Nowâs the Time to Connect People to Jobs at Scale
There have been a lot of clichĂŠd phrases used to describe the âunprecedented timesâ we live in which we ponder what the ânew normalâ is and what will remain of the âpast weâre leaving behind.â
While these expressions might seem a bit hollow, they do contain a very real truth: things are not the same and things are not going to go back to the way they were. Thatâs why, when the world shifted for us at TSA GroupâAustraliaâs leading specialists in CX consultancy and services âwe knew the time was now to make some major changes.
With the onset of COVID-19, our small team of 13 recruiters (seven full-time and six part-time) found itself in a high pressure situation. Our clients were coming to us asking for more support, as the volume of calls were steadily increasing.
As unemployment skyrocketed, we also knew that through supporting our clients, we were supporting the community by providing a positive candidate experience and meaningful work opportunities when it was needed most.
We were hiring for all types of contact center roles from team leaders to customer service representatives. Our current operation had worked for us for a long time, but the time had come to scale a contingent workforce rapidly. In order to take on the influx of volume we saw coming, we knew we needed to look externally for support.
Thatâs when I reached out to SmartRecruiters.Â
We had to switch to a system that could enable a digital hiring process, handle the volume of placements we needed and still be cost effective. Because the change had to happen fast, the system had to be intuitive. In a normal scenario, we would have time to build a training program and roll out gradually. Now was not that time. We needed to work with someone who met deadlines and was able to deliver on time. You know⌠people who walk the talk.
In just nine days, we went live with SmartRecruiters.
I must give a huge shoutout to Ben Rynja. There were many nights on the phone with him and the SmartRecruiters team. We were learning how to use the system AS it was being built and implementedâbuilding the plane while itâs in the air, so to speak.
There wasnât time for a designed processâwe instead augmented/updated it as we moved candidates through the pipeline based on feedback from our recruiters and our candidates. We both put in long hours and formed a true partnership while working together to make this happen.
Our success has been phenomenal. In just three weeks weâve had:
- 16,135 applications
- 210 hires
- 97% Hiring Velocity (roles filled on time)
Most importantly, our candidate experience has only improved. You see, we are receiving a large amount of inquiries from people who are desperate to find a job right now. And TSA Group genuinely cares about peopleâwhether you ultimately join our team or not.
We want you to find success. That experience starts from the first time a candidate receives a âThank you for applyingâ message because we know that to receive acknowledgement is SO important right now. As is showing where a candidate is in the interview process. The automation available with SmartRecruiters makes it happen.
Itâs equally as important to go back in the timeline (at scale) and let candidates know if we are no longer recruiting for roles that are now on pauseâwithout forcing our already labored recruiters to pick up the phone and be overwhelmed with that daunting task.
This mass communication was received with an overwhelmingly positive response by our candidates. âPlease retain my details and reach out to me when things improveâ is the best kind of response to receive.
COVID-19 is a time I wonât forget. For many reasons. This âunprecedented timeâ brought forth a new career highlight for me. I could finally give the amazing TSA Group recruitment team the tools they needed to supercharge their already incredible skills.
Pictured above – the TSA TA team: Gregg Forte, Dhawal Parikh, Alexia Ellmers, Syed Mustafa, Joshua McFarland-Sharp, Jane Merrin, Hoani Hearne, Salve Vilamor, Zabrina Umayam, Janelle Villarete. Not pictured: Catherine Thomas, Georgia Brett, Kelly Thompson
Candidates are getting tangible feedback giving them a level of confidence and trust in how they are progressing through the interview process. And the process is fair, fast and seamless. With SmartRecruiters, we were able to collaborate more effectively with hiring managers than ever before.
We had one operational manager per site delegated to working hand and glove with the team in assessing candidates, using SmartRecruiters. Being able to tag/comment within the system allows hiring managers the simplicity and flexibility they need to act quickly, interview fairly, and document the process well. By gaining feedback in real-time we were able to avoid unnecessary and costly delays throughout our process.
Final Thoughts
It truly was a collaborative effort on all fronts that was transformational for both our TA team and our processes. This âunprecedented timeâ has allowed us to reevaluate our current position and leave a few things in the past. And weâre ok with that, because this ânew normalâ is something weâve been wanting for a long time
This article originally featured on the SmartRecruiters blog. For more information on SmartRecruiters, follow them at @SmartRecruiters, on LinkedIn or on www.smartrecruiters.com.
TSA are Australiaâs market leading specialists in CX consultancy and services. We are passionate about revolutionising the way brands connect with Australians. How? By combining our local expertise with the most sophisticated customer experience technology on earth, and delivering with an expert team of customer service consultants who know exactly how to help brands care for their customers.