Bond International Software and TempBuddy join forces

Bond International Software, worldwide provider of staffing and recruitment software solutions, and TempBuddythe multi-award winning contingent workforce software innovator, come together under common leadership.

Both organisations were selected for recent acquisition by Symphony Technology Group (STG), which has a successful history of building leading global companies at the intersection of software, analytics and services with a strong presence in the Human Capital Management (HCM) space.

William Chisholm, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, STG, comments, “Bond and TempBuddy deliver a unique and compelling solution that addresses both sides of the recruitment and staffing equation: permanent or direct hire, plus the ever-growing contingent workforce. By leveraging each other’s strengths of world-class staffing software and award-winning technological innovation alongside STG’s backing and strategic input, they are poised to become global staffing software market leaders.”

To reinforce the increasingly global focus of the business, the partnership will be driven by Tim Giehll who joins as Group CEO, with Roderick Smyth, CEO of TempBuddy, taking a broader role of Chief Product and Strategy Officer. Giehll joins from Field Nation, where he was EVP of Operations, having previously been employed as Chief Revenue Officer with Avionte, and prior to that with Bond as Global Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer in the US.

Sunit Mukherjee, Principal, STG, states, “Tim is an accomplished executive who brings deep industry and financial management knowledge together with significant operational and leadership experience. The majority of his career has been overseeing and executing the transformation, growth and development of market leaders and fast-growing start-ups in the recruitment software ecosystem. Under his steer, the companies will build on their joint strengths, drive long-term growth through continued innovative product development and increase customer satisfaction.”

The two companies will retain separate corporate structures, whilst sharing joint leadership to form a tight partnership. This will allow them to operate together, but also separately so that staffing companies can choose their own CRM and still benefit from TempBuddy’s revolutionary contingent workforce software.

An integrated acquisition and workforce management suite is prioritised on our product roadmap, whilst stand-alone software solutions will continue to offer staffing organisations freedom of choice.

Regarding the strategic direction Giehll, explains, “With the unification of Bond’s time-tested staffing solutions and the Uber-like user experience of TempBuddy, we will create a new mobile-based software solution that will revolutionise the global staffing industry.”

Roderick Smyth, CEO of TempBuddy and Group Chief Product and Strategy Officer, adds, “At TempBuddy our vision has always been to make contingent work easier and more rewarding and our game-changing SaaS platform and worker app have already been adopted by users in over 1000 cities across three continents. Our workforce management software is now underpinned with an infrastructure to accelerate our reach giving staffing organisations and their clients competitive advantage, whilst simultaneously enhancing candidate experience.”

Toby Conibear, Group Sales Director, concludes: “the investment by STG allows us to fast-track development of our our global flagship products AdaptUX and AdaptSuite. The leadership team is comprised of key personnel from both Bond and Tempbuddy ensuring that our planned growth is backed by exemplary customer service and product knowledge to further enhance our position in the continually evolving staffing and recruitment marketplace.”

Kernow Ed Selects AdaptUX to Streamline Education Recruitment Processes and Grow Business

Kernow Ed LogoKernow Ed, specialist Education recruitment agency, 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.

Penryn, Cornwall-based Kernow Ed was founded in 2013 by Owner/Director Sarah King, Recruiter and Education Business Manager with over eleven years of experience.  Today, the agency provide bespoke recruitment solutions, including whole schools support, throughout Cornwall and Devon.  2015 Lloyds Bank National Business Awards finalists, Kernow Ed continue to go from strength to strength; delivering teachers, teaching assistants and additional staffing support to eighteen Primary Schools, and Examination Invigilation specialists to Secondary Schools.  Kernow Ed are dedicated to finding the right candidates for their clients – those sharing their ethos of full commitment to supporting local schools, raising educational standards and enabling young people in Cornwall and Devon to achieve more.

Growing as a business and adding consultants to their team, Kernow Ed began reviewing the recruitment software market with key requirements in mind, including functionality to; quickly add and manage new temp jobs, actively record and monitor compliance check information and use it to search for relevant candidates, and effectively communicate with clients and candidates throughout the placement process.  Soon shortlisting AdaptUX due to the ease of use delivered by the systems’ user interface and Adapt Studio dashboard system; the advanced Temp Desk, compliance check management and Outlook Add-in features solidified their choice.  Kernow Ed are now live with AdaptUX and their system features:

  • Cloud/SaaS (Software as a Service) – Bond OnDemand enables users to log-in and use AdaptUX wherever they have internet access
  • Adapt Studio – enabling users to choose 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, Kernow Ed favoured the efficient processes delivered by AdaptUX in this important area
  • Active Search – saving time and effort for consultants by automatically running (and re-running) search criteria and updating talent pools
  • Adapt Outlook Add-in – enabling users to access client and candidate records and run recruitment workflows in AdaptUX direct from emails received in Microsoft Outlook
  • Adapt InTouch mobile app – allowing consultants to access AdaptUX via their smartphones and effectively recruit on the move

Sarah King, Owner/Director, Kernow Ed, comments, “Our vision is to be the leading education recruiter in Cornwall and Devon, with a reputation for setting new standards in the provision of outstanding education professionals.  Our team bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to their sectors and we have seen tangible business growth since our inception, however we also understand that to really maximise our work, we need a recruitment CRM of the highest quality to help ensure our processes are completed as efficiently as possible.  In AdaptUX, we believe we have found this system.  Education is a challenging sector and the ability to streamline our processes, ensure compliance checks are in place and strengthen client and candidate relationships through varied and reliable communication, will help us to overcome challenges and achieve our vision – not only for our business, but also for educational excellence across the region.”

Toby Conibear, European Business Development Director, Bond International Software, comments, “We are delighted Kernow Ed have selected AdaptUX to help streamline their valuable work and deliver the right education professionals when and where needed.  From being Lloyds Bank National Business Awards finalists to consistently delivering education professionals to schools across Cornwall and Devon, Sarah and the Kernow Ed team have achieved a great deal in the space of three short years.  We look forward to providing the technology and support to help them reach even greater heights, and we fully expect their vision for the future to be realised.”

AdaptSuite Staffing Software 3.7 Release—Enhancements Ensure Regulatory Compliance and Increases Operational Efficiency

AdaptSuite 3.7 delivers several important enhancements to help staffing agencies ensure compliance and increase overall operational efficiencies.

With release 3.7, the agency has flexibility to manage the limits of sick time leave taken, reducing employer costs as well as maintaining company standards and ensuring compliance. Additionally, bill rates are auto-calculated on job orders and assignments, reducing deviation from standard rates and expediting assignments which improves the candidate, agency and employer experiences.

Another enhancement with release 3.7 is the updates that have been made to job order submittal reporting. With these updates, team activities can be managed more effectively based on informed decision making and optimized business processes. These added benefits can, in turn, improve overall company success.

Additional enhancements include direct deposit notification and tracking. These features provide updates on critical information that prompt action to verify accuracy, thereby reducing the risk of errors during payroll processing. Moreover, employer portion contribution calculation and reporting improve accuracy and compliance. Automated employee email communications regarding employment required for regulatory authorities and internal programs, further ensure fewer errors and increased compliance.

Overall with release 3.7, customers will find they have more autonomy in managing business processes that ensure regulatory compliance and increased operational efficiencies.

For more information on AdaptSuite, contact us today.

Bond Presents Outstanding New Illawarra Business award at The NSW Business Chamber Business Awards in Illawarra

ibc_cmyk-2Bond International Software was proud to present the award for Outstanding New Illawarra Business to SuCo Supervised Contact Services at the prestigious awards ceremony at the IMB Bank Illawarra Business Awards. A list of the winners can be seen below, and more information about the event can be found here.

2016 WINNERS

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR 2016 WINNERS!!

The winners of the 2016 IMB Bank Illawarra Business Awards are:

  • 2016 IMB Bank Illawarra Business of the Year*
    • Peoplecare Health Limited
  • Business Leader presented by Access Law Group
    • Roy Rogers, The Flagstaff Group
  • Young Entrepreneur presented by BlueScope
    • Adam Murphy, Humber, Heyday & MCT Soultions
    • Highly Commended: Troy Ritchie, Ritchie Group
  • Young Business Executive presented by WIN Network
    • Eliza De Paoli, Nowchem
    • Highly Commended: Jacinta Cali, Internetrix
  • Excellence in Business presented by University of Wollongong
    • Peoplecare Health Limited
  • Excellence in Small Business presented by Illawarra Mercury
    • Waples Marketing Group Pty Ltd
  • Outstanding New Illawarra Business presented by Bond International Software*
    • SuCo Supervised Contact Services
    • Highly Commended: The Hungry Monkey and Humber
  • Local Chamber of Commerce presented by Kiama Municipal Council
    • Shoalhaven Business Chamber
  • Excellence in Customer Service presented by Peoplecare*
    • Destination Southern Highlands
    • Highly Commended: Dapto Leagues Club
  • Excellence in Age-Friendly Business presented by IRT Foundation*
    • Warrigal
  • Excellence in Business Ethics presented by Defence Force Recruiting
    • Peoplecare Health Limited
  • Excellence in Export presented by Export Growth China
    • Aceit Work, Sport, Promo
    • Highly Commended: Cherub Rubs
  • Excellence in Innovation presented by Wollongong City Council
    • Fibre Optics Design & Construct Pty Ltd
    • Highly Commended: IRT Group
  • Excellence in Sustainability presented by TAFE Illawarra
    • Symbio Wildlife Park
  • Employer of Choice presented by HR Advance
    • Peoplecare Health Limited

*Illawarra only award – does not progress through to the NSW Business Awards

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.

Jump Start Your Social Media Strategy

Social Media Strategy FeaturedLess than a decade ago, recruitment agencies were urged to join in with social media and conferences and webinars were dedicated to teaching people how to setup accounts. Fast forward to 2016 and you might struggle to find a recruitment agency that doesn’t have a presence on at least one social media network, but do they have a recruitment social media strategy?

What you might find instead is a surprisingly large number of recruitment agencies that don’t use social media beyond having a minor presence. Perhaps you will find a page without any content or a profile filled only with job opening posts. It isn’t uncommon to come across a company page on social media that actively posted for several months, but then completely stopped. I saw a website the other day that proudly displayed 6 social media icons…none of which actually linked to a social media site. If you are sheepishly hanging your head because I am describing your company’s social media reality, then it’s time to think about your social media strategy.

Pick a Network or Two

Having a social media strategy does not mean you need to be present on every single social media platform available. Most likely you won’t have the resources to keep up with all of them. There are two things to consider when picking a social media network – what is your goal and where is your audience.

[tweet_box design=”box_01″ float=”none”]Having a social media strategy does not mean you need to be present on every single social media platform available[/tweet_box]

To start, determine your goal for participating in social media.

  • Are you trying to engage candidates and employees?
  • Are you trying to attract new candidates or clients?

The next step is to determine where your audience spends their time.

  • Facebook is the most popular social network with 1.65 billion users. Engagement may occur outside of typical business hours.
  • Twitter has fewer users and users spend less time here than Facebook.
  • LinkedIn is a professional network and is used to exchange industry information.
  • Both Snapchat and Instagram are primarily composed of millennial users, but these two networks aren’t the only places to find millennials.
  • Pinterest users tend to be female and are more active outside of typical business hours.

Once you have identified your goal and where your audience spends their time, pick one or two social networks and focus on being really active on those sites.

[tweet_box design=”box_01″ float=”none”]Pick one or two social networks and focus on being really active on those sites[/tweet_box]

Plan Your Approach and Measure Your Results

Once you have picked your network, determine the type of activity that will occur on your page. Your activity should be both proactive posts sharing with your audience and reactive posts engaging with your audience. Perhaps some of the following would be good content for you to share?

  • Job openings (just be sure it isn’t the only thing you post).
  • If you are attending a job fair, conducting a webinar, or attending another type of event, don’t forget to let your social network know about it.
  • Photos of happenings at your office or employees on assignment.
  • Information about your industry.
  • Career advice
  • Retweet or share the work of others. Nothing says that the content on your social media feed needs to be your own. If you come across content that you think is relevant to your audience, share it.

Your reactive posts are just as important (sometimes more important) than your proactive ones. If someone comments on an item you have posted or shares your post, engage them. You can respond to their comment or simply acknowledge their share with a like. The important thing is to engage.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Recruitment

dodontimageresizedEvery recruiter has a different approach to sourcing the right candidate, just as one recruiter might swear by cold-calling, another might be more adept at engaging on social media. Whilst the approaches may differ, one thing remains consistent throughout – and that’s the manner in which you interact with candidates once you’ve found them.

It’s imperative for today’s recruiters to ensure that their demeanour and candidate relationship strategy are based around an understanding and appreciation of the candidate. However, with some recruiters being unsure of how persistent they should be and when they should simply give up, this blog aims to provide an insight into the do’s and don’ts of recruitment and help you adopt the best practices.

Let’s start with what you should do in recruitment:

  1. Do your research

Familiarise yourself with a candidate’s skills and expertise to the point where you can genuinely engage with them over the phone. Be careful contacting a candidate if you have nothing to offer, you need to provide real value in the form of real opportunities. However, being in tune with your client’s needs, and knowing how to spot the perfect candidate for them is a fantastic skill to have. Just let the applicant know you are going to market them to a specific company, and why, and don’t promise a position if one doesn’t yet exist.

  1. Do provide an overview and sell the position

Clearly highlight the intricacies of the job position – walk the candidate through the individual aspects your client is looking for and make the company and the role itself sound desirable. This increasingly includes not just the basics of the specific role but also the values of the company and specific policies for training and flexible working – so investing time with the client to understand the culture, working environment and opportunities for future career growth is key. Likewise, listen to your candidate and what is important to them as they look to advance their career – then you can sell the right organisation to the right candidate.

  1. Do be personal in your engagement

If you can’t reach your candidate via the phone, leave them a pleasant, personalised message, highlighting your desire to talk to them. Follow up with a short email or text summarising the position, making sure you’re respecting the best times to get in touch with the candidate. By leaving personalised, brief, informative messages you’re demonstrating an understanding of the candidate’s specific requirements and requests. Candidates don’t want to see the same recycled messages time after time – it indicates that you don’t care and haven’t made the effort to understand them.

To learn more about how you can build and maintain great relationships with your candidates, click here.

  1. Do follow up, network and encourage candidates to apply again

Where possible, always try to inform your candidates of the progress of their application. It’s your job to keep them up to date and in the loop regarding any changes. If you don’t, you risk leaving them disheartened and frustrated. Even if a candidate hasn’t been successful, encourage them to try again for similar positions; there’s a variety of factors at play with securing a position and there’s always the possibility the next vacancy will be just right for them.

By following the guidance outlined above, you will improve both your client and candidate relationships, becoming a recruiter that is respected and held in high regard. Remember, it’s not just about you – recruiting is a relationship between you, your candidate and your client which you need to cultivate and respect.

Now we’ve outlined what you should do, here are some recruitment don’ts:

  1. Don’t go into phone-calls or interviews blind or unenthusiastic

If you’re contacting candidates after only conducting minimal research into their abilities, you’ll come across as indifferent and uninformed, which will not only establish you as someone they won’t want to work with, but could potentially tarnish the reputation of the agency or organisation you work for.

Furthermore, your phone manner and the tone of voice you adopt will set the mood and atmosphere of the conversation. Be clear, be succinct and be positive. You need to make your candidates feel comfortable when dealing with you and that in turn will enable them to discuss themselves with you more freely – and they’ll thank you for that.

  1. Don’t bombard candidates with constant emails and messages across different mediums

A great way to get your number blocked and emails filtered is through continuous pestering and badgering of your candidates. If they didn’t pick up the first time, it’s safe to assume they’re busy or otherwise engaged. Leave a message and if they’re interested, they’ll get back to you. If you haven’t heard anything for a few days, leave a brief reminder over email stating your desire to talk to them. There’s nothing worse for a candidate than constantly receiving calls from recruitment agencies and consultants whilst at work or engaged in another activity.

  1. Don’t ignore your candidate’s preferences

It’s a two-way process. In order for you to find the best possible position for your candidate(s), you need to have a meticulous understanding of what they’re looking for. If you decide that the candidate’s preferences are in some way secondary to your own and arrange an interview with a company or organisation that doesn’t align with what they’re looking for, you’ve not only wasted your candidate’s time, but also your client’s – making them less likely to accept a recommendation from you again.

  1. Don’t stick to one channel

If you’re sticking to one channel, you’ll severely limit yourself in terms of reach and visibility – even more so if the channel you’re using isn’t lucrative or widely known. The abundance of channels available to recruiters means there’s a huge pool of talent out there – you need to maximise your reach and visibility by being a part of the wider sphere.

As recruitment is a constantly changing industry, there will always be an air of uncertainty of how to interact with candidates – the fundamentals outlined above remain unchanged regardless.

If you want to transform your recruitment strategy into a quality-orientated relationship, you need to take into account multiple demands and expectations. As a recruiter, you often end up being an intermediary or negotiator between the client and the candidate, and you have to ensure that both sides receive exceptional treatment and consideration.

If you keep in mind the do’s we’ve discussed, and avoid the don’ts, you’ll be achieving recruitment success in no time.

Engaging Candidates Through Education

Educating Featured ImageKeeping candidates engaged is tough. Although they might not be the best fit for one of your open positions right now, you may have the right job for them in a few weeks. How do you make sure they keep your recruitment agency in mind for future job searches?

Not only should you be offering more than your competition, but also making sure you are offering something of real value. To set your agency apart from its competitors, provide your candidates with continual educational content. Here are five ideas on how to get started:

  • Hold free webinars online once a month. Webinars can be conducted using services such as GoToWebinar, AnyMeeting or ClickWebinar. Although there are costs associated with these services, they do have recording capabilities and will allow you to build up a webinar portfolio where candidates can access your content in a library. Webinar videos are great for posting on your YouTube page too.
  • Consider creating a series of webinars directed towards candidates in different industries. For example, for lawyers you could provide information on new and changing legislation in the law field. For medical, discuss any new certifications that might be of interest. For something more general, discuss interview skills, what to wear, and share motivational tips to boost the confidence of candidates during the interview process.

[tweet_box design=”box_01″ float=”none”]Set your agency apart from its competitors by providing candidates with educational content[/tweet_box]

  • You can also use free social media tools to host informal chats or Q&A sessions. Facebook Live, Google Hangouts and Blab all allow you to host live streaming sessions with candidates at a scheduled time. These can also be recorded as videos and added directly to your Facebook or Google+ pages for viewing after the event.
  • Ask people ahead of time what content they would find useful. This is helpful if you are stuck for ideas and also makes sure you are giving candidates what they need. If you are hosting a Q&A session post about it on social media in advance. Ask for candidates to submit questions they would like answered. This gives you time to prepare and make sure you are addressing questions in as much detail as possible.
  • With all the information you are gathering from Q&A sessions and webinars, you can create a lot of great content for newsletters and blog posts on your website. This will also provide candidates with informative and educational material.

The goal is to keep creating content that candidates want to come back for. Make it easy for them to sign up and register for new content. Even if they are not currently active job seekers, make sure you and your agency are top of mind when they are.

Recruitment Agencies: Less haste more speed!

recrtuiment plans 2There is a lot of pressure on recruitment agencies to fill a role, especially when the client is trying to fill a position as fast as possible using multiple agencies. But what will you be marked on at the end of the day? Quality or quantity?

In this latest blog, Toby Conibear, European Business Development Director, Bond International Software offers his advice on how taking a more measured, calm and meticulous approach to recruiting candidates can in fact result in more speed in the long run.  Essentially managing the recruitment process with less haste and more speed.

Getting off to a good start

In our previous blog, Recruitment 101, we discussed how to ensure that all candidates are treated with the same respect and courtesy in order to make sure that they want to work with you over other agencies. This approach is just as vital with clients.

Getting off to a good start with clients is critical in order for them to keep working with you in the future. Building a relationship and demonstrating a solid understanding of their business not only puts you ahead when you are speaking with them, but understanding their requirements means that you are able to find the right person for the role.

Listening to the client, and finding out what experience, qualifications and type of person they are looking to hire will mean that you can begin your candidate search well informed and you have already built trust.

To find out more about recruitment etiquette and how going back to basics can pay off in the long run, click here. 

Maintaining ground

It can be tempting to reach out to many candidates who may not tick all of the boxes in order to begin scheduling interviews. While this could be seen as a proactive response and the client will certainly be impressed with a plethora of candidates, too many candidates and none fitting the bill will quickly be seen as a fruitless task – and at this point the client will be asking themselves, ‘Do they really understand my business?’

Instead of this, prior to undertaking the candidate search, discuss the approach that you will take with the client. Outline how you will advertise the role, how you will begin the candidate search and manage their expectations accordingly.

Keep communication lines open

Just as you wouldn’t keep the candidate guessing, take the same approach with the client. Provide them with a regular update of the agreed outreach plan, let them know the response that you are getting from job boards and social media, and how your call outs are going.

Keeping the client updated as to progress is as vital as sending them several candidates to interview – both prove value, but one approach is certainly a lot more considered and valuable. When the ideal candidate is eventually found, your focus on quality over quantity will provide the best service.

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

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. In the Year of the Candidate, 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 Plus 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.