Virginia State Department of Human Resource Management

Three standout metrics

200+

separate HR teams supported under one system

One

Comprehensive talent acquisition solution replacing multiple incompatible legacy systems

50%+

of Commonwealth agencies now using PageUp

The voice of the customer

“State agencies did not have visibility into what was driving their time and numbers to be as high as they were. They now have real-time metrics and visibility into the recruiting process.”

Ponette Smith, Director of Policy and Talent Management, DHRM

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What wasn’t working

Virginia’s DHRM is the central state agency responsible for developing talent strategy across 200+ unique government agencies under the Commonwealth of Virginia. Using a decentraliseddecentralized model, each agency maintains its own HR office with oversight and support from the central DHRM team.

Many tenured employees chose to take retirement during the pandemic, driving DHRM to focus on supporting talent acquisition and retention across all Virginia’s agencies. But fragmented, outdated legacy talent management systems were hindering DHRM’s strategy:

Different agencies were using different, incompatible recruitment systems
There were no interview scheduling tools or advanced screening capabilities
Manual data extraction and manipulation was required to build statewide reports across agencies

With agencies operating in silos and DHRM lacking visibility into recruitment effectiveness, the state needed one unified system that could serve the needs of different agencies needs while enabling centralisedcentralized oversight.

The turning point

Ponette Smith, Director of Policy and Talent Management, recognisedrecognized that DHRM had outgrown their existing system. She partnered with PageUp to implement a modern, unified talent acquisition platform that could support decentraliseddecentralized operations while providing the central team with visibility and reporting.

The shift began in three phases:

System unification

Implementing PageUp’s full talent acquisition suite allowed DHRM to replace disparate systems with one integrated platform serving all agencies.
Real-time visibility

The team established unified workflows and reporting capabilities, giving agencies visibility across recruitment processes to achieve better hiring outcomes.
CustomisableCustomizable scalability

DHRM used PageUp’s flexibility to create agency-specific customisationscustomizations while maintaining system-wide consistency and oversight.

The solution in action

DHRM transformed talent acquisition across the Commonwealth by implementing PageUp’s integrated platform, creating the first unified system to serve all state agencies while maintaining the necessary customisationcustomization for each agency’s unique talent needs.

Key initiatives included:

Unified workflow implementation

Ponette created one cohesive workflow across all agencies, enabling system-wide reporting and consistent recruitment processes while allowing agency-specific customisationscustomizations.
Real-time analytics dashboard

Agencies gained direct access to recruitment metrics, eliminating the need for manual report requests to DHRM and enabling data-driven decision making at the agency level.
CustomisableCustomizable application libraries

Each agency could build tailored application question sets to meet their unique requirements while operating within the unified system framework.
ModernisedModernized candidate experience

The updated careers site and application process enhanced the state’s employer brand, with candidates noting that “the state has moved into the 21st century.”
CentralisedCentralized compliance and oversight

DHRM maintained visibility across all agencies while empowering decentraliseddecentralized decision-making, by implementing consistent processes and enabling real-time access to recruitment data.

The impact

Hard ROI

One unified talent acquisition solution incorporating recruitment marketing, applicant tracking and onboarding capabilities
Single integrated platform replacing multiple incompatible vendor systems
One recruitment workflow for 200+ HR teams and state agencies
Over 50% of Virginia’s state agencies onboarded at the time of writing

Soft ROI

ModernisedModernized candidate experience improving state government’s employer brand
Individual agencies empowered with direct access to recruitment metrics and insights
DHRM freed from delivering manual reports to focus on strategic initiatives, like enhancing agency recruitment and retention state-wide

What surprised us the most

“There is a lot of flexibility to build an ATS to meet your needs. As a state government with a central HR agency, there is customisationcustomization available to account for the different businesses within the state agencies. We are still learning new functionality, which is exciting! And because PageUp is software as a service, they are constantly improving.”

Ponette Smith, Director of Policy and Talent Management, DHRM