Published by Eric Gregg - 10/29/18

How Kforce Elevates the Candidate Experience with the ClearlyRated Survey Program


At ClearlyRated, we believe it’s good business for staffing firms to place the client and candidate experience at the heart of their growth strategy. Few staffing firms embody this idea as distinctly and consistently as our partners at Kforce.
 
In the 3 years that Kforce and ClearlyRated have worked together, Kforce’s Net Promoter® Score rating from the 36,000+ consultants placed across 55 field offices each year has grown to 62%. That’s an incredible feat considering the state of the candidate experience in the staffing industry (the average staffing firm NPS® rating from placed talent in 2018 is a meager 24%) – but it’s even more compelling when you look at the correlation between NPS and Kforce’s revenue growth:

Kforce’s leading offices (the top 50% of field offices by NPS) are growing revenue at 2x the pace of the industry (and 10x faster than offices with lower NPS scores).

The Kforce story is a shining example of what’s possible when you commit to effort AND impact – an idea at the very heart of Kforce’s company mission to have a meaningful impact on all lives they serve.
 
We’ve worked with the Kforce team to publish a case study highlighting their strategy, implementation, and ongoing execution of the comprehensive Consultant Care program. I’ve summarized a bit below, but I highly encourage you to read the complete case study for first-hand insight into this successful model for harnessing the candidate experience for firm growth.
 
Get the full case study >>


Consultant Care at Kforce

When we began working with Kforce in 2015, they were committed to creating a meaningful experience for the consultants they help place. They understood how the tight market for talent can help (and hurt) Kforce and their business clients – and they were investing time, resources, and heart towards ensuring the candidates they worked with felt supported and cared for.
 
What Kforce didn’t have in place at that time was a way to systematically and transparently measure the impact of that investment. That’s where ClearlyRated was able to help.

“It’s one thing to say that we provide a world-class consultant experience, but we knew that we needed to quantify it with data to move the needle.” -Shari Locascio

ClearlyRated worked with the Kforce team to deploy a talent engagement survey program. With this critical infrastructure in place, the Consultant Care program allows Kforce to accomplish 3 key objectives:

  1. Shed light on information to facilitate areas of process improvement
  2. Measure the candidate (i.e. “consultant”) experience throughout the organization
  3. Recognize service leaders for their efforts to cultivate a culture of services excellence

Leveraging the ClearlyRated Survey Program

ClearlyRated’s talent engagement survey program enables the Kforce team to ask their consultants to rate their experience (utilizing the Net Promoter® survey methodology) at key points in their employment:

  1. Following onboarding to a new assignment
  2. At assignment mid-point
  3. After closing out an assignment

In addition to receiving quantifiable metrics about the consultant experience at each of these critical moments, Kforce gains further insight through open-ended comments (in a reporting dashboard) that clarify the reasons behind the ratings, providing a daily stream of comments from consultants in the field. The feedback is used to both address and resolve concerns, while inspiring Kforce employees to generate more promoters by celebrating service wins.

“Whether good or bad, the feedback from ClearlyRated is measurable and actionable. Their solution ensures we’re caring for our consultants – one of the most important aspects of our business.” -Adam Shad, Kforce Senior Vice President


Measurable Results

Since Kforce began leveraging the ClearlyRated talent engagement platform in 2016, the overall NPS for their group of placed consultants has grown to 62% NPS. For reference, in 2018 the average placed candidate rates their primary staffing firm at 24% NPS (world class is 70% NPS). The difference is staggering.
 

 
To further demonstrate the ROI of Kforce’s investment in the Consultant Care program – analysis has shown that their offices with the highest NPS scores are growing revenue at 2x the pace of the market. 
 

 
Kforce is a shining example of what’s possible when a team comes together to create a world-class experience for the consultants they serve. By transforming their Net Promoter Score initiative into a key influencer for firm growth, Kforce sets the pace in the staffing industry for what it means to invest in (and see a return on) the candidate experience. ClearlyRated is proud to partner with Kforce as they lead the way with measurable, accountable action to create a meaningful impact on all the lives they serve.


How does your firm stack up?

If you’re not already leveraging NPS at your firm, we hope you consider this article a call-to-action. Not only does the quality of the candidate experience represent an opportunity to differentiate in an increasingly commodified service industry, it’s also fuel for firm growth.
 
And if “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” – then you certainly won’t be able to improve it either.

Next Steps

  • Ready to get started with NPS? Contact the ClearlyRated team for insights, best practices, and a tour of our survey platform (designed specifically to support professional services firms).
  • Considering a survey program? Our veteran team of survey experts has compiled a Satisfaction Survey Checklist for Staffing Firms to help you avoid common pitfalls and build a road map for a successful client survey initiative.

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