HRTech Interview with Neil Costa, Founder & CEO at HireClix

How did you first get interested in the HR space, and what led you to start HireClix?
Following my experience at PwC after graduating, I had the chance to advance my career in e-commerce and marketing to join the internal digital advertising team at Monster.com. With a remarkable brand, a leading market position, and a substantial digital marketing budget, we aimed to use our resources efficiently. However, it was crucial to maintain a proactive and daring approach to expanding the brand, while also making wise decisions to grow the business.

Having a substantial budget did not give us a license to spend recklessly. Instead, we focused on accountability in digital advertising through proper tracking. Our core principle was rooted in the mindset of consumer marketing, and it served as the foundation for establishing HireClix. Even today, human resources and talent acquisition leaders face challenges in quantifying the return on investment (ROI) for their recruitment endeavors, and we recognized our ability to bring clarity to this issue. Our mission is to assist organizations in spending more intelligently, measuring their ROI, and enhancing their employer brand.

Can you please us a little bit about HireClix, and share with us the mission, vision, and core values of the organization?
HireClix is a global recruitment marketing agency that helps HR executives apply the power of digital marketing and strategic advisory services to optimize their recruiting process. By constructing and enhancing recruitment advertising strategies, fostering their employment brand, and minimizing cost-per-hire, HireClix assists talent acquisition professionals in saving valuable time and resources.

HireClix works closely with clients to identify, implement, and oversee top-notch recruitment technologies tailored to their specific requirements. Our core values are as follows: be a good human, figure it out together with creativity and grit, and when our customer succeeds, we succeed.

What are the main challenges that companies face when it comes to talent acquisition, and how does HireClix help solve those challenges?
The main challenges that companies face in talent acquisition include optimizing recruitment advertising investments, developing a strong employment brand, implementing effective recruiting technology, and navigating the competitive recruiting environment. HireClix addresses these challenges by offering comprehensive, full-service recruitment advertising agency solutions. By combining marketing expertise with deep knowledge of applicant tracking technology, we provide a holistic view of recruitment marketing results. This enables clients to understand the effectiveness of their advertising efforts and make data-driven decisions.

We have a dedicated strategic talent acquisition consulting practice staffed by former talent acquisition practitioners. These consultants work closely with talent acquisition, HR, and C-suite executives to align recruiting strategies and processes with business objectives. Through optimizing the use of technology, developing effective branding campaigns, and enhancing the candidate experience, we equip companies with the tools and guidance they need to overcome talent acquisition challenges and succeed in today’s competitive environment.

How does HireClix stay up to date with the latest HR technology trends and incorporate them into its offerings?
Staying up to date with technology, in general, is a challenge in today’s world. For the team at HireClix, it starts with hiring the right people. We have a team of Clixers who are naturally curious and have a great deal of experience being at the forefront of innovation given their experience at other HR technology vendors. Using this as a foundation, we then focus on four key areas of technology trends – HR technology, Consumer Marketing Technology, Design Technology, and Security technology.

I am always impressed when I hear from people within HireClix who say ‘I found this’ or ‘I was researching this’ and more importantly they say ‘Here is how I think it can help our clients.’ When I started the business, I wanted to make sure there is no complacency on our team and it put us in the best position to help clients with their recruiting strategy. When we identify some interesting things which can benefit our client, we typically put our own money in the mix to test it out before we recommend it to customers. We don’t want to hitch our trailer to the latest fads, so we are taking risks and gathering intelligence before we recommend something to our clients.

Can you discuss some of the most innovative HR technology solutions you’ve seen in recent years, and how they could potentially impact the talent acquisition space?
As someone who focuses on innovation in recruitment marketing, I have seen a number of innovative HR technology solutions grow in popularity that significantly impact the talent acquisition space. One example is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in applicant tracking systems (ATS). These advancements have revolutionized ATS platforms by automating tasks like resume screening and candidate matching, enabling efficient processing of large volumes of applications and providing recruiters with a curated shortlist of top candidates. This not only saves time and improves efficiency but also enhances the overall candidate experience.

Another impactful development is the rise of video interviewing platforms. These solutions have gained popularity for their ability to streamline the initial interview process. Video interviewing allows recruiters to conduct remote interviews, evaluate candidates’ non-verbal cues and communication skills, and easily share interview recordings with hiring managers for collaborative decision-making. By facilitating remote hiring, particularly for global or remote positions, video interviewing expedites the hiring process and reduces logistical challenges associated with scheduling in-person interviews.

Furthermore, candidate relationship management (CRM) systems designed specifically for talent acquisition have emerged as valuable tools. These platforms allow recruiters to build and nurture relationships with potential candidates over an extended period of time. Offering features such as automated email campaigns, personalized messaging, and talent network management, CRM systems empower recruiters to proactively engage with passive candidates, create talent pools for future openings, and maintain ongoing communication to strengthen the employer brand.

How do you envision the future of HR technology evolving, and what role do you see HireClix playing in that evolution?
At HireClix, we work in tandem with HR technology to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency through our expertise in recruitment marketing and strategic consulting. We assist clients in selecting and implementing suitable HR technology solutions that align with their recruitment goals, ensuring compatibility with existing systems. Once implemented, we optimize the integration and usage of HR technology, ensuring it is seamless with other systems for smoother operations.

Our strategic advisory services play a crucial role in aligning recruitment strategies with clients’ business objectives, leveraging HR technology to improve outcomes, branding campaigns, candidate experience, and talent acquisition goals. By combining our recruitment marketing expertise with HR technology, we empower clients to maximize the value of their technology investments, navigating the complex landscape and achieving effective and efficient recruitment outcomes.

Can you walk us through a recent success story where HireClix helped a client achieve their talent acquisition goals through the use of HR technology?
HireClix was asked to create a model of success for hiring truck drivers in a specific region of the United States where hiring drivers was critical. Increasing demand and natural attrition had made the situation untenable. Current processes used by the trucking company did not address the demands of today’s candidates with regard to ease and expediency. In addition to the challenging candidate experience was the issue of providing addressable and actionable metrics for the business that allowed for more “real-time” adjustment of strategy.

The recruitment advertising team at HireClix leveraged their expertise, having spearheaded many driver recruitment campaigns in the past, and dove deep into the client’s ATS. The Clixers identified a key component in the process that was leading to a top-of-funnel delay in pulling qualified candidates through the system. They implemented changes to relieve that roadblock and then added key measurements to provide greater insight into the recruitment marketing campaign results.

In addition, the HireClix team developed customized Indeed campaign logic for the client to make sure their recruitment advertising efforts were built for success. By having a unique approach to marketing their jobs on Indeed, advertising the client’s trucking jobs would have the best chance to deliver results and outperform their competitors.

Working with the client hand-in-hand through consistent and organized communication and a structured project plan, the team at HireClix managed to create a more refined applicant flow and a better understanding of the levers needed to drive an improvement in ROI. In just three months, some of the most meaningful results were: a 52% decrease in cost-per-application, a 17% decrease in cost-per-qualified-application, and a 41% decrease in cost-per-hire. The client was now armed with a new vision for accurately measuring success, a better understanding of the data in their own ATS as well as a clear strategy for the road ahead and the changes that need to be made in their recruitment advertising efforts to move forward.

Lastly, how can interested companies get in touch with HireClix to learn more about your HR solutions and services?
To get in touch with us at HireClix and learn more about our solutions, you can visit us at our website, hireclix.com. Check out our “Contact Us” page to reach us so we can help you with all your recruitment needs. Our team would love the chance to talk to HR leaders and learn about their challenges. I truly believe we are doing something special and delivering a different level of service forgotten by many. We work hard every day to earn our clients’ business and many talent acquisition leaders are realizing that it takes a true partner to make an impact. Old-school RFPs have done a lot of damage to how partnerships are built and how things get done.

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