Recruitment firm taps into 24/7 call answering & automation

Deep integrations keep this small business moving quickly

Alex McFarland

Persevus

Workers across the country are actively (and earnestly) searching for better employment opportunities. In fact, a recent PwC survey found that 65% of employees are looking for a new job. This isn't necessarily a new trend (there are always job vacancies that need to be filled), but many recruiting firms struggle to address the growth. There are more candidates to screen, more interviews to schedule, and more firms to compete against. On top of managing this growth, one of the biggest blockers recruiting firms have consistently dealt with is attempting to balance admin duties with industry-specific tasks that simply can't be delegated. And that's exactly what Alex McFarland, owner of Persevus, found was keeping his direct placement recruiting firm from operating at peak efficiency.

Faced with the same dilemma, Alex searched for a solution to help him better manage his workload and wound up finding Smith.ai. It didn't take long for him to begin using Smith.ai's virtual receptionist services in 2016. This allowed Persevus to appear more mature and elevate the brand — even when he was the sole employee. He got the experience of having an in-house receptionist without needing to hire one — for a much smaller investment. Over the years, Alex has discovered more opportunities to use Smith.ai to simplify his day-to-day, optimize his workflow, and elevate some of the pressures that have come with running a business.

Persevus

Omaha, Nebraska

The problem

Streamling overhead work and automating processes

Our solution

Live agents handling calls with AI-driven workflows

When Alex first started using Smith.ai, it was simply to answer calls and take messages on his behalf 24/7. Those messages would be sent to him in an email, and Alex would respond when he had time.

Unlike many other virtual receptionist services, Smith.ai goes far beyond simple call answering. Our services address the unique needs of our customers, so when Alex sought to incorporate more automation into his processes, our agents were able to adjust their support to accommodate him. The messages that Alex used to receive via email are now integrated into his firm's system directly.

As Persevus evolved, so did the way Alex utilized Smith.ai. Backed by the best tech, tools, and agents in the industry, and designed with customization in mind, Smith.ai is there to help Alex accomplish his business goals. Alex raved, “Smith might be the only vendor category since I started Persevus that I haven’t turned over at least twice.” That’s due to Smith.ai’s commitment to technology, automation, and integration — a vision that Alex shares.

Free spam blocking

24/7 phone answering

Instant email summary of calls

Warm phone transfers

Easy and transparent billing

Appointment booking

Lead screening and intake

“I continue to be surprised with how we turn to Smith more and more as we automate, optimize, and outsource our workflows.”

The true value of Smith.ai’s virtual receptionist services for Alex was found in the significant improvement in the amount, speed, and quality of the work Persevus was able to do. Among many significant impacts Smith.ai had on Persevus’ workflows, some of the most notable were:

Informed Appointment Scheduling

When a candidate returns a recruiter’s call, Smith.ai receptionists can pull up information about each job and are empowered to schedule time with the candidate on the recruiter’s calendar.

24/7 Call Answering

Smith.ai answers every call, even when a recruiter is off work or out sick. That differentiator of candidate experience helps make more placements and satisfy more clients.

Seamless Automation

Through Smith.ai, Persevus employees have access to automation tools that help them streamline new client intake, consultation booking, and much more.

Lead Qualifying and Screening

Persevus recently started allowing Smith.ai’s virtual receptionists to make outbound calls on their behalf to qualify candidates based on job descriptions, saving Persevus’s team the task of screening every candidate themselves.

Some of the benefits Persevus have noticed as a result of these impacts alone include:

Increased responsiveness
Expanded placing capacity
Decreased appointment cancellations/no-shows
Enhanced client qualification and intake process
Revitalized productivity rates
Boosted client and candidate satisfaction

As Alex continues to develop Persevus’ internal processes to grow candidates throughput without increasing headcount, he finds himself asking, “Can Smith.ai do that?” He’s always pleasantly surprised when the answer is an enthusiastic “yes!”

Smith.ai is a superior 24/7 call answering service for small businesses and individuals. Our virtual receptionists help you build better relationships with new and existing clients and candidates. We will help save you money and time, give your callers the personalized attention they deserve (don’t we all prefer to talk to a human!), and find more qualified leads (bye-bye spam calls!)

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Sources: PwC