How Pop-A-Lock Streamlined Hiring Across 260+ Franchises with JazzHR

A look at the numbers

franchise locations

employees

jump in assessment completion rate

“JazzHR has transformed our hiring operations by bringing order to a previously chaotic process, making us more effective and significantly improving turnaround times.”

Robert Reynolds Director of Operations, System Forward America

BACKGROUND

Pop-A-Lock, a franchise brand under System Forward America, is one of the nation’s most recognized names in locksmith and security services. With more than 260 locations and 1,500 employees, Pop-A-Lock serves communities across the country with essential, on-demand support for cars, homes, and businesses.

In an industry where hands-on skills matter more than traditional credentials, finding candidates who can be trained for the role—often with no prior experience—is mission critical. But before JazzHR, hiring was chaotic, inconsistent, and difficult to scale.

THE CHALLENGE

Hiring at Pop-A-Lock is a little different. There’s no formal training pipeline for locksmiths, so franchisees need to find the right people to meet their unique needs—those who are coachable, dependable, and ready to learn a hands-on skill. But before JazzHR, each location was on its own when it came to hiring.

Franchisees were juggling emails, texts, and job board platforms without a single source of truth. Many of them didn’t have a background in HR and were overwhelmed by the process. Applicants were slipping through the cracks, time to fill was stretching into months, and corporate was constantly fielding support requests.

“Hiring for us is unique. There’s no ‘locksmith school,’ so we’re not looking for ready-made professionals. We need people who are trainable—and that means our process has to be structured, simple, and scalable. ”

Robert Reynolds, Director of Operations, System Forward America

KEY OUTCOMES

Slash time to hire: Before JazzHR, it could take up to two months to fill an open role. Now, many franchisees are completing the hiring process in just two weeks—thanks to centralized workflows, automated communication, and a system that keeps everything organized from start to finish.

Boost candidate engagement:: Since rolling out JazzHR, Pop-A-Lock has seen a major increase in candidate follow-through. The number of applicants completing pre-employment assessments jumped from 10% to 50%, giving hiring managers a clearer picture of each candidate’s potential—and helping them make better decisions, faster.

Reduce hiring bias: JazzHR’s standardized workflows help ensure hiring decisions are based on objective data—not gut instincts. This structure reduces the risk of unconscious bias and supports a more equitable candidate experience.

Simplify franchise onboarding: When new locations join the Pop-A-Lock network, hiring doesn’t need to be reinvented from scratch. JazzHR gives them access to proven hiring templates and processes—saving time and setting teams up for success from day one.

About JazzHR

JazzHR is powerful and affordable recruiting software that is purpose-built to help growing SMBs exceed their recruiting goals. JazzHR’s groundbreaking software replaces time-consuming, manual hiring processes with an intuitive applicant tracking system that helps recruiters and hiring managers build an effective recruiting process that results in great hires.

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