Use Case

From whiteboards to a single candidate tracker for manufacturing HR

A global automotive parts manufacturer replaced manual whiteboard and paper tracking with Airtable, giving HR and recruiting teams a single applicant tracking system for campus recruiting, hourly candidate pipelines, employee onboarding, and PTO requests. Candidates no longer slip through the cracks.

The problem

HR and recruiting teams tracked candidates on whiteboards and paper, with no single system connecting campus recruiting, hourly candidate pipelines, onboarding, and PTO requests. Candidates slipped through the cracks when they were not followed up on promptly, and status updates required manual compilation.

Disconnected tracking made it difficult to report on pipeline status or onboarding progress. Each request type lived in a different process, and there was no dashboard to show where candidates or new hires stood at any given moment.

What they built

The HR team built an Airtable applicant tracking system that brings campus recruiting, hourly candidate pipelines, and employee onboarding into one place. Candidate records track application stages, interview progress, and offer readiness, with DocuSign integrated for offer documentation. PTO and overtime requests are managed through the same system.

Dashboard views give recruiting leaders a real-time picture of pipeline status across candidate types. The system replaces disconnected whiteboards and paper forms, giving HR and IT a shared operational record for people-related workflows.

The outcome

HR and recruiting teams now operate from a single source of truth for candidate tracking and HR requests. Fewer candidates are missed because every record is visible in one place rather than distributed across whiteboards and paper lists.

Reporting on pipeline status and onboarding progress is faster because dashboards replace manual status compilation. The team has a solid foundation for expanding the system as recruiting volume and HR workflows grow.

Inside the solution

HR and Recruiting Management

People & Talent Operations

Human Resources & Talent

  • Campus recruiting tracking for intern and entry-level candidate pipelines
  • Hourly candidate pipeline management with stage-by-stage visibility
  • Employee onboarding tracking with DocuSign offer documentation
  • PTO and overtime request management
  • Candidates slipping through the cracks with whiteboard and paper tracking
  • Disconnected HR request workflows with no shared operational record
  • No dashboard visibility into pipeline status or onboarding progress
  • Consolidated applicant tracking replacing whiteboards for all candidate types
  • Fewer missed candidates due to single pipeline visibility
  • Faster HR reporting via dashboards
  • HR
  • Recruiting
  • IT
  • DocuSign
Build out this use case

HR & Recruiting Management

Track every candidate (campus interns, hourly production applicants, and salaried hires) alongside onboarding checklists and PTO or overtime requests in one linked base, with dashboards that replace whiteboard status boards. Automations create offer documents and onboarding records the moment a stage changes, AI fields draft offer emails and candidate snapshots, and a weekly digest keeps recruiters from letting anyone slip through the cracks.

Use this template
HR & Recruiting Management - Overview dashboard
How it works

How a global automotive parts manufacturer built its HR tracking system

Create a candidate record for every applicant type

Campus recruiting candidates, hourly applicants, and other pipeline types each get a record in Airtable. A single table structure lets the team view all candidate types in one place or filter by pipeline.

Track application stages and interview progress

Each candidate record holds stage, status, interview notes, and next steps. Teams see at a glance who is active, who needs follow-up, and who is ready for an offer, without scanning whiteboards or paper lists.

Integrate offer documentation with DocuSign

When a candidate reaches offer stage, DocuSign is triggered for offer letter preparation and signature tracking. Offer readiness and completion status are visible directly in the candidate record.

Manage onboarding and HR requests in the same system

New hire onboarding records track progress through orientation and setup steps. PTO and overtime requests are submitted and tracked in the same Airtable base, keeping all people-related workflows in one operational system.

Build dashboard views for pipeline reporting

Dashboard and gallery views give recruiting leaders a real-time picture of pipeline status by candidate type, stage, and recruiter. Reports that previously required manual compilation are now available instantly.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The system tracks campus recruiting candidates, hourly applicants, and any other pipeline type the team defines. All candidate types live in the same Airtable base, so the team can view all pipelines in one place or filter by type, recruiter, or stage.

When a candidate reaches the offer stage, DocuSign is used for offer letter preparation and signature tracking. Offer status is visible directly in the candidate record in Airtable, so the team can see who has received, signed, or not yet responded to an offer.

Employees submit PTO and overtime requests through Airtable forms or interfaces. HR teams review and track approval status in the same base where recruiting and onboarding records live, giving one team one system for all people-related workflows.

All candidate tracking moved into Airtable, where each applicant has a record with stage, status, notes, and next steps. Dashboard views replaced manual whiteboard updates, so the team can see pipeline status in real time without physically visiting a board or compiling a spreadsheet.

Yes. The Airtable structure scales as new pipeline types, recruiting programs, or HR request categories are added. New tables, views, and forms can be configured without rebuilding the system, making it a durable foundation for growing HR operations.