---
title: "Building a TA Function That Flexes Fast With Hiring Demand | SocialTalent"
description: "Patrick Grant explains how Watlow built a global TA function that scales from five hires to sixty almost overnight. Hear the tactics that make it work."
url: "https://www.socialtalent.com/podcasts/building-a-ta-function-that-flexes-fast-with-hiring-demand"
---

The Hiring Excellence Podcast **· Episode 247**

# Building a TA Function That Flexes Fast With Hiring Demand

Patrick Grant explains how Watlow built a global TA function that scales from five hires to sixty almost overnight. Hear the tactics that make it work.

![Johnny Campbell](https://www.socialtalent.com/wp-content/themes/socialtalent-v3/src/posts/post-podcast/img/johnny-avatar.png) **Johnny Campbell** Host · Co-founder & CEO, SocialTalent

Listen on [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiring-excellence-with-johnny-campbell/id1522711595) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4z0PfHNk1Dtek9IVlSWnOd) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/social-talent/)

What you'll learn

Leverage Facebook and WhatsApp groups instead of standard job boards

Secure executive buy-in by tying TA plans to business impact

Test a job posting directly before assuming you need an agency

Build rotational programs that turn early career hires into future leaders

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## Building a TA Function That Flexes Fast With Hiring Demand

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Episode notes

## Episode key takeaways

Watlow's semiconductor business is highly cyclical, so hiring needs can spike with almost no warning. When the ramp finally hit in July, the team jumped from filling a handful of manufacturing roles at a time to dozens within weeks, forcing TA to rebuild its capacity model on the fly.

One of the biggest structural fixes was consolidating a sprawling, costly agency model into a small set of trusted partners. Instead of hiring managers calling whichever agency they'd used before, the team standardized vendor relationships by role type, cutting cost and improving consistency.

Some Mexico production lines see extremely high turnover, not because people dislike the work but because they only discover physical incompatibilities, like skin reactions to materials, after starting. The team is now trying to screen better and set realistic expectations up front rather than relying entirely on agencies to keep backfilling the same roles.

Watlow's headcount nearly tripled in five years under private equity ownership, which is what forced the creation of a formal global TA function where almost nothing existed before. Patrick built the team, the ATS, the career page, and the process infrastructure essentially from a standing start.

Good to know

## Frequently asked questions

The quick answers behind this episode.

How do you build a talent acquisition function from scratch? +

Start by staffing a core global team, then layer in infrastructure: an ATS, a careers page, employer brand content, and consistent hiring manager processes. Watlow had none of this two years ago, with regional recruiters relying on spreadsheets and LinkedIn. Consolidating fragmented agency relationships into a handful of preferred vendors was also a key early step.

How should TA teams handle sudden, cyclical hiring spikes? +

Partner closely with hiring managers and HR business partners on ramp timing, shift coverage, and training capacity before volume hits. Watlow went from hiring five people at a time to needing sixty within two months when semiconductor demand surged, which required rebuilding sourcing, screening, and onboarding processes around sudden volume rather than steady-state hiring.

Why is turnover so high in manufacturing production roles? +

Some roles are physically demanding or require wearing protective suits that can trigger unexpected skin reactions, which workers only discover after starting the job. One line in Mexico sees roughly 50% turnover for this reason, pushing the TA team toward better screening and more realistic job previews instead of relying entirely on agency placements.

How many recruitment agencies should a TA team use? +

Fewer, more strategic partners tend to outperform a sprawling vendor list. Watlow moved from 15 to 20 different agencies being used inconsistently by hiring managers down to just two preferred vendors aligned to specific skill areas like engineering or IT, which reduced fees and gave the internal team more control over candidate quality.

How do you reach hourly or frontline job candidates effectively? +

Traditional job boards and career sites often fail with hourly populations who aren’t actively browsing LinkedIn. Watlow is investing in social and text-based channels, meeting candidates on their phones with quick video job previews and interview scheduling, the same channels agencies had been using via Facebook groups and WhatsApp messaging.

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