In a significant testament to strategic human resources technology adoption, LEAP Legal Software, a global leader in cloud-based legal practice management solutions, has dramatically transformed its talent acquisition processes, achieving remarkable efficiencies and a 100% internal referral rate for its US hires over the past 12 months. This profound operational shift, powered by an eight-year partnership with the applicant tracking system (ATS) Workable, underscores a critical evolution in how scaling technology companies can leverage integrated platforms to optimize hiring, enhance candidate experience, and foster a robust, high-quality talent pipeline across international markets.
Background: LEAP Legal Software’s Global Footprint and HR Imperatives
Founded in Australia more than three decades ago, LEAP Legal Software has grown from a pioneering startup into a formidable global entity, providing essential cloud-based practice management solutions tailored for small law firms. Its journey reflects a consistent commitment to innovation, enabling legal professionals to streamline operations and enhance productivity. Today, LEAP boasts a substantial international presence, with key operations spanning Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, collectively employing approximately 900 individuals worldwide. The company’s rapid expansion into diverse geographical markets presented unique and complex challenges for its human resources function, particularly in talent acquisition.
The US arm of LEAP, specifically tasked with building robust teams in support, sales, client success, and implementation, has been expertly guided by Susanne Poole. As the dedicated leader overseeing all aspects of people, recruitment, and culture for the US operations, Poole’s role is emblematic of the multifaceted demands placed on HR leaders in fast-growing technology enterprises. Often operating as a lean, or even sole, HR professional during periods of intense scaling, she faced the dual imperative of maintaining a rapid hiring pace while simultaneously nurturing a positive organizational culture and managing a myriad of other HR responsibilities. This context made the choice of a scalable, efficient, and intelligent recruitment platform not merely advantageous, but absolutely essential for sustainable growth. LEAP’s strategic engagement with Workable commenced in December 2018, marking the beginning of a partnership that would evolve in lockstep with the company’s own ambitious trajectory.
The Pre-Workable Era: Navigating Recruitment Challenges with Limited Tools
Prior to integrating Workable into its talent acquisition strategy, LEAP Legal Software relied on a recruitment module embedded within its existing Human Resources Information System (HRIS). While technically functional, this system proved to be a significant bottleneck, generating considerable friction across nearly every stage of the hiring process. The module’s interface was widely perceived as clunky and unintuitive, creating a cumbersome user experience for both HR and hiring managers. A critical failing was its inability to automate communications and feedback loops, forcing Susanne Poole to dedicate substantial time and effort to manual follow-ups. In a rapidly scaling environment, this meant physically tracking down hiring managers, repeatedly reminding stakeholders of pending tasks, and meticulously monitoring candidate statuses – an administrative burden that was neither efficient nor sustainable for a lean HR operation.
Furthermore, the previous system’s limitations extended to job board distribution. Its restricted capabilities prevented LEAP from disseminating job postings with the necessary volume and breadth required by a dynamic technology company. For an organization operating across multiple countries, each with distinct talent pools and job market dynamics, this constraint was particularly acute. The inability to efficiently reach diverse candidate markets across different geographies significantly hampered LEAP’s ability to attract top talent. As Susanne Poole articulated, "I needed our recruitment to be much more efficient and I needed it to be able to talk to the recruiting managers around the business instantly. We struggled with our previous system in doing that." This sentiment highlighted the urgent need for a more agile, integrated, and intelligent recruitment platform that could keep pace with LEAP’s ambitious growth plans.
Strategic Shift: Why Workable Became the Chosen Solution
In 2018, as LEAP Legal Software was still very much in its high-growth, startup phase, the evaluation of alternative recruitment platforms was initiated with several key criteria in mind. Cost was a genuine consideration, which naturally narrowed the field by ruling out some of the larger, more established enterprise platforms whose pricing models were not aligned with a scaling company’s budget. However, the decision to adopt Workable transcended purely economic factors. As a technology company itself, LEAP sought a hiring platform that mirrored its own identity: one that was smart, innovative, and inherently intuitive. The chosen solution needed to be user-friendly, minimizing the need for extensive change management and ensuring rapid adoption by hiring managers across six different countries, many of whom were not professional recruiters and had demanding roles of their own.
Workable distinguished itself early in the evaluation process, standing out from the first demonstration. Its modern interface, robust feature set, and clear understanding of the challenges faced by growing tech companies resonated strongly with LEAP’s leadership. Susanne Poole noted, "Workable felt like it had its finger on the pulse. It spoke to what we needed and it was just smart. And Workable has always really delivered on that." Key functionalities that proved particularly compelling included Workable’s advanced people search capabilities and its multi-board job distribution system. These features were crucial for LEAP’s global hiring strategy, enabling the company to effectively reach diverse talent pools in different geographies. The ability to manage both UK and US hiring from a single, unified platform, rather than juggling parallel and disparate systems, was precisely the streamlined solution the organization desperately needed to optimize its international talent acquisition efforts.
Seamless Integration and Rapid Adoption Across a Global Enterprise
The implementation and subsequent adoption of Workable across LEAP Legal Software’s widespread operations were, by all accounts, remarkably straightforward. Susanne Poole spearheaded the rollout, disseminating accessible learning videos to hiring managers and conducting a limited series of targeted workshops to bring teams online. This streamlined approach resulted in a virtually frictionless transition, a notable achievement for a company that, at the time, employed between 500 and 600 individuals across multiple countries. Such rapid and smooth adoption is far from guaranteed when introducing new enterprise software, especially within a diverse, geographically dispersed workforce. The inherent intuitiveness of the Workable platform was identified as the key differentiator, significantly contributing to this successful rollout.
The platform’s user-centric design meant that hiring managers, regardless of their technical proficiency or prior experience with recruitment software, could quickly grasp its functionalities and integrate it into their daily workflows. As Poole observed, "People weren’t confused by what we were trying to get out of it. They embraced it quickly. I don’t recall this giving us any hiccups." This early and widespread adoption was not accidental; it was a direct consequence of a platform engineered to cater to individuals who are primarily focused on their core job responsibilities, rather than mastering complex HR software. Workable successfully met users where they were, providing a powerful yet accessible tool that facilitated rather than hindered their hiring efforts. This ease of use not only accelerated the return on investment but also fostered a positive sentiment towards the new system, laying a strong foundation for its sustained, high-impact utilization.
Quantifying Impact: Operational Efficiencies and Substantial Cost Savings
The transition to Workable delivered an immediate and profound operational impact, most notably in the form of significant time savings. During LEAP’s period of rapid scaling, the previous system’s deficiencies had compelled Susanne Poole to spend an inordinate amount of time each week on manual chasing, reminding, and coordinating candidate feedback. This administrative overhead was not only exhausting but also diverted valuable resources from more strategic HR initiatives. With Workable’s automated communications, proactive pipeline reminders, and real-time candidate status updates, this manual burden largely vanished. Poole vividly recalled, "Easily about 20 hours a week back in 2018. There was so much chasing because we didn’t have a system that spoke to everyone and kept everyone honest."
This reclamation of 20 hours per week during peak hiring periods translated into substantial productivity gains. It allowed Poole and her lean HR team to redirect their efforts toward higher-value activities, such as focusing on candidate quality, engaging in strategic hiring conversations with leadership, and proactively building robust talent pipelines. This strategic shift has had a cascading effect, notably impacting LEAP’s reliance on external recruiters. The company has successfully eliminated external recruiter spend for operational and support roles, a remarkable achievement that underscores Workable’s consistent ability to deliver qualified candidates through internal channels. Considering the typical industry benchmarks, external recruiters can command fees ranging from 15% to 30% of a candidate’s annual salary. For a growing company like LEAP, eliminating these costs across multiple hires represents substantial, compounding financial savings year over year.
Beyond time and cost, Workable has instilled consistency and predictability into LEAP’s global hiring cycles. The average time to hire stands at an efficient four weeks, while the average time to fill is six weeks. These metrics are particularly impressive in the competitive tech landscape, where prolonged hiring cycles can lead to lost talent and delayed project timelines. "Time to hire" refers to the duration from the initial candidate contact to the offer acceptance, while "time to fill" measures the period from the job opening approval to the new hire’s start date. Workable’s comprehensive platform manages the entire candidate journey, from initial job posting to the new employee’s first day, all within a single, integrated system, ensuring a consistent and streamlined experience across LEAP’s global organization. This predictability not only aids in workforce planning but also contributes to a positive employer brand.
A New Paradigm in Talent Acquisition: The Power of Referrals
Perhaps one of the most compelling statistics to emerge from LEAP’s partnership with Workable is the fact that, over the past 12 months, 100% of its US hires have been sourced through internal referrals. This extraordinary figure is not a mere coincidence; it is the direct outcome of a deliberate and highly effective talent strategy, built on the inherent strength and trust within LEAP’s existing workforce, and meticulously supported by Workable’s advanced referral functionality. Rather than adopting a broad-net approach of extensive job board postings that often yield thousands of applications requiring exhaustive screening, Susanne Poole has championed a more considered and targeted methodology. This strategy centers on trusting the network of current employees, leveraging Workable to efficiently manage the referral pipeline, and prioritizing candidates who come recommended by individuals already deeply integrated into and understanding of the organization’s culture and operational demands.
Internal referrals are widely recognized within human resources as a premier source of high-quality hires. Referred candidates typically exhibit better cultural fit, higher retention rates, and faster time-to-productivity compared to those sourced through other channels. They arrive with a pre-existing understanding of the company’s values and expectations, having been vetted by someone they trust. Poole emphasized the intentionality behind this approach: "To the point where I don’t even post the role on the job boards at the moment. We took a very deliberate approach to do the referral piece." This strategy has not only yielded exceptional talent but has also reinforced the significant cost efficiencies mentioned earlier. For operational and support roles, Workable has consistently facilitated the acquisition of qualified candidates, entirely circumventing the need for expensive external recruiters. This cost-effectiveness is a compounding benefit, particularly vital for a company that is steadily expanding its footprint across multiple competitive international markets.
Elevating the Candidate Experience and Employer Brand
Beyond internal efficiencies, the implementation of Workable has demonstrably enhanced the candidate experience for those engaging with LEAP’s hiring process. Automated messaging ensures that no applicant, regardless of their ultimate success, falls through the cracks. Every individual receives timely, professional, and consistent communication at each stage of the process, a crucial factor in maintaining a positive perception of the company. This commitment to reliability is paramount in today’s highly competitive hiring landscape, where the candidate experience is intrinsically linked to a company’s employer brand. LEAP, as a technology leader, understands that a seamless and respectful hiring journey reflects positively on its overall brand and attractiveness to future talent.
A feature that Susanne Poole particularly values for its direct impact on candidate experience and operational efficiency is Workable’s self-scheduling tool. This functionality eliminates the cumbersome and time-consuming manual coordination of calendars across multiple stakeholders and candidates. Instead, applicants are empowered to select interview times that best suit their availability from a range of options provided. "Self-scheduling is brilliant. It connects your calendar, you push it out to candidates, they pick a time that suits them. It stops so much unnecessary back and forth. It is a huge time saver and it always works," Poole highlighted. This not only streamlines the logistical aspects of scheduling but also conveys a sense of respect for the candidate’s time, fostering a more positive and professional interaction from the outset. By removing friction points and ensuring prompt, clear communication, Workable helps LEAP cultivate an employer brand built on efficiency, professionalism, and respect.
Fostering Equity: The Strategic Role of Anonymized Candidate Review
One of the Workable features that Susanne Poole champions with particular enthusiasm is candidate anonymization. In a company like LEAP, which unequivocally views diversity as a genuine competitive advantage and a cornerstone of its innovation, the ability to remove identifying information from candidate profiles before they reach hiring managers is far more than a mere compliance exercise. It represents a deliberate and strategic organizational choice to embed structural fairness into the hiring process.
Unconscious bias is an inherent human trait. Hiring managers, despite their best intentions and commitment to fairness, can naturally gravitate towards candidates who share similar backgrounds, demographics, or experiences, often subconsciously. Anonymization acts as a powerful disruptor to this pattern. By obscuring details such as names, ages, gender, and other potentially identifying information, the feature ensures that the initial evaluation by a decision-maker is based purely on a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and experience – what they can do – rather than who they appear to be. This critical shift in focus allows for a more objective assessment of talent, directly supporting LEAP’s commitment to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. "It takes out that unconscious bias thing that we all have, much as we don’t want to have it. Our diversity is definitely our superpower. By anonymizing candidates, you’re just finding the people that have what you need. It is so smart and it was so easy to set up," Poole explained. This strategic application of technology not only aligns with LEAP’s core values but also positions diversity as an integral component of its talent acquisition strategy, ensuring that the best candidates are identified and hired based on merit alone.
Eight Years of Innovation, and Counting: A Future-Proof Partnership
What Susanne Poole values as much as any individual feature is Workable’s unwavering commitment to continuous evolution and innovation. The platform that LEAP Legal Software initially adopted in 2018 is, by Poole’s own admission, meaningfully different and significantly more advanced than the version she utilizes today. This consistent enhancement underscores Workable’s responsiveness to market demands, technological advancements, and user feedback. "The innovation that has come out of Workable, I can’t keep up with it. The Workable we had in 2018 is completely different to the Workable we have now, and that is how it should be," she remarked.
For a technology company operating in a rapidly evolving sector like legal tech, choosing a hiring platform that itself innovates continuously is not merely a preference; it is a fundamental requirement. The ability of an ATS to adapt, integrate new functionalities, and stay ahead of emerging recruitment trends is critical for maintaining a competitive edge in talent acquisition. LEAP has found precisely such a partner in Workable. After eight years of collaboration, the relationship shows no signs of stagnation, demonstrating Workable’s enduring value as a strategic ally in LEAP’s sustained global growth. This long-term partnership exemplifies how robust HR technology can empower organizations to not only overcome immediate operational challenges but also to strategically position themselves for future success in an ever-changing talent landscape.
Broader Implications for HR Technology and the Legal Tech Sector
LEAP Legal Software’s success story with Workable offers significant insights into the broader implications for HR technology and the legal tech sector. It highlights a paradigm shift where HR is no longer a purely administrative function but a strategic partner driving business growth. For scaling companies, particularly in niche and competitive markets like legal technology, the ability to efficiently acquire high-quality talent directly impacts innovation, market share, and client satisfaction.
The case of LEAP demonstrates that specialized, intuitive ATS solutions can outperform generic HRIS modules in talent acquisition. This points to a growing trend where companies are opting for best-of-breed solutions for specific HR functions, integrating them to create a powerful, tailored HR tech stack. The emphasis on internal referrals, facilitated by technology, also signals a mature approach to talent acquisition, recognizing the intrinsic value of an engaged workforce in identifying future high performers. Furthermore, the strategic use of features like candidate anonymization underscores the increasing importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) not just as ethical imperatives but as measurable competitive advantages.
For the legal tech sector specifically, LEAP’s experience showcases how internal operational excellence, particularly in human capital management, directly supports the delivery of cutting-edge solutions to clients. An efficient, high-quality hiring engine ensures that the company can attract the best minds to continue innovating in practice management, ultimately benefiting the small law firms it serves. As the demand for cloud-based legal solutions continues to surge, the ability to build and scale high-performing teams will remain a critical differentiator. LEAP Legal Software’s journey with Workable stands as a compelling blueprint for how technology-driven HR can empower global companies to achieve remarkable efficiency, foster a strong talent pipeline, and maintain a competitive edge in a dynamic marketplace.
