When Allen Hornback, Talent Acquisition Training and Development Lead at BrightSpring Health Services, looks back on his team's recruitment process before hireEZ, one phrase comes to mind: "We had all our eggs in one basket."
Managing over 800,000 applications annually for both clinical and operational roles, Allen and his team were up against a massive hiring challenge. Their primary sourcing channels? Indeed and employee referrals. While these methods worked to some extent, they left gaps — gaps that meant missed opportunities to connect with top talent, especially passive candidates.
"Before adopting hireEZ into our tech stack, we truly depended on Indeed and employee referrals to identify talent in all of our operations. Internally, we were focused on trying to find the game-changer."
BrightSpring needed a solution that would help them move beyond traditional job boards, engage with passive candidates, and improve their outreach effectiveness. They also wanted a tool that could make their sourcing process more efficient while enhancing the candidate experience.
Discovering hireEZ: The game-changer
Before hireEZ entered the picture, BrightSpring's leadership knew they needed something new. "Our VP of Talent identified hireEZ and asked them to come onsite and pitch the product for our Leadership team," Allen recalls.
What happened next left a lasting impression.
"I must say, it was the greatest sales pitch most of us could ever recall being a part of," he says. The presentation resonated so strongly with the team that they made a unanimous decision: "We instantly agreed to bring hireEZ into our world." The excitement was palpable, and they were eager to see what the platform could do.
Challenges and hireEZ's Solutions
Dependence on traditional hiring channels
Prior to using hireEZ, BrightSpring's recruitment strategy heavily relied on Indeed and employee referrals. This limited the company's ability to reach a diverse talent pool and made it difficult to proactively source candidates beyond those who applied.
The solution
hireEZ enabled BrightSpring to expand its sourcing capabilities far beyond job boards. With access to a vast talent network across multiple online platforms, recruiters could now proactively find and engage with high-quality candidates.
"Adding another alternative to the tech stack was the main thing," Allen notes. "Our team was excited to have hireEZ as an alternative to the Indeeds of the world."
Difficulty engaging passive candidates
BrightSpring struggled to reach passive candidates, those who weren't actively applying but could be a great fit for the organization. The team needed a solution to identify and connect with these professionals more effectively.
The solution
hireEZ's AI-powered sourcing and engagement tools provided BrightSpring with unprecedented access to passive candidates. By utilizing advanced search capabilities and AI-driven candidate insights, recruiters could target and reach professionals who may not have been actively looking but were open to new opportunities.
"It's the outreach to passive candidates that has impacted us the most," Allen says. "We now have access to more candidates than LinkedIn."
Improving candidate experience and employer brand
BrightSpring wanted to create a more engaging and positive experience for candidates — even those who were not ultimately hired. The goal was to build strong relationships early in the hiring process and ensure that every candidate became a brand ambassador for the organization.
"The faster we can identify good, qualified candidates, the quicker we can begin to introduce them to everything our organization has to offer."
The solution
With hireEZ's AI-driven engagement capabilities, BrightSpring was able to personalize outreach and streamline communication. Automated messaging through hireEZ allowed the team to quickly connect with candidates, providing them with insights into the company's culture, values, and opportunities.
The Impact of hireEZ at BrightSpring
With hireEZ integrated into their talent acquisition strategy, BrightSpring has achieved:
- Increased reply/clickthrough rates by 194% with 2+ steps campaigns
- Increased reply/clickthrough rates by 83% with chatGPT messaging
- Accessed 281,740 candidates, qualifying 87%
- Utilized data-driven outreach strategies that improve response rates and engagement
By leveraging hireEZ's AI-driven recruitment technology, BrightSpring Health Services has not only optimized its hiring process but also built a more engaging and strategic approach to talent acquisition. As Allen puts it, "The ability of the platform to scan for top talent across the web is tremendous."
The adoption of hireEZ didn't just improve efficiency, it fundamentally changed the way BrightSpring approaches recruitment. From elevating candidate engagement to expanding talent pools and improving outreach, hireEZ has been the game-changer the team needed.
And for companies considering hireEZ, Allen offers simple advice: "Like Nike, just do it."
