In the past three years, we’ve seen the depths of pandemic job losses and drastic shifts in the talent market. As talent leaders, we’ve been inundated with new terms to describe the world of work—from “The Great Rehire” and the “Great Resignation” to “quiet quitting”.

But these catchphrases don’t offer any help to employers struggling with today’s very real talent challenges. And so, instead of trying to label the next “Great” in talent acquisition, at PeopleScout, we’re getting to work.

Now, it’s more important than ever to be intentional about your strategy—to step back, look at the lessons of the past few years and apply those learnings to your talent programs.

We are more than halfway through 2022 and the tight labor market persists. Trends initially associated with the pandemic—near record-level job openings, a lagging labor participation rate and increasing voluntary turnover—are becoming the new norm. On top of adapting to these labor market trends and the changed world of work, employers are faced with the stress of global uncertainty, rising inflation and an anticipated recession.

As your trusted talent advisors, we strive to minimize some of these challenges by staying ahead of market trends and partnering with you to ensure you have the workforce you need, today and in the future. In this issue of PeopleScout NEXT, we share tactics and strategies to help you overcome your greatest hiring obstacles and compete in today’s talent landscape.

It’s been two years since the COVID-19 pandemic first swept the globe, changing not only life as we knew it, but making drastic and lasting impacts on business and the world of work. Health and safety concerns have fluctuated, labor market challenges continue to stymie production and economic recovery remains uneven.

As we continue to face an uncertain world, we must leverage what we have learned over the past two years—to remain flexible and nimble, stay ahead of the latest challenges and find creative ways to solve new problems. This Q1 2022 issue of PeopleScout NEXT will provide you with the valuable insights you need to address the latest labor market trends.

The talent acquisition landscape has drastically changed over the past year. Job openings and resignations are at record highs, hybrid work and hybrid hiring strategies are on the rise and diversity, equity and inclusion remain key areas of focus for many employers.

At PeopleScout, we endeavor to stay ahead of these key trends. In this Q3/Q4 2021 issue of PeopleScout NEXT, we explore the opportunities talent leaders can find in a challenging market. In this issue, you’ll find insights on hybrid work models and hybrid hiring strategies to set candidates and employees up for success and to help employers respond to the changing expectations of the workforce.

As global economies recover from the impact of the pandemic, employers find themselves navigating new challenges recruiting talent amid the Great Rehire. With job openings at an all-time high, diversity and inclusion continuing to drive workplace transformation and an increased need for agile workforce solutions, it has never been more important for talent acquisition leaders to remain on top of current trends.

At PeopleScout, we keep a keen eye on key talent trends emerging across RPO, MSP, and Total Workforce Solutions as the industry shifts to keep up with new challenges. We are seeing an increased focus on flexibility as hybrid and project-based models take center stage. And, as organizations look to future-proof their workforces, the move to total talent has been accelerated, with technology solutions at the helm.

This issue of NEXT provides insights into these essential topics and more to help leaders as they continue ramping up hiring in response to the pandemic recovery.

The COVID-19 pandemic and societal shifts of the past year continue to transform the global talent landscape and the workplace at large. Challenges and opportunities abound, from the continued shortage of qualified candidates to the looming Great Rehire, as well as the proliferation of new technologies to support the recruitment process.

At PeopleScout, we are already seeing a heightened focus on talent technology, full RPO and project recruiting programs to handle demand as hiring returns. We are also seeing growing interest in total workforce solutions as many organizations leverage temporary or other contingent roles for greater flexibility.

This issue of NEXT dives into those important topics and others relevant to the current climate, including insights and expectations for the Great Rehire and the strategies and tools talent acquisition leaders should consider while forming a post-pandemic hiring strategy.

2020 has presented unanticipated challenges in all areas of business—especially in talent acquisition.

At this time last year, talent professionals were strategizing ways to reach top talent in one of the most competitive labor markets in history. However, as a result of COVID-19, HR professionals and their organizations now face an unpredictable future, but there are a few things that remain certain: the importance of finding the right talent to meet your business needs and ensuring that you have the right tools and technology to connect with the best talent faster and safer.

In this Q3/Q4 2020 edition of PeopleScout NEXT, we provide insights into the most important talent acquisition and workforce management topics of today and continue to focus on the concepts we introduced earlier this year as a response to the way COVID-19 has reshaped our world.

As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. That’s why we’ve dedicated our special Q2 2020 digital edition of PeopleScout NEXT to topics related to COVID-19.

In this issue, we focus on three key concepts: Now: How to Be There for Employees During Times of Crisis; The New Normal: Adapting to a New Way of Working; and The Next Normal: Looking Ahead.

You’ll hear from PeopleScout Interim President Chip Holmes, along with several of our internal leaders and experts on key topics like transitioning to a virtual hiring solution, keeping employees engaged during a crisis and the importance of business continuity planning.

Technology continues to be top of mind in 2020. This issue explores trends that we predict will be critical this year and also takes a deep dive into two hot topics: automation and video interviewing.

Also in this issue, Jennifer Mattocks, new Executive Leader and Managing Director of the Americas, discusses why the idea of a fluid workforce combined with a total workforce approach is critical to strong talent pipelines. Jon Porter, UK Managing Director & Head of EMEA Operational Delivery discusses how Brexit is influencing the European talent market and other trends affecting the region. Kathryn Minshew, CEO and co-founder of The Muse, shares her insights on how to engage the next-generation workforce – and how Gen Z will affect the future of work

In addition to these features, you’ll find articles on the economic trends we expect to affect talent acquisition in 2020; hiring highly skilled workers; best practices for taking your talent program global; and how to manage change during a new talent program implementation.

In this issue, Liz Wiseman, The New York Times best-selling author of “Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter” shares how the best leaders can learn to get more out of their teams and how they can become multipliers themselves. Eric de los Santos – Associate General Counsel, Senior Director of Employment Law and the Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council shares his perspective on creating a culture of authenticity and inclusion. Madeline Laurano, talent analyst and founder of Aptitude Research, shared insights on the top talent acquisition and talent technology trends she is seeing through her qualitative and quantitative research. Dana Look-Arimoto, CEO of Phoenix5 and a mentor, advisor, speaker and change agent with more than 20 years of experience in the talent ecosystem shares insights to help you reshape the way you think about your onboarding experience.

In addition to these features, you’ll find articles on passive sourcing, digital recruitment marketing, the importance of soft skills, best practices for contract worker management and a global economic snapshot.

It is more clear than ever that your employer value proposition and how it comes to life in your employer brand is the catalyst for recruiting the best talent. We believe that your employer brand should underpin the entire candidate journey from attraction through assessment, onboarding and beyond. This issue features a section that is informed by the work we’re doing in our talent advisory practice. You will find articles on assessment and employer brand – including assessing for passion, purpose and a growth mindset and how to build and launch an employer value proposition and employer brand for the future.

In addition to these features, you’ll find articles on talent trends like prescriptive analytics, Google Jobs and how to recruit for retention – and for those with the right cultural fit for your organization. You’ll also hear from Jen Torres, our MSP Client Portfolio Leader. Jen addresses how advances in technology and the growing popularity of total workforce solutions programs are poised to transform the MSP industry.

In this issue, Linda Brenner from Talent Growth Advisors digs into why the future of Human Resources requires a focus on more strategic outcomes, and our own David Ludolph shares insights on the growing interest in total workforce solutions. We also explore key talent trends like ghosting in the workplace, how AI relates to bias in the hiring process and factors impacting the way employers interact with candidates.

Be sure to check out our Q&A with Andrew Wilkinson, our leader for Europe and Asia Pacific and former TMP UK CEO, about his first six months with PeopleScout and the insight-driven work happening in talent advisory.

Welcome to the first issue of PeopleScout NEXT—our new publication designed to provide you with the knowledge you need to go from advice to advantage.

As a community of talent acquisition and workforce management leaders, we are all focused on what’s next – the future of work, impending skills shortages and technological advances. The goal of PeopleScout NEXT is to provide you with both the big ideas and small steps you can take today to make sure you are set up for future success.

In this issue, you’ll find information on talent technology trends from AI and machine learning to big data and RPA. We explore how globalization, skills shortages and the transformation of talent will affect how you acquire talent today into tomorrow. We also look at factors that drive a superior candidate experience, including employer branding and digital recruitment marketing.