Quick snapshot

Customer: Kansas State University (K-State)

Industry: Higher Education

Company Size: 5,000 employees, 20,000+ students

Location: United States

Challenge: Outdated candidate experience, limited data, and no ability to capture passive talent

Three standout metrics

52%

of passive candidates returned to complete an application—resulting in a 13% hire rate

41%

of incomplete applicants re-engaged through nurture flows—10% hire rate

Data-driven

Site data now enables data-driven decision-making on ad spend, content performance, and candidate behavior

The voice of the customer

“We love that it’s totally customisable and flexible. Implementation was seamless, and we felt supported every step of the way.”

– Shannon Leftwich, Talent Acquisition Manager, Kansas State University

What was going wrong

K-State is proud of its mission and legacy as the first operational land-grant university in the U.S. But their old careers site wasn’t keeping up.

There was one landing page, minimal branding, and no compelling narrative to help potential candidates see themselves thriving at K-State. Job listings lacked engaging titles, search filters were overwhelming, and applications took too long—losing great talent in the process.

To make things tougher, the Talent Acquisition team—operating as a team of two—only had visibility over two metrics: complete and incomplete applications. Without deeper data, it was near impossible to optimise strategies, test ideas, or demonstrate what was working.

The turning point

K-State had already been using PageUp‘s ATS and Onboarding solutions with success. When they discovered PageUp Recruitment Marketing, they knew they’d found the final piece of the puzzle to bring their candidate experience to life.

Together with their marketing team and supported by their PageUp Europe project manager, K-State launched a brand new, fully mobile-optimised careers site packed with engaging features—delivering a much stronger first impression.

They added content-rich landing pages for high-value information like their EVP, “Our Communities”, strategic vision, benefits, FAQs, and talent tips. For hard-to-fill and frequently-recruited roles, departments could now be featured with dedicated content, helping the right candidates find the right fit.

“We knew this additional content would be valuable for candidates, but we were blown away by how much traffic these pages receive—especially ‘Our Communities’. It reinforced just how much people need this info to make a decision.”

– Shannon Leftwich, Talent Acquisition Manager, Kansas State University

The solution in action

With the new PageUp Europe Recruitment Marketing platform, K-State’s candidate journey was transformed from beginning to end.

 

What changed:

 

  • Mobile-first careers site with bold EVP messaging and real stories
  • Simplified search filters and personalised job recommendations
  • Dedicated landing pages for values, vision, benefits, and FAQs
  • Multiple calls to action for passive and active candidates:
    • Contact a recruiter
    • Register interest
    • Submit a resume
    • Join the talent network
    • Sign up for job alerts

 

Automated nurture campaigns now keep conversations going even after candidates drop off. For example, if someone starts but doesn’t complete an application, they’ll receive a tailored email encouraging them to finish—no manual intervention needed.

The impact

Hard ROI

  • 52% of candidates who expressed interest (but hadn’t started applying) returned and applied—13% hire rate
  • 41% of those with incomplete applications completed them—10% hire rate
  • Candidates stay longer, return more often, and explore more pages
  • Analytics reveal what content drives applications—and what doesn’t
  • K-State now optimises spend based on sourcing channel performance

 

Soft ROI

  • The site gives a true sense of what it’s like to work at K-State
  • TA has full autonomy to update and evolve content
  • Passive talent can now be nurtured effectively
  • Consistent, branded communication from first touch through onboarding

“Like many TA teams, we have a limited budget. So it’s incredibly impactful to know where we’re getting the best return for our ad dollars.”

– Shannon Leftwich, Talent Acquisition Manager, Kansas State University

What surprised us most

Even small changes had big impact—candidates weren’t just browsing; they were converting. Pages like “Our Communities” proved that people want more than job descriptions—they want a sense of place, purpose, and belonging.

Want to transform your candidate experience without overwhelming your team?

Let’s chat about how we can help—wherever you’re starting from.

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