We Are Social, a leading global social-first creative agency, has fundamentally reshaped its talent acquisition strategy through a four-and-a-half-year partnership with Workable, a prominent applicant tracking system (ATS). The collaboration has enabled the agency to streamline its complex global hiring operations, moving from a fragmented, manual system to a unified, data-driven platform. This strategic pivot has resulted in significant improvements across key recruitment metrics, including a notable reduction in time-to-hire by an average of 5 to 10 days, enhanced candidate experience through automated communications, and robust process consistency across its numerous international offices. The transformation underscores the critical role of advanced technological solutions in managing the intricate demands of recruiting diverse, high-caliber talent in the fast-paced creative industry.
The Imperative for Global Efficiency: We Are Social’s Growth Story
Founded on the principle of placing social thinking at the heart of creative work, We Are Social has grown exponentially to become a global powerhouse. With offices spanning multiple continents, the agency boasts a distinguished client roster featuring iconic brands such as Adidas, Amazon Music, and Lucozade. Its mission revolves around crafting impactful social content and campaigns that resonate at the intersection of culture, creativity, and data. This unique operational model necessitates a highly specialized and diverse talent pool, ranging from innovative content creators and meticulous community managers to strategic global heads of research and insights. With just over 1,000 employees worldwide, the breadth of disciplines and the imperative to access top talent across varying global markets made recruitment a constant strategic priority and an enduring logistical challenge. The creative sector, in particular, demands individuals with unique skill sets, often requiring agencies to scout talent across borders and compete fiercely for specialists in rapidly evolving digital domains. Industry reports frequently highlight that agencies in the creative and digital space face some of the longest hiring cycles due to the niche expertise required and the high demand for such professionals.
A Fragmented Past: Pre-Workable Recruitment Landscape
Before the integration of Workable, We Are Social’s recruitment infrastructure was a classic example of a rapidly scaling organization outgrowing its manual systems. The agency relied heavily on a patchwork of Google Sheets to manage candidate information. This decentralized approach led to a host of inefficiencies and inconsistencies. Candidate data was often scattered across multiple trackers, each owned by different teams and updated with varying degrees of diligence. There was no single, authoritative source of truth, making it virtually impossible to gain a comprehensive, real-time overview of global hiring activities.
This fragmented system had tangible negative repercussions, most notably on the candidate experience. Without a structured communication workflow, the quality and timeliness of candidate touchpoints were highly uneven. While some candidates might have experienced a relatively smooth journey, others, unfortunately, "fell through the gaps," enduring delayed responses, inconsistent updates, or even complete silence. In today’s competitive talent market, where employer branding is paramount, an inconsistent or poor candidate experience can significantly deter top talent and damage a company’s reputation. Research from various HR analytics firms consistently shows that a negative candidate experience can lead to potential hires declining offers, even from highly desirable companies, and can also lead to negative online reviews that impact future recruitment efforts.
Furthermore, the lack of unified data obscured the broader picture of talent acquisition performance. The talent acquisition team lacked reliable metrics to understand hiring efficiency across different markets, identify bottlenecks in the process, or make informed, data-driven decisions about where to focus improvement efforts. As Simon, a key stakeholder in We Are Social’s talent acquisition function, reflected on that era, "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 encapsulates the deep-seated need for a systemic overhaul, a common challenge faced by many dynamic, global businesses attempting to scale their operations without adequate technological support. The hidden costs of such inefficiencies—including prolonged vacancy periods, increased administrative burden, and lost opportunities to secure prime talent—can be substantial, often amounting to thousands of dollars per unfilled position per month.
The Strategic Shift: Why Workable Was Chosen
Recognizing these profound challenges, We Are Social embarked on a search for a solution that went beyond a mere database. The agency required a platform capable of standardizing its recruitment processes without sacrificing the flexibility essential for operating across highly diverse international markets. Critically, the chosen tool needed to be intuitive enough for hiring managers to actively use, fostering greater engagement and accountability. Moreover, it had to provide the talent acquisition team with unprecedented visibility and measurability of their work, transforming recruitment from an administrative task into a strategic function.
Workable emerged as the ideal partner, addressing each of these complex requirements with its robust and comprehensive Applicant Tracking System. The platform offered a single, centralized system for managing candidates globally, effectively eliminating the dispersed Google Sheets and creating that much-needed "one source of truth." Its automation capabilities were crucial in reducing the manual coordination that previously plagued the process, freeing up recruiters to focus on strategic sourcing and relationship building. Workable’s reporting features provided invaluable data that had previously been non-existent, offering deep insights into candidate sources, time-to-hire, and other critical metrics.
Crucially, Workable’s structure inherently supported We Are Social’s commitment to skills-based hiring. By integrating scorecards directly into the hiring workflow, the platform facilitated structured, evidence-based evaluations, ensuring fairness and consistency across every role and market without necessitating a complete overhaul of existing work methodologies. This blend of standardization, flexibility, user-friendliness, and data analytics proved to be the decisive factor in Workable’s selection, positioning it not just as a tool, but as an enabler of We Are Social’s strategic talent goals.
Transforming Talent Acquisition: Key Outcomes and Metrics
The implementation of Workable marked a paradigm shift in We Are Social’s talent acquisition operations, yielding tangible improvements across several critical areas:
- Accelerated Hiring Velocity: One of the most immediate and impactful results was a significant reduction in time-to-hire and time-to-fill by an average of 5 to 10 days. For a global agency constantly seeking specialized talent, this reduction translates directly into faster team integration, quicker project initiation, and a substantial decrease in vacancy costs. Industry benchmarks often estimate the cost of an open position to be between 1 and 2.5 times the monthly salary of that role. By saving 5-10 days, We Are Social effectively mitigated potential revenue loss and operational strain associated with prolonged vacancies. Faster offers also mean a more competitive position in the talent market, particularly for highly sought-after creative roles where candidates often juggle multiple opportunities.
- Elevating the Candidate Journey: Workable’s automated, stage-based communications across the entire recruitment pipeline revolutionized the candidate experience. Candidates now receive prompt, consistent, and professional responses at every touchpoint, from initial application acknowledgment to interview invitations and final offer letters. This consistency not only builds a positive employer brand but also ensures that We Are Social remains an attractive employer in a highly competitive industry. A positive candidate experience, as studies confirm, can significantly improve offer acceptance rates and encourage candidates to become brand advocates, irrespective of hiring outcomes.
- Establishing a Unified Global Standard: The replacement of fragmented Google Sheets with a single, centralized ATS created a unified "source of truth" for all global offices and hiring teams. This eliminated information silos, reduced duplication of effort, and ensured that all stakeholders were working from the same, up-to-date data. This global consistency is vital for an agency like We Are Social, which often recruits for similar roles across different geographies, allowing for standardized best practices and seamless collaboration between international hiring managers and recruiters.
- Embracing Skills-Based Evaluation: Workable’s integration of scorecards directly into the hiring workflow empowered We Are Social to implement a truly structured and evidence-based evaluation process. This systematic approach ensures that candidates are assessed objectively against predefined criteria relevant to the role’s skills and competencies, rather than subjective biases. This not only enhances the fairness and transparency of the hiring process but also improves the quality of hires by ensuring a stronger alignment between candidate capabilities and job requirements. Skills-based hiring is increasingly recognized as a best practice for fostering diversity and reducing unconscious bias in recruitment.
- Empowering Hiring Managers: Automated feedback notifications and evaluation prompts built into Workable significantly improved hiring manager accountability. This automation reduced the need for recruiters to constantly chase hiring managers for updates or feedback, streamlining communication and accelerating decision-making. As a result, hiring managers act faster and more consistently, contributing to the overall efficiency of the recruitment cycle. This also frees up recruiters to focus on higher-value activities like strategic sourcing and candidate engagement, rather than administrative follow-ups.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Workable provides real-time data on critical metrics such as candidate source, time-to-hire, and time-to-fill. This robust reporting and analytics capability offers a clearer, comprehensive picture of global recruitment health, enabling the talent acquisition team to identify areas for improvement, optimize sourcing channels, and make more informed strategic decisions. This visibility transforms recruitment from a reactive process into a proactive, continuously optimizing function, crucial for sustained growth and competitive advantage.
Beyond Technology: The Value of Partnership
Beyond the tangible functionalities of the Workable product, Simon highlighted the exceptional customer service as a defining aspect of the partnership. For a lean talent acquisition function operating across multiple time zones and markets, responsive and genuinely helpful support is not merely a convenience but a strategic necessity. "In addition to Workable being a great product, the customer service is definitely one of the key highlights," Simon affirmed. "Super supportive, super helpful, and always on hand when we need them." This emphasis on partnership, where the vendor acts as an extension of the internal team, is especially valuable for global organizations navigating complex technological implementations and ongoing operational challenges. It ensures that any issues are resolved swiftly, minimizing disruption to critical hiring processes and maximizing the return on investment in the ATS.
Broader Industry Context: The Evolving Role of ATS
The journey undertaken by We Are Social mirrors a broader trend within the global talent acquisition landscape. The Applicant Tracking System market has evolved significantly over the past decade, moving beyond simple resume storage to become sophisticated, integrated talent acquisition suites. Modern ATS platforms are now expected to offer robust automation, advanced analytics, seamless integrations with other HR tools (like HRIS and onboarding systems), and superior candidate experience functionalities. The demand for such comprehensive systems is driven by several factors: the increasing complexity of global compliance, the need for data-driven insights to optimize recruitment spend, and the imperative to maintain a strong employer brand in an increasingly candidate-driven market. For creative agencies, where talent is literally the product, investing in a leading ATS is no longer a luxury but a fundamental business requirement to stay competitive and scalable. This shift reflects a growing recognition that talent acquisition is not just a cost center but a strategic investment that directly impacts an organization’s innovation, productivity, and overall market position.
Strategic Implications and Competitive Advantage
Four and a half years into their Workable partnership, We Are Social now operates with a talent acquisition function that is demonstrably faster, more consistent, and profoundly more data-driven than at any prior point in the agency’s history. The strategic move from fragmented spreadsheets to a unified, intelligent platform has systematically removed structural friction at every stage of the hiring process.
Hiring managers are now more engaged and accountable, benefiting from streamlined workflows and automated prompts. Candidates, in turn, experience a significantly improved and consistent journey, which reinforces We Are Social’s reputation as an employer of choice. Crucially, the talent acquisition team possesses the unprecedented visibility required to effectively manage a complex global operation, coupled with the granular data necessary for continuous improvement and strategic planning. This includes the ability to identify high-performing sourcing channels, pinpoint process inefficiencies, and proactively adjust strategies based on real-time market insights.
For a creative agency whose very essence and client delivery depend entirely on attracting and retaining exceptional talent across a diverse array of disciplines and geographies, these improvements are far more than mere back-office enhancements. They represent a fundamental competitive advantage. In a sector where speed to market, quality of output, and the ability to innovate are paramount, having an efficient, effective, and attractive talent acquisition pipeline directly fuels business growth and client success. It enables We Are Social to secure the best minds, build stronger teams, and ultimately deliver groundbreaking creative work that continues to set industry standards.
Looking Ahead
The ongoing partnership between We Are Social and Workable exemplifies how strategic technology adoption can empower global organizations to overcome complex talent challenges and achieve superior business outcomes. As the global talent landscape continues to evolve, characterized by new skill demands and changing candidate expectations, We Are Social’s robust talent acquisition framework, powered by Workable, positions it strongly to adapt, innovate, and continue its trajectory as a leader in the social-first creative space. The continuous refinement of their hiring processes, driven by data and supported by a strong technology partner, ensures that We Are Social remains agile and competitive in its quest for the world’s best creative talent.
