About Adecco
Adecco is a global recruitment organisation, connecting employers with talent across a wide range of sectors. As a recruitment partner supporting a major government call centre recruitment campaign, Adecco was responsible for attracting, assessing and onboarding hundreds of customer service advisers across multiple locations.
The Challenge
Adecco was supporting a large-scale recruitment campaign that required significant numbers of customer service advisers to be recruited and onboarded within a short timeframe.
The recruitment process involved multiple assessment stages, onboarding checks and training requirements, creating several opportunities for candidates to disengage before reaching employment. Alongside the challenge of recruiting at pace and volume, Adecco needed reliable, committed applicants who were prepared to complete the full recruitment journey.
To meet hiring demand, Adecco was looking to access a wider pool of suitable candidates, reduce candidate drop-off throughout the process and improve the quality and readiness of applicants entering recruitment.
The Solution
Working in partnership with the Serco Restart Scheme, Adecco gained access to a pipeline of motivated candidates who had received tailored support before entering the recruitment process.
A dedicated Employer Engagement lead acted as a single point of contact throughout the campaign, working closely with Adecco to understand the role requirements and identify suitable candidates. Participants were carefully matched to the opportunity, helping to ensure referrals were aligned to the skills, behaviours and expectations needed for success.
Before referral, candidates received tailored preparation, including:
- Interview preparation
- Digital skills support
- Guidance on working in a home-based customer service environment
- Realistic insights into the role and recruitment process
Support continued throughout the onboarding journey, with the Restart Scheme team maintaining regular contact with candidates, helping them remain engaged, complete recruitment milestones and overcome barriers that could affect their progression into employment.
The Results
Through targeted candidate matching, pre-employment preparation and ongoing onboarding support, the partnership helped Adecco recruit at scale while reducing the risk of candidate attrition throughout the recruitment process.
Key outcomes included:
- Filled 120 customer service adviser vacancies
- Access to a wider pool of motivated, work-ready candidates
- Improved candidate readiness before entering recruitment
- Greater engagement throughout assessment and onboarding stages
- Reduced candidate drop-off during the recruitment journey
- Improved interview readiness and digital confidence
- Positive feedback on the quality and suitability of candidates referred through the programme
“Using the Restart Scheme has been a really positive experience for our business. It’s helped us connect with a wider pool of candidates who are genuinely motivated to get back into work and make an impact. We’re not just getting CVs through – we’re getting candidates who are actually a good fit for what we need.” – Natalie Houston, Account Manager, Adecco
For employers managing high-volume recruitment campaigns, the Restart Scheme provides access to prepared, motivated candidates alongside dedicated account management, targeted matching and ongoing support throughout the hiring journey, helping to improve candidate retention and recruitment outcomes.
