Case study

Driving smarter hiring with AI and labor market intelligence

Find out how Wilson’s recruitment model and labor market intelligence capabilities helped a global life sciences company streamline talent acquisition, accelerate hiring, and reduce agency usage.

Challenge

A global life sciences company faced rising costs and inefficiencies in its EMEA recruitment model. More than 80% of hiring was handled through agencies, with inconsistent processes and limited visibility into performance. This made it difficult to scale, respond to changing business needs, and deliver a consistent candidate experience. The company also lacked reliable labor market intelligence, which hindered its ability to anticipate hiring bottlenecks, assess talent availability, and inform location or workforce planning. To address these challenges, it needed a flexible, data-driven solution to modernize and unify its talent acquisition function.

Solution

Wilson built a scalable, end-to-end recruitment solution with teams across EMEA and APAC. These teams acted as extensions of the internal talent function, providing localized delivery and strategic support. We introduced custom playbooks, dashboards, and feedback loops to drive continuous improvement, along with AI-powered tools to boost candidate engagement and sourcing efficiency. Our labor market intelligence capabilities offered real-time insights into candidate availability and location strategy, enabling proactive workforce planning. The model flexed with demand, supporting both business-as-usual and large transformation projects. It laid a strong foundation for a more agile, efficient recruitment operation that delivered measurable business impact.

Results

The partnership transformed the client’s recruitment function from an agency-heavy model into a high-performing, insight-led operation. We streamlined processes, reduced agency reliance, and introduced AI tools that significantly improved hiring speed and quality. This data-driven approach enabled the client to respond quickly to shifting business needs and make smarter talent decisions. Key performance indicators were tracked closely, helping us continuously refine delivery.

Lowered agency usage from 80% to 1.5%, leading to €11.7 million in cost savings.
Maintained a 98% offer-to-accept ratio and 90%+ hiring manager satisfaction.
Achieved a submit-to-interview ratio of 81%, exceeding expectations.
Delivered 700+ hires annually across EMEA and APAC to advance global healthcare.
Improved candidate response rates by 16% through AI-enhanced tools.
Reduced hiring manager decision-making time by 40% through labor market intelligence.

€11.7

million in cost savings

98%

offer-to-accept ratio

40%

faster decision-making time

Transparent communication, regardless of the outcome, is rare — and you’ve set a high standard. Your approach to recruitment is truly commendable, and I can honestly say I’ve never encountered a more professional and considerate HR partner than you. Please continue being the way you are — there are very few like you left in the industry.”