools that encompass internal and external talent. Build pipelines of talent. This is an area many organisationsorganizations do poorly. Currently only 43% of respondents feel confident that they have established or mature talent pools to meet the future needs of the company.1

Go beyond workforce planning – create career path visibility for all

Building on the foundations of workforce planning, talent mobility goes one step further with a focus on driving employee engagement and retention. Increasingly, employees expect a customisedcustomized experience at work. The emphasis has shifted from treating employees as ‘assets’, to engagement and retention strategies. As such, you need to sell your value proposition – employees have choices and can vote with their feet. A focus on development and career opportunities, ongoing learning and continuous feedback is becoming more commonplace. You may have to move beyond the traditional linear career progression mindset, and create visibility for career growth opportunities for employees.

Imagine the benefits driven by a structured approach to developing talent, through cross-functional team assignments, secondments and job rotations. Yet, only 47% of organisationsorganizations have established practices to support such opportunities.1 On-going feedback and everyday performance management are also important. Identifying high-potential talent and utilising on-going feedback and coaching to develop all employees improves workforce productivity and accelerates readiness to move roles. It also drives engagement – ongoing feedback and meaningful discussions between managers and employees creates an environment in which employees can do their best every day.2

In summary…

Adopting a talent mobility strategy provides your business with a competitive advantage, increases productivity and engagement, and helps you mobilisemobilize your most expensive asset, your people, through:

visibility over your entire talent pool
intelligence on current and future skill gaps, mobility and readiness
pathways to close talent gaps and promote employee engagement

The real power of talent mobility is the opportunity to develop career paths for all employees, drive engagement and build future workforce capability.

References:

Skilbeck, Rebecca. Global HR Innovation Study 2016: Driving a Culture of Innovation. PageUp. 2017.
Skilbeck, Rebecca. Has the War for Talent Become a Crusade for Engagement? PageUp. 2016.

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Proactive Sourcing and Talent Pipelining: Fish in a Pool, Not an Ocean

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 19:00:00 +0000

With 73% of CEOs citing skills shortages at crisis levels,1 organisationsorganizations can no longer expect talent to come to them, but must invest in a broad range of strategies to identify, engage and recruit prospective employees.

Proactive talent sourcing is defined as the skill of identifying, pipelining and engaging with candidates BEFORE a job has even become available within an organisationorganization, and is becoming an increasingly important weapon in the talent acquisition professional’s arsenal. When it comes to proactive sourcing, technology and social media are essential tools in the hands of the recruiter. It is well established that issues, such as a lack of career site mobile-optimisationoptimization or a non-engaging employer brand on social media, will discourage talent from applying for jobs.

But beyond the tools that enable talent sourcing, proactive talent acquisition also requires forecasting, internal mobility and strategic workplace planning. Embedding market intelligence and knowledge to understand future trends and changes, both within the workplace and within the economy more broadly, are necessary to effectively target for future skills shortages, or future innovation needs. Forecasting to meet these challenges is then supported by identifying and engaging talent pools or networks, and implementing a pipeline for identified talent, both internally and externally.

Building Talent Pools and Pipelines

With so many networks and channels available to job seekers, the ability to develop and maintain relationships with potential candidates is essential. Building talent pipelines is a key strategy to achieving success in the modern recruitment environment.

Developing a pool of talent that enables you to pipeline potential candidates, will allow a strategic rather than reactive response in filling ‘as they arise’ vacancies, as well as ensuring a higher quality of talent. According to Bersin’s High-impact talent acquisition study, talent pool development is one of the most influential performance drivers in talent acquisition. And Aberdeen has found that 68% of best-in-class companies proactively build candidate pipelines, regardless of current hiring needs. This is compared to an industry average of 47%. However, it is important to balance quantity with quality. The key value of the talent pool, or community, is that it allows for the provision of high impact talent, so while it is important to have a high volume of leads, it is equally important to ensure you are maintaining a pipeline of quality talent.

Developing engagement with talent pools, through the use of online communities, blogs, video and social media, enables more methodical identification of appropriate talent, proactively targeted over time. This engagement is the key component to converting your talent pool into a pipeline. Good recruiters must know how to create this engagement, but also how to nurture relationships with potential candidates over time, ensuring engagement levels don’t drop off.

OrganisationalOrganizational talent acquisition functions also need to be able to predict areas of change — mapping the ebb and flow of the business, being completely up-to-speed on developments in specific areas, and applying this knowledge to strategic forecasting for candidate identification. The best talent acquisition professionals need to be able to network and identify talent in multiple fields to ensure that they can supply talent on-demand through their pipeline.

This excerpt is taken from PageUp’s eBook RECRUITMENT: Rethinking the New Normal, which delves into:

the external factors impacting modern recruiting;
the key recruitment trends that are occurring as a result of these factors;
best-practice recruitment approaches that should be adopted to cater to these trends; and
our top tips in the recruitment technology space to help you plan and implement a successful talent acquisition strategy.

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Embracing Digital Technology in HR – 5 Ways to Innovate and Engage

Sun, 18 Sep 2016 15:00:00 +0000

On average we check our mobile phone 85 times a day.¹We’ve become a generation of digital junkies with technology transforming most aspects of our lives. But how far has this reached into the workplace? And what has it achieved? Many companies still struggle to achieve widespread adoption of HR systems, let alone the level of engagement – or addiction – associated with popular consumer apps. We haven’t worked out how to use digital technology to our advantage. But there is a silver lining. Digital solutions have enormous potential to reshape our experience of work and HR has the opportunity to pioneer innovation in this space. I’m fortunate to work for a company that stands by this belief and is committed to creating technology that people love to use.

Here are 5 ways HR can embrace digitalisationdigitalization to foster a more engaged and productive workforce:

1. Replace automation with design.

Historically, the primary role of HR technology was automation and streamlining. We led with the mantra that technology should support us, not determine the best solution. Today this approach limits our potential. Embracing digitalisationdigitalization means stepping away from process automation to re-imagine HR.

Technology provides us with new ways of working, solving problems and engaging people that we didn’t have access to in the pre-digital age. Design thinking² helps us introduce new technologies effectively and shape the best solutions for our workforce. This methodology puts people at the centre of solution design to create more intuitive and engaging ways of working. It shifts our focus to user experience and answers questions like “what does a great employee experience look like?” and “how can we take advantage of different technologies to deliver greater value?”.

2. Work with consumer technology, not against it.

As freelance and contract work arrangements become more prevalent there is a case to be made for shared talent management systems that live on the web.³ LinkedIn is an example of this today. Individuals are motivated to keep their profile up-to-date to increase employability and businesses benefit from this rich talent database. Accenture researchers predict that using external sites for internal purposes will continue to accelerate, particularly if these sites have mechanisms to maintain accurate data.³ For HR leaders, this presents an opportunity to rethink the purpose of internal systems. What role do they play and what motivates individuals to engage with them? Perhaps your talent management system becomes the primary tool that people use to stay on track and manage everyday performance. Ideally your internal systems will integrate and align with external applications, rather than duplicate them.

3. Deliver an amazing user experience.

Consumer technologies have set the benchmark for user experience. To achieve widespread adoption, HR solutions need to meet (or exceed) this benchmark and provide people with a quick and easy experience on their device of choice. Mobile, social, and analytical capabilities are a prerequisite and you can expect to find them in most mainstream HR systems today. To truly add value, we need to use these capabilities to support real time access, actions and decision making.⁴ Apps that provide recommendations, feedback and opportunities to collaborate throughout the day are an example of this and we are starting to see them come to market in new, continuous evolutions of performance management.

Consumer technologies also remind us that we love playing games and when it comes to user engagement, gamification has enormous potential. Combine gaming principles with learnings from neuroscience and psychology, and we could have a winning formula to keep people coming back for more.

4. Make it personal.

Thanks to digital technology, we can deliver tailored solutions en masse. PersonalisationPersonalisation is possible on different levels. First, it means we can implement fit-for-purpose solutions for different lines of business. Performance management is an example of where this might be applied. Corporate sales professionals are likely to have annual sales targets, and to be measured on revenue generation and activity each week, quarter and financial year. For customer service officers, it is probably more appropriate for the supervisor-on-duty to evaluate behaviours that they observe each shift. Useful manager and employee tools will be different in each of these scenarios. At a group level, we could also segment employees based on different needs and serve up targeted solutions. There is much to learn from our marketing counterparts here.

From an individual perspective, digital technology enables us to deliver a personal experience for each employee based on their needs, interests and skills.³ Have you ever seen someone else’s Facebook or Instagram feed? This probably looks and feels quite different to your own. Consider a similar level of personalisationpersonalisation in a corporate setting, with unique content feeds, recommendations, notifications and universal options that users can choose to turn on or off.

5. Become an innovator and technology pioneer.

Imagine you lead the way in technology innovation with solutions that exceed expectations, and surprise and delight employees. What could this look like? And how are new and transformative technologies changing the world of work? Virtual reality (VR) has arrived in HR, robotics is reshaping and replacing jobs, and commentators speculate that blockchain will be the next game changer. Stay abreast of technology innovations, network in diverse circles and look to market leaders for inspiration. For example, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia has been recognisedrecognized as a HR innovation leader for creating a Virtual Reality Workspace and app that candidates can try out at home. Other examples of the use of VR in employee onboarding have recently made the press. Google is frequently cited as a leader in people analytics. What ideas can you explore, extend, and adapt?

Digital technology provides HR with a rich set of tools to engage people and deliver higher levels of performance. Are you ready to embrace digitalisationdigitalization and pioneer innovation in this space?

Footnotes:

Source: Sally Andrews, David Ellis, Heather Shaw, and Lukasz Piwek. Beyond Self-Report: Tools to Compare Estimated and Real-World Smartphone Use. Plos One, 2015.
Definition: “Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.” —Tim Brown, president and CEO, IDEO. www.ideo.com
Source: Tim Good, Catherine Farley, Himanshu Tambe, and Susan Cantrell. Trends reshaping the future of HR. Accenture, 2015.
Source: Michael Stephan, Shinichiro Uzawa, Erica Volini, Brett Walsh, Roberta Yoshida. Global Human Capital Trends 2016 – Digital HR. Deloitte University Press, 2016.

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4 Tips to Succeed at Volume Recruiting

Sun, 11 Sep 2016 14:47:00 +0000

Is volume hiring an essential element of your talent acquisition strategy? It is common knowledge that it can be a time consuming and costly activity with the potential to do damage to your brand if it all goes wrong! However, as the pressure for large hiring volumes increase along with a need for speed, recruiting high-quality talent must still remain a priority! So how do you strike the perfect balance between volume, speed-of-hire and candidate excellence, that keeps managers, employees and customers satisfied?

Here are four tips on how to get the equation right:

1. Make your talent acquisition processes simple

As the pressure heats up for high volume recruiting of employees, no one wants to get bogged down by the administrative tasks that take attention away from finding the best talent for the organisationorganization!

The answer is simple – KISS. Keep It Simple, Stupid. You need to reduce the workload associated with volume recruitment to free up time and streamline process for efficiency. The way to do this: leverage technology for automated sourcing… This gives you the freedom to work more closely and engage with candidates, plus focus on targeted brand messaging, while the technology does the groundwork for you.

2. Ensure your Employer Value Proposition is well evangelisedevangelized

Conveying a convincing Employer Value Proposition (EVP) is an important part of sourcing and engaging high calibre candidates. When it comes to high-volume recruiting, just being authentic and having an engaging company culture through recruitment marketing materials and at candidate touchpoints, isn’t enough… We are operating in a customer review-led economy, so if you want to stand out, you need to stand up and highlight your EVP.

Social media powerhouses, such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor give organisationsorganizations‘ the ability share their EVP message near and far, with the added legitimacy of coming straight from the people who know your company best. Keep in mind – you no longer have control over what’s being said about your company or by who…

3. Deliver a high-touch candidate experience

The human touch is always needed in volume recruiting – you don’t want to risk relying solely on technology and reduce your volume recruitment campaign to an impersonal experience for candidates. Whether you are recruiting for just one hard-to-fill role, or one thousand Christmas casuals, the success of your volume recruitment and getting the best candidates relies on high-touch relationships.

4.Harness recruiting analytics

Build a clear idea of skills you need to hire for, what is available and where to find them first… This will set up you up for success! But where can you find this information? It’s in the palm of your hand already. You just need to leverage it! Access your people analytics to shed insight on previous recruiting achievements and disappointments to help find the right people.. From there, you are ready to build specific aptitude lists that qualify high-potential candidates.

Using data that’s already at your fingertips will help reduce the time and cost of volume recruiting, whilst also increase efficiency in the pre-screening process.

But how do you achieve this? Give your recruiters the tools to deliver candidate experiences that are customisedcustomized based on specific talent pools, positions and/or geographical regions.

Are you ready to start looking for the right system to manage your volume recruiting? Here are five features to look for in a recruitment management system:

Manage everything in bulk – Bulk manages communications, processing, and tagging of thousands of candidates at a time
Social and Mobile Functionality– Get your message out to candidates anytime, anywhere!
Automatcher – Deliver applicants who specific job requirements such as location and availability straight to hiring managers and recruiters.
Booking and Event Scheduling – Automated timeslot allocation for 1000’s of applicants
Candidate Relationship Management – Engage and capture candidates, maximisemaximize referrals and keep new hires engaged through interactive on-boarding.

Having an efficient high-tech recruitment process in place, will lay the foundations for effective volume recruitment. However, to fruitfully acquire quality talent in large numbers at a time, organisationsorganizations need to find the right balance between channeling technology and people analytics to optimiseoptimize their recruitment processes, while deliver an engaging candidate experience.

This article was originally posted on Real Business.

References:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cielo-launches-talent-acquisition-360-report-business-performance-in-jeopardy-as-recruiters-underdeliver-on-basics-300165553.html
http://resources.cielotalent.com/report-talent-activation-index-rsp.html

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The Learning Evolution – How Can We Drive Change?

Tue, 28 Jun 2016 21:41:00 +0000

Corporate learning has enormous potential. Breakthroughs in science and technology have given us a deep understanding of the learning process and the tools to captivate learners and enhance performance.

“Quite simply, we have magic … we can bring anything anywhere we want. Technology capabilities are no longer the barriers”1

As learning professionals, how can we stay on the front foot and make the most of these advances? Here are five considerations to help shape and evolve your corporate learning strategy.

1. Develop OrganisationalOrganizational Capacity for Learning

The fast and ever-changing business and technology landscape challenges individuals and businesses to continuously learn. Consider whether your culture supports or hinders this.

Is it a safe environment to try new ways of working and make mistakes? How do individuals collaborate and share knowledge and ideas? Is formal learning embraced or mandated? Engage your executive team to define and communicate the value of learning for your organisationorganization.

Influence and enable people managers to become coaches and facilitate the learning process. At an employee level, individual resilience and learning agility are important. Bring new people into the business who demonstrate these characteristics and will support a learning culture. Instead of targeting skills gaps, introduce resources or programs that help people shape their own development pathway.

2. “Harness Magic”1 – Implement a Next Generation Learning Management Solution (LMS)

Next generation LMSes are hosted in the cloud and are available anytime, anywhere via desktops and mobile devices. These solutions have evolved from a heritage in training management and e-learning, to support self-directed, on-the- job and social learning options.

In the past, standardisationstandardization was considered best practice; delivering consistent learning programs in a scalable and efficient manner. Today, technology enables organisationsorganizations to create personal and engaging learning experiences for employees en masse, and track learning activity, impact and outcomes. So do your homework. Understand what’s available in the market and what’s on the horizon from technology vendors.

You can find practical tips to future-proof investments in learning technology here. These could be helpful to litmus test your current LMS (if you are using one) and guide future purchasing decisions.

Download Guide

3. Create a Different Learning Mix

Today, most of us prefer to learn informally through others or via online search platforms.2 At the same time, the corporate learning offering is typically a menu of formal courses and e-learning.

We’ve paid lip service to the 70:20:10 framework for years – and in fact, this framework should be adjusted to 50:30:20 in high growth markets such as Southeast Asia.3 But companies have struggled and are still struggling to operationaliseoperationalize it. New technologies make it easier to re-shape the learning mix and facilitate on-the-job and social learning.

Make sure your learning platform provides access on demand with searchable libraries and mobile-optimisedoptimized content. Encourage employees to develop learning material in their area of expertiseexpertize and share content they find useful. Design differently to align with modern learning preferences.

For example, deliver bite-sized content and activities to help people digest learning quickly and easily this technique is known as microlearning. And perhaps most importantly, facilitate learning experiences. Consider setting up a learning exchange where your employees can sign-up for different activities, projects and secondments.4

4. Pilot Innovative Learning Techniques

Become a role model for continuous learning and change. Introduce different learning techniques, measure uptake and impact, and experiment until you hit the mark. Some ideas to consider include:

Gamification: the application of gaming principles to learning, eg. Creating challenges, freedom to fail, immediate feedback and a sense of progress.5

PersonalisationPersonalization: the delivery of targeted, relevant learning content and recommendations based on user data and preferences, eg. Serving up content based on past searches/views and individual development goals.5

Cross-generation collaboration: facilitation of learning and knowledge transfer between generations in the workplace; consider a strategy that combines traditional mentoring techniques with online collaboration.

Download eBook

5. Stay Focused on Business Impact

Executives want to verify the business impact of corporate learning, but reporting traditionally focuses on monitoring and compliance, for example learning costs, hours per learner, completion rates.

A recent report from Bersin by Deloitte cites some concerning statistics: only 8% of CEOs understand the value of their learning investments and less than 5% of corporate learning leaders feel they have the skills to demonstrate the business impact of learning.6 Start small; define a discrete business problem that you are addressing and the desired result. For example, will product training increase sales or reduce technical support? What is the monetary impact of this shift?

Trying to isolate the precise influence of learning can lead to paralysis. Instead, focus on identifying relevant business measures and track these over time.4 Work with an analyst to understand how to access and integrate your data sources. PrioritisePrioritize executive communication and link data insights directly to the business.

Final Thoughts

It’s an exciting time to work in corporate learning. Change is inevitable and learning professionals are uniquely positioned to shape this. How will learning evolve in your organisationorganization? What role will you play in driving change? Visit PageUp’s Learning solutions page to see how we could help you drive this evolution to empower, engage and develop your workforce, and build an everyday learning culture within your organisationorganization. Or check out similar HR research articles on our Resource Hub.

References

Quinn, Clark N. Revolutionize learning & development. s.l. : Wiley co-published with ASTD (American Society of Training andDevelopment), 2014.
Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies. Learning in the workplace survey. s.l. : www.c4lpt.co.uk, 2014.
Vorhauser-Smith, Sylvia & Cariss, Karen Talented Southeast Asia. Singapore : PageUp, 2014.
Brady, Alison. OrganisationalOrganizational performance – how can HR move the needle? s.l. : PageUp, 2016.
Skilbeck, Rebecca. Five trends in learning technology to consider. s.l. : PageUp, 2016.
Tauber, Todd and Wang-Audia, Wendy. The state of learning measurement. s.l. : Bersin by Deloitte, 2015.

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HR, It’s Time for Your Performance Review

Wed, 15 Jun 2016 10:30:00 +0000

OrganisationalOrganizational performance is Marc Effron’s sweet spot, having spent the better part of his career helping some of the world’s largest and most successful companies build better talent strategies to improve business outcomes. With such a deep understanding of the contributing factors to an organisation’s success, we were curious: If Marc had to give HR a performance review, how would the function rank? What are HR’s strengths and what needs improvement? Here’s is Marc evaluation:

OVERALL PERFORMANCE

HR’s Contribution to Business Performance2 – Needs Improvement

Overall, Marc feels that HR is doing okay, but okay is falling short of what business really needs, which is functional excellence in all areas. His review of specific competencies in HR is based on a scale of 1 to 5: 1 – Unsatisfactory; 2 – Needs Improvement; 3 – Meets Expectations; 4 – Exceeds Expectations; 5 – Outstanding.

HR Competencies

Alignment with Business Strategy 2 – Needs Improvement Most HR organisationsorganizations are capable of alignment but, for the most part, HR is still reactive and transactional. HR tends to excel when they get instructions from the company leadership, but that’s still very different from making a strategic contribution to the business. A strong focus on execution is critical – and there should be pride in that – but that’s not really helping to shape strategy.

Gaining a Seat at the Table2 – Needs Improvement

Based on Marc’s experience with HR in large global companies, about half could say they are the right hand of the CEO. They’re integrally involved in strategy formation and in strategy execution. They are essential to the success of the firm, and the CEO would evaluate them that way. But, there are others who are trying really hard but do not have the right leadership and are chasing the wrong outcomes. In many organisationsorganizations – largely because of the CHRO – the HR team is not focused on strategy and in some ways they might be inhibiting it.

Employee Development 2 – Needs Improvement

Probably the worst process in most organisationsorganizations today, HR has both overcomplicated and under-resourced at the same time. This has left employees overwhelmed and confused about how to grow their career, with little actual support from the organization to clarify and guide them.

HR Technology2 – Needs Improvement

Overall, HR is being a bit more efficient with benefits administration, comp administration and all of the technical back-end. HR is also doing a fairly good job of using technology to identify, select and onboard new people into the organisationorganization in a planned, careful way. Few organisationsorganizations however, are really optimizing their use of talent technologies, including analytics and workforce planning tools.

Performance Management2 – Needs Improvement

HR is doing an OK but not great job with the processes that truly improve performance like performance management, helping organisationsorganizations to improve on set goals and how they approach people – the core processes that are performance driven. HR probably isn’t doing what we need to be doing to help organisationsorganizations set fewer, bigger, more challenging goals, like performance coaching, to ensure that performance is at the level it should be.HR really needs to get behind what the business drivers of performance are and re-craft the performance system to align to that.

HR Processes2 – Needs Improvement

HR still is grossly over-complicating almost everything we do. There’s still a significant need to make every process in HR dramatically simpler and easier to use – both for administrative efficiency but also to make sure that things are easy to use for the end user so that they are able to see the value and not spend hours completing the processes.

Business Acumen1 – Unsatisfactory

There are some HR folks who are coming out of the business world – Marc estimates maybe 10 or 15 percent. Many of them are on more of a tour through HR than they are on a lifelong appointment. On the other hand, if you’ve been sitting in HR for 30 years, unless you’ve worked really hard at knowing the business, you don’t have much legitimacy in informing and making business-driven decisions. HR leaders ideally should end up with deep business knowledge, which would be gained by experiencing a broad journey through an organisationorganization in a variety of roles to make that voice legitimate.

Performance Summary

HR has a solid baseline of skills that are relevant and necessary in organisationsorganizations today. To truly contribute to the business, these skills need to be augmented with additional capabilities that elevate HR from a reactive support function to a true strategic business partner.

In Marc’s opinion, it all comes down to that final competency – business acumen: “Everyone cares about money but only some people care about people. If you can help the average business leader understand how having better quality and depth of talent will help them make money, they’ll be far more open to your suggestions. However, since most HR leaders don’t understand the business well enough today to directly make that connection, their ideas will get far less traction than they deserve.”

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7 Corporate Learning Challenges & Ways to Combat Them!

Mon, 02 May 2016 13:45:00 +0000

Learning plays a key role in engaging and retaining your top talent. Leading organisationsorganizations are now seeing the value of building strategies to improve capabilities and engaging their talent, with one-third of companies reporting an increase in their learning budget(1).

Nowadays the pressure is on the L&D and OD functions to be the champions of building lasting relationships with employees and making learning stick.

Let’s explore some of the challenges L&D and OD professionals are facing, and ways to address them:

1. Tracking learning activity

Learning professionals are struggling to identify capability gaps and track individual employees’ development. Multiple and disparate learning systems, difficulty capturing on-the-job learning, and lack of alignment with other talent systems is making tracking nearly impossible.

Combat by: Managing learning through a centralisedcentralized, integrated talent management solution. This will enable visibility to make informed decisions regarding your talent and their needs, and provide a single and accurate view of analytics across your organisationorganization.

2. Demonstrating ROI

Without quantifiable results, it’s an uphill battle winning buy-in from senior leadership on the impact of learning.

Combat by: Capturing all information in a single system, supported by in-depth people analytics. The ability to analyse learning data, report on key metrics and develop insights regarding bottom-line value will give HR and L&D a seat at the table.

3. Ensuring easy access to learning content

Millennials on average check their phones 9 times per hour. The challenge is therefore how to be where the learner is. We have progressed from being location- and time-bound to being available anytime an employee accesses a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Do not get stuck in a time warp of traditional learning.

Combat by: There are more mobile devices than people on earth, so start building mobile-optimisedoptimized content to engage modern learners! After all, 99% of mobile learners believe that mobile format enhanced their learning(2).

4. Developing new hires quickly and efficiently

It’s no secret that new hires can take a few months to get their heads above water. 90% of new employees make the decision to stay with an organisationorganization within the first six months. Learning needs to happen right from the beginning of their employee lifecycle.

Combat by: Nurturing new hires from the get-go through a fully integrated onboarding process accelerates speed to competency and engages them from the start of their journey.

5. Building leadership bench-strength

The talent pool for highly skilled leaders is shrinking… Leading organisationsorganizations are recognising this, with 68% of CEOs saying they intended to increase their investment in leadership and talent development as a result of the global recession(3).

Combat by: Developing leadership internally and building leadership pipelines through formalisedformalized, and on-the-job learning and training to engage leaders by enabling them to see a future with your organisationorganization.

6. Employees’ attention to learning

Modern learners say they currently only spend 1% of their time at work on learning. It’s a challenge to get modern learners to attend, actively participate, and complete assigned learning activities because of packed schedules with shorter time gaps between activities(4).

Combat by: Introducing micro-learning and gamification to reinforce information absorption in a bite-sized, engaging, and entertaining way. With adult attention span by shorter than a GOLDFISH… 8 seconds vs 5 seconds… (5) These learning methods make it enjoyable, as opposed to being a chore, and contribute significantly in driving higher participation levels.

7. Compliance in the workplace

No two days are the same in the compliance world with the ever-changing regulatory terrain causing many L&D headaches.

Combat by: Implementing and managing compliance learning through an integrated SCORM compliant LMS. When adaptations happen, they can easily and efficiently be replicated across the workforce to ensure that all learning requirement Ts are crossed and Is are dotted.

To create effective learning strategies to engage talent, learning needs to be efficiently managed, implemented and measured. With technology evolving as rapidly as the learning landscape, learning professionals need to be able to ‘speak’ the language of technology. This becomes more apparent when sourcing and selecting a robust solution to deliver an organisationorganization’s training and development needs.

Your solution: Employing an integrated and seamless Learning Management System to support your L&D needs and goals.

1 Deloitte’s 2015 Global Human Capital Trends Survey

2 Top 5 Corporate Learning Trends for 2016 Infographic,

http://elearninginfographics.com/top-5-corporate-learning-trends-2016-infographic/

3 Making the Business Case for Learning and Development: 5 Steps for Success, Susan N. Palmer, Ph.D Program Director UNC Executive Development

4 Bersin by Deloitte (2014). Meet the Modern Learner.

5 Top 5 Corporate Learning Trends for 2016 Infographic,

http://elearninginfographics.com/top-5-corporate-learning-trends-2016-infographic/

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CEO Reflections on Employee Engagement

Wed, 06 Apr 2016 10:15:00 +0000

PageUp CEO Karen Cariss shares her reflections on Talent Lab 2: has the war for talent become a crusade for engagement?

What is the link between business performance and engagement? Both empirical research and anecdotal feedback confirms this relationship.

The discretionary effort of highly engaged employees unmistakably ties to high performance and productivity outputs. It comes down to unleashing talent.

Management accountability for building an engaged workplace culture sits at the core of an organisationorganization‘s ability to nail its business goals.

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5 key areas of engagement – and their influencers

Mon, 08 Feb 2016 09:30:00 +0000

As one global survey after another continues to highlight, getting employee engagement right is difficult, if not downright impossible. And it’s at the top of most organisationsorganizations’ To Do lists, given the recognisedrecognized relationship between engagement and organisationalorganizational performance.

For a company that employs 25,000 employees, yet deploys many of those workers to provide services for other, sometimes remote, organisationsorganizations, the engagement challenge can be particularly daunting. That is the case for Programmed, a company that has delivered staffing, maintenance and facility management services across a range of diverse industries for the past 65 years. In that time, the company has learned a thing or two about how to develop an engaged workforce.

Melissa Donald, General Manager of Talent & Diversity at Programmed, spoke with us about five aspects of engagement that she finds most critical. In her role at Programmed, Melissa drives talent, leadership, engagement and diversity efforts across the organisationorganization. Under her direction, the company is continuing its efforts to focus on cultural diversity, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment. In fact, the company established an award-winning 10-year Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement and Employment Strategy in 2010 to increase the representation and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees within the business.

We ask questions about leadership, career, development, work environment, flexibility, diversity and management.

With such a diverse workforce operating in so many areas, how does Programmed approach engagement?

We take stock of our employees’ engagement with an annual engagement survey that has been in place since 2010. We ask questions about leadership, career, development, work environment, flexibility, diversity and management. We also provide five areas for free text comments, which drive actions that we can circle back to address. We use a feedback tool to support conversations after the surveys. As a result, our overall engagement is up 8% since 2010.

Are you concerned that measurement myopia can set in – that you can start to get hung up on the score you’re targeting?

I absolutely agree this can happen. We have targets that we’re trying to achieve, but there is a richness to the open text and we focus as much on this as the scores. Some executives just take the feedback and do nothing. That just won’t cut it in future.

That relationship-based, family sense has always been the reason why people come to work for us.

During our discussion, Melissa highlights five aspects of engagement and what influences them:

1. Connectivity
It’s the feeling that you belong. You have personal and professional relationships and that makes it a pleasant place to work. For us, regardless of how big we get, there’s a feeling of family connectivity. That relationship-based, family sense has always been the reason why people come to work for us.

2. Recognition
Recognizing a person’s achievements and just saying thank you is so important. Our company recognition program is for anyone who is caught in the moment displaying a “Programmed Difference.” This is about our ability to deliver top quality service to our customers across a range of services in one location, having great relationships and adding value. We direct this toward field employees since they interact with customers, but it can be awarded to senior-level executives as well. It’s not about putting them on a pedestal, but saying, “You’re doing a good job.”

3. Care and empathy
That’s not just for work colleagues but for our community too. For instance, when we talk about safety, it’s not just about being safe in the workplace, but at home as well. At the beginning of executive meetings, we share “safety pauses”, during which someone will share a safety event they recently experienced. These often relate to something that happened at home, such as a 5-year-old trying to reach the stovetop. The lesson is to be more aware of what’s going on and pay attention to ensure the safety of the family.

4. Visible leadership
We know that one of the keys to successful change is visible leadership. Division CEOs own the actions coming out of engagement survey feedback. They work with their leadership teams to implement those actions. HR’s role is giving managers and employees the tools to engage, not trying to do it for them.

5. Manage change and performance well
Agility and adaptability are becoming the two most important skills for managers. We don’t have a traditional performance rating system. So we tend not to have formal KPI discussions but instead talk about two things we want someone to work on. We call it “review and reflection.” We are trying to shift to coaching in the moment rather than rigid and highly structured performance systems and we believe that is having a positive effect on engagement.

For a services company that focuses on relationships, engaging its people is central to Programmed’s success. That’s why we focus on the conversations and creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can reach their potential.

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The Future of HR in Higher Education

Tue, 03 Nov 2015 15:59:12 +0000

Flexible, lean and agile HR practices will be vital for institutions to tackle the emerging talent challenges on the horizon….. Join us as Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith, Global Head of Research at PageUp, shares first-hand insights from the PageUp Talent Lab following new research and fresh perspectives collated from global thought-leaders on the topic: Connecting HR to the Future.

Highlights include:

– Insights into the complex new world of work in Higher Education;
– Technology as a change agent; and
– Preparing HR and institutions for the future

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The Philippines: Rich In Culture And In Opportunity

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 14:17:00 +0000

Just back from the book launch of Talented Philippines in bustling metro Manila – selfie capital of the world and the second fastest growing Asian economy behind China. The experience is at once exhilarating and earthing – the possibilities in the Philippines appear endless, the challenges daunting.

At the outset of writing the book, Talented Southeast Asia, co-author Karen Cariss and I quickly recognisedrecognized that not only did the entire region have a specific talent management footprint, but so did each country within it. And each warranted its own in-depth analysis. We decided to dive deeper into country-specific nuances that make up this vibrant and diverse region. First up, the Philippines.

Rich in culture and natural beauty, the Philippines is home to some of the most inspiring and promising talent in the world. That talent is already demonstrated by Filipinos in companies around the globe and yet, it is only just a taste of what is possible and what is still to come. The Philippines has an enormous amount to offer for multinational corporations looking to expand into the region.

Several data points exemplify the tremendous growth potential for the Philippines:

A Filipino baby is born every 18 seconds, adding 2 million people to the population each year. By 2020, the population is expected to reach 110 million.
The economy is growing at a steady rate, and the gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to grow a solid 6% through 2018.
The workforce has increased by 22% in the past decade and now totals 44 million workers.
Workers are moving away from agriculture and shifting into the service sector, which employed 52% of workers in 2010, up 28% since 1995.
The Philippines continues to have the youngest population demographic in the world, with a median age of 23.2 years.

Clearly, growth and the Philippines go together like white and rice. While there are distinct business implications associated with this economic growth, MNCs also need to consider a number of other factors in order to be successful in the Philippines.

The Impact of the AEC

It is the dawn of a new era for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which comprises Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Brunei Darussalam. At the beginning of 2016, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will officially launch and create one global economic force of reckoning.

Designed to merge the disparate power and representation of its individual members, the AEC promises to be a regional game-changer that will fuel intra-regional trade and encourage a significantly freer flow of skilled labor. The International Labour OrganisationOrganization (ILO) estimates that the AEC could add an additional 3.1 million jobs to the Philippines economy, with many of those positions available for highly skilled workers such as managers, professionals and technicians.

For global employers, the AEC will usher in a transformation not only of workplace design, but also of mindsets. The inevitable rise in remote and virtual workers will create demand for agile work environments, and technology will serve as the backbone for enhanced workplace collaboration.

Talent as a Limited Resource

As a result of the changes caused by the introduction of the AEC, in particular the ease with which workers can move from one country to another, the competition in the talent market will remain fiercely competitive. Nations that are able to respond with robust policies and supporting infrastructure will benefit the most from this free flow of labor.

If talent is to be considered a national resource, then countries must determine if they are in surplus or deficit. Countries whose workplace environment is less attractive than that of their neighbors will find themselves in the role of net exporters of talent. By actively addressing workplace reforms to increase their attractiveness, governments can reduce their talent outflows and likely become net importers of the region’s talent.

The Philippines’ successful history of a large labor force working abroad, as well as its strong government support and policy infrastructure, is a point of advantage with the cross-border employment opportunities that the AEC will engender. But, the resulting shrinkage of the talent pool within the Philippines will leave employers scrambling to hire among the talent that remains.

BPO Growth Exemplifies Opportunity in the Philippines

The growth achieved in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector in the Philippines over the past decade has been impressive. In 2006, the Philippines held just 5% of the global market share for BPO services, employing 240,000 Filipinos. By 2014, one million Filipinos worked in the sector and the country’s share of the global BPO market had doubled to 10%. Estimates show that the BPO industry in the Philippines is expected to employ 1.3 million Filipinos and represent US$25 billion in annual revenues by 2016.

Although voice-based customer contact centers still dominate the BPO sector in the Philippines, more complex services are increasingly gaining attention. The Philippines has become a go-to destination for BPO services for a number of reasons, including strong government support, a reliable and affordable infrastructure, and a large youthful workforce with strong English skills. Labor affordability also plays a role, with Filipino BPO workers earning substantially less than their counterparts in other parts of the world.

Opportunity Knocks

There is no shortage of opportunities in the Philippines. If the growth of the country can be realisedrealized in a way that will sustainably embed prosperity for the long term, then the Philippines can gain a competitive edge over other countries in the region. Multinational corporations looking to take advantage of the great promise of this flourishing nation and its talented, hard-working people must prepare now to ensure that their business and talent management practices can adapt to the fast-paced growth of this dynamic country.

No matter the region or the business itself, talent management software is integral to success, whether to develop great leaders or to recruit the right talent that’ll keep you one step ahead of the competition.

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Simple Science of Performance in Higher Ed

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 14:25:53 +0000

Watch this webinar with Marc Effron, President of The Talent Strategy Group, and gain insight into maximising the effectiveness of your institution’s performance management strategy.

Highlights include:

The science of developing talent practices;
How to radically simplify talent practices in Higher Ed to improve implementation and generate greater adoption;
Getting better outcomes from your Performance Management program.

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MaximisingMaximizing ROI From Your Graduate Program

Thu, 04 Dec 2014 13:04:22 +0000

View this webinar to see how PageUp’s technology can help you facilitate your entire program from recruitment to retention and everything in-between!

Highlights include:

How to capture your audience where they ‘hang out’ and connect with grads the way they connect;
Engage your grads with gamification throughout your graduate program;
Prove ROI of your graduate program with reporting and analytics and set a benchmark for future programs.

The post MaximisingMaximizing ROI From Your Graduate Program appeared first on PageUp.

How Oil Search Developed their Leadership Framework to Drive Success

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 12:14:13 +0000

View this webinar to learn about Oil Search Limited’s Leadership Framework and their journey from identification to implementation.

Highlights of this session include:

Understanding the role of a Leadership Framework within your growth strategy;
Driving consistency with your Leadership Framework; and
How to identify, assess, develop and recruit leaders for the future with your Leadership Framework.

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How to Use Gamification to Tranform Your Business

Sun, 09 Nov 2014 16:19:30 +0000

Explore the new world of gamified talent management and how leading organisationsorganizations are using gamification to improve business results and connect their employees.

Highlights include:

How gamification improves employee engagement;
The science behind why games work;
Case studies of organisationsorganizations that have applied gamification to talent management.

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How CEB/SHL are Empowering Leadership Talent

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 17:35:34 +0000

View this webinar to gain practical insights into the ways CEB/SHL are helping organisationsorganizations empower leadership talent and take their business to the next level.

Highlights include practical steps to help you:

– Understand leadership talent requirements to deliver a successful future;
– Identify your leadership talent pipeline;
– Retain and develop your leadership talent.

Speak to us today to find out how PageUp can help you identify, develop and retain your future leaders with our cutting-edge talent management technology.

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How CEB Identifies, Manages & Retains Top Talent

Sun, 15 Jun 2014 13:44:14 +0000

Want to learn how to get the most out of your top talent and maximisemaximize their potential?

World-leading advisory organisationorganization, CEB, explores how to identify, manage and retain high potential talent.

Why is talent retention more critical now than ever
What separates ‘High Potential’ employees from the rest
Supporting and developing high potential employees throughout their talent journey

The post How CEB Identifies, Manages & Retains Top Talent appeared first on PageUp.

MaximisingMaximizing Mobile & Social in Your Recruitment Strategy

Wed, 19 Mar 2014 20:50:43 +0000

Suzanne Grae, one of Australia’s leading fashion retailers, joined PageUp to give you an inside look at how mobile and social technology can be used to connect with top talent. Check out the video below to see how you can harness the power of the latest mobile and social innovations to enhance your recruitment strategy. Highlights include:

Creating mobile careers sites and applications
Choosing the most effective social sites
MaximisingMaximizing the talent market

The post MaximisingMaximizing Mobile & Social in Your Recruitment Strategy appeared first on PageUp.

How to Attract the Right Graduates to your Workplace

Sun, 02 Mar 2014 16:50:39 +0000

Vieple/TestGrid joined PageUp to show you how to find the balance between being efficient and communicating your employer brand to ensure that you’re capturing the right Graduate Talent. Highlights include:

Recruitment that Graduates get and want to be a part of!
MaximisingMaximizing your screening time
Identify grads who will excel in your company culture

The post How to Attract the Right Graduates to your Workplace appeared first on PageUp.

How Arrium Attract & Hire Top Talent

Sun, 25 Aug 2013 23:30:13 +0000

Arrium, Australia’s leading steel manufacturing and distribution company discusses how they have implemented a more strategic approach to sourcing. Find out how the company overcame their business challenges to hire the best and brightest talent worldwide. Plus, learn the keys to building a targeted sourcing strategy to help your organisationorganization:

Shift to a forward looking recruitment strategy
Penetrate and pipeline the talent market
MaximiseMaximize your sourcing spend.

The post How Arrium Attract & Hire Top Talent appeared first on PageUp.

Talent Pooling – How to Set & MaximiseMaximize Your Talent Pool Strategy

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:05:00 +0000

Talent pooling has become common place in the talent acquisition landscape, and though it may not be the end all, Holy Grail or answer to all of your recruiting dilemmas, it can go a long way in supporting a targeted, multichannel sourcing strategy.

Take it from us: PageUp’s internal Talent Team has established a talent pipeline across business critical and tough to fill roles with great results – talent pool candidates were our 3rd largest source of hire last year!

Talent pools will vary between industry vertical and organization, but allows sourcers and/or recruiters to be much more focused on quality in specific crucial job functions. You can even create catch-all or overflow pools for great candidates that come your way but might not be on that critical list. This allows you to keep viable candidates in mind for other opportunities in future.

So, how do you begin to build the Talent pool you need? Let us show you how we did it:

Determine your talent pool strategy

The first thing our Talent Team did was look at our previous quantitative data and talk with our business leaders to identify key roles. We were able to determine which roles:

Took longer to find great people
Have higher attrition (and why? Perhaps pipelining is just one answer but not a long term solution)
Have the biggest bottom line impact

Next, we established a basic outline to define when a candidate would be ‘talent pool’ worthy. While the specifics on what constitutes a talent pool worthy candidate will vary among organisationsorganizations, we decided that it was important for us to have spoken to the candidate in some detail – a successful phone interview at a minimum – to confirm that the candidate has skills and experience relevant to current and future roles (based on workforce planning insights – but that’s a whole other blog post).

Manage your talent pool activity

Once we decided on our talent pool strategy, we needed to be able to manage and track the talent pipelining activity. Naturally, we use our own PageUp Recruitment Management System for this purpose. To best manage our talent pool we:

Setup relevant job pools in the system
Have the equivalent of an ‘expression of interest’ on our careers site
Created an alternative application form to make it faster for applicants to express interest while and capturing information such as area of interest and career aspirations
Review who has applied previously. We use our Talent Search module to look for people we’d like to stay in touch with. Skills, job titles, previous employers and flags are just some of the criteria we use to find candidates who have already expressed an interest in PageUp.

Tips for getting the most from your talent pools

Now that you’ve done the hard work of setting up your pools, here are some helpful tips to make sure you get maximum benefit from that work:

Ensure expectations are set and try not to over commit to the candidate if they have applied via an expression of interest. For example, we let applicants know we will only get in touch if we feel their background meets our business requirements.
Use the Talent Search module to quickly search & filter within the talent pools to create a shortlist.
Try to review applications in your talent pool in a reasonable time frame
Set up regular communications. For example, send a careers newsletter, invite great applicants to an in-house meet & greet or even just a coffee.
Schedule time to tidy up your talent pools by checking in with candidates even if it’s bi-annually. It will make such a difference to the quality and functionality of your talent pool!

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The Neuroscience of Learning & Development

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 15:24:00 +0000

Explore the neuro-scientific underpinnings of the learning process, factors that hinder or limit our learning ability, including ways to optimiseoptimize this most fundamental attribute of being human.

Executive Summary

The acquisition of knowledge and information, feelings and behaviors that would combine over years to shape who you are right now. Were you to look at your progress through those newborn eyes, the feat would surely have appeared insurmountable: the fine motor skills that allow you to write and eat, the ability to speak and comprehend language, the development of complex social relationships, education, professional skills and so on.

So, in the beginning was life and then there was learning and, for the duration of our existence, there is life-long learning. In this White Paper, we explore the neuro-scientific underpinnings of the learning process, factors that hinder or limit our learning ability, including ways to optimiseoptimize this most fundamental attribute of being human.

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Cross cultural communication in MNCs

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:17:00 +0000

I was recently reading a blog article from the Harvard Business Review titled The Trouble with Mary, which talks about the very different communication protocols in diverse cultures: here, a Chinese national running the local operations of a European MNC.

Mary was annoyed and frustrated by the demands and lack of respect she got from her head office bosses, and responded initially with acquiescence, then with very subtle persuasion, which failed, and ultimately with passive resistance. The European leadership found Mary equally frustrating and began performance managing her out. A complete disconnect.

The root of the problem was not her performance, it was vast differences in communication styles that were culturally based. The Europeans were direct, rational and focused on quantitative outcomes. They also felt they understood their business a lot better than Mary did, despite its location in China.

Mary’s cultural upbringing instilled in her high respect for authority and an unwillingness to directly confront her bosses with the inadequacy of their China strategy so they would not lose face. When they did not pick up on her subtle attempts to influence them, she just tuned out.

Edward Hall, respected anthropologist and culture analyst has studied cultural differences for several decades, and differentiates between high context/low content cultures, and low context/high content cultures[i].

Low Context: rely on text and speech to communicate messages (eg. Northern European, USA)
High Context: rely on imagery, non-verbals, body language, implied meaning (Asia, Arabic)

The western, individualist cultures use words and language predominantly to convey messages, and see the responsibility for getting the message across to be that of the sender.

On the contrary, eastern, collectivist cultures take much more meaning out of the context in which the communication occurs, and heed body language and subtle non-verbal cues. Their approach requires the message receiver to be a far more active player in its interpretation.

An interesting study, published in 2005, compared the websites of McDonalds’ franchises around the world and analyzed their format and content with these cultural factors in mind[ii]. As hypothesized, the high context cultures (eg. China, Japan, Korea) made much greater use of visuals, animation, sound, and complex navigation, compared with the low context cultures (Switzerland, Germany, Finland, Denmark) which had mostly static, individual focused, linear and easily navigable websites.

So back to Mary. I was interested to note that in 2011, comments to the HBR blog reinforced the need for eastern cultures to adapt to western communication methods to succeed in regionally based MNCs. It seems that despite having an intellectual understanding of the differences between cultures, this has not yet transpired into effective communication skills and practices that pave the way for cross cultural harmony.

What may help break down these cultural barriers and create a more harmonious workplace is effective HR solutions, which promote employee transparency, communication, empowerment and performance management.

[i] Hall, E. (1981). Beyond culture. USA: Anchor Books.

[ii] Wurtz, E. (2005). A cross-cultural analysis of websites from high-context cultures and low context cultures. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(1).

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Leading MNCs

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:15:00 +0000

As the world of work is becoming increasingly global, the critical competencies required in multi national corporations (MNCs) are being defined by dynamic economic, geopolitical and cultural forces.

Are leaders adapting their mindsets and skill-sets in tune with these forces, and in time to capitalize on them?

And how does leadership in an MNC differ from a fully localized organization?

In the HBR article Making it Overseas, the authors note that there are distinct attributes that define global leaders. Whilst these would be useful for all leaders, in MNCs they can distinguish between success and failure.

Attributes such as having a cosmopolitan outlook, a thirst for adventure, intercultural empathy and diplomacy become critical success factors in the global leadership sphere.

Imagine a leader with a parochial mental bandwidth, accustomed to working in a one-dimensional homogenous culture with long standing entrenched norms: is this the man you would confidently hand the reigns of a diverse, complex, growing and changing foreign affiliate?

Another emerging leadership capability is paradox management. More and more, the business challenges facing MNCs are complex and sometimes sensitive, and no single solution, management model or precedent, adequately applies.

Leaders don’t deal with problems that have a correct solution – they confront paradoxes in which conflicting poles may each have validity. Consider a scenario in which a leader must implement a strategic global imperative that has negative consequences for the local community. For example, closing remote community bank branches to streamline operational effectiveness through centralization.

In Developing Transnational Leaders, the authors cite five types of paradoxes that challenge global leaders and highlight the mental agility required to succeed in these roles, which speaks of a more complex and interconnected business environment that will demand a new breed of leader able to rise to the challenge and thrive in this new world.

One standard that has remained the same for great leaders is knowledge, and you can get your HR fix on the PageUp blog or via our HR research hub today.

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Why am I ‘brain dead’ at the end of the day?

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:34:00 +0000

There is a limit to your mental capabilities each day, and the bad news is, it’s not that high. The conscious, thinking, analytical part of your brain is the prefrontal cortex. It’s immediately behind your forehead, and represents your executive function. It processes over 2,000 pieces of information per second, which is impressive yes, but its capacity is quite limited, as you well know, whenever you push its boundaries.

Consider the prefrontal cortex like your brain’s credit card with a $10,000 limit. You start each day clear of debt, but from the moment you wake up, the meter is running and you are drawing against your limit. The good news is that much of what you do each day is run on autopilot, and you’re not tapping into your prefrontal cortex at all (topic of a later blog). So washing your hair, brushing your teeth, eating your breakfast and even getting to work come at minimal cost to you. But start reading and responding to emails ($500), attending three or 4 meetings ($4,000), dealing with employee issues (3,000), more emails ($500), and your starting to run low.

Now add a couple of big ticket items that really chew up credit: making decisions ($3-5,000 depending on complexity and quantity), planning or forecasting ($4,000), brainstorming or problem solving ($6,000) – and whoops, you’re in the red. And that means you’re mentally exhausted – overdrawn – finished – kaput!

What can you do?

Top up the limit – sugar will help – the brain draws massive energy stores from your body, predominantly in the form of glucose (yes, there is a very good biological explanation for your 3:00pm Tim Tam craving).
Stop spending for a while – work on something that is routine and requires minimal mental effort on your part
Get up and get out – a walk around the block will do wonders. Recent research confirms the regenerating effects of activity not just on the body, but also the brain, due to oxygen carried in the blood.

What are the implications for talent management?

Look for signs of mental fatigue in your colleagues: how can diaries, meetings, workshops be planned to retain and restore mental energy, not just deplete it?
If you’re in OrganisationalOrganizational Development or Learning & Development, ask if the initiatives you’re implementing are energy makers or takers (remember, we can’t learn much in a ‘brain-dead’ state).
Less is more.

Of course the credit card and dollar figures are just an analogy to illustrate the point. But your prefrontal cortex does operate within limits – what can you do to get more out of each day?

As we’ve just illustrated, adding diversity to your day can improve your mental capabilities. One great way to do this is by taking a break to read up on the latest HR trends and insights!

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