Application Program Interface (API)

    What is an API?

    An API is a software-to-software interface, not a user interface. With APIs, applications communicate with each other without any user knowledge or intervention. An API is a list of commands as well as the format of those commands that one application can send to another. APIs enable developers to access the functionality or data of a software platform, service, or system without needing to understand its underlying code. This allows developers to integrate various software components, build new applications, or enhance existing ones by leveraging the capabilities of other systems.

    What are the different types of APIs?

    APIs can take different forms, including:

    1. Web APIs: These APIs are typically exposed over the internet and use standard web protocols such as HTTP or HTTPS. Web APIs allow applications to interact with remote services or resources, such as accessing data from a cloud-based database or performing actions on a web application.
    2. Library APIs: These APIs are provided by programming libraries or frameworks and allow developers to access the functionality of the library in their own code. Library APIs are often used for tasks such as data processing, graphics rendering, or network communication.
    3. Operating System APIs: These APIs are provided by operating systems and allow applications to interact with system resources such as files, devices, or network interfaces. Operating system APIs provide a way for applications to perform tasks such as file I/O, process management, or hardware access.

    APIs & Recruitment Software

    APIs play a crucial role in integrating recruitment software with other systems and services, enabling seamless data exchange, automation, and enhanced functionality so that you can streamline the entire recruitment process.

    Data Integrations

    Recruitment software needs to be able to communicate with various systems and databases in order to access candidate profiles, job listings, HR records and assorted data that is relevant to the hiring process. APIs allow the software to be connected with these systems and update your own systems so that you have the tools you need for a successful recruiting pipeline.

    Job Distribution

    APIs enable recruitment software to distribute job listings across multiple career pages, job boards, career websites, social media platforms and other channels instantaneously without having to go to each channel and manually post the job listing.

    Candidate Sourcing

    Platforms such as LinkedIn or Indeed provide API keys to recruitment software systems so that the recruitment software can access candidate profiles, their skill data, and contact information. The API key allows your preferred recruitment software to access this information from its platform and bring it to your own systems. This process allows you to streamline the recruiting pipeline and pull all of the data into one platform for a recruiter for more effective candidate sourcing.

    Analytics and Reporting

    Understanding analytics is key to optimising the recruiting pipeline. Using an API means that your recruitment software can integrate with analytics and reporting tools and pull data from different sources. API integrations means you can manage a recruitment department more efficiently and obtain and track key metrics such as time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, source effectiveness, and candidate quality. These analytics allow you to have a better handle on your budget and a better understanding of the costs of obtaining the best talents for your clients.

    Background Checks and Screening

    Recruitment companies can have an API integration with a background check service, so that users can have the tools to run a background check on new hires and screen potential candidates directly from their platform and gain an immediate understanding of if they are right for any of the jobs available.

    Workflow Automation

    Api integrations with recruitment software are how they are able to automate workflow. An API is how the Eclipse range of recruitment software is able to request candidates compliance documentation, candidate’s references, automatically match candidates to vacancies and shortlist them, as well as mailshots and a range of other automations that help to improve efficiency.

    The Eclipse API

    We have designed a web API that is compatible with any and all recruitment software systems. For example, it can:

    • Connect your website to your recruitment platform in order to enhance the interactions with candidates and customers.

    • Seamlessly link job boards, a candidate portal, client portal, timesheet portal, VMS or recruitment industry mobile-app solutions.

    • Empower your business to build a scalable recruitment system that can grow with your needs.