“The Exceldor cooperative has been working for more than three years on improving its recruiting process to increase the company’s attractiveness. The aim of this initiative was to reach out to members of Quebec’s immigrant community, who are reliable and hardworking, and connect with them in a more direct way to show them the great opportunities we offer.”
Nicolas Bilodeau
Director of Human Resources, Exceldor cooperative
The labour shortage is hitting Quebec companies hard. Employers must reinvent themselves and find different recruiting solutions. For this specific offensive, the Exceldor cooperative wanted to fill daily factory positions. To do so, they had to find the right way to reach the clientele most likely to respond positively to this opportunity, mainly the immigrant population. Often this segment has the misconception that this type of work in the outskirts of Montreal is off-limits to them, due to a language barrier or lack of transportation options.
Recruiting on the spot
Hire right on the street? It’s not the most common approach of HR specialists. The goal was to employ a human approach by going to potential workers, who might not know of the company, right where they were, and to simplify the recruitment process as much as possible. The idea was simple, but turning it into a reality was another matter. To create the very first bus shelter that hires right on the spot, we put the best media and technology partners to the test. Then the bus shelter was placed in the Saint-Michel district of Montreal, an area with a high concentration of potential workers who could take advantage of Exceldor’s shuttle service from there to its facilities. People looking for work (and those open to opportunities) could interact with the bus shelter to have a live interview with Exceldor’s Human Resources department.
An idea that paid off
After the experience and its deployment on social media, there was a 320% increase in visits to the career section of Exceldor's website, with 427 applications submitted.
Increase in the number of visits to the career section of the website: + 320%
Client
Since 1945, the Exceldor cooperative has focused on poultry, and nothing but. They have worked to promote local poultry producers and the high quality of their products. Today, nearly 400 members share ownership of Exceldor. Every week, the company processes nearly 2 million chickens and turkeys. The cooperative divides production between its Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba plants. The company markets products under several brand names, including Exceldor, Butterball, Granny’s and Lacroix. It employs more than 3,500 people, with annual revenues reaching nearly $1 billion.
