Case study

RPO partnership helps global logistics company hire at scale and speed

Learn how a flexible RPO solution helped a world leader in global logistics solutions hire with agility across Europe, eliminate agency usage, and scale with quality talent.

Challenge

This global logistics company faced significant challenges with new site openings and increased customer demand across warehouse locations in the Netherlands and Belgium. As a third-party logistics provider, fluctuating recruitment volumes and unpredictable hiring spikes made a consistent recruitment process increasingly difficult to maintain. To remain competitive, it needed flexibility to hire qualified talent at speed during high-volume periods – with scalability built directly into the partnership to dial up and down when needed.

Solution

Wilson began its integrated talent solutions partnership in 2020 with a thorough intake process to understand the core problems and recruitment challenges faced by the organization. Assembling a dedicated team of recruiters, sourcers, and talent acquisition coordinators (TACs), Wilson then created a flexible, scalable solution that adjusted with the peaks and valleys of its hiring cycles. Implementing real-time scaling based on current need ensured the company had the much-needed agility to manage varying recruitment volumes, boost efficiency, and prioritize strategic decision-making.

The team worked closely with the organization to deploy a unique solution that directly addressed its unpredictable hiring needs. This included a strategic, integrated approach consisting of:

Flexible team structure: The team was designed to scale up during peak hiring periods and scale down when volumes decreased.
Dedicated support: Dedicated support to the internal recruitment team ensured seamless integration and collaboration, all while ensuring the internal TA team had more time to spend on strategic initiatives
Proactive sourcing: Dedicated sourcers proactively identified and engaged potential candidates through platforms including (but not limited to) LinkedIn Recruiter, HireEZ, and more, to build a diverse talent pipeline to both meet future hiring needs and decrease time-to-hire.
Detailed labor market intelligence: The team used data points for talent and skills availability on a role-specific basis to ensure the right people were reached out to at the right time.

Results

The RPO partnership yielded considerable success for its bottom line through improved metrics and a 3:1 offer rate for candidates who submitted. Agency usage was also eliminated – reinforcing the value of Wilson’s team to deliver volume at speed at a lower cost.

Strategic social media targeting also ensured attracting and engaging passive talent in the team’s existing networks and helped position the organization as an employer of choice.

Due to the success of the cooperation in the Netherlands and Belgium, the partnership was extended in 2023 to central Europe, including Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania. Wilson’s agility and global reach ensured both regional and cultural nuances were accounted for during the process without sacrificing speed or quality. This expansion allowed the company to leverage the same scalable and efficient recruitment model across multiple regions, further strengthening its talent acquisition capabilities, quality of hire, and cost savings in the business.

Long-term outcomes included:

Improved scalability: Hiring spikes were efficiently managed without compromising on quality or speed.
Enhanced recruitment efficiency: The dedicated team ensured reduced time-to-fill and cost-per-hire.
Better candidate experience: Proactive sourcing and coordination improved candidate satisfaction and engagement. 99% of candidates who responded to satisfaction surveys were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the service provided.
Consistent quality-of-hire: Wilson maintained high standards in candidate selection, with one in three shortlisted candidates moving to a hiring manager interview. The recruiters and sourcers also played a crucial role in engaging passive talent. They effectively communicated the company's employee value proposition (EVP), highlighting the unique benefits and opportunities available to potential candidates.

2024 achievements included:

Minimized agency usage: It achieved considerable cost savings as the agency utilization lowered to an impressive 4%.
71% direct hires (excluding referrals): More than two thirds of hires were made directly.
Submit to offer ratio 3:1: For every three candidates submitted, one received an offer.
67 days average time to offer extension: The average time requisition approval to offer extension was 67 days.
170+ hires: The team made 170+ hires in 2024.

Building from these successes, Wilson continues to serve as a strategic partner, providing hiring and real-time labor market intelligence to further optimize and accelerate hiring strategies.