Beyond Consolidation Part 2 of 3: Maximizing ROI - Optimizing Conversion Rates and Ad Spend

This is the second article in our three-part series exploring how innovation and simplicity are reshaping talent acquisition technology. In Part 1, we discussed the importance of agility in a fast-evolving recruitment landscape. Today, in Part 2, we examine another critical aspect: maximizing return on investment by optimizing conversion rates and advertising spend. Along the way, we’ll explore how the risks of over-consolidation can undermine these efforts.

The Hidden Value of Career Site Traffic in a Consolidated World

Many organizations, drawn to the promise of efficiency, adopt consolidated, all-in-one TA systems. However, these platforms often struggle to meet the nuanced demands of candidate engagement and conversion. Companies can quickly find themselves increasing job advertising spend to offset low candidate conversion rates, a consequence of consolidated systems’ lack of innovation and failure to prioritize candidate needs.

Career sites are consistently the highest-quality source of applicants, where applicants convert to hires three times more often than job board sources. Yet, despite this clear advantage, many consolidated TA platforms fail to capitalize on this high-intent audience effectively. In fact, industry data shows that up to 95% of career site visitors leave without completing an application, with over half taking no action at all. 

The True Cost of a Leaky Bucket: Consolidation and Increased Ad Spend

A common issue with over-consolidated TA platforms is their inefficiency in converting career site visitors. This inefficiency creates a costly cycle: companies increase job ad spend to make up for conversion shortfalls, inadvertently driving up costs and attracting lower-quality candidates from job boards. With traditional, consolidated platforms, this “leaky bucket” problem often goes unresolved, draining recruitment budgets while only providing surface-level fixes that rarely make an impact at scale.

To break this cycle, forward-thinking companies are looking beyond consolidation and focusing on specialized, career site optimization tools. This strategy improves conversion by addressing the root of the problem, enabling organizations to get more value out of their existing resources. Here's how companies are rethinking their approach to recruitment ROI:

• Engage High-Intent Visitors: By implementing modern engagement tools, companies can capture information from the vast majority of career site visitors who typically leave without taking any action. Consolidated platforms overlook this need, prioritizing features for the small % of visitors who are ready to “apply now”.
• Streamline the Application Process: Consolidated systems can create barriers to the candidate journey with outdated workflows that are only available on web, and easy from a computer, leaving out the vast majority of candidates engaging from their phones. A focus on mobile-first technology that meets candidates where they are, like text, is essential for maximizing conversion.
• Focus Ad Spend Strategically: With higher career site conversion rates, companies can reduce overall job advertising spend, directing budgets to their  most challenging roles.

Plugging the Leak is Possible

Organizations that adopt specialized engagement tools to increase career site conversion are getting more qualified candidates faster while reducing overall job advertising costs. This savings is only possible for companies who go beyond what’s available from their consolidated TA system. When assessing your recruitment technology, consider:

• Are you sacrificing specialized tools for the sake of a “one platform” solution?
• Is your consolidated system aligned with modern candidate engagement practices, or is it merely checking a box for basic functionality?

By prioritizing high-quality, agile tools over “all-in-one” platforms, organizations can drive higher conversions, lower costs, and optimize their recruitment outcomes.

The Path Forward

Maximizing ROI on existing recruitment investments is crucial. Companies that optimize their career sites and focus on specialized, agile tools—rather than relying on an over-consolidated solution—will be better positioned to:

• Capture more high-intent candidates
• Reduce dependence on less effective job ads
• Strategically allocate budgets

The message is clear: consolidating systems may simplify vendor management, but at the cost of true performance. Consolidated platforms may promise a one-stop solution, but if they lack specialized tools to engage career site visitors, organizations risk significant missed opportunities and rising recruitment costs.

Dalia is the leading solution for capturing and converting high-intent candidates. If you're curious about how Dalia's intuitive, integration-free candidate conversion platform can support your talent acquisition strategy, visit us at Dalia.co/demo to request a demo.

If you’re considering consolidating your TA technology stack, read the article that inspired this series: “Three Risks of Over-Consolidation in Talent Acquisition Technology”.