A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

In the two years since COVID-19 first swept the globe, we have experienced drastic and lasting impacts on the world of work. Health and safety concerns have fluctuated, labor market challenges persist and economic recovery remains uneven. As we continue to face an uncertain world, we are committed to leveraging what we have learned over the past two years to remain flexible and nimble to help you stay ahead of the latest challenges.

As your trusted advisor, we do not want you to face these challenges alone—instead, we hope you will bring us your big problems so we can solve them together. At PeopleScout, our clients are at the center of all we do, and our partnerships with you are paramount.

This issue of PeopleScout NEXT will provide you with the valuable insights you need to address the latest labor market trends. You will find the content is divided into three sections: Now: Building a Modern DE&I Program; New: Prioritizing Candidate & Employee Engagement in a Challenging Labor Market; and Next: Evolving Talent Technology & Programs for 2022.

In today’s candidate-driven market, employers must focus on what matters to workers—inclusiveness, accommodation and exceptional experience. The articles in this issue address how employers can put these priorities at the forefront in 2022.

Keeping DE&I at the center of recruiting strategies remains critical. While we have come a long way in increasing diversity in the workplace, as outlined in our article paying homage to the history of African Americans in the workforce, today’s landscape requires a more modern approach that challenges the traditional methods of recruiting for diversity and leverages data to achieve your organization’s DE&I goals. The articles in this issue strike a balance between looking back to appreciate the progress that has been made and looking ahead to equip talent professionals with the tools they need to take their DE&I strategies into the future.

The Great Resignation remains a primary challenge for today’s employers. As workers continue to leave their jobs in record numbers, creating a historically tight labor market, talent acquisition professionals have one of two options: find more candidates or improve employee retention. Articles in this issue offer a combination of both. Our experts share strategies for increasing employee engagement as a means of increasing employee loyalty and reducing turnover and explore an often untapped, yet full of opportunity talent pool: boomerang employees—workers who voluntarily resign from your company and later rejoin. We also discuss the emerging trend of a remote contingent labor force as a solution for employers rethinking who performs the work and where, in their efforts to combat turnover and fill talent gaps.

We then look ahead to the evolution of talent programs and technologies with a Talking Talent Leadership Profile introducing Rick Betori, PeopleScout’s new managing director of the Americas, whose unique experience positions him to understand and achieve the right balance between innovative technology and human touch to solve the toughest talent problems. We conclude this issue by looking at additional strategies to address 2022 challenges and trends including building the ultimate tech stack, creating a globally dispersed talent network, and adapting assessment tools and processes to consider candidate passion, purpose and potential.

Thank you for being a part of the PeopleScout community. Please feel free to contact me or your PeopleScout partner directly to share your feedback on this issue of NEXT, discuss how we can support you in your talent acquisition efforts, or share anything else that may be on your mind.

From Now to Next,