How to Create Custom Recruitment Dashboards in Keap CRM to Track Key Hiring KPIs

In today’s competitive talent landscape, relying on intuition or fragmented data for recruitment is a recipe for inefficiency. To truly optimize your hiring process, you need clear visibility into key performance indicators (KPIs). Keap CRM offers powerful capabilities to build custom dashboards that transform raw recruitment data into actionable insights, helping you make data-driven decisions and streamline your talent acquisition efforts. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to configure and leverage Keap for superior recruitment analytics.

Step 1: Define Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Before you begin building anything in Keap, clarify which recruitment KPIs are most critical to your organization’s success. Common metrics include Time-to-Hire, Cost-per-Hire, Candidate Source Effectiveness, Offer Acceptance Rate, Interview-to-Hire Ratio, and Pipeline Velocity. Each of these metrics needs to be quantifiable and directly tied to your hiring goals. For instance, if reducing time-to-hire is a priority, you’ll need to track application dates, interview dates, offer dates, and start dates. Establishing these foundational metrics ensures that the data you collect in Keap is relevant and directly contributes to measuring your recruitment team’s performance and identifying areas for improvement. This initial strategic phase is paramount for a successful dashboard implementation.

Step 2: Configure Custom Fields in Keap for Data Capture

Once your KPIs are defined, translate them into custom fields within Keap CRM. Navigate to “CRM” > “Settings” > “Custom Fields” and create fields that will store the specific data points required for each KPI. For example, you might create fields like “Application Date” (Date/Time), “Source of Hire” (Dropdown: LinkedIn, Referral, Job Board), “Interview Date” (Date/Time), “Offer Extended Date” (Date/Time), “Offer Accepted Date” (Date/Time), and “Start Date” (Date/Time). Ensure consistency in naming and data types. These custom fields are the backbone of your recruitment data strategy, enabling you to capture granular information that will later populate your reports and dashboards. Proper field configuration ensures data integrity and ease of reporting.

Step 3: Implement Automated Data Entry and Tags

To ensure your custom fields are consistently populated without manual overhead, leverage Keap’s powerful automation features. Design automated campaigns or sequences that update fields and apply tags as candidates progress through your recruitment pipeline. For instance, when a new lead applies (via a Keap form or integration), an automation can automatically set the “Application Date.” When an interviewer schedules an interview, a tag like “Interview Scheduled” can be applied, and the “Interview Date” field updated. When an offer is extended, another automation can update the “Offer Extended Date.” This proactive approach to data entry minimizes human error, saves significant administrative time, and ensures your dashboards always reflect the most current and accurate information for real-time tracking of candidate status and recruitment stages.

Step 4: Build Your Custom Search Reports in Keap

With your custom fields configured and data flowing in, the next step is to create custom search reports that pull the specific data needed for your dashboards. Go to “CRM” > “Reports” > “Custom Search.” Here, you can define criteria to filter your contacts (candidates) based on tags, custom field values, or specific date ranges. For example, you might create a report showing all candidates who applied last month, including their “Source of Hire” and “Application Date.” Another report could list all candidates with an “Offer Extended Date” but no “Offer Accepted Date.” Select the relevant columns (your custom fields) to display in the report. These reports serve as the foundational datasets that your dashboard widgets will draw upon, presenting the raw information in an organized, queryable format.

Step 5: Design and Populate Your Keap Dashboard Widgets

Now it’s time to visualize your data. Navigate to “Home” > “My Dashboards” and click “Add a Dashboard” or edit an existing one. Use the “Add Widget” feature to bring your reports and data to life. You can add widgets that display lists of contacts (e.g., “Active Candidates in Pipeline”), numerical summaries (e.g., “Offers Extended This Month”), or even charts and graphs if you integrate with external reporting tools that can pull Keap data. For instance, a widget displaying your “Candidates Applied Last 30 Days” report gives you a quick overview of new applicant volume. Another could show open requisitions. Arrange these widgets intuitively to create a comprehensive, at-a-glance view of your recruitment performance. These visual representations are key to understanding trends and making quick strategic adjustments.

Step 6: Regularly Review and Optimize Your Dashboards

Creating your recruitment dashboards is not a one-time task; it’s an ongoing process of review and optimization. Schedule regular sessions (weekly or monthly) with your team to review the dashboard data. Discuss what the metrics reveal about your hiring process, identify bottlenecks, and pinpoint successful strategies. As your recruitment goals evolve or new challenges emerge, be prepared to adjust your custom fields, automation rules, reports, and dashboard widgets. Perhaps a new “Diversity Source” field becomes critical, or you need to track “Interview Feedback Scores.” Continuously refining your Keap dashboards ensures they remain relevant, provide accurate insights, and actively support your journey toward a more efficient and effective talent acquisition strategy.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: The Automated Recruiter’s Guide to Keap CRM: AI-Powered Talent Acquisition