Top Features to Look for in a Recruitment CRM

Do you need a recruitment CRM when you already have an ATS? 

The simple answer is yes. 

Sometimes, your ATS, regardless of how customized it is, can feel like a black hole where applicants go in and never make it out. 

You need another tool to manage candidate relationships and create a system where each candidate feels valuable and important whether they get the role or not. This is where a recruitment CRM comes into play. 

But with so many CRM options, what features should you look out for when choosing a recruitment CRM? Let’s find out in this post. 

​​Why You Need a Recruitment CRM

For many years, applicant tracking systems (ATS) have been the backbone of recruitment technology, helping organizations manage job seekers through each stage of the application process. While ATS platforms are essential for tracking applications and streamlining hiring workflows, they only address candidates who have already applied, but that’s only half of the equation. 

Companies that want to find top talent cannot rely solely on job boards. Studies show that hiring from an existing talent community requires four applications per hire, compared to 74 applications per hire when using a job board. The best candidates usually prefer to explore opportunities through professional networks, referrals, or direct outreach rather than applying to generic job listings.

This is why a recruitment Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a game-changer. Unlike an ATS, which focuses on post-application tracking, a recruitment CRM helps organizations proactively engage with potential candidates before they even apply. With a recruitment CRM, recruiters can build, nurture, and manage relationships with high-potential talent so that when a role opens up, they already have a pool of engaged candidates ready to step in.

For example,

Imagine a tech company struggling to find experienced software engineers. Instead of waiting for applicants, their recruitment team uses a CRM to create talent pipelines. They identify promising candidates on LinkedIn, add them to lists based on skills and experience, and engage them through targeted emails, networking events, or thought leadership content. When a new position opens, they already have a talent pool to choose from. This reduces time-to-hire and increases the likelihood of securing top-tier talent. 

You should consider getting a recruitment CRM for your company if you:

• Consistently have multiple open positions to fill.
• Are recruiting for roles that are difficult to fill
• Want to reduce the time you spend assessing hundreds of applications.
• Want to improve the candidate experience.

What is the Difference Between ATS and CRM in Recruiting?

An ATS and recruitment CRM have certain similarities and are both designed to streamline recruitment. However, each tool has certain specific differences based on its functionality.

Similarities Between ATS and CRM

Here’s how ATS and CRM overlap in recruitment:

• Automation: Both systems reduce manual workload by automating repetitive tasks like data entry, email follow-ups, and status updates.
• Cloud-based access: Most modern ATS and CRM platforms are cloud-based, so recruiters can store and access applicant data from anywhere securely.  
• Collaboration: Recruiters, hiring managers, and HR teams can work seamlessly together within both platforms.
• Data organization: Both systems remove duplicate information, and all candidate interactions are recorded to build a clean and structured database.
• Analytics & Reporting: Both systems offer insights into recruitment performance, tracking metrics like candidate engagement, application status, time-to-hire, etc. 

Differences Between ATS and CRM

Despite their similarities, ATS and CRM tools serve different functions in the hiring process.

1. Purpose & Focus

An ATS is process-driven and designed to manage applications and track candidates through different hiring stages while ensuring compliance with set hiring regulations. On the other hand, a CRM is a people-focused tool that helps recruiters actively build, nurture, and engage with a talent pipeline before candidates apply for a role. 

2. Candidate Journey Stage

An ATS focuses on the candidates who have already applied for a role, while a CRM targets candidates before they apply and is more focused on future hiring needs. 

3. Level of Automation

A typical ATS has automation features like resume parsing and interview scheduling. However, it often requires significant manual data entry for tasks like updating candidate profiles. Advanced CRMs use AI and automation for personalized candidate engagement, sending follow-ups, and maintaining relationships with passive candidates. 

4. Functionality & Features

ATS is mainly used for applicant tracking and compliance, managing and screening resumes and candidates, etc. CRM lets recruiters create targeted outreach campaigns, segment talent pools, and track engagement scores to find interested candidates. 

5. Proactive vs. Reactive Hiring

ATS follows a reactive hiring approach, where recruiters start sourcing talent once a job opening is posted. At the same time, CRM encourages a proactive hiring strategy, ensuring recruiters have a pool of qualified candidates ready before a role opens up.

Practical example of ATS vs. CRM

Imagine a fast-growing tech company that frequently hires software developers. Here’s how both tools would be used in a typical hiring process:

• ATS use case: A recruiter posts a job for a front-end developer. As applications come in, the ATS automatically parses resumes, ranks candidates based on keywords, and helps manage the interview process.
• CRM use case: Months before the job was even posted, the recruiter used a CRM to build relationships with top developers on LinkedIn, engaged with their content and kept track of those who showed interest. When the job opened, the recruiter had a pre-qualified talent pool to reach out to, reducing hiring time significantly.

Which One Do You Need?

You need both an ATS and a CRM, as they work together to streamline the hiring process. While an ATS helps manage active applicants efficiently, a CRM ensures you always have a pipeline of qualified candidates for future hiring needs. Investing in both solutions will give you a competitive edge when hiring.   

10 Features to Look For in a Recruitment CRM

Choosing a recruitment CRM is not a one-size-fits-all process, as every tool is different. However, there are a few must-have features to look out for during the selection process. 

1. Talent pipeline management

The goal of a recruitment CRM is to ensure you always have a pool of qualified candidates to refer to whenever you have open roles. Look for a tool with a talent pipeline management feature that allows you to group candidates based on skills, experience, industry, and even engagement level. This makes it easier to connect with the right talent at the right time. Now, the next time you want to hire, you can reach out to pre-qualified candidates and encourage them to apply instead of starting from scratch. 

2. Smart workflows and automation

You should be able to set your CRM to perform certain tasks automatically. Look for a CRM with easily customizable workflows that can handle repetitive tasks like candidate tagging, interview scheduling, and email follow-ups. Your CRM should also be able to provide canned responses to questions candidates often ask as well. The most advanced AI systems even adapt to match a candidate's behavior. 

3. Automated candidate engagement

A core part of recruitment CRM is keeping candidates engaged throughout the hiring process. However, doing this manually for thousands of applicants is impossible. A good CRM tool should offer automated nurture campaigns that include scheduled emails, SMS follow-ups, and job alerts to keep talent warm and engaged without extra manual effort. AI-powered CRMs can even personalize messages based on candidate behavior.

4. Dashboard and analytics

Effective recruitment depends heavily on past data. A recruitment CRM with a dashboard and real-time analytics feature will provide insight into the key metrics you are tracking, such as time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, candidate drop-off rates, etc. This information will help you make vital decisions to improve your hiring process. For example, if you notice that many candidates are dropping off after the first interview, it may mean they waited too long for an update. You can now fix this issue by improving response time in the next hiring cycle. 

5. AI-powered candidate matching

AI-powered recruitment CRMs can easily analyze the profiles of multiple candidates and job descriptions and come up with the most suitable matches for each role in minutes. This helps reduce hiring bias, reduces time to hire, and ensures that recruiters only focus on interviewing highly qualified candidates and moving them along the process faster. 

6. Scalability and flexibility

You want a recruitment CRM with the capabilities to grow as your company grows and adapt to your changing needs. Before settling on a tool, ensure that its tech stack can scale based on your needs at any given moment. Look for solutions that support multiple locations, integrations with new tools, and flexible pricing that adapts to your needs. Ask the following questions:

• Can recruiters access the tool remotely?
• Does it offer a tiered pricing structure so you only pay for the features you need?
• Can it integrate with your existing hiring and collaboration platforms?

A positive answer to these questions helps you narrow your options. 

7. Engagement Scoring

It is important to track candidate interactions during the recruitment process. A good recruitment CRM tool should have an engagement scoring feature that easily tracks email opens, website visits, and application status updates. This way, recruiters can prioritize responding to and engaging the most interested candidates. Also, if a candidate opens multiple emails and clicks on the job postings, you can send a personalized follow-up message to encourage them to begin the application process. 

8. Broad integration capabilities

Having your recruiters and hiring managers move from one tool to another during the hiring process leads to communication lapses and an overall reduction in productivity. You want a recruitment CRM tool that can easily integrate with LinkedIn, job boards, applicant tracking systems (ATS), video interview platforms, and HR software. A well-connected tech stack streamlines workflow and allows team members to share and review data easily. 

9. Good customer support and knowledge base

Some recruitment CRM tools come with a learning curve, and it may take a minute for team members to understand how to use them effectively. So, it is important to choose a provider with 24/7 customer support and comprehensive help resources like knowledge bases that users can easily refer to for clarity. Choose a tool with multiple support channels like AI chatbots, social media assistance, and phone and email support. This way, you won’t have to wait for multiple days to get a response. 

10. Personalized candidate experience

A good candidate experience is one way to make your brand stand out to potential employees. Choose a recruitment CRM that allows custom branding and personalized interactions, such as branded email templates and custom career portals. These may seem fickle, but they help create a lasting positive impression of your brand on candidates. 

FAQs

What is CRM in recruiting?

CRM in recruiting is a tool that helps recruiters build and nurture relationships with qualified candidates before they apply for a job. 

What is the difference between ATS and CRM recruiting?

ATS sources and manages applications from candidates who have applied for certain roles, while CRM builds and nurtures relationships with already qualified candidates before they apply. 

How do I choose the right CRM?

Choose a CRM that is scalable, flexible, easy to use, and offers other features like easy integration and analytics. Also, ensure the CRM aligns with your overall hiring goals and improves your recruitment strategy. 

Level Up Your Recruitment With Promap AI

Promap AI is the most advanced AI-powered recruitment software that helps you source the best talent and keep them engaged throughout the hiring process with timely interviews and updates. This tool has a wide range of features that provide end-to-end hiring solutions for both employers and talent to ensure every party has a great experience. 

Some of its key features are:

• AI-powered automation
• Bias-free screening
• AI-driven interviewing
• Seamless integration
• Transparent hiring process
• Data-driven decision making

Ready to improve your hiring process? Try our Free Demo today and see how Promap AI can benefit your business. 

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