In the latest instalment of our HR executive interview series, we sat down with CV-Library Founder & CEO Lee Biggins to talk about his company, the industry, market opportunities and career advice…
Tell us about your company, products and services.
CV-Library is the UK’s leading independent job board. We’ve been around for nearly 20 years now and offer unrivalled CV Database access and job advertising. Alongside this, we have loads of great features that help to promote companies’ employer brands: from CPM display advertising and video content, to bespoke company profiles and targeted email campaigns.
What have been the biggest challenges the Human Resources industry has faced over the past 12 months?
I hate to say the ‘B word’, but Brexit. The lack of clarity on our future in the EU has been a major barrier for companies when it comes to business and succession planning. In turn, this is putting immense pressure on HR teams to attract, recruit and retain the best talent.
And what have been the biggest opportunities?
The amount of technical innovation. There’s a lot of exciting activity across the market and rather than seeing this is a threat, businesses should see it as an opportunity. For us, a huge priority has been on integrating with leading Applicant Tracking Systems to help make our platform more accessible to organisations that use these tools when hiring.
What is the biggest priority for the Human Resources industry in 2020?
Candidate experience should continue to be a priority for HR teams. The market is competitive and whether companies like it or not, job hunters hold the power. From streamlining your application process, to ensuring you’re investing in the right tools; HR teams need to put themselves in the shoes of the people they’re trying to attract to their roles if they want to stand out.
What are the main trends you are expecting to see in the market in 2020?
A few key areas include…more investment in data and analytics to help improve the hiring process, more of a focus on collaborative hiring within companies and an urge for organisations to be proactive in their recruitment efforts.
What technology is going to have the biggest impact on the market this year?
I don’t think there will be any major game changers but I think suppliers are under a lot of pressure to enhance their offerings. Particularly when it comes to making the best matches, analysing performance around job postings and boosting the candidate experience.
In 2022 we’ll all be talking about…?
Data! It’s already a huge talking point, but there’s so much potential and companies will only recognise this further as time goes on.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learnt about the Human Resources sector?
That a lot of companies are prepared to rest on their laurels when it comes to hiring. In the current economic climate, businesses can’t sit back and wait for applications to roll in. There’s a lot of pressure to be proactive right now and the organisations that fail to do so will lose out to other savvier companies.
You go to the bar at the London/Manchester HR Summit – what’s your tipple of choice?
It might sound boring but… something non-alcoholic! I gave up alcohol in the summer of 2018 and it’s helped massively with my drive and focus.
What’s the most exciting thing about your job?
Being able to work with our teams to launch exciting and innovating products which benefit the end user.
And what’s the most challenging?
Constantly being on the move – I thrive off of it but I’d love to be able to spend more face-to-face time with my teams. I’ve been out of the office a lot this year.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
My dad always taught me the importance of working hard. I truly believe that if you’re dedicated and are willing to put the effort in then you can achieve amazing results.
Baptiste or Game Of Thrones?
Sadly I don’t have the time to watch either! I’ve heard great things about both programmes.
