Bond International Software Wins $4m Contract in Japan

Under this contract Bond will provide licences and services as well as ongoing support to one of Japan’s leading temporary staffing agencies. The work includes development of systems and configuration to support Japanese labour law requirements and the system will incorporate Bond’s Adapt Staffing suite including front office, timesheets and invoicing. It will manage a recruitment team of over 1,000 personnel spread across 20 offices in Japan and pay approximately 35,000 temporary staff per month.

Bond has been operating in Japan since 2009 and so far the company has worked with predominantly international recruitment firms. This is its largest project with a Japanese staffing agency.

The deal is said to be worth USD4m over five years.

“This contract win is a great example of our market leading software and continued expansion across geographies. The new system also demonstrates Bond’s flexibility in its products and services,” commented Chief Executive, Steve Russell.

Specify Your Mobile Staffing & Recruiting Plans Before Investing

Just because a particular technology is new and hyped, doesn’t necessarily mean its the right immediate investment for your recruiting or staffing agency.

Despite the hype, mobile technology isn’t necessarily something that should simply be tossed into your recruiting or staffing processes.  This is not to say that mobile has no place – and is not a valuable tool – only that you must first have specific goals and objectives for what it is you are trying to accomplish by going mobile.  Otherwise, this technology may become little more than just an expensive toy.

(For a consumer oriented example, think back to the Segway.   If the company had goals that were more clearly defined than – ‘be the next evolution in human transportation’ – many of us may be riding one today.)

To ensure any decision you make involving mobile is based purely on what it can help to do for your agency, here are three specific tactics mobile can help you with almost immediately after implementation.  My advice is to determine if these tactics will be beneficial to your agency, to think of more and similar tactics like these – and to develop a plan for launching these tactics – even before you finalize a plan to fully integrate mobile technology:

1. Launch a mobile friendly website:  Since smartphones are already incredibly popular and will in all likelihood continue to gain in popularity in the future, why not capitalize on the trend?  Develop a mobile website targeted at recruiting people who own smartphones – typically the younger and more tech-savvy crowd.  Make sure you’re equipped with staffing and recruiting software with the ability to capture and organize QR codes, so you can easily create a database of contacts for follow-up.

2. Conduct automated interviews.  Some companies are going as far as to conduct interviews via smartphones and tablet PCs.  Commonly, these companies will use their recruiting software to record several questions, developed especially for high-volume recruiting efforts.  Although it may be faster in screening out who might be less desirable candidates, note that an automated process may not be a complete substitute for interviews via phone or in-person.  What if a highly qualified applicant doesn’t understand a question?  Miscommunications are easily cleared up by in-person discussions.

3. Add a candidate self-scheduling function.  Self-scheduling is undoubtedly a task which would enhance workplace productivity.  Applicants could simply browse an animated calendar and add themselves to the schedule. Remember how many e-mails and how much frustration is sometimes spent working out a mutually agreeable interview time with some candidates?  Eliminate that lost time and added stress with staffing and recruiting software that allows for candidate self-scheduling.

You may or may not choose to use mobile technology in some of the ways discussed.  But, the methodology for any tactic you choose to implement (like the tactics above) – should be based on a plan first, and technology second.

Big Data Wave Failing To Surface Analysts For Recruiting & Staffing Agencies

You probably already have a good idea that the amount of candidate information available to your recruiting or staffing agency is growing rapidly.  But the real question is:  who is going to analyze this ‘candidate big data’ and organize it into sensible patterns you can understand?

Unfortunately, while the demand for qualified analysts continues to rise, the talent pools from which your agency is able to find these talented individuals is not seeing corresponding growth.  Business consulting firm McKinsey estimates that by 2018, the United States will have a shortage of between 140,000 and 190,000 people needed to analyze the growing amounts of information.

And in the meantime, candidate big data – and the corresponding risk that you miss placing an ideal candidate with one of your top clients – continues to grow.  So how can you best overcome the odds to find the right data analyst for your agency?

First, you will need to identify whether or not your local talent pool is up to snuff.  And if not, let’s face it, you are just going to have to get creative.  Rather than focusing purely locally, you’ll need to expand your reach into national markets where there is more aggregate talent available.  A few of the current ones include St. Joseph (Missouri), El Paso and Tucson.  Next, you will need to determine whether you are comfortable bringing these employees on remotely (which may involve time zone challenges) – or paying a premium in salary and relocation fees.

Of course, another option is to look for candidates that are more entry level – and more commonly found in most markets.  Just because these candidates don’t have the immediate skills you want right out of the box doesn’t mean they won’t be successful in the job.  Many companies look for skills and experience, only to get burned by someone just looking to get a paycheck.  If you start with motivation and a willingness to learn, you might land on some stronger candidates.

Finally, the last option – which can tie into both of the options above – is to lure candidates away from other companies.  It is here that the staffing and recruiting software you use to fill your client needs can be used to meet the needs of your own agency.  Your recruiting software can help you evaluate the candidates available in your market by helping you more easily search for those that may have reached out to your agency in the past – or those that are describing their skill set with a targeted set of keywords in social networks such as LinkedIn (ie, ‘staffing,’ ‘data,’ ‘analysis,’ etc.)

Big candidate data is essential to your agency’s survival – as is having the team members in place that can help you interpret it accurately.  If you aren’t where you need to be in terms of getting the right team members in place – your agency is not alone – meaning the time for worry is not today.  Today is the time to use the tools you have at your disposal, to think outside the box – and more importantly – to think outside your neighborhood – to find the right analysts that will help you turn candidate big data into the actionable metrics that will help your agency grow.

To learn more about how recruiting and staffing software from Bond US can help your agency achieve its recruiting goals, request a demo.

Waiting for Business to Improve? Don’t. Invest Now and Build Business Leadership.

Three reasons why investing in staffing software or recruiting software will enable you to establish leadership in today’s economy.

BuzzardsA long time ago, I worked for a fast growing design and printing firm that prized both the quality of its work and its salesmanship. Prominently displayed in the sales bullpen as an encouragement to not wait for the phone to ring with an order was a large, framed poster, a cartoon of two buzzards sitting in a tree. The caption read, “I’m tired of waiting, I’m going to go kill something.” The same could be said about the value of NOT waiting-out today’s business uncertainties.

First, some background. According to the NBER, the most recent recession, the longest since the Great Depression of the early twentieth century, ended 18 months after it began, in June of 2009. At that time the “official” unemployment rate hit 9.5 percent. Today there are nearly 25 million underemployed and unemployed in the U.S., where the “real” unemployment rate in June of 2012 is still an alarming 14.9 percent. In fact, some economic observers make a convincing argument that we are “halfway to a lost decade.”

Sounds like way too much gloom and doom, right? Not so fast.

In the latest underwhelming jobs report for June, 2012 where only 80,000 non-farm jobs were created, one bright fact jumped out. About a third of those newly created jobs (25,000) were temporary in nature. it would seem that the still challenging economy and uncertain business picture has been really good for all of you in the business of finding and placing people in contingent assignments.

“During the last 12 months, privately held employment service firms have seen their revenues grow by almost 20 percent annually, which far outpaces the average annual growth of around 10 percent for private companies across all industries,” said Sageworks analyst Libby Bierman. “That sales growth validates what the employment numbers released this morning showed — the economy has recently been adding a lot of temporary jobs, which are positions that employment service firms routinely fill.”

Wait and See, or Forge Ahead?

So, your business is probably pretty good now, right? Sure, there’s a lot of uncertainty and you, like many business owners, may be reluctant to make any capital expenditures (just like a lot of businesses are not hiring FTE’s) because of that uncertainty. However, in the face of continued uncertainty, now is really the perfect time to re-visit your business plan (you do have one, right?) and determine what steps you can take to help set your business apart from your competitors and better serve your clients, candidates and contingent employees.

At the top of the list for review should be your most critical working tool, your staffing software and/or recruiting software. Here then are three reasons why investing in updating your software will enable you to establish business leadership in today’s economy.

First, Drive Actionable Knowledge to Reduce Uncertainties

Your staffing software should enable you to better know your business, your market, your friends, and your enemies. Detailed management reporting from your staffing and recruiting software can give you insightful analysis of sales, client trends, operational costs, most profitable clients and segments, and wins/losses versus your competition. As business guru Peter Drucker once said, “The basic economic resource… is and will be knowledge.” The more you know, the more effectively you can act to wring every penny of profit out of every business transaction.

Second, Improve Your Ability to Attract and Retain Your Own Top Talent

Chances are you too are hiring members of the “Millennial Generation” to staff your own business. This generation, and the X Generation that precedes it, are among the most “connected” ever. They’ve got their smart phones, tablets, laptops and always-on connections. They get technology and use it daily. Your staffing software and recruiting software tells your own employees whether or not you and your business “gets it” as well. Their expectations are high, and well-designed, user-friendly software will enable them to be trained easier and faster and so deliver greater productivity (that is, profits) to your business over a shorter period of time.

Third, Improve Your Competitive Advantage and Leadership

Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and Chief Executive of General Electric Co., made a point of GE’s continuing technology investments during the recession, saying, “If you keep investing in technology and innovation in the worst of times, your competitive advantage grows.” Immelt’s statement is backed-up by a survey by the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor. It’s based on a sample of more than 700 business owners/managers of companies with fewer than 100 employees. “Technology can dramatically increase your productivity, resulting in more output without necessarily adding to your staffing expense,” said Anita Campbell, Editor and Founder of Small Business Trends, LLC. “It’s no coincidence that of companies that plan to spend, technology is the biggest category of planned investment expense (39 percent).”

Equally important, the staffing software and recruiting software available to you right now is much improved over the software you may have purchased five or more years ago. In the competitive software market, developers like Microsoft Corporation and Bond International Software have the size, scale, innovativeness and financial resources needed to invest in development — and have continued to do so. That means that your team will have access to software tools that enable greater efficiency, are easier than ever to use, and are more cost-effective to deploy. All of these are potential competitive leadership advantages.

A final thought. Salesman, engineer, and auto executive Lee Iacocca once said, “So what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don’t sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we’ve satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.” I would suggest that, in today’s business climate, waiting is losing to those who forge ahead.

Our Adapt, eEmpACT, and StaffSuite solutions are updated regularly to improve your business. CLICK or give us a call at 800-318-4983 today. We’re here to help you succeed.

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Recruiting from the Viewpoint of the Millennial

You probably know about the current employment disconnect companies and recent college graduates are experiencing.  Data found in your staffing and recruiting software probably even helps to demonstrate this disconnect firsthand.  While just about every workplace demographic is suffering, the Millennial generation in particular is experiencing a high degree of hardship.

What does the gap actually look like?  Examine the following statistics (found in this article), compiled by Experience, Inc. In a study analyzing hiring trends for the class of 2012, it found:

  • 91% of employers would like students to have one or two internship experiences under their belt by the time they graduate, but 50% have failed to hire an intern in the past six months
  • 87% of companies believe internships should be at least three months in duration, while most internships last two months
  • 42% of employers are turned off by student unpreparedness during interviews
  • 26% of businesses say they do not like students’ ‘bad attitudes’

As a staffer or recruiter, how can you help alleviate this disconnect – and in so doing – better serve both candidates and the companies you represent?  By taking the time to better understand the Millennial Perspective.

During the recruiting process, you may often find yourself wondering what it is that makes different generations of employees tick.  It’s easy to simply blame the new generation of worker and push them aside.  But, Millennials are the current generation of employee, and somehow, you are going to have to find a way to hire the best candidates and integrate them into your workplace.

The  recruiting software you use may not be able to reveal some of the following thoughts and attitudes many Millennials have:

  • Millennials do want to be praised regarding the quality of their work.  What may appear to be a “bad attitude” toward work may really be a frustrated employee who doesn’t know which direction to go.  Yes, Millennials were raised in a generation where everything they did was viewed as wonderful, but the average individual wants positive feedback so he or she knows they are on the right track, not necessarily because they need their ego polished.
  • Most Millennials do want to work hard.  While employers see candidates unwilling to go the extra mile or who feel entitled to great salaries and benefits without the requisite work, the truth is many Millennial candidates were willing to work unpaid internships during college and accept low hourly rates in order to make it to the next step in their careers.  It may be that the frequency of candidates willing to be brasher about their workplace expectations is greater than in the past, but it’s certainly not representative of every worker in Gen Y.

These two counterpoints are ones staffing and recruiting software may not be able to pick up on – they require individual judgment.  Sure, there are some candidates out there with poor attitudes, but those candidates are found in every generation.

When recruiting this generation, keep an open mind and try to see things from their perspective – you may find yourself surprised when you do.

To learn more about how recruiting and staffing software from Bond US can help your agency achieve its recruiting goals, regardless of what generation candidates you are bringing on, request a demo.

Bond Achieves Quality and Environmental ISO Accreditation

Bond achieves ISO accreditation in quality management systems and environmental management standards Bond International Software achieves ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001 accreditation, further supporting commitments to customer service and environmental responsibility

Bond International Software, the global provider of recruitment and capital management software & services, announces its accreditation with internationally recognised quality management systems and environmental management standards – ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001 respectively.

The ISO 9001:2008 standard is only awarded to companies who can evidence effective and documented processes for communicating with customers regarding product information, enquiries, contracts, orders, feedback and complaints and have in place a framework for the regular review of such processes.

Bond has been awarded this accreditation, recognising an ongoing commitment to the high quality of customer service it provides. Using a formalised feedback recording process, Bond is able to log and track when feedback is received, the path that individual cases take through the business and when a resolution is reached. Bond is also able to analyse complaints, identify trends that indicate any shortfalls in customer service or product design in order to specifically target efforts to resolve any underlying faults and prevent such issues reoccurring. A highly searchable document management system is also in place for employees to refer to their departments’ individual best practise guidelines, thereby promoting constant adherence to the procedures.

Along with ISO 9001:2008, Bond has been awarded the ISO 14001 standard, illustrating Bond’s ongoing commitment to its corporate environmental responsibility. Accreditation with the ISO 14001 standard signifies that a company is minimising how is operations negatively affect the environment and complies with applicable environmental legislations and requirements. As part of complying with such legislation and attaining accreditation, Bond has implemented ‘paperless office’ procedures, has a recycling scheme in place and includes strict environmental criteria in supplier selection. In addition, any employee travel is also made in the most eco-friendly way in order to minimise the company’s carbon footprint.

Les Jones, Lead Auditor and Director of IQS UK, who oversaw the auditing process, comments, “I was suitably impressed with the systems Bond had in place – such as its formalised feedback processes – to happily certify its adherence to the ISO 9001 accreditation. These services demonstrate Bond’s constant determination to provide an optimum level of service. Similarly, the company was able to demonstrate robust environmental management procedures in order to fulfil the standards necessary to obtain the ISO 14001 standard.”

Tim Richards, Managing Director, Bond International Software (UK), comments, “It is our goal as a company to reach and maintain the highest industry standards in all areas of our business. We have a constantly growing list of internationally recognised accreditations and these most recent ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001 accreditations further prove our determination to provide the very best products and services to our customers and reflect our belief that every part of our business and operations contributes to this aim.”

Bond Sets the Bar for Data Protection with Company-Wide ISO Accreditation

Bond International Software, the global provider of recruitment & human capital management software & services, has been accredited with the internationally recognised Information Security standard – ISO 27001:2005.

The quality management accreditation was first given to Bond Payroll Services – the division of Bond International Software that provides expert payroll outsourcing services – in 2011 and has now been awarded to the entire Bond business. This endorsement recognises Bond’s ongoing commitment to improving its services and policy of guaranteed security for all of its products as well as taking into account data protection legislation.

The international standard is only given to companies that fulfil and maintain specific best practice requirements for their Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) and associated processes. The IT systems and processes are subject to an auditing process, after which they are awarded certification provided they have met the stipulated standards. The new accreditation will apply to Bond’s entire range of services ensuring that the products and data held within them is now certified as being fully secure, as well as any sensitive client information that Bond handles.

Les Jones, Lead Auditor and Director of IQS UK, who oversaw the auditing process, comments, “After a detailed and thorough review of Bond’s software and systems, along with its organisation-wide procedures and policies for information security, I was pleased to conclude that Bond’s information security readily met the standards and quality to achieve full certification of ISO 27001:2005. The company was able to easily demonstrate that the necessary systems and procedures were in place to minimise security risks. These included high levels of secure integration between internal departments and external bodies, securing physical business premises and access to computer systems and also suitable protection of sensitive data and documents.”

Tim Richards, Managing Director, Bond International Software (UK), comments, “Our company policy is to be market leaders and promote excellence in the field of recruitment, HR and payroll software and services. An inherent part of these activities is a compulsion to treat our customer data with the utmost sensitivity. We see this as a natural component of providing the very best in customer service – something that we are particularly proud to consistently achieve.”

Richards concludes, “Large recruiters, especially those with international or public sector activities, often stipulate that their suppliers must hold a formal information security certification, typically the ISO 27001:2005 certification.. Having now achieved exactly this certification, we are therefore sufficiently equipped to guarantee the levels of reassurance required by such organisations and we look forward to the extra opportunity such an award will afford us.”