We treat each candidate as a guest of a 5-star hotel
Secret Source knows very well that excellent recruiting processes, an impeccable employer brand, and an effective response to candidates’ expectations are crucial to achieving their recruitment success. See in this case study how they accomplish their recruiting and HR goals using the softgarden Talent Acquisition Suite.
10 days
Time-to-interview
33 days
Time-to-hire
4.9/5
Employer rating score
About Secret Source Technology SL
Secret Source is a UK led technology outsourcing agency based in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. The company is working with some of the biggest brands in the world from Barclays to GSK and Centrica.
Secret Source is a UK led tech company located in the Canary Islands. The company mainly employs developers, designers, and project managers and has doubled its headcount in the last year. Secret Source concentrates its recruitment efforts on local Canary Islanders. However, this creates many challenges related to the limited availability of candidates on the job market, their low interest in changing jobs, and their very high expectations regarding the potential employer.
That is why Secret Source knows very well that excellent recruiting processes, an impeccable employer brand and an effective response to candidates’ expectations are crucial to achieving their recruitment success.
“We struggle a lot with the number and quality of applications because geographical restrictions are a huge obstacle for us. At the same time, it forces us to push the boundaries in all our employer branding activities. If we want to encourage people to apply, we need to make them see us as an employer of choice. I consider it a great success when a job seeker comes back to us ready to apply because we have finally convinced them to join our company.”
Nayra Padrón, HR Manager at Secret Source.
Talent Acquisition Suite in use
“I started working at Secret Source a year ago, and my most important question during the interview was if the company used a recruiting system. I could not imagine working without it, and I was relieved when I found out that the contract with softgarden had just been signed.” – mentions Nayra Padrón.
The recruiting software enables Secret Source to keep the processes well organized, gather all the communication with the candidates in one place, and track all important recruiting KPIs.
While successful hiring management is crucial for a company, attracting and encouraging the right candidates to apply is of even greater importance. Therefore, Secret Source uses softgarden’s full Talent Acquisition Suite, which, in addition to the ATS, also consists of a module-based career page builder and a feature to generate reviews of the company as an employer automatically.
We treat each candidate as a guest of a 5-star hotel
“My personal experience in the hospitality industry is a benchmark for how I believe candidates should be treated. Everyone should feel like a guest of a 5-star hotel when interacting with an employer. Respect, openness to meet their needs, and high-quality communication are paramount. This is my way of attracting the most demanding IT talents for the company. I know that is what they expect. It is not only about candidates but about employees, too.”
Nayra Padrón, HR Manager at Secret Source.
Candidates appreciate applying via our career page
Secret Source uses the softgarden career site as the online recruiting hub for candidates. This is where all traffic is directed. That is why it was important that the career page was comprehensive and transparent and contained the decision-making information necessary for candidates to apply. Among them is feedback and employer ratings from previous applicants and employees that Secret Source collects using the softgarden Feedback Solution.
““The good feedback that we receive is a combination of great company culture, treating people with respect, and making sure that their candidate experience is remarkable. Our well-organized and fast recruitment process, especially us replying on time, is also covered. We care for our candidates a lot, and they recognize it.””
Nayra Padrón, HR Manager at Secret Source.
That positive impression is visible in the company’s overall rating, which hits 4,87/5 with almost 100 reviews gathered. Candidates can find it on the career page and Secret Source’s certificate page.
The Secret Source team quickly created the career page in cooperation with a softgarden consultant. It took only a couple of days to have it ready. It covers all elements essential for the HR Team and is appreciated by candidates. “Again, feedback plays a huge role. In interviews, many candidates say that it puts them at ease when applying to our company. I am very happy with how it works.” – adds Nayra Padrón.
Fast processes for a superior candidate experience and shorter time-to-hire
IT talents expect short recruiting processes and a clear logic in each of their steps. If you want to hire the right candidate you need to be faster than your competitors, as a top talent is only available on the job market for a very limited time.
That’s why the Secret Source recruiting flow is tailor-made for each position and their focus is on time. Using the Talent Acquisition Suite of softgarden helped structuring and streamlining the application process, and therefore reduced the time needed to hire an employee.
The average time-to-interview is 10 days, with a time-to-hire of 33 days. Not only keeping this as a reference but constantly working on time reduction is the way that Secret Source responds to the growing demands of candidates, which is one of the current issues in the labour market.
Results
Due to the successful recruiting processes, Secret Source doubled its headcount in 2021
Very high employer rating score of 4.87/5
Increased interest from passive candidates, who recognize the company as an employer of choice
Short and well-designed recruiting processes with an average time-to-hire of 33 days
