Fire and Rescue NSW

Three standout metrics

68

pre-screening steps streamlined into one system

5,000+

application starts filtered to 3000+ qualified completions

One

system to handle complex, annual, bulk recruitment from application to onboarding

The voice of the customer

“Previously, slow communication and manual booking candidates in for interviews, testing and assessments meant we were inundated with calls from candidates. Now, we do it all through PageUp. From a user and candidate perspective, it’s seamless.”

Amy Hurst, Talent Acquisition Manager, FRNSW

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Where things got stuck

Fire and Rescue NSW is one of the world’s largest urban fire and rescue services, protecting communities across New South Wales. Their diverse workforce spans permanent firefighters, on-call crews, corporate staff, trade roles, and specialized operational positions. Recruiting the right, highly-skilled talent at the right time is mission-critical.

But Fire and Rescue NSW’s unique hiring needs coupled with legacy systems presented challenges:

Annual firefighter recruitment campaigns attracted 5,000+ applications with no efficient way to manage the volume
Some roles required 68 separate pre-screening steps (including psychometric, physical, and medical testing) with no one overarching system to manage them
Manual, paper-based processes created communication bottlenecks and candidate frustration

With a lean central recruitment team managing thousands of applications through complex safety and compliance requirements, FRNSW needed a system that could handle bulk recruitment while maintaining their rigorous standards.

The turning point

Amy Hurst, FRNSW Talent Acquisition Manager and the team recognized they needed a scalable solution to transform their recruitment approach. Implementing PageUp Talent Acquisition Suite meant they could streamline their complex processes without compromisingcompromizing on safety standards, even for volume recruitment campaigns.

The shift began in three phases:

Streamlining bulk recruitment workflows

FRNSW implemented filtering capabilities to automatically screen candidates against eligibility criteria, reducing the number of completed applications to process by 40%.
Simplifying complex screening processes

The team moved all 68 pre-screening steps into PageUp’s integrated system, from psychometric testing to panel interviews and group activities.
Enabling decentralized hiring

Field-based hiring teams could use the new, streamlined tools and processes while the central team maintained oversight and compliance.

The solution in action

FRNSW transformed their entire recruitment operation by consolidating complex, multi-step, and often manual hiring processes into PageUp’s integrated platform.

Key initiatives included:

Automatic eligibility check

Adding critical eligibility criteria at the start of the application process meant 2000+ ineligible candidates chose to leave the process, meaning only suitable applicants progressed to the assessment stage.
Integrated assessment management

All 68 pre-screening steps were coordinated through one system, eliminating the need for manual booking and communication delays with candidates.
Real-time recruitment analytics

PageUp’s reporting functionality helped the team assess campaign effectiveness, correlating marketing activities with career site traffic and demonstrating ROI to leadership.
Seamless, fast candidate communication

Moving from manual, paper-based processes to automated updates and centralized information sharing reduced update phone calls from candidates while improving their overall experience.
Career site enhancement

FRNSW strengthened their employer brand through PageUp’s career site capabilities, driving traffic and showcasing their mission to attract diverse talent.

The results

Hard ROI

5,000+ application starts efficiently filtered to 3,000+ qualified completions
68 pre-screening steps consolidated into one integrated system
Single platform to manage and track recruitment for multiple diverse roles
One digital system replacing numerous manual, paper-based processes

Soft ROI

Strengthened employer brand through enhanced career site presence
Enhanced collaboration between central Talent Acquisition and field-based teams
Improved data security and candidate information management by moving from paper-based to digital storage
Seamless, automated candidate communication freed up the team’s time for other priorities

What surprisedsurprized us the most

“We’ve been able to strengthen our employer brand and drive traffic to our career site. It’s been a huge, surprising success that we hadn’t initially considered. It’s been such a great asset to our organisationorganization. Being able to validate and confirm the impact of our initiatives is amazing!”

Amy Hurst, Talent Acquisition Manager, FRNSW