Recruitment Phosphorus Oxygen: RPO For A Chemical Manufacturer 

The Dilemma 

DZConneX (DZX) was tasked with finding talent in the marketing, sales, and regulatory fields for our international chemical manufacturer client. These positions offered high salaries but were difficult-to-fill because of the scarcity of qualified talent in the market. Our client's previous provider was underperforming on its Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) commitment, but they were optimistic that DZX's total talent solution could configure a unified talent program to meet their specific talent needs. Our client envisioned a complete overhaul of the talent acquisition process to introduce superb candidates, mitigate the burden of change on hiring managers and stakeholders, and strive towards improved practices regarding direct sourcing.

The Strategy 

DZX immediately pinpointed the previous RPO provider's inefficiencies and implemented our unique total talent solution. Our client was put through rigorous training exercises to manage the increased volume. Passive candidates who held high-standing titles in the marketing, regulatory, science, and sales fields were sourced, identified, and vetted to ensure they met the desired qualifications. Our client saw a near-perfect offer acceptance rate for candidates offered a position. Ultimately, it was paramount to transform how our client engages with talent to showcase the company's most attractive features.

The Impact 

The influence of DZX's uniquely configured RPO program was felt immediately. Offer acceptance rates soared to more than 98% with the implementation of a standardized job offer process and an employment value proposition plan. The client's previous RPO provider failed to meet expectations with an unsatisfactory 50% offer acceptance rate. The key to our success was predicated upon introducing cost-effective practices that eliminated the dependency on agency hires. Our best practice advice guided our client to source and engage with elite talent through a solution tailored to the specifications of the chemical manufacturer company's needs.

The intricacies of aligning top talent to a firm were exacerbated by the confusing processes associated with the chemical manufacturing industry. DZX combatted these difficulties by examining the client's talent landscape from an aerial perspective to ultimately configure a solution that improved their business model, capitalized on efficiencies, and cut costs while still striving toward optimization. Instead of sitting idle waiting for top talent to find their company, DZX transformed how they attracted talent by accelerating their engagement efforts to find active and passive candidates alike.

Chemical Industry Fast Facts 

$801 billion industry

800,000+ chemical industry employees in the U.S. 

$800 billion in chemistry products flow through the economy each year 

6.3 jobs created in other sectors for every 1 job created in the chemical industry 

80% of positions filled for client include $100,000+ salary 

The Right Equation 

DZX was given guidelines to abide by a strict budget to engage in talent acquisition; therefore, it was essential to assemble a team to optimize our client's talent acquisition process. Budgetary parameters were not the only obstacle in the way, as it became apparent that not only did the talent acquisition processes need an overhaul, but the structure of the direct sourcing environment needed a revamp. The previous RPO provider's program exhibited insufficient structure, proving detrimental to talent engagement and overall organization. As a result of DZX's unified program, job orders experienced a growth 35% greater than the initial forecasting had predicted. Additionally, legal requisitions which had previously gone unfilled for months, were now filled, helping to increase the frequency of incoming job orders.

With strict budgetary parameters still in consideration, DZX scaled the team by introducing requisition level and short-term (90 days) support to stabilize operations. A vast majority of the desired job roles in the marketing, regulatory, science, and sales field offered high compensation (80% of job offerings were six-figure salaries). For this reason, DZX needed to integrate distinguished recruiters to attract top talent on a low-cost budget.

The introduction of outstanding specialized recruiters with chemical manufacturing industry knowledge was ultimately the catalyst for DZX's phenomenal success. They already possessed an arsenal of expertise on configuring the unified technology software to the client's talent acquisition needs. It was only a matter of managing internal processes to implement sustained success for the future of the client's direct sourcing strategies. The acceptance rate that once stood at 50% skyrocketed to 98% with the introduction of DZX's total talent solution and renowned consultants. The chemical manufacturing giant was now able to find, engage, and attract qualified candidates that showed genuine interest in joining the firm.

The Vendor-Client Bond 

It is not unusual for client-RPO partner relationships to be detached outside of a business transactional aspect. Typically the client shares their talent acquisition needs, and the provider works to fill the gaps. There is no complex solution deployed by the provider. Instead, the jobs are received and sometimes filled without a clear commitment from the RPO partner.

DZX strives to break the status quo of client-RPO relationships by building a close rapport with clients to deliver a configured solution to workforce challenges. DZX sent operation leaders to client headquarters to build relationships and promote communication to avoid mishaps along our total talent journey. This commitment to optimization allowed operation leaders to continually adapt our total talent solution to align with company culture.

Instead of the typical RPO reactive approach to talent acquisition, DZX's proactive vision allowed our specialists to understand their company processes better and ultimately engage the best talent. Our state of the art integration software could not be appropriately introduced to client managers without operation leaders' on-site assistance, so we got to know the client in person during this implementation process. This recurring theme of commitment sets us apart as an integrated partner.

DZX goes above and beyond to leverage brand awareness by growing the client's social media presence to utilize as an additional recruitment tool. In this regard, we venture outside of the typical recruitment platforms to tap into an underutilized tool to engage with elite talent. The analytics from these interactions can be used to stimulate further talent acquisition efforts.

As the relationship has grown in size, the client's trust in DZX has continued to grow as well. DZX has shown this chemical company the strength of a real RPO program. Implementing transformative brand marketing, training, internal program support, and of course, industry-best recruitment services.