We Are Social Elevates Global Recruitment with Workable: A Case Study in Efficiency and Candidate Experience

London, UK – [Date] – In the hyper-competitive world of creative talent, attracting and securing the best individuals is paramount to success. For We Are Social, a leading global social-first creative agency, this challenge has been amplified by its expansive international reach and the diverse skillsets it requires. However, a strategic partnership with Workable, a robust applicant tracking system (ATS), has transformed their recruitment landscape, leading to significant improvements in speed, consistency, and candidate experience. This deep dive explores how We Are Social navigated its pre-Workable recruitment complexities and leveraged the platform to build a more efficient, data-driven, and ultimately, more successful hiring engine.

The Evolving Landscape of Global Recruitment

We Are Social, a powerhouse in the social media marketing sphere, boasts a global presence with offices spanning multiple continents. Their client roster reads like a who’s who of industry giants, including names like Adidas, Amazon Music, and Lucozade. This international footprint necessitates a talent acquisition strategy capable of sourcing and engaging over 1,000 employees across an exceptionally wide array of disciplines – from cutting-edge content creators and savvy community managers to strategic global heads of research and insights. The sheer breadth of talent required, coupled with the logistical complexities of a global operation, has always positioned recruitment as both a strategic priority and a significant operational challenge for the agency.

Before Workable: A Patchwork of Inefficiency

Prior to implementing Workable, We Are Social’s recruitment process was, by their own admission, held together by a fragmented collection of Google Sheets. Candidate information was dispersed across numerous trackers, often owned by different teams and updated with varying degrees of regularity. This lack of a centralized system created significant hurdles:

• Scattered Data: Information was not consolidated, making it difficult to gain a holistic view of the candidate pipeline. Feedback was often siloed, leading to potential inconsistencies and missed opportunities.
• Process Inconsistency: Without a standardized workflow, the recruitment process varied significantly across different teams and offices. This not only impacted efficiency but also created an uneven playing field for candidates.
• Limited Global Visibility: The talent acquisition team lacked a clear, unified view of hiring activities across We Are Social’s global network. Identifying bottlenecks, understanding performance metrics, and making data-informed decisions were arduous tasks.
• Candidate Experience Deficiencies: The absence of a structured communication workflow meant that candidate touchpoints were often inconsistent in quality and timeliness. While some candidates experienced a seamless process, others unfortunately "fell through the gaps," potentially damaging the agency’s reputation as an employer.

As one We Are Social representative candidly stated, "The hiring process before Workable was pretty slow. It was very clunky. We were looking for one source of truth, an opportunity to have everything in one place, and an understanding of what that looked like globally." This sentiment underscores the urgent need for a more sophisticated and integrated recruitment solution.

The Strategic Imperative: Why Workable?

We Are Social’s search for a recruitment solution was driven by a clear set of requirements. They weren’t merely looking for a digital rolodex; they needed a comprehensive platform that could:

• Standardize Process without Sacrificing Flexibility: The agency recognized the need for consistent hiring practices across its global operations, but also understood that different markets might require nuanced approaches. The ideal solution would offer a framework for standardization while retaining the flexibility to adapt.
• Empower Hiring Managers: A critical factor was selecting a tool that would be intuitive and easy for hiring managers to adopt and utilize effectively. The burden of recruitment shouldn’t solely rest on the shoulders of the talent acquisition team; hiring managers are integral to the process.
• Provide Visibility and Measurability: The talent acquisition team needed a system that would bring transparency to their operations, allowing them to track key metrics, identify areas for improvement, and demonstrate the impact of their efforts.
• Support Skills-Based Hiring: We Are Social’s commitment to evaluating candidates based on their skills and competencies required a platform that could facilitate structured, evidence-based assessments.

Workable emerged as the ideal candidate, addressing each of these critical needs. Its comprehensive features, from candidate management and automation to reporting and analytics, offered a unified platform capable of streamlining global recruitment and providing the data-driven insights necessary for continuous improvement.

A Transformation in Recruitment: The Workable Impact

Since implementing Workable four and a half years ago, We Are Social has experienced a profound transformation in its recruitment processes. The move from scattered spreadsheets to a single, integrated applicant tracking system has yielded tangible benefits across multiple key areas:

Accelerated Time to Hire and Fill

One of the most immediate and impactful outcomes has been the significant reduction in the time it takes to hire and fill positions. Workable’s automated workflows and streamlined communication channels have shaved off an average of 5 to 10 days from the hiring cycle. This speed translates directly into business advantages: faster offers to top talent, reduced vacancy costs due to shorter periods of unfilled roles, and a more competitive and positive candidate experience.

Enhanced Candidate Experience

Workable’s ability to automate stage-based communications across the entire candidate pipeline has been a game-changer. Candidates now receive prompt, consistent, and professional responses at every touchpoint, from initial application to final offer. This ensures that candidates feel valued and informed throughout the process, fostering a positive perception of We Are Social as an employer, regardless of the outcome of their application.

Unifying Global Recruitment with Process Consistency

The replacement of fragmented Google Sheets with a single, centralized ATS has created a "single source of truth" for all recruitment activities across We Are Social’s global offices and hiring teams. This standardization ensures that all stakeholders are working with the same information, reducing confusion and improving collaboration.

Driving Skills-Based Hiring with Structured Evaluations

Workable’s integrated scorecards within the hiring workflow have been instrumental in We Are Social’s commitment to skills-based hiring. This feature allows for structured, evidence-based evaluations of candidates for every role and in every market, ensuring a more objective and fair assessment process. This moves beyond subjective impressions and focuses on quantifiable skills and competencies.

Boosting Hiring Manager Accountability

The platform’s automated feedback notifications and evaluation prompts have significantly improved hiring manager engagement and accountability. Recruiters spend less time chasing managers for updates, and hiring managers are prompted to act more quickly and consistently, contributing to a more efficient and responsive hiring process.

Granular Reporting and Analytics for Strategic Insights

Workable provides real-time data on crucial recruitment metrics, including candidate source, time to hire, and time to fill. This wealth of information offers the talent acquisition team a clear and comprehensive picture of global recruitment health, enabling them to identify trends, pinpoint areas for improvement, and make data-driven strategic decisions.

A Partnership Beyond the Platform: The Human Element

While Workable’s robust features are undoubtedly central to its success, We Are Social also highlights the invaluable role of Workable’s customer service in their positive experience. The support team’s responsiveness and genuine helpfulness have been crucial for a lean talent acquisition function operating across multiple time zones and diverse markets.

"In addition to Workable being a great product, the customer service is definitely one of the key highlights," commented a We Are Social representative. "Super supportive, super helpful, and always on hand when we need them." This collaborative relationship, where Workable acts as a true partner rather than just a software provider, has been instrumental in maximizing the platform’s potential.

The Tangible Business Impact: A Competitive Advantage

Four and a half years into their partnership with Workable, We Are Social has cultivated a talent acquisition function that is demonstrably faster, more consistent, and more data-driven than ever before. The strategic shift from manual, fragmented processes to a unified, technology-driven platform has eradicated structural friction at every stage of the hiring journey.

For a creative agency whose very existence hinges on attracting and retaining exceptional talent across a vast spectrum of disciplines and geographical locations, these improvements are far more than just back-office efficiencies. They represent a significant competitive advantage. By optimizing their recruitment engine, We Are Social is better positioned to secure the talent needed to drive innovation, deliver outstanding client work, and continue its trajectory of global growth. The story of We Are Social and Workable serves as a compelling testament to the power of strategic technology adoption in transforming complex HR functions into powerful business enablers.