How LOCALiQ hires smarter across 200+ brands without losing the local touch
Media
336%
increase in average application rate
88%
reduction in advertising spend
£18,000
saved by cutting external agencies
Executive summary
LOCALiQ is a UK-wide media group with 1,100 employees managing over 200 local and national news titles plus group business identities. Chris Dodds, Head of Talent Acquisition, needed a system that could handle complex, multi-brand hiring while letting regional teams operate with autonomy. After a failed ATS transition, Pinpoint gave LOCALiQ visibility into hiring across all 200+ brands, enabled rapid automation, and provided data to make smarter decisions. In just four months, application rates increased 336 percent.
We've made a really big shift in the last two years from being quite reactive to roles to being true business partners and far more proactive.
Chris Dodds
Head of Talent Acquisition, LOCALiQ
Use Case
1
Getting visibility into hiring across 200+ brands
The challenge
With over 200 brands, some hiring managers had never engaged with the talent team. They'd manage hiring themselves or work with agencies, leaving the TA function in the dark. This made it impossible to intervene, coordinate, or ensure consistency. LOCALiQ was reactive, not strategic.
The solution
Pinpoint's approval-to-hire process means every new open role flows through the TA team first. Now Chris and his team can see every hiring need across all 200+ brands. When they spot an opportunity to save time or budget—like preventing a role from going to an agency when it could be filled internally—they can intervene quickly.
Full
visibility across 200+ brands
Shifted
TA from reactive to strategic
Direct
interventions saving money and time
At that point, we had no effective ATS in place, and having recently experienced a transition that didn't meet our needs, it was essential to get it right the second time.
Chris Dodds
Head of Talent Acquisition, LOCALiQ
Use Case
2
Automating hiring while staying flexible
The challenge
Hiring across 200+ brands means one-size-fits-all processes don't work. Some teams want face-to-face interviews, others work remotely. Some roles get hundreds of applicants overnight, others need targeted outreach. LOCALiQ needed automation to scale, but flexibility to respect regional differences.
The solution
Pinpoint's workflow automation handles routine tasks like flagging candidates who don't meet basic criteria, ensuring every candidate gets a response, and notifying onboarding of new hires. Meanwhile, talent pools let LOCALiQ fill roles from a pool of engaged candidates, reducing reliance on external job boards. The system is configured for consistency but flexible enough that each brand can adapt workflows to their needs.
Less
admin and faster shortlisting
Open
roles filled directly from talent pools
Faster
hiring without sacrificing quality
We've seen more and more speculative applications come in. Now, they've been able to fill roles from talent pool candidates.
Chris Dodds
Head of Talent Acquisition, LOCALiQ
Use Case
3
Using data to drive smarter decisions
The challenge
With hiring spread across 200+ brands, it's hard to know which job boards are worth investing in or whether the pipeline reflects the communities LOCALiQ serves. Without data, budget decisions are guesses, and diversity efforts lack grounding.
The solution
Pinpoint gives Chris and his team the data they need to influence hiring at every level. They can see what's happening across all brands, evaluate job board performance, and track equality monitoring data. Over 80 percent of applicants now voluntarily submit diversity information, giving LOCALiQ insight into whether their pipeline reflects their communities.
Clear
job board ROI insights
Stronger
diversity accountability with better data
Data-driven
budget by cost per hire
One of the most valuable aspects of Pinpoint for us has been the richness of data it provides. Where we previously had a more limited view of the hiring landscape across the group, we now have clear, actionable insights that allow us to make confident, informed decisions.
Chris Dodds
Head of Talent Acquisition, LOCALiQ
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Love for Pinpoint
“Everyone instantly saw how much better Pinpoint was. And the feedback we've had is that people say it looks nice, and very, very easy to use.”
testimonial
“I like that all of the communication is in one place. It's easy to sort through different candidates and view their past working history.”
“Pinpoint stood out on three fronts: automations, reporting, and UX — a clean experience for both recruiters and hiring managers.”
“One of the most valuable aspects of Pinpoint for us has been the richness of data it provides. Where we previously had a more limited view of the hiring landscape, we now have clear, actionable insights that allow us to make confident, informed decisions.”
testimonial
“The nicest thing is being helped by humans rather than automated help. It makes all the difference.”
“The onboarding experience has been nothing short of exceptional. The level of customer care and support has exceeded expectations, and I already feel confident this was the right move for us.”
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G2
4.8
Capterra
4.8
SSR
4.8