Spend enough time in business and marketing and you’re sure to hear the acronym “CRM.” It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, what customers you serve, or how your company operates—you’re likely already using CRM software.  If not, you could definitely benefit from a CRM system.

Outside of the HR, staffing, and recruitment world, CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. This refers to a software platform designed to help companies keep track of their customers. Within the world of staffing and recruiting, CRM (sometimes called Candidate Relationship Management) refers to software that helps keep track of job candidates and their progress through the hiring pipeline. 

So, what exactly is staffing CRM software? What benefits do customer relationship management software solutions provide for staffing agencies like yours? Let’s take a deep dive into CRM recruiting software in this ultimate guide. 

What is Customer Relationship Management Software?  

Recruitment CRM software allows staffing agencies to manage all aspects of their staffing and recruiting process. Think of it as your phone’s contact list on steroids—not only does it store and organize candidate information, it streamlines your entire recruiting process from end to end. 

Note that CRM software is different than your ATS system (applicant tracking software). Applicant tracking systems for staffing agencies focus on the application process itself. With a CRM, there is an increased focus on the R: Relationships. It’s used to build relationships with your candidates and clients, not just keep track of them. That is the true power of using customer relationship management software solutions for your firm. 

How Can Customer Relationship Management Software Aid in the Recruitment Process? 

How does CRM software actually help the recruiting process? There are many ways that this kind of technology helps your agency engage and place job candidates. 

The list includes:

Attracting, Sourcing, and Managing Candidates

The main benefit of using a CRM system is that it helps you source, hire, and manage candidates. Because your CRM system serves as a large, organized database in which to store a large amount of information, it makes things a lot easier when you’re dealing with high volumes of candidates. It’s especially helpful for engaging with passive candidates (those who aren’t actively looking for a position, but may be interested if the right fit comes along). By keeping in regular contact with these individuals, you’re making it more likely that you’ll be able to leverage those candidates for openings when it counts.

Automating Workflow 

The automation built into most CRMs is paramount to your business. From sending out automated emails to scheduling interviews and following up with candidates, so many processes can be taken off your recruiters’ plates and automated. That’s a huge time savings while increasing candidate engagement at the same time, so it’s a win-win. 

Things like automated emails and newsletters sent out to your candidates are great ways to keep those candidates “warm.” When they see regular communications from your company, you’re kept top-of-mind. That means more engagement when those candidates need a job, or see an open position that they feel they’re suited for. Applicant Tracking 

Just like your ATS, a CRM provides applicant tracking solutions to make your life easier. You’ll be able to keep track of every candidate, from initial screening all the way through the hiring funnel. This gives you important insights into your business, allowing you to make better-informed decisions. 

Reducing Time-to-Hire

Another great benefit of using CRM software is that it reduces the overall time-to-hire. Because you’re eliminating so much of the manual data entry that your recruiters used to have to do, you’re saving a lot of time upfront. Plus, the proactive nature of CRM software means that you aren’t relying solely on your manual engagement with those candidates. Engagement is kept up for you, ultimately getting candidates settled into their roles faster.

Developing Better Candidate Relationships

Remember that “relationships” is the key part of any CRM software. This kind of staffing software solution should ultimately make it easier for your agency to manage relationships with your candidates. From getting in touch to guiding them through the hiring process to following up with them after they’re on-site, your CRM will make it easier to nurture the existing relationships you have with candidates and create new ones at the same time. 

Remember that job candidates are looking for a positive experience when they’re interacting with your recruiters and your company. A CRM can help you facilitate that. Whether it’s easy-to-fill application forms or landing pages designed specifically for a target audience, the system can bolster the candidate experience in your favor. 

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Staffing Software

We’ve learned what a CRM software is, what it can do for your company, and how it differs from ATS recruitment software. Now, let’s discuss how to get the most out of your CRM system to the benefit of your entire business. 

Train Employees on Utilization

If only upper management or a department supervisor is up to speed on your CRM system, you’re not getting the most out of the software. The power of the CRM system is the relationship building that it facilitates, so it’s wise to have every member of your recruitment team familiar with the software. That way, you’re maximizing that relationship building capacity across your entire organization. After all, it’s the recruiters who are interacting one-on-one with the job candidates that you place. 

Integrate Your CRM with Other Tools

Another great thing about CRM systems is that they integrate with other tools you already use, like email and your ATS. The more automation you have built in, the less mundane tasks your existing staff has to take care of. That frees them up to focus on the core objectives that really matter—things like placing as many candidates with top employers as possible, for instance. 

Review Insights from Analytics

CRM systems do more than track applicants and help you manage large volumes of data. They examine that data and help you learn from it. That’s where the analytics portion of CRM comes in. You can find out how long it takes on average for candidates to move through the hiring funnel, where those candidates came from, their success/fail rate, and much more. This helps you determine what can be improved within your processes and workflows, leading to more efficiency and cost-savings down the road. 

Streamline Your Recruiting Efforts With Customer Relationship Management Software 

Clearly, candidate relationship management software is a must-have for many types of firms in a variety of industries. The staffing and recruiting world is no exception. 

CRM systems help you to attract and manage top talent, automate workflows, reduce time-to-hire rates, and develop stronger candidate relationships. When you train your entire team on the use of your CRM, integrate the system with the tools you’re already using, and make sure to take advantage of the analytics, you’re really making the most of the technology.

Are you looking for recruiting software solutions for your organization? Perhaps you’re interested in implementing a CRM yourself, or an upgraded ATS recruitment software platform. COATS Staffing Software can provide you with the tools you need. We’ve been serving a variety of industries—technical, clerical, medical, professional, industrial, financial, and more—for more than 25 years by providing staffing software solutions that work for organizations of all shapes and sizes. 

Contact a member of the COATS team to schedule a free, no-obligation demo. Our team looks forward to helping your business with the software solutions it needs.