How Madison Reed Scaled Stylist Hiring with Willo’s Candidate-First Approach

Double Response Rate

Candidate response rates jumped 2X after adopting Willo.

50% Faster Hiring

Time-to-fill reduced from 30+ days to 15 days or fewer.

66% Time Saved per Candidate Screen

On average, a 10-minute assessment with Willo replaced a 30-minute phone call.

Listen to the accompanying podcast episode

Listen to the full story here 🎧

Download a PDF copy here >

How Madison Reed Scaled Stylist Hiring with Willo’s Candidate-First Approach

‍

Meet Madison Reed: A Beauty Brand That Hires Differently

Madison Reed isn’t just changing the way people color their hair, it’s reshaping how beauty is defined. Founded by Amy Errett, the brand is a bold challenger in the industry, offering salon-quality and cruelty-free formulas available both at home and in over 95 Hair Color Bars nationwide. Innovation, inclusivity, and empowerment are at the core of everything Madison Reed does, from product development to people strategy.

When it came time to scale their recruitment strategy and support high-volume hiring, the Madison Reed team needed a partner that could meet them at the intersection of efficiency and empathy.

Thanks to Willo, they were able to cut time-to-hire in half, double their candidate response rates, and bring their values-based hiring philosophy to life.

The Hiring Challenge: Scaling Stylist Recruitment Nationwide

With rapid national expansion underway, Madison Reed faced the pressing need to evolve how it attracted and assessed talent, especially for in-store stylist roles. Stylist candidates, often juggling multiple jobs or nontraditional schedules, needed a way to show up on their own terms. At the same time, Madison Reed wanted to hire in a way that honored its core values: love, joy, courage, responsibility, and trust, without sacrificing speed or scale.

Why Madison Reed Chose Willo to Improve Candidate Experience

After testing a competitor platform for nine months, Madison Reed realized they needed more than just video interviewing, they needed a platform built for flexibility, automation, and connection. Willo offered exactly that, and more:

Flexible formats: Candidates could respond via audio or video, making it easier for busy stylists to participate authentically.
Smart automation: Willo’s integrated reminders (email and SMS) ensured higher completion rates with less manual follow-up.
Simple access: No logins or user accounts required to view candidate responses, streamlining reviews for 97 hiring managers.
Greenhouse integration: Seamless ATS sync made workflows smoother for the lean HR team.
Options to Strengthen Employer Brand: Custom intro videos and values-based questions gave candidates space to shine in ways a resume never could.

After a two-week trial, the results were undeniable, and the relationship quickly evolved into a full-year enterprise partnership.

“Willo has completely transformed our hiring process. Candidate response rates doubled and we’ve cut our time-to-hire stylists in half. Even better, we’re saving 66% on review time by replacing 30-minute phone calls with 10-minute Willo screening. For a lean team managing increasingly high-volume hiring, that’s a total game-changer.” Arianna Waters, Regional Talent Acquisition Partner, West Coast, Madison Reed

‍

The Results: Faster Hiring, Higher Response Rates, Better Fit

Beyond the numbers, Willo unlocked a deeper understanding of each candidate. A stylist with an unconventional resume could now share their story in their own voice, and in many cases, that personal story changed the course of their application.

“A resume doesn’t tell a story, a person does. With Willo, we’ve uncovered incredible talent that would’ve been overlooked on paper. Hearing someone’s voice, their energy, their story - it changes everything. It’s helped us not only find the right fit faster, but also guide candidates toward roles where they truly thrive.” Arianna Waters, Regional Talent Acquisition Partner, West Coast, Madison Reed

Shared Values

Willo didn’t just check the boxes, it reflected Madison Reed’s ethos and the cultural alignment between the two companies created a true partnership.

Candidate-first approach: Stylists could interview when and where they felt most comfortable.
Custom support: Willo’s team provided hands-on, data-informed support throughout the rollout, and continues to be just a message away.

Together, Willo and Madison Reed are showing that hiring doesn’t have to be transactional, it can be transformational.

“What truly set Willo apart wasn’t just the technology, it was the shared values. From day one, they aligned with our mission to foster inclusivity, and create greater opportunity for all. That kind of partnership - one grounded in purpose - is rare, and it was one of the key reasons why Willo felt like the right fit from the very beginning.” Arianna Waters, Regional Talent Acquisition Partner, West Coast, Madison Reed

What’s Next: Scaling with Willo

As Madison Reed prepares to open more locations, Willo can play an even greater role in helping the company scale with heart.

From empowering stylists to express themselves, to helping leaders find values-aligned hires faster, Willo is proving that when the hiring process honors people’s stories, everyone wins.

Want to reduce your time-to-hire and engage retail talent faster? See how Willo can help.