The challenge

When a well-established FMCG business wanted to make its hiring model work harder, it turned to PeopleScout – trusting our long-standing partnership to keep raising the bar.

A thorough diagnosis made the problem clear: a high reliance on third-party agencies was driving unnecessary costs into the recruitment process while failing to deliver on the talent promise.

That made the way forward clear. Reduce agency dependence, bring in stronger talent and build a delivery model that could flex with business needs while still adding value over time.

The solution

To get things moving, we started by identifying what was working and what wasn’t. That gave us a clear view of where immediate improvements could be made, while also helping shape the bigger strategic priorities for the future.

The next step was to streamline the hiring process further. We collaborated with hiring managers closely to include clearer role approval and sign-off in the process, making room for better decision-making and alignment. At the same time, we built and curated talent pools to create a stronger pipeline of engaged candidates – ultimately helping the business become self-reliant by taking current and future needs into account.

Results

The numbers spoke for themselves. Agency usage dropped from 38% of roles being filled externally to just 2%, dramatically reducing dependency on third-party supplies. That also led to a 90% drop in agency spend, giving the cost savings back to the business.

And the gains did not stop there. With stronger hiring manager engagement, forward planning, richer market intelligence and an expanding pool of engaged talent, the momentum kept going year after year.