In 2021, our sales success at Carpe Digits was riding high. Our sales strategy was finely tuned, encompassing inbound and outbound email, HubSpot, SEO, waitlists, nurturing campaigns, sales channel tech partnerships, and more.
But the unexpected Great Resignation phenomenon hit, revealing the vulnerabilities of our service-based business. By the end of the year, the firm’s well-oiled machine had broken down, leading to a 65% payroll margin, 5% of gross income going to recruitment fees, and a staggering employee attrition rate of 30+%.
So we embarked on a detective journey to investigate how paychecks, perks, work-life balance, and job ads affected our numbers. Surprisingly, we discovered that 80% of our challenges were rooted in the hiring process.
The solution: automation and streamlining
This revelation ignited our passion to unearth the absolute best candidates through a dynamic and repeatable process. We streamlined our hiring funnel, took an in-depth look at candidate assessment, and designed a remarkable onboarding journey that truly dazzles.
How to filter 250 candidates in under 3 hours
Our superhero in this transformation was automation. A year of research led to the development of a powerful Applicant Tracking System integration with top employee assessment tools and seamless onboarding.
Let's dive into the journey of how we sifted through 250 candidates in under 3 hours, crafting a path to practical pipeline perfection.
1. Candidates apply (0 minutes)
- Activate automation in your ATS.
- As they apply for a role, candidates are prompted to complete customized hard skills questionnaires.
2. Assessment (30 minutes for every 50 candidates)
- Candidates who complete the questionnaires receive an assessment to evaluate cultural fit and baseline cognitive skills.
- This assessment assesses hard and soft skills.
- For diversity and inclusion, the assessment remains blind to factors such as resumes, gender, and ethnicity.
3. Initial/pre-interview (45 minutes)
- At this phase, we've narrowed the pool from 250 to three top-rated candidates.
- High-scoring candidates in hard and soft skills are invited for a 15-minute pre-interview.
- A booking link ties into our hiring manager's calendar, allowing candidates to learn about the role and the interview process.
4. Additional assessments for role (1 hour)
- After the pre-interview, the top candidate undergoes another assessment, often a live hard skills assessment.
- If scores align with criteria, candidates proceed to the final interview phase.
5. Meeting with the CEO (30 minutes)
- The final application step involves an interview with me, structured as a casual meet-and-greet.
- Tailored questions from psychometric assessments guide the conversation; we use Bryq.
6. Sending the offer letter
- Once I approve the candidate, the hiring director drafts the offer letter, updating the ATS pipeline.
Real-life gains unveiled
The most rewarding aspect is seeing how well candidates' scorecard ratings align with their performance. This process has eliminated inefficiencies, allowing us to meet our company goals. In 2023, we reduced payroll costs, lowered attrition to less than 1%, and exceeded our revenue targets.
