Reviving an Iconic Brand with Comprehensive Recruitment Solutions

From Twinkies to DingDongs, Hostess is one of America’s best-known consumer goods brands, with a long history across the US. 

To successfully revive the Hostess brand, the company needed to consolidate its employer agency relationships and find a go-to retained search partner. 

With a new business model and a renewed commitment to success, Hostess needed to bring in top-tier talent across various functional roles to ensure a successful relaunch and sustainable growth. 

Reviving an Iconic Brand with Comprehensive Recruitment Solutions

From Twinkies to DingDongs, Hostess is one of America’s best-known consumer goods brands, with a long history across the US. 

To successfully revive the Hostess brand, the company needed to consolidate its employer agency relationships and find a go-to retained search partner. 

With a new business model and a renewed commitment to success, Hostess needed to bring in top-tier talent across various functional roles to ensure a successful relaunch and sustainable growth. 

Key Results
  • A total of 108 exceptional hires, spanning Analyst to C-Suite levels.
  • Completed the total hiring process in an average of 57 days.
  • Provided onsite resources for seamless collaboration and support.
  • Offered project-hiring RPO to bolster Hostess’s recruitment capabilities.
  • Filled a variety of functional roles, including Supply Chain, Operations, Quality/Food Safety, R&D, Human Resources, Legal, and Finance/Accounting.
Immediate Business Impact
  • Played a critical role in Hostess’s relaunch following bankruptcy, culminating in a $2.4B valuation upon going public.
  • Hostess Brands acquired by The J.M. Smucker Co. in a monumental $5.6 billion deal.
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A Fresh Start 

Hostess, the iconic American sweet baked goods company, faced bankruptcy in 2013. 

Recognizing the brand’s potential, entrepreneur Dean Metropolos purchased Hostess and embarked on a complete turnaround. 

The company’s transformation included a shift from a direct store delivery strategy to a warehouse model. As part of this revamp, Hostess sought a reliable recruitment partner to help them assemble the right team for their relaunch. 

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Assembling the Ingredients for Success 

Getting the right people in place has been crucial to reviving the company’s fortunes. When Hostess was looking to consolidate all of its employer agency relationships, Protis Global became the brand’s go-to retained search partner — for over 108 roles, across all business functions — from Supply Chain, Operations, Quality/Food Safety, R&D, Human Resources, Legal, and Finance/Accounting. 

Since the collaboration began in 2013, the Protis team has formed a close bond with the wider Hostess team, participating in National Sales meetings and company summits and carrying out on-site partnership, search, and contract hire services. 

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A Tailor-Made Recruitment Strategy 

As Hostess’s trusted recruitment partner, we provided a comprehensive range of services to support their transformation. We placed one of our team members onsite at Hostess’s headquarters, where they helped set up an internal applicant tracking system, trained the internal HR and hiring teams, and worked closely with Hostess staff to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration. 

Our project-hiring RPO services further enhanced Hostess’s recruitment capabilities, allowing us to fill crucial roles across a wide array of functions, including Supply Chain, Operations, Quality/Food Safety, R&D, Human Resources, Legal, and Finance/Accounting. This strategic approach enabled us to complete the total hiring process in an average of 57 days, ensuring that Hostess had the right talent in place to support their relaunch and future growth. 

Since our collaboration began in 2013, the Protis Global team has forged a strong bond with the Hostess team. We’ve participated in National Sales meetings and company summits, and have continued to provide on-site partnership, search, and contract hire services. Through our tailored recruitment solutions and unwavering commitment to Hostess’s success, we have played an integral role in their remarkable journey from bankruptcy to a stunning $2.4B valuation upon going public. 

Our partnership with Hostess serves as a testament to the transformative power of strategic recruitment in revitalizing businesses and achieving extraordinary results. 

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