Case Studies Hot Topic's AI-Powered Hiring Solution: A Case Study

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	Hot Topic's AI-Powered Hiring Solution: A Case Study

Hot Topic's AI-Powered Hiring Solution: A Case Study

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Applicable Industries	Retail Telecommunications
Applicable Functions	Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Chatbots Retail Store Automation
Services	System Integration Testing & Certification
Challenge	Hot Topic, a music and pop culture retailer based in Los Angeles, was facing a significant challenge in processing the high volume of job applications they received daily. With a lean internal recruiting team and hiring conducted at the store level, the company was struggling to screen all candidates manually. Many of the applicants did not have work experience or resumes, making the screening process even more challenging. Simple 'knock-out' criteria such as age or shift availability required a time-consuming manual phone screen from a busy Store Manager. The company was seeking a technology solution that could help them optimize their candidate experience at scale. Read More
About Customer	Hot Topic is a music and pop culture retailer based in Los Angeles. The company operates over 700 stores in North America and receives upwards of 1000 job applications per day. With a lean internal recruiting team, the company conducts hiring at the store level. Hot Topic was seeking a technology solution to help them manage the high volume of applications and optimize their candidate experience at scale. The company wanted a solution that could seamlessly integrate with their existing workflow system, Lever, and did not require a new login or interface to learn. Read More
Solution	Hot Topic turned to Ideal, a provider of AI-powered screening functionality, to help them manage their hiring process. Ideal's technology allowed Hot Topic to ensure every single applicant was assessed, regardless of volume. The company used Ideal's resume screening software to grade all candidates from A - D. Ideal also added a deeper layer of candidate intelligence by collecting further qualifying information via SMS. These conversations with candidates were automatically captured and centralized within Lever, Hot Topic's existing workflow system. Ideal's system would then automatically adjust the candidate's grade accordingly. In addition, Ideal's intelligent automation, in this case a chatbot, replaced Hot Topic's initial phone screen, saving time and improving the candidate experience. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Applicable Industries

Retail

Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Chatbots

Retail Store Automation

Services

System Integration

Testing & Certification

Challenge

Hot Topic, a music and pop culture retailer based in Los Angeles, was facing a significant challenge in processing the high volume of job applications they received daily. With a lean internal recruiting team and hiring conducted at the store level, the company was struggling to screen all candidates manually. Many of the applicants did not have work experience or resumes, making the screening process even more challenging. Simple 'knock-out' criteria such as age or shift availability required a time-consuming manual phone screen from a busy Store Manager. The company was seeking a technology solution that could help them optimize their candidate experience at scale.

About Customer

Hot Topic is a music and pop culture retailer based in Los Angeles. The company operates over 700 stores in North America and receives upwards of 1000 job applications per day. With a lean internal recruiting team, the company conducts hiring at the store level. Hot Topic was seeking a technology solution to help them manage the high volume of applications and optimize their candidate experience at scale. The company wanted a solution that could seamlessly integrate with their existing workflow system, Lever, and did not require a new login or interface to learn.

Solution

Hot Topic turned to Ideal, a provider of AI-powered screening functionality, to help them manage their hiring process. Ideal's technology allowed Hot Topic to ensure every single applicant was assessed, regardless of volume. The company used Ideal's resume screening software to grade all candidates from A - D. Ideal also added a deeper layer of candidate intelligence by collecting further qualifying information via SMS. These conversations with candidates were automatically captured and centralized within Lever, Hot Topic's existing workflow system. Ideal's system would then automatically adjust the candidate's grade accordingly. In addition, Ideal's intelligent automation, in this case a chatbot, replaced Hot Topic's initial phone screen, saving time and improving the candidate experience.

Impact #1	The implementation of Ideal's AI-powered screening functionality and intelligent automation has significantly improved Hot Topic's hiring process. Store Managers now see a detailed shortlist of candidates, allowing them to prioritize their outreach and spend more time with qualified candidates. The use of a chatbot has increased response rates and improved the candidate experience, as it allows candidates to answer screening questions at their convenience. The chatbot has had thousands of conversations with candidates in place of time-consuming phone screens. The technology has also enabled Store Managers to effortlessly analyze all of their candidate information and turn complex data sets into actionable hiring recommendations. The impact of Ideal's technology extends beyond hiring, as it has given time back to Store Managers, allowing them to devote more time to driving top-line revenue.

Impact #1

The implementation of Ideal's AI-powered screening functionality and intelligent automation has significantly improved Hot Topic's hiring process. Store Managers now see a detailed shortlist of candidates, allowing them to prioritize their outreach and spend more time with qualified candidates. The use of a chatbot has increased response rates and improved the candidate experience, as it allows candidates to answer screening questions at their convenience. The chatbot has had thousands of conversations with candidates in place of time-consuming phone screens. The technology has also enabled Store Managers to effortlessly analyze all of their candidate information and turn complex data sets into actionable hiring recommendations. The impact of Ideal's technology extends beyond hiring, as it has given time back to Store Managers, allowing them to devote more time to driving top-line revenue.

Benefit #1	100% candidate screen rate achieved
Benefit #2	Saved over 2.4 hours per hiring manager per day
Benefit #3	Avoided over 2000 unnecessary phone screens

Benefit #1

100% candidate screen rate achieved

Benefit #2

Saved over 2.4 hours per hiring manager per day

Benefit #3

Avoided over 2000 unnecessary phone screens

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Overview

Hot Topic's AI-Powered Hiring Solution: A Case Study

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit