Managing talent acquisition across a sprawling network of properties, particularly in the dynamic real estate sector, presents unique challenges that demand speed, visibility, and consistency. For PeakMade Real Estate, a prominent property management company overseeing approximately 100 properties and 950 associates across dozens of locations in the U.S. and Canada, the modernization of its hiring processes became not merely an upgrade, but an essential strategic imperative. The company, which manages both student housing and multifamily communities, recognized that supporting its ambitious growth trajectory and fostering enhanced collaboration across diverse teams hinged on a more sophisticated approach to recruitment. The subsequent implementation of Workable, a leading applicant tracking system, has demonstrably streamlined hiring workflows, empowered hiring managers with superior tools, and significantly amplified candidate flow, all while meticulously cultivating a more positive experience for applicants.
The Intricate Landscape of Property Management Recruitment
PeakMade Real Estate operates within a highly competitive and complex industry. Managing apartment communities across nearly 30 U.S. states and Canada means navigating a mosaic of local labor markets, regulatory environments, and property-specific operational needs. The company’s hiring focus spans a wide array of roles, from on-site property operations and facilities teams to crucial corporate positions. This inherent geographic dispersion and functional diversity compound the challenges of talent acquisition. Each property often operates under its own ownership group, adding another layer of complexity to the hiring process, which necessitates robust coordination among multiple stakeholders, including property managers, regional directors, and corporate HR.
Before the advent of modern HR technology, property management firms, including PeakMade, frequently contended with a fragmented and labor-intensive recruitment landscape. High employee turnover, a common characteristic of the real estate service industry, further exacerbates the need for efficient, continuous hiring. Roles such as leasing consultants, maintenance technicians, community managers, and administrative staff are critical to property performance, yet they often experience significant churn. This constant demand for new talent means that inefficient hiring processes can directly impact operational stability, resident satisfaction, and ultimately, financial performance. According to industry reports, the average turnover rate in property management can range from 30% to over 50% annually, underscoring the perpetual recruitment challenge.
Navigating Pre-Workable Bottlenecks: A Chronology of Inefficiency
Prior to its partnership with Workable, PeakMade Real Estate’s hiring infrastructure was characterized by manual processes and a conspicuous lack of centralized visibility across its distributed teams. This led to a series of inefficiencies that hindered both the speed and quality of recruitment. The journey from identifying a staffing need to successfully onboarding a new associate was often protracted and administratively burdensome.
- Manual Job Posting: One of the most significant time sinks was the manual dissemination of job advertisements. As Molly Blazer, Systems Compliance Analyst at PeakMade Real Estate, recounted, "Before Workable, we had to manually post our roles across multiple job sites instead of doing it all with a click of a button." This involved individually logging into various job boards, re-entering job descriptions, and managing separate accounts, a task that could consume hours for each new vacancy.
- Fragmented Candidate Management: Candidate information was scattered across emails, spreadsheets, and disparate local folders, making it difficult to maintain a unified view of applicants. This lack of a centralized database impeded effective tracking of candidate progress, leading to potential miscommunications or lost applications.
- Limited Collaboration and Visibility: Hiring managers, particularly those on-site at individual properties, often lacked easy access to comprehensive candidate information or the tools to collaborate effectively with other stakeholders. Coordinating candidate interviews, feedback, and final decisions between geographically dispersed teams and various ownership groups was cumbersome, leading to delays and potential misalignment.
- Suboptimal Candidate Communication: The manual nature of the process also created barriers to timely and consistent communication with applicants. In a competitive talent market, delays in responding to candidates can lead to a negative impression, causing qualified individuals to disengage or accept offers elsewhere. PeakMade recognized the critical need to reduce these barriers and ensure candidates received prompt, professional responses throughout their application journey.
The accumulation of these manual processes and fragmented systems meant that PeakMade’s People Operations team was often bogged down in administrative tasks, diverting valuable resources from more strategic human capital initiatives. The company averaged approximately 50 applicants per job posting, a volume that, while not insignificant, limited the diversity and depth of the talent pool available to hiring managers.
Choosing a Future-Focused Hiring Platform: The Strategic Shift
Recognizing these systemic inefficiencies, PeakMade embarked on a thorough evaluation of applicant tracking systems (ATS) and other HR technology solutions. The objective was clear: identify a platform that could not only address current pain points but also scale with the company’s ambitious growth plans and embrace emerging technological advancements. Key criteria for selection included:
- Ease of Use: The solution needed to be intuitive and user-friendly, minimizing the learning curve for hiring managers and reducing the need for extensive training across a distributed workforce.
- Integration Capabilities: Seamless integration with existing organizational tools, such as email and calendaring systems (e.g., Outlook), was crucial to embed the new system into daily workflows without disruption.
- AI-Powered Efficiency: The team sought a platform that leveraged artificial intelligence to automate repetitive tasks, enhance candidate screening, and provide quick insights, thereby freeing up human capital for more strategic interactions.
- Centralized Visibility and Collaboration: The ability to provide a single, unified platform for all hiring activities, enabling real-time collaboration and transparent communication among all stakeholders, was paramount.
- Strong Candidate Experience Features: The platform had to support a streamlined, modern application process and facilitate timely, automated communication to ensure a positive applicant journey.
Workable emerged as a frontrunner during this rigorous evaluation. A significant factor in PeakMade’s decision was Workable’s offering of a demo system, which allowed the team to directly experience the platform’s functionality and user interface. "We loved that Workable offered a demo system where we could test what it would actually be like to use the platform," Molly Blazer noted. This hands-on experience provided invaluable insight into the system’s practical application and its potential to address their specific challenges. Furthermore, the team was particularly impressed by Workable’s integrated AI assistant, designed to aid in resume screening and quickly provide answers to user queries, signaling a commitment to cutting-edge technology.
Crucially, the evaluation process also revealed Workable’s commitment to continuous improvement. Blazer observed, "During the demo process, we could already see that Workable was making improvements in real time. That gave us confidence that the platform is forward-thinking and will grow with us." This perception of an actively evolving and responsive product instilled a high degree of confidence in Workable as a long-term strategic partner, rather than just a software vendor.
Seamless Implementation and Rapid Organizational Adoption
The transition to Workable was remarkably straightforward, a critical factor for a distributed organization like PeakMade. The platform’s inherent design, coupled with its built-in resources and AI assistant, significantly minimized the need for extensive, formal training sessions. This ease of adoption contrasted sharply with the often-arduous implementation phases associated with enterprise-level HR systems.
"Implementing Workable is easy because of the Workable Assistant," Blazer explained. "You can find articles and watch videos, so there’s little to no training needed to get started right away." This intuitive interface and self-service support mechanism allowed hiring managers across PeakMade’s diverse portfolio to quickly become proficient with the system. They could jump into the platform almost immediately, begin reviewing candidates, and manage their recruitment pipelines without significant downtime or a steep learning curve. This rapid integration into daily operations was instrumental in ensuring widespread user adoption and realizing immediate benefits across the organization.
Transforming the Hiring Manager Experience: Empowerment Through Technology
With Workable fully implemented, PeakMade’s hiring managers now benefit from a centralized, comprehensive view of all candidates and communications throughout the entire hiring process. This eliminates the previous fragmentation of information and provides a singular source of truth for recruitment activities.
A standout feature that has significantly amplified efficiency is Workable’s seamless integration with Outlook. This integration simplifies the often-tedious process of interview scheduling, dramatically reducing the back-and-forth communication that previously consumed valuable time for both managers and candidates. "Hiring managers can engage with candidates easily through the Outlook integrations and schedule interviews quickly without all the back and forth," Blazer highlighted. This not only speeds up the hiring cycle but also enhances the professional image of PeakMade.
Furthermore, managers now have access to a complete history of all communications with candidates, fostering much smoother collaboration across teams. This transparency ensures that every stakeholder involved in a hiring decision is fully informed, leading to more cohesive and well-reasoned choices. The ability to see where a candidate stands, what interactions have occurred, and what feedback has been provided empowers managers to take ownership of their hiring pipelines and contribute more effectively to the overall talent acquisition strategy. This shift from a reactive, HR-dependent process to a proactive, manager-driven approach has been a significant cultural and operational enhancement.
Elevating the Candidate Journey: A Modern Application Experience
PeakMade Real Estate places a strong emphasis on cultivating a positive experience for all applicants, recognizing that a smooth and professional recruitment process reflects positively on the company’s brand and helps attract top talent. Workable’s streamlined application flow and automated communication capabilities have been instrumental in delivering a faster, more engaging, and modern hiring experience.
The goal was to make the application process quick and user-friendly, allowing candidates to effortlessly submit their resumes and connect with opportunities that genuinely align with their skills and interests. "We wanted the application experience to be quick and easy. Candidates can drop their resume and get connected with the job they’re most interested in," Blazer stated. This ease of access and relevance ensures that PeakMade is capturing the attention of qualified candidates and minimizing drop-off rates often associated with cumbersome application forms.
The feedback from hiring managers regarding the new system has been overwhelmingly positive. "Our hiring managers say it’s a huge upgrade from what we were doing before. They love the automation and AI capabilities that help them quickly find fitting candidates," Blazer added. This positive internal reception underscores the tangible benefits Workable has delivered, not just for the People Operations team, but for the frontline managers directly responsible for building their teams.
Data-Driven Decisions: Unlocking Insights for Smarter Hiring
Beyond operational efficiency, Workable has dramatically improved internal visibility through its robust dashboards and reporting functionalities. Previously, managers might have relied on HR to generate specific reports, leading to delays and a lack of real-time insight. Now, hiring managers have direct access to critical hiring data, enabling them to track candidate progress, monitor the performance of their job postings, and understand key metrics independently.
"Managers now have access to the dashboards and reporting so they can dive deeper into how their job posts are performing and see where candidates are in the process," Blazer affirmed. This newfound transparency empowers teams to identify bottlenecks in the recruitment pipeline, understand which job boards are most effective, and pinpoint roles that are moving efficiently versus those that require additional support. The ability to self-serve these insights fosters a more data-literate and strategic approach to talent acquisition across the organization, allowing for agile adjustments and continuous optimization of recruitment efforts.
Quantifiable Outcomes: More Candidates, Enhanced Opportunities
One of the most immediate and impactful outcomes of implementing Workable has been a significant surge in candidate volume. Prior to the adoption of the new system, PeakMade averaged approximately 50 applicants per job posting. Today, that number has nearly tripled, reaching an impressive average of around 140 applicants per role.
This dramatic increase in candidate flow offers several strategic advantages:
- Broader Talent Pool: A larger pool of applicants naturally provides hiring managers with more options, increasing the likelihood of finding candidates with the precise skills, experience, and cultural fit required for each position.
- Enhanced Diversity: A wider applicant base often correlates with a more diverse pool of candidates, supporting PeakMade’s commitment to building inclusive teams that reflect the communities they serve.
- Improved Quality of Hire: With more choices, managers can be more selective, ultimately leading to higher-quality hires who are better suited for their roles and more likely to succeed and contribute long-term.
- Reduced Time-to-Hire (Inferred): While not explicitly stated, the automation and efficiency gains typically lead to a reduction in the time it takes to fill open positions, which is critical in a fast-paced industry like property management.
Empowering a Lean People Operations Team
For PeakMade’s People Operations team, technology plays a pivotal role in effectively supporting hiring managers across dozens of properties without an exponential increase in workload. Workable’s automation and AI tools have been instrumental in enabling the team to scale its impact and handle higher candidate volumes efficiently.
"As a people operations team, we want to make sure we’re supporting our hiring managers," Blazer explained. "With Workable’s AI capabilities, they can handle higher candidate volume, and it frees up our time to focus on what matters most for our people." This strategic reallocation of resources allows the People Operations team to move beyond transactional tasks and dedicate more time to strategic initiatives such as employee development, engagement, and retention programs, ultimately strengthening PeakMade’s overall human capital strategy.
A Supportive Partnership: Beyond the Product
Beyond the tangible features and functionalities of the Workable platform, PeakMade deeply valued the experience of collaborating with the Workable team throughout the entire evaluation and onboarding process. From the initial demonstrations to the final implementation and ongoing support, PeakMade felt a strong sense of partnership.
"We had a lot of faith in the product because of the experience with Workable’s team from demo to implementation and even after implementation," Blazer commented. This consistent responsiveness and shared focus on addressing PeakMade’s unique hiring challenges reinforced the company’s decision, underscoring the importance of a strong vendor-client relationship. "It really makes a difference when you feel like people care about what you care about and want to solve the problem together," she added, emphasizing the collaborative spirit that defined the partnership. This level of support ensures that PeakMade can continue to optimize its use of Workable and adapt to future talent acquisition needs with confidence.
Looking Ahead: Scaling Growth with a Future-Ready Platform
As PeakMade Real Estate continues its ambitious expansion, growing its property portfolio across North America, the team is confident that it has chosen a talent acquisition platform that is not only robust but also capable of evolving alongside its future needs. The core problem of "ease of use" has been decisively solved, allowing the organization to operate with greater agility.
"Workable solved our biggest problem: ease of use. People can jump right into the system and find the candidates they need much faster," Blazer concluded. This fundamental improvement in accessibility and speed is a cornerstone for sustainable growth. With hiring now centralized, highly automated, and intelligently supported by AI, PeakMade Real Estate is exceptionally well-positioned to continue scaling its workforce efficiently. This strategic investment in modern HR technology ensures the company can attract, engage, and onboard top talent, all while delivering a superior experience for both job candidates and its dedicated hiring teams, thereby solidifying its competitive edge in the dynamic real estate management industry.
