Flight attendant helps travelers at the gate

Case Study

Exceeding Hiring Goals with Talent Acquisition Solutions

Results at a Glance

Talent acquisition consultants we placed screened over 4,250 candidates and conducted 1,200 interviews per month
41% of candidates selected for interviews received full-time job offers
Exceeded target hiring goal by 17%

Key Success Factors

Identified a client engagement manager (CEM) to lead performance optimization initiatives, training and reporting
Sourced, hired and onboarded 28 contract screeners to establish a strategic talent acquisition program
Trained four team leads and five team captains to provide coaching and increase management capacity
Implemented a standardized recruitment process for strategically identifying and contacting candidates

Business Challenge

Navigating an Influx of Applications and a Lack of Qualified Personnel

Our client, a major U.S. airline service and one of the world’s largest carriers, has more than 57,000 employees servicing over 4,000 departures a day during peak travel season.

As a popular and growing brand, our client was receiving thousands of applicants for a variety of full-time positions each month, but the overwhelming number of applications made hiring a challenge. The client did not have the real estate, management capacity or internal infrastructure needed to screen and manage the high volume of candidates. From procuring office space to supplying and managing contract screeners — along with evaluating the program’s overall success — the airline sought the help of a partner to not only provide logistical support, but also deliver an end-to-end solution for screening candidates.

The client wanted a standardized process for identifying and contacting candidates while also setting interaction standards to ensure their reputation as an employer of choice was preserved. They also operate under strict parameters to comply with Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP) standards and reporting so compliance would need to be top of mind when implementing any new processes.

To ramp up hiring quickly while preserving a quality candidate experience, Aston Carter recommended a Managed Solutions approach.

Our Solution

Building a Solid Internal Infrastructure

Aston Carter engaged our Managed Solutions team to develop a plan for the processes, technology, resources and delivery model needed to screen a high volume of full-time candidates for the airline. To best meet our client’s needs, we procured real estate, hired and onboarded contract screeners, and supervised their daily performance to ensure the ongoing success of this project.

Our delivery team included 28 contract screeners and a dedicated client engagement manager (CEM) who all worked on site. To deliver high-quality service within the client’s specific parameters, the program trained four senior-level team leads and five team captains to provide coaching and development for the contract screeners.

We committed to identifying and scheduling a high volume of qualified candidates, with a program goal of filling at least 90% of the client’s internal team’s open interview times each month — with 35% of candidates receiving permanent employment offers.

Results

Preserving the Brand and Surpassing Hiring Expectations

For five consecutive years, our team and strategic recruitment solutions consistently helped our client surpass their goals, allowing the airline to keep up with their hiring needs. Our Managed Solutions capabilities helped handle fluctuations in their applicant pool as we ramped the program up or down quickly in response to changes. When there was an unexpected drop in available positions, we modified the billing agreement to save them from paying for unneeded capacity.

The program we implemented surpassed service requirements. More than 4,250 candidates were screened per month for key positions such as customer service agents, customer service representatives, flight attendants, ramp agents, operations agents, freight agents and more. Out of the candidates selected for interviews, 41% received full-time offers — exceeding the target hiring goal by 17%.

Committing to continuous improvement throughout the engagement was critical to the success of this Managed Solutions partnership. We worked with our client to develop and track call interaction quality metrics to maintain their status as a high-quality organization and advance their brand as an employer — and airline — of choice. Our Managed Solutions partnership also helped the airline achieve its goal of attracting top talent and providing world-class customer service.

We have about 20 recruiters in the field office supporting employment. Those recruiters would usually have to do all of the phone interviewing as well as the one-on-one interviews. With the need to fill over 1,000 spots, we would not have had the manpower to meet our time-to-fill deadlines. The Aston Carter program is our lifeline to meeting [our needs]. The time savings, plus the details provided (by sourcers) before candidates meet with our recruiters, is what makes you all so very valuable.

Senior Human Resources Director, Major U.S. Airline Service