Before leading Crimson Phoenix, a 700-person defense contractor specializing in data-driven intelligence, Ross built Agile ATS—an applicant-tracking system designed for cleared hiring. The platform has since been acquired by ClearanceJobs, creating the first end-to-end recruiting ecosystem built specifically for the national-security workforce.
At ClearanceJobs Connect, Ross outlined the Agile Recruiting Framework—a blend of process, systems, and tactics that helped his teams hire over 100 polygraph-cleared professionals in a single year.
Process
Treat recruiting like sales. Hold short recruiting scrums (at least Monday, Wednesday, Friday) to keep HR, security, and operations aligned. Build accountability into every stage, because, as Ross emphasized, “time kills deals.”
Systems
Use a reliable ATS that supports tagging, compliance, analytics, and automation. With the new ClearanceJobs + AgileATS integration, recruiters can source candidates directly from ClearanceJobs, sync profiles instantly, and manage pipelines through a drag-and-drop Kanban board that shaves days off every hire.
Tactics
Track submissions, interviews, and starts. In Ross’s data, roughly three submissions lead to one interview, three interviews to one start. Recruiters achieving 12–24 annual hires are top performers in the polygraph space.
The result, Ross said, is both speed and culture: “If you have high standards, this system will help your best people shine.” With AgileATS now part of ClearanceJobs, GovCons can finally run recruiting like the mission-critical operation it truly is.
Check out a demo of AgileATS here.
