Case Study: Cooper’s Hawk achieves value-aligned hires and a stronger candidate pipeline with SkillSurvey

Hiring employees who will set the table for a life well lived

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants is a fast‑growing lifestyle restaurant and wine brand with a 300,000‑member wine club that depends on staff who can deliver a distinctive, values‑driven guest experience. In a tight labor market the company needed to hire employees with the right skills and cultural fit while also creating an engaging, efficient candidate experience.

Cooper’s Hawk built a values‑based employment brand supported by applicant tracking, CRM, assessments, electronic offers and SkillSurvey Reference® and Source®. SkillSurvey automated confidential reference checks, improved response rates (about 4.5 responses per candidate), produced behavioral reports and interview guides, and helped detect fraudulent references. The program also created a passive candidate pipeline—roughly 30% of references opt in (41 sourced, 11 hired), with 61% of passive opt‑ins at manager level or higher—leading to faster, more confident hiring.

Cooper’s Hawk

Claire Domark

Director of Talent Acquisition