Breaking the Drop-Off Cycle: A Recruitment Transformation Story

Overview

Aether Industries Limited is a leading manufacturer of fine and specialty chemicals and active ingredients and a preferred provider of Contract Research and Manufacturing Services (CRAMS). The company currently operates a truly one-of-its-kind contract research and contract manufacturing facility in Surat (Gujarat, India). Their products find application in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, material science, coating, high-performance photography, additive, and oil and gas segments of the chemical industry. Aether Industries has become a member of the UN Global Compact Network India and has also been awarded the Silver EcoVadis Medal. With its pioneering technologies, the company continues to lead in delivering transformative experiences to a growing market. 

Objective 

In collaboration with Redrob, Aether set out to recruit for the Specialist/Assistant lead - Analytical Development Laboratory (ADL) role. This position required a well-qualified and experienced candidate with a deep understanding of analytical chemistry and regulatory compliance. The company’s objective was to reduce candidate drop-off rates, especially during the extended screening and assessment stages, and also to enhance the overall candidate experience. Redrob all in one recruitment platform promises to deliver a seamless engaging process designed to keep candidates actively involved from application to onboarding. 

Challenges 

Aether Industries Limited faced notable drop-offs among candidates due to a lengthy and multi-stage hiring process. The screening process and assessments are vital for such a specialized role but it often leads to applicant frustration and disengagement. Adding to it the recruitment team managed a huge volume of resumes manually, creating delays in communication and increasing the likelihood of losing talented candidates. Aether also finds it difficult to maintain consistent communication with candidates, which leads to a lack of clarity and further results in disengagement. 

Strategy 

To tackle candidate drop-off issues, Redrob first identified where and why candidates were disengaging. Aether’s multi-stage hiring process caused frustration among candidates due to lengthy screening times, limited feedback, and delayed communication. These factors led to high drop-offs, especially during initial screening and assessments.

Redrob’s approach focused on three key areas, consistent communication, AI-driven screening, and real-time assessments. First, Redrob implemented an automated communication sequence that provided candidates with timely, personalized updates after each milestone, helping to maintain engagement and reduce uncertainty. Using the Kanban board, recruiters could oversee communication and ensure consistency, further improving candidate retention.

To speed up the screening phase, Redrob’s AI-powered Applicant Tracking System (ATS) automatically scored applicants based on job relevance, advancing only those meeting a 50% match threshold. This AI-driven filtering reduced Aether’s screening workload by 60%, eliminating delays and keeping candidates engaged as they moved swiftly through the initial stages.

For technical assessments, this company customized its assessment test by choosing from Redrob's 3500+ assessment library, which provided immediate results, ensuring candidates received timely feedback without waiting. By delivering a smooth, secure, and responsive experience, Redrob’s strategy helped Aether minimize drop-offs and improved engagement throughout the hiring process.

Results 

• Reduced Candidate drop-off rates by 40%

• Shortened screening duration by 60% 

• Achieved complete sourcing for ADL role in 5 days

• Closed hiring for the ADL role within 3 weeks