The success of a company relies heavily on its people. This is why recruitment is one of the most important processes in an organization. Identifying key competencies of the job is crucial to be able to find the right candidate.
According to the S&B Staffing, a staffing solutions company based in Albany, hiring employees with the right skill sets is essential to keep the business running. Individuals who have the ability to perform their jobs exceptionally well are the life force of a company. However, effective recruitment goes beyond just an excellent resume. There are other key elements that need to be considered other than education and work experience.
America’s Job Exchange, an online resource for employers and job seekers, cited interviews as an essential part of identifying if the applicant is the right fit. This is why recruitment is such a lengthy process because of the multiple elements involved. Sadly, despite defined policies and procedures, the ball is often dropped due to errors and miscommunication. This is why recruiting software is such an important tool for businesses who want to drive success.
What Is Recruiting Software?
Candidate Manager, an applicant tracking software solutions provider with headquarters in Dublin, defines the software as a tool that helps Human Resources (HR) to manage its different functions. These functions, of course, include sourcing applicants, scheduling interviews, and hiring the right employees. The best recruitment software makes HR more efficient. As a result, other departments of the company can enjoy the benefits of a well-organized HR.
One effective application of online recruiting software is how it simplifies the process of filling in a job opening. For example, if the Sales Department needed to hire a new associate, the manager would only need to fill out an online form. Details such as job experience and skills required would be included in the form. The HR department automatically gets this request, so they can begin sourcing for applicants. The rest of the process, which includes interviews and hiring approvals, are all done on the tool.
The HR recruiting software also allows applicants to submit their resumes or CV’s online through e-forms. The software can easily identify applicants in the database that have skills matching what was requested for by the Sales Manager. Data is easier to track, eliminating the need to manually leaf through CV’s to match it with what the company is looking for.
Human Resource can easily transition to a virtually paperless process without the risk of compromising efficiency and effectiveness. The automated system frees up time often spent by HR on tedious admin tasks like sending emails and manually leafing through mountains of paperwork.
Features of Recruiting Software
There are different types of recruiting CRM software available in the market. Developers and vendors continuously improve their programs and platforms so that the software can address more business functions. Whether you choose ones that need to be purchased or free recruiting software, below are some of the common features these offer.
1. Website Integration – Career Arc, an HR consultant firm with offices in L.A. and Boston, reported that over 50% of Americans have used the internet to search for available jobs. While a strong online presence can certainly draw candidates to your company, using a traditional application process can lower the chances of getting applicants. By integrating e-forms on your website where job seekers can submit their CV’s, you can take advantage of the 45% of Americans who choose to apply online.
2. CV Storage – traditional ways of storing CV’s include manually keeping it in filing cabinets and scanning them to save them on a hard drive. While these methods may work, the task of sifting through these files may take hours to complete. HR personnel looking for qualified candidates spend a long time leafing through the CV’s. This could be time well spent on other functions. With recruitment management software, CV information is loaded onto the system, so you can create an index of your pool of applicants.
3. Applicant Identification – with the CV details stored in the tool, finding the qualified ones is a lot easier. The software can easily identify which applicants to consider by matching the information on the CV with requirements specified in the hiring requests. The process is similar to a recruiter reading through the applications. However, because it is automated, the system does it without the HR needing to spend time on it. This makes the hiring or recruitment process much faster and positions can be filled sooner.
4. Dashboards and Reports – when looking to fill available positions, stakeholders need to be constantly updated on the progress of the recruitment process. The tool keeps everybody informed without the need to compose emails with manually inputted data. This reduces the risk of errors and miscommunication. Department Managers can simply check the dashboards to find out what’s happening with the recruitment. Details about the progress are also available whenever needed. All you would need to do is click to get more information.
HR can quickly review their hiring success rate as well as address any roadblocks they are experiencing with finding the right candidate. Reports such as how many pass the interviews and how many have accepted job offers or signed contracts are essential in managing an efficient recruitment process.
5. New Hire Onboarding – HR’s functions include ensuring new employees are given proper orientation about the company’s policies as well as other job specific information. While onboarding new hires are certainly important, it is sadly not given enough attention. HR has so many functions that orienting newly hired employees are at times overlooked. With the software, the process receives the focus it needs. Reminders and alerts are sent to individuals who need to be involved in the onboarding program. New hires then get the information and support they need to become a valuable asset to the company.
Benefits of Recruiting Software
Making the decision to invest in software for a department that’s not considered as an income generating one isn’t always on the list of priorities. This is one challenge that HR Managers face when looking to get this tool. So why is it still something that they are interested in? What does recruiting software do for the business?
Optimizing your HR means more efficient operations concerning your workforce, and workforce is your company’s number one asset. Below are the five benefits you can enjoy with the software.
- Enhanced Branding – to be able to hire the right employees, you need to have a pool of good quality applicants. With software for recruitment purposes in place, you can ensure that all your hiring resources are professionally branded to receive a better response. You’ll be able to catch the attention of quality applicants who are interested in working for reputable companies. Recruiting software for companies can have a significant impact on improving the quality of applicants you get.
- Better Communication – the software allows the different stakeholders in the process to stay informed about the recruitment progress. There is no need to spend hours on admin tasks involved in ensuring that updates are emailed out to everyone concerned.
The tool also gives you a chance to communicate with the candidates, so they too have an update on the status of their application. Pre-designed customizable templates ensure that you have all the responses you need, from invitations of interview to rejection letters. This helps you create a better relationship with your pool, so nobody will ever feel ignored.
- Round the Clock Access – while maintaining a healthy work life balance is an ultimate business goal, it is certainly hard to relax when you don’t have all the information you need. Clocking-out from work should not mean you stop having access to updates. With the tool, you can access recruitment requests and reports from virtually anywhere. This basically means that there are no surprises for when you go back to work in the morning.
- Postings Have a Wider Reach – when you get a recruitment tool, you don’t get just the software. You get access to other resources that can help you improve your recruiting and hiring process. This includes a directory of the best places to put up your postings. With your professionally composed ads, you can appear on various job boards and reach more applicants. Even offshore recruitment becomes more manageable with the software.
- Applicants Are Taken Cared of – regardless of whether you are mass hiring for a ramp up or filling up just one opening, the way you treat your applicants goes a long way. While they will certainly benefit from landing a job, people will often consider the way they were treated during the application process in deciding whether they will be accepting the offer. The software allows you to stay on top of the individual candidates you are processing. None of your applicants will fall through the cracks and have an unpleasant experience with your company. In addition, you will be able to maintain a more efficient pool of applicants for future hiring needs.
Whatever the size of your company, the heart and soul of your business will always be the individuals who work hard to make it a success. Check the list of recruiting software available on CrowdReviews.com, so you can start optimizing your recruitment processes.
Keith Moore
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