HANOS HR & Recruitment
HANOS is an international hospitality wholesaler serving businesses in the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of Germany. With 21 locations and 5,000 employees, HANOS faces the daily challenge of attracting qualified staff. We spoke with Ceana de Ligt, Employer Branding Specialist, about how HANOS leverages Saysimple to recruit new employees in an innovative way.
“Thanks to Saysimple, we’ve made the application process simpler and more efficient.”
— Ceana de Ligt, Employer Branding Specialist, HANOS
Innovative Approach to Recruitment
Like many companies, HANOS is navigating the challenges of a tight labor market. Competition for talent is particularly fierce in the logistics and transport sectors. “We wanted to find a way to make the application process easier and more accessible,” Ceana explains. They opted for Saysimple, a platform already familiar within HANOS due to its use by the Sales and Service divisions. A key factor in this decision was the ability to integrate Saysimple with HANOS’s ATS system, Floyd & Hamilton.
WhatsApp Recruitment Bot
To address HANOS’s specific recruitment needs, Saysimple developed a WhatsApp application bot. Applicants can submit their applications via WhatsApp by answering just a few simple questions. “One of our target groups, such as temporary and seasonal workers, primarily communicates via WhatsApp. It feels very natural for them to apply this way,” Ceana notes.
The bot tailors job offerings based on the applicant’s postal code and preferences, making the process both user-friendly and relevant. Applicants can also upload their CVs directly through WhatsApp. Once all the necessary information is gathered, the applicant is automatically created in the ATS system, where local branches can take over.
More Than Just Recruitment
In addition to simplifying applications, Saysimple is also used for internal communication and Employer Branding. Ceana shares: “For events like HANOS on STAGE, we use Engage, the WhatsApp Broadcast feature of Saysimple, to quickly and efficiently inform colleagues about registrations and locations.”
Results
Within the first six months, HANOS successfully recruited 100 applicants through the WhatsApp bot. Additionally, the bot assists in answering questions and removing barriers for potential candidates.
