• Freelance platform Fiverr has announced it has shifted from a services marketplace to a hiring platform. It is aimed at addressing the major changes in the workplace including a heightened focus on skills and upskilling, diverse new roles and the integration of new technologies. Fiverr provides businesses of all sizes with expanded options to recruit skilled talent. The platform now allows hiring managers to better recruit talent by showcasing freelancers’ complete skill sets and offering flexible hourly work options. Its new professions catalogue enables customers to search for freelancers based on their professions and skills, offering rich information about a freelancer’s background and experience.

• FTW Recruitment has launched a no-fee hiring service for the warehousing sector. FTW Recruitment, based in Liverpool, is a newly formed part of training provider FTW Training, which specialises in giving unemployed individuals with the skills, expertise and certifications needed to excel in the warehousing industry. The recruitment service also has wider benefits for employers, as partnering with the initiative enhances a company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials.

• Hunted, an online platform connecting rec-to-rec firms, recruiters and suppliers to the recruitment industry, is relaunching tomorrow (1 August 2024). Acquired in November 2023 by Elliott Manning, CEO of Kayman Recruitment, Hunted has undergone significant redevelopment, according to the company. The platform allows recruitment companies to showcase themselves and advertise roles, while recruiters can discover and apply to companies globally. Additionally, Hunted features a supplier directory for industry-related services such as CRMs, PEOs, lawyers and accountants. Future updates will include training tools and a recruitment podcast page.

• Mercury, a software company specialising in recruitment and staffing, has announced a strategic, multi-year alliance with Microsoft. This partnership grants Mercury and its agency clients access to Microsoft’s Cloud and AI technologies, significantly enhancing their ability to search, match and hire top talent. According to a company statement, the partnership will leverage AI-powered tools to substantially increase consultant capacity, enhance business development and improve fill rates with fewer candidate submissions. Mercury’s platform, built on Microsoft’s Power Platform, already integrates with vital recruitment tools like LinkedIn and Microsoft Teams.

• European HR software company Personio has announced its integration with online accounting software provider Xero to offer new payroll processes for its UK customers. Personio’s integration with Xero will enable customers to tap into accurate and up-to-date data stored in Personio, while the interface ensures streamlined and secure transition of data to the Xero platform for the payroll run itself. Payroll managers can now sync employee data, fixed salaries, one-time and recurring payments and custom pay periods across Personio and Xero, with absences coming soon.

• India-based executive search firm The Taplow Group has announced strategic investments to expand its philanthropy and not-for-profit practice across Asia and Africa regions. Over the past 10 years, the firm has delivered C-Suite searches and non-executive board positions for organisations in the social impact sector including philanthropic foundations, international non-profit organisations, impact funds, social enterprises and CSR both in India and the larger Asia and Africa regions.

Taplow India recently expanded its reach into the manufacturing, consumer and retail and education sectors. It operates in sectors including industrial, life sciences, professional services, energy and aviation.