Robert Walters speeds up onboarding by 28x with Onboarded

From digital shift to digital strain

When Robert Walters transitioned away from paper forms, it was a step forward, but not the finish line.

“We’d certainly evolved from candidates bringing in hard copy paperwork,” recalls Belinda Mott, Project Manager – ANZ. “However, we had incidentally created a fragmented system, using multiple disconnected platforms. This led to inefficiencies across teams and functions and made it time-consuming for our candidates.”

The stakes were high. Robert Walters needed a solution that wouldn’t just work—it had to align with strict compliance and security requirements, while integrating with their evolving tech stack, including a global in-house CRM and FastTrack payroll.

“There were information security reviews, data protection reviews, legal, infrastructure – you name it,” says Belinda. “So, it was a high bar for any platform.”

Finding the right partner, not just tech

Faced with complex needs, the team embarked on a rigorous vetting process. And one platform stood out.

“We rigorously vetted potential onboarding platforms… Onboarded was the standout,” says Belinda.

While others offered rigid, off-the-shelf solutions, Onboarded provided something different—complete flexibility.

“Onboarded not only had the infrastructure to support an organisation of our size, it also had an impressive level of customisation and the agility to deliver the specifics we needed.”

Implementation was anything but stressful. Belinda calls it “seamless.”

“We had weekly calls with Onboarded throughout the build and implementation… Whatever new hoops came up, the Onboarded team found a way to jump through them.”

Even the challenge of onboarding nearly 300 internal staff was met with surprising ease.

“It’s not always easy to shift a process with almost 300 staff, but the speed of adoption was far better than I could have hoped for.”

“There was no need for intensive training… Everyone picked it up within the first few days.”

From 7 hours to 15 minutes: candidate experience reimagined

The shift was dramatic. What once took nearly a full working day now takes just minutes.

“Before using Onboarded, it took a candidate 30 minutes to register with us and around 4 – 7 hours to complete what was required for us to onboard them,” explains Belinda. “Now, it takes a maximum of 3 minutes to register and just 15 minutes for the candidate to complete onboarding.”

And candidates no longer need to be tied to an office or desktop.

“Candidates can complete our onboarding process anytime, anywhere and on any device… That’s a significant improvement for our candidates and our team.”

What mattered most? Getting the experience right.

“We’ve vastly improved the candidate experience with Onboarded, and that’s what we set out to accomplish.”

Operational visibility that scales with the business

Beyond the candidate-side gains, Onboarded unlocked new levels of control and clarity for internal teams.

“The team loves the ability to see the status of each onboarding process… Now, we can monitor and track candidates’ registration and onboarding and see where they’re up to.”

Candidate satisfaction proved the impact.

"Previously, we received commentary on the challenges of the onboarding process in our candidate surveys. We did a pulse check after we implemented Onboarded and found satisfaction ratings in the 4.2–4.7 out of 5 range.”

A trusted technology partner that stays close

For Robert Walters, the relationship with Onboarded didn’t end at go-live—it grew stronger with time.

“With a lot of technology products, you get some support during implementation, but then it feels like you are palmed off,” says Belinda. “Our experience with Onboarded has been the complete opposite.”

The ongoing collaboration has been proactive, responsive, and deeply personalised.

“The Onboarded team is still very much involved. We talk every few weeks. If there’s something we want to explore or change, it is never an issue. I’ll throw an idea at Raj via text on a Friday afternoon, and by Monday, we’ll be talking about the steps to make it happen.”

That continued commitment has made all the difference.

“It’s a real partnership with Onboarded. Our candidates are happy, and our team is too… Onboarded has been a win all around.”