Case study: how a recruitment marketing agency made a difference

Introduction

Recruitment is more complex than ever. The tight labor market, high recruitment costs, and changing candidate expectations make it difficult for many companies to find the right people.
Recruitment marketing agencies claim to solve this with smart campaigns, employer branding, and data analysis. But what does that look like in practice?
In this case study, you'll discover how a mid-sized tech company struggling with long-term vacancies and an unknown employer brand completely transformed its recruitment strategy thanks to a recruitment marketing agency.
The result: shorter time-to-hire, lower cost-per-hire, more qualitative applications and a stronger employer brand.

The Challenge of the Company Before Collaboration

The tech company had big growth plans, but ran into problems with recruitment.

1. Long lead time for vacancies

• On average, a vacancy was open for 90 days before being filled,
• crucial projects were delayed due to a shortage of developers and engineers,
• management began to doubt the growth strategy.

2. High recruitment costs

• Tens of thousands of euros per year went to job boards,
• for every hire they paid external recruiters 20-30% of the annual salary,
• This model was unsustainable in the long run.

3. Unknown employer brand

• The company developed innovative software, but was unknown as an employer,
• Applicants were scarce and often not a good cultural fit.

4. Overloaded HR team

• HR was concerned with administration and onboarding,
• there was no knowledge of marketing, campaigns or data analysis.

In short: high costs, too few applications and an HR team under pressure.

Why the company chose a recruitment marketing agency

After months of disappointing results, the company opted for a recruitment marketing agency. Their motivation:

• specialist knowledge of campaigns and employer branding,
• a data-driven approach instead of gut feeling,
• a sustainable strategy that not only fills vacancies, but also structurally attracts talent.

The approach of the recruitment marketing agency

The agency followed a structured five-step approach.

1. Analysis and audit

• baseline measurement: which channels yielded applicants,
• analysis of the candidate journey, from vacancy text to onboarding,
• bottlenecks exposed: long forms, vague texts, slow follow-up.

2. Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

An EVP was developed together with employees:
“Working with us means freedom, innovation and personal growth.”
This promise became the core of all communication.

3. Social media and content campaigns

• LinkedIn campaigns targeting developers and engineers,
• Instagram stories and videos in which employees shared projects,
• short-form videos such as “a day in the life” to make culture visible.

4. Candidate journey optimization

• application form shortened from 20 to 6 questions,
• automatic confirmation email and response within 48 hours,
• digital onboarding with welcome videos and preboarding package.

5. Data, dashboards and optimization

• real-time dashboards with KPIs such as cost-per-hire and time-to-hire,
• weekly targeting and advertising optimization,
• continuous feedback from candidates to improve the process.

The results: measurable improvements in 6 months

The collaboration delivered tangible results in a short time:

• time-to-hire: from 90 to 45 days (-50%),
• cost-per-hire: 35% lower due to fewer external recruiters and more efficient campaigns,
• number of applications: +60%, with better culture fit,
• candidate experience: 80% of applicants rated the process positively,
• employer brand: +200% visibility on LinkedIn, plus unsolicited applications.

Key insights from this case study

• Employer branding pays off: a strong employer brand attracts candidates and reduces turnover,
• Data makes recruitment more efficient and cheaper: measuring and adjusting channels prevents waste,
• Social media reaches latent talent: not only active job seekers responded, but also professionals who were open to a conversation,
• Agencies strengthen HR teams: The agency took over marketing work so that HR could focus on selection and culture fit.

Benefits for other companies considering this

This case shows that recruitment marketing agencies can help companies with:

• attract talent faster in a tight market,
• lower recruitment costs through data and targeting,
• a stronger employer brand that attracts and retains candidates,
• better matches that ensure higher retention.

Conclusion: recruitment marketing agencies make the difference

This case study proves that recruitment marketing agencies do more than just fill vacancies. They build a sustainable strategy that combines employer branding, data analysis, and smart campaigns.
For companies struggling with:

• long-term vacancies,
• too high costs per hire,
• a weak employer brand,

Can a recruitment marketing agency make all the difference?