This post by Erika Clifford of Just Recruit is part of our blog series, “The Recruitment Rule I’d Break”.
For years, recruitment businesses have been told that their CRM should be the single source of truth.
On paper, it sounds sensible.
But I think we’ve become so obsessed with having everything inside the CRM that we’ve lost sight of something much more important:
Making sure we use the best technology for each job, rather than assuming everything needs to sit inside the CRM.
Your CRM doesn’t need to do everything itself. Your email platform is better at email. Your calendar is better at managing your diary and your accounting software is better at managing your finances.
So why are we so determined to recreate all of these functions inside one system?
Rather than trying to make one platform do everything, why not use the right technology where it works best? More often than not, that means using it natively.
The CRM should be the hub, not the universe.
Let’s remember that we’re no longer living in a world where software has to physically live together to feel connected. Most of the technology we use is cloud-based, accessible from anywhere and often just a tab away. So, what difference does it actually make whether it’s another tab from your CRM or a completely different application?
The answer is ‘very little’.
In a cloud-based world, “it’s all in one place” is a much weaker benefit than it used to be. The important thing isn’t where the software lives – it’s how well it works together.
We’re increasingly surrounded by excellent specialist tools, yet CRM providers continue to build their own versions of them inside the CRM.
Another marketing platform. Another reporting tool. Another website solution. Another feature that requires another workflow.
And sometimes, what you actually get isn’t a genuinely integrated feature at all. It’s effectively another piece of software shoved inside an i-frame and presented as part of the CRM.
Yes, you’ve gained everything in one place but at what expense?
Often, you lose the things that made the original software good in the first place: the user experience, functionality, flexibility and continual development of a product designed specifically to do that job.
It’s a bit like deciding that because you have a kitchen, you might as well put the bathroom in there too. Connect the plumbing, absolutely but you don’t need to put the bathtub in the kitchen.
I’m not arguing against integration or having a central view of your data. Quite the opposite: A good CRM should give recruiters the information they need, in the context they need it, without forcing them to manage where that information lives.
It’s not about having fewer capabilities. It’s about being thoughtful about where things belong, how they connect and what the recruiter actually needs to do.
Just because you can put everything in your CRM, doesn’t mean you should.
The future of recruitment technology shouldn’t be one system that does everything. It should be systems that do what they’re good at – and work brilliantly together.
About Just Recruit
Just Recruit was built by recruiters for recruiters. As a recruitment agency owner, Just Recruit’s founder was so frustrated by over-complicated, over-priced CRMs that she decided to build one herself.
We offer a no-nonsense, refreshingly uncomplicated CRM / ATS with an integrated website option. Our three core pillars are simplicity, intuition and unrivalled customer service. Combined with strategic and considered product evolution and fair pricing, a move to Just Recruit means you’ll never have to switch systems again.
Chat to our team today on 0203 475 1789 or email us on hello@justrecruit.co.
