Case Study: North Carolina Outward Bound School achieves streamlined seasonal hiring and a 20% increase in qualified applicants with JazzHR

How One Non-Profit Transformed Their Seasonal Hiring with JazzHR

The North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS) is a nonprofit that runs wilderness-based courses and hires heavily on a seasonal cycle. Their recruiting had become slow and fragmented after abandoning Taleo for spreadsheet- and inbox-based workflows, leaving them short of candidates—especially for their Outward Bound Fellowship for People of Color—and producing a poor candidate experience and low retention during peak hiring periods of roughly 40 new staff in a three-month winter surge.

In 2018 NCOBS adopted JazzHR for its ease of use, integrations, and support, using features like Bulk Actions, Workflow Helpers, Candidate Self‑Scheduling and auto-posting to 15+ free job boards plus automated emails. The result: about 1,400 candidates sourced, a 20% increase in qualified applicants in year one, a 400% increase in fellowship applications, better-quality hires and higher retention, and a consistent, manageable seasonal hiring process with 100% candidate follow-up.

North Carolina Outward Bound School

Devin Kearns

Staff Recruitment Manager