ODEON Cinemas – getting ahead with job approvals

ODEON Cinemas – getting ahead with job approvals

ODEON Cinemas has used our Jobtrain Applicant Tracking System for over 14 years. Together, we’ve worked in close collaboration to streamline their recruitment process and cut back on manual administration. Recently, they implemented our Job Approvals functionality that will help their busy but small recruitment team to speed up their hiring.

We chatted with Caitlin Swan, ODEON’s Recruitment Advisor Operations, about the success they’ve had since implementing Job Approvals as well as their feedback on the other features and services available in the platform.

About Job Approvals

Prior to advertising a job, the job approval feature allows our clients to add different approval workflows – they can be used for permanent, temporary, or senior-level roles, or even split by department or cost centre. Any number of approvers can be added to an approval chain, to ensure jobs are authorised and advertised quickly – and there’s even an audit trail too of approvals too.

What were your main challenges before using Job Approvals?

I came into my current role at ODEON after previously using Jobtrain as an end user. Pre-Covid, I found that Jobtrain and the process worked really well for what we needed, but when Covid struck, we realised that we needed some extra functionality to speed things up so that’s when we looked at bringing in Job Approvals.

Previously, I’d create every job advert and then have to go outside of the system to wait for approval to get them live – it could take anywhere from 7 to 14 days! Now, everything is done within the system, we can have them raised, approved and live to candidates in a matter of minutes!



Has using Job Approvals made a difference to resource in the recruitment team?

It’s had a huge impact!  Job Approvals has made our  workload much more manageable and has really improved the recruitment journey for our cinema teams.

ED&I – you recently added the Recite Me accessibility toolbar – how was that?

We’re very passionate about ED&I. We’re on a journey and implementing the Recite Me accessibility toolbar has become a key part of that journey. We trialled Recite Me initially and saw its value and it’s now become a permanent fixture. It’s one of the stepping stones in our ED&I journey. With the data we get from it, it helps to back up the importance of our ED&I initiatives. It also helps us attract a more diverse talent pool of candidates.

Video overview of our accessibility toolbar by Recite Me

You also implemented the self-service interview calendar. What impact has this had?

We trialled the self-service interview calendar with some of our cinemas and our call centre. We had some really good feedback from Line Managers in that it’s saved us a lot of time and internal resource. There’s lots of functionality in this feature so once we’ve set them up, they’re really powerful.

For the cinemas who have trialled it, they’re seeing a reduction in candidates dropping-out at interview stage. The feedback we’ve had from candidates is really positive too! Most of our candidates book their interview slot using their mobile phone, so it just adds to the experience for them and makes it quick and easy for them to book in.

What’s your experience been like with our support team and Continuous Improvement Consultant?

It’s been fantastic!

Our Continuous Improvement Consultant (CIC), Jules, brings a lot of structure to our calls and check-ins. As a team we have lots of plates spinning so the support structure really helps us. After our regular check-in calls with Jules, the follow-up notes we get from her afterwards have blown us away. Because our work is so fast-paced there isn’t always time for our own internal follow-up after a call, so having Jules handle that and guide us in a structured way is unbelievably helpful.

What’s exceeded your expectations of Jobtrain?

The Helpdesk Team are especially brilliant. The support they provide us and our candidates has been a real asset and is second-to-none. Their speed of service is just brilliant. Their fast turnaround is an asset to Jobtrain.

What’s next for ODEON?

We’ve started working with a new provider for our HR System, so we’ve been busy exploring Onboarding options and looking at Jobtrain’s onboarding offering.

What three words would you use to describe Jobtrain?
star_outline Supportive
star_outline Efficient
star_outline Professional

There’s a professionalism in everything Jobtrain does. They’re experts in their field and we can bounce ideas off Jules (our CIC) to understand what we’re doing well and what we can do to improve.

About ODEON Cinemas

ODEON is the largest and best-known cinema chain in the UK and Ireland and was founded in 1930. Its world-famous ODEON Luxe Leicester Square has hosted hundreds of Europe’s biggest film premieres.

Headquartered in London and Manchester, ODEON employs over 5,000 people in the UK and Ireland.

How can we make a difference to your recruitment?