AdaptSuite Staffing Software Expands Onboarding and Back Office Functionality with Release 3.6

This release brings exciting new enhancements that expand onboarding capabilities to speed up the time to start assignments and strengthen the candidate experience.  Additionally, ACA management is more efficient and effective because of expanded reporting options and ability to streamline workflows. Monitoring and ensuring ACA compliance is simplified because all ACA actions are managed on one screen.

“We are excited about what AdaptSuite 3.6 delivers to our customers.  This release allows users to increase efficiency with new ways to manage their workloads,” said Betsy Wilson, Director of Product Management. “They will find key enhancements that will increase overall usability and drive operational effectiveness. We also continue to strengthen the candidate experience through additions to AdaptSuite Compass.”

AdaptSuite 3.6 gives the customer more control of their portal branding (look and feel).  This new “self-service” approach allows customers to instantly update the portal at their convenience.  Onboarding administration is more efficient because automated notifications can be sent to multiple candidates simultaneously throughout the hiring process; all notifications can be tracked on the candidate record.

Bond’s new ACA Management Studio provides productivity tools on one screen to manage all ACA activities. Moreover, ACA compliance is made easier because of additional enhancements to year end reporting.

Expanded workflows and new reports have been added to the Reporting and Analytics module to increase efficiency.  Customers will find they have more control, autonomy and flexibility in managing their staffing and improving their recruitment processes.

For more information on AdaptSuite, contact us today.

Online Job Boards take the lead over Recruitment Agencies according to Market Research Survey

The Changing Face of Recruitment eBook DownloadNew independent market research, carried out by industry analyst Opinionography on behalf of Bond International Software, worldwide provider of staffing and recruitment software solutions, has revealed the surprising trend in tools candidates are using when looking for jobs and the profound impact that this is having on recruiters. In fact, the survey has revealed that 81% have used online job sites compared to only 25% who have used social media when looking for a job in the last year.

The research that surveyed 1,000 UK based office workers set out to discover the current state of the recruitment market – from candidates’ preferences in job search tools, to the way that individuals now address change in career. After years of workplace stagnation, increased economic confidence over the past couple of years has encouraged individuals to make a change, with over a quarter of office workers looking for a job in the last six months, and a massive 72% having looked for a job in the last three years.

A clear message from the research is the online job site is still the number one preferred starting point for candidates, with 68% of respondents saying that they found it the most helpful in comparison to just 38% who found recruitment agencies of most help. In fact, given past experience, if searching for a job today 94% stated that they would be likely to use an online job site. This identifies a misconception by the candidate in terms of recruitment agency vs job board, since the majority of roles on job boards actually come from recruitment agencies directly. This demonstrates a clear need for recruiters to be actively following up on candidates when they receive an application directly via a job board.

Of the two thirds of respondents using a recruitment agency in the past to help with job search, a huge 58% found the agency via online search. These stats identify a clear recruitment trend and highlight that the recruitment agency must ensure that it is using all tools to its advantage. As well as ensuring that job boards are regularly updated, agencies need solid SEO strategies that are actively monitored and adjusted to reflect market and sector activity, while keywords must be optimised to match certain skill searches. With so many ways to reach the candidate, monitoring the value of each strategy will be key to the success of the agency.

While just a few years ago social media was expected to prompt change in recruitment strategy, the reality is very different. As the research reveals, just 25% have used social media to find a job and of these, just 14% found it helpful. But it isn’t just attitudes to job search that is surprising in attitudes to social media. Of course there are varying attitudes between demographics, but the gap is clearer between management and non-management roles rather than age groups. In fact, 46% of C-level executives and 50% of Executive Directors would be very likely to use LinkedIn to search for vacancies compared to just 15% of those earning less than £25k.

The research also found that while 42% of office workers use LinkedIn for work related purposes, when it comes to searching for a job one in ten candidates would never use social media, and a further 40% would be unlikely or very unlikely to use social media.

More research highlights:

  • 72% of respondents have looked for a job within the last three years
  • Of office workers that have looked for a job in the last year:
    • 81% have used an online job site
    • 51% have used a recruitment agency
    • 25% have used social media
  • 62% of office workers said that they would prefer to use an industry or skill specific job board
  • Only 31% of respondents believe that a recruitment agency will have the most up to date jobs

Toby Conibear, European Business Development Director, Bond International Software, comments, “The research commissioned by Bond has highlighted some surprising results regarding how candidates are searching for jobs. In particular the lack of social media use, revealing that only 25% have used social media to find a role, and a tiny 14% found this helpful. In a society that is increasingly dominated by social media, and the growth of LinkedIn, that is a shocking result that has very real implications for the way in which recruiters contact and attract candidates,”

Conibear continues, “Another surprising result which arose from the research was the preference for online job sites over the use of recruitment agencies. With 46% of respondents believing that online job sites offer the most up to date jobs, in comparison to 31% believing recruitment agencies will be up to date, there is clearly a perception issue between candidate and recruiter. Furthermore, with 63% believing that recruiters put the needs of the employer first, recruiters demonstrating more consideration for the candidate would provide a more positive outcome for all parties.”

Conibear concludes, “It is clear from the research that market specialism rather than social media is set to have the biggest impact on the market over the next few years. From the lack of social media use, to the rise of industry specific job boards, there is a clear need for recruiters to get specialist. Those recruiters that harness and improve candidate relationships, offer industry specific advice, and can provide end-to-end excellence in recruitment processes will be the ones to win over the competition.”

To download the market research report click here.

Call Me Maybe? Top communication tips for recruiters

Tips for recruitersIn the world of recruitment, first contact is everything. Irrespective of the channel used, how recruiters initially interact with candidates informs the entire relationship from then on.

While in the past recruiters might have introduced themselves and mostly communicated with candidates over the phone, candidates now have their own preference of multiple different communication channels. Channels such as social media, mobile phone, tweets, texts, email and IM have all become great ways for recruiters to reach their prospective candidates, but as we know, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. With this in mind we have compiled a list of tips for recruiters to help them understand which channels work best for target candidates.

Think about your target audience

Don’t attempt to engage with candidates via a communication channel they don’t use or, worse still, dislike being contacted through.

In this respect, you need to determine the most appropriate method(s) of contact. In our list of tips for recruiters we advise establishing initial contact with candidates via email, as email is immediate, professional and most importantly, unobtrusive. But before you type up your email and hit send, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:

  • Be friendly, but professional – It’s your introductory message, you want to be as professional and as approachable as possible. Once you’ve established the tone of your conversation, you can then decide on maintaining formalities or not.
  • Introduce yourself – Self-explanatory, but by introducing yourself, you present yourself as an approachable human being. In the age of automated email, the personal touch can go a long way in helping the candidate feel at ease and be themselves, which in turn will help you represent them more effectively.
  • Clearly state your reason for emailing – You need to provide something of value to your candidate, so clearly explain the position you are contacting them about. If you have a job opportunity, now’s the time to mention it.
  • Make sure you ask their preferred method of communication and what times are best – This is one of the main objectives of your initial email. Ideally, you want to obtain a more personal method of communication, one where you can contact them if needs be and they won’t be unreceptive. Additionally, ask them what time(s) are best to engage with them!

The above is just to get you started. Think of email as the bridge which joins the gap between you and your candidate. It may not be their ideal method of communication, but you have no way of knowing that until you ask them and that’s what the email is for – and once you have that, you should move on to what they prefer

Recruiters: you’re only ever as good as your word.

One of the most important tips for recruiters is to make sure you follow through on your promises. If you promise to keep in touch or update candidates on their progress, ensure you do.

For any candidate, what’s truly disappointing is never receiving feedback on an application. By failing to articulate feedback to both parties, whether the candidate turns the job down, or the client declines the candidate – you need to make sure everyone remains informed. By proving yourself as someone who provides concise, accurate feedback, you’ll establish yourself as someone who puts the needs of both candidates and clients first.

This becomes even more relevant as you work your way up through the seniority levels, from graduates to senior management to CEOs, you should be consistent throughout. Cultivating strong, professional relationships with all of your contacts will enable you to secure more opportunities in the future. If you take these tips for recruiters on board and implement them as standard practice, no matter what medium you choose, your candidates will be confident in your ability to represent them.