Thinking of Changing your Recruitment CRM?

Lisa Joneslisa-jones is a Director of Barclay Jones, a consultancy working with agency recruiters on their recruitment technology and social media strategies. Prior to Barclay Jones she worked in a number of Recruitment, IT, Web and Operations director-level roles. She is a technology and strategy junkie with keen eyes on the business process. You’ll see Lisa speaking at many recruitment industry events and being a recruitment technology and social media evangelist online. Lisa works with some of the large recruitment firms, as well as the smaller, agile boutique agencies.

In this guest blog post, (originally posted on the Barclay Jones website) Lisa addresses the daunting task of changing your recruitment CRM system.

Thinking of Changing your Recruitment CRM?

It’s a little like a heart transplant!

Lots of recruiters are planning on updating / migrating their recruitment CRM this year – and to be fair it’s about time. So many of you have changed shape, size, offering – but your systems and processes have stayed the same.

Social media is kicking butt and giving your clients great opportunities to give recruitment a go (isn’t it simply advertising, after all?) Before you step into the potential abyss of business change, have a think about what you need to achieve.

My business has seen some great recruitment CRM implementations over the years, but to be fair we have witnessed some pretty bad ones too. These tend to be because:

  • IT see the project as a business one. The business sees it as an IT project!
  • The reasons for changing / upgrading are not clear and have not been mapped out.
  • It joins to other systems (job board posting, websites, finance systems, etc.) and these have not been spec’d up as part of the project.
  • Lack of consultation – the CRM is inflicted upon the workers…. Or worse…
  • So much consultation project creep begins to manifest itself and the thing hasn’t even come in the front door yet! Consultants are distracted with beauty parades coming out of their ears and criteria questionnaires.
  • The CRM provider had a little too much bravado and not enough foresight to adequately explain to you what your role would be in the project (warning, if they don’t think you need a project manager, you need to get a handle on why… and what they’re planning to do to bridge the gap).

Some ideas to help you think about recruitment CRM more strategically (and thus a higher chance of getting it right):

  • What’s the job of the CRM?
  • What’s its reason for being? If it were human, you’d have a job spec and something to back you up if you wanted to discipline it / fire it. Do this for your CRM – have a firm idea of what it’s job is and have an expectation that you have marketed to your team.

What’s the reason for your change?

  • Financial?
  • Technological / innovation
  • Strategic – your business has changed shape/location/size and your current CRM is not hacking it (it’s not you, it’s me!)
  • Don’t, I repeat, don’t be afraid of cloud. And beware providers who can’t explain it / or who berate it.
  • If you don’t have simple, tangible KPIs or a clear business process, you need to nail this down. Your CRM can only replicate yours (or standard) recruitment processes… it’s not a miracle worker!

If you give yourself time to really think about it (give it a go, it won’t hurt!) you’re less likely to:

  • Replace one problem with another
  • Ensure that your CRM is totally worthless
  • Encourage staff to use LinkedIn as it’s easier (don’t get me started on the risks associated with that!)

Terrible analogy alert: CRM should be a little like your heart. Pretty critical, hidden away but damn busy. Take care of it. And if you’re planning on changing it, spend time to get a decent match (and make sure that you get the right team to put it in).

erecruit™ to attend APSCo ‘Out of Africa’ Charity Ball in aid of Childline

erecruit_logo_180x51.fwerecruit announced that it will be attending the APSCo ‘Out of Africa’ Charity Ball in aid of ChildLine tonight, Friday 28th November 2014, at the InterContinental London Park Lane, London. erecruit will be sponsoring a gold table at the 15th annual charity ball, along with the SuperBooth, which will provide attendees with an interactive photo booth experience. Read more

Ingeus partners with Bond to deliver an effective Case Management System

Ingeus ebookFollowing being named as a preferred bidder by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to deliver Work Programme contracts, Ingeus required the deployment of a specially configured case management software system. 

The leading provider of people-centred services provides employability programmes, skills training and health-related support with nearly 2,000 employees delivering services from 80 offices across the UK.

The incorporation of the Adapt Employ Case Management System allowed Ingeus to streamline the complex area of government employment programmes.  In-built, sophisticated tracking tools enable Ingeus’s case workers to effectively receive and manage huge amounts of data from the DWP.

Find out how Adapt Employ Case Management System has helped Ingeus to achieve the following, along with much more:

  • Fully realise the specific case management and scheduling tools they required.
  • Manage and distribute data from the DWP and PRaP (Provider Referrals and Payments) systems.
  • Check required resources in real-time.
  • Run accurate candidate and consultant diary checks.

Download the full Ingeus Case Study eBook here.

The Trainers Toolkit – a guide to successful training

toolkit_cropBeing able to maximise training and conduct a successful course is all part of the preparation, from making the initial welcome call to creating a unique training plan. A trainer wants to be sure everything is captured and ready before embarking on their training journey.

Before you leave the office, do you have everything you need?

If you were ever a Boy Scout or a Girl Guide you know you need to ‘be prepared’. What exactly do you put in a Trainers Toolkit?

Planning your journey

It’s a given to take down details of where you are going but what do you do if the trains are late or you are lost? Always take with you at least 3 contact names, emails addresses and mobile numbers. Why 3? What happens if your first named contact is busy setting up the training room and your second contact is helping? Taking down a choice of numbers helps you track down the right person or be able to pass a message on. It’s hard avoiding traffic nightmares but you can make life a little easier for yourself by leaving 30 minutes earlier than planned. It’s always a bonus if you are early and can spend those extra minutes in your favourite coffee shop going over your agenda once more!

Training Guides

What happens when your guide is too big? Many a time we have packed numerous guides into our suitcase, more so than clothes! Let’s be honest, guides tend to stay on a shelf and gather dust or act as a monitor stand so why not bring everything you need on a data stick? Small and light a USB drive can hold recruitment software training guides, presentations and handouts which can easily be transferred to your delegates. A PDF training guide also acts as an interactive training tool, allowing you to locate topics quickly. And it gives you more space for your clothes!

What’s the time?

These days most people will refer to the clock on their phone to keep track of time but is this appropriate for your training course? Having a trainer constantly look at their mobile phone can give the impression they don’t want to be there or they are focussed on something deemed more important. It’s very distracting for delegates and can misled them into thinking it’s alright to check emails, Facebook and other such activities during the session. Instead, make a small investment in a simple watch. Alternatively, check the clock on your workstation if the screen is visible. As the trainer you can easily sneak a look at the time without getting distracted or distracting others.

No Ink?

Always take with you a couple of whiteboard pens as you never know when these will be needed. There is nothing worse than turning up for a course and all the pens in the offices have dried up or they are all one colour. Introduce a range of eye catching colours to help draw the attention of your audience!

Goodies

Bringing along sweets is always a good idea in training and not for selfish reasons! You can use these treats as a much loved sugar boost after lunch or prizes for all the fun games you have prepared. Nothing encourages delegates more than a nice bar of chocolate!

Business Cards

At the end of a course it’s nice to hand out a business card but what if you haven’t got one? A more popular way to communicate now is through Social Media. Whether its business or personal, chances they have an online profile is high. Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn are easily accessible from smart phones or other mobile devices so why not find, follow and share with your delegates online and you can guarantee they will follow you back.

Each Trainers Toolkit is different – what’s in yours?

Addressing Recruitment Technology Challenges at Recruitment Live 2014

Rec_Live_logo Final 200x200On the second day Toby Conibear, European Business Development Director, will be speaking in the Showcase Arena at 10.00am on ‘Key technology challenges for a modern day recruiter’. Addressing recruitment technology challenges will undoubtedly be a popular  theme for discussions during the event – with many industry members looking at mobile, social search and cloud as key topics of interest.

The two-day event sees industry experts and recruitment professionals gather together to discuss industry issues with their peers and representatives, formulate new strategies and approaches to the business of recruiting and discover the cutting edge ideas, products and services that will help them achieve more.

Bond International Software can be found at stand 26 and if you would like to meet with a member of their team during the event, please contact: James Payne james.payne@bond.co.uk.

To find out more about Bond Adapt staffing & recruitment software, please click here for product information or to get in touch with a member of the team please click here.

erecruit™ Named 2014 Innovation All-Star by The Boston Business Journal and Mass High Tech

Boston, MA – November 20, 2014 – erecruit™ announced today that it was named a 2014 Innovation All-Star in the Internet/business software category by the Boston Business Journal and Mass High Tech. erecruit, the emerging leader of enterprise staffing software, vendor management systems (“VMS”) and onboarding solutions is headquartered in Boston, which is one of the country’s key areas for technology and innovation. Those recognized with this award exemplify the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, while transforming technology and their industries, creating jobs and attracting growth capital to the region. Read more

erecruit™ Releases “Leadership Insights” Video and eBook Series Featuring Executives from SIA’s Staffing 100

Boston, MA – November 20, 2014 – erecruit™ announced today the release of the first video in its thought leadership series, “Leadership Insights”, designed to provide valuable content for customers and professionals in the talent acquisition and management field. The series launches today with the “Leadership Insights: Featuring SIA’s Staffing 100” introduction video, showcasing interviews with senior executives and visionaries from across the staffing industry. erecruit, the emerging leader of enterprise staffing software, vendor management systems (“VMS”) and onboarding solutions, is the exclusive sponsor of The Staffing 100 presented annually by the Staffing Industry Analysts.

Read more

Using Social Media to Educate

education2How can you continue to educate your clients, without it costing money each and every time? Even if you are not in the business of online training or education, all clients can benefit from learning from your knowledge and expertise. Recruiters can share tips on C.V. creation, or guidance on what to wear for an interview. There are some great FREE ways you can do this, and it’s all through Social Media.

Blog Articles

Although technically a blog article is not social media, the two are intrinsically linked. You can write short and snappy articles that your readers will find interesting. Provide ‘Top Ten’ articles with the best ways to apply for a job, or information on the latest apps your clients can use for business. Look for different people within your company to share in the writing. Using a platform like WordPress allows you to incorporate it directly in to your website. After a bit of customisation, it won’t cost you anything to use, and the ability to share your content is priceless. Google LOVES blog posts too!

Twitter

So, you get 140 characters… how can you possible help your clients and candidates in a few short sentences? Share links to your blog articles, and links to your client or vendor posts. Consider using hashtags on a regular basis. For example, the Bond Training Twitter account uses several throughout the week to provide support and insight for users of Adapt. #BondHour, #BondQTT and#BondGreets are used on different days of the week to share new content. For events, they use #BondOnline throughout webinars to encourage attendees to tweet throughout the session.

Facebook & Google+

Facebook and G+ are both great channels to use to share your blog articles too. You can also use these social networks to post photos and images to share with your followers. These can be educational in a different sense, and help introduce your team members to your circles. Share a weekly photo, like #BondGreets, or post photos of charity events, or conferences. These are also great platforms for posting infographics, or graphs depicting valuable information for your ‘viewers’.

LinkedIn

Along with posting your blog articles (sensing the theme here?), you can also use LinkedIn Pulse and post additional original content to your followers. For recruiters, this is a great way to set yourself apart from your peers, sharing valuable advice and providing knowledge about the industry. While posting to a LinkedIn Company page is a great idea, market yourself too by sharing content and posts on your own LinkedIn profile. This will help you stand out among the millions using this social tool.

YouTube

Finally, YouTube. One of the fastest and preferred ways to absorb new information is through a video. It’s captivating, and if done well, can help us learn very quickly. Consider creating some inexpensive videos, simply using a good quality phone camera. Once uploaded to YouTube, you can then share out through all of your other social media channels. Alternatively, find videos already created that you know will offer value to your clients, candidates or vendors. Share those via LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

Training isn’t just for the classroom

So remember, you don’t have to be sitting at a desk in a classroom to learn. Think about what your listeners want or need to know, and share it with them. Build your knowledgebase up, and you will become a helpful resource for the readers you are trying to reach. How else can you educate via social media? Would love to hear your ideas!

Mobile Recruitment Technology is Keeping the World Spinning

Mobile RecruitmentRecent research suggests that more people are choosing to use mobile devices for job searches due to the convenience factor – over 50% according to results from Indeed Research. In addition, 66% of respondents would apply for a job via mobile if the process was simplified – so what does that mean for recruiters?

It is a well-known fact that mobile recruitment technology is a major factor for any recruitment consultant. With research findings stacking up to prove that not only is mobile here to stay but it is one of the key ways in which recruiters can reach relevant candidates and secure viable business opportunities, there are still some important things to consider when looking at recruitment.

Nearly half of job seekers in the UK highlighted small screens (53%), difficulty tailoring CVs to apply for different jobs (34%) and issues with attaching multiple documents (26%) as barriers to applying via mobile devices at the moment. With mobile recruitment uptake growing, is it time to review your current recruitment CRM and mobile app effectiveness?

Mobile app user numbers are expanding rapidly – and so are their expectations. Slow app loading and request response times are no longer acceptable – users are demanding a fast, streamlined experience.

One way to review whether your mobile strategy is a good fit for your business recruitment requirements is to look at the process from a candidate perspective. Take time to go through the whole candidate experience, from first contact to signed contract, and consider the different mobile touch-points at every stage. Are there some areas you need to improve on, for example: Is your website mobile optimised? Is there a quick, simple, one-touch way for a candidate to register interest in a role via the app or mobile optimised website?

Either way, with almost a quarter (21%) of candidates looking for an opportunity on the go, if your mobile recruitment technology is not up-to-scratch, your competitors’ no doubt will be.