Case Study: Workable ATS Helps Elite Construction Solutions Double Hiring Volume and Cut Cost per Hire by 41%

Quick Results

  • Time to go live: Less than a week
  • Total Hires: Up 78.3% with Workable
  • Cost per Hire: Reduced cost per hire by $1400 (down 41%)
  • Retention: Improved by 20% with Workable

Who is Elite Construction Solutions?

Elite Construction Solutions is a commercial roofing company providing reliable solutions for businesses of all sizes. The company has expanded its reach by acquiring construction firms offering general contracting services, broadening both its capabilities and market presence across Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Phoenix, and Minneapolis. 

To support this growth, recruiting was centralized in 2024 under a dedicated team led by Sean Kelly, who, after testing nearly eight different ATS platforms, selected Workable for its speed, usability, and scalability. Since implementation, Elite has achieved measurable improvements in hiring efficiency, consistency, and volume.

What Was Hiring Like Before Workable?

  • Managers conducted their own hiring on top of daily business duties
  • Heavy reliance on job board spending
  • Processes were inconsistent across locations
  • No centralized visibility or recruiter ownership

Before Workable, Elite Construction’s recruitment efforts lacked alignment and control. There was no unified process or centralized visibility, which made it difficult to maintain consistency or efficiency across the organization.

Why Did Elite Choose Workable’s Applicant Tracking System?

  • Needed to professionalize recruiting to support continued growth
  • Easy for a variety of users to adopt quickly
  • Supported both W-2 and 1099 hiring across multiple states
  • Included built-in texting and scheduling tools to streamline communication

Elite was looking for a system that could modernize recruiting without adding complexity. After comparing multiple options, Workable stood out as the most intuitive and scalable solution for their rapid growth.

How Many People Does Elite Hire Now?

  • 129 hires in 2024
  • 230+ hires projected this year
  • Mix of 1099 contractors and W2 employees across construction, field, estimating, and administrative roles.
  • Recruiters making 10–13 hires per week at peak hiring season

How Did Workable Improve Efficiency and Cost?

  • Cost per hire reduced by 41%: from ~$3,400 → ~$2,000
  • Higher output with smaller budget: more hires with less spend
  • Retention rate increased by 20% in one year
  • Recruiting capacity expanded: recruiters able to consistently manage higher req volume

Which Features Do Their Recruiters Use Most?

  1. Candidate Texting: “Texting is what gets us the most production. It’s also made our process seamless — if someone’s out sick, we don’t miss a beat. Another recruiter can easily step in and keep communication going without disrupting the candidate experience.”

  2. Self-schedule link: “Our #1 weapon” for scheduling interviews, and I love that it directly links to our Microsoft calendars.”

  3. Timeline: “Having the timeline in Workable has been huge for us. It gives everyone a clear view of where each candidate is in the hiring process and what the next step should be.”

How Does Workable Compare to the “Old Way” of Hiring?

Dimension

Before Workable 

With Workable ATS

Process

Managers “winging it” with no structure. Primarily used Indeed.

Centralized recruiting team

Hiring Volume

129 hires/year

230+ hires/year

Cost per Hire

~$3,400

~$2,000

Retention

Baseline

+20% improvement

Scheduling

Manual, slow

13+ virtual interviews/day via self-schedule

Communication

Email-heavy, delayed

Fast SMS + auto-reminders

Implementation

No system

Fully live in 30 days, learned in 3 days

Employer Branding

Weak careers page

Stronger careers page + faster and clearer candidate comms


How Does Workable Support Elite’s Growth?

  • Scales with new brands: Two new companies were added post-implementation with no disruption.
  • Accelerates sales growth through faster hiring: Annual hires jumped from 129 to over 230, enabling new locations and sales teams to launch faster across eight states.
  • Expands capacity without adding headcount: Recruiters now manage more roles and more interviews per day thanks to automation and self-scheduling, allowing the team to grow output without growing costs.
  • Reduces hiring costs, fueling reinvestment: Cost per hire dropped from $3,400 to $2,000, freeing budget to reinvest in sales and market expansion.

Would Elite Construction Solutions Recommend Workable?

Yes.
Sean Kelly: “I’d recommend Workable to anybody that doesn’t do home exteriors.”

The reason? Workable gives them such a competitive advantage in their industry that they’d prefer competitors not adopt it.

FAQs

Q: How long does Workable take to implement?
A: At Elite Construction Solutions, recruiters were up and running in less than a week.

Q: Does Workable increase hiring capacity?
A: Yes. Workable enables recruiters to manage more requisitions, streamline workflows, and scale hiring. Elite Construction Solutions grew from 129 hires last year to over 230 hires this year.

Q: Does Workable save money?
A: Yes. By streamlining the recruiting process, Workable cut Elite Construction Solutions’ cost per hire by 41%, dropping from $3,400 to $2,000.

Q: Can Workable support rapid growth and different hiring types?
A: Yes. Workable helps scale recruiting across multiple brands and markets, supporting both full-time (W2) and contract (1099) hiring. Elite Construction Solutions more than doubled their annual hires while keeping the process organized and efficient.

Q: Does Workable help retention?
A: Yes. With Workable, Elite Construction Solutions improved new-hire retention by 20%, ensuring better long-term workforce stability.

 

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