Faster, Smarter Recruitment at Central Highlands Water

Challenge

Central Highlands Water (CHW) faced significant challenges managing recruitment without an Applicant Tracking System. It was time-consuming and cumbersome to keep track of the high volume of email applications with spreadsheets.

With over 30 open roles a month during peak periods, handling multiple spreadsheets and email applications became overwhelming. For in-demand skills, Ballarat’s rural location further complicated recruitment efforts. In addition to these challenges, CHW relied heavily on recruitment agencies to fill specialist positions, which was costly.

CHW was eager to reduce agency dependence and streamline internal recruitment efforts so they scanned the market for an Applicant Tracking System that would meet their needs.

After a closed tender process CHW decided to implement LiveHire. “I had looked at several Applicant Tracking Systems during the selection process. LiveHire really stood out in terms of value for money, and the powerful talent pooling functionality made it a clear winner,” said Stephanie Burzacott, Talent Acquisition Specialist at Central Highlands Water.

The Solution

One of the many features that attracted CHW to LiveHire was the talent pooling capability. This has been particularly helpful for hard-to-fill roles like engineers. CHW now has a pool of pre-identified candidates they can draw from for upcoming roles, significantly reducing the time and effort needed to find qualified candidates.

“With LiveHire, I can create talent pools for upcoming roles; when I know a role is about to become available, I identify potential candidates in our talent community and provide hiring managers with a curated list of people who are interested in, or suitable for the position,” said Stephanie. This proactive approach represents a significant shift from the reactive, manual process CHW had been using.

CHW has also leveraged the power of LiveHire’s public Talent Community, the Live Market, to source candidates and build their Talent Community, reducing the need to advertise on Job Boards.

The Live Market allows CHW to locate and connect with candidates within their region and beyond, improving their ability to fill roles in Ballarat, a rural area where candidates with the right skills are more difficult to find.

“I didn’t realise how large the Live Market is, it’s just brilliant, I can do all sorts of searches to find candidates and then request to connect with them, I love that, it’s a really great function.”

Improved efficiency and time savings
In a very short time, LiveHire has dramatically reduced the time spent on administrative tasks. Previously drafting and posting job ads took one hour, now with LiveHire it takes just 5 minutes! “With the elimination of so many manual tasks, I am saving around 20 hours per week, which is amazing; this gives me more time to focus on talent sourcing and candidate engagement,” said Stephanie.

Streamlined processes
LiveHire’s ability to manage the entire recruitment process from requisition to onboarding is a key benefit. The system streamlines everything—from approval to tracking candidates throughout their journey.

For CHW, this meant moving away from the cumbersome, manual method of managing multiple Word documents for approvals and requisitions. Now, everything is stored in one place, with the added benefit of real-time transparency for hiring managers.

Powerful analytics
The reporting and analytics capabilities of LiveHire are particularly valuable to CHW. Previously, reporting had been minimal and inefficient, offering limited insights. Now, they can effortlessly generate data on demographics, gender diversity, engagement, and time-to-fill, allowing CHW to make more strategic and timely decisions.

“I can now provide hiring managers with detailed summaries at the end of each recruitment cycle, giving them visibility into performance and key metrics which they really appreciate.” Moreover, the ease of use of the system is a highlight for CHW’s hiring managers. They can now view applications as they come in, providing them with real-time oversight and making shortlisting candidates easier and quicker.

Improved communication
The two-way text messaging feature within LiveHire has improved communication with candidates. CHW found the messaging features particularly useful for keeping candidates updated throughout the process. The transparency of this communication method means that the team can simply look at the candidate record and pick up any conversation or follow up, ensuring continuity and clarity.

Results

Reduced agency spend
Thanks to LiveHire’s talent community and talent pooling functionality Central Highlands Water (CHW) has significantly reduced costs by eliminating the need for recruitment agencies. They were previously reliant on external agencies to source candidates for hard-to-fill roles, but now CHW leverages their internal talent pools to engage potential candidates proactively.

This shift has not only reduced their agency spend, but also allowed them to tap into a broader and more diverse range of candidates, while maintaining full control over the recruitment process. The cost savings from agency fees, combined with the efficiency gained from using LiveHire, have delivered substantial financial benefits to the organisation.

Reduced time-to-hire
The time to fill positions has dropped significantly since switching from manual processes to LiveHire’s automated system. “It’s only been a few months on the system and already we have slashed the time-to-hire by 30%, and we know this will continue to accelerate,” said Stephanie.

Increased application volume
CHW has seen a dramatic increase in the number of applications for roles since implementing LiveHire. For example, the recently recruited civil maintenance officer role received 79 applications, compared to just 12 in the previous year. This increased volume ensures that CHW is reaching a broader and more diverse pool of candidates and enhancing the quality of shortlists.

Enhanced candidate experience and engagement
LiveHire’s communication tools, including email and two-way text messaging, allow CHW to stay connected with candidates throughout the hiring process. The platform’s integrated messaging features have reduced the need for candidates to call for follow-up information and has improved candidate satisfaction.”The templates make it incredibly easy to stay connected with candidates and talent pools as we can quickly send personalised bulk messages.”

Integration
CHW has streamlined background checks by integrating LiveHire with Fit2Work, for police checks. This integration has saved time and improved the accuracy and completeness of candidate information at the outset.

Summary
Central Highlands Water’s adoption of LiveHire has transformed its recruitment process from a manual, labour intensive operation to an automated, data-driven solution. “I love the talent pool functionality and how proactive we now are with talent acquisition, harnessing the power of the Live Market, we can now reach out to potential candidates that we previously weren’t able to.”

The result is a more efficient and proactive recruitment process, enabling CHW to reach a wider pool of candidates, fill roles faster, and reduce costs. LiveHire has not only met but exceeded expectations, providing a comprehensive solution that addresses both immediate recruitment needs and long-term talent acquisition strategies.

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