Recruiting Software and More — 2012 Staffing Industry Executive Forum

recruiting software - 2012 Staffing Executive ForumNeed a reason to attend the 2012 Staffing Industry Executive Forum?  Think about joining Bond US, the leader in recruiting software for this annual event that provides insight into the most important topics in the recruitment and staffing industry today.

Once again, Bond US is a returning Pinnacle sponsor to this year’s event which will take place at the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, March 13-16. The forum will kick off with a series of roundtable discussions on numerous topics on Tuesday, March 13 at 4:30 p.m., where Bond US Chief Marketing Officer Tim Giehll will monitor a discussion on the Human Capital Supply Chain.

Giehll introduced the concept of Human Capital Supply Chains to define the business processes and technology for planning, hiring, on-boarding and off-boarding a company’s human capital.  His presentation explains how Human Capital Supply Chains link business strategy, business performance, strategic workforce planning, staffing, on-boarding and off-boarding for improved corporate financial management and success.

The roundtable will cover the principles and practices of Human Capital Supply Chain functions as well as the details involved in creating Human Capital Financial reports.

During the following sessions, this year’s forum topics will also feature lively discussion on such hiring industry trending topics as:

  • The Economy – The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
  • Back-Of-The-Envelope Valuation Of Your Staffing Firm
  • Beyond Shiny and New – How A Business Implements Social Media

In addition, presenters will cover the newest IT developments in the staffing and recruitment arena, including cutting edge technical advancements in staffing and recruiting software.

For more information on the Staffing Industry Forum, check out the Staffing Industry Conference Agenda.

To get a sneak peak at the latest staffing and recruiting software news, check the Bond US blog.

Maximizing Talent Management In The New Freelance Economy

Talent management in freelance economyAn interesting thing has happened in the wake of the recovering economy.  Small and medium-sized businesses are making do with fewer employees and hiring less. That in turn is changing the face of talent management.

According to a Kaufman Foundation study, “New businesses that continue to generate the bulk of the economy’s net job gains in recent years have been starting up with fewer workers than historic norms and are also adding fewer workers as they grow”.

One of the big reasons behind this new trend may be the new freelance economy where more workers are providing services on a contractual basis.

So how does this new cultural shift affect talent management?  It seems that the ability to find these freelancing individuals may hinge on how effectively, recruiters and staffing agencies can find the most qualified workers.

However, a good portion of the freelance population provides high-level skills to companies looking for project-by-project help, in comparison with the numbers of temp workers performing basic jobs.  Writers, website and graphic designers are just some of the people filling out the new freelance economy.

Now hiring firms can help clients find everything from marketing and social media consultants to event coordinators and they don’t have to deal with locational limitations.  Thanks to business sites such as OnePlace and GoToMeeting, workers far and wide can join and participate in the virtual workplace.

Maximizing talent management will take some new skills from recruitment firms and staffing agencies as they mold their services to help their clients.  Now hiring professionals will need to:

  • Understand how to use social media to attract and engage freelance workers
  • Frequent the online sites where freelancers find their business connections
  • Find alternatives to career sites for getting the hiring word out

For example, in addition to referrals or campus recruiting, a hiring firm may use Twitter to find talent for new projects or post the need on LinkedIn to spread announcements throughout their networks.

The hiring industry is already seeing changes to help recruitment firms and staffing agencies learn to use online tools.  As social media has proven its worth in providing workers for blended workforces (those that contain full time and project-contingent workers), staffing software has grown to include social media integration.

And as hiring professionals are contracted to supply talent from the entrepreneurial freelance market, social channels will become more important in establishing relationships with those who can help companies achieve their goals…one project at a time.

For more insight into the new look of hiring in 2012, download our whitepaper, 6 Ways Staffing Agencies Can Engage Their Social Channels.

5 Ways Talent Acquisition Professionals Can Improve in 2012

You probably don’t need another new year’s resolution, much less five (the number I have for you below). But all of us in the world of talent acquisition can do our jobs better, so I thought I would share how I plan to improve in 2012. (which was, all in all, very good):

  • Resolution #1: Help hiring managers stay ahead of the curve.

    It’s very, very easy to get frustrated with executives (at all levels) who think that hiring a high-quality candidate for a reasonable price is relatively quick and painless. Instead of getting frustrated, though, I (and other talent acquisition professionals) can think of myself as an educator of sorts. This means talking with hiring managers on a regular basis and making them think about the needs they will have in two months, six months, even a year.

  • Resolution #2: Make the talent acquisition process more efficient for and transparent to all involved

    . I want to make sure that efforts aren’t being unnecessarily duplicated, and I want to make sure that everyone involved in the process knows 1) Their place in the process and 2) How to quickly move the process along. If they already know, my efforts will reinforce their knowledge.

  • Resolution #3: Improve my candidate pool via social media

    . I’ve written a lot about the power of social media in the talent acquisition process, and I’ve followed my own advice – for the most part. I need to reevaluate my social media efforts and see how new technology and new social media venues open up ways to reach even more candidates.

  • Resolution #4: Make more frequent contact with candidates.

    I’ve lost some good opportunities because I hadn’t contacted a candidate for over six months. In other words, when the first response of a candidate is, “So who are you again?” I know I haven’t been proactive enough.

  • Resolution #5: Be more flexible.

    That is, with interviews. For the sake of efficiency and sanity, I want to get better about accommodating the complicated schedules and unforeseen obstacles (and subsequent cancellations) of potential candidates. We’re all busy, and a little understanding of that will go a long way for everyone.

Feel free to share any of your own resolutions or areas you plan to improve on in the comments below.

Don’t be shy about contacting us about talent acquisition, recruiting software, staffing software, and other HR-related products.

 

Bond Exhibit at the Global Recruiter UK Summit 2012

Global Recruiter Summit 2012 200x200Bond International Software, the global provider of recruitment and human capital management software and services, will be showcasing the latest version of Bond Adapt – the specialist portfolio of recruitment software applications – at The Global Recruiter UK Summit on the 15th March 2012 at The King’s Fund, 11 Cavendish Square, London.

Attending and exhibiting at the summit, Bond demonstrates its commitment to helping those recruiters who are looking to expand their recruitment business on an international scale.

Demonstrations will be given of the latest version of its flagship product, Bond Adapt, the specialist portfolio of recruitment software applications currently used by some of the largest global recruiters and available as a Software-as-a-Service or as an on-site deployment. Newly developed features to aid recruiters’ day-to-day activities will be highlighted along with proven AWR workflows and Bond Adapt’s wide integration with other popular industry tools, such as Daxtra’s Search Station 2 and Drag&Tag.

The day-long summit will give a thorough overview of the competitive advantages that recruitment consultancies can gain from expanding into global territories, but will also detail the potential pitfalls. Presentations will be given on where recruiters should be looking for their first international move and indeed what the burgeoning regions are. Leaders in tax, politics and legal issues will be on hand to provide practical advice to those recruitment consultancies considering their first or next move overseas.

Jim Tanfield, Editor, The Global Recruiter, comments, “As an international recruitment software provider itself, Bond is well-placed to offer invaluable advice on how recruitment consultancies can expand into global territories. We are therefore delighted that Bond International Software is supporting our UK Summit by offering demonstrations of Bond Adapt. There is little doubt that when it comes to expanding a recruitment business into new countries, regions and continents, preparation is key. It is not simply a case of picking a burgeoning hot spot and making a quick exit to the airport. The nuances may be subtle in many aspects of overseas recruitment, compared to the UK, but getting them wrong can be very costly. The industry therefore has a responsibility to educate those businesses that are considering global expansion on how best to execute an international business strategy, and we are proud that our UK Summit will offer attendees such invaluable guidance.” 

Tim Richards, Managing Director, Bond International Software (UK), comments, “We are looking forward to being involved in The Global Recruiter UK Summit as it provides us with a platform to raise the profile of Bond Adapt amongst key individuals and also share some of our own hard-won knowledge. Over the years, we have spent a great deal of time and resource in continually updating and developing our flagship product, Bond Adapt, in line with current industry needs, whether originating from the UK or from abroad. An event which focuses on global expansion within the recruitment industry provides us with a great opportunity to showcase the functionality and broad suitability within the latest version of Bond Adapt, and we are therefore looking forward to exhibiting at The Global Recruiter UK Summit.”

Have You Integrated Your Staffing Software Into Your Social Media Hiring?

staffing software and social mediaThe year 2012 offers great news for recruiting firms and staffing agencies.  According to Jobvite’s 2011 survey, 67% of the 800 people surveyed said they plan to increase hiring this year.  That’s up from 55% in 2010.  Knowing that the hiring tide is beginning to swell, those companies that invest in recruiting and staffing software incorporating social media will be the leaders of the pack.

Why do we say this?  Consider this statistic from comScore:

Over the last 4 years, time spent on social media has increased from 1 in 12 minutes to 1 in 5.

It’s clear that for both candidates searching for positions and hiring professionals seeking to fill permanent and temporary jobs, social media is a channel that can’t be ignored.

For Hiring Professionals:

The Jobvite survey revealed strong trends toward increasing social media as a hiring tool.  These numbers help tell the story:

  • 89% of companies say they will recruit through social media this year
  • 55% will increase their budgets for social recruiting
  • 64% have expanded their social recruiting to two or more channels

Of the top 3 networks (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn), LinkedIn is the clear favorite for hiring professionals – 87% of respondents said they use LinkedIn. About 55% of companies use Facebook and 47% use Twitter.

These statistics reinforce the need for staffing software.  With its rich functionality of integrating social media into staffing processes, software automation makes connecting with candidates easier and faster.

For Job Candidates:

Whether temporary or full time, job candidates have found social media a powerful tool in their searches for new positions.  According to the Jobvite study, nearly 64% of companies found candidates through social media.

And as social media becomes more intrinsic to people’s lives through added apps and new platforms, the dominance of job boards and career sites may wane.  In 2011, candidate quality scores for those acquired through social networks measured 7.0 on a 1-10 scale, vs. 6.8 for hires found through career sites and 6.1 for candidates from job boards.

In other words, the higher quality candidates you’re seeking are more likely to connect with you via your tweets, Facebook and LinkedIn posts than ever before.

These numbers reinforce the 2012 mantra – social media for hiring professionals and candidates is not only popular, but smart.  The companies that incorporate staffing software with social media to stay connected to candidates and clients will have a leg up on their slower competitors.

And those candidates who use social media to find hiring opportunities will have better chances of beating other job seekers to the punch.

Interested in moving your recruitment firm or staffing agency to the next level?  For more information on how you can make your hiring processes more efficient, check out our blog post, Social Media Enabled Software That Drives Successful Staffing And Recruiting.

Avoid These Costly I-9 Mistakes

Ever since 1986, when the U.S. government began requiring “facially valid” documentation of eligibility to work in the country, the I-9 form has been giving employers headaches. Not because millions of illegal immigrants are using false documents, but because little mistakes – like a misspelled name – mean a lot of time wasted trying to re-file and, in some cases, fines for improper documentation (which range from $110 to $1100 per form). Like it or not, proper I-9 procedures are a key aspect of talent management.

Here are 5 common I-9 errors you should strive to avoid:

  • An incomplete form.

    Maybe the candidate left the “Alien #” blank, or maybe you notice that something is missing but the candidate has already left the office. It’s tempting to just push the paperwork on rather than go through the hassle of re-contacting the candidate and having them go through the hassle of coming in again. But in the end, the extra hassle is far less painful than problems with U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS).

  • Incomplete documentation.

    In Section 2, its 1) one “List A” document OR 2) one “List B” document and one “List C” document. In other words, just having a driver’s license isn’t enough. For some forms of documentation in Section 2 and Section 3, document numbers, issuing authorities, and/or expiration dates have to be filled out.

  • Untimely documentation.

    The law is clear: the I-9 has to be completed properly by the third business day after the date the employee started work for pay, or, if the employee is hired for three business days or less, at the time the employee started work for pay. Waiting longer can result in a fine or, worse yet, concrete evidence that you have hired an undocumented worker – which can mean a fine of $375-3200 per worker.

  • Over documentation.

    The USCIS frowns on employers asking for more documentation than they need. Over documentation can be interpreted as a form of discrimination, which carry significant penalties from UNCIS as well as the threat of a lawsuit from the prospective employee.

  • Using an old form.

    In the age of the internet, there’s no excuse for this mistake. The latest form is always available at this USCIS page.

To cut down on minor errors, some companies have instituted a “quality control” program. This can mean anything from having someone outside HR check I-9’s before they are filed to hiring an outside company to pre-process I-9’s.  Some have also provided employees with blank I-9’s which highlight the areas that need to be filled out. Other won’t let an employee start his or her job until the form is completed correctly.  Given the costs associated with I-9 mistakes, your company may want to consider similar policies.

To learn more about recruiting software, staffing software, talent management, and other HR-related topics, subscribe to this blog and check out the other blogs from Bond US.

Social Media Enabled Software That Drives Successful Staffing and Recruiting

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, You Tube, WordPress, Blogging — that we are in a new era of multi-channel, highly-personalized, news, lifestyle and information distribution is enough to make a good recruiter or staffing professional cry.

So much chafe, so little time…

How do you manage all of those streams of information? How do you easily and effectively search for candidates across so many different sources? How can you possibly track all of your own job order related postings and activities to determine what works and what doesn’t? There aren’t enough hours in the day. And you don’t have the time to waste — you have orders to fill. You need solutions that reduce your effort, while helping you separate the chafe (all the junk out there on the Internet) from the wheat (all the good candidate and employee information you need for recruiting).

Enter Bond International Software and its three staffing and recruiting software packages: Bond Adapt, Bond eEmpACT and Bond StaffSuite.

Each of these three products is uniquely designed to help harried staffing and recruiting professionals better manage their time by reducing the effort it takes to keep up with virtually anything related to social media and your staffing and recruiting business.

For example, from within Bond software you can record candidates’ online profiles on LinkedIn and other social media sites so that you can develop a better understanding of their fitness for your job orders. You can also easily send job postings from within the software to your own site and, at the same time through RSS feeds, to your own social media sites to aid in recruiting with less effort.

But there’s more. It’s not enough that you can track candidates or customers through their online social media profiles or post jobs or send news via RSS feeds. With Bond recruiting and staffing software you can also develop and implement tracking and reporting that helps you understand the effectiveness of these efforts. You can determine the ROI of your social media campaigning.

Like to find out more? Call us at 800-318-4983 or click www.bond-us.com for more information. We look forward to helping you put social media to work for you!

The Top Five Things Recruiters and Staffing Coordinators Don’t Do That Cost Money

Don't make these staffing and recruiting mistakes.D’oh! That’s Homer Simpson’s usual reaction when he misses something that to most of us is painfully obvious. We can all relate to Homer’s problem though – it is all too easy to miss something obvious sometimes in the rush to get the sale, fill the order, or just follow through with a customer or candidate.

These little ‘misses’ can add up to big dollars. Staying aware of these issues and putting a process in place to prevent them from happening will improve your profitability. Here is our Top Five common staffing and recruiting mistakes:

1. Not remembering to bill or pay for an expense associated to an assignment.

This is one that leaves money on the table, increasing the cost of the assignment to you, and reducing profit. In one survey of staffing companies, 60% of respondents felt this was a problem, and 20% indicated that this happened once or twice a month.

2. Not following up with the candidate that did not get the job.

Here is one that should be a piece of cake, but no one likes to be the bearer of bad news. In our survey of recruiting and staffing firms, 100% of survey respondents related to this common mistake, and 30% indicated that it happened more than once or twice a week! To avoid this problem, set-up to-do activities in your system to remind yourself to communicate with the candidate. It keeps the door open and lets them know you are still working to find the right position for them.

3. Calling customers to extend an assignment is a lot cheaper than finding a new assignment.

Making a few additional follow-up calls can pay big dividends. You can find that the client really likes the work being done by the temporary employee, or that, with a little training; the person assigned could easily handle a different, more profitable assignment. Of our survey respondents, 70% agreed that this was a common mistake.

4. Not pre-qualifying resumes you receive before adding them to your database.

Here is a classic example of Garbage In, Garbage Out. Why clog up your candidate database with a bunch of unqualified resumes? The junk just slows down your searches and wastes recruiter time. In our survey, only 40% pre-qualified every resume they received. Spend the time up-front to qualify resumes and you’ll have a stronger database of candidates for your customers.

5. Not asking for new orders when doing contingent employee quality check calls.

This mistake is so obvious that it should be stamped on the phone of everyone making follow-up calls, “Always ask for more business!”

Process is power.

Every one of these common mistakes is avoidable. That is what a powerful recruiting and staffing software can do for you. It can be your vigilant assistant to track your activities, candidates, employees, orders, fills, and back-office details so that you don’t forget the little things that cost money and reduce your level of customer service.

We’re here to help you. Call or click for more details.

5 Ways Applicant Tracking Systems Improve the Quality of Hires

You track applicants (of course), but do you use up to date applicant tracking software? If not, you should. In the long run – and maybe in the short run – it will save you considerable time and money.

Here’s why you need good applicant tracking software:

  • You need – or will soon need – an edge on your competition.

    Most economists predict continued growth in U.S. markets, but no one knows if the U.S. economy will continue in slow growth mode or blossom into a rapid job-creating engine. Either way, the number of suitable candidates out there is bound to dwindle. You need to ensure that they are reading and responding to your jobs first.

  • You need to broadcast your job openings widely and quickly.

    You can enter information on Monster, your LinkedIn site, the local paper, and other sites…or you can use applicant tracking software to distribute job information automatically to hundreds of popular job sites.

  • You need a candidate search engine.

    Applicant tracking software can do a lot of web surfing for you, identifying and reporting on candidates who fit particular profiles.

  • You need seamless hiring workflow.

    Good applicant tracking software makes sure all necessary information gets from the applicant to your system to the recruiter, hiring manager, and anyone else involved in the hiring process. It also makes candidate information available to the hiring team at any time and, if desired, from any location. Moreover, it can pre-screen applicants so that you and your staff only evaluate the candidates qualified for the job.

  • You need comprehensive, automatic reporting.

    You don’t discriminate, but can you easily prove that to the EEOC or OFCCP? Applicant tracking software produces reports that meet government compliance demands. Custom reports – for internal audits or other analytic purposes – can also be created.

We know: the important subjective decisions involved in hiring can’t be automated. But many hiring processes can be automated, giving hiring team members the time to attend more carefully – and more collaboratively – on those important subjective decisions. That’s what applicant tracking software aims to do.

Contact us for more information on applicant tracking software. Subscribe to this blog for more information on applicant tracking software and other HR-related software.