The Client
Bluetree Network is a rapidly growing strategy and support firm in the field of healthcare information technology. Bluetree employs ~600 “Blueleaves” across the United States who help many of the top US hospitals tackle their biggest challenges and maximize return on their healthcare IT investments. The Bluetree team is committed to accelerating the technological, clinical, and operational advances necessary to build health for a better world.
The Challenge
Bluetree’s small recruitment team was struggling to keep up with mass hiring demands. They needed to hire more Service Center Specialists—and fast.
“Due to COVID-19, our service center expanded astronomically in a very short period of time,” explains Kimmarie Giebel, Talent Manager at Bluetree. Their recruitment efforts were further complicated by large quantities of applications. Between 1,000 and 1,500 people apply for each job posting for Tier 1 help desk support positions.
Giebel had to hire at least 50 people per month over the course of a four-month period. But using their current process, it was taking 3.5 hours to fully vet each candidate.
The Solution
Bluetree Network decided to modernize its recruitment process so the organization could achieve its hiring growth goals.
If applicants meet Bluetree’s minimum requirements, they’re added into VidCruiter and automatically invited to the first step of the recruitment process. They’re greeted with welcome videos. In the videos, Giebel and one of the Service Center hiring managers give candidates more background about Bluetree, the department, and the work culture. They also explain what to expect from the interviewing process.
First, candidates take an online soft skills assessment. It’s meant to help predict how the candidate will communicate with customers, as well as their manager and colleagues. Within this same step, applicants also participate in a pre-recorded video interview where they answer four questions. One question asks for a high-level overview of their experience, and the additional questions center around how the candidate deals with angry customers, how they adapt in a changing environment, and their ability to teach people technology. “We like how applicants do it all in a Bluetree-branded site,” says Giebel.
“From a branding and a candidate experience perspective, we find more people stay engaged when they can do it all in one step. They just flow from the test to the video interview questions. It looks the same; it feels the same.” Bluetree’s hiring team reviews the results of the test (which are auto-calculated) and candidates’ video recordings, then makes decisions about who advances to the next step. Top applicants are asked to use VidCruiter’s interview scheduling tool to pick an available time slot from the hiring manager’s calendar for a live video interview.
Bluetree uses a standardized rating rubric to add structure and minimize hiring bias throughout the recruitment process. Giebel receives an automatic email once the final interview is completed. In the rubric, the hiring manager lets her know if they’d like to hire, not hire, or talk about it more.
The Results
By implementing VidCruiter, Bluetree Network had a successful mass hiring sprint, growing its support team by three times in just four months. “We went from a team of 50 specialists to a team of around 200,” says Giebel.
“Before we started using VidCruiter, hiring that many people would’ve meant months of pre-screening and about 15 people working full-time. What would’ve taken a whole team to do, we can now handle with two people.” The new streamlined process is doing more than just speeding up recruitment. It’s also improving the quality of Bluetree’s hires by providing better insights.
“We’re getting a better sense of candidates,” says Giebel. “We get to see first-hand very practical skills like how they’d troubleshoot tech. Since we get more from using VidCruiter, we don’t ask for references for this role.”
VidCruiter’s technology was selected partly because of our organizational commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). “When we were picking a vendor, we looked at it from a DEI lens. That’s really important to us,” says Giebel, who is also Bluetree’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group Co-Chair. “We wanted to find a partner that also put diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront. That stood out to us compared to competitors.”
Giebel explains that VidCruiter’s recruitment software helps Bluetree stay true to its DEI commitment. “I like how the product is created in such a way that mitigates unconscious bias. We have more than one person reviewing applicants so we can continually check for bias.”
“Everything is recorded so we can make sure everyone is getting the same experience and the same information. We can monitor if hiring managers are being inclusive and asking questions appropriately. I can review the videos and use it as a coaching opportunity if needed.” From an equity and accessibility standpoint, Bluetree’s hiring team also likes that the pre-recorded video interview can be completed on any device.
While VidCruiter is helping Bluetree considerably, the technology is also helping job seekers find work by removing the barrier of time.
“I think the value of people being able to complete the assessment and pre-recorded videos anytime of day is often overlooked,” says Giebel. “A lot of our candidates work full time, and they can’t just take off for an interview. This allows them to do it at a time that works for them, even if that’s after their family has gone to bed. They can do it on their own; they don’t have to worry about whether or not I’m available.”
Now that Bluetree’s hiring sprint is over, they still use VidCruiter to hire about 20 people a month for backfill and new positions. If there aren’t any current openings but an applicant shows promise, they move that individual into a VidCruiter folder labeled “Strong Candidate for the Future.”
“One of the benefits of VidCruiter is the ongoing relationships we can have with candidates,” says Giebel. “Every other week, we’re just touching base with them to keep them informed and see if they’re still interested in working for us. That way, if we need to move quickly, we have a good pulse of how many pre-vetted people would be open to it.”
