Web based Recruiting Software Changes Everything for a Human Resources Department December 31, 2011
Posted by Darwin in applicant tracking, applicant tracking software, Applicant Tracking System.Tags: HR, HR tips, human resources, recruiting software, web based recruiting software
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The way it’s currently done works, no doubt about that, but the availability of a system that cuts
down on time and costs, and speeds up the headhunting process is too good an opportunity
to pass up. I’m talking about Web based job recruiting software as a tool to hasten the work of
Human Resources Managers all over the world.
It used to be (it still is in many places) that when a company was in need of people, it would
place an ad in a newspaper of general circulation. Careful attention is usually made to make
the ad jump out of the Classified Ads page and grab prospective applicants’ attention. Ad
placements don’t come cheap, and it’s a horrible waste of money for the ad to generate only
half a dozen responses. Besides, the ad should attract good prospects, and, usually, the more
responses there are, the better the chances that some good candidates will emerge.
Depending on the number of responses, the ad may be placed again. As the responses come
in, the applications will be screened, with the more promising ones going to the shortlist, while
the rest will be receiving “Thank you, but…” letters soon. The shortlist of prospects will be
contacted for a series of interviews and testing, normally no more than three to four each day,
to determine how they measure up against the desirable qualities the job demands. All this
information becomes part of a file on that particular applicant.
The system works, no doubt about that, but there’s a better way than just running print ads.
Web based recruiting software offers an electronic alternative, one that gives you the lowest
possible recruitment and hiring costs. Applicant tracking software does that by speeding up
the management of resumes and applicant information. You advertise your need online, and
applicants apply online. Their curriculum vitae are stored online and retrieved online.
Using the traditional way, you get to reach only to those who buy the newspaper which carries
your ad. Not so with Web based job recruitment software systems; your market is the entire
world. For instance, if you’re looking for a VP of Operations for your oil interests in Dubai who
speaks Arabic and has a working familiarity with the Arab mind, and who has stayed in the
Emirates for at least five years, you won’t find that person by advertising in the Sunday paper.
You need to go to the web for that. Job recruitment software providers often have tie ups with
job and resume boards like Monster, Hotjobs, and Career Builder, expanding your data mining
reach. The bottom line: lower recruitment and hiring cost.
HR needs to fill positions quickly, so it doesn’t really matter much how HR does it, right? Wrong.
In the first place, there are a number of ways to find candidates, each one associated with a
particular cost and a specific area of effectiveness. Candidates could be found at career fairs or
campus interviews and the cost per hire would be low, but then what kind of candidates would
HR come up with for that VP of Operations job? The likes of the vacancy would probably dictate
a newspaper ad, or candidates generated by job portals or recruitment vendors, but would the
cost then be what the company could afford? Look into web based recruiting software for your
HR department. You’ll eliminate the problems, the costs, and the extra work you have to do if
you use those other, older, inefficient and less effective methods.
What is the exact function and role of an HR department? October 6, 2011
Posted by Darwin in applicant tracking, Applicant Tracking System, EEOC, HR Tips, human resources.add a comment
What exactly does your Human Resources Department do? This is a difficult question to answer, even for the owner of the company. Human Resources is one area that tends to evolve on its own, and everyone in that department is responsible for their own individual piece of that evolution. Some are employee oriented and work on programs and solutions that help the worker. Others are numbers crunchers, those who recommend cut-backs on personnel when it appears that a company might be on the verge of taking a loss. In some companies the terminations would be the responsibility of HR, or they could be a task reserved for management or ownership.
Regardless of the unique make-up of individual human resource departments, all of them have a few things in common. They are all responsible for recruiting and hiring and each needs to have their own applicant tracking system. That could be automated recruitment tracking software or manila file folders. If you’re still using the latter you might want to upgrade. Paper filing systems are not only obsolete – they’re inefficient. Once a folder is filed in the wrong spot it’s more often than not never discovered. Quality job applicants fall through the cracks like that all the time.
Most human resource departments also need to keep track of current regulations and required hiring quotas. There are compliance issues when it comes to hiring and employment. Foremost among these are EEOC and OFCCP, the federal guidelines that demand equal opportunity employment and enforce affirmative action. If you’re modernizing and installing a new job applicant tracking system, you might want to look into web based recruiting software that downloads regular updates in these areas when the laws change. Like paper filing systems, keeping track of these things without automation is an obsolete and dangerous practice.
Human Resource departments are also typically responsible for benefits administration. There are statutes in place on federal, state, and county levels that mandate these benefits in certain areas. Health care is one of the big ones, and perhaps the most publicized in the past few years, but there are others. Regulations and liability issues on retirement funds, direct deposit, and stock awards can get pretty complex. It’s up to the HR department to translate all those wordy rules and explain them to the average employee. Some companies even keep a lawyer or paralegal in HR specifically for that purpose. The legal presence is not a requirement, but it does help.
What else do human resources departments do? When new companies open and start to build, they put a lot of responsibility in the hands of human resources. As time goes by, those responsibilities are sometimes removed and passed on to other departments, but more often than not they stay with HR, making it one of the more complex and important departments in your company. Do you know what they do? If you’re a business owner or site manager and you don’t know, you might want to go down there and find out. That knowledge might come in handy at some point.
Common Challenges in Human Resource Management September 13, 2011
Posted by Darwin in Applicant Tracking System, HR Tips.Tags: applicant tracking system, HR tips, human resources management
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Human Resources departments today face different challenges than they did even a few short years ago. Personnel pools are larger, jobs are scarcer, and people are willing to do almost anything to secure gainful employment. The technology is more advanced also, for both the job searcher and the recruiter. Cloud-based ATS applicant tracking software is used by most human resource departments. If yours doesn’t have it, your competitors have an edge. That’s something you’ll want to correct.
Budgets are typically lower because profit numbers are down across the board. No matter what industry you’re in, you’ve been affected by recent economic events and have to work with less to achieve more. This means that your advertising and recruitment efforts need to be more targeted. Once again, a top-of-the-line applicant tracking system can help you. The best applicant tracking applications register where each hit comes from when the potential employee first contacts you. That information will be extremely valuable when you run your next recruitment campaign.
Benefits administration is another area that has gone from a part-time consulting basis to a full time job. With the rules on health care changing regularly and funds for 401-Ks and pension programs fluctuating wildly, its essential that a human resource department have someone in place to answer employee benefit questions when they arise. In some instances, companies are so inundated with these questions that benefits administration has become an entirely separate department.
Fielding questions and solving problems related to employee rights and privileges are the responsibilities of Human Resources, too. When an employee feels they are mistreated or discriminated against, the HR department needs to step in and document the entire situation for possible later action. This is perhaps one of the most uncomfortable and difficult tasks that a human resource employee performs. No one wants to deal with what is considered one of the ugliest areas of employment law, but someone has to watch out for the rights of employees. When discrimination rears its ugly head, it’s your job as an HR employee to bring attention to it.
Fair compensation is a question for management, but when it’s lacking it can become an issue for human resources. Part of the job of that department is to keep track of changes in wage laws and required cost of living increases. These change frequently, so staying on top of those changes is important. If the minimum wage goes up, the rest of the employees at your company may be entitled to a raise, including the folks in your department. You wouldn’t want to miss that would you? Of course not.
If you’re managing a human resource department, make your job easier by upgrading your applicant tracking system before you do anything else, then check the latest employment laws for any changes or issues you should be aware of. Assign a person or two to deal strictly with benefits and another to deal with employee complaints. Once all of that is done, you can focus on your main responsibility – finding quality employees.
Preparing for Better Days with Recruitment Tracking Software July 9, 2011
Posted by Darwin in recruitment tracking software.Tags: economic recovery, hiring, recruiting, recruitment tracking software
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As a small business owner, you’ve no doubt learned by now that good times and bad times are inevitable. They’re just part of doing business. The world won’t stop, no matter what you do, so you need to be prepared for the obstacles, pitfalls, and high points that are going to come. In the case of the most recent economic recession, it has been a good time to prepare for better days ahead. Nothing lasts forever, no matter how bleak the outlook seems to be.
Recruiting tracking software may seem like a small thing when the daily news is tracking financial collapses of entire countries and foreclosure rates never seen before in modern banking, but its one of those steps you can take to ensure your company’s future is brighter than its past or present has been. Job applicant tracking is one of those areas that many companies overlook – a mistake. Inefficient tracking and poor management in human resources are two of the main contributors to the failure of small companies. You are the people who work for you. If they are the wrong people and you’re losing the right people to your competitors, you are doomed to fail.
Three years ago, when the economic downturn first began, companies began to lay off workers and downsize departments. A lot of those folks who lost their jobs were qualified workers that became victims of a numbers crunch. Now, as the economic outlook improves, they are starting to re-enter the workforce. If you post a job on a board or advertise in the local newspaper, you will get three times the response that you got just a few years ago for the same action. The unemployment rate is coming down, but it’s still high – there are a lot of candidates out there.
You can’t hire all of them – today. You can however prepare for the future by keeping careful track of those who apply for your open position. Are they the right person for that job or are they a better fit for another department where you don’t currently have an opening? Should you hire them now so you don’t lose them and then move them laterally when an opening pops up or should you tell them there might be something in the future and ask them to wait? These are all questions that go through the minds of recruiters and hiring managers as they try to project the future.
The top recruitment tracking software can help you make these decisions. They’ll give you a way to organize applicants and review them in a way that will help you plan for the future. One positive that comes out of tough times like we just went through is the prudence that business owners tend to exercise when things start to improve. It takes a while before anyone is willing to be aggressive again, but when it happens, it spreads like wildfire and we have a surging economy for a while. Those who are best prepared for that will reap the highest rewards. Do you have the people to help you do that? Recruit them now and keep track of who’s who. Job applicant software can help you.
Web Based Recruiting Software – Head Hunting and Cloud Computing June 23, 2011
Posted by Darwin in applicant tracking, web based recruiting software.Tags: cloud computing, head hunting, web based recruiting software
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Take a moment and try this exercise. Close your laptop, turn off your computer screen, and look at the items on your desk. Do you have a rolodex, an appointment book, or calendar in front of you? Chances are you don’t. Let’s get even more basic than that. Do you have a pen and something to write on other than the back of your business cards or a piece of paper from the printer? Once again, chances are you don’t. These are all items from the days of yesteryear when records were kept in manila folders and recruiting was done with local newspapers and telephones – the non-cellular kind.
Just in case you’re wondering, this is not a nostalgic trip down memory lane. The point we’re trying to make is that we’ve become dependent upon our computers to organize our lives. In the case of recruiting and applicant tracking, we’re often too dependent, at least on standard databases and scheduling. If you’re not doing those tasks online, you’re running the risk of losing data, perhaps setting your company’s recruiting efforts back several months in the process. Just saving to your hard drive is no longer okay. You might as well start writing notes on sticky pads again. They’re safer.
Web based recruiting software keeps your records online, safe from viruses and computer crashes. You can save copies to your hard drive if you like, they could come in handy if you don’t have internet access at some point, but you’ll find that other than that you’ll rely on the online version completely. It’s more compact, takes up no disc space at all, and will give you better search and storage capabilities. The best applicant tracking systems will store resume information and allow you to search for specific skill sets by keyword. Doing that on a hard drive would take up far too much space and time.
As a recruiter or human resource person, you’re most likely familiar with the term “ATS applicant tracking”. For those not in the know, the abbreviation stands for the system used to do the tracking and it almost always refers to web based recruiting software. Job applicant tracking that isn’t online is really just a database with limited space and search capabilities. On the web, your potential for expansion is unlimited, at least in theory. The company you choose to use may not have unlimited bandwidth, but chances are the space they can offer is much larger than you have in your office.
Using online software to run applications essential to operating your business is a process known as cloud computing. The “cloud” is basically the entire web. It’s the modern day term used to describe what was once called cyberspace. As computers have gotten more advanced and mobiles with limited disc space have become more common, cloud computing has increased in popularity. You’ve probably heard the term used in relation to applications for your cell phone or netbook. Did you know you could access many of those apps from your desktop PC or MAC? Web based recruiting software is one of them. Give it a try.
Drug Testing, Criminal Background Checks and Applicant Tracking Software June 10, 2011
Posted by Darwin in top applicant tracking systems.Tags: applicant tracking, background check, drug checking, top applicant tracking systems
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Are you about to expand your company? Have you decided to bid on state or federal contracts, propose a merger, or build out your existing work force to develop new products and services? If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, please stop for a moment and evaluate your hiring process, particularly that part of it where you screen potential new employees. Do you do drug testing or criminal background checks? Have you thought about starting them because of problems you’ve had with past employees? If you’re going to do it, there are a few things you need to know.
First off, if you’re going to bid on any contract where federal or state dollars are involved, institute drug testing and criminal background checks right now, for everyone, not just the new employees. Go back in your archives, any applicant tracking software you’ve been using should help with this, and look up records for existing personnel. Some may have gone through screening. Others may be required to. Create a new “checked” or “screened” category in the database you use to keep track of your employees. Most applicant tracking databases allow you to do that.
There are legal issues involved when you do drug testing and background checks, so make sure your company attorney checks those out before you begin the process. You may not be able to test your current employees if they didn’t agree to it when they were hired, but a new contract requiring testing could supersede that rule. You could also ask your employees individually or go to the labor reps if you’re a union shop. If you present your case with valid reasoning there’s no reason they should refuse.
It’s a tremendous benefit to be able to present yourself as a drug-free company, with employees that have undergone a criminal background check. That status alone will go a long way in enticing those who want to do business with you. Put yourself on the other end of a merger negotiation. Do you want to take on an unknown entity as part of your company? At least with employee screening and applicant tracking you know something about the people who work for your new potential partner. Spreadsheets and financial reports should tell you the rest of what you need to know.
The top applicant tracking systems in the world now come with fields already in place for background checks and drug testing. There’s a reason for that. Criminal histories and substance abuse are two of the most distressing problems business owners have to deal with today. If you are a business owner or manager, you can check for past histories of those types of things. If you want to expand using state or federal dollars you might have to. Check into it before you do anything else. Put a new system in place where every employee is screened for drug use and criminal history, and then record the results in your applicant tracking database, for hires and non-hires. Those you don’t hire may apply again some time, so you’ll need those records.
Applicant Tracking Databases for Seasonal Employee Issues May 18, 2011
Posted by Darwin in Applicant Tracking Database, recruiting, small business.Tags: applicant tracking database, hiring software, hiring strategies, seasonal employees, seasonal hiring
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It doesn’t matter what time of year you’re reading this. There is a seasonal situation looming in front of you that will require the hiring or laying off of employees. The size of your company doesn’t play a part in this, aside from the level of your economic impact on the local community you draw your workforce from. Everyone is affected by the ebbs and flows of consumer purchasing, the price of petroleum in winter or summer, or the environmental conditions that allow some businesses to thrive and others to struggle. If you’re in business, you’re dealing with one or two of these, maybe all of them.
How can an applicant tracking database help you in times when seasonal employee issues arise? If you’re a seasonal landscaping or snow removal firm it should be obvious. At the beginning of your season, you hire a bunch of new employees. At the end, you let them go. You’ve been using different systems for years to keep track of it all, but how many times have you sat back with a group of your regulars and said, “Gee, I wonder whatever happened to so-and-so. He didn’t apply this year and I can’t seem to find his number.” If you had applicant tracking software, you’d have that number on hand.
Smaller companies can keep track of former employees with paper filing systems or standard databases, but what about those candidates who applied for work before, went through screening and reference checks, and were refused for some reason that isn’t likely to change in a few years? They eventually apply again and you go through the same process, drawing on the money and resources you don’t have to come to the same conclusion. Why waste all that time and energy when you can invest in applicant tracking that will tell you this person is a “Do not Hire”?
Companies that hire large numbers of seasonal employees tend to overlook the small details about the hiring and firing of former seasonal employees. The right software allows you take notes during the recruiting and hiring process. Did the candidate show up on time for his or her first interview or did they reschedule? Were those behaviors present on the job once they were hired? At the end of the season, did the candidate finish up the job or take off a few weeks early to go to school or another job?
These questions are important, especially in a tough economy where potential employee pools are so large. You can continue to do business as usual and just plug in warm bodies until the job gets done, but how much are you losing by doing that? All industries have their superstars and deadbeats. You want the former, yet somehow end up with too many of the latter. Applicant tracking databases can help you avoid that and get you ready for your busy season with the right people by your side. Wouldn’t that be a better and more profitable way to do it this year?
Create a hiring flow with Applicant Tracking March 7, 2011
Posted by Darwin in applicant tracking, applicant tracking software, corporate recruiting, human resources, small business.Tags: applicant flow, applicant tracking software, hiring, hiring flow, streamlined hiring
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A company is as good as its workforce — the employees are the productivity backbone and lifeblood of any business and managers need the right people in the right positions for optimal performance. Logically, employers should do all they can to find the best talent available in the marketplace. As the qualities employers seek have multiplied, the process for recruiting suitable applicants and finding the best fit has become more technologically sophisticated.
An inefficient hiring process has considerable amount of overhead attached and can affect the bottom-line significantly. Any business trying to increase the efficiency and efficacy of their HR department can streamline their hiring process with applicant tracking software (ATS). These applications help automate administrative tasks while bringing the benefits of transparency and collaboration to decision-making. Recruitment software makes the process simpler and more cost-effective while helping companies sort through suitable candidates quicker and at a low cost.
The system follows a particular workflow which can often be customized to a company’s changing needs. The front end of an applicant tracking software can consist of a dedicated website or a sub-domain of company website. This portal is where openings can be listed and candidates can post their resumes. Resumes can also be imported from databases on affiliated online job boards. Resumes then go through multiple checks against skill requirements and job descriptions at company. Powerful search algorithms identify attractive candidates from the available data. The next important feature in the system facilitates communication to selected candidates on their selection and schedules probable dates for interviews or other preliminary steps. Interview management including pre-screening questionnaires, FAQ documents and resource allocation are managed with a great deal of automation. Post-interview, desirable candidates are again informed about their status and provided with next steps leading towards an offer.
Automated applicant tracking helps both the employer and jobseeker connect faster. Sophisticated search and aggregated business intelligence data speeds up assessment and considerably reduces turnaround time. This helps candidates know quickly if they are actually being considered for the job. An automated system also flattens the playing field for all applicants. The software makes decisions purely on the merits of the resume. While resume data is not the only criterion, it provides an important foundation for keeping the process quantifiable and ethical. This systemic transparency eliminates some of the “who you know” aspects of landing a job. Storage and retrieval of applicant information is also important. This information has a shelf life and can be expensive to obtain anew for every company opening. The ability of the system to identify previously suitable candidates at a later date is invaluable.
As companies become more competitive over resources, the use of applicant tracking software has become a business necessity. There are many Enterprise, SaaS (Software as a Service) and open-source software applications on the market differentiated by company size, feature variation, and level of customization. As companies continue to realize that their human capital is more precious than any other, the care and administration of new hires will continue to evolve resulting in better choices and better long-term employee relationships.
Gaining a Small Business Edge in Marketing, Hiring & Services December 8, 2010
Posted by Darwin in applicant tracking, small business.add a comment
Small businesses are the backbone of the economy. They not only account for a large proportion of our country’s production and service sector, but they also are a major part of job growth. Across the US, small businesses in a variety of niche sectors are hiring talented employees so that they can compete in competitive markets.
Even though small business owners make a big difference, they also have a very difficult time getting a ‘piece of the pie.’ Whereas large companies already have their foot in the door in many cases, the smaller guys need to make a name for themselves in order to start selling. Here are some tips and tricks in different departments for small businesses to gain an edge against bigger corporations:
1. Marketing – Being a small business in the marketing world is like being the person in the room with softest voice. All of the big companies are screaming about products and services by spending tons of marketing dollars across a variety of mediums. So how does a small business, who doesn’t necessarily have a huge marketing budget, get their name out there? One great way is through social networks and services like Twitter and Facebook. Using these free technologies, a small business can build a grassroots fan base that is local, relevant, and scalable.
2. Products & Services - How can a smaller company possibly outperform a big company when it comes to sheer production or service volume? Obviously quantity should be thrown out the door in favor of quality and niche market adaptation. Whereas big corporations move extremely slow in regards to fluctuations in market demand due to their organization hierarchy, small companies can easily adapt to the smallest changes. Using this advantage in speed and adaptability, a small business can outperform a big biz and gain traction in viable niche sectors.
3. Hiring - Big companies have a huge advantage in the hiring game by offering more competitive salaries and perks. Using these benefits they can often attract the best job applicants available, while leaving nothing for the smaller competitors. Luckily, technology once again can even the playing field for small businesses. Cutting edge applicant tracking software allows any company (small or large) to find and attract top-level talent by utilizing the internet. Using these hiring tools, a small biz can land the quality hires that have the potential to lead a company into the big leagues.
Prepare for the Next Wave of New Hires With Applicant Tracking Software August 4, 2010
Posted by Darwin in applicant tracking.Tags: applicant tracking, hiring, human resources
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Every month the unemployment numbers become the latest barometer as to how the economy is doing. The slightest movement up or down can send shock waves through Wall Street and Main Street. Lower numbers means more people are back at work. High numbers means more folks are looking for work. One thing is for sure, as long as the numbers remain high there is going to be an increasing strain on the recruitment process. Fewer jobs plus more applicants looking for those jobs can equal major stress. However, if you are using an up to date applicant tracking software program you might just be able to ride the wave of new hires and maintain your value to your own employers.
Utilizing an applicant tracking software program means you’ll be building your own custom database of potential staff members. Whether you are working for one specific company or you have multiple recruiting accounts, you’ll be able to maintain a complete set of data points for each applicant with the right tracking program. Having easy access to this database will come into play when meeting the demands of hiring one person, a management team or an entire staff. You’ll be able to separate qualified candidates into appropriate categories based on their previous job training, education and experience.
There’s a very strong chance that once you put an ad out into the marketplace, you could be flooded with resumes. Importing these submissions through your applicant tracking program can help organize, maintain and eliminate. You don’t want to spend valuable work hours shifting through files to find the right candidates for follow-up interviews.
Applicant tracking software isn’t just about collecting applications but also about getting out the word and following up. With tracking software you’ll be able to set up customized careers portals which can attract a variety of talent. Before the internet, you basically had two or three hometown papers to advertise in. Now your reach can be global.
Once you’ve accumulated the applications, you’ll want to follow-up with a response. The idea is to maintain a professional level of courtesy while being as efficient as possible. Applicant tracking software can help store drafts of follow-up emails. A polite thank you note can go a long way. You never know; that one special thank you note could be going to a future boss. This is one area where you don’t want to burn any bridges.
Attracting the best talent for an open position is going to be a positive reflection on your abilities as a recruiter or a company. Using applicant tracking software shows that you are keeping ahead of marketplace trends and staying on the cutting edge of technology.
