Case Study: Frasers Group achieves 10-day, human-centered high-volume seasonal hiring with SmartRecruiters

How Frasers Group Automated High-Volume Hiring at a Human Pace with AI

Frasers Group, a UK retailer with 1,500+ stores and 18 brands, faced the challenge of hiring 30,000 seasonal staff from about 1 million annual applicants while keeping quality high and the candidate experience human. Talent leaders needed a process that moved candidates quickly (target 10-day time to hire) without rushing decisions—finding a “Goldilocks Zone” (72 hours from offer to start) that balanced speed, attrition, and managers’ needs.

Using SmartRecruiters’ platform—SmartAssistant for AI shortlisting, SmartCRM, automated workflows, SLAs, templated communications, pre-hire assessments and automated scheduling—Frasers streamlined hiring to a 10-day cycle and then under 10 days in year two. Results included 40% of hires from CRM, cost per hire below £60, faster shop-floor staffing that supported commercial targets, and improved employer brand, with plans to scale CRM-sourced hires further.

Frasers Group

Adam Reynolds

Head of Talent