In the Netherlands, just about everyone can hum the HEMA jingle. Fewer people see what keeps the stores behind it running: shift work, restaurant teams, weekend and part-time roles, and roughly 60,000 applications a year, each one needing a process that’s fast and fair without feeling like a form.
HEMA put that challenge in the hands of Tom Pouce, an AI recruiter built together with Scotty AI. There’s no CV to upload and no long wait. Candidates simply start a WhatsApp chat, get screened for store roles right away, and hiring managers receive a shortlist of people who are ready for a conversation.
We spoke with Frank van Moort, HEMA’s Head of Recruitment & Employer Branding, about what it took to reach this point, and what has caught him off guard since the launch.
The journey here
Q: What felt unnecessarily complicated in store recruitment, for candidates and for managers?
Frank: “In store recruitment, we saw unnecessary complexity on both sides. Candidates had to search through hundreds of vacancies and complete a relatively long application process, making it harder than it should be to find the right opportunity at HEMA. At the same time, store managers were spending valuable time screening candidates, scheduling interviews, and following up with applicants, all while running busy stores.
That created friction for everyone involved. Candidates often had to wait longer than necessary for a response or next step, while managers struggled to keep up with large application volumes alongside their day-to-day responsibilities. As a result, some promising candidates lost interest or accepted another opportunity before a conversation could even take place. We believed recruitment should be simpler, faster, and more personal. By redesigning the process and introducing Tom Pouce, we’ve significantly reduced administrative work, improved the candidate experience, and enabled managers to focus their time on the conversations that really matter.“
Q: What had to be in place before introducing an agent like Tom Pouce made sense?
Frank: “Before introducing an AI agent like Tom Pouce, the fundamentals had to be in place. At HEMA, that meant a modern ATS, a strong employer brand, efficient recruitment processes, and reliable data. Tom Pouce brings all of these elements together and helps us unlock their full potential. For HEMA, it means a smarter and more scalable recruitment process; for candidates, it creates a fair, faster, more personal, and seamless experience.”
Q: HEMA takes fairness seriously for customers and for people who want to work here. What guardrails were essential before going live?
Frank: “Tom Pouce focuses on two factors that are among the strongest predictors of a successful store hire: availability and travel distance. Rather than screening people on CV quality or subjective impressions, Tom Pouce uses these objective criteria to connect candidates with the opportunities where they are most likely to succeed. The real innovation is the precision with which it does this. It can instantly evaluate thousands of vacancies, schedules, and locations, and when a match is close but not quite there, it intelligently explores alternatives to help candidates and stores find common ground.
At the same time, we don’t believe an algorithm should decide whether someone has the qualities to succeed at HEMA. Qualities like customer focus, teamwork, ownership, and personality are best assessed by a store manager in a structured conversation. Our philosophy is simple: Tom Pouce determines who should meet; the store manager determines who should join the team.
We also designed Tom Pouce around the idea that experience is everything. Candidates expect the same simplicity and convenience from recruitment that they experience as consumers. That’s why Tom Pouce is available 24/7, in multiple languages, answers questions instantly, and guides candidates through the process without unnecessary complexity.
Another important principle was that no talent should be lost unnecessarily. If someone isn’t the right fit for one vacancy today, that shouldn’t be the end of the relationship. Tom Pouce actively looks for alternative opportunities and keeps talent connected to HEMA. Our mindset is simple: it’s never a goodbye, it’s always a see you later.
Finally, we wanted to remove the hassle from recruitment. Candidates deserve a smooth experience, and store managers should be able to focus on managing their stores and the people in the stores rather than administration. By taking care of practical tasks such as matching, scheduling, and follow-up communication, Tom Pouce creates more time for meaningful conversations and better informed hiring decisions.”
Q: What stood out about Scotty as a partner?
Frank: “What stood out most was that Scotty understood the vision, not just the technology. They quickly grasped that our goal wasn’t to build an AI assistant, it was to create a fairer, faster and more personal hiring experience. Because we were aligned on that from day one, the technology became a means to an end rather than the goal itself. That gave us the confidence to launch together.”
Q: Tom Pouce is often a candidate’s first real interaction with HEMA as an employer. How does that conversation need to feel?
Frank: “The conversation should feel unmistakably HEMA. At HEMA, friendliness is part of the brand. Our store colleagues have been voted the friendliest in the Netherlands for three consecutive years, so when we introduced a virtual colleague, we knew he had a reputation to live up to.
HEMA exists to make everyday life simpler and more enjoyable for everyone, and we believe applying for a job should feel no different. Candidates shouldn’t have to navigate a complicated process, wait days for an answer, or wonder what happens next. The experience should be welcoming, straightforward, and genuinely helpful.”
Q: When a store manager first sees a candidate on their shortlist, what should be clear if Tom Pouce has done his job well?
Frank: “If Tom Pouce has done his job well, the manager should immediately know that this candidate is worth their time. The candidate has already been matched against the store’s actual staffing needs, based on availability and travel distance, the two factors that are among the strongest predictors of a successful store hire. That means the manager doesn’t need to spend time validating practical fit. Tom Pouce has already done that.
At that point, the conversation can focus on what really matters: getting to know the person behind the application. Can this person connect with customers? Do they show ownership? Will they thrive in the team? That’s where human judgement adds the most value.”
Q: What has surprised you most since launch?
Frank: “What surprised me most were two things. First, how much candidates genuinely enjoyed the experience. We saw very strong candidate satisfaction scores, and those were directly reflected in the completion rates. Candidates weren’t just saying they liked the process, they were actually staying engaged and completing it.
Second, I was impressed by the sophistication of the matching. Matching on availability and travel distance sounds simple, but the precision with which Tom Pouce finds the right opportunity and even uncovers alternatives when a match is close but not quite there, is remarkably powerful.”
"HEMA is for everyone, and in hiring, that means helping every candidate find the right opportunity in the fastest and most personal way possible."
