Craig Oliver

What are some of the challenges UK agency recruiters face when moving into US market? 1. Broad approach and not a true specialist. Must be ultra niche, focus on growth areas and build pools of specialist talent. Get your GTM right. 2. Avoiding IR: Most US companies have an established internal rec team so need to partner with IR rather than going around them - agencies can help fill the 2-10% of roles prospects may be struggling with 3. Undervaluing your service: Based on above the perceived value is higher leading to Perm fees of around 25% and contract margin over 35%. Often increased appetite for retainers and projects. 4. Treating the US like it is one location: America is actually 50 states and compares more to Europe in size. Have an area of focus. 5. Underestimating the importance of compliance: US can be a legal minefield so clients want to be sure you are 100% compliant - prove it. There are so many more so what have you experienced?

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When experiencing rapid growth, the business case for RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) is almost a dumb-not-to proposition: on-demand recruiters joining as an extension of your team on short notice, flexibility to scale up/down and turn on/off as hiring fluctuates, that's cost-effective compared to agencies, access to technology, etc, to name a few. During periods of uncertainty, like we have today, the use cases for RPO tend to revolve more around flexibility. Many Talent Acquisition Departments had to go through layoffs over the past 2 years and are running very lean. Here are some scenarios that we've been supporting customers with during this time period: - Adding temporary support during Q1 hiring budgets being set and an initial hiring frenzy - Adding fractional support (20hrs/week) for a handful of extra roles - Recruiting team is strong in one area but the team needs support in another area. (IE strong operations recruiters but influx of technical hiring needs) - Unplanned Recruiter turnover: Recruiter quits, fired, etc - Planned Maternity/Paternity Leave - Not wanting to add fixed overhead/full-time recruiters due to build-up/layoff cycles of the past 4 years and find a partner to keep things augmented - Larger organizations needing an external 'floater' team to be allocated as back-up to various departments, worksite locations, or even countries. These are some of the ways dynamic TA/HR Leaders are getting work done including leveraging a unique partner. 2025 is looking brighter, no doubt, but there are many risks to our market that are leaving business leaders in a position that prioritizes flexibility and needing to look at unique ways to operate their TA function. #rpo #chiefpeopleofficer #talentacquisition #chro

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AI is replacing recruitment sourcing, screening, and admin. But it’s also widening the gap between generalists and specialists. Because in a hiring market flooded with noise... 🟣 Domain depth beats CV spraying 🟣 AI can’t build trust in niche talent pools 🟣 The best talent will only engage with recruiters who actually understand what they do We see it daily: ➡️ Clients want experts who get the domain ➡️ Candidates ignore generic outreach ➡️ Specialist recruiters are winning while generalists blame the market The future will be generated by experts. The wrong recruiter can cost you the right opportunity or the right candidate.

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"We use a PSL" 🥱 Many companies rely on a Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for hiring, this can seriously hurt your chances of securing top talent in niche areas! Here’s why: 🔍 Niche roles require specialist knowledge. Generalist recruiters on your PSL may not have access to the right network—or even fully understand the role. 💡 Speed matters. The best candidates in specialised markets don’t stay on the market long. By the time your PSL catches up, top talent is gone. 📉 You limit innovation. New, agile, and highly-specialised agencies aren’t on your PSL—but they often have the most relevant connections. 🤝 True partnerships > compliance. Hiring managers need flexibility to engage with recruiters who truly get the market, not just the ones on an approved list. Bottom line: If you're hiring for niche or hard-to-fill roles, it might be time to rethink the PSL-first approach. The cost of missing the right hire can far outweigh the comfort of sticking to the list. #Hiring #Recruitment #TalentAcquisition #NicheRoles #PSL #HiringStrategy #FutureOfWork

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