Recruitment chaos—it’s a phrase many Talent Acquisition (TA) professionals know all too well. This was the reality a year ago for Apoteket AB, Sweden’s leading pharmacy chain with a turnover of 20.3 SEK billion, 3,000+ employees, and 400+ pharmacies. With an outdated ATS, fragmented processes, and inconsistent candidate experiences, their recruitment challenges felt overwhelming.

Fast-forward to today, and Apoteket is setting the standard for data-driven talent acquisition, with streamlined workflows, powerful recruitment automation, and a compelling employer brand.

Here's how they made the leap, and what your TA team can learn!

Keep scrolling to read about the impact of Apoteket’s transformation, including how they reduced time to attract by 62%, built smarter talent pools, and turned their TA strategy into a proactive powerhouse.

Or, watch the full recording here to get all the insights directly from Carolina, Apoteket’s Head of Talent Acquisition.

The Starting Point: Recruitment Chaos

When Carolina, Apoteket’s Head of Talent Acquisition, joined, the TA department faced several common obstacles:

• An outdated ATS: Their applicant tracking system couldn’t deliver reliable data or provide a clear overview of the recruitment pipeline.
• Fragmented processes: Hiring managers handled recruitment inconsistently, leading to varied candidate experiences.
• Department silos: Pharmacists, HQ, and regional offices each managed hiring independently, creating inefficiencies and confusion.
• A lack of data-driven decision-making: Without actionable insights, recruitment efforts were reactive and inconsistent.

“We weren’t a strategic partner to the business. We were operating as a service centre, which is not sustainable for long-term success,” Carolina shared.

The Transformation: From Chaos to Structure

To rebuild their talent acquisition function, Apoteket focused on four key areas:

1. Centralised Processes: In Q4 2023, Apoteket switched to a more dynamic applicant tracking system (ATS) and established unified recruitment processes. This transition streamlined workflows, reduced inefficiencies, and ensured consistency across all departments at the headquarters and later on for other departments in the organization. By integrating reliable data-driven insights, they transformed their ATS into a central hub for smarter hiring decisions.
   
   
2. Modernised Employer Branding: Apoteket updated their story telling and content to reflect a modern, inclusive image of the company. Now, in collaboration with Oddwork they are defining their employer value proposition (EVP) involvning  employees at all levels to craft an authentic narrative. The updated storytelling and content and the new EVP now drives every aspect of their recruitment marketing and AI-driven candidate nurturing.
   
   
3. Targeted Advertising Strategy: By adopting to an automated social recruiting platform, Apoteket optimised job ads for hard-to-fill roles, focusing on local markets with high competition. Tailored storytelling made ads resonate with candidates, improving engagement.
   
   
4. Data-Driven Insights: with a streamlined TA strategy, Apoteket began analysing key metrics like time to attract (TTA), candidate pool quality, and ad performance. This data empowered the team to refine strategies continuously and allocate budgets effectively.

Results: What Changed?

The impact of these changes has been transformational:

• Applications per Vacancy: Increased from 5 to 23, creating a diverse candidate pool for every role.
• Time to Attract (TTA): Reduced from 32 to 12 days, ensuring high-quality candidates enter the funnel faster.
• Time to Hire (TTH): Reduced from 88 to 31 days by improving processes and increasing hiring manager buy-in.
• Optimised Candidate Experience: Standardised processes and the removal of cover letter requirements streamlined applications.

The Power of Social Recruiting

Social-first recruitment strategies were pivotal to Apoteket’s success. Leveraging tools like AI recruitment marketing and social media recruitment tools, they engage passive candidates directly on platforms where they’re most active.

“Our storytelling in all job and- employer branding ads now reflects who we are as an organisation, and our candidates see that from the first touchpoint,” Carolina explained.

Learnings and Next Steps

While the transformation has yielded impressive results, Apoteket continues to refine its approach:

1. Addressing Bottlenecks: Data has highlighted roles with higher-than-average TTA. By analysing these cases, the team can refine its strategy further.
   
   
2. Improving Relevance: For some roles, additional focus is needed to ensure the talent pipeline aligns perfectly with hiring needs.
   
   
3. Continuous Optimisation: Apoteket’s TA function is committed to using their now reliable data to prioritise initiatives and improve over time.

Takeaways for TA Teams

Apoteket’s journey underscores the value of proactive talent acquisition strategies:

• Invest in Data and Automation: Modern AI recruiting software and recruitment automation tools can revolutionise hiring workflows.
• Focus on Candidate Experience: Simplify application processes and create consistent, engaging storytelling.
• Leverage Social Media: Meet candidates where they are to build strong, relevant talent pools.
• Collaborate Internally: Secure buy-in from hiring managers and leadership to position TA as a strategic partner.

Transform Your Recruitment Strategy

Apoteket’s shift from reactive to proactive hiring highlights the power of data and automation in TA. If you’re ready to elevate your strategy with AI-driven recruiting software or a social recruiting platform, let’s talk about how we can help you achieve similar results.

Let's chat to see how our Talent Attraction Suite can optimise your recruitment budget, increase candidate quality, and attract top talent faster than your competitors.