Ascent Programs, a leading corporate organization overseeing a vital network of residential and wilderness treatment programs for teens and young adults across Utah, has successfully transformed its hiring operations through the strategic implementation of Workable, a comprehensive applicant tracking system. This pivotal shift has unified a previously fragmented recruitment landscape, introducing critical standardization, enhancing data-driven decision-making, and significantly boosting hiring efficiency across its six program sites and a workforce exceeding 600 employees. The journey, initiated with a pilot program at Three Peaks Ascent, has not only streamlined administrative burdens but has also elevated the human resources function to a strategic imperative, directly impacting the organization’s capacity to deliver high-quality care.
Ascent Programs: A Foundation of Care and Growth
Ascent Programs stands at the forefront of specialized therapeutic interventions, providing essential residential and wilderness treatment programs designed to address complex behavioral and mental health challenges in adolescents and young adults. Operating within Utah’s unique and often demanding therapeutic landscape, the organization’s network includes diverse programs, each tailored to specific client needs. The successful delivery of these critical services is intrinsically linked to the caliber and availability of its staff. Roles span a broad spectrum, from dedicated admissions teams who are the first point of contact for families, to highly skilled therapists responsible for caseload management and direct clinical care, and a substantial contingent of residential staff who provide continuous, round-the-clock support to clients. This latter group represents Ascent’s highest-volume hiring need and, given the intensity of the work, often presents the most significant turnover challenges. Furthermore, specialized positions, such as licensed therapists and certified teachers, introduce additional layers of complexity, particularly in a competitive job market where specific credentials and experience are paramount.
Overseeing the intricate HR operations at the corporate level is Jodi Levie, whose responsibilities encompass managing corporate office hiring and collaborating closely with embedded HR directors at each program site. This decentralized yet interconnected structure inherently demands both localized flexibility to meet site-specific needs and overarching enterprise-wide consistency to ensure compliance, quality, and strategic alignment. Prior to Workable, achieving this delicate balance proved to be an insurmountable hurdle, hindering Ascent’s ability to scale effectively and maintain optimal staffing levels across its expanding network.
The Decentralized Dilemma: Hiring Challenges Before Workable
Before the advent of a unified solution, Ascent Programs’ hiring methodology was characterized by profound decentralization. Each of the six program sites operated as an autonomous entity in its recruitment efforts, with individual HR directors managing their own distinct job postings, primarily through separate Indeed accounts. This meant that every aspect of the hiring process—from crafting job descriptions and managing advertising budgets to coordinating interviews and tracking candidate progress—was handled independently at the local level. The absence of a shared infrastructure resulted in a complete lack of unified data and, consequently, zero visibility at the corporate level regarding overall hiring performance.
The implications of this fragmented approach were far-reaching and detrimental. The hiring process was inherently slower and more cumbersome, as the entire weight of each recruitment effort rested on a single individual at each site. This administrative burden often diverted valuable HR time away from strategic initiatives. Moreover, the absence of standardized protocols meant that interview questions and evaluation criteria varied significantly across programs, raising concerns about consistency, fairness, and potential compliance risks. Collaboration between HR teams and clinical or operational departments was severely limited, impeding the holistic assessment of candidate fit and team dynamics. Perhaps most critically, when hiring difficulties emerged, whether localized to a specific program or indicative of broader organizational trends, there was no foundational data available to accurately diagnose the root cause or inform a targeted response. As Jodi Levie candidly noted, "There was no visibility at the corporate level. We weren’t able to report on anything." This profound lack of insight rendered it impossible for Ascent to develop a data-driven hiring strategy, a critical component for an organization poised for growth and deeply committed to its mission of client care. Understanding whether a staffing challenge stemmed from an inefficient internal process or external market dynamics was purely speculative, hindering strategic planning and resource allocation.
A Strategic Pivot: The Imperative for Visibility and Accountability
The decision to seek and implement a unified hiring solution was a direct response to two overarching corporate priorities: enhanced visibility and improved accountability. Corporate leadership recognized the urgent need to present hiring performance to its board of directors, not through anecdotal evidence, but through verifiable, data-driven metrics. Concurrently, the organization required a robust platform capable of instilling consistency across a hiring process that, by its very nature, was distributed across multiple independent sites. The goal was to transform HR from a reactive administrative function into a proactive, strategic partner.
Following a thorough evaluation process, Workable was selected for its intuitive interface, comprehensive features, and demonstrated ability to meet Ascent’s complex needs. The implementation journey commenced strategically at Three Peaks Ascent, one of the organization’s wilderness programs, serving as a pilot site to test the platform’s efficacy and gather initial feedback. The success observed at Three Peaks quickly catalyzed broader adoption, as the tangible benefits became evident to local HR teams. For Jodi Levie and her corporate HR team, the primary criteria for success were ease of implementation and measurable organizational impact. Workable delivered on both fronts, proving to be a highly adaptable and user-friendly solution.
Accelerated Adoption Through Demonstrated Value: A Timeline of Transformation
The phased rollout of Workable, beginning at Three Peaks Ascent, quickly demonstrated its value, paving the way for rapid, organization-wide adoption. Early adopters within the HR teams across the network recognized almost immediately that the platform would yield significant time savings, streamlining many of the previously manual and fragmented tasks. This practical benefit became a powerful internal advocacy tool, fostering adoption organically rather than through a top-down mandate. The positive feedback from early users created a ripple effect, with HR directors and hiring managers increasingly acknowledging the platform’s advantages. Within a remarkable one-year timeframe, Workable achieved full platform adoption across all six Ascent Programs sites, a testament to its user-friendliness and the clear, undeniable benefits it offered. As a spokesperson for Ascent noted, "Some people get set in their ways, and they don’t like change. But as we talked about how much easier it was making our lives, it grew. Within a year, everyone was saying this is so much better."
A key factor in accelerating this widespread adoption was the deliberate decision to extend hiring team access beyond just HR personnel. By empowering more employees—specifically, clinical and operational leaders—with visibility into candidates for their own teams and a direct voice in the selection process, Ascent cultivated a sense of ownership and shared responsibility. This approach transformed platform adoption from a mere policy directive into a tangible benefit for all stakeholders, fostering greater collaboration and commitment across the organization. This inclusive strategy not only improved engagement but also leveraged the collective expertise of the wider team, leading to more informed and collaborative hiring decisions.
Standardization: Bolstering Compliance and Equity
One of the most profound and meaningful shifts facilitated by Workable has been the establishment of structured, consistent hiring processes across all six Ascent Programs. In the pre-Workable era, there was no reliable mechanism to ensure that a therapist candidate applying to one program was evaluated against the same criteria as a therapist candidate at another. This inconsistency posed significant risks, both in terms of fairness and legal compliance. With Workable, Ascent has meticulously designed role-specific workflows and standardized interview question sets for every position type, from high-volume residential staff roles to complex clinical positions requiring multiple evaluation stages. Now, every candidate applying for the same role navigates an identical process, is asked the same set of questions, and is evaluated against consistent, objective criteria.
The implications of this standardization extend far beyond mere efficiency. It fundamentally reduces the risk of inconsistency-driven compliance issues, such as potential discrimination claims, and ensures that all hiring decisions are made on a defensible, equitable, and transparent basis. This commitment to fairness is paramount for an organization working in sensitive therapeutic environments. As an Ascent representative emphasized, "Standardization was huge for us. We’re making sure we avoid any potential discrimination issues by asking the same questions for the same group of people – comparing apples to apples." The flexibility inherent in Workable also allows for the customization of workflows by role. This means that while standardization is enforced, the system can accommodate the nuanced requirements of different positions, adding specific steps for more complex clinical hires, such as multiple rounds of interviews or credential verification, while maintaining a streamlined process for higher-volume residential roles. This balance between consistency and adaptability is crucial for meeting the diverse hiring needs of Ascent’s programs.
Reporting to the Boardroom: Data-Driven Strategic Insights
Perhaps the most transformative impact of Workable for Ascent Programs has been the newfound ability to generate comprehensive, actionable reports. Previously, the absence of a centralized system meant there was simply no reliable data to inform strategic decision-making. Today, the corporate HR team meticulously tracks critical metrics such as time-to-hire, qualified candidate volume, and candidate source across all six programs. This rich dataset is now leveraged to inform operational adjustments and guide strategic planning at the highest levels of the organization.
The reporting features within Workable are, as Jodi Levie describes them, "easy to use," making data accessibility a reality for the entire team. Beyond historical analysis, the team has also discovered immense value in the platform’s predictive reporting functionality. This capability allows Ascent to identify emerging patterns in application flow and candidate pipelines. For instance, if a specific site is experiencing difficulties in filling a particular role, HR can now consult historical data to discern whether the challenge represents a temporary market dip, a seasonal fluctuation, or a more systemic issue warranting a targeted intervention, such as adjusting recruitment channels or compensation strategies. "We can now report to our board of directors. We can show them areas of improvement, areas that have improved, and explain why we’re having a challenge in a specific area. We have data to drive our strategies now," stated Levie, underscoring the profound shift. This transition from instinctual decision-making to evidence-based strategy represents a significant elevation of the HR function, transforming it from a purely administrative support role into a vital strategic contributor directly impacting the organization’s growth trajectory and mission fulfillment.
Speed and Quality: Uncompromised Hiring Excellence
For an organization like Ascent, where staffing levels directly dictate client capacity and the ability to provide essential therapeutic services, the imperative to hire quickly and effectively when demand spikes is a fundamental operational necessity. Workable has provided the infrastructure to meet this demand without compromising the quality or integrity of the hiring process. The platform is estimated to save Ascent an impressive three to five hours per hire across various stages, including research, outreach, and coordination. This significant time saving, multiplied across hundreds of hires annually, translates into substantial operational efficiencies and cost reductions.
Workable’s multi-board job distribution functionality ensures that open roles reach a broad and diverse pool of candidates across numerous platforms simultaneously, eliminating the need for manual posting on individual job boards. This expanded reach, coupled with streamlined communication tools such as self-scheduling and candidate texting, has dramatically improved the candidate experience and expedited the hiring timeline. Ascent is also proactively expanding its utilization of automated messaging workflows, further enhancing consistency and speed in candidate communication, ensuring no applicant is left in the dark.
The impact on candidate quality has been equally noteworthy. Hiring teams across all six programs consistently report a noticeable increase in the number of qualified applicants. This improvement is attributed to both the broader distribution enabled by Workable and the more structured evaluation processes that effectively filter for fit earlier in the recruitment funnel. By attracting better candidates and evaluating them more consistently, Ascent ensures that every new hire contributes positively to the therapeutic environment and the well-being of its clients.
A Seamless Candidate Experience
From the candidate’s perspective, the application process facilitated by Workable is notably seamless and user-friendly. Regardless of whether an applicant discovers a position through Indeed, Ascent’s direct careers page, or a referral channel, their information is automatically routed directly into Workable. This centralized data management eliminates the need for HR teams to juggle multiple platforms or reconcile disparate data across various systems, ensuring that all candidate information resides in a single, accessible source of truth.
The efficiency of this integrated system benefits both the organization and the applicant. Candidates can apply through their preferred channel without encountering friction, and Ascent’s HR team receives all necessary information without additional manual effort. The application process itself has proven to be intuitive, with the organization reporting no significant complaints or sources of friction from applicants regarding their experience. This positive candidate experience is crucial in a competitive labor market, contributing to Ascent’s employer brand and its ability to attract top talent in the specialized field of behavioral health.
Future Horizons: Continuous Improvement and Strategic Growth
As Three Peaks Ascent and its sister programs continue their trajectory of growth and expansion, Ascent Programs remains committed to leveraging the full potential of Workable’s capabilities. The organization is actively exploring and implementing advanced features, particularly around automated messaging and AI screening. These initiatives are designed to make existing workflows even more intentional, personalized, and efficient, maximizing the return on the robust hiring infrastructure already in place. The continuous improvement mindset is not incidental but central to Ascent’s mission. For an organization managing complex clinical hiring at scale, where the quality of every single hire directly impacts the well-being and therapeutic outcomes of the teens and young adults they serve, this commitment to excellence is paramount.
Workable has provided Ascent Programs with an indispensable foundation built on visibility, standardization, and speed. Upon this robust framework, the HR team is actively constructing a hiring function that is genuinely strategic, adaptable, and fully capable of supporting both the organization’s ambitious growth objectives and its profound mission to provide life-changing care. By embracing innovation and data-driven practices in its recruitment efforts, Ascent Programs is not only securing its operational future but also reinforcing its commitment to its clients, ensuring that skilled and compassionate professionals are always at the heart of its therapeutic programs. This comprehensive overhaul positions Ascent as a leader not just in therapeutic care, but also in modern, strategic human capital management within the behavioral health sector.
