Why Your ATS Needs a CRM: Staples of Relationship Centric Recruiting

Technology has simplified numerous processes when it comes to recruiting.  Recruiting is becoming more and more of a relationship-building exercise. It is where you try to identify the best talent and ultimately convince them to join your organization. It has put forth questions such as which technological tools should a company use in order to fully make use of candidate centric recruiting and find the perfect mix of not only promoting your brand & values but also bringing on board the best talent possible.

Why does your ATS need CRM Software?

This is a commonly asked question that arises from the fact that most people assume or believe that Recruitment ATS & Staffing CRM are simply different names of the same entity. Understanding the functionality of each tool can prove to be conducive for the creation of a successful recruiting strategy.

An ATS automates the application process which other is  performed manually and thus provides an extensive database for applicants. However, it is limited in the fact that it doesn’t allow you to establish a relationship with your candidates.

Whereas, a CRM allows you to establish relationships with your candidates as the sourcing engine helps you establish a private talent pool and automatically facilitates the nurturing of job applicants.

ATS & CRM are two different tools serving different but 0verlapping purposes assisting to supplement the solutions offered by each tool to help recruit & market at the same time.

What is Candidate Centric Recruiting?

The term candidate centric recruiting signifies that the idea of putting the candidate first when it comes to talent acquisition. In terms of recruiting, it further means to nurture a positive reputation of your company. Further, it means building a positive relationship with your employees and candidates during their journey. Thus, candidate centric recruiting will allow you attract a larger talent pool.

Candidate Centric VS Employer Centric Recruiting

In candidate centric recruiting, employers put the needs of candidates first. Whereas, in employer centric recruiting, the employer puts the needs of the employer first. The prime difference between the two is that candidate centric recruiting focuses on building relationship with candidates. On the other hand, employer centric recruiting focuses on filling vacant positions.

Candidate Centric Recruiting Strategies

The four common strategies to follow for candidate centric recruitment are listed below.

• Assess your website and improve website application process.
• Engage with your prospective talent.
• Remove the hurdles and streamline candidate journey.
• Foster clear communication channels between the hiring team and the candidate.

CRM; The Unofficial Spokesperson

CRM is a great tool to deliver various messages to different candidates in your database at the appropriate time of choosing. This open communication facilitates in helping nurture top talent for your company paving the way for making the best possible resources in the market a part of your team. What makes CRM extremely effective and a must in today’s competitive world is the fact that it allows the company to tailor its message to suit various candidates according to their respective position in the hiring process. This personalization is what RecruitBPM allows your company a competitive edge while jostling for top talent while competing with other like-minded recruitment companies.

CRM for Employer Branding 

Creating an effective employer brand for your company is crucial in order to carve out a message that would resonate with the top talent out there. In the face of stiff competition, a sourcing strategy that fails to factor in relationship recruiting is much likely to fall short when narrowing down the list of top talent for your organization.

How do you know if you need Recruitment CRM?

Does your organization require a recruitment CRM? How will it impact the recruitment strategy currently in place? and most importantly is your staff capable of leveraging the insights provided by the Staffing CRM in identifying and ultimately bringing in top talent for the company? The following list identifies the possible reasons for your company to employ a CRM system along with your ATS:

Do you actively source candidates:

ATS is great at providing an extensive database for shortlisting candidates. But, only those that have applied to your company. But if your company intends to source candidates having the best skills and talent available. Then, ATS wouldn’t be much of a help. However, a good CRM will allow you to build relationships and actively promote your brand. Hence, helping to bring onboard the best resources possible.

Is your team using spreadsheets to manage candidate data:

What’s the point of spending most of your budget on a Recruitment ATS system that still forces you to use spreadsheets in order to infer crucial insights regarding your candidates? Spreadsheets don’t allow you to ascertain whether there is a possibility for a candidate relationship to blossom into something meaningful. The information gained from these spreadsheets often has to be used in conjunction with other tools. Tools such as email clients, making you switch from one tool to another. Thus, complicating things even further. Moreover, it takes the focus away from relationship recruiting. Whereas, relation recruiting is very crucial for making top talent a part of your organization.

Do you have more than one recruiter:

When a whole team is working to build and maintain relationships with candidates. It is important that all the candidates’ data is accessible to every member of the team. In order for one team member to approach a candidate, it is crucial that the recruiter is privy to everything that has gone on and can leverage it to close the deal. When trying to develop these relationships further down the line. Greater visibility and availability of information will go a long way in ensuring that your whole recruiting team is on the same page.

Do you have any hard-to-fill roles:

It is one thing recruiting for “easy to fill roles” for which there are numerous applicants. What about the positions for which companies in the industry are “hard-pressed” to find suitable resources having the relevant skills. CRM can easily help build relationships. Moreover, it can open doors to resources that would have been inaccessible or hidden from the view of the employer.

Do you have a large number of candidates stored in your ATS:

If your company has an extensive database housing thousands of candidates who have applied to your company over the years. Then only a CRM system can ascertain which candidates are best for any relevant open positions. Without the use of CRM, you are most likely to slog away most of the time in deciphering spreadsheets and making sense of any trend that you can put your finger on.

Do you use careers fairs or online campaigns to generate interest:

Nowadays, many companies s are utilizing career fairs and online campaigns to not only attract top talent. But, also promote their employer brand. Yet the success of these initiatives is often difficult to gauge. As it is extremely difficult to correctly account for the number of applicants that might have applied through these initiatives. Thus, making it difficult to find out the return on your investment. However, a Staffing CRM system will have all the necessary data to showcase the success of the initiatives taken. Hence, ensuring that you have every opportunity of nurturing the best available talent going forward.

Conclusion

ATS has simplified a lot of things by way of automation for staffing companies on the lookout for top talent. To create a sustainable pipeline of top talent, allows you to build on existing and new relationships. However, it is only possible if a Staffing CRM system is used in conjunction with an ATS Software.

The added functionalities of CRM with ATS Software allows you to leverage all the relevant data in your database. Further, you can ascertain the exact return that you will get through your investments through various recruitment initiatives.