Talent acquisition are often the unthanked heroes within a business, called on only when the business needs to fill a role, yet finding the right people is critical when it comes to growing, maintaining and developing a business.

This year’s Global Talent Acquisition Day, taking place today,  honours and celebrates the unique role these professionals play in finding the right team for businesses across the globe, celebrating recruiters, hiring managers, and anyone operating in the talent acquisition sector. The industry is currently flourishing, valued at £35.7 billion in the UK alone, with the international contractor market an especially lucrative arena.

Global contractor management firm, 6CATS International has chosen the day to remind recruiters doing business abroad of the need to put tax and compliance firmly at the top of their priority list.

Over recent years, the complexity of global compliance has increased, with the Common Reporting Standard and other initiatives making tax systems highly complicated. This is further exacerbated by the Criminal Finances Act 2017, meaning firms, and their directors, in the UK can be held criminally liable for the illegal actions (including tax evasion) of contractors, virtually anywhere in the world.

Michelle Reilly, CEO of 6CATS and Founder of 6CATSPRO commented:

‘’Talent acquisition professionals provide the public and businesses with a highly important and instrumental service. It’s great to be able to celebrate the value they bring to the commercial world. “Therefore, we want to offer agencies the best advice possible, and by making sure companies don’t overlook tax compliance, we can do just that. Unfortunately, the non-compliant actions of anyone associated with a firm, including contractors, could lead to heavy punishment. “By ensuring that they have adequate procedures in place to prevent non-compliance, and act as a legal defence to any potential challenges, recruitment firms can carry on thriving and making a difference, wherever they choose to do business.”

Meanwhile other businesses are using the day to highlight the importance of talent attraction and retention in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Megan Barbier, VP of Human Resources at Wrike, explains:

“There is so much more that goes into an offer letter than salary alone, and there are other benefits that candidates value more than money today. HR and Talent teams must partner with Hiring Managers and Executives to personalise the candidate experience and meet the evolving expectations of candidates to secure top talent today. 

“In today’s business environment, many candidates the ability to work flexibly is a high priority. It’s equally important to them to be able to switch off outside of working hours. Therefore, the companies that allow remote work and flexible schedules, and have the technology in place that supports these options will be more appealing to potential talent. 

“Businesses need to make sure that their technology is empowering their workforce – rather than being another distraction or burden, causing increased stress levels or even burnout. Technology should encourage flexibility and allow employees to disconnect – not promote a 24/7 workday.

“Our research has shown that collaboration technology, like Collaborative Work Management (CWM) tools, can save employees from burning out by giving them control over their workload. When asked, 91% of UK respondents said these tools help them to switch off and create a better work-life balance. Having these solutions in place and sharing them with candidates will give businesses the upper hand, enabling them to not only secure but retain the best talent on the market.”

Getting the right people is key.

For Global Talent Acquisition Day, HR leaders can celebrate the importance of the people who find these ‘right people’.