https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com A new conversation in HCM technology Tue, 19 Mar 2019 18:12:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 100546581 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/12/07/talent-acquisition-a-look-ahead/ https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/12/07/talent-acquisition-a-look-ahead/#respond Fri, 07 Dec 2018 18:52:50 +0000 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/?p=1789 Not long ago, companies relied solely on their ATS providers or their job boards to manage recruitment. Today, the choices seem endless. As a result, many companies are making uneducated or impulsive decisions that could prove to be costly and damaging to their overall talent acquisition. This confusion is leading to dissatisfaction, as organizations struggle to create a smooth candidate process using disparate solutions. In fact, 2 out of 5 companies are either dissatisfied or indifferent to their current provider.
So, how can companies make better decisions around technology? How can they figure out what trends are shaping talent acquisition technology? As 2018 comes to an end, we are excited to share with you some of the key trends and success stories that have characterized the past year. Next Thursday, I am joining Shannon Seery at Symphony Talent to provide practical examples and recommendations to help you stay prepared and achieve results in the next year:
What are the Characteristics of Great Technology:
Experience: Recruiters have one problem. They need an easy way to attract, recruit, and hire talent. If a technology provider is not solving that problem, they do not have a viable solution. If you want to give recruiters and candidates what they need, technology providers need to make it simple and addresses the challenges they are facing.
Expertise: Solution providers are building expertise into their solutions. This could come in the form of AI, guiding companies to make better decisions but it can also be found in a provider’s commitment to talent acquisition. Some providers are also helping companies improve diversity and inclusion offering organizations capabilities such as anonymous screening, job description checkers, and bias detection initiatives.
Adoption: Only 43% of companies view their provider as a partner once a solution has been implemented. Companies need to look at not only how their provider will partner with them during implementation but also how they will make that relationship stick after year 1, year 2, and ongoing. Adoption is a true test of a provider’s impact on talent acquisition efforts.
What Trends are Driving Decision-Making?
Personalization: Companies need to personalize the candidate experience and provide targeted messaging to be able to attract talent. This webinar will discuss how the combination of technology, media, and creative services can deliver a personalized experience to candidates.
Communication: With all of the buzz around AI and machine learning, this webinar will discuss how different methods of communication can attract candidates throughout the hiring process from before they apply to the day they receive an offer.
Analytics: The metrics used to measure talent acquisition success have shifted and today’s recruitment leaders need to think more strategically when tracking advocacy effectiveness, conversion rates, and candidate engagement. This webinar will cover the role of analytics in talent acquisition.
Recruitment Marketing Capabilities: As companies evolve in the way they engage with talent, questions around building, buying or borrowing the right skills for your talent acquisition team are becoming more relevant than ever before. This webinar will discuss the ways that talent acquisition teams can enhance their recruitment marketing capabilities without having to overhaul their entire function.
If you are struggling with understanding the technology landscape and how to make the best decisions, we hope you can join us to discuss some strategies for driving success.
]]> https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/12/07/talent-acquisition-a-look-ahead/feed/ 0 1789 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/11/14/why-arent-we-spending-more-time-talking-about-onboarding/ https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/11/14/why-arent-we-spending-more-time-talking-about-onboarding/#respond Wed, 14 Nov 2018 21:33:36 +0000 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/?p=1785 With low unemployment and a shrinking talent pool, companies are laser focused on attracting talent and strengthening their employer brand. It makes sense. Companies want to compete for talent and engage candidate earlier in the process. But, by focusing so heavily on everything that happens pre-applicant, many companies are neglecting a critical area of talent acquisition…onboarding.
When new hires have a positive onboarding experience, they are more productive on their first day and they are more likely to stay with their new employer. When onboarding goes well, the benefits directly impact organizational success. When onboarding goes badly, the overall employee morale and engagement of an organizations are at risk. Strategic onboarding includes three necessary processes: forms management, tasks management and engagement.
• Forms Management: Ensuring that new hires have filled out all the correct forms to stay compliant and begin business-driven projects quickly;
• Tasks Management: Ensuring that new hires have everything they need and have met with the right people during the new hire process;
• Socialization: Ensuring that new hires are informed of the company culture and information on their manager and team.
According to Aptitude Research Partners’ 2018 Hire, Engage, and Retain study, 65% of companies are investing or planning to invest in onboarding this year. As the pressure to identify talent intensifies, companies need these systems to handle every stage of the candidate’s journey including onboarding. We are excited to share some of our latest research on onboarding this month and hope you can join us and Patrick Rooney on November 29 to discuss some of the following trends:
• Extend onboarding to the first year: Onboarding should not end after 30 or 60 days. It needs to be an ongoing process that extends throughout the first year and beyond. Companies can invest in a long-term strategy by considering career development and new hire engagement. Currently, only 1 in 3 companies show new hires development plans.
• Don’t forget cross-boarding: Onboarding strategies are most effective when they include every new hire including existing employees. Companies should consider cross-boarding as a major initiative in their new hire experience. Over 70% of companies that invest in onboarding are prioritizing internal mobility efforts.
• Invest in the right provider: Onboarding solutions can have a dramatic impact on the new hire experience. They ensure that companies are staying compliant and that new hires are being productivity and contributing to organizational goals on day one. Companies need to consider providers with deep domain expertise in onboarding. Companies using technology are three times more likely to improve first year retention and two times more likely to improve new hire engagement.
• Measure the results: Companies need to identify the metrics for success. First year engagement and retention should be evaluated regularly in addition to compliance and productivity. In reality, only 24% of companies are measuring first year engagement and retention.
In order for talent acquisition to be effective, companies need to focus on the new hire experience. They must ensure that all of the effort they put into attract talent will not go to waste with a poor onboarding experience. We hope you can join us this month to talk about ways to improve onboarding for today and the future.
]]> https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/11/14/why-arent-we-spending-more-time-talking-about-onboarding/feed/ 0 1785 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/10/19/improving-conversion-rates-strategies-for-success/ https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/10/19/improving-conversion-rates-strategies-for-success/#respond Fri, 19 Oct 2018 17:38:10 +0000 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/?p=1781 One in three companies are increasing their investment in ways to attract talent. With low unemployment and a shrinking talent pool, companies want to find the best way to engage with talent early in the process and convert leads to applicants. Conversion rates are becoming one of the most important metrics in talent acquisition. In fact, over 40% of companies are measuring conversion rates and making adjustments to their strategies and technology choices.
Without a recruitment marketing platform, most companies are neglecting the way they engage and nurture leads and instead rely on myriad solutions to help find talent in an ad hoc and reactive approach. A single platform can consolidate all the activities to attract talent and offer a complete view of data to provide greater insight into the recruitment process. The challenge most companies face is that candidate conversion rates only reach 10-20% from company career sites. If companies want to make the most of their talent acquisition strategies, they need to do more than track conversion rates. They need to consider a strategic conversion process.
If you aren’t exactly sure what that means or where to start, we have good news. Next Tuesday, Pete Sanidas (VP of Revenue and Research Leader at Talemetry) and I will be presenting a webinar on strategies and best practices for improving conversion rates. Pete will also be sharing results from Talemetry’s latest research report 2018 Fortune 500 Conversion Audit.
During this webinar, we will share the following:
– The importance of the conversion process and its impact on talent acquisition
– Recommendations to change your application process to improve application completion rates
– Strategies you need to use analytics to enable better decision making
– Research results and best practices for formalizing a conversion process
– The importance of personalization in the overall process
Improving conversion rates can be a quick win for your organization. We hope you can join us next week to learn about some ways to get started.
]]> https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/10/19/improving-conversion-rates-strategies-for-success/feed/ 0 1781 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/10/17/talent-acquisition-in-buenos-aires-relationships-are-everything/ https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/10/17/talent-acquisition-in-buenos-aires-relationships-are-everything/#respond Wed, 17 Oct 2018 20:00:04 +0000 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/?p=1777 With over 14 million people living in the greater metropolitan area, Buenos Aires makes up 23% of the total GDP of Argentina. It is a city rich in culture, art, and education but its’ talent is what sets it apart. Of the $75 billionUSD in exports, 95% is in services. Talent is a competitive advantage for Buenos Aires and as a result, professions such as HR and talent acquisition are strategic career development opportunities. Over 70% of students graduate with HR and business degrees.
Last month, I was invited by Cielo to be part of a delegation to this beautiful city to learn more about the culture, the growth of the Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) market, and Cielo’s expanding presence in this region. It was an amazing experience that I was fortunate enough to share with many old and new friends. Below are some of the highlights from the trip:
Key Trends in Talent Acquisition in Latin America
– Relationships are everything. It is no surprise that relationships matter in recruitment. It is everything we talk about in employer branding and recruitment marketing. Companies that can build strong talent pipelines are more successful at hiring quality talent. Relationship building for companies in Latin America is the most critical part of the talent acquisition process. The difference is that recruiters build and maintain these relationships through constant communication, support, and connection. It is constant. In fact, 50% of companies recruit talent through referrals.
– Social Media is a powerful recruitment tool. Because of the commitment to relationships, talent acquisition teams rely heavily on social media channels (specifically, LinkedIn and Facebook) to recruit and engage talent. Customers that we met with in Buenos Aires said that social media is the primary form of communication with candidates.
– Workforce Planning is more advanced. Most companies in North America are immature with workforce planning. These companies do some basic headcount analysis but are slow to invest in strategic workforce planning. In Latin America, the companies we met with are focused on staying ahead and being prepared for various changes in their workforce and any unplanned scenarios. Talent acquisition is often the owner of workforce planning initiatives.
– RPO is a hot market. Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) began to take off in Argentina in 2005. At that time, Argentina served as a hub for many RPO providers given its’ talent and size. The success of RPO deals are based on the relationships and leadership in the region. Cielo’s SVP of Latin America, Christian Scandella, is a perfect example of this exceptional leadership.
When I was first introduced to Cielo (at the time, Pinstripe), it was a small RPO provider based in Milwaukee with a strong commitment to customer service. Fifteen years later, it has expanded to almost 40 countries, established deep expertise in all areas of talent acquisition, and maintained its’ commitment to customer service. It can be incredibly challenging for any company to balance growth with strong values. But, Cielo appears to be doing just that under the strong leadership of Sue Marks. It now offers diversity and inclusion certifications, specialty centers, a global technology platform, high-volume and total talent solutions, and strong consulting services. In the world of global RPO, Cielo has demonstrated that it is a contender and we are excited to see what is in store for the future.
If you are interested in learning more about talent in Latin America, Gerry Crispin (Founder of CareerXRoads and the Talent Board) and I will be sharing a podcast we recorded in the next week.
]]> https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/10/17/talent-acquisition-in-buenos-aires-relationships-are-everything/feed/ 0 1777 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/10/10/world-mental-health-day/ https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/10/10/world-mental-health-day/#respond Wed, 10 Oct 2018 19:03:35 +0000 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/?p=1774 Today is World Mental Health Day. By some estimates, as many of half of us will deal with some level of mental illness in our lifetime. Depression, anxiety, mood disorders, addiction – all of these are forms of mental illness. For most of us the impact will be temporary. For far too many, mental illness will end their lives. Which is why bringing awareness to this issue has to be a priority for all of us. In a powerful essay, Lada Gaga cites truly heart wrenching statistics about mental health issues faced by adolescents and young adults, and pleads for compassion. Both her story and the website for the World Health Organization have listed some great information and resources, focused on this year’s theme of young people in mental health
But what about mental health at work? When Anthony Bourdain took his life earlier this year there were many articles and posts about keeping a vigilant eye out for signs of distress at work. Even though we can remind people in distress to raise her hand for help, we must remember that many of them are unable to do so because of the very condition that’s impacting them. But it’s not just about people with mental illness who are on the brink of suicide. Mental illness can sap your energy, make you irritable and distracted, and generally impact your productivity if not well-managed (Last year’s WHO theme was mental health at work, and has some great resources as well).
I had a chance to talk with Matt Mund last week, and his company, Total Brain is using neuroscience to help individuals and the medical community diagnose mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. But in the workplace, it can be used not to identify who has a mental illness (because who wants to take that examination at work?) but to offer real solutions for creating the conditions for everyone to be successful no matter what is happening with their brain chemistry. It’s not very useful to say to someone “hey, you have an anxiety disorder.” What would be useful is to say, based on what we know about how your brain processes things, here are some ways that you can create a work environment that’s more comfortable for you, and life hacks you can share with your coworkers that will help you communicate with them better.
Mental health at work should not be focused on categorizing people into “well” and “unwell”. It should be focused on finding ways to keep everyone productive and making the most of their time and efforts. It is important to keep your eye out for people on the brink, but it is just as important to have concrete ways of helping people handle their particular mental health needs and still be productive members of the team.
There are lots of companies out there looking to support health and wellness both mentally and physically. And plenty of assessments to understand behaviors, motivations, and how our brains process information. But what is really important is information on what to do to keep mental illness from derailing employee’s ability to live a whole and productive life. So, keep an eye out for each other this Mental Health Day, and stay focused on what you can do to create a healthy environment for yourself and those around you.
]]> https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/10/10/world-mental-health-day/feed/ 0 1774 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/09/19/2018-hr-technology-conference-bridging-the-past-and-the-future/ https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/09/19/2018-hr-technology-conference-bridging-the-past-and-the-future/#respond Wed, 19 Sep 2018 18:14:04 +0000 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/?p=1766 The energy at this year’s HR Technology Conference is hard to describe. This is an industry that thrives on connections. And there was no shortage of connections at this year’s event. Customers built closer relationships with solution providers. Partnerships were established. And even competitors explored opportunities with each other. This is an industry willing to share and an industry willing to learn. We have a unique opportunity to stay connected as vendors, practitioners, and thought leaders and something we should never take for granted. It is a great time to be in HR Technology.
I am still processing much of what I learned over the past week but some of the obvious themes include next generation assessments, communication solutions (yes, chatbots), employee experience solutions, and talent acquisition. Several years ago, startups were driving this market. Today, the focus has been on traditional providers that are setting the pace for innovation through enhanced products and partnerships.
Here are some of my observations and some providers worth checking out:
Assessments: Companies are increasing their investment in pre-hire assessments this year. In fact, according to Aptitude Research Partners’ 2018 Assessment study, 71% of companies are leveraging at least one assessment provider and 57% of these companies are using two or more providers. Until very recently, assessments have been a very stagnant market with little innovation. In fact, only 25% of companies in Aptitude’s 2018 Hire, Engage, Retain study are considering a mobile assessment solution. The good news is that we are now seeing tremendous innovation in the assessment space from both startups and traditional assessment providers. As my friend Jonathan Kestenbaum at Talent Tech Labs says: “Assessments are back in style”. This market has reinvented itself to be more predictive and candidate friendly. Below are some providers that impressed us last week:
– Infor: Infor’s Talent Science is embedded into its talent suite- making assessments the framework of every talent solution. The candidate experience has been a priority over the past year and the assessments are mobile optimized. Infor has been successful at reducing the time to complete an assessment by 40% and at making assessments more predictive through the use of machine learning.
– HireVue: Through the acquisition of MindX and its own product development, HireVue has established itself as a strong contender in the assessment space. Its’ focus is on game-based assessments that are predictive and ensure that candidates are more engaged in the process.
– Shaker: If you are familiar with the assessment market, you probably know Shaker’s Virtual Job Tryout. It is a leader in game-based assessments. Shaker has made significant changes in the past year with a new leadership team (industry experts), global growth, and product innovation. It is focusing on areas such as internal mobility, predictive assessments, and mobile solutions.
– SHL: Since going independent six months ago, SHL has moved away from a traditional assessment business and is focused on helping companies transform their workforce capabilities. It does this through the combination of science, technology, and data. It offers both pre-hire and post-hire assessments (talent acceleration) and focuses on the context of the work environment.
Candidate Communication: Today’s candidates are making smarter decisions about what they want from an employer. They are diving deeper into job sites, career sites, and social media to get a clear picture of an organization before making a connection. They want to understand if the skills they have are the skills needed for the job. Employers are finding better ways to communicate with candidates but they less than 40% companies provide relevant information to help candidates make better decisions. Companies want to do better and they are looking to providers to help improve communication (often through chatbots). Below are some companies improving candidate communication:
– AllyO: There was no shortage of chatbots at this year’s conference. But AllyO stood out from others because of its accelerated automation and benefits to the candidate. It requires no registration or friction and no risk to candidates.
– Brazen: One of the first chat and online communication solutions in recruitment, Brazen is now including its’ chat functionality on career sites and job pages.
– IBM: Let’s be honest, most talent acquisition providers in AI are not really AI. Craig Fisher of Allegis Group calls it “Augmented Intelligence”. But there are a few exceptions, and Watson is one of them. Watson Candidate Assistant provides both employers and candidates with the insights they need to make better decisions and personalize the recruitment process. It is now available in more languages including French and also, available to Greenhouse customers through a new strategic partnership.
– Montage: With a recent acquisition (GreenJobs Interview), momentum in several industries including Financial Services, and a strong year of growth, Montage has had an exciting year. Although its roots are in the video interviewing space, over half of its’ clients are using communication solutions that are not related to video including text, scheduling, and a recruiter assistant.
– Monster: Monster is making improvements to the candidate journey and looking beyond pre-applicant. It offers authentic videos through Monster Studios to give candidates a better sense of an employer and connect employees and candidates.
– Yello: Yello has made significant enhancements to its product over the past year including candidate engagement and communication. Through text messaging capabilities, Yello can provide keywords to candidates so they can be directed to career pages and can easily connect with employers.
Talent Acquisition Trifecta Providers: The Talent Acquisition Trifecta is the core areas of talent acquisition: recruitment marketing, ATS, and onboarding. Companies, regardless of size, need solutions to handle all three of these areas in order to be effective. While recruitment marketing has seen a great deal of innovation over the past year (we are publishing the recruitment marketing index in October so keep an eye out for providers in that space), ATS and Onboarding providers are enhancing their solutions as well. Below are some leading talent acquisition providers:
– Clickboarding: Onboarding is one of the most important areas of talent acquisition that impacts productivity, retention, and performance. While so many solutions focus on the candidate experience, the new hire experience often gets ignored. Clickboarding is one of the most impressive solutions in onboarding today and provides both the compliance to employers and the positive experience that new hires expect.
– Greenhouse: Greenhouse is continuing to move up market and has made a strategic partnership with IBM to use its Watson Candidate Assistant (see above).
– Jobvite: Although many of the ATS providers now offer recruitment marketing capabilities, Jobvite has differentiated itself by selling the product as a stand-alone and investing in strong capabilities that go beyond just checking the box for a CRM.
– SmartRecruiters: In addition to recent product announcements including SmartJobs, and SmartAssistant, SmartRecruiters has also been focused on its CRM product. It is ensuring that companies can easily create campaigns and make better decisions around engaging talent.
Employee Experience: Companies recognize the impact of experience on their growth and profitability and are making changes to how they communicate with, engage, and support their customers. But, creating an engaging experience does not and should not end with the customer. It must extend into our workforce. Just as companies are prioritizing customers, they must also focus on solutions that improve the employee experience. Below are some of the solution providers leading the way in employee experience.
– Globoforce: Globoforce is continuing to improve the employee experience through its recognition software and conversations solution, which allows employees to receive ongoing feedback on performance.
– Limeade: If you think about a modern employee experience model, wellness is the foundation. If employees are not well, productivity and performance are in jeopardy. Limeade provides solutions that promote wellness and mindfulness to benefit not only organizational goals but the overall employee experience. It also announced the acquisition of Sitrion, an employee communication tool, to further its commitment to the employee experience.
– meQuilibrium: If you haven’t heard of MeQuilibrium, it’s because this provider spent over two years developing its interactive solution before going to market. MeQuilibrium focuses on measuring resiliency and collecting data on how thoughts and feelings impact employee performance.
– Willis Towers Watson: The HR portal software is not a traditional HR Portal- it is a solution to employee communication and experience. This solution is personalized and branded to reflect company goals and objectives and includes case management, total rewards dashboards, and analytics. One financial services client with over 80,000 employees invested in the HR portal to increase employee participation in total rewards programs and showcase the company brand.
It is a good time to be in HR Technology. With providers looking to help solve business challenges and improve the experience of the individual, this market has come along way. This blog is just a snapshot of some of the announcements from last week. We would love to hear what interested you.
]]> https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/09/19/2018-hr-technology-conference-bridging-the-past-and-the-future/feed/ 0 1766 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/09/04/5-reasons-to-be-at-the-hr-technology-conference-expo/ https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/09/04/5-reasons-to-be-at-the-hr-technology-conference-expo/#respond Tue, 04 Sep 2018 06:18:32 +0000 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/?p=1764 There are hundreds of HR conferences every year – I get invited to at least that many. So how do you decide which ones are valuable? And once you decide to go, how do you make the most of it? No doubt these conferences can be helpful, inspiring, and motivating. But they can also be difficult to navigate, overwhelming, and an exercise in mutual flattery. This is true of every conference. But there are couple reasons why the good outweighs the effort that have kept me coming back to The HR Technology Conference for the last 10 years.
It’s still one of largest concentrations of HR experts, practitioners, suppliers, thought leaders, and buyers I know of. From everyone in the room being a virtual stranger, to not being able to walk 5 feet without finding someone I know and appreciate, the last 10 years for me have proven that the show is an important milestone each year when it comes to catching up with old friends meeting new ones, and marking the progress of products and careers.
It’s a place where innovation and impact matter. Perhaps nowhere more so than in The Next Great HR Technology It’s back again this year highlighting some of the most innovative and potentially game changing technologies in our space. It’s also hosted by five of the best people in our industry – who I’m also lucky enough to call friends – Ben Eubanks, Lance Haun, George LaRocque, Madeline Laurano, and Steve Boese. You do not want to miss their insight and advice.
The Women in Technology track at the event has been a huge and growing success. This year, under the guidance of Jeanne Achille, it has grown so much we had to move most sessions into bigger rooms just this week. I’m lucky enough to be hosting a panel on pay equity this year, which should raise some interesting questions, and hopefully a few answers.
Another advantage of the show is the huge expo floor, filled with vendors of all sizes, both with booths and without. It’s one of the few places you can talk to an executive from one software company and then talk to their competitor three minutes later and really compare and contrast not only the solutions, but the team and culture of an organization in real time.
I like humans, and I like getting to interact with them in a human way. We don’t get to do that a lot in our business. So many of us travel, work remotely, and are scattered across the globe. It’s nice to have a recurring place where we all show up and have a chance to interact as human beings – at least for a few days.
So, I will be there at the HR Technology Conference next week, and I hope to see most of you there as well. If you’re looking to meet up or pick my brain, hit me up on Twitter @mollielombardi, and enjoy the show!
]]> https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/09/04/5-reasons-to-be-at-the-hr-technology-conference-expo/feed/ 0 1764 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/08/22/hr-stuff-you-should-know-the-usual-and-not-so-usual-suspects/ https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/08/22/hr-stuff-you-should-know-the-usual-and-not-so-usual-suspects/#respond Wed, 22 Aug 2018 12:08:45 +0000 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/?p=1760 The Usual Suspects
There has continued to be tremendous investment in the HR technology space over the summer. This is included some very large transactions, such as Workday’s $1.55 billion acquisition of Adaptive Insights, and ADP’s acquisition of Celergo for an undisclosed amount. Growth investments continued as well, with talent management platform ClearCompany raising its first investment round of $60 million, along with an announced expansion of its partnership with ADP. Additionally, recruiting powerhouse iCIMS received an undisclosed investment from Vista Equity during an already busy year in which they acquired TextRecruit and expanded their relationship with ADP and Ultimate.
There have also been a number of other transactions that are bringing attention to some sometime smaller, lesser-known solutions. And given the current talent market, it’s probably not surprising to note that many of these investments reflect increasing focus on how employers brand themselves in the marketplace, and use compensation and benefits to attract and retain the talent they need.
The Not so Usual
Perkspot. This organization, focused on securing exclusive perks and savings discounts for employees, received a $50 million investment from Susquehanna. There is a lot of competition in this space, but continued interest from employers in innovative ways to keep employees on board has made the idea of discounting things they use in everyday life intriguing.
meQuilibrium. In a significantly smaller transaction, meQuilibrium took a $7 million series C investment to further their efforts in building organizational and individual resiliency. They also recently hired industry veterans Neal Bruce and Kerry Smith to look after product and customer success, respectively. Expect to see that $7 million fuel increased efforts to gain visibility in the market, if Bruce and Smith’s influence is headed.
Gusto. Gusto’s latest round of investment brought in over $140 million from a group of new investors, bringing its total investment over $300 million. Gusto is an HCM platform aimed at the small and midmarket, but has a strong position and heritage in payroll and benefits. They frame one of their key differentiators as the ability to bring benefits once only available to large companies to smaller organizations.
Salary.com. With its announced acquisition of Compdata, Salary gains additional expertise in compensation surveys and consulting services, and Compdata is able to leverage the technical expertise of Salary.com, bringing together much-needed services and technology for organizations thinking about compensation.
Reward Gateway. With its acquisition of Brand Integrity for an undisclosed amount, Reward Gateway hopes to expand its employee engagement platform and solutions further into the US market. The acquisition also brings many marquee brands into the Reward Gateway family.
What does it mean?
This latest round of investment and acquisitions raised three key thoughts for me.
Investment is not anywhere near slowing down
The big players are getting bigger, not just by acquisition, but by firming up ecosystem partnerships that put them center stage in the buyer relationship.
In an effort to differentiate themselves as employers, buyers may reach a state of confusion when trying to differentiate among the many providers vying to help them deliver the employee experience that will help them attract and retain talent.
As we enter September, hang on tight. It’s going to be a whirlwind of fall conferences. And I will be keeping up to date here with the HR Stuff You Should Know.
]]> https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/08/22/hr-stuff-you-should-know-the-usual-and-not-so-usual-suspects/feed/ 0 1760 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/08/19/where-im-going-and-where-ive-been/ https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/08/19/where-im-going-and-where-ive-been/#respond Mon, 20 Aug 2018 01:59:49 +0000 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/?p=1757 July and August have been flying by. Here’s my quick round up on what I’ve been doing, and where I’m going to be this fall. Stay tuned for the latest installment of HR Stuff You Should Know in the next few days as well. Investors have been busy too!
Where I’ve Been
Payday Podcast. I had the opportunity to talk with David Barak of Cloudpay about how technological innovation and FinTech are disrupting global payroll. We discuss on-demand pay, benefits like student loan repayment or access to credit, and the localization of global payroll practices.
Fast Company. I love working with people who push me and make me smarter. Working with Terra Vicario, CMO at Viventium on our article, “5 Unspoken Rules of Being a Manager” was one of those experiences. Being picked up by Fast Company was the icing on the cake. My favorite is Rule 4: “You are the designated explainer.”
OurTime Radio. Speaking of people who make me smarter, I had a great time with Jason Averbook and Kim Heger of LeapGen on their new live internet radio program. We talked about essentialism, why we’re afraid to talk about compensation, the future of work, and the great work we’re doing with HR Gives Back.
Where I’m Going
Women in Tech Conference. I have the privilege of moderating a panel on pay equity with a group of amazing women from Best Money Moves, Electronic Arts, and Salary.com during the Women in Tech program on Sept 11. This prequel to the HR Technology Conference is not to be missed.
HR Tech. I’m thrilled to be a part of the new market landscape track at the HR Technology Conference. I am speaking the morning of September 12 on The Payroll Landscape and how to find the right technology and solution partners to enable strategic payroll.
HR Gives Back. This year’s HR Gives Back effort officially launches on September 23, but be sure to stay tuned to our website and follow us on Twitter (@hrgivesback) for a big announcement coming this week about this year’s fundraiser.
I will also be at industry events throughout the fall talking about the changing benefits landscape, the integration of timekeeping and payroll, and the changing nature of the employer employee relationship. I’m already exhausted just thinking about it. See you out on the road!
]]> https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/08/19/where-im-going-and-where-ive-been/feed/ 0 1757 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/08/07/six-strategies-for-improving-recruitment-marketing/ https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/2018/08/07/six-strategies-for-improving-recruitment-marketing/#respond Wed, 08 Aug 2018 03:54:20 +0000 https://www.aptituderesearchpartners.com/?p=1752 Recruitment marketing is one of the fastest growing areas of HR technology with nearly 70% of enterprise companies investing in some capabilities. It is a popular topic and one that tends to focus on some obvious trends CRM, career sites, and analytics. Companies want solutions that will help them attract talent before they apply for a job.
The challenge is that most companies have very little understanding of what recruitment marketing is and how to evaluate and select a partner. Building a business case can be a challenge when companies feel overwhelmed with a lot of product and a lot of use cases. Some companies need to start out small and consider strategies that can help to bring immediate benefits to recruitment marketing initiatives. These strategies may not be the most obvious but they are simple to adopt.
Today, I am presenting on a webinar with Stephen Schwander, Director of Client Solutions at Talemetry, to address six innovative trends in recruitment marketing that are practical and easy to implement including:
• Communication: How texting directly with candidates optimizes response rates
• Personalization: How personalized content empowers the candidate journey and builds ongoing relationships
• Feedback: How sharing and reviewing feedback earlier on prospective talent provides an expedited and higher quality recruitment process
• Insights: How gaining insight and visibility into career site visitor behavior can empower recruiting teams to segment candidates and nurture the most engaged talent
• Machine Learning: How Google machine learning can maximize career site traffic and engagement to increase candidate conversion
• Candidate Conversion: How improving candidate conversion on Indeed can increase overall application volume
Recruitment marketing doesn’t have to be a future goal. It can be an immediate goal and something your company can start working on today.
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