How Dick Lovett modernised recruitment and built a future-proof talent pipeline with Occy
Faced with rising application volumes and time-consuming manual admin, Dick Lovett turned to Occy to bring structure, speed, and scalability to their recruitment. The result? A major uplift in applications, streamlined workflows for hiring managers, and a future-proof candidate pipeline — all without losing their people-first ethos.
The Problem: Scaling Recruitment on a Spreadsheet
Dick Lovett had long been known for its personal, family-run ethos, a company where people felt valued, and every candidate knew they were more than just a CV. But by 2021, with over 900 staff across the Southwest and Wales, that personal touch was at risk.
“When I joined the recruitment team in 2021, we were managing our entire recruitment process off a spreadsheet,” recalls a team member.
It was a system that had worked for years, but rapid growth revealed its limitations. This is a common problem experienced by many companies that scale operations. Applications were piling up, response times were slowing, and the team was stretched to breaking point. The heart of the problem wasn’t just efficiency; it was the risk of losing the human connection that defined Dick Lovett. The challenge was clear but daunting: they needed a modern Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to handle the growing volume of talent, while ensuring that every candidate still experienced the warmth, care, and personal attention that had always set Dick Lovett apart.
The Occy Solution: A Seamless Transition, A Human Touch
Dick Lovett needed more than just a system; they needed a partner who could help them modernise recruitment without losing the personal touch that defined their brand. Enter Occy.
From the very first step, the migration was smooth and reassuring. “The transition over to Occy was genuinely smooth. We’ve had Rob as our Customer Success Manager all the way through, and his support has been invaluable,” shares the team.
With Occy’s advanced automation and dedicated support, Dick Lovett was able to tailor the platform to their unique needs almost immediately. This meant the team could focus on what truly mattered: creating a faster, more efficient process while still delivering the warm, personal candidate experience that had always set them apart.
In short, Occy didn’t just provide a tool, it gave Dick Lovett the confidence and freedom to grow, without compromising on the human touch at the heart of their business.
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Key Results: Occy Drives Recruitment ROI
Occy has transformed Dick Lovett’s recruitment function, delivering measurable return on investment across efficiency, volume, and talent engagement.
Result 1: Quality at Scale – Growing Without Compromise
For Dick Lovett, growth had always been a double-edged sword: more applications meant more opportunities, but also the risk of losing control and lowering standards. With Occy, that balance shifted almost overnight.
Applications now flow seamlessly from external job boards like Indeed and the company website straight into the Occy inbox, removing the bottlenecks that once slowed the team down. “We saw a massive uplift in application numbers in the first month we went live with Occy,” the team recalls.
But volume wasn’t the only win. Intelligent screening tools mean that every application is filtered thoughtfully, ensuring that the team isn’t just handling more candidates, they’re finding the right candidates faster, preserving the high standards and personal care that define Dick Lovett’s recruitment approach. Occy didn’t just help them scale, it helped them grow smarter, without ever compromising on quality.
Result 2: Hiring Manager Efficiency – Time Saved is Money Earned
The most significant ROI was generated by cutting administrative time for high-value team members, the hiring managers. Occy’s automation and smart filtering ensured managers’ time was spent on evaluation, not administration.
“The system allows us to screen candidates for essential criteria. This essentially cuts down on the hiring manager’s time, ensuring they only see the really, really great CVs that are completely qualified.”
Furthermore, the system’s intuitive interface (which managers found like their sales tools) allowed them to adopt the platform quickly and respond directly to candidates. This speed creates a “better candidate journey because of how quick people can respond to a CV.”
Result 3: Candidate Experience – Futureproofing Our Talent Pipeline
By automating timely communication, Occy helps Dick Lovett protect and strengthen its employer brand, which is vital for long-term talent acquisition. The system ensures that unsuccessful candidates are updated quickly, politely, and directed to job alerts. This maintains a positive interaction with future applicants.
“It really comes down to how that candidate is handled through their journey as to whether they will apply again. We feel like we’re really hitting the nail on the head with that with Occy.”
Occy also provides deep data: “We’ve definitely improved our reporting. We can now easily look at how many people have applied, track where people have dropped out in the process, and feed that concrete data back to our managers to improve our strategy.”
Conclusion: Growing with Confidence, Without Losing Heart
Occy has transformed the way Dick Lovett approaches recruitment. It’s more than a system, it’s a partner that empowers the team to manage growth with confidence, combining efficiency with a human touch.
With Occy, Dick Lovett can scale their recruitment process without compromising the warmth and quality that candidates have come to expect. Every application is handled thoughtfully, every interaction stays personal, and the team can focus on what truly matters: finding the right people to join a company that values them.
For a growing business like Dick Lovett, this isn’t just operational improvement, it’s the assurance that growth and excellence can go hand in hand.