How TalentAdore scaled recruitment, saved costs, and built long-term value with TalentBee

TalentAdore's recruitment challenges and business expansion to Sweden

TalentAdore, a fast-growing SaaS company specializing in AI-powered recruitment software, offers a human-centered Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Their platform helps companies streamline the hiring process while balancing efficiency with a personalized, candidate-focused experience. By leveraging AI, TalentAdore enables HR teams and hiring managers to attract top talent and create exceptional experiences for both candidates and internal teams, ensuring a seamless and efficient recruitment journey.

Eliza Elskena, Head of People & Culture, had been handling recruitment on her own but realized that with the company scaling, she needed more help.

The team had a lot of roles to fill, especially in tech, customer success, sales, and leadership, but the internal resources were stretched thin. On top of that, TalentAdore was aiming to expand into Sweden, where they weren’t very well-known, making it even harder to attract top talent.

They had been outsourcing recruitment to agencies, but the costs were high, ranging from 6000 € to 24 000 € per hire, with the average cost per recruitment in 2024 being around 13 000 €. Eliza knew they needed a better, more cost-effective solution.

"We had the ambition to grow, but recruitment was holding us back. I didn’t have enough time to focus on it, and we didn’t have the resources internally to move fast enough," Eliza shared.

TalentAdore had a solid company culture and values, but they hadn’t focused much on employer branding yet. They realized that to attract the best candidates, they needed to build a more strategic recruitment process and improve their employer brand. That’s when Eliza reached out to Saara Kyllönen from TalentBee, looking for support to help scale their hiring efforts and build a stronger recruitment strategy.

Talent acquisition challenges: Struggling to scale and compete for top talent

TalentAdore was facing a few key problems when it came to talent acquisition. First, they were struggling to fill critical roles quickly. Eliza’s role as Head of People & Culture was already demanding, and recruiting was taking a backseat. The team simply didn’t have the bandwidth to focus on it, especially with so many other priorities.

On top of that, they were up against tough competition in the talent market, especially in tech.

“In Finland, there’s a small pool of tech talent, and the competition is fierce. We were also competing with other SaaS companies for the same people,” Eliza explains.

Finding the right people for specialized roles, like sales and tech positions, was getting harder.

Another major challenge was that TalentAdore’s recruitment process was not fully optimized for the scale they were aiming for. While the company had a solid recruitment process in place, they needed additional support to meet their growing hiring needs. The internal team, though skilled, was stretched thin as they were also balancing other business priorities, making it difficult to manage the recruitment process efficiently and with top-notch candidate experience.

“We needed additional hands to ensure we could meet our recruitment targets while managing the process effectively. With the pressure of growing hiring needs, it was clear we needed extra support to streamline things,” Eliza explained.

Finally, without a strong employer brand, TalentAdore was struggling to attract top-tier candidates. They hadn’t yet invested much in employer branding, which meant that while they had a great company culture, they weren’t effectively communicating it to potential hires.

“Our brand wasn’t well-known in some key markets, and we hadn’t done enough to build our employer brand,” Eliza notes.

All these challenges put the company’s growth at risk. If they didn’t find a way to streamline hiring and attract the right talent quickly, it could hold back their ability to scale and achieve their business goals.

"It would have been a significant business loss for TalentAdore, if sales didn’t start growing in Sweden as planned, especially with the lack of a Business Development Representative. For many Finnish companies, international expansion is a 'must-win' battle: if you don’t succeed, it’s concerning. To attract the best talent without competing solely on salary, you need to build competitiveness in other ways. If you don’t, you won’t win,“ Saara says.

Exploring solutions to scale recruitment efficiently

With their recruitment challenges becoming more urgent, Eliza and the team started exploring different solutions. At first, they considered hiring an internal recruiter on at least a one-year fixed contract to manage the growing demands. However, given that they came to this realization in December, there wasn’t enough time to conduct the recruitment process for the TA Specialist. They also needed to get things running more efficiently than what would have been possible with a new hire.

Next, they looked at outsourcing recruitment to external agencies for individual roles, but quickly realized the costs were adding up.

“We were spending a lot on recruitment agencies, and it just wasn’t sustainable for the long term,” Eliza explains.

That’s when Eliza thought about TalentBee. She had known Saara from TalentBee for a while and had participated in some events they’d organized together. After a quick chat, Eliza sent a message to Saara to discuss a potential partnership and a business case.

They quickly realized that TalentBee’s “Talent Acquisition as a Service” (TAaaS) model could be the right fit for their situation. This approach allowed TalentAdore to get the support they needed without the long-term commitment or high costs of traditional agency services.

Eliza appreciated how TalentBee was willing to adapt to TalentAdore’s evolving needs.

“What really stood out to me about TalentBee was their flexibility. They didn’t come with a one-size-fits-all solution. They understood we needed someone who could jump in and help immediately, but also help us build something sustainable for the future,” Eliza says.

This approach gave TalentAdore the best of both worlds: hands-on support for urgent hires, along with strategic expertise to improve long-term recruitment processes. With this clear solution in sight, TalentAdore decided to move forward with TalentBee.

Why TalentAdore chose to collaborate with TalentBee

The decision to work with TalentBee came down to a few key factors. During their evaluation process, Eliza and her team were looking for a partner who could offer more than just recruitment support. They needed someone who could help them with both

1. immediate hiring needs and
2. longer-term strategic goals.

TalentBee stood out because of its deep understanding of the challenges that fast-growing companies face. Saara, in particular, was seen as someone who could dive into TalentAdore’s unique situation and adapt to their changing needs.

“What made me confident about moving forward with TalentBee was the personal investment Saara showed. She wasn’t just another consultant, but she genuinely cared about our business, our challenges, and our growth,” Eliza shares.

Another major factor was TalentBee’s flexibility. Eliza knew that the recruitment needs at TalentAdore were constantly evolving. They didn’t have the time or resources for a rigid, one-size-fits-all solution. TalentBee’s ability to stay agile and adapt quickly to their shifting needs made it an easy choice.

“TalentBee wasn’t just there to fill roles. They understood the bigger picture and helped us grow, not just by filling positions but by building processes that would scale with us,” Eliza adds.

TalentBee’s approach aligned well with TalentAdore’s values of human touch, innovation, and continuous learning. For Eliza, this felt like the right partnership.

“We felt that TalentBee was truly aligned with our values. They didn’t just come in to do a job, but they were genuinely invested in our success and helped us build something that would last,” Eliza says.

Why TalentAdore chose TalentBee

1. Similar values: TalentBee shares the same values as TalentAdore, including a commitment to growth, innovation, and a human-centered approach to talent acquisition.
2. Scalable & flexible solutions: TalentBee provides a flexible, scalable approach to meet changing recruitment needs.
3. Industry expertise: TalentBee brings valuable experience in helping fast-growing SaaS & tech companies streamline and optimize their talent acquisition.
4. Commitment to success: TalentBee demonstrates a hands-on commitment in business growth, not just filling roles.
5. Customized strategy: TalentBee tailors their services to address specific challenges and business goals, providing a highly personalized approach.
6. Long-term impact: Beyond filling roles, TalentBee contributes to developing a sustainable, strategic recruitment framework to support future growth.

The project in action: kicking things off quickly

Once TalentAdore decided to partner with TalentBee, the collaboration kicked off quickly. Saara and Eliza worked closely together to define the project scope and set clear goals for the first few months. The focus was on filling several critical roles, while also building the foundation for a more efficient, scalable recruitment process & employer branding.

The project started with an ambitious goal: TalentAdore needed to fill 6–8 roles by the end of Q2. These roles were key to supporting their growth objectives, including positions like BDR, Customer Success Manager, and a Tech Lead. But it wasn’t just about filling these roles quickly. The process had to be effective and strategic.

“We needed the right people, and we needed them fast. But we also needed to ensure the recruitment process was smooth and aligned with our long-term goals,” Eliza says.

#1 Roles that needed to be filled by the end of Q2

• BDR (Business Development Representative)
• Customer Success Manager
• COO / Chief of Staff
• Tech Lead
• Financial Operations Manger
• Talent Acquisition Specialist
• AI Engineer

To get started, TalentBee took a hands-on approach. Saara worked closely with the TalentAdore team, stepping in as an extension of their internal team. One of the first steps was improving the recruitment process. This meant streamlining job descriptions, revamping job ads, and implementing a more efficient interview process. Saara also introduced new tools to help, including headhunting tools like Linkedin Recruiter, and Jasper.ai for content creation.

“The best part was that TalentBee didn’t just come in and follow their own standard process. They adapted to our needs and helped us tweak our existing processes to make them more effective,” Eliza shares.

#2 MVP employer branding actions

In addition to the operational side, TalentBee also worked on improving TalentAdore’s employer branding. They organized a photoshoot day to create content that reflected the company’s culture and values. This content was then used to build stronger job ads and marketing materials.

TalentBee also produced five blog posts on topics such as TalentAdore’s founding story, company culture, and product development practices, based on interviews with employees and leadership. These posts were published on the company blog, shared on social media, and now serve as valuable material to support recruitment processes by giving candidates deeper insight into the company.

“We hadn’t done much in terms of employer branding before. TalentBee helped us create content that not only looked great but also showed who we really are as a company,” Eliza says.

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#3 Recruitment skills training

Saara also provided training for TalentAdore’s team, focusing on improving their recruitment skills. From helping hiring managers better evaluate candidates to coaching team leads on how to define key competencies for new roles, Saara ensured that the internal team was equipped with the skills they needed to handle recruitment independently in the future.

“TalentBee wasn’t just helping us fill positions, but they were also helping us become better recruiters ourselves,” Eliza notes.

Throughout the project, Saara acted as a true team player, working closely with TalentAdore’s leadership and HR team, providing weekly updates, and keeping everyone aligned. This collaboration felt more like a partnership than a typical client-consultant relationship. Saara was always available to answer questions, brainstorm solutions, and provide feedback.

“It felt like we were all in this together. TalentBee wasn’t just a service provider, but they were truly part of our team,” Eliza says.

#4 Adapting to sudden changes & prioritizing

Despite the rapid pace, there were still challenges along the way. The team had to adapt to sudden changes in priorities, such as when a team member unexpectedly left and needed to be replaced. But TalentBee remained flexible and continued to deliver results.

“There were curveballs, like when we had to change our priorities halfway through, but TalentBee was always ready to adjust. Overall, the collaboration has been smooth and effective, and the results started showing quickly,” Eliza explains.

Results and outcomes after working together for 6 months

The collaboration between TalentAdore and TalentBee produced impressive results, both in terms of filling critical roles and improving the overall recruitment process.

Return on investment in Talent Acquisition as a Service:

• ~20K € saved in recruitment costs compared to headhunting agency fees
• 6 critical roles successfully filled (e.g., CSM, BDR, COO)
• Recruitment goals met within the set timeline (a.k.a. ASAP)
• Onboarding and training of new TA Specialist Elina, who will take over talent acquisition going forward
• Company-wide upskilling through sparring sessions and recruitment best practices
• 5 employer branding posts produced and insights provided for strengthening EVP
• Employer branding photoshoot day organized, resulting in new job ads, content, and photos
• Several process improvements suggested and implemented to streamline hiring
• Contribution to TalentAdore’s product development together with Product Designer Venla

Here’s a breakdown of the outcomes:

Roles filled

TalentAdore successfully filled several key positions, including:

• COO/ Chief of Staff
• Customer Success Manager
• Business Development Representative
• Finance Operations Manager
• Talent Acquisition Specialist
• Customer Support Team Lead

These hires were essential to supporting TalentAdore’s growth and international expansion plans, especially in Sweden. Of particular note was the successful recruitment of a key C-level leader, who will strengthen the leadership team and play a pivotal role in guiding the company toward its ambitious goals.

Improved hiring metrics

One of the biggest wins was the significant improvement in hiring metrics. While the time-to-hire did increase slightly due to the need for more thorough evaluations, the quality of applicants improved dramatically.

“We saw a noticeable improvement in the quality of candidates, and the time-to-hire wasn’t as much of an issue because we were getting better-fit applicants,” Eliza shared.

Cost savings

Compared to previous recruitment methods, the partnership with TalentBee brought clear cost savings. On average, TalentAdore saved around 3000 € per role, adding up to roughly 20000 € across the collaboration.

“By switching to TalentBee’s model, we reduced our recruitment costs significantly. It was a much more cost-effective approach than relying on agencies for each role separately,” Eliza said.

Enhanced employer branding

The employer branding content and photoshoot day helped TalentAdore create a stronger presence in the job market. The new job ads and marketing materials better reflected the company’s culture and values, making it easier to attract the right candidates.

“TalentBee helped us build content that resonated with candidates and showed who we really are as a company. This made a big difference in how we were perceived,” Eliza noted.

Team upskilling

Another key outcome was the upskilling of TalentAdore’s internal team. The recruitment process became more efficient as hiring managers were trained on how to evaluate candidates and define key competencies for new roles.

“TalentBee didn’t just fill roles for us, but they helped us improve our internal recruiting processes, which will help us long-term,”Eliza said.

Support for strategic growth

TalentBee’s support played a crucial role in helping TalentAdore achieve its strategic goals. With critical roles filled, the company was able to move forward with its growth plans, including expanding its sales team in Sweden. This was a vital step in their ambition to scale and succeed in new markets.

The recruitment of a key C-level leader further strengthened their leadership team, while the onboarding and training of a new TA Specialist ensured that TalentAdore now has in-house expertise to carry talent acquisition forward.

Overall, the partnership with TalentBee not only helped TalentAdore fill important positions but also strengthened their recruitment processes, saved costs, improved their employer brand, and set them up with the internal resources needed for sustainable growth.