The how and why to talent banking in the Flat Fee Recruiter ATS (FFATS)

Talent banking is not a one-size-fits-all process at Flat Fee Recruiter. Our clients can build and nurture their own talent banks directly in the Flat Fee Recruiter ATS (FFATS), or they can take advantage of our proactive talent banking service where our recruitment professionals actively source, monitor, and engage candidates on their behalf.

With the proactive service, we create tailored “watchdog” projects in LinkedIn Recruiter, review ongoing matches, and reach out with brand-led messages to warm and relevant candidates. With the FFATS approach, you can do the talent banking yourself, instantly tapping into candidates from previous campaigns and keeping them warm for future roles.

Why Talent Banking Works

Faster time-to-hire
When you need to fill a role, starting from scratch takes time. A talent bank gives you quick access to pre-engaged candidates, enabling you to move before other employers do.

Lower recruitment costs
With a ready pool of candidates, you can reduce the need for fresh advertising and associated expenses.

Better candidate experience
Ongoing contact demonstrates you value their interest. This builds goodwill and increases the chances they will say “yes” when the right role comes up.

Improved quality of hire

Candidates in your bank have already been screened for suitability and cultural fit, increasing your success rate when you re-engage them.

Ways to Talent Bank in FFATS.

Many clients don’t realise that they can access all the candidates from their previous vacancies directly in FFATS. This means you might already have dozens or even hundreds of potential hires ready to go.

1. Search from your previous vacancy.

When you open a new position, the first thing you can do is revisit past campaigns. Simply go to the relevant vacancy in FFATS, look at the candidates you have moved into a relevant folder (for example, “Strong – keep on file”), and email them directly. This is the fastest way to re-engage quality talent.

2. Ask your Account Manager to set up a “Talent Banking Vacancy”.

If you prefer a dedicated record, your Account Manager can create a vacancy specifically for talent banking. You can then add suitable candidates into this record as you go, building an organised, central pool to use for future hiring.

These two approaches can be used separately or together to make sure no strong candidate is ever lost to the archives.

GDPR Compliance and Data Retention.

• Talent banking in FFATS is carried out in full compliance with our Candidate Privacy Policy.
• Candidates are informed at the point of application how their data will be stored and used.
• Only necessary and relevant details are kept.
• Candidates can request removal at any time.

Retention periods.

Standard: 12 months from the date of application.

Extended with consent: 2 years if the candidate agrees to remain in the bank longer.

By the two-year mark, we would expect you to have actively engaged with them, but if not, FFATS allows you to set up automated expiry emails. These notify candidates that their account is due to expire and invite them to reconfirm their details if they want to stay in your talent bank.

Keeping Candidates Warm.

• FFATS gives you quick communication tools to keep your talent bank engaged and connected to your brand.
• Short, personalised email updates about company news, projects, or team achievements.
• Culture showcases – share behind-the-scenes stories, employee spotlights, or CSR activities to build rapport.
• Check-in messages – simple “how are you?” or “still interested?” emails to keep the conversation open.
• Referral requests – invite talent bank candidates to recommend friends or contacts for current roles, rewarding them for successful referrals.
• Email templates – save time and keep messaging consistent by asking your Account Manager to add your preferred “keeping warm” templates to FFATS. These can be sent quickly whenever you want to re-engage your talent bank.

This regular, authentic communication keeps you top of mind and demonstrates your commitment to building long-term relationships with candidates.

Turning Today’s Applicants into Tomorrow’s Hires.

Whether you choose to manage your own candidate pool in FFATS or let our team run a proactive, ongoing talent banking project for you, the result is the same, a strong, engaged pipeline of skilled candidates ready when you are.

Your ATS becomes more than a storage tool. It is an active recruitment engine that keeps your talent warm, interested, and ready to hire.