Optimum Consulting improves consultant productivity and reference turnaround time with Referoo.

Optimum Consulting is an innovative talent consulting firm with expertise across the recruitment, employment law and HR spheres. Based in Brisbane, Australia, the team has been delivering people and performance outcomes across a diverse client portfolio for almost 20 years.

General Manager of the Recruitment portfolio, Ben Walsh, has been with the company since its inception in 2003. During that time, he has witnessed the firm’s digital transformation first-hand.

The Challenge

With technology playing a significant role in today’s recruitment landscape, Ben was exploring opportunities to optimise his team’s recruitment process when he came across Referoo.

“I am always on the lookout for how we can streamline things so our consultants can focus on delivering outcomes for our clients. I noticed that telephone references took considerable time, so I started to look at potential online solutions.”

The Solution

Referoo. “I had actually started discussions with another provider when I mentioned it in passing to a client, and she straight away said, ‘You have to go with Referoo. They’re really good.’”

His client’s conviction convinced Ben that he needed to also start a discussion with Referoo, and after that chat, his mind was made up.

“What really got me was how interested the Referoo team were in our business. They wanted to understand who we are, what we do, and our goals to deliver our desired outcomes. That genuine focus on our business was refreshing.”

Optimum Consulting took up the offer of a free trial in November 2020 and signed on in December.

The Results

Referoo quickly became embedded in Optimum’s processes, and almost 18 months on, Ben says it’s an invaluable part of how the team operates.

“Referoo has freed up an enormous amount of time for our consultants,” Ben says. “Initially, I thought about it in terms of saving time on the actual phone call. However, it also dramatically improved our reference turnaround time, which has had many flow-on benefits.”

Ben says that gone are the days of playing phone tag with referees, as references can be completed anytime, anywhere. He also says it’s saved significant data entry and improved reference accuracy.

Previously, our consultants typed notes into our system, either while on the phone or just after the call. We don’t have to do that anymore, and we record the referee’s words verbatim.

He adds that Referoo is so simple to use that all his consultants were on board fast.

“When we first signed up, I was concerned that some of our most experienced consultants who have been doing phone references for 20 years might not embrace the change, but this simply wasn’t the case and that’s a testament to the platform.”

Ben adds that Referoo’s Business Development Module made the transition even easier from a sales perspective.

One of the objections consultants often raise is that phone references can be a source of business development as referees can become candidates or clients. It was awesome that Referoo already had this covered, as you can easily ask people whether they would be interested in a follow-up call. These warm lead lists are readily accessible in the system, making it easy for consultants to connect with them.

In addition, Referoo integrates with Optimum’s existing turbo ATS, so all the information is stored in one place. “Having a single source of truth is important so it’s fantastic that Referoo integrates with turbo.”

Ben says he was impressed with the Referoo team from the get-go, and his opinion hasn’t changed.

“It’s great to work with a tech partner that is interested in your business and genuinely wants to support your goals – and that’s something we get from Referoo,” he concludes.