Kesko, a leading Finnish retail company, operates in the grocery trade, building and technical trade, and car trade. After reviewing their recruitment processes for both white and blue-collar workers, Kesko wanted a comprehensive solution that would enhance the experience for recruiters, managers, and candidates alike.
| KESKO AT A GLANCE | |
| Industry: | Retail |
| Headquarters: | Kalasatama, Helsinki |
| Employees: | 45,000+ |
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Countries active: |
1,800 stores in 8 countries |
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Kesko is the biggest trading sector operator in Finland, and one of the biggest in Northern Europe. |
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Challenges
Kesko's previous recruitment process was the same for both white and blue-collar workers, resulting in inefficiencies for both groups. Processes that were slow and not user-friendly were causing them to lose candidates.
The retailer needed a solution to streamline applications, simplify integrations, and enhance the overall user experience. Additionally, Kesko required a system that could handle their scale, as they recruit around 4,500 people annually.
“For us, it was business critical to get the project done. We wanted to build something that would mitigate the impact of future job market challenges."
- Niklas Bergström, Vice President HR Operations, K Group (Kesko)
Choosing Jobylon
Kesko selected Jobylon as their applicant tracking system (ATS) to address these needs. Jobylon stood out due to its user-friendly interface, ease of integration, and commitment to partnership and development.
Implementation and integrating complex systems
Kesko’s goal was to design optimised, separate recruitment processes for their different employee groups. They were particularly interested in eliminating the need for candidates to create profiles, so candidates could quickly apply and not be deterred by difficult processes. Jobylon gave them the flexibility and support they needed to make these changes. Kesko was looking at the recruitment process as a whole and needed an ATS that would support their ideal user and candidate journey.
“Our previous solutions were not up to date; they were not modern enough. We were even losing candidates because our processes were so slow and not user-friendly. [With Jobylon,] our time to hire has decreased significantly.”
- Kati Talasto, HR Business Partner, K Group (Kesko)
For Kesko, managing a complex organisation and hiring at scale required a tech solution that was easy for hiring managers to use and simple for applicants to navigate. It also needed to integrate smoothly with existing systems. Kesko successfully integrated seven different systems, including SAP, which resulted in seamless data flow between systems and minimal manual processing. Despite the backend complexity, Jobylon kept the user experience straightforward and intuitive.
Collaboration and support
Throughout the project, Kesko appreciated Jobylon's collaborative approach. They found Jobylon's team proactive in addressing challenges, suggesting innovative solutions, and maintaining open, genuine communication. This cooperation built a strong foundation for ongoing development and problem-solving to meet Kesko’s evolving needs.
“During the project, and even now with ongoing services, I feel that any challenges or questions we encounter are shared challenges. When we have a need and don’t know how to solve it, Jobylon works with us to find solutions together.”
- Niklas Bergström, Vice President HR Operations, K Group (Kesko)
Results and benefits
Implementing Jobylon's ATS provided Kesko with several key benefits:
- Improved process efficiency: The new system simplified Kesko's recruitment processes, making it easier to apply, select, and hire candidates.
- Enhanced visibility and metrics: Kesko now tracks key performance indicators, like the number of applicants per job and time to market, helping them make data-driven decisions.
- Positive user feedback: The transition to Jobylon was smooth, with high user satisfaction, as indicated by the lack of negative feedback that often comes from transitioning to new systems.
- Seamless integrations: Despite the complexity, the integration with existing systems was smooth. The result was a cohesive end-to-end recruitment process for hiring managers and users.
Conclusion
Jobylon's ATS has proven to be an invaluable tool for Kesko to find, track and hire the talent they need to power their business. They now have a simplified and user-friendly recruitment process that works for their different employee groups.
The ongoing collaboration between Kesko and Jobylon continues to inspire innovation and improvements to make sure the system evolves with the needs of Kesko's people and business. It is a true partnership that shows how technology and teamwork can make recruitment a more streamlined, effective, and satisfying experience for all involved.
Learn how other companies tackled their hiring challenges with Jobylon's user-friendly recruitment software by exploring more customer stories. You can also book a demo to see the software in action and discuss how Jobylon can address your hiring needs!
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