Jim and Taylor from Caliber
Every talent acquisition leader is being pitched new technology. The leaders getting results ask a different question first: is the talent acquisition process underneath it any good?
In this podcast episode, Nick Livingston talks with Jim D'Amico, VP of Talent Acquisition at Caliber and a former ATAP president, and Taylor Franco, Director of Talent Acquisition at Caliber, about how they keep a high volume hiring engine simple, human and repeatable.
Caliber is the largest auto collision repair network in the country (more than 1,800 locations in 44 states, from Caliber's public information). Jim and Taylor first worked together at Holland America and now run hiring across a very different workforce. Their message to other TA leaders is the same wherever they have worked.
Fix the process before the technology
Asked what advice he would give a team starting its own transformation, Jim kept it short.
"make sure your process is good. Make sure the fundamentals are working because technology doesn't change the fundamentals." Jim D'Amico
He has seen the opposite trap over and over in his career, where teams get so attached to the process that they lose sight of the person it is supposed to serve.
"It's form over function... we focus on executing a process versus meeting a need." Jim D'Amico
For Caliber, going back to the fundamentals meant asking two plain questions at every step. What does the candidate need? What does the hiring manager need to know before walking into the conversation?
A simple 0 to 100 score for compliant pre-screening
Body technicians are the most critical role in a collision repair shop, and nearly every qualified one is already employed, so this is where a weak process shows up fastest. Caliber built a short rubric at the scheduling step. When a recruiter sends a scheduling link, the technician answers a few questions about years of experience, certification level and technical skills. The result is a score from 0 to 100. The recruiter can adjust it on the call, and it helps the recruiter pick the right call guide.
"that essentially rates them in a really simple zero to a hundred, so that we can kind of see, you know, going back to your school days, you can kind of see where they sit." Taylor Franco
The score is not a decision. Caliber has no auto dispositions, and Taylor was clear about why.
"We currently do not have any auto dispositions, and that's important, right?" Taylor Franco
Taylor added that "it's really important for us to be able to have those human to human conversations." Jim pointed to where AI led calls fall short, when a candidate asks what is in it for them.
"AI can't answer that in other than vague terms. So that doesn't benefit anybody." Jim D'Amico
Recruiter-led interviews and high-quality submissions
Process only matters if it changes what happens in the room. Taylor said that layering Honeit onto Caliber's process saved recruiters a lot of time writing summaries for hiring managers, and Caliber expects recruiters to submit no more than five candidates to a hiring manager. Direct scheduling came in around the same time. A summary might look unnecessary once the candidate is booked with the hiring manager, but Taylor said it does real work.
"it really allows the hiring manager to understand what to expect in the conversation that's already been had." Taylor Franco
Jim connected that preparation to offer acceptance. A good diagnostic call surfaces what motivates the candidate, and the hiring manager can build on it.
"if we do a good diagnostic interview and we understand what's motivating that candidate, the hiring manager can follow up on that, right, and can help reinforce that." Jim D'Amico
The same human focus shows up after the offer. Jim said the concierge style onboarding team Taylor's group built this year has reduced Caliber's no show rate significantly.
Where Honeit fits
Great talent acquisition starts with a strong process, and Honeit is the engine that makes that process repeatable. Humans do the talking, and Honeit handles the rest.
Honeit captures every conversation in one place and turns calls into structured, searchable interview data, so the team works from the same facts. Call guides and scheduling steps keep every recruiter asking the right questions at the right moment, and a simple scoring rubric the team controls, with no AI doing the scoring, gives each conversation a shared starting point. Call summaries prepare hiring managers before they walk in, and one click candidate presentations get the right people in front of them. Dual consent is built in, and user and admin access control and audit keep the whole process accountable.
The fundamentals still come first. Honeit helps teams deliver and execute them, call after call.
Key takeaways
- Fix the process first. Technology does not change the fundamentals.
- Avoid form over function. Design every step around meeting a need, not executing a process.
- Score simply. A 0 to 100 rubric at the scheduling step helps recruiters pick the right call guide, and the recruiter can adjust it on the call.
- Keep the human. No auto dispositions, and human to human conversations before decisions.
- Prepare hiring managers. Call summaries and diagnostic calls help them follow up and win offers.
Watch the episode. Watch the full conversation on YouTube and find more episodes on the Honeit Podcast page.
To see how Honeit helps your team deliver and execute a strong process, Start a Free Trial or Schedule a Demo.
