Time is Running Out to Close the Widening Skills Gap, Reveals New Research from TrueBlue’s PeopleScout in Partnership with Spotted Zebra

Study reveals 90 percent of HR leaders believe that half of their workforce will need to be reskilled in the next five years

23 January 2024 – TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI), a leading provider of specialised workforce solutions, today announced the results of a comprehensive study from leading recruitment process outsourcing provider PeopleScout, a TrueBlue company, and Spotted Zebra, an award-winning HR tech company. The study’s findings demonstrate the surprising conclusion that nine out of 10 HR leaders believe that up to 50 percent of their workforce will need to be reskilled in the next five years, with only seven percent reporting an active investment in their reskilling programs.

Global Labour Trends & the Skills Countdown

The pivotal research report, The Skills Crisis Countdown, offers an unprecedented look into the evolving workforce skills landscape and the growing disconnect between employee capabilities and business needs that highlights the importance of adopting a skills-based talent acquisition and management strategy. An estimated 85 million jobs could go unfilled by 2030 that will cost $8.5 trillion in lost revenue, according to The World Economic Forum. The report indicates talent shortages are the most widespread across industries including education, hospitality, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing. Approximately 80 percent of organisations reported their top workforce challenge is recruiting skilled talent, followed by retaining key personnel and upskilling current employees.

Employers are Ill-Prepared for the Future

Global trends like automation, AI adoption, the green economy and workforce demographic shifts are rapidly changing the skills needed for jobs, making skills gaps and shortages more acute. Despite this essential need for skills alignment, companies continue to prioritise degrees and experience over skills when making hiring decisions. This may be rooted in an overall unfamiliarity with skills-based talent strategies, as one in two HR leaders admitted to lacking an understanding of skills-based practices that would support these workforce strategies.

“As a trusted talent advisor to a vast portfolio of clients across almost all industries, we are seeing that the widening skills gap is one of the top challenges facing organisations today,” said Rick Betori, President of PeopleScout & EVP of TrueBlue. “This new research is a critical step in understanding the current disconnect between the demands of the future workforce and traditional hiring practices, ultimately emphasising why skills-based talent strategies are now mission critical for an organisation’s long-term success.”

Technology Accelerates the Skills Conversation

Technology adoption is accelerating the need to evolve skills, with 50 percent of HR leaders anticipating that job roles at their organisations will transform due to shifts in required skill sets. However, the report reveals another disparity regarding perceived importance of technology skills. Despite skyrocketing demand, both employers and employees undervalue skills in technology, ranking it second to last when asked which skills are most important for the future. Furthermore, 34 percent of employers lack any plans for workforce adoption of automation and AI.

“In just a few short months, GAI went from an abstract concept to a tangible force with dramatic impacts worldwide. Skills profiles across industries have already changed dramatically and will continue to evolve rapidly,” said Simon Wright, Global Head of Talent Advisory Consulting of PeopleScout. “This research reveals that many HR leaders are not ready for this transformation. Closing the widening skills gap will require better alignment on the importance of tech literacy.”

Becoming a Skills-Based Organisation

“Skills-based talent strategies are essential, and the clock is ticking for employers across all regions and industries,” said Nick Shaw, Founder & Chief Customer Officer of Spotted Zebra. “Without future-focused skills strategies for both hiring and development, organizations will suffer lost revenue and productivity when critical jobs are left unfilled.”

Shaw and Wright will present the research findings in a webinar on Thursday, 1 February 2024, at 11 am CST. Register for the webinar here.

The PeopleScout report combined data from more than 2,000 employees surveyed across Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America and insights from a statistically significant number of senior Human Resources and Talent Acquisition leaders from organizations around the world, across sectors and sizes.

Download the full report here for more survey findings and actionable insights for employers.

About TrueBlue

TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI) is a leading provider of specialised workforce solutions that help clients achieve business growth and improve productivity. In 2022, TrueBlue served 84,000 clients and connected approximately 611,000 people to work. Its PeopleReady segment offers on-demand, industrial staffing; PeopleManagement offers contingent, on-site industrial staffing and commercial driver services; and PeopleScout offers recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) and managed service provider (MSP) solutions to a wide variety of industries. Learn more at trueblue.com.

About PeopleScout

PeopleScout, a TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI) company, is a leading RPO provider managing talent solutions that span the global economy, with end-to-end MSP and talent advisory capabilities supporting total workforce needs. PeopleScout boasts over 90% client retention managing the most complex programs in the industry. The company’s forward-looking talent professionals provide clients with the edge in the people business by consistently delivering now while anticipating what’s next. Affinix™, PeopleScout’s proprietary talent acquisition platform, empowers faster engagement with the best talent through an AI-driven, consumer-like candidate experience and optimises the talent process through data and actionable insights. Leveraging the power of data gleaned from engaging millions of candidates and contingent associates every year, PeopleScout has served clients in more than 70 countries with headquarters in Chicago, Sydney and London and global delivery centres in Toronto, Montreal, Bristol, Krakow, Gurgaon and Bangalore. For more information, please visit www.peoplescout.com.

About Spotted Zebra

Spotted Zebra empowers organisations to make skills-based decisions throughout the entire talent lifecycle—from hiring to reskilling to succession planning. Its skills-based workforce management platform features three applications—the award-winning Hiring application for skills-based recruitment; the Mobility application for reskilling; and the Development application for succession planning. Spotted Zebra was founded in 2020 by repeat founder and internet entrepreneur Ian Monk and qualified occupational psychologist and former MD of SHL Nick Shaw. Find out more at spottedzebra.co.uk.

Press Contact

Taylor Winchell
Senior Manager, External Communications
pr@trueblue.com
+1-253-680-8291

[Webinar On-Demand] The Ticking Talent Clock: Is Time Running Out to Address the Skills Crisis?

[Webinar On-Demand] The Ticking Talent Clock: Is Time Running Out to Address the Skills Crisis?

With the rapid advancement of AI, accelerated digitalisation and the greening of the economy, businesses are grappling with the changing nature of work—how we work and the types of jobs we do. In fact, a new research report from PeopleScout and Spotted Zebra, The Skills Crisis Countdown, reveals that nine in 10 HR leaders believe that up to half of their workforce will need new skills to perform their jobs in the next five years. Yet, only less than one in 10 say they are actively investing in reskilling programs.

Are HR leaders running out of time?

Join PeopleScout’s Global Head of Talent Consulting Simon Wright and Spotted Zebra’s Chief Customer Officer Nick Shaw as they delve into the key findings from the research, lay bare the skills crisis and show why the clock is ticking for HR leaders.

In the webinar, Simon and Nick cover:

  • How organisations are addressing the mismatch in skills demand and supply
  • The current state of skills utilisation, skills-based hiring and the need to expand talent pools
  • Strategies for improving talent mobility (including case studies and success stories)
  • Practical steps you can take to transition to a skills-focused model
  • And more!

 

Less Than Two in 10 Job Seekers Rate Their Recent Recruitment Process Experience as Excellent

PeopleScout’s latest research reveals hard truths about candidate expectations versus the reality of their experiences  

25 January 2023 – Today’s job market is experiencing a clear disparity between candidate expectations and the reality they face when searching for and applying for jobs, according to a recent report by leading recruitment process outsourcing provider PeopleScout, a TrueBlue company. Survey findings showed that less than two in 10 candidates would rate their experience as “excellent”—a clear indicator that expectations for their job search are not being met by employers. The global research report, Inside the Candidate Experience, surveyed over 2,400 job seekers and analysed 217 companies around the globe to see how employers stacked up against candidate expectations.  

Technology, social media and lightning-fast consumer experiences have driven job seekers to expect seamless, quick, digital-first experiences. For employers to succeed in this market, they must deliver the same intuitive and personalised experience. For example, survey results showed that two-thirds of candidates use social media to research companies during their job search. Yet, a third of employers are not consistently posting career-related content to their social channels.  

Job seekers also showed a desire to make an emotional connection with prospective employers. The study revealed that an organisation’s mission, purpose and values are top considerations for candidates when deciding whether to apply for a job. Yet less than half of organisations include this information on their career site. Also, 35% of employers do not feature real employees in their recruitment material.  

In addition, candidates want to know that applying to an organisation is worth their time and effort. Of those surveyed, 21% of candidates said lack of information regarding next steps would make them likely to drop out of the process after applying, but less than two in 10 employers provided candidates with those details. Plus, only 30% of employers clearly stated that adjustments were available for candidates with disabilities prior to starting an application. 

“In my conversations with talent acquisition leaders, it’s clear organisations understand the importance of the candidate experience, yet our research reveals that employers have a long way to go to meet candidates’ expectations,” said Simon Wright, PeopleScout’s Head of Global Talent Advisory Consulting. “PeopleScout strives to make the recruitment process as seamless as possible for both parties, and our hope is that this serves as a rallying cry for employers to get serious about making improvements to their candidate experience, especially as hiring has become so challenging.”   

Download PeopleScout’s full report here for more survey findings and actionable insights for employers. 

Press Contact 
Taylor Winchell 
Senior Manager, External Communications 
pr@trueblue.com 
+1-253-680-8291 

PeopleScout Named a 2022 Global Leader in Recruitment Process Outsourcing by Everest Group for Fourth Consecutive Year

Everest Group also recognised PeopleScout as a Major Contender in EMEA 

PeopleScout has been named a Leader in Everest Group’s Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022 for the fourth consecutive year. In addition, PeopleScout was also named a Major Contender in Everest Group’s debut RPO PEAK Matrix for EMEA. 

“PeopleScout continues to improve its value proposition by expanding its client portfolio across multiple industries, improving its delivery footprint, and investing in its Affinix platform”, said Aniruddha Kulkarni, Practice Director, Everest Group. “Its ability to manage high volume recruitment programs, flexible and agile service delivery approach, and the capabilities of its Affinix platform helped it position as a Leader in Everest Group’s Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022 – Global.” 

Everest Group classifies RPO service providers into three ascending categories of Aspirants, Major Contenders and the highest designation, Leaders. Everest Group’s PEAK Matrix® framework assesses the market impact and overall delivery capability of RPO service providers. 

“As we continue to place our clients’ needs at the forefront, this designation by Everest Group is humbling validation of our commitment to fostering consultative, strategic partnerships with our clients,” said Taryn Owen, President & COO of PeopleReady and PeopleScout. “In addition, to be named a Major Contender in the EMEA market is incredibly encouraging as we continue to expand our global capabilities to help our clients around the world connect with the best talent.” 

Everest Group’s assessment of PeopleScout on this year’s PEAK Matrix highlighted the following key strengths:  

  • PeopleScout is one of the largest providers in the global RPO market, with a strong presence in North America and a growing presence in the UK and Asia Pacific markets. 
  • PeopleScout serves clients across all industries and has expertise in hiring both blue- and white-collar professionals. 
  • Referenced clients reported that recruitment expertise and relationship management capabilities were strengths of PeopleScout. 
  • PeopleScout’s proprietary talent acquisition technology Affinix was recognised as a strong technology ecosystem, which includes an AI sourcing tool used to screen candidates sourced from public sources, existing talent pools and clients’ existing employees as well as its automated high-volume, virtual onboarding and internal mobility solutions. 
  • PeopleScout’s Affinix Analytics platform provides extensive dashboards as per clients’ needs, including visibility into requisition data, applicant data demographics, organisational diversity metrics and market benchmark data.  

Everest Group’s research is based on three key sources of information: its database of approximately 4,100 RPO deals, the operational capability of the 37 assessed RPO service providers and ongoing buyer surveys and interactions. To be named a Leader, RPO providers must have the highest maturity levels in market impact, vision and capability. 

To learn more about the RPO Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022 visit the Everest Group website

PeopleScout Named a Leader in All Categories in NelsonHall’s 2021 NEAT Vendor Evaluation for RPO

PeopleScout identified as a global leader for the fourth year in a row, recognised for global footprint, candidate experience and talent technology 

Chicago – January 13, 2022 – PeopleScout has been recognised as a Leader, the highest rating, in every category of NelsonHall’s global 2021 NEAT Vendor Evaluation for RPO. The categories include: Geographic Footprint and Scalability, TA Transformation Journey, Innovation in Technology/Tools, Innovation in Service, as well as an Overall rating. 

Nikki Edwards, Principal HR Technology & Services Analyst, NelsonHall, said: “PeopleScout continues to evolve its next-generation programs, services, service delivery, and cutting-edge tech, leveraging creativity, innovation, and expertise to ensure that its total talent solutions are fit for purpose for today’s talent challenges.” 

NEAT is NelsonHall’s vendor evaluation and assessment tool, offering companies around the world a comprehensive assessment of vendors’ offerings and capabilities. The NEAT for RPO allows strategic sourcing managers to assess the capability of vendors across a range of criteria and business situations to identify the best performing vendors overall, with specific capability in technology/tools innovation, services innovation, candidate experience, geographic footprint and scalability, and taking clients on a talent acquisition transformation journey.  

“Our commitment to providing our customers with best-in-class customer service and innovative talent solutions has never been stronger,” said Taryn Owen, PeopleReady and PeopleScout President & COO. “As we look to what’s next, we will continue to optimise our ability to partner with our clients to help them solve their toughest talent challenges through the right combination of insight, human touch, and next-generation technology.” 

Highlights from NelsonHall’s evaluation of PeopleScout on the 2021 NEAT Vendor Evaluation include the company’s: 

  • Broad range of existing and new RPO, and more widespread talent solutions, including those established for working in COVID-19 world 
  • Deep expertise in Talent Advisory services, notably employer branding, assessment, recruitment marketing, and the future of work consulting  
  • Global footprint across North America, EMEA and APAC through the 2018 acquisition of TMP Holdings LTD and previous acquisitions 
  • Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, notably in pairing technology and talent advisory services for recruitment marketing and employer branding to deliver results  
  • Technology innovation, notably its comprehensive set of enhancements to its next-generation Affinix platform, including advanced use of automation, AI, and ML; Affinix Analytics with its Ask Affinix feature; and its roadmap of technology and tools to augment Affinix 
  • Unified approach to operational delivery and technology platforms and greater TrueBlue brand collaboration in tailored solutioning for clients. 

A Leader designation on the NEAT vendor evaluation is based on a combination of analyst assessments and feedback from RPO vendor clients. Interviews with clients focus on measuring the vendor’s ability to deliver immediate benefit as well as evaluating the vendor’s suitability to meet future requirements.   

Learn more about PeopleScout’s 2021 NelsonHall NEAT Vendor Evaluation by downloading the full report

About NelsonHall 
NelsonHall is the leading global analyst firm dedicated to helping organisations understand the ‘art of the possible’ in digital operations transformation. With analysts in the U.S., U.K., and Continental Europe, NelsonHall provides buy-side organisations with detailed, critical information on markets and vendors (including NEAT assessments) that helps them make fast and highly informed sourcing decisions. And for vendors, NelsonHall provides deep knowledge of market dynamics and user requirements to help them hone their go-to-market strategies. NelsonHall’s research is based on rigorous, all-original research, and is widely respected for the quality, depth, and insight of its analysis. 

About PeopleScout  
PeopleScout, a TrueBlue (NYSE:TBI) company, is a leading RPO provider managing talent solutions that span the global economy, with end-to-end MSP and talent advisory capabilities supporting total workforce needs. PeopleScout boasts 97% client retention managing the most complex programs in the industry. The company’s thousands of forward-looking talent professionals provide clients with the edge in the people business by consistently delivering now while anticipating what’s next. Affinix™, PeopleScout’s proprietary talent acquisition platform, empowers faster engagement with the best talent through an AI-driven, consumer-like candidate experience and optimises the talent process through data and actionable insights. Leveraging the power of data gleaned from engaging millions of candidates and contingent associates every year, PeopleScout enhances talent intelligence for clients across more than 70 countries with headquarters in Chicago, Sydney and London and global delivery centres in Toronto, Montreal, Bristol, Krakow, Gurgaon and Bangalore. For more information, please visit www.peoplescout.com.  
 
Press Contact: 
Sarah Katz Candelario 
Vice President of Marketing and Communications 
skatz@peoplescout.com 

PeopleReady President, Taryn Owen, Expands Role to Lead PeopleScout

Expansion of Owen’s role to focus on driving ongoing digital transformation and delivery model enhancements across both PeopleReady and PeopleScout brands

TACOMA, Wash.— Sept. 22, 2021—   Today, TrueBlue announced that PeopleReady President, Taryn Owen, has also been named President of the staffing leader’s RPO brand, PeopleScout. This marks a significant expansion of Owen’s current role. Owen will lead the ongoing mission-driven digital transformation of both businesses to connect people and work. The segments will continue to operate as independent brands with separate teams.

Owen has been with TrueBlue since 2010. Before being appointed President of PeopleReady in December 2019, Owen served as President of PeopleScout from 2013 to 2019. Over her tenure as PeopleScout President, Owen led the organization through a period of substantial growth, global expansion, and the launch of its award-winning Affinix™ talent technology. Owen has assumed leadership for PeopleScout from outgoing President Brannon Lacey. Lacey has stepped down to become the CEO of a private equity-backed technology company.

Since becoming PeopleReady President in 2019, Owen has spearheaded the company’s pandemic response and digital transformation. This includes the ongoing elevation of its JobStack™ app, delivery models, and brand to make it faster and easier than ever before to connect people and work.

“Taryn’s track record of success at TrueBlue and with our PeopleReady and PeopleScout brands, combined with her deep expertise in recruiting and staffing, strategic vision, and proven ability to drive digital transformation, perfectly position her to lead these brands forward,” said TrueBlue CEO Patrick Beharelle. “We have incredible talent at all levels of both organizations, are executing on our strategic plans, and are excited to drive more value for our customers and more opportunities for our people as we build on our strong results in the first half of the year.”

Owen has been recognized for her industry leadership with numerous awards, including annual appearances on the Staffing Industry Analysts’ (SIA) Staffing 100, the SIA Global Power 150 Women in Staffing, and the HRO Today HR Superstars lists.

About TrueBlue
TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI) is a leading provider of specialized workforce solutions that help clients achieve business growth and improve productivity. In the past year, TrueBlue connected more than 490,000 people with work. Its PeopleReady segment offers on-demand, industrial staffing, PeopleManagement offers contingent, on-site industrial staffing and commercial driver services, and PeopleScout offers recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) and managed service provider (MSP) solutions to a wide variety of industries. Learn more at www.trueblue.com.