Aptos Retail, a retail software solutions provider, was facing challenges with their recruiting function and had not embraced an agile mindset towards their recruiting process.  They were struggling to attract and hire qualified candidates for their open positions and without a fully mature and functioning recruiting department, the company struggled to meet its aggressive product release commitments and hiring goals.  The company was also not effectively utilizing various recruitment channels and lacked a structured approach to candidate evaluation and selection.

Aptos software decided to engage 360 Talent, a managed recruiting services and people operations provider, to work alongside their recruiting function and work on filling the most critical roles first.  360 Talent conducted a thorough assessment of Aptos software’s recruitment process and identified the following areas for improvement:

• Job Descriptions
• Recruitment Strategy
• Candidate Evaluation and Selection
• Agile Recruitment Process and WIP Visibility

• Job Descriptions: The existing job descriptions were vague and did not provide a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities. 360 Talent worked with the hiring managers to revise and update the job descriptions, ensuring they accurately reflected the requirements and expectations for each position.  This helped understand the crucial elements of th role faster and assisted the hiring team drill down on important elements of each position.
• Recruitment Strategy: Aptos software was primarily relying on general job boards and internal referrals for sourcing candidates. 360 Talent recommended expanding the recruitment strategy by leveraging social media platforms, professional networks, and direct competitor sourcing. They also suggested implementing a robust employee referral program to encourage existing employees to refer qualified candidates.
• Candidate Evaluation and Selection: The company lacked a structured approach to evaluate and select candidates. 360 Talent introduced a standardized interview process, including behavioral-based interview questions and assessment tools, to ensure consistency and objectivity in candidate evaluation. They also developed an empirical scoring system to evaluate candidates against predefined criteria.
• Agile Recruitment Process and Work in Process (WIP) Visibility: By introducing Agile fundamentals and 360 Talent’s unique approach to agile recruiting, the hiring team was able to implement a more efficient method of recruiting, resulting in a reduction in time to hire by over 60% compared to their previous processes. As part of 360 Talent’s Agile recruiting approach, a client dashboard was created to provide hiring managers and leadership team members with real-time updates on the status of each position, enabling them to make informed decisions based on demand.