On September 11th and 12th, Bullhorn had the city of London fully engaged in the power of people at its sixth annual global staffing and recruiting conference.
Previously known as Bullhorn Live, Europe’s premier recruitment conference evolved this year by becoming Engage London 2018, part of Bullhorn’s Engage series, in order to better serve the wider recruitment industry. And just as it was at Engage Boston 2018, the theme of the London conference was about harnessing the power of people. As the recruitment industry constantly evolves with advancements in technology, agencies must keep in mind that their most powerful assets are, and always will be humans.
With Engage officially in the books, let’s take a look back at some of the social highlights from the Hilton London Metropole Hotel.
RIX Inspiration Board
One of the new additions to this year’s conference was the RIX Inspiration Board, where speakers and attendees shared what inspires them most in the recruitment industry. Attendees had the opportunity to share one of the proudest moments in their recruitment career, as well as what they wish they knew when they started their career in recruitment. The board was a big hit both days as many had the change to reflect on their careers as well as show off a bit of their artistic side.
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“Tiny Steps Across a Tightrope are Still Steps Forward”
Laura Kuenssberg, Political Editor at BBC, kicked off Engage London with an inspiring keynote covering the current state of politics, Brexit, and of course, the power of people.
The Role of Neuroscience in Recruitment
Following Laura’s keynote, attendees went to the first round of breakout sessions. In front of a packed room, Dr. Marcia Goddard, Neuroscientist and Manager of HR Science & Innovation at YoungCapital, shed light on technology as a servant. Marcia shared insights on the future of machine learning in recruitment and the role of the brain in the recruitment process.
Mergers and Acquisitions in Recruitment: Practical Considerations
In the past few years, private equity firms have made serious investments in the recruitment industry, and Engage compiled a power panel of industry influencers to break down why we’ve seen a surge of mergers and acquisitions in recruitment. The panel featured Yvette Cleland, CEO of Clinical Professionals; Tim Cook, CEO of Ngage; Saira Demmer, CEO of Ignata; and was moderated by Ryan Murphy, Bullhorn’s SVP of Global Enterprise.
“Great Farmers Reap What They Sow”
During an economy with more available job openings than workers to fill them, attracting and retaining candidates has never been more important. And with over 20 years of recruitment experience, Colin Donnery, CEO of FRS (Firm Relief Services), understands the value in building candidate relationships in a skills shortage. In his session, he discussed why technology is forcing agencies to move from a transactional to a relationship model.
The Importance of Reskilling
Shortly after, Bullhorn’s CEO, Art Papas, took the floor for his keynote on unlocking the power of people through reskilling. He asked attendees to consider how many interactions can and will be handled by computers and explained why reskilling employees is a phenomenal opportunity all agencies should explore.
Vision for Innovation
Before the Engage London party began, Matt Fischer, Bullhorn’s President and CTO, closed out day one with his Vision for Innovation, a session showcasing Bullhorn’s strategic roadmap that has become a staple of the international recruitment conference.
For more in-depth recap, check out Highlights from Engage London 2018.
Bullseye Awards Ceremony
Day two began with the first-ever International Bullseye Awards presented by Bullhorn and The Global Recruiter. The awards recognize individuals and organizations who have transformed their business through innovation and excellence in recruitment, leadership, and technology, and were hosted by RIX’s editor-in-chief, Vinda Souza, VP of Marketing Communications at Bullhorn. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners!
The Staffing Industry’s Reputation: A Crossfire Debate
Day two featured a unique debate between Ann Swain, CEO of APSCo Global, and John Nurthen, Executive Director of Global Research at SIA, with Vinda Souza as the moderator. The two took opposing stances debating whether the staffing industry has earned the reputation it deserves.
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The Impact of AI on the Workforce
Technology enthusiast and VP of Global Marketing at ManpowerGroup, Stacey Force, answered her session what many of us have been wondering for quite some time now, what kind of impact will AI have on recruiting, the global workforce, and the future trajectory of your agency?
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Navigating the Cultural Divide
Comprised of 44 unique countries with varying cultures, religions, and lifestyles, Europe is certainly considered to be incredibly diverse, but successfully managing cross-cultural workforces can often be a challenge. In this session, Saman Rahbar Tabrizi, Managing Director at Eurostaff, David Stott, VP of Enterprise International at Bullhorn, and John Hunter, Group MD at Hydrogen Group plc, discussed talent mobility and regional business challenges while navigating the cultural divide.
Paula Radcliffe’s Inspirational Closing Keynote
The incredible two-day event was capped off with a truly inspirational keynote from the greatest female distance runner of all time, marathon world record holder, Paula Radcliffe. Paula shared her experiences breaking record upon record, the resilience she had to keep pushing, and the power of teamwork.
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Engage London was widely successful, inspiring recruitment industry professionals from all around the world to network, learn, and build their businesses. Some of us are already looking forward to next year’s conferences! Aren’t you, too? Registration for Engage Boston 2019 and Engage London 2019 is now open.
