FAST FACTS
- 34 roles filled across 4 states in 3 months
- 20% reduction in data center OpEx
- 20%+ reduction in turnover
- 3 conversions to FTE
CHALLENGE: High Costs, Low Quality with SOW Outsourcing Model
Expanding its data center footprint across three new sites, an industry-leading social media platform realized its existing SOW model presented significant barriers to efficiency and ROI.
With a need to onboard 30-40 new roles in short order, the company re-examined its contingent workforce program and identified compelling drivers for change:
- High costs. Ever-increasing vendor contract renewal prices became unsustainable.
- Low quality. Under-skilled, unreliable talent led to errors and managerial complexity.
- Low fill rate. Vendor only filled 6 open roles in XX.
- High turnover. Constant turnover with existing vendor impacted operations and budget.
- Poor visibility. Limited internal control stifled workforce management and governance.
To ensure success, the company needed to pivot to a staff augmentation approach.
SOLUTION: Superior Staff Augmentation from Established #1 MSP Supplier
Competitive Differentiation
Already the company’s top contingent workforce program supplier since 2013, Cypress quickly won out during the rigorous RFI process, based on:
- A proven track record executing large-scale hiring projects
- Strong existing partnerships within the company’s workforce programs
- A reputation for high-touch engagement, transparency, and quality-driven hiring
- A history of trust and enterprise data enter staffing expertise
- A white-glove approach to ensuring contractor care, growth, and development
Best-in-Class Execution
Beginning July 2024, Cypress (working hand-in-hand with their MSP) filled 34 data center roles across four states within three months by delivering:
End-to-End Hiring Support
- Holistic oversight—Source, Screen, Submit, Close, Onboard, Manage
- Improved workforce visibility & governance for the company managers
- Greater alignment between of talent with company’s needs
Enhanced Candidate Evaluation
- Technical & video assessments to ensure both skill and cultural fit
- Hiring manager collaboration to optimize job descriptions & expectations
- Referral-based sourcing & targeted intake calls for higher-quality talent
Transparent Communication
- Real-time updates across data center locations
- Weekly progress reports & hiring dashboards
- Market rate insights & competitive benchmarking to inform compensation strategies
Targeted Process Efficiencies
- HR compliance & workforce classification support
- Skill matrices for Data Center Tech Levels 1, 2, and 3
- Shift differentials & on-call pay structuring across multiple regions
OUTCOME: Seamless Data Center Success
By partnering with Cypress for staff augmentation, the company ensured each new data center could thrive, while positively impacting operations across the enterprise.
ROI-Worthy Results
- Filled 34 roles with highly skilled talent in 3 months
- Reduced company’s Data Center OpEx costs by 20%
- Reduced company’s turnover rate by more than 20%
- Proved large-scale hiring can be successfully managed through Staff Augmentation
- Influenced company’s broader SOW reduction strategy across other business units
Priceless Benefits
- Full control, choice, and oversight over workforce hires
- Lower cost, higher talent quality solution
- Management-worker connection for greater team cohesion
- A staffing partner who takes care of contract employees like company employees
Lessons Learned
- Strategic vendor selection is critical
- Strong MSP relationships enable seamless hiring
- Data-driven talent decisions drive success
“Cypress HCM has made it easy for my team to quickly vet and hire talented technicians to fill roles for which good candidates are hard to find in our area. The support provided to the technicians by Cypress allows the techs to focus on doing their best work in our program.” -Social Media Company Data Center Operator
