Evolving Recruiting Coordination: Structure, Strategy, and Automation
To our Talent Community,
How is your Recruiting Coordination team structured? What have you optimized for (candidate experience, scale, collaboration, etc)? What work can be automated? Ashby’s recent Talent Trends Report on Recruiting Coordination Benchmarking got us thinking!
We asked these questions (and more) to seasoned Recruiting Coordination Leaders and this newsletter explores how the coordination function is evolving and recruiting leaders are adjusting to automation and the pressure to do more with less. From determining reporting lines to assigning tasks and exploring automation, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. How you structure and define the Recruiting Coordination (RC) role affects your team’s ability to scale, deliver a great candidate experience, and collaborate effectively.
Here’s what we learned.
Reporting Structures and Work Distribution Models
There are two primary ways to structure RC teams: centralized or decentralized. In a Centralized Reporting Model, RCs report to a dedicated RC Manager, fostering strong collaboration and cohesion between Coordinators, consistent processes, and operational efficiency. This structure allows for resource pooling, which is a huge advantage when hiring volumes spike or when different teams need help balancing their workload. In a Decentralized Model, RCs are embedded within function-specific teams, reporting directly to Recruiting Managers or Lead Recruiters. As a result, they tend to develop a deep understanding of the roles, team members, and hiring processes they support. This model prioritizes tailored support and strong alignment with recruiters, making it a favorite for teams with stable, typically smaller, hiring needs.
Centralized RC Model:
When to use: If scalability and consistency are your top priorities. Centralized reporting works particularly well for large, fast-growing organizations, or those with consistent headcount fluctuation.
Challenges: Maintaining strong RC-recruiter collaboration can be difficult if RCs have limited or quick interactions with a broad group of Recruiters. Also, there can be less focus on broader career development and mobility, as the emphasis is on RC-specific work rather than the development of the broader recruiting team.
Decentralized RC Model:
When to use: If personalization and close recruiter-RC collaboration are key. Oftentimes, Exec/Leadership Teams will have dedicated RC’s that sit within the function.
Challenges: It’s harder to scale, and there’s less flexibility to redistribute resources when workloads spike unexpectedly. For example, this can lead to inconsistencies in the scheduling process and situations where recruiters only want to work with certain coordinators, creating potential bottlenecks or uneven workload distribution.
Work Distribution Models
Once your reporting structure is set, it’s time to decide how work (interview coordination) gets distributed. The two common models were a Fish Bowl/Queue System or a Recruiter Alignment Model. In the Fish-Bowl or Queue Model, RCs work from a shared queue, managing scheduling and coordination tasks across multiple recruiters or teams; this allows for quick pivots and shifts depending on demand, easy PTO coverage, and minimal adjustments to alignment. Next is Recruiter Assignment Model where RCs are assigned to specific recruiters or a defined group of roles. GBD benchmarking data (chart below) showed that roughly 40% of companies maintain a recruiter-to-coordinator ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. Later-stage companies typically operate with higher ratios, and ~39% of early and mid-stage companies have eliminated coordinator support altogether, often due to RIFs. Ashby data reports a ratio of 4 Recruiters to 1 RC between 2020 and 2024.
This setup fosters deep relationships and enables highly tailored support. In this model leaders have talked about an RC’s ability to address candidate questions, operate more effectively and independently given process knowledge/familiarity, and ability to identify opportunities in the process.
Fish-Bowl or Queue System
When to use: Ideal for high-growth environments where hiring needs fluctuate across teams, especially if there's a well-established recruiting process that doesn't require much nuance in scheduling.
Challenges: Maintaining recruiter-RC rapport, and lack of specialization or knowledge in team-specific processes.
Recruiter Assignment Model
When to use: Best for predictable, steady hiring environments.
Challenges: Without a shared resource pool, workload imbalances can arise, especially during hiring surges. Addressing workflow bottlenecks requires proactive management, and can make scaling difficult.
Choosing the Right Model
The ideal structure for your Recruiting Coordination team depends on your hiring needs and priorities. Start by understanding your goals and the business needs: Do you need a flexible approach to manage fluctuating demands? Is your hiring process well-established, with minimal nuance in scheduling?
Hybrid Approach. A hybrid model can combine the best of both worlds. We spoke with the Recruiting Coordination Leader at Discord, who shared that they’ve adopted a Centralized Model with recruiter-specific alignment. This approach has fostered a tight-knit group of RC’s with deep expertise of specific teams/functions. As a result, the RCs are driving real change - identifying gaps in interviewer calibration, updating candidate prep, highlighting assessment improvements, and more.
Most importantly, don’t set it and forget it. Regularly assess what’s working (and what isn’t) in alignment with your company’s headcount planning cycle. As your hiring needs evolve, so should your RC team structure.
After discussing team structure, the leaders we spoke with were eager to dive into the role itself—examining the scope of responsibilities and opportunities for automation.
Which Model are you using?
(Options: Fish-Bowl or Queue System, Hybrid, Other)
Adapting the Recruiting Coordinator Role for Today’s Demands
Now, the traditional role of a Recruiting Coordinator (RC) has long been focused on scheduling interviews, but with new technology and a push to do more with fewer resources, the role has evolved. Dating back to 2017 when Goodtime first came out, followed by ModernLoop in 2020; Recruiting Teams, like Stripe, shifted RC’s from scheduling any/every interview to focusing on onsite/panel scheduling only. As the use of scheduling tooling began to gain traction, organizations started assigning additional responsibilities to the RC Team—such as project management.
Expanded Responsibility
Teams suggested that when/if RCs take on new responsibilities, it’s best that they build on their core expertise, such as managing Interviewer Training Programs, overseeing Hiring Committee packets, coordinating candidate experience surveys, or running event logistics. These tasks align with the scheduling and coordination work RCs already excel at, allowing them to handle additional responsibilities without overextending.
Next, be strategic in selecting projects and building cross-functional partnerships. Teams emphasized the importance of close collaboration with the Recruiting Operations Manager to ensure RC-led projects align with the Department Roadmap or OKRs. This partnership helps avoid duplicating efforts and ensures their work drives meaningful results.
One key watchout: RCs and recruiters aren’t project managers. Giving them responsibility for big, meaty, cross-functional programs can lead to inconsistent execution, missing documentation, weaker stakeholder engagement, poor adoption, and ultimately missed goals. Stick to projects that are clear, scoped, and aligned with their strengths—and they’ll deliver big results.
Automation
The technology landscape has changed a lot over the last 7 years. And teams wonder what might AI replace in the Recruiting Process? What can we automate?
Can you fully automate interview scheduling?
Most teams we spoke with have not. That said, we did speak with a team that entirely disbanded their Recruiting Coordination Team and adopted Ashby’s advanced scheduling tool. If you haven’t explored tools in this space yet (or in awhile), it’s worth a look—we recommend starting with Ashby, ModernLoop, or Goodtime. Also, check in with your current ATS to see what’s on their roadmap for scheduling. We expect to see new features in 2025 across several tools.
Even the best scheduling tools won’t eliminate the need for coordination entirely. Instead, that responsibility often shifts to the Recruiter. I know what you’re thinking, they don’t have time, but here’s the good news – with new technology it really doesn’t take long. Ashby reports that scheduling is “on average, 40% faster in Ashby than legacy tools.”
Here’s how to assess if automation could work for your team:
Evaluate current recruiter capacity, including total requisitions and interview load.
Map hiring goals and estimate the interview activity required to meet those goals.
Compare resource costs—how would shifting more scheduling to Recruiters impact bandwidth and overall team efficiency?
The decision to fully automate depends on your team and company size, complexity, candidate experience, and hiring goals. For many teams, a hybrid approach—leveraging automation tools for routine tasks while keeping a human touch for more complex or high-value interactions—offers the best balance. With the right tools and a thoughtful strategy, automation can make a meaningful difference while maintaining flexibility where it matters most.
Three final takeaways
I know it sounds groundbreaking, but for long-term success, don’t shy away from trying new things. Set a goal to innovate something each quarter. Whether you’re exploring automation, expanding the RC role, or rethinking your structure, balance is key: leverage technology where it adds value, but preserve the human touch for more nuanced and high-impact tasks.
We recommend that you:
Know your tools. Technology is evolving quickly. Take the time to assess your current tools, explore alternatives, or consolidate your stack to better align with your needs. Often, upgrading or optimizing can unlock significant efficiencies.
Review your RC team structure and work distribution.
What is your current model optimized for? Does it align with your goals?
What feedback do your team and stakeholders have about what’s working—or not?
Be strategic about project work. If RCs are handling projects outside of Recruiting Operations, ensure they’re set up for success with clear priorities, resources, and measurable goals. The focus should be on outcomes, not just adding deliverables and docs ;-)
We’d love to hear from you—what’s worked for your team? What lessons have you learned? Share your experiences with us!
- Mike, Adam, Jill & special thanks to Holly Dyche for her contributions to this month’s newsletter.
🗓️ Upcoming Events:
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✨ Placement Highlights!
We are thrilled to announce Sheethal Katta as SVP, People at Homeward!
🚀 November/December Leadership Moves in the Market:
Dustin Laycock, former Senior Recruiting Manager at Zello, has joined Bestow as Senior Recruiting Manager.
Emily Zahuta, former Senior Director, Talent Acquisition at Lattice, has joined Horizon3.ai as Senior Director, Talent Acquisition.
Antonio Busalacchi, former Head of Talent Acquisition at Open Landing, has joined Realtor.com as Head of Talent Acquisition.
Rebecca Fouts, former Director, Global Recruiting Operations, Strategy, and Sourcing, has joined Oleria as Principal Sourcer.
Jua Park, former Interim VP of People and Talent at Mongoose, has officially stepped in as VP of People and Talent at Mongoose.
Melissa Martin, former Recruiting Lead at Outschool, has joined Gentrace as Founding Recruiter.
Jordan C. Kaiser, former Senior Manager, Global Talent Sourcing and Intelligence, has joined Hewlett Packard Enterprise as Manager, Global Talent Acquisition Operations.
Christina Hendrickson, former Operating Partner at Lowercarbon Capital, has joined Anthropic as Head of Technical Recruiting.
Ashleigh Sabolcik, former Head of Talent Acquisition, North America at Bureau Veritas Group, has joined Arm as Senior Manager Talent Acquisition.
Ashley Bathe, former Director, Talent at PlayQ, has joined Senra Systems as Head of Recruitment.
Zohra Yafai, former Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition, Internal Movement and Mobility at Cisco, has joined Intuit as VP, Global Head of Talent Acquisition.
Daniel Won, former Head of Tech Recruiting at Webflow, has joined Imbue as Head of Talent.
Stephanie Ladden, former Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition - R&D, has joined Garner Health as the Director of Technical Recruiting.
Lee Yeap, former Senior Director International Talent Acquisition, has joined Databricks as Senior Director International Talent Acquisition.
Olivia Duran, former Talent Lead at Rupa Health, has joined Comulate as Recruiting Lead.
Dino Pearson, former Head of Talent Acquisition & People Operations, has joined PsiQuantam as Director of Talent Acquisition.
Frankie Pallares, former Sr. Talent Acquisition Manager at Lucid Motors, has joined General Motors as Sr Talent Acquisition Manager.
Scotty Flanary, former Senior Recruiting Manager at Sage Eldercare Solutions, has joined Microsoft as Senior Talent Acquisition Manager.
Steven Do, former Head of Leadership Recruiting at Brex, has joined Vanta’s Leadership Recruiting team.
Zabie Elmgren, former Partner at Index Ventures, has joined Andreessen Horowitz as Partner.
Lia Economos has joined Replicate as Talent Lead.
Kavita Thakkar Patel, former Vice President of Talent Acquisition, HR Technology, and Operations, has joined Neuralink as Head of People and Talent.
Tricia Bailey, former Director, Executive Recruiting at Chime, has joined BlinkRx as Head of Global Talent Acquisition and Executive Search.
Nicole Anderson, former Recruiting Manager at Passport, has joined Ntirety as Director of TA.
Did we miss your career change? Let us know: hello@gbdtalent.com
📖 What We’re Reading & Listening to:
Benedict Evans: AI Eats the World - Slush 2024
The Talent Magnet Effect: How To Achieve Talent Density - Lars Schmidt
307 ChatGPT Prompts for CHROs - Johannes Sundlo
Building World-Class Teams from Day One - Greylock
The 3 Biggest Mistakes in Talent Reviews - SignalFire
Why startups should hire recruiters much sooner than they think - Aurora Petracca
Automatically Research Anybody with ChatGPT and Perplexity - Geeky Gadget, Julian Horsey
Future of Talent Acquisition and Recruitment 2025 - Recruiter.com presented by Findem
How to Have Hard Conversations - Cynthia Bazlamit Shrauner
Introducing Hiring Assistant to help recruiters spend more time on their most impactful work - Hari Srinivasan, VP of Product at LinkedIn
LinkedIn’s VP of talent acquisition on how recruiting has changed in the last 30 years, and where it's headed in the AI-driven future - Paige McGlauflin
How Google Cloud’s HR team used AI to transform their recruiting process and speed up employee onboarding - Fortune, Emma Burleigh
The best HR & People Analytics articles of September 2024 - David Green
Lessons from Stripe on adding new products - Assessing ideas, structuring teams, and tactics for product reviews - Tara Seshan (Watershed, Stripe)
8 Generative AI Prompts Every Recruiter Should Have in Their Back Pocket - Heather Lee
How to Hire - Brian Chesky
AI Resource Hub - LinkedIn
Structured Interviewing: The Key to Predictive Hiring Success - Ashby
The AI salary surge, location-based pay, and more tech talent trends - SignalFire
📚 Playbooks:
Your Guide to Evaluating and Selecting an ATS: A guide with helpful process frameworks, and evaluation templates to help you make an informed decision about selecting the ATS that is the best fit for your company.
Navigating an IPO: A guide to help you navigate your team through the IPO process. It includes tools and tactics to prepare your team, proactively communicate to pending candidates, and evolve your recruiting operations to support the shift in business.