Upgrading to a sophisticated Talent Acquisition Suite (TAS) can transform your recruitment process. Imagine having access to a tool that not only simplifies finding and hiring top candidates but also does so in a timely and cost-effective manner. While the advantages of a modern TAS are evident, securing approval for such an upgrade requires demonstrating its comprehensive value to your organization, particularly in terms of cost savings and efficiency improvements. To make a strong case for a new TAS, focus on three key areas: technology, sourcing, and people. Here’s a detailed look at how a modern TAS can benefit each area and how to build a compelling business case for the upgrade.

1. Technology Savings

Managing multiple applications for recruitment can be a headache and a drain on your budget. A modern TAS can consolidate various tools into a single, efficient platform, leading to significant savings:

Consolidation
The average recruiter juggles several applications to manage different aspects of the hiring process. This can lead to inefficiencies and increased costs. A modern TAS integrates your applicant tracking system (ATS) and candidate relationship management (CRM) into one unified platform. This integration automates key functions such as job postings, candidate screening, and interview scheduling. By consolidating these systems, you can reduce costs by at least 25%, thanks to bundled savings with a single vendor instead of managing multiple vendors.

Integrations
With older, fragmented systems, adding new tools often means incurring additional expenses for maintenance and integration. A next-generation TAS, however, comes with a pre-integrated marketplace featuring hundreds of plug-and-play tools. These include features for reference checks, onboarding, and more. Moreover, modern TAS platforms offer built-in integrations with major ERP/HRIS systems like Oracle, SAP, and Workday through robust RESTful APIs. This comprehensive integration reduces the need for costly additional tools and simplifies the management of your tech stack.

Maintenance
Managing technology from various vendors leads to higher administrative and support costs. A unified TAS minimizes these costs by streamlining setup and process changes. By opting for an annual subscription with a single vendor, you can cut maintenance costs by up to 10%. This reduction comes from decreased administrative overhead and fewer hidden fees, providing a more predictable and manageable budget for technology expenses.

2. Sourcing Savings

Sourcing candidates is a significant expense, especially when using outdated systems. A modern TAS can optimize your budget and improve sourcing efficiency:

Advertising
Traditional ATS platforms often result in a low click-to-apply rate, typically less than 5%. In contrast, a modern TAS can achieve rates of around 20%. This improvement in ad performance means you get a higher return on your advertising spend. By leveraging a TAS that includes advanced features like programmatic advertising, you can target potential candidates more effectively and reduce your advertising budget by up to 75% while maintaining the same level of results. Programmatic advertising tools, such as those offered by SmartJobs in SmartRecruiters, allow for precise targeting and better ROI on your ad spend.

Agencies
While external recruiting agencies can be valuable, relying on them entirely can be costly. A modern TAS empowers your internal talent team to manage sourcing and recruiting more efficiently. For departments that frequently use headhunters, such as sales or technology, transitioning to in-house recruiting with a comprehensive TAS can lead to significant savings. By reducing dependency on external agencies, you can cut those costs by up to 100%. A next-generation TAS provides robust sourcing and advertising capabilities within the same system, allowing your team to handle high-profile positions without external assistance.

Direct Sourcing
Direct sourcing can be an effective strategy for individual roles but can become expensive at scale. Costs associated with sourcer salaries, LinkedIn Recruiter System Connect (RSC) seats, and CV databases add up quickly. A modern TAS with a native CRM enables you to build scalable talent pools and efficiently source even the most challenging roles. By leveraging these tools, users of platforms like SmartRecruiters have seen an average reduction of 75% in direct sourcing costs, including salaries and services. This approach helps streamline the sourcing process and reduces reliance on costly external resources.

3. People Savings

Routine administrative tasks can prevent recruiters from focusing on more strategic activities such as engaging with candidates, enhancing the employer brand, and successfully onboarding new hires. A cutting-edge TAS automates many of these tasks, leading to significant productivity gains:

Resume Screening
Resume screening is a time-consuming task that can be streamlined with AI technology. Tools like SmartAssistant can help identify top talent, screen resumes at scale, and reduce bias in the hiring process. SmartRecruiters users have reported a 90% reduction in the time spent on resume screening. For example, screening 1,000 resumes and saving 30 seconds per application with AI technology can save over a full eight-hour workday of a recruiter’s time. This automation allows recruiters to focus on more strategic aspects of their roles rather than getting bogged down by manual resume reviews.

Recruiter Productivity
Inefficient technology often forces recruiters and hiring managers to work outside the system, leading to a loss in productivity. A modern TAS facilitates collaboration within a single system, ensuring that hiring managers and recruiters can work together more effectively. This integration results in more accurate exchanges of information, easier resume sharing, timely feedback, and streamlined communications. Improved collaboration within the system enhances overall productivity and efficiency, reducing the time spent on administrative tasks.

Process Automation
Recruiters at more advanced organizations often spend up to 67% of their time scheduling interviews. A modern TAS automates candidate self-scheduling, which not only saves time but also reduces associated costs. Beyond interview scheduling, a TAS can automate task notifications and offer management, leading to a 50% improvement in team productivity. Automation also benefits other stakeholders, such as hiring managers, by reducing their workload and fostering cross-functional support for the new system.

Conclusion

By emphasizing technology savings, sourcing efficiencies, and people productivity, you can build a compelling business case for upgrading to a modern Talent Acquisition Suite. Demonstrating how a new TAS will lead to cost reductions, improved efficiency, and enhanced recruitment outcomes will help persuade decision-makers, such as your CFO, to approve the investment. A well-chosen TAS not only streamlines your recruitment process but also positively impacts your organization’s overall effectiveness and success.