Easy access to information has transformed the way individuals find jobs. Never before have candidates been so well informed about jobs and companies, so early on in the process.

Nowadays, before they hit ‘apply’, jobseekers want to visualise themselves in an organisation. They don’t just want a more detailed job description. Increasingly, company mission, corporate brand, culture and commitment to corporate social responsibility are becoming key deciding factors in making a move.

As a result, to secure the talent they need businesses to be upfront and open with candidates about what they can offer as an employer. Disclosing critical information about a role during the final interview won’t cut it anymore. Today’s jobseekers are looking for practical, emotional and interactive communications, which create positive and engaging candidate experience.

Information is power

It’s critical that employers align their attraction and recruitment processes to the preferences of the candidates they wish to attract. To find out information what matters most to jobseekers when looking for a new job, ManpowerGroup Solutions interviewed 14,000 individuals around the world about their job search preferences.

This report highlights the information today’s candidates look for in their job search. It also suggests new strategies to ensure employers effectively compete for in-demand talent in this new global marketplace.

Related research:

The principle of employers ‘selling’ their jobs to candidates isn’t new. When I started my recruitment career in Telford back in the early 90’s, lots of electronic manufacturing companies had recently moved into the area – taking advantage of available land, good motorway links and an available workforce. However, when labour demand started to outstrip supply, companies had to think differently about how they attracted talent.

I remember speaking to these companies about where and how they should advertise their roles, in order to reach new candidates; how they could showcase their first class facilities in their adverts; and how they could ensure their communications were appealing to people who wouldn’t have previously considered a career in the sector. 25 years on, and these same basic employer brand principles still apply today. Yet many firms continue to get it wrong.

What do jobseekers want to hear?

Nowadays, my time is spent developing workforce solutions for the logistics sector. It’s an industry with crippling skills shortages, which had led to immense competition for talent. Drivers, in particular, are in extremely high demand – and they know it. They often have multiple job offers on the table at the same time, so they can afford to be choosy and pick the one that works best for them. As a result, it’s never been more important for logistics organisations to sell their roles effectively. Yet many logistics employers continue to struggle with how to do this.

I think one of the main challenges logistics employers face is getting the message right. All too often, they focus their messaging on their corporate brand, not on what it’s really like to work there. In short, their communications are centred on what they think their candidates want to know, not what they actually want to know. For example, drivers often look for roles with long contracts, good routes, a choice of different shifts, and depots that have easy access. Lots of organisations offer some – or all – of these. However, very few mention this as part of their communications with jobseekers.

How should you reach them?

Another reason why I believe logistics employers struggle to sell their roles to candidates is because they’re not reaching out to them in the right way. They’re not aligning their attraction efforts to the different routes to market jobseekers take – traditional sources vs. digital platforms.

It may come as no surprise to find that a significant proportion of the logistics workforce relies on word of mouth to find new jobs. They’re particularly prevalent in the heavy goods arena, but you’ll find them other areas of the workforce too. They won’t go onto your website; they won’t follow you on Facebook; and they certainly won’t be at your careers fair. If they’re looking for a new role, they’ll call on their friends, family, colleagues, and recruiters they’ve previously worked with. Tapping into these networks to showcase why someone should work for you isn’t easy. But it’s critical, if you’re going to secure the best in-demand talent.

Building trust online

The candidates that do utilise digital platforms in their job search are turning the tables on employers. They’re using online channels – like social media, employer review websites and forums – to tell other jobseekers what they think about their current and past employers. So, if they don’t think your employer brand reflects what it’s actually like to work for you, they’ll make sure other jobseekers know. So honesty is the best policy. Many employers overreach and try to make their company seem perfect when developing their employer brand. However, in today’s digital age, this can actually cause more harm than good.

Our research found that more than half of jobseekers consider employer brand to be more important today than it was five years ago. For the logistics sector specifically, competition for talent is growing. So it’s critical that they communicate with candidates properly, to ensure they can secure the talent they need.

That’s where Manpower can help. We understand candidate preferences and behaviour inside-out, so we know how to make your vacancies stand out from the crowd. If you’d like to discuss any of these topics in more detail, please feel free to contact me directly on [email protected].

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To find out more about our expertise in warehouse and logistics recruitment and workforce planning, visit manpower.co.uk/warehouse-and-logistics or email us at [email protected]

Employers are becoming increasingly dependent on contingent labour. As a result, future success relies on the ability to strategically integrate non-permanent workers into the wider workforce strategy.

With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that expectations for improved workforce analytics are increasing. Forward-looking companies don’t want to reflect on success any longer – they want analytics that allow them to predict potential.

Yet, while there is a universal business desire for more predictive, insightful analytics, few organisations have been able to implement it.

Evolving reliance on contingent workforces, combined with a persistent global talent shortage, is driving the need to make informed workforce decisions to better serve an organisation’s short- and long-term needs.

Employers want to access analytics that allow them to predict potential. They want to know what limits it, what nurtures it, and what makes that potential thrive. However, despite this, many organisations continue to rely on transactional level data that provides metrics on what is happening – but not on why or how.

Actionable business intelligence

The journey to better analytics is evolving. However, there are steps that organisations can take to increase their ability to generate more meaningful insights.

The fundamental aspects of workforce decision-making – who, what, when, where, how and why – have remained relatively unchanged over recent years. What has changed, however, is the sheer volume of information at organisations’ fingertips.

It’s vital that businesses filter out the noise and focus on measuring and benchmarking what really matters. Understanding what is actionable, what drives decision making and what has an impact on your business enables the shift from measuring what is ‘good to know’ to what you ‘need to know’ in a meaningful way.

Furthermore, often in-house data is based on a company’s own definitions of metrics and measurement. This allows them to measure internal progress over time, but it doesn’t take into account shifts in the wider competitive environment. Standardising definitions and data in line with industry standards enables benchmarking for more meaningful ‘apples to apples’ comparisons.

Improving your approach to data analytics in this way will provide actionable business intelligence. It enables businesses to seamlessly integrate contingent workforce planning into their wider talent strategy – inevitably leading to significant competitive advantage.

Enabling the journey towards workforce analytics 2.0

TAPFIN has demonstrated proven ability to drive strategic improvements through customised workforce and talent analytics. As organisations demand more sophisticated, relevant insights into their workforce, TAPFIN’s capabilities include:

Reporting and Analytics Engine
Through the Reporting and Analytics Engine (RAE), TAPFIN draws on multiple client data-sets and sources to standardise data in a way that allows for benchmarking across industries, regions or companies with comparable workforce needs. It also enables the creation and calculation of insightful metrics that have a more relative impact on the overall cost and productivity of a workforce.

Contingent Workforce Index
TAPFIN’s Contingent Workforce Index (CWI) compiles more than 50 key data points around the availability, cost efficiency, regulation and productivity of contingent workforces in 75 countries. It provides a comparison of the relative opportunities of entering one labour market over another, and allows an organisation to weight factors based on their strategic priorities.

For more information on our ability to turn insights into actionable recommendations, please contact [email protected]

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This article first appeared in the sixth edition of The Human Age newspaper.

Weak sterling exchange rates, rising global commodity prices, supply chain inefficiencies and growing material shortages mean cost pressures in manufacturing are more prominent than ever before.

It’s a commercially-driven sector, which has always operated under incredibly tight margins. However, nowadays, these margins are being squeezed even further. In fact, the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply recently reported that manufacturing input costs have risen at one of the quickest rates since their records began. Higher prices on the high street are the result.

The legislative cost pressures

At the same time as tackling these sector-specific forces, manufacturers also need to tackle the same cost pressures that all employers face as a result of recent legislative changes. For example, earlier this month the national living wage rate increased. This will continue to rise over the coming years, in line with the Government’s aim to deliver a national living wage of £9 by 2020.

Added to this, many larger manufacturers now have to pay the new apprenticeship levy. Under this new legislation, every UK employer who has a wage bill of more than £3 million will pay a 0.5% levy on their annual pay bill. As our recent apprenticeship levy whitepaper outlined, all employers – manufacturers included – should look at how they can use the levy to develop the skills of their workforce, so that they can more successfully grow their businesses, become more competitive and increase their productivity.

How the workforce needs to adapt

In this environment of compressed margins, manufacturers must ensure their workforce is nimbler than ever before. It’s a bit like goldilocks and the three bears. If the workforce is too large, manufacturers risk wasting money on paying unrequired staff. But, if the workforce is too small, they risk not having the people they need to meet critical production deadlines. Neither of these scenarios is acceptable. So, as price pressures mount, manufacturers need to ensure their workforce is ‘just right’.

Of course, the problem is ‘just right’ changes from one week to the next, in line with production requirements. As a result, it’s critical that manufacturers have processes in place to ensure their workforce is agile enough to quickly ramp up and down in line with changing business needs. Effectively utilising contingent workers will be key here.

Manufacturers also ought to focus on reducing workforce turnover. Workforce churn is expensive, and it’s a cost that the sector really doesn’t need right now. Furthermore, high attrition can lead to business instability, which can negatively impact production timelines and create further cost pressures. Our research found that 30% of UK jobseekers are always looking for their next job move. So companies need to create a culture that people don’t want to leave. Branding and trust are critical components of this.

What’s next for manufacturing?

Cost pressures in manufacturing aren’t going to go away anytime soon. They’re caused by complex, multi-faceted issues, many of which are somewhat out of the control of manufacturers themselves. Having said that, as I’ve outlined, there are straightforward steps which employers can take to ensure their workforce is as productive as possible, and money doesn’t fall through the cracks.

That’s where Manpower can help. We know how to match workforce numbers with business needs; we’ve been doing it for over 60 years. Our process is all about maximising productivity, without sacrificing on quality. That means we’re perfectly positioned to access the talent your business needs, whether you need a handful of people for a special project or an entire workforce.

If you’d like to discusses how we can help your business, feel free to contact me directly on [email protected].

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To find out more about our expertise in manufacturing recruitment and workforce planning, visit manpower.co.uk/manufacturing or email us at [email protected]

TAPFIN, ManpowerGroup Solutions’ Managed Service Provider (MSP), has once again been named a leader among MSP service providers by top industry analyst Everest Group.

Everest Group’s Service Provider Landscape with PEAK Matrix™ assessment reviews market success and overall delivery capability of global MSP providers. It analyses and tracks the changing dynamics of the MSP landscape by evaluating providers on seven categories: scale, scope, technology solution and innovation, delivery footprint, buyer satisfaction, market success and overall performance.

With strong rankings across all evaluation categories, TAPFIN has secured its place as a clear MSP leader for the third year in a row.

Arkadev Basak, Research Practice Director at Everest Group, said: “As one of the largest MSP providers, TAPFIN’s flexibility, strong understanding of business models and willingness to explore new opportunities were cited as key strengths in this year’s report.

“With expertise in all aspects of talent management, TAPFIN is one of the few providers that can offer Total Talent Management solutions to clients.”

Jamiel Saliba, Vice President and General Manager for TAPFIN Global, said: “Employers look to us to create an integrated talent strategy to lower their risk and realise untapped value across their Total Talent investment.

“This accolade is a welcome testament to the great work our people deliver consistently around the world. We’re pleased to once again be named a leader by Everest Group.”

Delivering innovative workforce solutions worldwide

In addition to this accolade, Everest Group has also named ManpowerGroup Solutions’ RPO offering as being a clear industry leader, for six consecutive years.

As well as ranking us highly across all four evaluation categories in their RPO Service Provider Landscape with PEAK Matrix™ assessment, they also recognised us as being a Star Performer in RPO. This is a designation for providers that demonstrate the strongest forward movement over time on the comprehensive PEAK Matrix™ evaluation.

The global services market continues to expand and become more complex. As new providers enter the market, ManpowerGroup Solutions continues to build innovative, new capabilities to better serve our clients. We take deep pride in being frequently recognised as a global leader in delivering innovative workforce solutions.

For more information on ManpowerGroup Solutions’ extensive RPO and MSP capabilities, please visit: manpowergroupsolutions.co.uk/solutions

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This article first appeared in the sixth edition of The Human Age newspaper.

Attrition in the contact centre industry is notoriously high, and has been for a long time. While many contact centres can attract the workers they need, they struggle to retain them. As a result, they’re caught in an endless recruitment cycle, which significantly impacts on workforce productivity and on their bottom line.

One of the reasons there is such high attrition in contact centres is a lack of training and development opportunities. Workers increasingly recognise that they need to continually upskill, in order to remain employable for the long-term. So, if their current employer doesn’t offer the opportunities they’re looking for, they’ll move to an employer who does.

How to improve training in contact centres

Designing effective training and development programmes in the contact centre industry can be a challenge. Many contact centres have quite flat workforce structures. So, realistically, few individuals will have the opportunity to move up the ranks. As a result, traditional progression-focused development programmes aren’t always fit for purpose – and business leaders struggle to come up with an alternative model that provides their workers with the support they’re looking for.

Progression-focused development programmes aren’t the only option though. In fact, our recent survey of 19,000 Millennials found that they want to develop their individual skills, rather learn how to manage and lead others.

It’s time for business leaders in the contact centre world to redefine what ‘training and development’ means. After all, there’s a whole host of different processes that they can utilise to nurture their workers, including:

• Recognise that there’s no silver bullet for training – There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ fix for employee development. Everyone wants – and needs – vastly different kinds of training. So you can’t implement a new contact centre-wide training programme, and expect it to be a success for everyone. Instead, take a multi-channel approach to development; providing easy-to-access training on a range of different mediums. This will enable your advisors to learn what they want, in the way that best suits them.
• Focus on variety – A demotivated workforce impacts on the bottom line. While your contact centre’s structure may not allow for many advisors to move up the career ladder, offering them the chance to move sideways and spend some time in another team is a straightforward way to enhance their personal development. Whether they shadow someone for a couple of days or take a secondment for a number of months – this will provide them with increased variety in their role, and boost employee morale too.
• Have regular career conversations – It’s important to provide workers with an open forum where they can discuss their career priorities. You can’t just rely on an annual appraisal to achieve this; they don’t happen anywhere near often enough. Instead, arrange regular one-to-one meetings with your workers, where you can discuss their near-term career objectives and implement plans to achieve them. This will allow them the chance to talk openly about their priorities, challenges and goals; and it will give you the chance to nip any issues in the bud before they escalate.

Futureproofing the workforce

We cannot understate the importance of effective training and development within the contact centre industry. Not only can it improve retention, but it can enhance internal talent mobility too. For example, our 2016 Talent Shortage Survey found that 53% are investing in training and development to upskill their existing workforce, in order to fill other positions within the company through internal moves. This is a huge increase from year before, where only 1 in 5 employers said they were doing this.

Moreover, as technology – and AI in particular – becomes more sophisticated, the importance of developing contact centre workers will rise even further. We’re rapidly getting to a point where AI can solve common customer issues without human intervention. This will leave contact centre agents to focus on solving complex issues and non-routine tasks. Consequently, workers need to be more skilled than ever before – and employers need to improve their training and development programmes, to enable them to rise to this challenge.

At Manpower, we can help you to build a workforce strategy that ensures you attract and retain the talent your business needs. We have a wealth of experience in delivering workforce solutions to the contact centre industry, which reduce staff turnover, improve customer loyalty and save costs. If you’d like to find out more, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

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To find out more about our expertise in contact centre recruitment and workforce planning, visit manpower.co.uk/contact-centres or email us at [email protected]