As the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the U.S., Tractor Supply Company has over 2,400 retail locations across 49 states. And all those stores share the same dedication to the local community: their candidates, their customers, and oftentimes, their competition.
A disjointed process for recruiters and candidates.
Tractor Supply’s recruiting experience was previously fragmented and inefficient for both recruiters and candidates. Recruiters were bogged down by manual processes, answering every candidate question themselves and jumping between multiple disconnected systems to move applicants through the pipeline.
At a micro-level, store managers were also weighed down by administrative hiring tasks. Instead of being able to tend to the floors of their location, managers were trapped in the back office calling candidates to schedule interviews.
On top of that, the application process was long and cumbersome, causing significant candidate drop-off and limiting Tractor Supply’s ability to efficiently attract, engage, and hire the talent they needed.
Add that all up, and Tractor Supply realized they needed to overhaul their hiring and get automation into the hands of their recruiters as fast as possible.
Automation that does more with less.
Tractor Supply implemented Workday Paradox Candidate Experience Agent to alleviate the administrative workload for their managers and improve the candidate experience. The implementation was a true partnership — Paradox brought in store managers to help design the updated process to ensure it met operational needs across different regions.
Today, Tractor Supply leverages Cory, an AI agent that automatically engages candidates 24/7 and screens them to determine their qualifications. Beyond simple screening, Cory also serves as a de facto company encyclopedia, sending candidates relevant content to help them understand Tractor Supply’s culture to encourage applications at any time.
Building hiring campaigns with text-to-apply.
Tractor Supply pairs conversational AI’s text-to-apply capabilities with creative hiring campaigns to maximize their candidate outreach. By combining traditional touchpoints with digital automation, they reach candidates where they already are.
“We are focusing on the digital aspect to drive applicants but we’re also utilizing local radio stations and mailers,” said Tractor Supply Employer Branding Manager Mary Battle Broxton. “Sometimes good old-fashioned in-person contact helps drum up interest, especially in rural markets.”
To convert customers into candidates, Tractor Supply also leverages their in-store rewards program. Once a customer signs up, Cory invites them to a hiring event over text. This hybrid strategy allows Tractor Supply to attract talent through personal, local connections while using automation to streamline the hiring process. Since implementing Cory, managers have shifted their focus from administrative tasks to high-value candidate engagement, ultimately leading to more informed hiring decisions.
The time to complete our applications has gone down dramatically, and our conversion rates are higher.
Employer Branding Manager
By embracing a balance of high-tech automation and high-touch local connection, Tractor Supply has transformed their hiring process into a competitive advantage. They’re not only saving time for managers but ensuring that every candidate feels valued, strengthening the company’s ability to attract and hire the right talent for their rural communities.