Cloud-Based Recruiting Software Reduces IT Costs And Headaches For Staffing And Recruiting Industry Agencies

As staffing and recruiting companies, like many other organizations, look to cost saving measures, the importance of cloud-based staffing software and recruiting software cannot be undervalued. The impact of the Great Recession may be slowly receding and hiring is picking up, but with companies taking into account the need for staffing flexibility, they are looking for recruiters to offer direct services with greater benefits at decreased costs.

Cloud-based staffing and recruiting software is a cost-effective solution for many reasons. Not only does cloud-based staffing and recruiting software drastically improve the efficiency of recruiting professionals because they are able to access all information with any network-connected device, it also eliminates or greatly reduces the need to purchase applications, software, additional servers or employ in-house IT tech staff. This sizable chunk of operational budget funds – a significant non-revenue producing operational expense – is now available to be reinvested in the business or as pure bottom-line profits.

In North America, the adoption rate for cloud services is changing the face of business computing. More than 62 percent of all business have integrated some form of cloud computing system in place, according to a paper from Microsoft. This is because it is recognized that cloud computing solutions offer a wide range of positive features to businesses of all sizes.

If saving money were not enough of a push to switch to cloud-based staffing and recruiting software, then the added security of these measures might be. Staffing Industry Analysts reported that cloud-based staffing and recruiting software provides stability in a way that private programs cannot. Cloud vendors know data security and up-time reliability is critical to the ongoing success and efficiency of their customers and so put tremendous resources into their IT infrastructure and staffing to assure their customers of dedicated levels of performance. Only the largest corporate enterprise computing environments can match the physical security of cloud-based staffing and recruiting software. Additionally, they feature redundant back-up systems to assure 99.9+ percent uptime availability of the staffing and recruiting software.

Even with all of the security measures put in place to protect data, there is mobility to cloud-based recruiting software that is not possible with other options. A recruiter can easily use his or her mobile device, or any of the multiple mobile devices he or she probably owns, to access information about a client or potential candidate for a job. This ability to access information readily and quickly is another benefit for a staffing and recruiting professional. Employees are able to better prepare or source for potential candidates on a whim or access information instantaneously to answer a question immediately.

Finally, cloud-based staffing and recruiting software offers management an easy means to keep their staffing and recruiting software up-to-date while managing their costs. Software updates are made by the vendor so that business operations are not typically impacted.

Three Key Staffing Trends Drive Increased Opportunities for Staffing Agencies

Staffing and recruiting professionals who have weathered the interesting economic conditions experienced in the past year may already be experiencing some key trends. However, other people may be just beginning to notice the subtle changes to the market which will make having the right recruiting software critical. According to a study from technology staffing firm Yoh (a Bond International Staffing and Recruiting Software customer), 88 percent of major U.S. employers surveyed expect that their 2013 rate of hiring will meet or exceed the rate of 2012. Of the companies that answered positively for increasing hiring within those 12 months, 83 percent predicted that they will increase staffing levels by at least 3 percent, reported the Society for Human Resource Management.

The survey was administered by Amplitude Research during January 2013 and used the responses of 150 human resource executives and hiring managers at some of the largest employers in the nation. Each of the companies surveyed had revenues of at least $750 million and a workforce of at least 1,500 people.

“The optimism evident in our [study] is tempered by persistent economic uncertainty and operational efficiency that has reduced demand for workers,” said Yoh President Lori Schultz in a statement about the findings, according to the source. “In addition, as the workforce grows more complex through, for example, the use of contract labor, a majority of organizations will be left flat-footed since they haven’t adjusted their workforce planning habits to account for this complexity. Now more than ever, systematic workforce planning is crucial to quickly sourcing, recruiting and hiring top performers.”

While there are still concerns over the economy due to the slow climb from the recession, many businesses and staffing and recruiting professionals are finding that the change may be slow, but it is happening.

Here are three key trends you may or may not already be noticing:

1) Increased contingent forces. Almost every staffing and recruiting professional will say that they are seeing an increased number of contingent, temp and part-time work being offered. This trend is being seen in both the service and professional services sectors as employers look for greater flexibility. In the IT sector, the use of contingent labor has proven successful as those workers gain higher salaries and greater control over what projects they work on instead of traditional benefits. Other professional industries are looking to adopt this model to boost employment numbers. As this trend develops, utilizing the best staffing and recruiting software will position your agency for success.

2) Competition is fierce for top talent. Due to the increased usage of contingent labor for projects, companies are finding, especially in certain industries, that there is a lot of competition for workers. For jobs like occupational therapy in healthcare and infrastructure development engineering for IT, there is a dearth of qualified personnel who have the talent, experience and personality for the job. As a result, staffing and recruiting professionals who work in these sectors are being forced to compete, offering these workers competitive benefits and interesting projects to lure them away from other potential jobs. The right staffing and recruiting software will ensure that you are able to stay competitive in these sectors.

3) Companies are struggling with workforce planning. According to the study from Yoh, many companies report that they struggle with workforce planning. Recruiters and staffing professionals outfitted with unified staffing and recruiting software can provide a comprehensive consultation service to these organizations and help meet their needs.

While many of the companies who were surveyed reported that they intend to increase hiring in 2013, only 13 percent had a workforce plan with defined standards and milestones. By hiring a staffing professional, a company can better create a step-by-step workforce plan that could better reduce risks associated with bringing onboard a large number of people in a short amount of time.

Affordable Care Act expected to boost temporary staffing

While many businesses and Americans across the nation are looking at the Affordable Healthcare Act warily in terms of how it will impact employment numbers, others see potential opportunities. The full implementation of the ACA is expected to present a challenge for many businesses of every size and in every industry. Starting in 2015 (note: previously 2014. However the Obama administration delayed the mandate for one year), companies with more than 50 employees will be required to offer health insurance to full-time workers, which are those who work more than 30 hours per work, or pay a penalty fee. Some organizations are worried about what this will mean in terms of maintaining staffing levels, yet there are those who are excited by the potential of this new development. With a little over a year to prepare for the federal mandate, implementing an effective recruiting and staffing software is critical for positioning your staffing firm for success.

Time Magazine recently reported that temporary staffing and recruiting professionals are expected to experience a heyday of sorts. Temporary staffing agencies will benefit heavily from the ACA because organizations will turn toward using more part-time or contingent workers to complete tasks than go through the costs and headaches associated with keeping a large full-time salaried staff.

“In general [the ACA] is viewed as something that will lead to increases in the penetration rate of temporary workers,” said Tobey Sommer, an analyst with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, according to the news source.

To deal with the increase in the number of clients and candidates looking for assignments, staffing and recruiting professionals will need to adapt to the use of more accessible, comprehensive solutions. Staffing software can help a professional remain on top of the developing industry. As clients look for a greater number of part-time staff and more potential candidates are made available for various jobs, recruiting software will become of great importance.

Staffing Industry Technology Expert Sara Moss Joins erecruit as Vice President of Staffing Best Practices

Will Help Enterprise Staffing Firms Optimize Their Use of Technology to Impact Profitability

Sara-Moss-Joins-erecruitBoston, MA – September 12, 2013 – erecruit, the emerging leader in enterprise staffing software, today announced the appointment of Sara Moss to the newly-created role of Vice President of Staffing Best Practices.  In this role, Sara will consult with erecruit’s prospects and customers, focusing on business process analysis and reengineering by leveraging erecruit’s enterprise staffing software and VMS solutions.

“As a consultant assisting staffing firms with software selection, I’ve gotten to know a lot of technology companies and products over the years” said Sara Moss, VP of Staffing Best Practices for erecruit. “I’ve watched erecruit quickly and continuously strengthen their products, team and company, far surpassing the industry leaders. erecruit’s passion to be the best at what they do, their willingness to do everything in their power to ensure customer satisfaction, and the integrity with which they operate resonates perfectly with me.  I am compelled and honored to join the erecruit team.”

Sara is best known throughout the staffing industry for her consulting work with hundreds of staffing firms while President at The Code Works.  For the past 10 years, Sara has been the go-to industry expert for larger staffing firms facing strategic technology decisions, front and back office staffing software selection, custom software development and vendor management software (VMS) integration.  Prior to founding The Code Works, Sara worked with the Fortune 500 across Europe and the U.S. on business process design and reengineering projects as a consultant with Accenture.  As VP of Staffing Best Practices for erecruit, Sara will bring a refreshing, consultative approach for staffing firms evaluating, implementing and running erecruit.

“erecruit has experienced explosive growth in the mid and enterprise staffing market over the past several years.  To continue supporting our prospects and customers with innovative services, we are committed to continue building a team of the top minds in staffing technology and business process reengineering that staffing executives can turn to” said Judd Hoffman, Co-CEO of erecruit.  “I am delighted to have Sara join our team and look forward to the impact she will have on our customers’ businesses.”

About erecruit
erecruit is the first company in over a decade to offer a fresh alternative to legacy software solutions designed for enterprise staffing firms.  Built by staffing and enterprise software leaders, erecruit uses modern, standards-based technologies to provide an integrated front and back office solution with VMS and powerful, real-time analytics that allows today’s best firms to put their clients and candidates at the heart of their businesses.  Customers have found that the erecruit platform combines an unparalleled level of configuration, ease-of-use, business intelligence and reporting with unlimited integration capability, providing them ultimate control over business success.  To learn more about erecruit, visit www.erecruit.com.

Full Release:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/staffing-industry-technology-expert-sara-moss-joins-erecruit-as-vice-president-of-staffing-best-practices-223428011.html

Staffing Insights: Bruce Steinberg, Employment and Staffing Industry Analyst, Sees Dramatic Changes Ahead Particularly With The ACA

A number of trends are impacting the staffing sector, so much so that industry experts are using data and observations from previous years to try and predict what employment is going to look like next year and in the next 10 years. Some trends are making technology adoptions like recruiting software necessary, while others are changing the face of the staffing sector and how it interacts with clients.

To weigh in on the evolution of the staffing industry, we have Bruce Steinberg, Employment & Economic Consultant. With more than 20 years of corporate communications experience specializing in the staffing industry, Steinberg has worked with Staffing Industry Analysts and the American Staffing Association as a director of research.

Let’s take a look into how he views the current state of the industry and what direction it may take to remain competitive.

The aging population and how it is impacting staffing
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the elderly population is expected to more than double between now and 2050. As a result, the number of people over the age of 65, the typical age of retirement, will reach about 80 million or approximately one out of five adults in the nation.

Steinberg believes that this will have a drastic impact on the nation’s economy, the employment sector and the staffing industry.

“I think that one of the key trends that is impacting employment and jobs in general – and ultimately affecting staffing – is how the bell curve of the demographic profile is shifting to older people,” Steinberg said. “The high point of the bell curve indicating the population’s age is getting older, which is changing the nature of jobs and services needed for the economy. The recession may have slowed the percentage of people [leaving jobs] by delaying many people’s retirement, but that is soon going to change.”

Steinberg added that “the number of new workers coming down the pipeline is not as many [as previous decades], which means there will continue to be a shortage of workers, but at the same time, productivity has increased very fast because of computerization. In addition, business models in manufacturing and service industries have changed, and now people can produce a lot more products and services aided by technology… it will be interesting to see how it all unfolds, if the increase in productivity will manage with less workers.”

The state of the economy is impacting employment trends
Recently released employment numbers have everyone talking because according to one report, 77 percent of the jobs created in 2013 were part-time positions, reported The Boston Globe. For some, this figure was highly worrisome, and for others, it indicated a growing trend toward hiring contingent or part-time workers instead of full-time, salaried professionals.

“[Businesses could be using contingent and part-time workers as] a strategy to cope with the ACA. If that’s true or not, we don’t know. It’s what everyone has been saying, and I am certain that some businesses are using that as a strategy, but others are just finding that part-time workers are more efficient,” Steinberg said. “We are in a recovery, and the work and economy has not come back with any great magnitude – businesses at this stage may only need or can only create part-time employees, because of the relative weakness of the economic growth.”

The importance of staffing professionals using recruiting software to help keep desirable, comprehensive services
The changing face of the industry is resulting in a number of trends that professionals will have to learn to adapt to in order to remain current. The creation and implementation of the Affordable Care Act is just one way that staffing professionals can remain current and a vital part of the employment process for clients. Of course, the right recruiting software is also vital.

“Staffing companies have to be very aware of what the job trends are in the markets they serve and look to diversify in the sector they serve as well the variety of the services they offer to employers and businesses,” Steinberg said.

While some people are against the implementation of the ACA and the increasing presence of federal regulations in business, it could lead to a positive situation developing for staffing professionals.

“There are a lot of folks who disdain from heavy regulation on the employer/employee relationship – it’s an additional burden that they have to learn and it can gum up the works. That’s a very strong mindset within the staffing industry and with staffing industry executives. I have a very contrarian view that the more regulation and the more complicated the relationship is, the more reason there is to use a staffing agency,” Steinberg said.

He went on to say that the ACA and other regulations being implemented in the business world, especially concerning employment, could boost the desirability of hiring a staffing firm for many organizations.

“Small, medium and even large businesses are in business, not in the world of employment. For example, if a business is in the business of making widgets, they are experts in that. They are not necessarily experts at being employers. The ACA and regulations could be good for the staffing industry and increase organizations’ reliance on staffing firms because we are the experts in employment.”

How staffing professionals can benefit from the ACA
The ACA might just be a blessing in disguise for some staffing agencies if they can become experts in the act and market a consultation service as part of their brand.

“[While it may be very hard to become an expert in the ACA], it is very important for those in the staffing industry, to become very well versed in it and know how to implement it. Somewhere along the line the ACA will create a variety of new types of jobs and professions for staffing companies to fill,” Steinberg said. “If a staffing company can develop ACA experts, then they can provide those services to businesses, possibly creating a whole new service line.”

Based on these and other trends in employment and staffing, it is increasingly important that staffing and recruiting agencies update their staffing software to enable them to effectively handle changing demographics, job requisitions, and government regulations and reporting.

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Bruce Steinberg offers a range of products, services, and analysis of economic and employment data and can be reached at http://www.brucesteinberg.net