Ten Steps to Successful Staffing and Recruitment Software Integration

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Recruitment software integrationIn a fiercely competitive marketplace, technological innovation is a clear competitive differentiator. Used well, the right technology can make the difference between identifying a candidate quickly and missing the boat; it can help candidates reach out to recruitment companies at a time and in the way they prefer; and it can enable recruitment consultants to enhance the quality and timeliness of client interaction.

In the first instalment, James Payne, Sales Director, AdaptUX, takes a look at the top ten steps for staffing and recruitment software integration.

Staffing and recruitment software plays a crucial role in the continued success of agencies but there are also many opportunities to integrate third party applications with that recruitment software to smooth workflows, boost efficiency and transform performance.

From streamlining back office processes, such as payroll and invoicing, to exploring innovative front office applications, integration with the central recruitment software hub is compelling.

But there are a number of issues to consider to ensure success – from defining requirements to getting the right integration model. The following ten step approach for integrating third party applications to staffing and recruitment software should provide organisations with a clear understanding of how best to meet business objectives.

Step One: Why integrate and what integrations are required?

Many organisations approach a new recruitment software investment with a list of existing applications for integration which are unique to their business. But it is important to consider the depth of functionality available in the new solution – are all those applications still required?

Step Two: Prioritise Requirements

Separating front and back office integration requirements enables a business to quickly differentiate between the ‘essential’ and ‘nice to have’ integrations. Organisations should not undertake all these integrations at once; identify those that are business critical and those on the wish list.

Step Three: Understand the Recruitment Software Integration Model

The timeline for the integration development will depend on the complexity involved. Does the vendor have off-the-shelf integrations built through direct collaboration with other software providers? Understanding the integration models is key to creating a workable roadmap.

Step Four: Take a Measured Approach

One pitfall to avoid is requesting a lot of integrations and developing a hugely complex bespoke system upfront.  It is advisable to undertake these integrations one by one. Keep it simple and make sure the integrations are absolutely required. 

Step Five: Test, Test and Test Again

The testing process is critical and should encompass not only software testing but also process testing. For example, when payroll is integrated with the recruitment software, it is important to set aside ample time to test the payroll run. Organisations need to be realistic about how long the configuration and testing will take.

In the next instalment, we take a look at the final five steps in how to successfully integrate recruitment and staffing software.

 

 

Top Tips for Successful Recruitment Software Selection

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Recruitment Software SelectionFor a recruitment agency, choosing your recruitment software should come in right after selecting your company name in terms of importance. Running your business effectively shouldn’t come down to an Excel spreadsheet or a list of names on a clipboard on your desk. To move ahead of your competitors you must have a ‘grown up system’ and use a database designed to improve and enhance your workflows, and increase the speed at which you find the right candidate for the right job.

Find a Vendor that will be your Partner

To some, choosing the “best” system consists of looking at all the vendor software packages and buying the one with the most or newest bells and whistles. With so many products available on the market, it’s important to look much deeper than what the software may offer –you need to look at the partnership you’ll be entering into as well.

Most importantly, clarifying the selection process begins with the simple recognition that the best system for your organisation is the one that provides real solutions to the challenges you now face and will help you reach the goals you are trying to achieve. An analysis of those goals will provide the framework for setting the criteria for system selection and will lend credence to the process for you and your staff. A structured business analysis will yield a list of requirements that you can use to compare the functionality of various software packages.

Involve the Right Selection Team

Your decision to look for a new recruitment software solution probably began with both business and technical factors. The people involved in those issues are the most likely players in the selection process. Involving key stake-holder representatives will lend balance to the final decision and create buy-in from all constituents.

Decide who will be involved, and what part they will play in the selection process. What steps will you take, and how will you involve everyone else in the team? How will the final decision be made, and who will actually make that decision. Make sure you have your budget planned out, and have a deadline of when the final decision will be made to help keep you all on track.

Is Your Company Ready For Change?

Installing a new software system, whether replacing your current system or going through a major upgrade, creates the opportunity to re-engineer your business processes. Just attempting to mirror your current processes may deny you the opportunity to gain significant efficiencies and productivity enhancements.

In addition, a new system may produce a temporarily negative impact on productivity, as staff adjust to the changes. The size of that impact depends on your staff’s attitude. When staff are inclined to embrace change, chances are that a new system will show a positive effect quickly; when staff resist change, the opposite can be true.

Contact Vendors & Compare Product Demos

As you contact vendors, freely discuss your primary requirements, technology needs, overall structure and plans for growth. It is especially important that you share as much information as possible about the current challenges you may have with your system as well as your business operations and strategy. The more the vendor knows about your business and your future plans, the more likely it is that they can effectively help you achieve your business goals.

These preliminary conversations will help you decide whether to proceed with each vendor. When you’ve determined that you would like to know more, arrange for a demo.

When possible, you or your staff should use the system yourself. There is a big difference between watching someone else perform the commands and actually doing them yourself. What may seem simple when you are watching may be quite complicated when you’re the user. The caveat is that, without training and/or guidance, your hands-on experience may be frustrating. Remember that there is always a learning curve.

Live Webinar: Barclay Jones – Source like a social media savvy Jedi

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We are excited to announce our next webinar in conjunction with Barclay Jones. Join us for our ‘Source like a social media savvy Jedi’ webinar on Friday 11th December 2015 at 10am BST.

Jedis are peace-loving problem solvers who rely on simple and calm methods for saving the galaxy.

Perhaps as a recruiter you see yourself in their vein?

Have you ever wanted to use The Force and source like a social media savvy Jedi?

Want to know some simple, effective and speedy ways to source talent and contacts (minus the long search strings!) using LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, and whilst still holding your lightsaber?

Our webinar will lead you from the dark side, keep you a calm Jedi Knight show you some quick and productive ways to take you on the Jedi path to the sourcing truth, and all with one hand!

We will be joined by Rose Megson and Katie Cross of Barclay Jones, two social media Jedi who through the Jedi act of serving others will help you feel the force of saving the galaxy one-handed!

Do or do not. There is no try. We’ll see you there!

Subject: Source like a social media savvy Jedi
Date: Friday 11th December
Time: 10am (UTC- London)

Register here.

About our presenters:

Katie Cross

Katie trains recruiters to be more effective using great recruitment software like Adapt, LinkedIn, Twitter and Broadbean. She trains recruitment marketers to improve their brand, expand their reach and help the business attract talent and clients.

Rose Megson

Rose works with recruitment businesses to make them more effective. She works with recruitment leaders to select and implement great recruitment technology, and trains recruiters to be more effective using Adapt, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Broadbean.

How to provide feedback – good and bad!

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good and bad feedbackIn order to grow and improve as a person, you need to learn from experiences. Receiving feedback is a great way to gauge how you are performing in any situation. For candidates, this is extremely important. How will they know how they fared in an interview, or if their C.V. stands out during the application process if you don’t tell them? The difference between being a good recruiter and an exceptional recruiter can be boiled down to the level of customer service you are providing.

Can you respond to everyone?

Probably not, no. At least not personally with a hand-typed email. However, if using a recruitment software that allows, you can send automated responses to thank a candidate when they submit their C.V. or apply for a specific job posted online. A warm, well written email, even if it’s the same one going out to everyone, can still be perceived as thoughtful and more considerate than a generic ‘thanks for applying’ one. Use the response email to offer links to your blog, or an online video offering interview tips and techniques. Provide links to your social media profiles or a way for them to subscribe to future job listings posted online.

Take 5 minutes to offer suggestions

The first step to finding a new candidate employment is typically an interview with a recruiter. If a candidate doesn’t seem to fit the bill, don’t just write them off as a ‘do not use’. Perhaps they were nervous, or are not used to interviews. Maybe their people skills are lacking, but do they have the right skill set? A bit of coaching can help. If they were dressed too casually, let them know a suit would be expected for any potential interviews in the future. Did they not make eye contact? Let them know! Perhaps they don’t realise they are appearing shifty and nervous. Some things are easy for a person to change, others could take a bit of time, but again, if they don’t know they can’t do anything about it. Be the person that helps them improve and change their approach.

Be direct but kind

Although you want to make sure your feedback is understood, don’t be blunt, and remember to be constructive. Provide the advice in a way you would like to receive it, with kindness and understanding. For some, looking for and applying for jobs can be a stressful undertaking. Perhaps you can relate to them and offer ways in which you might address the changes yourself. Using your own examples could help them with addressing your suggestions.

Acknowledge the positive

Don’t forget to give praise for the good ways in which the candidate handles the process. Or, if they have an exceptional C.V. which caught your eye, tell them that! We are all learning new tricks and skills and it’s great to know what we are doing right that is working. If they answer a specific question in an impressive way, tell them. It means they can confidently answer the same question again knowing that it will make an impact with one of your clients.

Your candidates are an extension of you

If you are submitting a candidate to one of your clients, how they perform will reflect back on you and the agency you work for. Like it or not, the interviewer will link the quality of the person being interviewed to the person who submitted them. It’s really in your best interest to help candidates prepare to wow their interview panel. Be honest with them, and you can both reap the rewards.

Live Webinar: HIRABL – What is a ‘backdoor’ hire?

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We are excited to announce our next webinar in conjunction with HIRABL. This webinar is designed specifically to provide insight in to ‘backdoor’ hires and why they take money away from your bottom line.

HIRABL provides actionable reporting on backdoor hires (when a client hires one of your candidates without your knowledge) so that you can collect missed fees immediately. This allows you to know when your hiring managers move to preserve existing business and target new business. You can then know when your candidates move and there are openings that need to be backfilled, and identify new clients who are hiring.

Join us for our webinar with HIRABL to find out:

  • What is a backdoor hire?
  • How often do they happen?
  • How to find out if you have them.
  • What do you do if you find one
  • How to minimize them going forward

Subject: How to STOP losing revenue and uncover missed fees
Date: Thursday November 12th 2015 
Time: 3 pm (UTC – London) 

Register here.

About our presenter: 

Jon Guidi: Jon is the founder of HIRABL, a big data company that helps recruiters track their candidate submissions and has uncovered $18 million in missed fees for its customers.  His “Aha!” moment came during his 10+ years’ experience working as a recruiter and constantly losing revenue to “backdoor hires”. Previously, he was President and CEO of Healthcare Recruiters International and grew its franchise operations to sixteen offices across the United States. Previously, Jon spent 10 years with Morgan Stanley and UBS Financial ending his tenure as Senior Vice President.

About HIRABL

With HIRABL, Bond clients can now identify potential “backdoor hires” (when a client hires one of your candidates without your knowledge), and grow sales revenue with these new tools:

Candidate Tracker: HIRABL alerts when you candidates you previously placed change jobs so that you can “backfill” the position. Your recruiters can also follow these candidates into other firms who are hiring candidates that you’re already expert in placing.

Hiring Manager Tracker: HIRABL also alerts you when a hiring manager you work with changes employers so that you can preserve your existing job orders at their former employer, and open a new book of business at their new employer.

Bond and HIRABL are both proud members of APSCo. APSCo was formed to provide all firms involved in the recruitment of professional talent, that share a commitment to excellence, the specialist support and distinctive voice they need to be successful. To find out more, and explore the benefits of membership, visit their website here.  

APSCo Affiliate

 

Efficient Recruitment: How Can Electronic Signatures Help?

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Electronic Signatures 200x200How do you save time, and in some cases DAYS, when it comes to clients and candidates signing and returning documents? Oliver Perilli, Senior Sales Executive, Adapt, explains why electronic signatures could be the answer…

Put electronic signatures to work

Electronic signatures are a great way to quickly and easily confirm contracts with clients and candidates. When a contract is sent by email or needs to be signed with a pen and returned via the Royal Mail, when is that contract going to come back? Do you even know it’s been delivered? Maybe, if you can track it. Do you know if it’s been signed? Not unless you phone the client and contractor to ask. Once signed, how long will it actually take for the contract to come back to you? Onerous, time consuming processes and overheads you can do without. Yes, you could use FedEx etc. but that becomes costly.

So how can you speed up the process?

The key to saving time and money in this process is sending contracts as quickly as possible and having them signed and tracked in your recruitment software in real-time. Electronic signatures enable you to do this. As soon as placements are made and contracts are ready to be confirmed, they can be drawn-up digitally and sent quickly to clients and candidates. Both parties can provide an electronic signature at the click of a button, which is automatically tracked back in Adapt – all the legal documentation is in place and everything is ready to go. A lot of money is saved in terms of administration, and placement fees are guaranteed faster.

Electronic Signature Software can help

Adapt easily integrates with a number of electronic signature software applications. Let’s use Adobe eSign as an example. eSign is a PDF/Adobe Acrobat based system, where clients and candidates receive an email with a hyperlink to click on, read the contract within a web browser and simply click ‘Sign’ to accept. That’s all they need to do. An actual written signature is not required, just a click on the right link. The contract is audited and tracked in terms of when it was delivered and signed and version control is also taken care of. If a party does not wish to sign because some details are incorrect, they can query this within the online portal and the recruitment agency is notified straight away – then they can re-issue the contract. Using the mail could add another week to this process!

Electronic signatures aren’t just a huge benefit during the contract process. They can also be used for any kind of on boarding or application process document. These could range from employee handbooks, authorisation forms for direct deposit, or client specific acknowledgement forms. Any time you need a signature, using software to speed up the process just makes sense.

Top Tips on Gathering Candidate Feedback – and why it’s a great idea to do so.

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Recruitment Candidate FeedbackWith competition in the recruitment industry remaining fierce it is crucial to ensure your recruiters are regularly interacting with your candidates. Analysing candidate feedback can help your company meet internal gold standards and drive service improvements to provide candidates with the best possible recruitment experience.

One of the best ways your agency can develop how it engages with candidates is to ensure recruiters regularly ask them, placed or not, for feedback. Job seekers have numerous vacancy details at their fingertips and many recruitment agencies to choose from. With savvier job seekers agencies must be on top of their service, constantly looking for ways to improve candidate interaction and make sure their candidates are happy.

So what can you do to engage your candidates in order to gain feedback on your service offering? Here is our checklist:

# Monthly Surveys

– Surveys are a great way of interacting with candidates. Surveys can be conducted based on specific workflows and stages of the process. For example, send surveys to recently placed candidates requesting feedback on the application process along with feedback on their new job. Alternatively, ask for participation in a survey from those not placed to find out how your recruiters are handling the rejection process. This is a great way to find out how you can improve next time. Are your recruiters even informing candidates if they aren’t selected for a role?

It is crucial to have a consistent and respectful rejection process in order to build long-term relationships. Your recruiter may not have placed that candidate today, but in six months’ time they may have the perfect job for them. 

# Comment Cards

– These are great for engaging first-time candidates. Display cards in your office and ask candidates to complete them after their first interview. Ask how they felt they were treated, how you can improve and what services they would like to see next time.

# LinkedIn Recommendations

– This is all down to the individual recruiter. It is important they have a LinkedIn profile professionally representing their role within your agency. For many candidates, LinkedIn has become the ‘go to’ site prior to any interview. Not having a profile, or having a profile with little to no content or an unprofessional photo, can give a bad first impression of the company and the recruiter.

Rather than reaching out blindly to candidates, your recruiters will gain far more responses with a good LinkedIn profile backed up by recommendations from successfully placed candidates.

It is important your recruiters are selective when asking for recommendations. There’s no need to ask everyone they work with for recommendations, focusing on their A-star candidates can be far more beneficial. Understanding the importance of recommendations on LinkedIn will help your agency build a healthy and professional online profile. 

# Google+ and Facebook reviews

– Has your recruitment agency got a company page on these social media sites? If so, encourage and incentivise candidates to leave a review. Perhaps you can run monthly competitions to encourage candidates to provide feedback.

Creating a great impression first time around will ensure your candidates come back to you time and time again, trusting your brand and every individual recruiter. While you may not get positive feedback every time, all feedback is good for building a better candidate experience.

Contractor Recruitment: How Do You Ensure Repeat Business?

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Contractors 200x200How do you effectively retain contractors and ensure consistently high levels of repeat business are achieved? Oliver Perilli, Senior Sales Executive, Adapt, shares some great tips for recruiters looking to be more effective when dealing with contractor populations

Once a contractor placement has been made, the right client and contractor aftercare activity throughout the following three, six or twelve months is vital to generating further business.

Retain your contractors

Be proactive about retaining your contractor for next time. Don’t wait for the contract to end and say “Right, now we need to find you more work or look to see if an extension is possible.” A contractor will appreciate you saying “Okay, your contract is due to end in a couple of months’ time, let’s start looking at what you can do immediately afterwards, so you don’t have a period without work.” Don’t leave things up in the air. This is great for you as well, because that contractor is less likely to be re-placed by another recruitment agency if they know their next contact is taken care of.

Know when their contracts end

Adapt Studio can help with the process of retaining contractors because it not only shows new starters and current contractors, it also shows contracts due to end. This allows for the opportunity of extensions, because Adapt alerts you in good time, ensuring you are well placed to proactively re-engage with clients and secure those contract extensions. There may even be the possibility of increasing the rates or recreating the contract terms proactively to ensure your contractors stay within their contracts and they’re renewed for a good period of time. Its win-win, good customer service and a good way to ensure your fees are regenerated.

Quickly find them new contracts

Of course, a contract may need to end and the client may not need that contractor anymore, but it’s best to know this upfront – then you can find work for them earlier. In Adapt Studio you can quickly drill-down into contractor’s records – then one click on InSight Match and you’ll soon be finding new contracts suitable for that individual. The sooner you start presenting your contractors to clients, the more chance you’ll have of placing them when their current contract ends.

Remember…

Making the most of the contractor population tools within your recruitment software will help you deliver great client and contractor customer service – and more retained contractors and placement fees will follow. It’s win-win.

Fill vacancies fast with SMS

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firetext-logo-white650-650_1As a busy recruitment specialist, you probably spend lots of time on the phone to candidates updating them on their application and reminding them about interview details. If you have to do this for every candidate (and every vacancy) this can end up taking over your day! SMS messages can dramatically increase the speed that vacancies are filled by communicating with all candidates at once, without losing that personal touch; saving you money, resources and most importantly – precious time.

Integrating SMS with your Adapt software will enable you to send useful text messages to candidates from within your current software meaning you can send SMS with the click of a button, we’ve put together some ideas on why we think SMS is a great communication tool for recruiting:

Be discreet

Lots of candidates are already in employment when looking for a new job. By sending an SMS message instead of calling them, you’re updating them instantly whilst also keeping it discreet and not interfering with their working day. If you need to arrange an interview time or talk about their application, they can call back when it’s convenient to talk.  

Hello Holly, we’ve got some great news about your application! Give us a call when it’s convenient to arrange an interview time. Thanks, Recruitment Team

Update on application

Notifying and updating candidates of any changes to their application via SMS not only keeps them in the loop but is effortless for busy recruitment consultants and takes no longer than sending a message from your own phone!

Hello Holly, just checking in to let you know the applications are being reviewed today, we’ll let you know as soon as we hear any news!

Reach all candidates at once

Save time by using our personalisation tool and rather than sending a message to each candidate; reach out to all of them, in an instant with one message – individually personalised for each candidate. Upload contacts with first names, surnames and mobile number as well as three additional custom fields e.g. job reference or interview time.

Hello Holly, we’ve received your application for job ref: 5436 and are pleased to confirm an interview at 10am on Wednesday. Good luck!

Confirm appointments

A confirmation message or gentle reminder of appointment details is really handy for candidates, especially when it’s instantly available in their pocket. Add a link to the company website or direction details to ensure candidates have all the information they need at their fingertips.

Good luck with your interview on Wednesday at 10am. For more details on the company and directions to the office: www.dreamjob.com. Speak soon! Recruitment Team

Target industry groups

Contact groups of candidates with new job vacancies to generate some interest, split contacts up by industry to ensure you only target candidates interested in the job vacancy and let them get in touch if they are interested.

Hello Holly, we have an exciting 30k job in the marketing sector, based in London. If you’re interested you can simply reply to this text or call 01326 620 000

Generate interest with keywords

Set-up multiple keywords on you dedicated reply number or our shared shortcode and encourage people to text in with their interest. Advertise the keywords in your office window, your website or in print adverts providing candidates with a quick and easy way to show their interest.

Text APPLY to 82228 to show interest in this position.

Take this one step further and set up an auto-reply so that anyone texting in can be sure their enquiry has been received – you can even add a link into the auto-reply to enable candidates to apply instantly!

Thanks for your interest in our marketing vacancy, to see the full job description and application details click here: www.recruitment.com/application

Adding SMS to your communications toolkit will not only save you time, keep your communication costs down and help fill those vacancies quickly. It’s also a tried and tested way of staying in touch with candidates in a way we know they love, have access to and is guaranteed to be seen.

You can speak to your Adapt Customer Success Manager today about getting set-up with SMS. Or have a chat with our friends over at FireText about campaign ideas.

How can recruiters successfully work remotely?

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working remoteSometimes the best talent doesn’t live close enough to your office to commute. Do you allow your recruiters to work remotely? How can teleworking be approached in terms of assuring productivity, motivation and commitment when not in the traditional office setting?

If you have a phone, a laptop and a solid internet connection, most office jobs can be done successfully from home. A recent survey showed that UK’s most productive employees work from home. With stats like these, ruling out a telecommuting agreement for the right person could limit you in terms of growing your business. A recruitment agency willing to offer the benefit of working off site can grow faster, and be represented in more cities throughout the UK, Europe or even worldwide.

In order to be successful, consider the following points:

Give them the right tools

Make sure your recruiters have the right equipment and are set-up for success at home. While Coffee shops are fine for interviews, it’s not the most professional setting for working all day long and no matter how disciplined you are, it’s ripe for distractions. Be sure the recruiter has a home office away from noise and the rest of the goings on in their family life. They need somewhere quiet to conduct their calls, and be able to focus on sourcing the best candidates.

A strong internet connection is key, especially if using a voice over ip phone connection too. If you have an internal network or shared folders, they will need to be able to access them. Do you have IT resources to help you set up a VPN or some other way of connecting back to the office? Or, if everyone is working remotely, do you use collaborative tools such as Trello, Dropbox or Google Docs?

Expect some teething issues

If this is your first time hiring someone to work outside of your office, be aware there may be challenges along the way. Don’t let it put you off, but consider everything you will expect your employee to be able to access. Do you use a cloud based recruitment software they can easily access online? Great! No worries there. However, if you are using something that uses a desktop client, have you opened up access so they can get connected?

In the first few weeks, make sure they test and check their ability to log on from home. You may need to invest in GoToMeeting, or another screen sharing tool that will allow you to help them as needed. Remember that they may become frustrated if they are missing tools that are vital to their job execution. Work through them together so you can both be successful moving forward.

Trust that work is being done

Don’t forget that people working from home need breaks too. If you call and they don’t answer, don’t assume the worst. Just like those in the office gathering in the break room, your remote worker deserves to make a cup of tea too! They are actually likely to take less time in doing so, and won’t get stopped several times as they make their way back to their desk!

Don’t feel like you need to check up on them constantly. As with anyone who is physically present in the office building, you will soon know if they aren’t completing their work and the standards are slipping. In fact, you will probably find that your remote workers may forget to stop working! It’s easy to keep going when you know you don’t have that commute home, so it can be tempting to continue on for an hour or so after ‘going home’ time. The same goes for starting the day, which can often begin long before any of the other recruiters make it in through all the traffic.

Don’t forget about us

If you don’t see someone in the office every day, you can be forgiven for forgetting them from time to time. Working from home can get lonely. Include them in group emails, check in on them from time to time just to say hello, and make them feel like part of the team. Ideally they will visit the office on a regular basis, even if it’s just once a month, but work with them to build the relationship and make them feel like a valuable member of the organisation.

Schedule weekly (at least!) update meetings that include your remote workers. They need feedback too, and not seeing them every day can mean that interaction gets missed that would naturally happen with other employees you see daily. 30 minutes each week will help keep the communication going.

It’s not for everyone

Remember, working from home is not for everyone. The recruiter has to be organised, motivated and able to focus every day without the ‘boss’ sitting in the same room. They must treat their home office just like they would if they were getting on the train every day, and manage to separate the two ‘spaces’.

So, when hiring your next recruiter, consider the endless possibilities of finding the right talent, if you open the door to them working from home.