News - AMS

16 March 2023 — AMS, the global talent solutions business and Tesco Bank, which serves over 5 million customers in the UK, are proud to announce the establishment of a new 3-year partnership.

The partnership provides for the volume hiring of permanent customer service talent as well as delivering contingent workforce requirements for both professional contractors and interim roles.

Tesco Bank’s delivery of a great service to its banking, insurance and money services customers is central to this new partnership. AMS will embed a team of thirty-five talent experts within Tesco Bank’s operations across the UK. Aligning to the organisation’s core values and culture will enable AMS’s dedicated team to source, select and hire the best talent to support Tesco Bank’s current and future customers.

Sarah Ferreira, Client Operations Director at AMS said: “Our dedicated talent experts are excited to be partnering with the Tesco Bank team. From the outset of our conversations, it’s been clear that our shared values and focus on putting the customer first would deliver a partnership focussed on enabling Tesco Bank’s business success and progressing future careers. Putting the right people in the right roles is important to any organisation but it is especially important when those roles are the face of your organisation.”

Lynne Rennie-Smith, People Director, at Tesco Bank went on to comment: ‘Our customers are at the heart of everything we do at Tesco Bank, and our colleagues show great commitment in helping Tesco shoppers manage their money a little better every day. Joining forces with the talent experts at AMS will enable us to find the best diverse talent to help our customers.”

11 March 2023 — Latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed 311,000 jobs were added to the US economy in February with gains in leisure and hospitality, retail and health care. AMS, the global talent solutions business has warned businesses to be prepared to think flexibly about moving skills around their organizations as the competition for talent remains fierce.

Nicola Hancock, AMS Regional Managing Director, Americas said: “The U.S. labor market is the strongest it’s been in more than 50 years. There are less layoffs now than at any time in the 20 years before the pandemic. That said, some companies are still letting go of a small percentage of their workforce, mostly due to right sizing after an unprecedented hiring surge in 2021 and early 2022. On the other side of that, industries such as travel, and hospitality are still trying to hire back the talent they lost.

“In order to weather the uncertainty of the 2023 market, companies will need to scale up or down as needed. That means being flexible in moving talent around their organization, being willing to upskill or reskill workers, and being more flexible with all labor categories including gig workers and contractors.

“While we expect hiring to continue, we also expect companies to be more strategic in how they utilize their existing teams. We saw that intentionality pick up at the end of last year, as companies continued to be creative about how they engaged with talent to attract, hire, and retain them.”

3 February 2023 — AMS, the global talent solutions business, has appointed Sharon Bagshaw to its executive team as Regional Managing Director UK & Ireland.

Sharon joins AMS from the leadership team of technology and business services provider IBM where she was a UK Board Director. She brings with her over 30 years’ experience in technology outsourcing and complex business service delivery across industries as varied as financial services, pharmaceuticals, life sciences and the public sector. She has extensive experience in building strategic client relationships and leading high-performance teams in large complex outsourcing contracts which deliver sustainable growth.

Sharon also brings her deep knowledge and understanding of technology implementation and transformation as a driver for growth. She was a board member of TechUK and co-founder of “TechConnect”, a programme between the UK Government and TechUK which brought industry and Government early professionals together to collaborate on innovative ideas and solve real world issues.

This appointment further strengthens AMS’s executive leadership team which has recently welcomed US-based, former Study Group executive, Nikki Hall to the position of Chief People Officer and promoted AMS veteran, Jim Sykes, to the position of Global Managing Director, Operations.

Commenting on her appointment, Sharon said: “This is an exciting time to be joining the talent industry and I’m very proud to be heading up AMS’s experienced, market leading team across the UK & Ireland. The unique macro-economic environment means organisations are being ever more mindful of their workforce planning and hiring approach and are increasingly looking to augment these strategies with technology. I look forward to supporting new and existing clients to navigate this new talent climate in which skills shortages remain significant and the competition for talent fierce.”

David Leigh, Chief Executive Officer, AMS welcomed Sharon to her new role: “AMS’s leadership team has been further strengthened by Sharon’s appointment and by the significant technology-enabled, complex outsourced project experience she brings to our organisation. Talent strategy and workforce planning is a key enabler of business success and increasingly has the attention of C-suite leaders across various business functions. At AMS, talent is our world and our deep understanding of workforce planning as a part of wider business strategy leaves us well placed to support organisational leaders in this unique talent climate, enabling business success and progressing future careers.”

3 February 2023 — The latest US Bureau of Labor Market statistics published on February 3, 2023, demonstrated a huge and unexpected gain for the labor market with 517,000 jobs added in January and 11 million job openings.

Commenting on the latest statistics Nicky Hancock, Managing Director, Americas Region at AMS said: “Despite current predictions that the U.S. is on the cusp of a recession, we remain in one of the tightest labor markets in history. Companies haven’t been able to fill their skills gaps in years, so while some sectors have slowed down, companies are still desperately seeking to acquire certain skill sets.

Tech skills such as AI, cybersecurity and digital marketing are highest in demand. While the technology industry has made layoffs, these workers are finding new opportunities in other sectors such as life sciences, healthcare, hospitality, and travel. The airlines industry, for example, has promised more investment in tech this year to avoid technology failures.

Growth in these industries has yet to slow down, and companies are hungry for digital talent, but they must be prepared to adapt their employer brand proposition in order to attract new, digital talent to their workforce.

A big talent strategy in 2023 will focus on emerging talent. We’ve seen a 30% increase year-over-year in this area with our clients in the Americas. Because the labor market is so tight, companies are laser-focused on interns converting to full-time hires. That means recruiting strategies for students will concentrate on the intern candidate experience; more in-person, intimate events to attract students; and heavy social media engagement campaigns.

This year companies will also be increasing their upskilling and reskilling programs and retention strategies to hold on to the talent they already have. The biggest issue remains workforce participation which has been reducing since 1995. With 11 million job openings and 6m unemployed and a large skills gap within the employed population, organizations must be very intentional about their talent acquisition strategies.”

14 February 2023 — With the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealing that the number of vacancies fell on the quarter between November 2022 and January 2023, while the employment rate grew, AMS, the global talent solutions business, has warned businesses not to be complacent when it comes to investing in skills attraction and retention.

Steve Leach, Regional Managing Director, UK & Ireland at AMS commented: “Looking at the percentage increases or decreases over these quarterly periods arguably doesn't aid talent and skills strategies in the current climate. It’s too soon since the highs of last year and the constant record-breaking vacancy numbers to look at trends in this narrow way. What matters is what businesses are feeling, and they're showing continued difficulties hiring and retaining people. Candidate confidence is still high and the cost-of-living crisis is pushing people to move when they would've perhaps stayed in a role in normal circumstances. Consequently, the importance of employer branding is perhaps more crucial than ever, and companies need to ensure that their existing people – and those they hope to hire – have a positive experience of their brand.

“What the UK’s firms can’t afford now is a repeat of the talent investment withdrawal we saw both at the beginning of the pandemic, and in the 2008 financial crash. The talent climate is particularly volatile at the moment and the cards are still very much in the hands of the candidates. With forecasts from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr) now indicating that the UK will avoid a recession, firms need to invest in attracting and retaining talent and rebuilding skills to boast economic growth and rebuild Britain’s status as a skills powerhouse.”

7 February 2023 — AMS, the global talent solutions business, has promoted Jim Sykes to its executive team in the newly created role of Global Managing Director, Operations, leading Candidate Sourcing, Administration, Contingent Workforce Solutions, and Implementation & Transformation.

Jim’s career at AMS spans 18 years and includes time spent leading client solutions in multiple sectors, as well as managing AMS’s global sourcing capabilities. For the last six years, he has been instrumental in growing the Life Sciences sector and establishing AMS’s thought leadership approach in his role as Sector Managing Director. His considerable client focused experience will bring a unique and valuable perspective to AMS’s operations, building on the strong foundations already in place and adding greater value to clients.

This appointment further strengthens AMS’s executive team which last month also welcomed US-based Nikki Hall, a highly experienced HR and talent leader, to the newly created role of Chief People Officer.

These announcements follow a period of strong global growth for AMS which has included several significant acquisitions including HirePower and CnL Advisors in North America, FlexAbility in India, and The Up Group in Europe. Combined with organic growth, these acquisitions are enhancing AMS’s ability to service clients across the globe and bring its deep understanding of digital and technology innovations to help build talent strategies which contribute to business success.

Commenting on his appointment Jim said: “Organisations globally look to AMS to establish a competitive advantage through talent attraction and management. I’ve spent 18 years at AMS, really getting under the skin of our clients, their requirements, and how best to help them attract, engage, and hire the very best talent. This new role will allow me to bring this client understanding to our Operations teams who are already so passionate in helping to deliver exceptional Talent Acquisition programmes, differentiating our organisation from others in our industry, building our deep understanding of the global talent market and developing innovative talent solutions which add tangible value.”

David Leigh, Chief Executive Officer, AMS welcomed Jim to his new role: “At AMS, talent is our world. Our clients have come to rely on us to navigate a new talent climate in which skills shortages and intense competition for talent remains, despite the well documented economic headwinds. Part of our work also involves helping our clients map their workforces’ internal skills to enable career mobility, something we also take pride in as an organisation. It’s gratifying as a Chief Executive to be able to look to your existing expertise and be able to bring internal talent onto an executive team. Jim’s 18 years of experience at AMS and his passion for the talent industry will help us to deliver outstanding Talent Acquisition programmes which provide a truly differentiated approach for our clients and helps them to build workforces which enable business success.”

25 January 2023 — AMS, the global talent solutions business, has appointed Nikki Hall to its executive team in the newly created role of Chief People Officer. Based in Atlanta, USA, her appointment strengthens AMS’ executive leadership presence in North America and will support further growth in this important region.

Nikki joins AMS from the leadership team of the international education provider, Study Group, where she focused on building people and transformation programmes in support of the organization’s wider strategic objectives. She brings with her over 25 years’ experience of similar HR leadership roles with 13 years spent specifically in the talent industry and has a strong track record of delivering people strategies which have had a direct impact on growth, development and transformation.

Nikki’s appointment follows a period of strong global growth for AMS, especially in North America, where the team has expanded significantly in the last two years and is now over 2,000 strong. The recent acquisition of Toronto-based HirePower has broadened the organization’s footprint in the region and gives a platform to create a digital and technology sourcing and hiring center of excellence supporting clients in North America and across the globe.

Commenting on her appointment Nikki said: “As an HR professional it’s wonderful to be joining an organization which practises what it preaches to its clients. AMS has created a unique culture based on a strong core set of values which has helped them to achieve rapid growth in recent years. This is a talented leadership team with clear direction and shared vision and I’m looking forward to playing my part in delivering a people strategy which can support its next phase of growth.”

David Leigh, Chief Executive Officer, AMS welcomed Nikki: “AMS continues to perform strongly and it’s very satisfying that we can attract talent of Nikki’s quality to our executive team. This is an exciting time for AMS and for the talent industry more broadly. Companies around the world are focussed on delivering their growth potential and transformation objectives with people and workforce planning playing a key role in wider corporate strategy. AMS is well positioned to harness a new universe of talent for the world’s leading employers, and we must ensure our own people strategy is able to deliver our strategic goals. Having worked closely with Nikki before, I know first-hand that her experience and thoughtful approach as a Chief People Officer will be instrumental in helping us achieve our own growth plans in the Americas and globally.”

Innovative online tool provides talent leaders with professional analysis of talent acquisition technologies

19 January 2023, Cleveland, OH — AMS, a global provider of talent acquisition outsourcing and advisory services, announced today that AMS Verified, its innovative online talent technology analysis platform, has evaluated over 140 vendors and their associated software with more solutions continuously being added. The platform is free to both users and vendors and is now available to talent leaders who wish to assess the right talent tech solutions for their needs.

Launched in October 2022, AMS Verified uses a third-party assessment process to evaluate talent acquisition technology solutions and categorize them into 22 groups such as candidate attraction, interviewing tools and analytics. AMS Verified also provides members with access to AMS’s advisory services to help them confidently make technology decisions and optimize their talent tech stack. A convenient “Ask an Expert” button on the site provides members with easy access to advice from a knowledgeable AMS source.

“Technology is constantly evolving, which makes keeping up with the latest talent acquisition software products an overwhelming task for tech and business leaders who are already stretched thin. Our platform cuts through the noise to provide clear features, specifications and benefits, plus consultative services from our leading experts so that members can optimize their solutions. AMS Verified’s combination of tech expertise and human touch is what makes the platform so unique and will help members choose the right tech so they can attract the right talent,” said Jonathan Kestenbaum, Managing Director, Technology Strategy & Partners, AMS.

In addition to providing a professional analysis of the talent technology ecosystem, AMS Verified offers members a variety of unique features to help build a robust community on the platform. These include:

The capability to use keyword search and employ filters that are specific to talent acquisition, such as the type of hiring
The option to follow products and receive direct vendor updates when features are added or company news is announced
The ability to provide feedback on tech tools and share first-hand product experiences with the community
New features launched quarterly. The first one will allow members to obtain insights on their current talent tech stack and receive actionable recommendations from AMS. It’s scheduled to be released at the end of January.

To build the AMS Verified platform, AMS is working with trusted talent technology vendors to evaluate and validate their solutions through a rigorous vetting process. Once verified, vendors benefit from new sales opportunities and access to the latest market trends and data. They can also leverage customer feedback to improve their software. The more customer reviews a vendor receives, the more visibility they gain on the AMS Verified platform due to a ranking algorithm.

To arrange a demonstration of AMS Verified with one of our experts, please contact: samantha.chacon@weareams.com.

21 December 2022 — Talent outsourcing and advisory services provider, AMS, has launched an exclusive new partnership with leading workplace wellbeing platform, Unmind, to support the mental well-being of its UK and Ireland based contingent workforce during a difficult economy and a time of seasonal struggles.

Founded by clinical psychologist, Dr Nick Taylor, Unmind is a leading workplace wellbeing platform created to help businesses build better wellbeing strategies with science-backed tools that enhance work and life. It uses content created in collaboration with the world’s top clinicians, authors, and academics, combining the latest research from psychology, therapy, mindfulness, and neuroscience.

Through the platform, AMS’s contingent workers can now access an unlimited range of evidence-based tools to support mental health and wellbeing, including interactive courses, daily in-the-moment exercises, and science-backed assessments to help with areas including sleep, physical health and coping with life stressors. AMS extended workforce will also have the opportunity to invite a friend or family member to enjoy the benefits of Unmind. They will also be among the first to benefit from Unmind’s content being accessible in multiple languages.

Steve Leach, AMS Regional Managing Director, UK and Ireland said: “The pandemic really pushed the importance of mental well-being to the fore of talent strategies, but contingent workers can often be left behind in these discussions. In a tough economic climate, the extended workforce will have their resilience and mental health tested and they often don’t have the in-company support that permanent talent can access. With the winter months also a difficult time for some – including those who are struggling with SAD – now is a really crucial time to offer any help we can to our contingent workers. This partnership with Unmind means we can give back to the extended workforce who are so crucial to the future of work.”

Dr Nick Taylor, Co-founder & CEO, of Unmind added: “Burnout and poor wellbeing can have a profound impact on business productivity and performance, and this is no different with contingent workforces. We're proud to partner with AMS to support the wellbeing of their extended workforces – through these challenging winter months and beyond.”

6 December 2022 — The Social Mobility Foundation (SMF) today launched its sixth annual Employer Index – the leading national study analysing the efforts of employers to improve social mobility within the workplace. The Index identifies Britain’s employers that have taken the most action to improve social mobility in the workplace and this was the first year that AMS entered.

Employers are assessed across eight key areas, including their work with young people, routes into the employer, how they attract talent, recruitment and selection, data collection, progression, culture and experienced hire, as well as advocacy and engagement. This year 149 employers across the private and public sectors, employing nearly one million people (999,464) were considered for the Top 75 rankings.

Measures taken by AMS in 2021/2022 included increasing the variety of routes for people of all backgrounds into the organisation, engaging with a number of schools, colleagues and universities across the country, collaborating with key social enterprises and small businesses, and a laser focus on data collection allowing AMS to understand the socio-economic makeup of their colleagues based in the UK&I region.

Matthew Rodger, Chief Growth & Commercial Officer and ExCo lead for Social Mobility at AMS commented: “AMS entered the Social Mobility Index to champion change and level the playing field for the world of work. We are honoured to be recognised as a top 75 employer in the Social Mobility Foundations Employer Index. Out of 149 entrants, we placed 43, solidifying our commitment to social mobility. It's most definitely a journey and in truth we are just beginning and still have much to do. Please do reach out if you would like to explore how we got started, if we can support any employer out there to evolve and change with a view to making a real difference please don't hesitate”.

Sarah Atkinson, CEO, Social Mobility Foundation, said:  “The Index shows businesses and organisations are starting to lead the way to combat the cost-of-living crisis for their employees. Opportunity creation for the next generation must be at the top of their agenda, especially as working people are struck with a class pay gap and the rise in living costs eating away at their salaries. The SMF stands ready to support employers of all sizes in their social mobility journey.”

Innovative online tool provides talent leaders with professional analysis of talent acquisition technologies

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