Since Will Washburn assumed leadership of the labor sector at bank holding company Capital One last year, the senior director, supply chain, has taken on an impressive number of initiatives focused on efficiency and effectiveness. Under Washburn’s leadership, Capital One designed and implemented an automated onboarding dashboard tracking system. The system evolved into an international hiring manager onboarding dashboard while also fully automating the furlough exemption process.

“We had the platform and the systems,” Washburn says of his original challenge, “but we just had to get the data right: clear, accurate and user-friendly.” He sourced input from all stakeholders and then broke the process of talent procurement down. As a result, the request-to-fulfillment was reduced by eight days.

In its first year, Washburn’s onboarding process alone tracked over 6,000 candidates, saving each team member more than 800 hours annually. The furlough exemption effort has made a significant reduction of errors and reduced staff time by 87%. Under his leadership, annual spend increased from over $800 million in 2021 to nearly $1.5 billion in 2022 — and he is still seeking additional innovative ways to simplify the processes of his department.

“All companies are facing the same challenge — talent supply,” Washburn comments. “We are now building infrastructure for international talent. Our labor process is not just a procurement exercise; it’s an ongoing operation. We have shifted dramatically to meet customer need, improving both quality and response time.”