Problem - Facing a sever labor shortage after a relocation, a national real estate information company lacked sufficient recruiting resources needed to fill IT positions in a timely manner. A significant number of vacancies left IT managers frustrated and put critical projects and systems at risk.
Solution - BravoTECH developed a plan to streamline the hiring process and fill critical IT positions with both full-time and contract employees. By providing an on-site recruiter, BravoTECH was able to bridge the communication gap and help implement internal processes to fill open positions and assist the company in becoming more efficient.
"BravoTECH's recruiters acted with a sense of urgency and professionalism that got our managers' attention. The internal applicant tracking systems that were implemented by the on-site recruiter increased our productivity."
Return on Investment - As a result of BravoTECH's expertise, the company filled critical IT positions more quickly, improving the delivery of its software and services to internal and external customers. BravoTECH also helped reduce the firm's dependence on employment agencies, eliminated time wasted due to recruiting inefficiencies and improved workforce stability through an appropriate balance between contract and full-time staff.
CASE STUDY:
Transamerica Real Estate Information Companies:
Bravo Enhances Recruiting Processes to End Labor Shortage
Severe Labor Shortages, Limited Resources
When corporations relocate, employee fall-out is expected -- and Transamerica Real Estate Information Companies' (TREIC) move from San Francisco in 1996 was no exception. The company had consolidated 20 operational centers around the country into a single site in Dallas, losing a significant percentage of its core staff in the process. The information technology (IT) department, with more than 50 technical openings at that time, was one of the hardest hit areas of the organization. "Our only recruiter was a non-technical person, so it was difficult for her to communicate effectively with technical managers," said Lucille Jones, manager of talent for TREIC. "In addition, the managers were too busy to sort through the stacks of resumes they received from us. We desperately needed people, yet our recruiting resources were thin and hiring opportunities were being lost."
TREIC's relationships with a variety of employment agencies were creating problems too, Jones continued: "Our recruiter wasted a lot of time on the phone with them, with little to show for it." Without an internal process to screen and track applicants, resumes became stale and management was frustrated.
A Consultative Approach
Jones called on Bravo Technical Resources, a Dallas-based technical staffing company specializing primarily in the client/server and Internet environments, for a fresh approach to TREIC's staffing challenges. Within days of her first meeting with Bravo president Andrew Jackson, a plan was developed to streamline the hiring process and fill critical IT positions with both full-time and contract employees.
Bravo's first step was to select an experienced on-site technical recruiter to facilitate communications between the human resources staff and hiring managers. "While most situations do not call for us to provide an on-site recruiter, we felt that it was essential in Transamerica's case," said Jackson. "Our first job was to improve the human resources staff's technical expertise and provide a wide-open line of communication between our two companies." The on-site recruiter's initial focus was to develop good relationships with TREIC managers, clarify their needs, and develop an effective process for communicating those needs to everyone involved in the employment process.
Bravo's on-site recruiter worked closely with Bravo's external recruiting staff on a daily basis. A key objective was to improve the quality of the candidates being submitted for technical positions -- primarily help desk, network engineers, developers and programmers - so that no time would be wasted on unqualified candidates. Importantly, Bravo strove to develop a high level of trust with hiring managers so that when resumes came in, they received the attention that they deserved.
"Bravo's recruiters acted with a sense of urgency and professionalism that got our managers' attention," said Jones. "The internal applicant tracking systems that were implemented by the on-site recruiter increased our productivity." Once recruiting bottlenecks were eliminated, Transamerica began to see impressive results.
Later, the on-site recruiter became a part of TREIC's permanent staff in a move designed to strengthen internal recruiting resources. As an employee of TREIC, he continued his work with Bravo to fill the IT department's contract positions. "Bravo helped us locate an assistant technical recruiter and non-technical recruiters too," Jones added.
A Value-Added Relationship
As a new employer in the Dallas area, TREIC needed name recognition, and job fairs were an obvious strategy. "We partnered with Bravo at several job fairs," said Jones, "because our staff was so small. We paid the fee to participate, Bravo supplied its own recruiters, and we shared the resumes that were brought in." Through job fairs and other events, Bravo and TREIC developed a partnership that extended beyond the normal relationship between agency and client. Working with Bravo had other advantages. For example, Jones' staff attended training classes at the Bravo offices, including a class on Internet recruiting. In addition, Bravo encouraged TREIC to become involved in the Texas Association of Business & Chambers of Commerce, an organization that represents Texas businesses in Austin and sponsors programs on labor relations and human resources issues. "This organization helped us become a part of the local business community and stay informed about labor and staffing issues," said Jones.
"We found that Bravo did more for us than provide job candidates," Jones concluded. "They worked hard to understand our needs and design solutions to help us succeed. And throughout our relationship, Bravo employees have shown a high level of integrity."
