The never-ending year is nearly over. But before we move on to the hopes and possibilities of 2021, we’re taking a moment to muse on the stories that shaped our year at Horizontal Talent. From adapting to the work-from-home routine to launching our Candidate Profile to ramping up our community work, these past 12 months have certainly been eventful.
The WFH year
As COVID-19 turned the unthinkable into reality for businesses around the world last spring, we made the decision to shift our internal workforce to a 100% remote model. Our team adapted without a hitch — staying on track with our goals, retaining company culture and adjusting to the new normal via video interviews, technical assessments and remote onboarding.
Many of our team members will likely return to the office eventually — but it’s been cool to see how our core values and unique company culture have extended beyond the walls of our workplaces.
Introducing the Horizontal Talent Candidate Profile
Technology-wise, our biggest update of the year was the launch of the Candidate Profile tool in September. By creating a profile, candidates can set up real-time job alerts, attach multiple resumes, bookmark jobs for later and more (think of it like a job search command center).
Awards and accolades
In 2020, we continued to gain a foothold in the staffing marketplace across our global offices in the U.S., India and Malaysia. Here are some highlights:
- Staffing Industry Analysts’ Diversity-Supplier List: Thanks to our diverse ownership, our inclusion on SIA’s 2020 list in August was nothing new for us — but it still places us at the forefront of a growing trend: We support a less homogenous business landscape where companies have more access to diverse vendors.
- ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing – Client Satisfaction: For the second straight year, Horizontal Talent was recognized for the exceptional service we provide. We earned an average score of 4.8 out of 5 from clients — higher than over 98% of North American staffing firms.
- Fast 50 and Consulting Magazine: Along with our sister company — Horizontal Digital — we received two shoutouts for our consultancy’s success this year. Fast 50 ranked us on their annual list due to our three-year revenue growth of 39.05%, while Consulting Magazine included us in their list of 2020 fastest-growing firms thanks to our 41% revenue growth.
Community is key
In March, we created Horizontal Cares: an employee community fund that finances acts of kindness during the pandemic. As our first act, we teamed up with Redstone Grill to serve lunch to frontline staff at St. Therese of New Hope — a Minnesota nursing home that suffered one of the worst COVID outbreaks in the state. Since then, other Horizontal Cares initiatives have included:
- Partnering with the Blueberry Foundation to empower underprivileged children in Jaipur, India.
- Passing out 20 meals from Ideal Diner to homeless community members in Beltrami Park in Minneapolis.
- Delivering tacos to police officers and fire fighters in Burnsville, MN.
- Working with Shabaz Hussain Charities during Ramadan to feed 100 families in the Twin Cities during Ramadan.
- Donating $21,000 in Dec ember to support communities that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic: Aflatoun International, Common Future and She’s the First
Giving back during Diwali
As more than 1 billion people around the world celebrated Diwali in November, Horizontal Talent’s India team saw an opportunity to bring light to those in need. We partnered with Parikrma Humanity Foundation in Bangalore and a government school in Vadodara to give out food packets and school supplies to underprivileged children.
What’s next for Horizontal Talent?
Like many of you, we’re excited to put 2020 behind us and start fresh. Thanks for being part of our journey — let’s stay in touch in 2021.
