The Access Group, a UK-based business management software provider, announced the acquisition of Elay, a London-based multi-channel engagement automation platform.

The price of the transaction was not disclosed.

Through the acquisition, Access Recruitment, a division of The Access Group, will be able to offer its customers a tailored approach to automation that is designed to overhaul recruitment workflows, automating routine tasks so that agencies can effectively build their workforce without needing more desks.

The company says acquiring Elay marks the next step in its AI and automation advancements within the recruitment sector, with its CRM automation already integrated with their Vincere CRM product and the chatbot functionality with Volcanic, the recruitment website builder.

Access Recruitment and Elay will offer customers a suite of features – collectively called ‘Access Automate’. These include CRM automation, LinkedIn outreach acceleration, and intelligent chatbots.

Christian Fleck, managing director at Access Recruitment, said, “Bringing Elay on board is an exciting step for Access Recruitment and this acquisition marks a significant milestone in our commitment to delivering unparalleled value to our customers.”

“We know interest in AI and automation is at an all-time high for recruiters and we’re pleased to add another way for our customers to leverage these technologies today, building on our already live AI-led functionality like our bias analyser in Volcanic. We want to show recruitment agencies how they can use AI or automation today to grow their operations and ultimately win more business.

Fleck added, “Working with cutting edge tools like Elay underscores our dedication to bringing ready-to-use innovations to our customers - this acquisition will revolutionise recruitment outreach, helping our customers to capture more leads, deepen candidate-client relationships and accelerate revenue.”

Mehdi Este, co-founder of Elay, added, “Since founding Elay in 2020, our mission has been to revolutionise the way recruitment businesses connect and engage with their clients or candidates. Joining forces with Access Recruitment represents an exciting new chapter in our journey, one that will amplify the impact of our solution and bring even greater value to customers.”