Challenge: Scaling National Hiring
Our client, a well-established telecommunications company, added a new business segment product line to its suite of in-home services.
The primary challenge was that they needed to triple the national outside sales force in a market where they previously had little or no competition for market share in most regions, but now faced fierce competition as multiple suppliers were entering markets around the country.
Most locations were also tripling their call center size and adding new technical engineering centers. Human resources departments were tasked with the mandate to quickly increase headcount to meet the company’s new objectives and secure market share.
Outside sales agents were projected to produce a significant amount of new business, representing a large portion of overall new market revenue. Sales agents’ numbers, within one year, needed to triple to secure the project’s intentions. Most markets historically hired one new outside sales representative per month. A new sales position was created to serve the needs of the new product.
Solution: Nationwide Recruitment Strategy to Scale Sales Teams
How can the company quickly source these new candidates to meet the projected goals and quotas?
The Company needed a dedicated and organized team focused specifically on the new position. A nationwide recruitment effort needed to be created that was easily adaptable to the critical nuances of individual markets. Since sales sourcing requires a large pool of first contacts, processing candidates was just as important as recruiting efforts. Real-time reporting and measuring were critical as the need to stay on the edge of the recruiting dictated focusing and re-focusing of energy and recruiting dollars.
Details of the Solution included:
- Keep the process simple and quick since sales candidates are more likely to have multiple offers available.
- Create a recruiting campaign and customize it as needed for individual markets.
- Since the People Science team will work from one central location, regular site visits to ensure a full understanding of each area’s specific characteristics.
- Gain the trust of hiring officials and human resources in 26 markets.
- Ensure the screening process is compliant in all states.
- Track performance and conduct weekly phone meetings for each market.
Results: Faster Recruiting and Improved Retention
- Increased average hires per month by 400%.
- Reduced cost per hire by 49%.
- Reduced new employee first-year turnover to 12%.
- Substantially increased candidate experience.
- Real-time candidate processing provided competitive recruiting and marketing information.
- Human Resource teams could dedicate their time to more strategic work.
Impact: Strengthening Market Share Through Scalable Telecom Recruiting
Through a targeted, data-informed recruitment strategy, we enabled our client to scale its outside sales force while maintaining quality, compliance, and candidate experience across diverse markets. By combining centralized recruiting operations with localized insights and agile campaign customization, the initiative not only exceeded aggressive hiring targets but also enhanced overall talent pipeline efficiency.
With cost-per-hire nearly halved and turnover rates drastically reduced, the company was better positioned to secure and grow its market share in a competitive landscape.