Building a Comprehensive Outsourced Recruitment Solution

A Texas-based provider of building services, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC and refrigeration solutions for businesses has experienced remarkable growth since new ownership took over.

Starting with just 20 employees in 2016, the company expanded to 250 employees by 2024 and experienced 20% revenue growth year over year – a remarkable achievement for an independent business in an era when private equity is buying up mom-and-pop building services companies.

This development was fueled by a strategic shift to focus more aggressively on new sales. However, with expansion came the need for a scalable recruitment solution to address critical talent requirements to meet the demand.

Challenge

As the company grew, it struggled with an outdated and informal recruitment process. Without a dedicated HR or recruitment team, hiring was ad hoc, relying on word of mouth and walk-ins. The lack of a centralized, consistent process for screening, onboarding, and hiring hindered their ability to meet the growing demand for skilled technicians.

The burden on managers took time and focus away from their actual work. The company also faced unique industry challenges, such as high turnover and competition for talent, where candidates frequently moved for minimal pay increases. The company recognized that solving these issues was essential to sustain its growth trajectory.

Solution

The company brought on FlexTek in August 2024 to implement a comprehensive outsourced recruitment solution. Acting as its’ full recruiting team, FlexTek manages everything from advertising and marketing to screening, onboarding, and pre-employment processes. By taking ownership of these functions, FlexTek alleviated the burden on internal teams, enabling the company to focus on operations while FlexTek ensured top-tier talent was identified, vetted, and onboarded.

Results

In just four months:

• 39 new hires were onboarded, compared to the previous average of three hires per month. This makes up 16% of their total workforce.
• Internal referrals surged, with October marking the highest number of internal referrals in company history, directly attributed to FlexTek’s outreach and promotional efforts.
• Saved approximately $272,938 compared to traditional recruitment costs, achieving an average cost-per-hire of 8% of salary vs. 20% of salary for a one-off recruiter-hire—significantly lower than industry benchmarks.
• A structured recruitment process reduced the workload for managers, who reported increased satisfaction with the quality of candidates presented.
• For every technician hired, the company estimated it is able to generate an additional hundreds of thousands in annual revenue, directly linking recruitment efforts to business growth.

Feedback from highlighted significant improvements in their hiring process and outcomes. Managers expressed appreciation for the structure and efficiency introduced by FlexTek, which allowed them to get back to their central responsibilities. They noted that their time was no longer wasted on unqualified candidates and praised the improved quality of hires.

Future Plans

FlexTek is working with the company to implement advanced automation tools in their applicant tracking system (ATS), allowing broader access for operations managers to leverage the tool themselves to oversee recruitment progress of their own candidates. This initiative aims to further engage managers and optimize the hiring process. The company plans to maintain its rapid hiring pace to meet growing customer demand while retaining its family-oriented, values-driven culture.

Conclusion

This customer’s story demonstrates the impact of a strategic recruitment partnership. By collaborating with FlexTek, the business transformed its hiring process, reduced costs, and secured the talent necessary to achieve its ambitious growth goals. This partnership underscores the value of outsourcing recruitment to a team dedicated to maintaining its independence and delivering results in a competitive industry.

Customer Testimonial

“Partnering with FlexTek has completely transformed our hiring process. They’ve delivered qualified candidates faster, brought structure to our recruiting efforts, and helped us scale without overwhelming our internal team.”