Agencies juggle many clients at once. Each client has its own roles, its own hiring managers and its own expectations for updates. A staffing agency candidate pipeline workflow keeps those streams separate, keeps candidates moving, and produces reporting a client can read in a minute. Below is a stage-by-stage walkthrough built on ATS Mako capabilities: a brandable applicant tracking system, native SMS, an integrated email client, AI candidate ranking, AI voice screening, interview scheduling and onboarding.
Why agencies need per-client pipelines
When every client's candidates sit in one shared list, things slip. A recruiter calls the wrong candidate about the wrong role. A client asks for an update and nobody can answer without digging. Separate pipelines per client fix this. Each client gets its own stages, its own candidate list and its own view of progress.
ATS Mako is built for high-volume and multi-location hiring, which maps well to agency work. Treat each client, or each client site, as its own hiring stream. If you want a refresher on the basics, see this explainer on what a candidate pipeline is.
The workflow, stage by stage
- 1 Set up the client's branded pipeline ATS Mako is fully brandable. Agencies can present the hiring experience under their own brand, so candidates see one consistent name from first message to onboarding. Create a pipeline for the client with stages that match how that client hires, such as applied, screened, submitted, interviewing, offered and onboarding.
- 2 Source and engage candidates by text and email Reach candidates where they answer. Native SMS lets recruiters text candidates directly from the ATS, and the integrated email client keeps email threads attached to the candidate record. Use automated engagement workflows to send follow-ups without a recruiter remembering each one, and audience segmentation to target the right group of past applicants for a new client order.
- 3 Rank applicants against the client's requirements High-volume orders bring more applicants than a recruiter can read. AI-powered candidate ranking helps the team see which applicants to review first. Recruiters still make the call. Ranking simply shortens the path to the strongest profiles.
- 4 Screen with AI voice calls Phone screens eat recruiter hours. AI voice screening lets candidates complete a first-round call without waiting for a recruiter to be free. Recruiters review results and decide who moves forward to the client.
- 5 Submit and schedule interviews Once a candidate is ready for the client, interview scheduling removes the back-and-forth. Candidates and hiring managers settle on a time without a chain of emails or texts handled by hand.
- 6 Onboard the placement After an offer, move the candidate into onboarding inside the same system. The record stays intact from first contact to start date, which matters when a client asks about a specific placement later.
- 7 Report to the client Pull pipeline and activity data with recruiting reporting and analytics. Send each client a view of their own roles only: how many candidates sit in each stage, who has been submitted, and what is scheduled.
Client reporting that holds up
Clients do not want a data dump. They want to know three things: is the role moving, who is coming next, and is anything stuck. Build reports around those questions. For more detail on cadence and content, read this guide to what to send clients and how often.
What to include in a client update
- Open roles for that client and the current stage count for each
- Candidates submitted since the last update, with status
- Interviews scheduled and interviews completed
- Offers out and placements moving into onboarding
- Roles that are stalled, with a short reason and next step
Weekly client update template
Subject: [Client name] hiring update for the week Hi [Hiring manager name], Here is where your open roles stand. Role: [Role title] In screening: [count] Submitted to you: [count] Interviews scheduled: [count] Offers out: [count] Needs your input: [candidates awaiting feedback] Stalled: [role and reason] Next step from our side: [action and timing] Reply with feedback on submitted candidates and we will keep things moving. [Recruiter name]
Fill counts from the client's own pipeline report so numbers match what the ATS shows.
Outcomes to measure
Track a small set of measures per client. These show whether the workflow is working and give you something concrete to discuss in client reviews. Results vary by client, role type and market, so set your own baseline first and compare against it.
| Measure | What it tells you | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Time from application to first contact | Whether SMS and automated follow-ups are reaching candidates quickly | Pipeline activity |
| Time from application to submission | How fast ranking and screening move candidates to the client | Stage movement per client |
| Screen-to-submit ratio | Whether screening filters well for the client's needs | Stage counts |
| Submit-to-interview ratio | Whether the client likes who you send | Client pipeline report |
| Interview scheduling time | Whether scheduling friction is slowing hires | Interview stage |
| Placements moved into onboarding | Whether the pipeline converts to starts | Onboarding stage |
Common pitfalls
- One pipeline for all clients. It mixes candidates, muddles reporting and invites mistakes. Separate by client from day one.
- Generic stage names. Stages like 'in progress' tell a client nothing. Use stages that describe a real step.
- Outreach outside the system. Texts from personal phones and emails from separate inboxes leave gaps in the record. Keep SMS and email in the ATS.
- Letting AI decide alone. Ranking and voice screening speed up review. A recruiter should still approve who goes to the client.
- Reporting on everything. Long reports go unread. Send the few numbers that answer the client's real questions.
- Skipping feedback loops. If a client stops giving interview feedback, flag it in the update. Silence is the most common reason a role stalls.
Scaling across many clients and sites
As the client list grows, the same structure repeats. Each new client gets a branded pipeline, the same engagement sequences and the same report format. Larger agencies can look at enterprise capabilities for multi-team setups. If a client is opening a new site, this walkthrough on recruiting for new office launches covers building a pipeline from scratch.
To see the workflow with your own client mix, book a demo or review pricing.
Run every client's pipeline in one branded ATS
See per-client pipelines, SMS outreach, AI screening and client reporting with your own roles.