We Are Social, a prominent global social-first creative agency, has fundamentally transformed its talent acquisition strategy and operations over a four-and-a-half-year partnership with Workable, a leading applicant tracking system (ATS). This collaboration has moved the agency from a fragmented, spreadsheet-dependent recruitment model to a unified, data-driven platform, yielding significant improvements in efficiency, candidate experience, and overall hiring effectiveness across its diverse international network. The shift represents a critical strategic enhancement for an agency whose core business relies heavily on attracting and retaining exceptional creative and analytical talent in a highly competitive global market.
About We Are Social: A Global Creative Powerhouse
We Are Social stands as a testament to the power of social-first thinking in the modern creative landscape. With a formidable presence spanning multiple continents, the agency boasts an impressive roster of global clients, including household names like Adidas, Amazon Music, and Lucozade. Their expertise lies in crafting scalable social content and campaigns that resonate at the intricate intersection of culture, creativity, and data. This unique operational philosophy necessitates a workforce that is equally diverse and specialized, encompassing a wide spectrum of roles from content creators and community managers to global heads of research and insights.
With just over 1,000 employees worldwide, the agency’s constant need to recruit across such a broad array of disciplines and geographies presents both a strategic imperative and a substantial logistical challenge. The dynamic nature of the creative industry, coupled with the global competition for top talent, underscores the critical importance of a robust and efficient talent acquisition function. Historically, many agencies of this scale have grappled with disparate hiring practices across different regions, often leading to inefficiencies and inconsistencies that can hinder growth and dilute the employer brand.
The Pre-Workable Landscape: A Fragmented Past of Recruitment Challenges
Before the integration of Workable, We Are Social’s recruitment processes were characterized by a patchwork of manual systems, primarily relying on Google Sheets. This decentralized approach led to a myriad of operational inefficiencies and strategic blind spots. Candidate information was scattered across numerous trackers, often managed by different teams with inconsistent update schedules. This lack of a single, centralized repository meant that critical data—such as candidate feedback, interview stages, and overall progress—was difficult to access, consolidate, and analyze.
The absence of a unified system had direct and detrimental effects on the candidate experience. Without a structured communication workflow, the quality and timeliness of candidate interactions varied widely. While some candidates might have enjoyed a relatively smooth and prompt journey, others inevitably "fell through the gaps," experiencing delays, lack of feedback, or even complete communication breakdowns. In today’s talent market, where candidates often have multiple options, a poor experience can significantly damage an employer’s reputation and deter top talent from accepting offers, even from prestigious agencies like We Are Social. Studies consistently show that a negative candidate experience can lead to lost talent and harm brand perception, with up to 60% of job seekers reporting a poor experience and nearly three-quarters sharing it with others.
From a broader organizational perspective, the talent acquisition team lacked a clear, real-time overview of global hiring performance. The fragmented data made it nearly impossible to identify systemic bottlenecks, understand where processes were breaking down in specific markets, or make informed, data-driven decisions about where to focus improvement efforts. This operational opacity hindered strategic planning and continuous improvement, making it difficult for We Are Social to optimize its recruitment spend and allocate resources effectively. As a key stakeholder, identified as "Simon," noted, "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 statement succinctly captures the core pain points that necessitated a fundamental change.
The Catalyst for Change: Why Workable?
Recognizing these profound challenges, We Are Social embarked on a search for a solution that transcended a mere database. The agency required a sophisticated platform capable of standardizing recruitment processes across its global footprint while retaining the flexibility necessary to adapt to the unique cultural and market nuances of different regions. Critically, the chosen tool needed to be intuitive and user-friendly for hiring managers, ensuring widespread adoption and consistent engagement. Furthermore, the talent acquisition team needed a system that would bring visibility and measurability to their work, transforming recruitment from an administrative function into a strategic, data-driven operation.
Workable emerged as the ideal partner, addressing each of these critical needs comprehensively. Its platform offered a single, unified system for managing candidates globally, effectively replacing the disparate Google Sheets and creating the much-desired "one source of truth." The system’s automation capabilities were crucial in reducing the manual coordination efforts that had previously bogged down recruiters, freeing them to focus on more strategic aspects of talent acquisition. Moreover, Workable’s robust reporting features provided unprecedented access to data that had simply not existed before, offering insights into candidate sources, time-to-hire metrics, and other key performance indicators. This newfound data visibility was instrumental in enabling the talent acquisition team to monitor, analyze, and continuously improve their global recruitment health.
Crucially, Workable’s structure supported We Are Social’s commitment to skills-based hiring without demanding a complete overhaul of existing workflows. Skills-based hiring, a growing trend in modern recruitment, emphasizes candidates’ proven abilities and potential over traditional credentials, promoting diversity and reducing unconscious bias. Workable’s framework allowed for the integration of scorecards and structured evaluation methods, facilitating objective, evidence-based assessments across every role and market, thereby aligning with the agency’s progressive hiring philosophy.
Transformative Outcomes: A Deep Dive into Workable’s Impact
The implementation of Workable marked a turning point for We Are Social’s talent acquisition function, leading to a cascade of tangible improvements:
1. Reduced Time to Hire and Time to Fill:
One of the most immediate and impactful results was a significant reduction in both time to hire and time to fill, averaging 5 to 10 days. This acceleration translates directly into substantial business benefits. Faster offers mean We Are Social can secure top talent before competitors, a crucial advantage in the fast-paced creative industry. Reduced vacancy costs stem from shorter periods where roles remain unfilled, minimizing productivity losses and ensuring teams are adequately staffed to meet client demands. Furthermore, a more competitive candidate experience, characterized by swift communication and efficient processing, reinforces the agency’s employer brand. Industry benchmarks often highlight that a lengthy hiring process is a major deterrent for candidates, making this reduction a powerful differentiator.
2. Enhanced Candidate Experience:
Workable’s automated stage-based communications across the full recruitment pipeline revolutionized the candidate experience. Gone are the days of inconsistent responses or candidates falling through the cracks. Now, every applicant receives prompt, consistent, and professional communication at every touchpoint, from application acknowledgment to interview invitations and offer letters. This consistency projects an image of professionalism and care, crucial for attracting and retaining high-caliber talent. A positive candidate experience is not just about courtesy; it actively contributes to employer branding, with many candidates sharing their experiences, both good and bad, on social media and professional networks. Organizations with strong candidate experiences often see higher offer acceptance rates and improved Glassdoor ratings.
3. Achieving Process Consistency:
The transition from fragmented Google Sheets to a single Applicant Tracking System (ATS) provided We Are Social with a unified "source of truth." This centralized platform ensured that all global offices and hiring teams adhered to standardized processes, from initial screening to final offer. This consistency eliminated confusion, reduced errors, and ensured fairness across all recruitment activities. It also facilitated easier auditing and compliance, particularly important for a global organization navigating diverse labor laws and regulations. The standardization provided a foundational structure that could be adapted where necessary but always maintained a core consistency, allowing for predictable and reliable hiring outcomes.
4. Empowering Skills-Based Hiring:
We Are Social’s commitment to skills-based hiring was significantly bolstered by Workable’s integrated scorecards within the hiring workflow. These scorecards provide a structured, objective framework for evaluating candidates against predefined criteria relevant to the role’s required skills and competencies. This systematic approach minimizes unconscious bias, which can often creep into unstructured interviews, and ensures that evaluations are evidence-based and consistent across different interviewers and markets. By focusing on demonstrable skills rather than subjective impressions or traditional qualifications alone, We Are Social can build more diverse and capable teams, aligning with contemporary best practices in equitable hiring.
5. Boosting Hiring Manager Accountability:
A common challenge in large organizations is securing timely feedback from hiring managers. Workable addressed this with automated feedback notifications and evaluation prompts. This system significantly reduced the need for recruiters to "chase" hiring managers, streamlining the workflow and accelerating decision-making. Hiring managers are now prompted to provide feedback consistently and promptly, leading to a more efficient and accountable hiring process. This automation not only saves recruiter time but also ensures that valuable candidate insights are captured and acted upon swiftly, preventing potential delays or loss of promising candidates.
6. Unlocking Data-Driven Recruitment: Reporting and Analytics:
The unified platform provided real-time data on critical recruitment metrics, including candidate source, time to hire, and time to fill. This comprehensive data visibility offered a clearer picture of the global recruitment health, allowing the talent acquisition team to identify areas for improvement with precision. For instance, by analyzing candidate source data, the team could optimize their recruitment channels, investing more in those that yield high-quality candidates and re-evaluating underperforming ones. This data-driven approach transformed recruitment from a reactive function into a proactive, strategic operation capable of continuous improvement and informed decision-making. The ability to track trends and measure ROI on recruitment efforts became a cornerstone of their talent strategy.
Beyond the Platform: The Value of Partnership
Beyond the functionalities of the product itself, the quality of the partnership between We Are Social and Workable has been a defining factor in its success. Simon, a key figure in We Are Social’s talent acquisition, specifically highlighted Workable’s customer service as a key differentiator. Operating a lean talent acquisition function across multiple time zones and diverse markets means that responsive and genuinely helpful support is not just a convenience but a necessity. The Workable support team has been consistently praised for its responsiveness and efficacy, providing crucial assistance whenever needed. As Simon stated, "In addition to Workable being a great product, the customer service is definitely one of the key highlights. Super supportive, super helpful, and always on hand when we need them." This level of support ensures that We Are Social can maximize its investment in the platform and quickly resolve any operational issues, maintaining seamless global recruitment operations.
Strategic Advantages and Future Outlook
Four and a half years into their Workable partnership, We Are Social has cultivated a talent acquisition function that is demonstrably faster, more consistent, and 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.
The business impact of this transformation extends far beyond mere operational efficiency. Hiring managers are now more engaged and accountable, contributing more effectively to talent acquisition. Candidates consistently receive a superior experience, which strengthens We Are Social’s employer brand and helps attract top-tier talent in a fiercely competitive industry. The talent acquisition team possesses the unprecedented visibility required to manage a complex global operation and, crucially, the robust data necessary to drive continuous improvement and make strategic decisions.
For a creative agency like We Are Social, whose very existence and success hinge on its ability to attract, hire, and retain exceptional talent across a vast array of disciplines and geographies, these improvements are not merely "back-office" enhancements. They represent a significant competitive advantage. In an industry where talent is paramount, the ability to efficiently and effectively source, engage, and onboard the best creative minds directly impacts the agency’s capacity to innovate, deliver outstanding client work, and ultimately, grow its global footprint. The Workable partnership has thus become an integral component of We Are Social’s long-term strategic success, empowering them to navigate the complexities of global talent markets with agility and precision, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the social-first creative landscape. The continuous refinement of their talent acquisition process, fueled by Workable’s data and features, positions We Are Social for sustained growth and excellence in an ever-evolving digital world.
