The Future of Recruitment

July 2, 2024

From ATS to CRM: Understanding the Recruitment Tech Stack

The world of recruitment has evolved far beyond job boards and email chains. Today’s recruiters rely on an array of digital tools to find, attract, engage, and retain top talent. At the heart of these tools are two critical systems: the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and the Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) platform. While both play pivotal roles in the hiring process, they serve different but complementary purposes. Understanding how these technologies fit into your recruitment tech stack can help you streamline hiring, enhance candidate experience, and make smarter talent decisions. In this post, we’ll break down the key differences between ATS and CRM platforms, explain how they work together, and offer practical tips on optimizing your recruitment tech stack for maximum efficiency.

After seven months of non-stop building, we’re excited to announce Automations, our powerful new feature that allows you to build and automate any process right inside of Tendly.

Build systems that automatically route leads based on their potential, or auto identify customers based on their subscription and product usage data. Run AI-driven actions, perform complex calculations, auto-assign tasks to teammates and so much more.

Plus, we've integrated with popular tools like Outreach, Slack, Mailchimp, Typeform and more to make your workflows even more dynamic. We can't wait for you to use it.

Automate, iterate, accelerate

Your company is fast-growing and always changing. You need a CRM that helps you accelerate, not slow you down.

We’ve painstakingly-built Automations to be powerful enough to give you full control over your automation process to build incredible new systems. We’ve also made it’s intuitive enough to work right out of the box. Here’s how:

A beautiful, powerful visual canvas

With Automations, you can visualize and build out your GTM processes as fast as you can think. It’s your toolbox for crafting complex workflows with drag-and-drop simplicity. Map your ideas, trigger actions and see your GTM systems come to life.

You can even build workflows in real-time with teammates, collaborating just as you would in Miro or FigJam.

Out-of-the-box power with templates

Want a quick start with your automations? No problem. Easily implement pre-built workflows tailored for both sales-led and product-led strategies.

Dive into a library of over 20+ ready-to-use templates designed for your specific needs, from product-led growth to sales-led growth, RevOps, deal flow and beyond. Tweak them as you go to create your perfect automation setup.

Integrations with Slack, Outreach, Mailchimp and more

We know that automations and workflows can’t happen in a vacuum – so that’s why we’ve built five out-of-the-box integrations with some of the popular tools in today’s stack, including Outreach, Slack, Mailchimp, MixMax, and Typeform.

We also have a "Send HTTP Request" block that allows you to send data to and trigger events in any other tool in your stack.

Tendly AI: Bring unstructured data into your automations

When we were building out Automations, one key insight guided us: next-generation automation isn’t just about replacing manual steps, it’s also about amplifying human capabilities. What if you could automate tasks that require a human touch?

Enter our AI blocks. These aren’t just LLM prompt blocks – these are custom-built to seamlessly weave unstructured data directly into your workflows. The idea here is to turn AI into a tangible asset that make your GTM operations smarter and more efficient. Here’s how:

What is an ATS?

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is the backbone of many recruitment processes. It’s designed to manage and organize candidate applications and streamline hiring workflows. Think of it as the digital filing cabinet where résumés are stored, candidates are tracked through hiring stages, and hiring data is analyzed.

What an ATS Does:

Centralizes applications from job boards, career websites, and referral portals.
Automates tasks like resume parsing, email follow-ups, and interview scheduling.
Tracks candidates through every stage of the hiring pipeline—from application to offer.
Analyzes recruitment metrics such as time-to-hire, source of hire, and application volume.

ATS in Action:

When a candidate applies for a job, the ATS stores their information, parses their résumé to extract relevant details, and automatically assigns them to a recruiter. Recruiters use the ATS to move candidates through interview stages, leave feedback, and schedule interviews.

Example Platforms: Greenhouse, Workday, Lever, BambooHR.

Best For: Companies with high-volume hiring needs that require efficient candidate tracking and application management.

What is a CRM in Recruitment?

While an ATS focuses on managing active applicants, a Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) platform is designed to build long-term relationships with talent—even those who aren’t actively applying for jobs. It works more like a marketing tool, helping recruiters engage with passive candidates and nurture talent pipelines over time.

What a CRM Does:

Stores candidate profiles (even those who haven’t applied) and tracks all interactions with them.
Nurtures talent pools by sending personalized messages, updates, and job alerts.
Automates email campaigns to keep passive candidates engaged with your employer brand.
Segments candidates based on skills, experience, location, or job preferences for targeted outreach.

CRM in Action:

A recruiter identifies high-potential candidates at an industry event and adds them to the CRM. Over time, the CRM sends them personalized newsletters about upcoming roles and company updates. When the perfect role opens up, the recruiter uses the CRM to reach out proactively.

Example Platforms: Beamery, Bullhorn, Avature, Phenom.

Best For: Companies focused on building long-term talent pipelines and nurturing passive candidates.

ATS vs. CRM: Key Differences

Feature

ATS (Applicant Tracking System)

CRM (Candidate Relationship Management)

Purpose

Manages applications and hiring stages.

Builds long-term relationships with candidates.

Candidate Focus

Primarily active applicants.

Primarily passive candidates and talent pools.

Primary Function

Tracks candidates through the hiring process.

Nurtures talent over time with engagement strategies.

Automation

Automates interview scheduling, follow-ups, and job postings.

Automates personalized communication and campaigns.

Best Use Case

High-volume hiring with structured workflows.

Building pipelines for future hiring and proactive recruitment.

How ATS and CRM Work Together

While an ATS and a CRM have distinct functions, they work best when used together. In fact, many modern recruitment platforms offer integrated ATS and CRM capabilities, ensuring seamless collaboration between hiring processes and talent engagement efforts. Here’s how they complement each other:

CRM Feeds the ATS:
The CRM stores passive candidates and nurtures relationships over time. When a relevant role opens up, candidates from the CRM are moved into the ATS to go through the formal hiring process.
ATS Insights Inform CRM Outreach:
Data from the ATS—like common skills gaps or hiring trends—can help recruiters target their CRM campaigns more effectively. For instance, if the ATS shows a shortage of data analysts, recruiters can focus CRM outreach on those candidates.
Collaborative Talent Pipelines:
The CRM builds long-term talent pipelines, while the ATS ensures short-term hiring efficiency. Together, they provide a full view of both current hiring needs and future opportunities.

Pro Tip: Choose recruitment platforms that offer native integration between ATS and CRM tools, ensuring data flows smoothly between both systems.

Building the Right Recruitment Tech Stack

To create a powerful recruitment tech stack, it’s essential to combine tools that complement one another. Here’s a guide to building an optimal tech stack, along with additional tools to consider.

1. ATS for Candidate Management

Why It’s Essential: The ATS ensures that nothing falls through the cracks during the hiring process.
Top Pick: Greenhouse (for mid-to-large companies) or BambooHR (for smaller organizations).

2. CRM for Engagement and Relationship Building

Why It’s Essential: The CRM keeps your talent pools warm, ensuring you have qualified candidates when you need them.
Top Pick: Beamery (for enterprise-level engagement) or Bullhorn (for recruitment agencies).

3. Sourcing Tools for Talent Discovery

Use sourcing tools like LinkedIn Recruiter or Entelo to find candidates. These tools integrate with your CRM to store sourced profiles for future outreach.

4. Video Interviewing Platforms

Tools like Zoom and HireVue allow remote interviewing and record candidate responses for later review.

5. Assessment Tools for Skill Evaluation

Platforms like HackerRank and Codility integrate with ATS systems to evaluate technical skills through coding challenges and real-world problem-solving scenarios.

6. Analytics Tools for Hiring Metrics

Integrate analytics tools with your ATS and CRM to track performance metrics like time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, and candidate conversion rates.

Optimizing Your Tech Stack for Success

To get the most out of your recruitment tech stack, follow these best practices:

Ensure Seamless Integration: Choose tools that integrate natively or use APIs to connect ATS, CRM, and other platforms.
Automate Where Possible: Use automation for repetitive tasks like candidate follow-ups and job posting updates to free up time for strategic work.
Regularly Update Your CRM and ATS: Keep candidate information current—engage with passive candidates and remove outdated profiles from your ATS.
Leverage Data-Driven Insights: Use analytics tools to track performance and optimize hiring strategies based on metrics like pipeline conversion rates and candidate engagement.

Conclusion: The ATS and CRM Dream Team

In today’s competitive hiring landscape, relying on just one tool isn’t enough. Your ATS ensures that candidates don’t get lost in the process, while your CRM keeps talent relationships alive for future opportunities. Together, they form the foundation of a powerful recruitment tech stack that balances efficiency with engagement—allowing you to not only fill roles faster but also build lasting relationships with top talent.

By mastering the integration between ATS and CRM platforms—and surrounding them with complementary tools—you’ll be well-positioned to attract, engage, and hire the best candidates, no matter the market conditions. The future of recruitment belongs to companies that nurture relationships and act proactively, not reactively—and a solid recruitment tech stack will ensure you stay ahead of the game.

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