THE CLIENT

A global leader in the production and transportation of minerals for industrial, agricultural, and construction-related applications. At the time, the business employed 160 employees across multiple facilities in the Southeastern part of the United States.

THE CHALLENGE

Operating in a highly competitive market, the company found itself in a position for rapid growth after winning a sizeable new client from a well-known competitor. However, to take advantage of this new opportunity, the company had to increase its headcount by 100 employees in the production and maintenance departments.

“Given the nature of the manufacturing industry in general, they were having a difficult time recruiting the workers needed to fill the new vacancies and increase capacity,” said Erica Leonhardt, CEO of The Manufacturing Headhunter. “Almost doubling in size is a big lift. They needed help.”

Fortunately, the company was able to generate a healthy pipeline full of candidates. The problem was that the company was experiencing difficulties screening and qualifying such a high volume of applicants and moving those most qualified to the interview and offer stage.

In fact, more than 50% of applicants were dropping out of the process before making it to the interview stage. “The company clearly had a problem with applicant ghosting – simply not showing up for the interview,” said Erica. “More than anything, they needed our help getting applicants into the interview process.”

THE SOLUTION

Companies typically come to The Manufacturing Headhunter with the problem of generating candidates at the top of the funnel. That wasn’t the case here. The company had a healthy funnel and needed help converting that funnel into employees. Helping the company solve its challenge involved a high-touch project with a focus on process and communication.

STREAMLINING THE PROCESS

The first objective was condensing the recruitment cycle. By implementing a “first 24-hour touch-point” candidates were engaged immediately after applying to ensure their attention was still at its peak. Within a single conversation, each applicant was pre-qualified according to the hiring team’s standards and immediately booked for an on-site interview. Each facility was booked with a full slate of 20 hiring manager interviews during a designated day of the week.

OMNICHANNEL ENGAGEMENT

Next, we deployed an omnichannel communications strategy with each applicant. Our team actively engaged applicants with technology and on an ad-hoc basis, through phone calls, text messaging, and email to move candidates through the conversion process from application to pre-screen to arriving at the interview.

“The company was actually relying solely on email in order to contact and convert applicants,” said Erica. “This is something that most recruiters and in-house HR teams default to when faced with high-volume and time limitations. But our omnichannel engagement strategies, messaging, and the tools we use push applicants towards action and significantly increase the chances of an applicant moving through the entire hiring process.”

The Manufacturing Headhunter delivered measurable results by condensing the process, expediting response times, improving communications, and using omnichannel engagement. The company reached its target hiring goal enabling it to take advantage of a profitable business opportunity.

“The company isn’t the highest paying employer in the area, and they were not the biggest name in the area either. But because we acted quickly and communicated well with people, we were able to fill the positions with great talent very quickly,” said Erica.

THE RESULTS

Improved Interview Show Rate to 95% – “At the beginning of our engagement, the interview show rate was a low, and time-wasting, 50%,” said Erica. “Using our proven methods, we were able to improve that rate to 95%”.

80% of Positions Filled – The Manufacturing Headhunter filled 80% of the available 100 positions. “And we managed to fill those positions in less than the anticipated four months,” said Erica.

200% Increase in Monthly Hires – Improved processes and communications allowed the company to dramatically increase the speed at which it was able to hire.

“Success in high-volume hiring initiatives comes down to organization and communication. It can feel much more complex when you don’t have the tools and bandwidth necessary. We love coming in and helping simplify recruitment so our clients can focus on other important aspects of their business.” -Erica Leonhardt