Executive summary:

Atlas MedStaff reduced their dependency on expensive job boards while growing their referral base. The results after 18 months:

  • 52% of placements now come from referrals
  • Lower job board spend
  • Increased recruiter efficiency
  • 4,000+ ambassadors generating 2.2 referrals each (top 1% industry performance)
  • 46% higher candidate lifetime value (CLV)

The goal: Building on existing strengths

Atlas entered their relationship with Staffing Referrals from a position of strength. “Our business has always been built on word of mouth,” says Rich Smith, Atlas co-founder and CMO. Their white glove approach to traveler care had created a strong reputation, and referrals were already a significant part of their recruitment efforts.

They were so successful that CIO Joel Wiersma was initially skeptical about Staffing Referrals. He remembers asking: “We’re already good at this. Why would we need to use you guys?”

Despite their referral success, their existing approach had clear limitations. The process was manual, inconsistent, and dependent on individual recruiter follow-through. “It was just us asking for referrals and then hoping that everything worked out in the end,” Smith recalls.

As their business grew, the manual process couldn’t scale to match their ambitions. They needed a system that could amplify their strengths without adding complexity.

The solution: Strategic technology integration

Atlas’s decision to implement Staffing Referrals was driven by three key factors:

  1. Market-leading technology: Staffing Referrals was the only automated referral management platform specifically built to address the needs of the staffing industry. “We wanted to put our referral program on steroids, and there was no other technology that fully met our requirements,” Wiersma explains.
  2. Seamless tech stack integration: Atlas’s integration requirements aren’t just technical preferences — they’re business necessities. The company won’t adopt new technology unless it works seamlessly with their Bullhorn ATS and other Marketplace partners, including RefAssured and Staffing Engine. The ease of implementing Staffing Referrals reinforced the value of deep integrations. “From the day we said yes to the day we went live, it wasn’t months or weeks. It was days,” Smith recalls. “It was a very easy process.”
  3. Industry expertise: The Staffing Referrals team offered more than software: they brought deep industry expertise. “Working with this team, you get access to people who know referrals inside and out,” Wiersma says. “Through ongoing conversations and their suggestions, we are able to tap into years of market experience across multiple industries. That same expertise is baked into the platform itself.”

Tech stack architecture

Atlas built a comprehensive referral ecosystem by integrating Staffing Referrals with their existing tools:

  • Bullhorn integration (core ATS): “Bullhorn is our single source of truth,” Wiersma explains. “Now we can track not only where our referrals come from, but also when and how they are going to be paid without having to leave the ATS.”
  • RefAssured integration (reference checking): The integration between reference checking and referral generation has proved particularly powerful. “It’s brilliant to have the end of the reference cycle move right into a referral cycle.” This integration alone has generated over 50 ambassadors.
  • Staffing Engine integration (lead distribution): “The system tracks where each referral comes from and which recruiter owns each ambassador relationship, so leads get routed to the right person automatically. The integrations work seamlessly through the whole cycle.”

Recruiter adoption: Breaking through resistance

One of Atlas’s most significant concerns was recruiter adoption, particularly among their most experienced team members. The results exceeded expectations.

“I was skeptical at first because anytime we roll out new technology, there’s a subset of senior recruiters who are very used to doing it their way,” Smith admits. “But that top tier instantly started using the platform. There wasn’t a learning curve. In fact, they were breaking our email signature rules so they could use Staffing Referrals more effectively. We had to change our policies to keep up with their enthusiasm.”

Wiersma attributes the success to two main reasons:

    1. The “set it and forget it” advantage: The design of Staffing Referrals reduces friction for recruiters. “The platform can be very hands-off for recruiters. Once they put the link in their email signature or on LinkedIn or Facebook, it does the work for them.”
    2. Operational efficiency gains: Since referrals are warm leads, fewer touches are required to convert them into placements. “Anytime we have a referral, our level of effort to get them to a placement is much less than our other sources.”

Results: Data-driven success

A top-performing ambassador network

The program’s success was immediate. “The Staffing Referrals team helped us target our highest-potential candidates first,” Wiersma says. “That drove early momentum.”

To date, Atlas has built a network of over 4,000 ambassadors, who have generated on average 2.2 referrals each. This places Atlas in the top 1% of staffing firms. They also have 5,200+ pageviews on their referral pages, demonstrating strong ongoing engagement with their program.

Referrals account for over 50% of placements

Staffing Referrals enabled Atlas to reverse a downward trend in referral percentages, growing their referrals to 52% of total placements. That represents a 10.6% relative increase year-over-year.

Reduced dependency on job boards

Referrals deliver more than cost savings. They improve candidate quality. “Referrals attract travelers seeking adventure and life experience — people who value having a company behind them the entire way,” Smith observes. “That’s a fundamentally different quality of candidate compared to a job board.”

This quality differential enabled Atlas to significantly reduce their job board spend.

Higher candidate lifetime value (CLV)

The higher quality of candidates is reflected in the data. When Atlas analyzed candidate lifetime value by source, referred travelers generated 46% higher CLV than those from major job boards.

Because of this, Atlas now uses referrals as their strategic benchmark for sourcing. “What we spend on a referral is now our benchmark,” Smith says. “We understand what it costs for the very best. If another channel can’t beat that, it’s probably not worth our time.”

Key success factors

  1. Building on strength: Atlas didn’t implement Staffing Referrals to fix a problem. They implemented it to accelerate what already worked. Their existing culture of service excellence and word-of-mouth reputation provided the foundation.
  2. Comprehensive integration: By integrating Staffing Referrals with Bullhorn, RefAssured, and Staffing Engine, Atlas created an automated ecosystem where referrals flow seamlessly from identification through placement and payment.
  3. Strategic ambassador targeting: Atlas identified high-value segments and created targeted acquisition strategies.
  4. Minimal friction design: The “set it and forget it” approach reduced the ongoing effort required from recruiters while ensuring consistent execution.
  5. Quality over volume: By focusing on referrals, Atlas attracted travelers aligned with their values: professionals who valued support and experience over simply chasing the highest rate.

Recommendations for other agencies

When asked what they would tell other agencies considering Staffing Referrals, Smith’s response was unequivocal: “It’s a no-brainer — truly set it and forget it. If you’re worried about senior recruiters accepting it, don’t be. You’ll be surprised at how quickly they adopt it.”

For agencies looking to replicate Atlas’s success, several principles emerge:

  1. Integration is non-negotiable: Ensure the platform works seamlessly with your existing ATS and related tools.
  2. Target high-value ambassadors: Identify who in your network can generate the most qualified referrals.
  3. Make it effortless: The easier you make referrals for both recruiters and ambassadors, the better your results.
  4. Use referrals as your benchmark: Let referral costs and quality set the standard for evaluating other sources.

Conclusion

Atlas MedStaff’s success with Staffing Referrals demonstrates what’s possible when an agency with strong fundamentals implements the right technology at the right time. By systematizing their referral process, integrating it seamlessly into their tech stack, and trusting their recruiters to execute, they achieved top 1% performance metrics while reducing operational complexity. Most importantly, they accomplished this while staying true to their core identity: providing white glove service to travelers who value experience, adventure, and partnership.

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