Interview: “We now realize you need to continuously update your ATS.”

Stella P. is not your average recruitment agency. The firm operates in a highly specialized niche—finding and selecting top candidates for boards of directors and advisory boards. “Yes, we’re involved in recruitment and selection, but we’re not the traditional kind, and we don’t fill permanent positions,” explains co-CEO Julie Desmet of Stella P. Together with Tessa Dugardin, she took over the company from founder Conny Vandendriessche in 2023.

Which challenge were you facing at Stella P.?

Co-CEO Julie Desmet says: “We’ve used the Connexys ATS for a long time, but as we grew and further digitized our processes, the original setup no longer matched our needs. We wanted to optimize our ATS to improve data quality and make life easier for our recruiters. We also wanted to communicate more effectively with candidates and improve our matching and reporting. Bullhorn referred us to HRlinkIT for this project.”

How did the project go?

Desmet continues: “HRlinkIT started with an online kickoff meeting, and I instantly got the sense that we were in good hands. They took my ideas seriously and showed deep expertise in Connexys and recruitment processes. Their recruitment tech specialist then spent a day at our office to thoroughly review our system together. We analyzed every step of our workflow. HRlinkIT listened carefully, offered valuable suggestions, and really helped us structure our thinking. It was an intense day, but incredibly productive.

“After that day, they mapped out everything clearly and created a workable optimization plan with a well-defined timeline. They communicated clearly about what to expect and the different phases. One of the biggest positives in working with them was their structured approach and strong communication. I had weekly calls with the implementation consultant and received a dashboard that gave me a clear overview of completed tasks, to-dos, and outstanding questions.”

What is the result of this optimization process?

Desmet explains: “We’ve become much more efficient. HRlinkIT highlighted numerous potential improvements and made the necessary configurations, which greatly simplified our workflow. These weren’t huge, sweeping changes, but a series of small, crucial tweaks that together made a big difference.

“Our workflows are now more logically organized, which is especially helpful for new employees. Redundant fields have been removed, and new, standardized fields have been added for consistency. We also use reports more actively to leverage our database. In the past, our ATS was just a storehouse of information; now we’re using it intelligently and efficiently.

“This project made us realize that an ATS must grow alongside our evolving way of working. That’s why we signed up for a continuous improvement plan with HRlinkIT. It allows us to submit items for adjustment at any time throughout the year.”

Would you recommend this ATS optimization process with HRlinkIT?

Desmet nods enthusiastically: “Absolutely! I would do it all over again, exactly the same way. HRlinkIT is proactive and manages the whole process really well. They lifted a huge burden off my shoulders—I lost very little time and still had a clear overview of everything going on. Their expertise and suggestions have made our system much more efficient. Normally, I’m pretty picky about working with external partners, but HRlinkIT delivered the kind of collaboration you always hope for.”

Want to optimize your ATS for greater efficiency? Read more about our ATS Optimization Scan.