The Customer

Bird is one of Canada’s top 10 construction companies, with work spanning a full range of commercial, massive industrial, energy, and infrastructure projects. (Sorry, US: Bird is Canada only!) Bird is also growing aggressively, with a goal of becoming an Employer of Choice by 2024. 

The Benefits (problem/solution)

Bird’s existing hiring process included the following steps: posting a job, waiting 5-7 days to collect résumés, and then using “words on a page” to identify a slate of 3-5 candidates for a hiring manager to interview—and to identify additional slates as necessary. Screening and scheduling processes were manual, time-consuming, and fraught with low-quality, administrative candidate interactions. 

Bird implemented Wedge as part of an effort to use technology to make TA more efficient and candidate-friendly. Wedge has allowed Bird to make hiring faster, simpler, and more predictable, with higher quality candidate engagement.

Gillian Wallace, Senior Manager of TA, loves that Wedge video interviews has improved the quality of candidate slates by giving recruiters “an amazing snapshot of how someone will present in an interview.” Wedge has also increased the number of candidates the team can handle, making slates of 10-15 candidates possible. These improvements have led to shorter and more predictable hiring cycles. 

Candidates have also responded positively to Wedge and the ability to share their authentic selves. Bird provides them unlimited retakes, too, so they can get things just right.

The Value (ROI/measured impact)

Most candidates now receive an invitation to complete a Wedge within 48 hours. Eliminating scheduling delays (that would sometimes run three days or more) has improved predictability, and shorter review times have increased efficiency. Overall time-to-fill has dropped from 60 days to 40-45 days—an improvement of 25% – 33%. Talent Acquisition staff are able to take on larger number of open positions, and the team is exceeding service level agreements (SLAs) with hiring managers. Hiring managers have embraced Wedge (regarding its ease of use, Gillian commented, “If you can click a mouse, off you go!”), leading to better engagement across the board. 

Authenticity at Scale (how Wedge fosters authenticity at scale)

A key way Wedge helps Bird build genuine relationships is through continuity: Bird’s TA team starts building high-energy relationships with candidates with their first call, and replacing administrative scheduling calls with a process marked by quick turnarounds and “light,” “punchy,” and “genuine” language keeps that energy going—regardless of outcome. 

Trouble-shooting, too, is now an opportunity to connect with candidates: “One candidate felt robotic, so she called me and I talked her through it. ‘It doesn’t have to be perfect, just be yourself.’ Five minutes of coaching and she sent in a truly fantastic video.”