Build a Recruiting CRM with DenchClaw from Scratch
Build a recruiting CRM with DenchClaw. Track candidates, manage interview pipelines, automate outreach, and hire faster — all local, no per-seat fees.
Build a Recruiting CRM with DenchClaw from Scratch
Enterprise ATS tools (Greenhouse, Lever, Workday) are built for HR departments with dedicated recruiters. Early-stage startups don't have that. What you have is a founder or a small team trying to hire fast without a system that costs $500/month.
DenchClaw gives you a recruiting CRM that handles the entire pipeline — from sourcing to offer — for free, running locally, with AI doing the work of scheduling, screening notes, and outreach.
The Recruiting Pipeline Architecture#
Your recruiting CRM needs five things:
- Role objects — what you're hiring for
- Candidate objects — who you're considering
- Application tracking — where each candidate is in the process
- Communication log — email history and notes
- Decision workflow — scorecards, references, offers
DenchClaw models all of this in DuckDB.
Step 1: Create the Roles Object#
Create a Roles object with:
- Role Title (text)
- Department (enum: Engineering/Sales/Marketing/Design/Operations/Product)
- Status (enum: Open/Active/On Hold/Closed)
- Target Start Date (date)
- Salary Range Min (number)
- Salary Range Max (number)
- Equity Range (text)
- Job Description (richtext)
- Required Skills (tags)
- Nice-to-Have Skills (tags)
- Hiring Manager (text)
- Headcount (number)
- Filled (number)
Add your open roles:
Add a role: Senior Software Engineer, Engineering department, Active status, $150k-$200k, 0.2-0.5% equity, start date April 2026
Step 2: Create the Candidates Object#
Create a Candidates object with:
- Full Name (text)
- Email (email)
- Phone (phone)
- LinkedIn (url)
- Role (relation to Roles)
- Status (enum: Sourced/Application Received/Phone Screen/Technical/Final/Reference Check/Offer/Hired/Declined/Rejected)
- Source (enum: LinkedIn/Referral/Inbound/Agency/AngelList/Other)
- Referred By (text)
- Location (text)
- Expected Salary (number)
- Current Company (text)
- Current Title (text)
- Resume URL (url)
- Scorecard (richtext)
- Offer Details (richtext)
- Notes (richtext)
Step 3: Source Candidates#
LinkedIn sourcing:
Open LinkedIn and search for Senior Software Engineers with 5+ years experience, open to work, in San Francisco Bay Area. Import the top 20 profiles into Candidates with Role = Senior Software Engineer.
Referrals:
Add a candidate from referral: Marcus Chen, referred by Sarah from the sales team. Senior engineer at Stripe, not actively looking but might be open to conversations. Add to pipeline for Senior Software Engineer role.
Inbound applications:
If you have an application form (built as a DenchClaw app or via a web form):
Build an application form for the Senior Software Engineer role that collects name, email, LinkedIn, years of experience, and why they're interested. On submit, create a Candidate entry with Source = Inbound.
Step 4: Phone Screen Workflow#
Before each phone screen:
I have a phone screen with Marcus Chen for the Senior SWE role in 20 minutes. Give me a brief based on his profile.
During or after the call, log the screen:
Phone screen with Marcus done. Strong backend background (Go, Python), 6 years experience. Concerned about early-stage risk. Salary expectation $180k. Strong technical signal. Move to Technical round. Schedule for next week.
DenchClaw updates stage, logs notes, and can draft the scheduling email:
Draft a scheduling email to Marcus for the technical interview. Offer slots: Tuesday 2pm, Wednesday 10am, Thursday 3pm PT.
Step 5: Interview Coordination#
For each interview round, track questions and feedback:
Add interview notes for Marcus Chen — technical round:
Interviewer: Alice
Score: 4/5
Strengths: excellent systems design, clear communicator
Concerns: limited experience with high-traffic distributed systems
Recommendation: proceed
Create a scorecard view:
Create a view "Final Round Candidates" showing candidates with Status = Final, with columns: Full Name, Role, Scorecard, all interviewers and scores
Step 6: Reference Checks#
When you reach reference stage:
Generate reference check questions for a Senior Software Engineer candidate. Focus on: technical competence, collaboration style, how they handle pressure, and reasons for leaving.
Log reference call notes:
Reference call with Marcus's manager at Stripe. Strong advocate. Said Marcus has ownership mentality and delivers without oversight. One note: doesn't like ambiguity — needs clear requirements. Log to his record.
Step 7: Offer Management#
Generate an offer letter draft for Marcus Chen:
- Role: Senior Software Engineer
- Start date: April 14, 2026
- Base: $175,000
- Equity: 0.35% over 4 years with 1-year cliff
- Benefits: health/dental/vision, $3k home office stipend
- Report to: CTO
DenchClaw drafts the offer letter. Review, finalize, and send. Log the outcome:
Offer accepted by Marcus Chen. Start date April 14. Update status to Hired. Close the Senior SWE role (1 of 1 headcount filled).
Step 8: Recruiting Analytics#
Monthly recruiting review:
Show me recruiting metrics this quarter:
- Candidates sourced by source (LinkedIn/Referral/Inbound)
- Conversion rate by stage (sourced → screen → technical → offer → hired)
- Average days per stage
- Offer acceptance rate
- Cost per hire (if agency fees tracked)
This tells you where candidates are dropping out. If 60% of technical screens fail, your sourcing isn't targeting the right profiles. If 40% of offers are declined, your comp is off or the candidate experience is poor.
Maintaining Your Recruiting CRM#
After each hire:
- Archive the candidate records
- Mark the role as closed or adjust headcount
- Note what worked and what didn't in sourcing
For passive candidates (not ready now but worth revisiting):
Create a view "Future Pipeline" showing candidates with Status = Declined or Rejected but with Scorecard score >= 4/5 and a note about why they might be right in 12 months
Revisit this list when you open new roles.
For the full DenchClaw overview, see what is DenchClaw. For managing your broader people relationships including customers and investors, see DenchClaw for founders.
Frequently Asked Questions#
Can DenchClaw replace Greenhouse or Lever?#
For early-stage (under 50 employees, hiring a few people per quarter): yes. For high-volume hiring with multiple recruiters and complex approval workflows: not yet. DenchClaw is best when the founder or a small team runs recruiting.
How do I handle EEOC compliance and data retention?#
All data lives locally, making compliance your responsibility. For startups, standard practice is to retain candidate records for at least 1 year post-decision. DenchClaw stores everything indefinitely — set up a manual or automated archival process.
Can multiple team members use the same recruiting CRM?#
Yes. See the team CRM setup guide for multi-user configuration. Each interviewer logs notes into the candidate's entry document from their own session.
How do I keep candidates warm between stages?#
Use the Notes field to track last communication. Create a view for candidates who haven't been updated in 7+ days. Send brief status updates even when you're delayed: "Still in process, targeting a decision next week."
Is there a way to auto-schedule interviews through DenchClaw?#
DenchClaw can draft scheduling emails and integrate with Google Calendar (via the gog skill) to suggest available slots and create calendar events. Full automated scheduling (like Calendly) requires a custom integration.
Ready to try DenchClaw? Install in one command: npx denchclaw. Full setup guide →
