Multinational retailer uses high-volume hiring tech to improve business performance


The challenge

Unfilled roles were directly hurting revenue and the customer experience for the Latin American stores at one of the world’s biggest retailers of groceries and everyday goods. Recruiting was manual and process-heavy, and could not keep pace with seasonality and priorities that shift week to week across their large workforce of more than 100,000 employees in Mexico and Central America.

The approach

Talent acquisition was redesigned as both a technology solution and a business partner, using Apli (now a part of ICIMS) technology, data and AI to scale. IT and security, legal and compliance, finance and procurement, and end users were brought in early so each became a promoter of the change rather than a box-checker. The technology had to connect end-to-end with existing systems, avoiding silos. The expected outcome from the new technology included reducing cost-per-hire, better workforce forecasting, and healthier candidate pipelines with reduced reliance on agencies and temporary staff during hiring spikes.

Talent acquisition is not a transactional area anymore.

Director of Talent Acquisition, multinational retailer

Quantified and measurable benefits

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Scale:

A single talent acquisition model supporting all headcount across Mexico and Central America.

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ROI benchmark:

Technology business cases were held to a return of roughly 8–10%, and the purchase of this new high-volume hiring solution cleared that bar.

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Recruiter headcount avoided:

A five-year forecast tied to new locations shows the team did not need to grow as fast as the rest of business.

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Planning horizon increased:

Seasonal demand can be forecast a year ahead, and major events in Mexico are planned for months in advance.

Additional benefits

Protected revenue and service:

Filling frontline roles on time guards against lost sales, delayed deliveries and longer customer wait times.

A strategic seat at the table:

TA moved from a reactive, transactional function to a valued partner that brings data and a point of view to business leaders.

Recruiter productivity:

Less manual work frees recruiters for higher-value tasks.

Candidate experience and brand alignment:

The candidate experience now matches the retailer’s “people empowered by technology” positioning and the reputation of their consumer brand.

Predictive planning:

Combining business and talent data lets the team anticipate turnover, no-shows and staffing needs before they affect sales.

Integration and alignment:

Connecting new tools to existing systems avoids data silos, and involving IT, legal, finance and recruiters early made them early champions of the change.