How CrossRef Saved 16-20 Hours Per Week on Recruiting with 100Hires
| Company | CrossRef |
| Website | crossref.org |
| Industry | Non-Profit / Scholarly Research Infrastructure |
| Company size | 51-200 |
| Location | Global (US-based HQ) |
| Previous ATS | None (manual process) |
| Favorite features | Custom evaluation forms, pipeline management, granular access control |
| Who we talked to | Michelle Cancel, Recruiting & HR |
Key Results
16-20 hours/week saved per recruitment posting
200+ applications managed without overtime
Custom evaluation forms created on demand for each role
the best candidates faster
About CrossRef
CrossRef is a global non-profit organization that provides infrastructure for scholarly research communication. Their team spans multiple countries, requiring recruiting processes that support diversity goals and maintain applicant confidentiality.
The Challenge
When Michelle Cancel joined CrossRef, the organization had no applicant tracking system. Recruiting was entirely manual – folders, spreadsheets, and email.
The pain points were clear:
- No centralized system for tracking candidates
- No pipeline management or automated communications
- No way to limit interviewer access to protect applicant privacy
- No built-in diversity tracking across countries
“I remember at the beginning I did my first recruitment. It was manual and I said to my boss, I can’t do this. I worked on weekends, worked long hours because we had over 200 applications and I just didn’t know how to work it through.”
Michelle Cancel
For a global non-profit with limited resources, spending weekends manually sorting through hundreds of applications was unsustainable.
Why 100Hires
Michelle researched multiple ATS platforms, built a comparison spreadsheet with her top three vendors – listing pros and cons for each – and presented it to CrossRef’s team leaders and managers.
“We ended up picking 100Hires because it accomplished what we needed at the time and now. It was within a very reasonable price.”
Michelle Cancel
The Solution
Custom Evaluation Forms for Every Role
Different positions require different screening criteria. CrossRef needed the flexibility to create tailored evaluation forms on demand, without limitations or extra fees.
“We needed somewhere where we could make up our own evaluation forms as needed. 100Hires accomplished all of that,” Michelle said. They also use custom application questions to collect candidate location data, supporting their global diversity tracking goals.
Pipeline Management That Replaced Folder Chaos
Visual drag-and-drop pipelines replaced the old system of managing candidates through folders and spreadsheets. Michelle can now move candidates through stages, shortlist efficiently, and export data when needed.
“When I send out regret messages or move on to the next steps, it’s very useful to just have a really easy download spreadsheet with the 400 application emails. It’s easier for me to manage each shortlist by each spreadsheet download,” Michelle explained.
Granular Access Control for Interview Panels
As a global organization handling sensitive applicant data, CrossRef needed to protect candidate privacy while still giving interviewers the information they need.
“I can choose team members who only interview for panel. They can only just access the panel. That’s been really useful to navigate each pipeline individually with user access.”
Michelle Cancel
The Results
Before 100Hires:
- Working weekends and long hours on 200+ applications
- Manual tracking through folders and spreadsheets
- No way to protect applicant confidentiality from interviewers
- No diversity tracking across countries
After 100Hires:
- 16-20 hours saved per week per posting
- 200+ applications managed during normal work hours – no overtime
- Interview panels see only their assigned candidates
- Built-in location tracking supports global diversity goals
“I would say definitely for each posting, it could save me anywhere from 16 to 20 hours a week. It was a lot of work I would spend each week on this recruitment stuff.”
Michelle Cancel
The Endorsement
“100Hires is very user-friendly. It really eliminates a lot of manual work I had to do before. It made all of our lives easier, not having so much things be manual.”
Michelle Cancel, Recruiting & HR, CrossRef
Ready to Stop Working Weekends on Recruiting?
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the best candidates faster
