Situation
Sharp design and manufacture one-of-a-kind electronics. As a Japanese multinational corporation, Sharp’s employer brand had been relatively unformed in the UK and Europe.
For many years, Sharp had relied on traditional recruitment methods, but this approach was costing the business more than £750,000 per annum.
Seeking a more efficient and cost-effective solution, Sharp’s senior leadership team decided to switch to recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) to fill more than 270 new roles across Europe.
They required an RPO provider with global capabilities, a partner who could drive down recruitment costs while ultimately enhancing Sharp’s overall quality of hire. The partner needed to demonstrate the value of more sophisticated recruitment tools and processes yet be flexible enough to take on a relatively smaller number of vacancies on a project-by-project basis.
Journey to success
To achieve greater efficiency and cost savings, Sharp selected Hudson RPO. Within weeks, our team had designed the processes to attract sales professionals, engineers, technicians, and corporate specialists.
From the start, we installed on-site recruitment leads in the UK and Sweden, and recently in France. These experienced recruiters provide significant value-for-money by managing critical volumes of vacancies.
Additional support comes from Hudson RPO’s Centre of Excellence.
The result? A larger number of qualified candidates engage with the brand and submit completed applications quicker. Key posts are filled faster.
Plus, Sharp is tracking to achieve 98 per cent of recruitment through direct delivery.
The business has significantly reduced agency costs. And by being able to offload the immediate recruitment challenge, senior executives can focus on building and maintaining a deeper market advantage.
Sharp has since been named a finalist in two categories of the 2019 In-house Recruitment Awards.
Project expansion
To further support Sharp’s employer brand, Hudson RPO built landing pages for France, the UK, and the Nordics. This improved the candidate journey, with candidates delighted to recommend the application process to peers.
Sharp also partnered with Hudson RPO to launch a new Sharp careers site. It provides localised content to attract candidates across EMEA, using 10 unique locales.
Furthermore, thanks to the addition of 21 employee videos in native languages, prospective candidates are instantly introduced to life at Sharp and a range of career paths.
Behind the scenes
Because Sharp lacked an applicant tracking system (ATS), Hudson RPO launched our proprietary ATS to improve the candidate experience throughout Europe.
We also implemented analytical reporting, video interviewing, and psychometric assessments. These techniques help ensure the right person is found based on a match of skills and culture.
And, to save the business time and money, we coach hiring managers on best-practice interview techniques to help ensure selected candidates are more likely to be the right fit, first time.
About the client
Sharp has been inventing one-of-a-kind products and solutions that benefit society and business for more than 100 years.
The company first invented an ever-sharp mechanical pencil (hence the name ‘Sharp’) and continued with a steady stream of innovative products. Sharp commercialised the first Japanese TVs and radios, and the world’s first LCD calculators.
A century on, Sharp continues to innovate with award-winning products in document solutions, managed services, visual solutions, energy solutions, and point of sale.
