O TYM ODCINKU
What happens when frontline recruiting isn’t just high volume—but every open role directly impacts revenue?
In this episode of The Frontlines, Tim Sackett sits down with Jim D’Amico, the longtime talent acquisition leader heading recruiting for Caliber Collision, the nation’s largest collision-repair provider. With nearly 1,900 locations across 43 states and approximately 34,000 employees, Caliber faces an enormous hiring challenge: finding highly skilled auto-body technicians in a market where virtually every qualified candidate already has a job—and plenty of options.
Jim takes us inside the recruiting operation Caliber has built to compete at that scale. He breaks down a technology ecosystem anchored by Workday and enhanced by CRM, messaging, interview-intelligence, and AI tools. You’ll hear how Caliber removes application friction with a fast-apply process, reaches candidates through the channels they actually use—including text, WhatsApp, iMessage, and social messaging—and keeps talented prospects engaged long after the initial “no.”
The conversation also digs into one of Tim’s favorite subjects: treating recruiting like a measurable, repeatable sales funnel. Jim explains why recruiter interviews are Caliber’s bellwether metric, how four recruiter interviews ultimately produce one hire, and why the organization aims to fill 40% of its openings every month. These numbers don’t exist to micromanage recruiters. They help leaders identify bottlenecks, forecast hiring capacity, justify additional resources, and protect teams from unsustainable workloads.
Jim and Tim also explore where AI is delivering real value—and where it still has room to improve. From using Claude for hyperlocal competitive research to creating AI-powered job simulations, the opportunity isn’t simply to automate recruiters’ work. It’s to give recruiters the time and intelligence to become better marketers, advisors, and persuaders.
Key takeaways include:
- Why speed is everything when recruiting in-demand frontline talent
- How to eliminate unnecessary application friction without losing candidate data
- The recruiting-funnel metrics that predict hires weeks in advance
- How data can increase recruiter capacity without creating a culture of micromanagement
- Why job simulations may be one of AI’s most valuable hiring applications
- How Caliber targets talent through radio, Spotify, WhatsApp, iMessage, and localized messaging
- Why great recruiting is ultimately about attraction, persuasion, and long-term relationship-building
This episode is sponsored by Workday and Paradox, whose technology helps organizations modernize hiring, improve candidate experiences, and build more connected frontline workforces.
If you lead talent acquisition, recruit skilled frontline workers, or want to understand how technology, analytics, and human persuasion can work together, this episode is packed with ideas you can put to work immediately.
