Ten Steps to a Successful Staffing and Recruitment Software Implementation

Implementation Featured Part OneSelecting your recruitment agencies’ new CRM system can be a challenging process. You need to make sure it’s right for your business and can help it grow AND make money. Once selected, the next step is implementation. To be successful, this must be done right.

In the first of two posts, James Payne, Sales Director, Adapt, takes a look at the top ten steps for a successful staffing and recruitment software implementation.

From minor to major, there are many different reasons why your implementation can fall short. The project can fail if you are unable to prioritise and make time for the implementation. Make sure you are ready to focus on the project, embrace change and get ready to go live!

Here are ten tips you can use to help exceed everyone’s expectations and realise all the benefits of your new recruitment software.

Step One: Create a staffing software implementation Project Team

Having the right team in place will help you succeed with your implementation. Your chosen software provider should have a Project Manager in place for you, but no one knows your agency better than you. Assemble a team you know will champion the system and motivate and encourage the rest of the company during the change.

Step Two: Provide internal communication

Implementing new software can be a very straightforward process.  However, without updates and shared information, anyone not involved in making decisions can be left feeling in the dark, worried and anxious about what it might mean for them. Celebrate the implementation process along the way!

Step Three: Measure your progress

How do you keep everyone on track? If you aren’t getting them from your provider, ask for regular updates. Key tasks and milestones will be set for you and the team you are working with, and it’s important both sides meet their goals.

Step Four: Internal Project Management

Failure to complete your project tasks can lead to project delays, increased costs, and sometimes even project failure. There are project management best practices you can use to ensure your staff are on track.

Step Five: Review your processes

Truly successful software implementations are done by staffing agencies that go beyond simply installing new software; instead, they incorporate the new software into their business and processes from day one.  In order to achieve this success, the changes must be managed throughout the implementation and your users must be represented with each step.

In the next instalment, we look at the final five steps for how to successfully implement your new staffing and recruitment software.

BWD Search and Selection Invest in AdaptUX on Tenth Anniversary

BWD Search and Selection LogoBWD Search and Selection, Wealth Management, Intermediary Sales, Employee Benefits & Pensions, Finance & Risk, and Compliance recruitment and executive search specialists have selected Bond International Software, the global provider of staffing and recruitment software, to provide AdaptUX OnDemand recruitment-specific CRM via high-speed cloud service.

Leeds-based, with offices in Hemel Hempstead, BWD Search and Selection was founded in 2006 by Directors Alistair Brownlee, Gareth Davies and James Walker with a clear vision for bringing clients and candidates a level of service far higher than expected, through honesty, respect and transparency. Today, BWD Search and Selection pride themselves on being a trusted strategic business partner to many global financial services providers, national insurers, wealth management firms and banks in the Financial Services Industry. The BWD team expertly monitor and analyse the markets they serve, and every sign – from 86% of their business being with existing clients, to their prestigious Investors in People award – points to the agency achieving their goal of becoming the preferred recruitment partner to the UK’s Financial Services sector by 2020.

Committed to ambitious future growth plans, the time was right for BWD Search and Selection to upgrade their supporting CRM software. Focused on finding a truly scalable cloud system providing extensive searching, KPI and reporting tools to drive efficiency and success, the BWD team undertook a meticulous market review. The newly-released AdaptUX user interface and Bond’s fast and robust Software as a Service (SaaS), quickly secured Bond’s place as a potential partner provider. As their review concluded, the full recruitment cycle functionality and seamless LinkedIn integration provided by AdaptUX confirmed the BWD team’s decision to select the system. Key features of their implementation include:

  • Cloud/SaaS (Software as a Service) – Bond OnDemand enables BWD Search and Selection’s consultants to log-in and use AdaptUX wherever they have internet access
  • Adapt Studio – all BWD Search and Selection users may select from built-in recruitment cycle dashboards, or design their own based upon their preferred working methods
  • AdaptCentral – powerful social media portal enabling BWD Search and Selection’s users to post and manage job vacancy adverts and applications via LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
  • Active Reporting – meaningful business intelligence and management reporting tools delivered via graphical displays help inform BWD Search and Selection strategies
  • LinkedIn Integration – delivering BWD Search and Selection users the information and advantages LinkedIn and AdaptUX provide, without having to switch between the systems
  • Adapt Outlook Add-in – enabling BWD Search and Selection’s users to access client and candidate records and run recruitment workflows in AdaptUX, direct from emails received within Microsoft Outlook
  • Adapt InTouch Mobile App – allowing BWD Search and Selection consultants to access AdaptUX via their smartphones and effectively recruit on the move, 24/7

James Walker, Director, BWD Search and Selection, comments: “In the year of our tenth anniversary, we’re proudly looking back over our achievements and confidently looking forward by setting ambitious goals to take our business, and the services we deliver to our clients and candidates, to the next level. Selecting the right cloud recruitment software to support our team was an important element of our plan and we meticulously compared the technology available. From active dashboards enabling our consultants to search, match and place even more effectively, to powerful KPI and management reporting tools helping us make the best strategic decisions, AdaptUX is a fully rounded-system for success.”

Toby Conibear, European Business Development Director, Bond International Software, comments: “In 2006, Alistair, Gareth and James had the vision to offer the financial services market a real difference when it came to recruiting. By going back to the basics of honesty, respect and openness, they built an agency many global organisations trust and work with time and again; true partnerships which tangibly bolster success within their industry. We’re delighted BWD Search and Selection have selected AdaptUX and we look forward to providing the technology and services to help them achieve their goals for 2020, and beyond.”

APG Recruitment Select AdaptUX Following In-Depth Recruitment Software Market Review

APG Recruitment LogoAPG Recruitment, Construction, Industrial and Driving specialists have selected Bond International Software, the global provider of staffing and recruitment software, to provide AdaptUX OnDemand recruitment-specific CRM via high-speed cloud service.

Essex-based APG Recruitment was founded in April 2016 by Managing Director Graham Betchley to provide Temporary and Permanent recruitment solutions across London and the Home Counties. A veteran recruiter with over twenty years of experience in the Construction, Industrial and Driving sectors, Graham assembled a skilled team of specialist consultants to support his new venture and realise his vision for success and growth. APG Recruitment are committed to delivering the highest levels of service to their growing client and candidate base by fully understanding their individual requirements and quickly providing tailored, reliable solutions.

Carefully reviewing the recruitment software market, the APG Recruitment team focused on finding the right system to search for and place high-volumes of temporary workers, export timesheet details for seamless payroll functionality and effectively grow with their business. Comparing a number of CRM systems, the complete recruitment cycle processes and simplicity in which they were delivered by the AdaptUX user interface, coupled with the ease of adding and training new users, led to the agency’s decision to implement the system. Key features of the APG Recruitment deployment include:

• Cloud/SaaS (Software as a Service) – Bond OnDemand enables APG Recruitment’s consultants to log-in and use AdaptUX wherever they have internet access

• Adapt Studio – enabling all APG Recruitment’s users to select from built-in recruitment dashboards or design their own based upon their preferred working methods

• Adapt Temp Desk – comparing the Temp workflows provided by a number of recruitment software systems, APG Recruitment favoured the efficient processes delivered by AdaptUX in this important area

• Adapt Outlook Add-in – enabling APG Recruitment’s users to access client and candidate records and run recruitment workflows in AdaptUX direct from Microsoft Outlook

• Adapt InTouch mobile app – allowing APG Recruitment’s users to access the CRM via their smartphones and effectively recruit on the move

• Training – flexible training options meet APG Recruitment’s requirements, including face-to-face and webinar training

Graham Betchley, Managing Director, APG Recruitment, comments, “Having used Adapt in one of its earlier versions, I was keen to include AdaptUX in our review but also to highly scrutinise it alongside the best the market had to offer. We found a number of recruitment software systems to be over-complicated, but with AdaptUX we could always see where to click straight away. To quickly make our mark and grow as a business, we must consistently deliver immediately available temps with the right skills and with AdaptUX we are confident we’ll do so.”

Toby Conibear, European Business Development Director, Bond International Software, comments, “In these times of skills shortages and extra demands being placed upon recruiters, especially working with high-volumes of temps, only the most experienced and driven will succeed. APG Recruitment have certainly staked their claim and all signs show they’re set to become a successful, distinctive operator within their marketplace. Its imperative new start-up agencies select the right CRM to support and help grow their business and we’re delighted APG Recruitment are using AdaptUX.”

Preventing the No Call No Show

Nothing frustrates you more than wasting your time putting an employee on assignment just for them to fail to show up. Certainly there are legitimate reasons for the absence – car broke down, child is sick, etc. but the reason doesn’t prevent you from scrambling around to find a replacement or make up for the disappointed client. This phenomenon isn’t new and affects staffing firms all across the country. We compiled a list of the best solutions that we have heard for preventing the no call no show.

  1. Clear Attendance Policy – most importantly, have a clear written attendance policy establishing the expectations with the employee.
  2. Monetary Incentives – incentivizing employees to maintain good attendance records pushes employees to try to overcome whatever causes them to be absent such as finding alternative transportation or childcare. Setup an attendance program providing the employee with a bonus if they have good attendance.
  3. Fun Incentives – some employees may be more incentivized by a big prize than a small monetary bonus. Increase the fun factor by creating a raffle for a noteworthy prize. Each day, week, or assignment when the employee has good attendance results in an entry into the raffle.
  4. Competitive Incentives – if money and prizes don’t incentivize the employees towards better attendance, then perhaps friendly competition will instead. Reward the employees with the best attendance across the branch or company. If the assignment is big enough, the competition could even be narrowed to that level too. Announce the leaders in the attendance “race” as the contest runs.  The competition could inspire employees to improve their attendance or keep up their good attendance.
  5. Be the Better Assignment – some employees don’t show up for an assignment, because they receive a last minute call from another staffing agency offering them better pay. Offer competitive wages in order to win the last minute war for the employee.
  6. Call Ahead – a call placed to the employee the night before reminds them of the upcoming assignment and ensures there is no confusion over schedules.
  7. Wake Up Call – a call placed the morning of the assignment may serve as a wake-up call to an employee who may have otherwise over-slept. The Call Ahead and Wake Up Call methods seem like significant extra effort, but technology can help you. Call-Em-All is an automated call and texting service that allows you to alert and remind your employees. With this service integrated to your staffing software, you can pull your employee lists easily and the overall effort to call ahead is minimal.
  8. Overbook – no matter how much effort you put in to preventing the no call no show, you may always experience it. Instead of spending your time and money on prevention, you could plan for the inevitable event. Overbook the assignment. If the assignment calls for 10 employees, assign 11. It may cost more, but it eliminates the need for last minute scrambling and avoids disappointing the client.
  9. Employee Standby – if overbooking each assignment is overkill, keeping several employees on paid standby helps cover the no call no shows of multiple assignments.
  10. Reputation – when an employee has poor attendance, do not place them on future assignments and let them know the reason. When called for employment checks, share the poor attendance record. The poor reputation will eventually get the employee to improve.

The solution to preventing the no call no show may not be found in one single approach. Instead try combining several complimenting approaches to help reduce the occurrence and maintain happy clients.

Top 10 Texting Tips, and how to avoid SMS howlers – with Text Marketer

We are excited to announce our next webinar, this time in conjunction with Text Marketer. Text Marketer are one of the UK’s first business SMS companies and their wealth of knowledge in the recruitment sector is second to none.

They are the SMS supplier of choice for many of the UK’s biggest and best known brands, because of their fantastically simple easy-to-use platform but also their incredibly low prices and amazing support team.

Join us with Paul Spencer, Director at Text Marketer to get 10 Top Tips on using text messaging effectively in your recruitment business. Also, how to avoid some real SMS howlers along the way! If you want to know how to send messages in an engaging way, increasing your response rate, this webinar is one to attend.

Subject: Top 10 Texting Tips, and how to avoid SMS howlers – with Text Marketer
Date: Thursday 30th June
Time: 10 am

Register here

Paul SpencerAbout Paul:

Paul has over 13 years’ experience in all things SMS. He is responsible for the overall running of Text Marketer and growing the business, especially with the recruitment industry sector.

 

Text MarketerAbout Text Marketer:

They have been living, eating and breathing SMS since 1999. Text Marketer were one of the first business SMS providers in the UK. So whatever your angle or application for SMS – there’s a pretty good chance they will have come across it before and can help!

 

Fast-Moving Temps: Handle the Curves and Stay on Track

Fast Moving TempsAs fast-moving temp recruiters, how do you take pole position and win repeat business? Oliver Perilli, Senior Sales Executive, Adapt, explains how dynamic technology can help you avoid the pit-stops…

Two very important factors in temp recruitment are how quickly you can react to new requirements and how quickly you can find suitable workers – and there are certainly challenges in succeeding on both fronts.

New assignments can come in at any time of day or night, especially in sectors such as nursing or teaching. You may be told in the early hours of the morning that a teacher is unable to work that day or a nurse is urgently required to cover a shift. On a fast-moving temp desk it can sometimes be about working 24/7, that’s how quickly opportunities can come and go.

Fire-up your CRM – whenever, wherever

You may not be in the office when you learn of a new requirement, you may still be in bed or having your breakfast. If that’s the case you need fast remote access to your recruitment CRM and this begins with the cloud and Software as a Service; being able to fire-up a web browser and access your CRM wherever you are – via your laptop, tablet, or the mobile phone you were holding when you took the call or read the email.

You need to find your contact’s record then input the details ASAP. As you know, client requests can range in complexity from ‘We need someone today, between these hours…’ to ‘we need someone for a varied range of shifts with different patterns, times of day and pay rates…’, so depending on your access and the level of your CRM’s usability, you may face challenges when inputting requirements.

If you’re a fast-moving temp recruiter, you need a fast-moving temp desk – a set of calendars, the ability to input different variables, rates, hours, days on, days off, overnight, compliance requirements, on-boarding checks – one place to manage everything. The ability to create complex shift patterns in a simple way is imperative.

Quickly find a solution

Once the clients’ requirements are in your recruitment CRM, that’s only the first step. The next step is finding a solution. In order to have information regarding suitable candidates ready at the click of a button, pre-requisites are needed – a key one being the candidate’s ability to easily specify their availability. You probably have access to a substantial candidate base and all those candidates should be able to say ‘I’m definitely available this day’ or ‘I’m definitely not available at this time’, or ‘I can’t work Friday afternoons because I’m looking after my kids.’ and all availability information needs to be compiled within a calendar for each individual to be used as part of the searching and matching criteria.

All the information should be easily added to the CRM and simply accessed and viewed by you – a one-click mechanism for full visibility. When you input a client requirement, your temp desk should be powerful enough to find suitable temps with the right availability, skills, location and pay. The solution presented to you should contain temps available and willing to work right now or when the requirement dictates. It should also contain details of who’s previously worked for that client and who you should never send back there.

Flexible booking and re-booking

But the challenges don’t end there because now you need to book workers into positions. If it’s one person working shift patterns, that should be a simple case of dragging and dropping them into shifts on your CRM calendar…but what if fifty people are needed, or a hundred people in a warehouse, all with complex dates and times? Your temp desk needs to display available workers and have a quick and easy way of booking them into jobs in one click or drag and drop, without the need to do everything individually because, well, time is money.

Your next challenge comes when the client calls and says ‘Those temps you booked in, I need them the following Thursday and Friday at specific times…’ – your temp desk must be able to extend and re-book all, or just a few, of those workers. Alternatively you may need to just carry forward the requirement so other temps can be sought to fill the gaps.

Compliant, booked and delivered

Your CRM also needs to take into consideration the compliance requirements. With fast-moving temps, it’s all about making sure checks are done upfront so when an assignment comes in, your list of suitable candidates are already compliant. Your temp desk should provide full visibility of the checks required for the role, including site and job specific ones, and display the candidate’s compliance details.

When it comes to travel, two temps in London for example could live the same distance from a clients’ location but, depending on the transport links available to them at that time of day, it could take one of them considerably longer than the other to arrive.

All these things need to be considered and easily visible to help you make the right decisions and quickly notify the client; giving them the comfort you’ve found the right people, they’re booked-in, they have the right skills and they’re compliant.

Dealing with fast-moving temps is complex and challenging, and these are just some of the tools your CRM temp desk should provide to ensure you remain effective, productive, competitive and profitable.

Mastering the Art of Client Retention

client retention in recruitmentClient retention is critical to all organisations; after all, retaining customers as well as a healthy pipeline is what keeps the business’ cogs turning. But how can you ensure that your agency is keeping ahead of the competition when it comes to service provision? In this blog, James Payne Sales Director, Adapt, offers his top tips for client retention.

Providing value

We all know that when it comes to providing value for clients, finding a good candidate with the right skillset and work ethic is top of the list. But this is the level of service that the client expects; so what else can the recruitment agent do to prove their worth?

Every agency should be demonstrating additional value. This can be done quite simply by a recruiter showing their understanding of the client’s business. Flagging relevant news stories that discuss industry trends or legislation changes, as well as proactively keeping an eye out for breaking news that could affect the customer’s business and playing a consultancy role through offering advice on how to manage these changes can really cement the client/ recruiter relationship.

While this can sound like a lot of additional work it really needn’t be. Subscribing to RSS feeds, setting up Google alerts and simply reading the news each day can provide recruiters with a wealth of knowledge that they can share with clients to help them manage changes and stay abreast of industry changes.

Clear lines of communication

Communication is key to a healthy relationship, but for many it is often overlooked in the search to find the right candidate. After all, the client has provided a role which needs to be filled; heads are down and all energy is ploughed into finding the best candidate for that role. Without any updates, the client is left wondering what is happening.

Keeping the client updated at all stages of the recruitment process is key. Given that clients typically have more than one agency looking to fill a role, it is most critical at this that communication lines are fully open. Providing status updates as to which job boards have been used, the candidates you have in mind and generally managing client expectations is a very different experience to that offered by a recruiter who remains mostly silent until a match is found.

CV – send to all?

For many recruiters, keeping clients updated to potential candidates through a blanket CV share is a good way to fill potential vacancies, but we all know that one size doesn’t always fit all. Receiving a bi-weekly email from a recruitment agent may mean that when a client is looking to fill a role the CV for the perfect candidate goes unnoticed due to being marked as spam.

Tailoring CVs is a good way to ensure that the perfect candidate stands out. Ensuring that all points from the client specification are met on the CV and sending an email supporting why you believe the candidate is a good fit is a great way to demonstrate that you are sending a well thought through candidate pitch, while also showing that you understand the company’s requirements.

Conclusion

For many seasoned recruiters the tips above will come as second nature; knowing how best to provide not only a good service to clients but also build a strong relationship is something that comes with time and experience. By taking these points into account and weaving them into daily activity for all members of your team, recruiters can ensure that customer satisfaction and retention is at the heart of the organisation’s goals.