RPO case study: chemical manufacturer transforms entire talent acquisition process.
strategic sourcing, HR tech and expanded diversity programs in the workplace help reduce time to hire and boost hiring manager satisfaction
| 3 min read |
recognizing opportunities to enhance recruiting
As a large, global company, the chemical manufacturer hires over 2,600 employees each year in the United States. The positions range from specialized technicians and operators, electricians and supervisors to shipping/receiving, warehouse and administration personnel. Such large-scale hiring, however, requires a level of efficiency and management that a decentralized approach couldn’t deliver.
The company’s talent leaders also recognized the opportunity to set and meet more aggressive diversity hiring goals. They sought to attract more women, minority candidates, and experienced veterans and those just transitioning back to civilian life. This would require a new approach to recruitment, as well as strategies for increasing employer brand awareness.
innovative sourcing strategies, more efficient hiring
With the goal of creating a more inclusive, streamlined and efficient hiring process, the company partners with Randstad Sourceright on a recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) program to help transform its non-exempt talent acquisition process.
The end-to-end RPO would include all non-exempt hiring across 54 sites in the United States. The company’s new approach casts a wider net when sourcing talent, while moving candidates through the hiring process much more quickly.
This approach includes the use of innovative sourcing strategies, such as social media outreach, local hiring events and other direct sourcing methods to raise brand awareness. Randstad Sourceright visits military bases and collaborates with minority- and gender-specific organizations on behalf of the client to grow its diverse candidate pool. It also works with organizations — including local government employment offices, colleges and technical schools, and associations that support women in manufacturing, for example — in rural and otherwise challenging areas to identify skilled candidates in these locations.
In addition to strategic sourcing, the RPO program introduced innovative techniques to streamline hiring for high-volume positions. For instance, the company implemented a class hiring process for positions with multiple openings, setting target dates for each stage of the process.
The company also benefits from expanded use of HR technology to create meaningful touch points throughout the interview and onboarding stages. As part of the new process, candidates are able to self-schedule interviews and self-administer assessments.
the formula for talent acquisition success
Since implementing a tech-enabled, end-to-end RPO program, the company has seen significant improvements at all stages of talent acquisition. Throughout 2018, it hired more than 1,000 non-exempt positions with an average time to accept of 43 days, representing a decrease of 43% from before implementation. The company also saw an improvement in satisfaction among hiring managers, experienced an average satisfaction score of 4.0 or higher.
One of the main reasons for adopting an RPO program was to expand diversity hiring programs in the workplace, and the company continually exceeds its goals. Based on 2018 hires for external candidates across the non-exempt program, the chemical manufacturer achieved a 47% diverse workforce. Other initiatives like class hiring have are also successful, increasing both candidate and hiring manager satisfaction and reducing time to accept.
Overall, the company consistently meets and exceeds expectations around timelines, diversity goals, business process enhancements and quality of talent delivered while creating an enhanced experience for all involved.