Rebuilding a volume hiring program after turnover is a challenge many HR professionals and talent acquisition leaders face. When key staff leave, recruitment pipelines often dry up, institutional knowledge is lost, and hiring metrics may take a hit. But with the right strategies, rebuilding a high-volume hiring system can be both efficient and even better than before.
Assess the Damage and Identify Gaps
Before diving into a new strategy, understand what’s been lost. A comprehensive assessment is crucial.
- Which roles were hardest hit?
- What processes were previously in place?
- Are there any existing partnerships with staffing agencies or job boards?
- What internal documentation or standard operating procedures (SOPs) are missing?
Gather insights from remaining team members and key stakeholders. Their feedback will illuminate the most urgent needs and reveal where to begin rebuilding.
Rebuild the Recruitment Framework
Once you’ve assessed what’s missing, it’s time to rebuild the hiring infrastructure. Focus on key components:
Job Descriptions
Ensure job descriptions are:
- Clear and accurate
- Inclusive and bias-free
- Optimized with relevant keywords for search visibility
Application Workflow
Streamline your applicant tracking system (ATS). A high-volume environment demands:
- Auto-screening tools
- Pre-employment assessments
- Efficient communication templates
Candidate Journey
Rebuild the hiring funnel to deliver a smooth, engaging candidate experience. Timely communication and realistic job previews can help reduce ghosting and attrition.
Rehire or Restructure the Talent Acquisition Team
After turnover, you’ll likely need to rehire or realign team responsibilities. Consider:
- Hiring experienced recruiters with volume hiring backgrounds
- Outsourcing parts of the process (e.g., initial screening) temporarily
- Implementing cross-training among HR and operations staff
Make sure every team member understands the metrics they’re responsible for, including time-to-fill, quality of hire, and retention.
Rethink Sourcing Strategies
Volume hiring depends heavily on sourcing. Without a steady stream of candidates, even the best processes fail. Update your sourcing approach:
- Reinvest in job boards with proven ROI
- Partner with local schools, training centers, or workforce agencies
- Tap into employee referral programs with meaningful incentives
- Use social media advertising to target passive candidates
Consider integrating programmatic advertising to reach high volumes quickly while staying within budget.
Standardize and Automate Where Possible
Repetition is the nature of volume hiring. Automating repeatable tasks saves time and ensures consistency.
Key Areas for Automation:
- Interview scheduling
- Follow-up emails
- Background check initiation
- Onboarding paperwork
Leverage HR tech platforms and integrations between ATS, HRIS, and communication tools. Standardization also helps new recruiters ramp up faster.
Retrain Managers on Hiring Best Practices
Often, hiring managers are pulled into the recruitment process. Provide updated training so they:
- Understand the revamped hiring workflows
- Recognize their role in candidate experience
- Avoid common pitfalls like interview bias or delay
Short micro-learning modules or lunch-and-learns can be effective for delivering this training.
Use Metrics to Measure Rebuilding Success
To know if your rebuilding efforts are working, track relevant hiring metrics. These include:
- Time-to-hire: How long it takes from application to offer
- Cost-per-hire: Total cost divided by number of hires
- Candidate drop-off rate: Where applicants exit the process
- New hire retention: How many stay beyond 30/60/90 days
Review data weekly or monthly. Spot trends early and iterate on what isn’t working.
Strengthen Employer Branding
After turnover, your employer reputation may have taken a hit. Rebuilding your image is key to attracting talent at scale.
Actions to Rebuild Brand Trust:
- Update your careers page with authentic employee stories
- Share workplace wins and culture moments on social media
- Respond to reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed with transparency
- Engage current employees as brand ambassadors
Your employer value proposition (EVP) should be front and center in all candidate-facing communication.
Plan for Long-Term Sustainability
Rebuilding is just the start. Create systems that make your volume hiring program sustainable.
- Document new processes in an internal knowledge base
- Schedule regular check-ins with hiring stakeholders
- Budget for ongoing technology, training, and talent sourcing
Cross-functional collaboration between HR, operations, and department leaders is essential to keep hiring goals aligned with organizational growth.
Rebuilding a volume hiring program after turnover isn’t just about filling roles quickly. It’s about creating a resilient, agile system that can handle fluctuations and scale with demand. By evaluating past shortcomings, leveraging modern tools, and fostering collaboration, your organization can emerge stronger, with a recruitment engine that delivers long-term value.