ZSL embrace inclusivity and efficiency with a global approach to recruitment

ZSL - The Zoological Society of London - is a global science-led conservation organisation helping people and wildlife live better together to restore the wonder and diversity of life everywhere.

ZSL not only has two amazing Zoos in London and Whipsnade, but is a world-leading scientific, conservation and educational charity. Supporting its vision requires attracting and nurturing the best talent that embraces inclusivity and diversity with a global approach.

The approach to improve

The Recruitment Team at ZSL improved heavy manual interactions with a replacement recruitment platform offering improved automation, a more intuitive user interface and careers site and enhanced reporting and analytics. The Team selected Eploy’s Applicant Tracking System (ATS) & Recruitment CRM to embrace inclusivity and diversity, streamline processes and deliver a global approach to recruitment and onboarding.

“This dynamic platform is designed to elevate the experience for our candidates throughout their recruitment journeys, while also providing increased opportunities for automation and efficiency. At ZSL, we understand that our people are our greatest asset, and Eploy reflects our commitment to fostering an inclusive, efficient, and vibrant environment for all candidates joining us in the UK and internationally.” Stephanie Harris, Head of People Partnering, ZSL.

Key recruitment changes and achievements

Commitment to Equality, Inclusion, and Diversity:

• Addressing workforce diversity begins with recruitment. Eploy features name-blind applications for all new roles at ZSL, eliminating bias during shortlisting.
• Candidates will receive guidance on reasonable adjustments they can request throughout the process, fostering a more inclusive and accessible experience.
• ZSL careers site reflects the demographic of its workforce, emphasising the importance of representation.

Streamlined Processes:

• Recruitment processes are quicker and more efficient. Eploy uses technology and innovation to minimise the back-and-forth communication between hiring teams, candidates, and managers.
• Hiring managers can directly book interview slots within the Eploy Hiring Manager Portal that are automatically offered to candidates, providing convenient options more efficiently.
• Eploy integrates with Outlook and MS Teams accounts for a connected experience.
• Different workflows differentiate between internal and external candidates for onboarding processes.

Branded Careers Portal:

• The careers site is fully integrated into Eploy’s ATS to reduce administration and provide a seamless candidate experience.
• ZSL brand is emulated through the new careers portal, where candidates can learn about ZSL vision and the exciting roles on offer.
• Candidates can sign up for job alerts based on business area, department, or location.

International Recruitment and Onboarding:

• Recognising the global conservation hubs, Eploy is tailored to support international operations as well as staff in the UK.
• Features such as different currency symbols to advertise salaries, automated emails accounting for time zone restrictions, and tailored diversity monitoring and onboarding requirements for various country locations reinforce the commitment to being One ZSL.
• The careers platform reflects ZSL global workforce and has been developed with full collaboration from HR field staff.

“We worked closely with the Eploy team and our hiring teams to deliver a recruitment experience that reflects the values and aspirations of the ZSL community. We had ambitious timescales and Eploy went above and beyond to meet these and elevate our candidate experience standards and foster a more inclusive global approach to attracting talent. As a team, we are now well placed for flexibility to adapt and utilise the wealth of data provided in the recruitment dashboards in Eploy that provides granular visibility to monitor the performance of all our recruitment activities”. Stephanie Harris, Head of People Partnering, ZSL.

You can find out more about ZSL careers and its vision for conservation here.