Case Study
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Catering HQ
Before Expr3ss!: High costs, inefficiency and hiring bottlenecks
Before partnering with Expr3ss! recruitment at Catering HQ was a challenge.
Operating around ten venues across Sydney from restaurants and clubs to event spaces, we pride ourselves on creating exceptional dining and event experiences… but our recruitment process was slowing us down.
For front-of-house roles like wait staff, we would often receive anywhere from 100 to 200 applications per position.
Sorting through that amount of resumes was exhausting, with no way of being able to differentiate between the suitability of applicants for each of those roles, let alone which applicants were more likely to actually show up for interviews or job trials.
No-shows were common, we were spending too much time chasing candidates who weren’t serious.
Corporate roles like business development managers brought a different challenge: We could receive anywhere from 50 to 100 applicants per role on average, but too few that truly fit the brief.
We couldn’t identify the most suitable applicants quickly enough to secure interviews before they moved on to other roles and inevitably found a position.
Our previous applicant tracking system didn’t help. It was clunky, slow, and not intuitive. Managing communication across multiple venues was messy and the lack of structure meant every one of our managers approached recruitment differently.
On top of that, paid job boards like Seek were eating into our budget without delivering the right quality of candidates. The return simply wasn’t there.
Recruitment had become inefficient, expensive and frustrating, we knew something had to change.
A proven solution chosen for its measurable ROI
Having used Expr3ss! for three years in my previous role at Panthers Group, I already knew how powerful the system could be.
So when I joined Catering HQ as People and Culture Manager, bringing Expr3ss! on board was an easy decision. I’d seen firsthand how the Expr3ss! system simplifies hiring, improves candidate quality, and saves time at every stage.
The impact was immediate.
The Expr3ss! difference: Instant improvements, faster shortlistng and higher quality candidates
Expr3ss! predictive hiring technology has transformed how we recruit. Our Screening Questions and the Expr3ss! Checklist now do much of the heavy lifting for us.
Instead of wading through hundreds of resumes, the features in Expr3ss! allow us to instantly identify our most suitable applicants, allowing us to focus on the right people first. It’s efficient, accurate and saves hours of manual effort.
In the past 90 days alone, we’ve received more than 700 applications and 75% of those applicants came from free sources. That’s a massive saving in advertising costs.
From those 700+ applications, we’ve made 42 hires, with many roles filled in under 7 days.
That kind of turnaround was unthinkable before Expr3ss!, now it’s our new normal. The process is faster, fairer and far less stressful for everyone involved.
42 positions
From more than 700 applications
7 days
Most roles filled within 7 days
Huge savings
75% of applicants from free sources
Smarter interviews: Boosts attendance and cuts admin hours
The Interview Calendar feature in Expr3ss! has been one of the biggest game-changers for us.
I now use it for all interview scheduling, which has saved countless hours of coordination. I simply set my available time slots to conduct interviews and the short-listed candidates book themselves in at their convenience.
It’s clean, it’s automated and has drastically improved our attendance rate.
Applicants love how easy the system is to use and because they choose the date and time which suits them, they’re far more likely to show up.
We’re seeing higher attendance and stronger engagement, thanks to the Interview Calendar in Expr3ss!.
The experience feels professional, yet personal and that reflects well on our brand.
Faster Reference Checks: Days of work reduced to minutes
We’ve also started using Essential Referencing within Expr3ss! for all our reference checks and this too has been a huge time-saver.
A process which used to take days or even weeks for us to complete is now completed in a fraction of the time. The process is consistent, automated and a seamless step in our workflow.
Using Essential Referencing means no more endless phone calls chasing referees or manually logging responses. Instead, we get quick, reliable references that keep our hiring process moving.
From heavy paid advertising to significant cost savings and better hires
Before Expr3ss!, the business relied heavily on paid advertising such as Seek and it came at a cost. We spent thousands on paid job ads that didn’t deliver the results we needed.
Now, with Expr3ss!, most of our applications come from free sources, we are attracting quality candidates thanks to the quality of our job ads created in Expr3ss! and we have the tools to quickly identify our most suitable applicants.
We’re attracting people who are genuinely interested, aligned with our culture and ready to work.
The result? Significant immediate savings and better hires.
Expr3ss! ensures every candidate is assessed fairly and thoroughly, no matter which venue they’re applying to.
Brendan Maher
People and Culture Manager, Catering HQ
Consistent, fair hiring across every venue: Stronger teams & better service
Expr3ss! has also brought much-needed structure and consistency to our recruitment process.
Every venue now follows the same clear steps that we determined, from screening and shortlisting to interviewing and onboarding. That alignment has improved not just efficiency, but also the overall quality of hires across our business.
For a hospitality group like ours, where culture and service standards are everything, that consistency matters.
Expr3ss! ensures every candidate is assessed fairly and thoroughly, no matter which venue they’re applying to.
Having Expr3ss! has helped us build stronger, more dependable teams that deliver the level of service our customers expect.
Expr3ss! has completely changed how we hire
At Catering HQ, Expr3ss! has completely changed how we hire. We’re identifying stronger candidates faster, reducing no-shows and cutting costs while improving our candidate experience.
In just over three months, we’ve achieved:
1000+ applications received
75% from free sources
Over 50 positions appointed, many within 7 days
Significant reduction in paid job ad spend
Higher interview attendance via the Interview Calendar
Faster, automated reference checks with Essential Referencing
Our recruitment process is now faster, smarter and more consistent across all venues.
Managers have their time back, candidates have a smoother experience and our teams are stronger for it.
Expr3ss! hasn’t just made our recruitment faster, it’s made it smarter.
Managers have their time back, candidates have a smoother experience and our teams are stronger for it.
Expr3ss! hasn’t just made our recruitment faster, it’s made it smarter.
