Tiello's Recruiters Reduce Time-to-Hire By Niching Down and Honing In

Niche recruitment isn't just a strategy for Tiello, a leading recruitment agency in the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (AEC) industries; it's a foundational principle that has propelled them to become one of the fastest-growing private companies in the US. By leveraging specialized knowledge, fostering strong client relationships, and utilizing powerful technology like Loxo, Tiello empowers its recruiters to become top producers quickly and efficiently.

The power of niche specialization

Dante Nino, Managing Partner at Tiello, firmly believes that specialized recruiting consistently outperforms generalist approaches. While Tiello initially handled a broader range of roles, they quickly realized the limitations of a generalist strategy. 

Dante says that never saying no to a job order actually started to create logistical problems for them — problems that cost them a lot of time and energy in the long-run. 

"When we started out we knew we wanted to be in construction, but we were still dealing with some one-off roles in other industries. In those cases, yeah, you may get a hire — but what about those two other candidates that didn't get the job and were interviewed? What do you do with them after?"

By narrowing their focus, Tiello shifted from broad construction recruitment to highly specific sub-niches like roofing contractors, steel manufacturers, and flooring specialists — and in the process, they began avoiding dead-ends. 

This deep dive into niche markets has been a game-changer, allowing Tiello's recruiters to:

• Become true Subject Matter Experts (SMEs): When recruiters specialize, they gain an in-depth understanding of the industry's nuances, terminology, and key players. This expertise allows them to provide valuable market insights to clients, rather than just filling roles. Dante highlights an example of a recruiter specializing in roofing: "She finds a PM there. Great. She makes the placement. But now since she's been able to expand on that market, she has five roofing clients there in Columbus. Now one of her project managers could work for three or four companies there. So now we have a bidding war between our clients there."
• Build stronger client relationships: By speaking the client's language and understanding their specific challenges, Tiello recruiters build trust and become indispensable partners. Tiello goes a step further by encouraging in-person visits to client sites and attendance at industry expos, demonstrating a deep commitment to the sector. "When you become a subject matter expert and you start talking the language and you start talking to other hiring managers about what's happening in the market, not only do you tell them what's going on in the market, you're able to provide more value to them," says Dante.
• Create more opportunities: Niching down allows Tiello to develop a rich database of qualified candidates within specific sectors. This means when a new opportunity arises, they can quickly identify and present candidates who are a precise fit, often leading to bidding wars among clients for top talent.

The importance of the right tech partner

Tiello's remarkable growth and recruiter success are not just a result of their niche strategy but also their commitment to providing their team with cutting-edge technology. 

Dante emphasizes the importance of a robust Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and other platforms. 

"I wish I would have invested in the infrastructure and delved into that sooner — because now we're going, ‘I wish we had a good ATS in the beginning, that we could have just dialed in and nourished from there.’"

Loxo: Empowering recruiters to accelerate production

Loxo plays a pivotal role in Tiello's ability to onboard new recruiters rapidly and enable them to become producers faster. The platform's intuitive workflow and comprehensive features allow Tiello to streamline their recruitment process, making it easy for new hires to get up to speed. 

"We have an excellent ATS, Loxo — we're always trying to keep up because you guys are always bringing up new stuff that we're like, ‘Wow, this looks good.’ And with some of these new automations, we can keep it all in-house instead of downloading other platforms to do it.” 

Key ways Loxo supports Tiello's accelerated recruiter productivity include:

• Easy-to-use UI and intuitive workflow: Loxo's user-friendly interface minimizes the learning curve for new recruiters, allowing them to quickly grasp the system and focus on core recruitment activities.
• Robust candidate database and search capabilities: Loxo's resume database and search functions enable recruiters to efficiently find qualified candidates, including access to phone numbers and emails. This dramatically reduces the time spent on manual sourcing.
• AI-powered automations: Loxo's AI capabilities help automate various recruitment tasks, freeing up recruiters to focus on high-value activities like client relationship building and candidate engagement.
• Streamlined processes: From initial client profiling and market research to building out campaigns and sales funnels, Loxo provides a structured framework that guides recruiters through every step of the process. This methodical approach ensures consistency and efficiency. As Dante describes, "Now we need to build out a campaign. Now we need to build out a sales funnel. Now we need to teach you how to role play, role-play objections and selling objections and selling and kind of redo it again."

The results speak for themselves: Tiello has significantly reduced the time it takes for new recruiters to become profitable. 

"One of our most recent hires made a placement in just 39 days. And another one just hit her 90 days and she's had four placements in 90 days.” 

This rapid time-to-placement is a direct testament to the effectiveness of Tiello's systems and Loxo's empowering technology.

The indispensable role of SMEs

Tiello's success is deeply intertwined with its emphasis on SMEs within its recruiting team. These experts are not just recruiters; they are industry insiders who understand the intricacies of their niche.

Dante emphasizes the value of SMEs in several ways:

• Deep market insight: SMEs possess intimate knowledge of market trends, compensation benchmarks, and competitive landscapes. This allows them to provide invaluable advice to clients. 
• Enhanced client trust and authority: When a recruiter can speak confidently and accurately about a client's industry, they build immediate credibility and trust. This transforms the relationship from transactional to a strategic partnership. Tiello has clients who call them for market information, asking, "What is the going market for an operations manager in this location right now?"
• Proactive business development: SMEs can leverage their knowledge to identify potential client needs even before the client recognizes them. By staying abreast of industry developments, they can proactively offer solutions. Tiello even sends recruiters to industry expos to foster these connections and deepen their expertise.
• Brand building and inbound leads: Recruiters who consistently share their niche expertise through platforms like LinkedIn become recognized authorities in their field. This leads to inbound leads and clients seeking them out directly. Dante highlights a recruiter who, in six weeks, had four new inbound clients due to her visible expertise in roofing.

Tiello's iterative approach to process improvement is also a testament to the value of client feedback and SME insights. By constantly asking clients for feedback on how to improve their partnership, Tiello refines its processes, such as integrating criminal history checks and exploring DISC testing, further solidifying their position as highly specialized and value-driven recruiters. This commitment to continuous improvement, driven by the insights of their SMEs, allows Tiello to justify their higher fees, starting at 30% for placements.

Wrapping up

Tiello's journey demonstrates that success in recruitment, particularly in niche markets, hinges on a combination of strategic specialization, empowered recruiters, and intelligent technology. By fostering a culture of subject matter expertise and leveraging platforms like Loxo, Tiello not only achieves remarkable growth but also builds lasting, impactful relationships with its clients.