From 8,000 Applications to 100 Hires a Day: How Sun Holdings Built a High-Speed Recruiting Engine

Laura L. McLand, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP, Vice President, Sun Holdings, Inc

Laura McLand is a human resources leader at Sun Holdings, Inc., focused on workforce strategy, talent development and organizational transformation. She works closely with executive leadership to align HR initiatives with business growth, employee engagement and long-term operational performance.

Laura L. McLand shared her valuable thoughts for the 2026 edition of Hospitality Business Review on how organizations can build scalable, technology-driven hiring systems that transform high application volumes into fast, efficient recruitment and sustainable workforce growth.

Every week, thousands of people apply for jobs at Sun Holdings. In fact, the company regularly receives more than 8,000 applications every week across its restaurant brands and locations. Even more impressive is what happens next: up to 100 employees are hired every single day to support operations across the organization. “The average time to fill each position is two days, unheard of in most industries, but is the norm for Sun Holdings,” states Laura McLand.

For most companies, processing that level of recruiting activity would require a massive HR department. But Sun Holdings achieves this with a relatively small recruiting team. The secret isn’t simply working harder, it’s building a system where technology, processes and restaurant leadership are synchronized to work together.

Turning Volume into Opportunity

In the restaurant industry, hiring at scale is a necessity. Restaurants operate in fast-paced environments where staffing needs change quickly. Growth, seasonal demand and normal turnover mean companies must maintain a steady pipeline of talent.

Receiving 8,000 applications per week is both an opportunity and a challenge. Without the right infrastructure, applications can sit untouched, candidates lose interest and managers struggle to fill open roles.

The power of recruiting isn’t measured by the size of the team, it’s measured by the strength of the system behind it.

Sun Holdings approached the challenge by designing a recruiting ecosystem where speed, simplicity and accountability are built into every step of the hiring process. Laura states, “We listened to the brands, focused on their needs and built an ecosystem that furnishes a constant flow of applicants to fill new positions and have a bench when seasonal opportunities arise.”

Synchronizing Systems

The first key to handling high-volume recruiting is integrated technology. Recruiting platforms, onboarding tools, payroll systems and communication channels must work together seamlessly. Sun Holdings currently uses Workstream, with built-in salary thresholds for each position, offer letters for every employee and a brief online application that is completed via mobile devices. Managers can text and email candidates from the app, allowing them mobility to communicate with candidates while running a restaurant or retail location

When systems are synchronized, candidate information flows automatically through the hiring process. Applications are routed quickly, managers are notified immediately and onboarding steps can begin as soon as the application is completed and the offer is accepted.

This integration eliminates the need for manual tracking and reduces delays that can cause companies to lose strong candidates. In a competitive labor market, the companies that hire fastest often win the talent

Building Efficient Processes

Technology alone doesn’t solve the problem. The second pillar of Sun Holdings’ hiring engine is structured recruiting processes. Clear workflows guide each application from submission to hiring decision. Automated communication keeps applicants informed and engaged throughout the process.

Because these processes are clearly defined, the recruiting team can manage an extremely large volume of candidates and job postings without becoming overwhelmed. Instead of reacting to every individual application, the system works at scale.

Aligning with Restaurant Leadership

The third, and perhaps most important, factor is alignment with restaurant operations.

At Sun Holdings, hiring is not the responsibility of recruiters alone. Restaurant leaders are active partners in the process. Managers understand their staffing needs, respond quickly to candidate communications and move applicants through interviews without unnecessary delays.

This operational alignment dramatically increases the speed of hiring decisions. When managers and recruiters operate with the same expectations and timelines, candidates move through the system faster and open positions are filled sooner.

A Recruiting Model Built for Growth

Hiring up to 100 employees per day may sound impossible for a small recruiting team, but it becomes achievable when the right structure is in place.

By synchronizing systems, building efficient processes and aligning restaurant leadership with recruiting goals, Sun Holdings has created a hiring engine designed for scale. The result is a streamlined approach that keeps restaurants staffed, supports company growth and provides thousands of job opportunities every year.

In an industry where speed and efficiency matter, Sun Holdings demonstrates that the power of recruiting isn’t measured by the size of the team, it’s measured by the strength of the system behind it.