Ohio-based Staffmark Group was growing quickly — and needed help automating a more personalized candidate journey, from start to finish. The staffing group was reaching a critical juncture: Its recruiters and management team required a more efficient technology to provide the experience their candidates expected.
“The candidate experience is a huge priority for us,” says Liza Palermo, SVP of Marketing at Staffmark. “One of our core values is to obsess with our talent’s journey.”
For staffing businesses like this one, an efficient, consistent level of communication with candidates is essential to attract top talent and place them in roles. But the labor-intensive nature of their industry presented numerous challenges.
Recruiters often found themselves bogged down with steady communication that candidates craved, particularly after securing a job. This left them unable to focus on high-value tasks like matching talent with roles. Staffmark needed an automated, seamless and personalized solution — and it needed to be deployed quickly.
To overcome these challenges, Staffmark turned to Sense, a leading AI-powered talent engagement platform that helps recruiting and talent teams to personalize their interactions with talent at every stage.
Sophisticated capabilities — without developers
One of the most attractive elements of Sense’s AI powered system — which includes customizable journeys and communications depending on different events in the candidate journey — was the level of customization available without developers getting involved. For example, recruiters could set up email and text templates that were easy to customize, allowed them to stay in touch with candidates and saved time.
Sense has a deep understanding of staffing and recruiting objectives, Palermo says.
“The most important thing about technology efficiencies is that it gives our recruiters the time to put people front and center, and make sure that we can maintain those personal interactions and service with our talent when it really matters most,” says Palermo.
Unlike other automated platforms, the Sense platform ties together any events that might happen on an organization’s website and connects them for marketing teams. These events could be anything from people using the website’s chatbot to message them, to someone being offered a job. Staffmark staff can now program sophisticated outreach responses seamlessly.
“(Sense) provides a lot of training and customer support, so we felt very confident that standing up the system with Sense as a partner was going to allow us to get the value out of it rather quickly,” Palermo says. In her experience, implementing automated platforms doesn’t always feel as easy or simple.
Another decisive factor was Sense’s AI-driven technology and analytics at every step for the candidate’s journey. These features gave Staffmark real-time insights into candidate engagement, allowing the company to continuously refine its processes — even after implementation. This was a crucial benefit, Palermo says.
The platform’s continuous evolution, including the introduction of new features and predictive analytics, has enabled Staffmark to refine their candidate journey and ensure engagement remains high. This prevents candidates from opting out of the communications or feeling it’s an overwhelming amount of communication.
Measurable impact
The impact of implementing Sense’s platform was immediate. Within just 30 days, the company reported significant gains across several key metrics.
30% reduction in time to match: The time required to match candidates with appropriate job assignments was reduced by one-third. This improvement was directly linked to the automation and streamlining of the application and placement processes enabled by Sense.
40% increase in conversion rates: The boost in conversion rates meant more candidates who applied for jobs were successfully placed in assignments. The personalized and timely communication facilitated by Sense kept candidates engaged.
7% decrease in turnover: The enhanced communication and engagement provided by the platform helped to build stronger relationships with candidates, contributing to greater job satisfaction and lower turnover.
The automation of routine communications, such as responding to common inquiries via chatbots, has significantly increased efficiency for recruiters as well. This has allowed recruiters to focus on higher-value activities, like personalized follow-ups and in-person meetings with candidates.
“It has saved hours on behalf of specific recruiters,” Palermo says. “They can turn their attention to higher value, strategic ways of spending their time.”
Feedback from talent surveys revealed that candidates felt the communication they received was more personalized, even though much of it was automated. This positive reception underscored the success of Staffmark’s approach to using technology as an enhancement rather than a replacement for human interaction.
Looking ahead
In a competitive recruitment market, Sense’s ongoing support and training have empowered Staffmark to maximize the platform’s capabilities. This collaboration ensures the company consistently meets and exceeds its recruitment targets.
“It feels like a partnership that can continue to grow as the landscape changes,” Palermo says. “They’re always keeping their eye out for how can we leverage AI, how can we leverage predictive analytics.”
The collaboration between Staffmark and Sense underscores a growing trend in the staffing industry: integrating AI-driven tools to exceed recruitment goals. This partnership, therefore, also emphasizes the importance of maintaining the personal touch that candidates value. Partnerships like this are essential for staying competitive in a rapidly evolving industry.
