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Your CRM is the most important tool in your business. It enables recruiters to manage all candidate and client relationships and interactions, track communications, and streamline the overall recruitment process. You literally couldn’t recruit without it! Adopting a CRM-first culture and establishing a single source of truth is essential for recruitment agencies, both large and small, to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and consistency.
In the recent Bullhorn Basics series, we learned best practices on the tools at your disposal from the Bullhorn experts. Let’s take a deeper dive into how you can build a CRM-first culture within your own staffing firm and utilize a single source of truth for more accuracy, efficiency, and consistency in your recruitment efforts.
Shifting to a CRM-first approach
Time and time again, I see new vacancies get qualified, and the first thing the recruiter does is run a search on LinkedIn. They then have to wait for their messages to get accepted before finally getting the candidates’ contact details to arrange a call. At this point, days may have passed, and your business is spending a fortune on allowing this to happen. By this point, the candidate has probably already been forwarded for the role by a recruiter who used the CRM to pick up the phone and give them a call instantly.
The businesses that continue to grow while successfully navigating the ever-changing market have a very different approach. Their process and company culture are based upon having a CRM-first culture.
Shifting to a CRM-first culture in recruitment requires a change in mindset and company culture. Recruiters need to prioritize using the CRM as a central tool in their daily activities and processes. Through the use of AI and automation, it’s easier than ever before to do so as, at last, clients and candidates can upload their own details and requirements, feeding them straight back into the CRM. This means that when recruiters search for that perfect candidate, they should already be right in front of them, with a correct phone number waiting to be called. Your clients will be thrilled to receive the right candidates more quickly than ever before.
Leverage the support of your CRM software provider
Every recruitment agency has very different ways of working, so to create a CRM-first culture, you may need to make some changes so you can input the data you need and carry out the processes you require. You won’t be alone in your request, so maximize the support from your account manager and the support team. If something isn’t working or needs to be changed, just pick up the phone and reach out to the support team. Get your CRM working for you, not the other way around. I highly recommend asking your account manager about best practices; they will be able to give you further insights so you can level up your day-to-day operations.
Successful and ongoing training is key
Training and support are crucial for recruiters to embrace a CRM-first culture, but this needs to be done in the right way with the right people. It might come as a surprise, but recruiters shouldn’t be delivering CRM training to new starters. In a recent poll, 54% of people either had no training on the CRM or were trained by another recruiter. To ensure you’re conducting CRM training at the highest possible standard, proper training from super users – typically your operations team – who understand the system inside and out is vital for successful implementation.
Don’t forget ongoing training. If you’ve ever signed up for a 5K or half marathon race, you know that doing just one training run won’t get you over the finish line, let alone in a decent time. With that in mind, to get a CRM-first culture running through your business, ongoing regular training on best practices, search tips, and productivity hacks are non-negotiable. This doesn’t need to be highly complex and in-depth; just get your team to share ideas, favorite searches, and Boolean strings.
Creating a CRM-first culture within your recruitment business will enhance efficiency, accuracy, and consistency in the recruitment process. Take the steps towards implementing these strategies today to stay competitive and deliver exceptional results.
