RALEIGH –  In this tight labor market, Cadient Talent is relying on the latest technology to find the best talent.

The Raleigh-based recruitment firm, in partnership with local startup EmployUs, is rolling out new software called “Text2Refer.” It allows hiring managers to recruit new candidates through current employees on a fast and secure platform.

Cadient says referral employees are typically stronger applicants, with 88 percent of employers stating referrals as the best source for above-average applicants.

Employee turnover in the hourly-hiring workforce is high, competition for talent is enormous, and hiring can be a difficult and time-consuming process for both the candidate and the local manager. Employee referrals are the most statistically significant source of hires with 47 percent of referred employees staying in their role for three or more years.

“The key to maintaining top talent in your workforce is attracting and hiring the right people, exactly when you need them,” said Jim Buchanan, CEO, Cadient Talent, in a statement. “Our partnership will further help us meet our client’s needs by filling their applicant pipeline with better-qualified candidates that meet the needs of their company.”

“Employee referral programs consistently rank as the number one strategy to recruit and retain employees,” added Ryan O’Donnell, CEO of EmployUs. “This is especially true for distributed hiring teams handling high-volume hourly recruiting.”

Last October, Cadient announced that it was setting up an office in Morrisville, with Jim Buchanan as its new CEO.

Buchanan co-founded Merlin Technologies, a human capital management company that was acquired by a private equity firm in 2015. He also served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of PeopleClick, which was acquired by a private equity firm for $100 million back in 2010 and is now known as PeopleFluent.