The Hireserve User Group 2018
The Hireserve User Group (HUG) is an annual event where clients come together to share and solve current in-house recruitment challenges, gain insights from industry speakers, network with peers and speak face-to-face with members of our team on getting the most of Hireserve ATS.
An important anniversary
2018 marked the 10th year of HUG! Over the last 10 years, the User Group has grown from a meeting of just eight customers to an all-day event of 60+ delegates. To celebrate, we wanted to find a venue that would emulate that achievement and after careful deliberation, we chose the spectacular BMA House London. This year also marked an occasion for me; my first involvement with HUG and a major step-up in events management. Meeting customers, hearing the speakers, seeing the product roadmap and experiencing the passion our customers have, providing me a greater understanding of the recruitment industry and Hireserve’s role within it.
The Agenda
Each year we invite speakers from the industry who are pushing boundaries, pioneering new technologies and delivering innovation. This year we were delighted to welcome representatives from Candidate.ID, Meet & Engage. Billy McDiarmid from Candidate.ID talked GDPR and Talent Demand Generation, highlighting the ways in which we can engage with passive candidates more effectively. Meanwhile, Nicola Sullivan from Meet & Engage explained the importance of acknowledging candidates as customers in her talk Candidate experience: Why 2018 is the year of reciprocity.
We were also joined by Matt Heather and Kayleigh Hersey from Reed Specialist Recruitment to participate in a live customer Q&A. They covered a large variety of questions including, how to approach a careers site rebrand, the value of employer branding and how they manage high volume recruitment with the help of Hireserve ATS.
The roundtable discussions after each presentation gave everyone the opportunity to speak to us about… anything really! Whether it be a question on the industry, sector-specific queries, GDPR or even the rugby (predominantly the Ireland fans), HUG allows for engaged, personable discussion for both customers and our team, and valuable face time in our increasingly digital world.
A deeper look at Hireserve ATS
The last speaker on the agenda was Jeremy, who brought the latest updates on our product development and his thoughts on what the future holds for Hireserve ATS. This year the focus was on the Hireserve Mobile app and GDPR compliance. With an increasing reliance on portability and versatility in our systems, the app will give in-house recruiters the ability to manage their vacancy approvals while on the go. GDPR was unsurprisingly a key theme throughout the day, and Jeremy explained what features will be delivered to ensure clients can meet their data controller responsibilities.
As the day drew to a close with a spirited closing address from the brilliant Seamus Bryne (Founder of Sapient and HUG Chair), there was time to grab one last coffee and reflect on the day. The 10th annual HUG drew people from all over the UK and across Europe. Despite the distance traveled for some, I found the appetite for discovery and debate invigorating. Not only was there a clear common aim to attain knowledge from the event, but also a desire to meet like-minded professionals and engage with genuinely great people.
My expectations for HUG 2018 were high given the conversations had in the time leading up to the big day. Those expectations were absolutely exceeded, and as I boarded my train home I was able to reflect on what had been a long but rewarding day. Having only joined the team in January, it gave me great satisfaction to be part of the conversation, a trusted pair of hands and a representative of the Hireserve brand. Following a well-deserved rest, I came into an office that was filled with an overwhelming sense of motivation and enthusiasm for HUG 2019 to be even bigger and better.
Here are a few snaps from the day!
Find out more:
If you are a customer you can find all the presentations from our speakers on the Hireserve Hub
A history of the Hireserve User Group
Helen’s first Hug
About the author
Tristan Potter
Tristan has a decade's worth of experience writing content and copy for organisations across Bristol and the Southwest of England. He has written on a diverse range of topics, including technology, philosophy, politics, and recruitment. His writing has appeared in The Drum, HR Grapevine, and The Guardian, among other publications. He joined Hireserve in March 2022.