Six steps to ensure HR gets the information and the results it needs
Automating the applicant tracking process gives it the potential to crank out exceptional benefits for HR managers. The time to hire can be slashed, HR can get a jump on finding the best candidates and it can reduce overall costs.
But lengthy deployments, inappropriate product selection and user opposition can derail the process and cause many organizations to waste the investment in time and money.
Here are six steps that can set the HR department on a course for success.
Evaluate the big picture
Many organizations start the search for an applicant tracking solution by developing a list of features and functions. But the more appropriate first step is to determine the broad outcomes desired.
Is the goal to speed up the hiring process? Automate time-consuming manual tasks such as generating application confirmation letters? Improve the quality of the hiring pool? Manage growth more efficiently and effectively? Or perhaps a combination of the above?
Once an organization has developed a list of objectives, it then has an appropriate template from which to evaluate the features and functions of different systems.
Manage roadblocks
It’s a rare employee who embraces change, and automating the recruiting process is no different. An organization can transform that resistance into enthusiasm by including the front-line recruiters in the decision-making process.
Find out what parts of their jobs are repetitive, difficult and just plain unpleasant, and ask for their input on solutions to address them.
Be upfront about the tool’s impact on the department. While many applicant tracking systems enable companies to do more work with less people, most organizations are looking for a solution that helps them address rapid growth.
If the organization’s objective is to rely on the automation to double the number of requisitions handled without adding more recruiting staff, it should send that message out. People are more willing to accept a new tool if they know it won’t be replacing them.
Focus on the benefits for the recruiting staff. Most organizations find that deploying an automated applicant tracking solution enables recruiters to be more productive and frees time for more important work such as strategic planning rather than resumé pushing.
Choosing features and functions
Once an organization has determined its overall objectives and uncovered the employee wish list, it’s time to start looking at some features and functions.
Does it want a solution for the HR department or something enterprise-wide? Does it need multilingual support for global locations? Does it need a package that contains pre-built reports or one where the vendor will develop custom solutions? Something that excels in correspondence, offers behavioural assessment integration, enables online applications and gathers candidate metric data?
Spell each item out and then rank each from must-have to nice-to-have. Features that support the overall objective should be on the top of the list.
Look beyond the sticker price
When evaluating the initial price of a system, make sure to look beyond the package price and get information about customization, integration and upgrades.
These three often turn a low-cost system into one that’s out of reach. If the system doesn’t run out-of-the-box, get hard estimates on what it will cost to customize it in terms of dollars and time. The more specific the information an organization provides to a vendor, the more accurate the quote will be.
Make sure the quote specifies clearly who will be responsible for each step of the integration process. Will the organization be responsible for integration or will the vendor be on-site managing the process to completion? By knowing the integration costs upfront, the organization can include them in the final comparison.
If a solution requires customization to enable an organization to meet its recruiting goals, find out what happens when the vendor issues an upgrade. Will the organization lose all customized reports, functions and features? Request information about those costs in advance before deciding to purchase any system.
Getting started
Few recruiting departments are able to stop work for weeks, or even days, at a time to accommodate lengthy product deployments. Yet even out-of-the-box packages require careful planning and integration.
The best way to get a realistic installation schedule is to talk to previous users of the system. Ask the vendor to provide one or more customer references who can describe their installation and integration process.
Don’t forget to set time aside for training. The best system will make no difference to the company if the recruiting team can’t or won’t use it.
Measuring results
At this point, an organization has determined its overall objectives in automating the recruiting process, picked a product with the necessary features and integrated it into the workflow. Now it’s time to measure results.
Start with a list of overall objectives and calculate how things have changed. Within several weeks, an organization should have measurable statistics on productivity improvements such as time saved in processing application documents, generating correspondence and tracking open requisitions.
Within the next six months, results on larger issues will emerge, such as reduced time to hire and improvements in quality of applications.
Applicant tracking and talent management solutions can turn good recruiting teams into powerhouses.
Bob Neveu is president of Recruiternet, a developer of applicant tracking systems based in Portland, Maine. He can be reached at [email protected].
But lengthy deployments, inappropriate product selection and user opposition can derail the process and cause many organizations to waste the investment in time and money.
Here are six steps that can set the HR department on a course for success.
Evaluate the big picture
Many organizations start the search for an applicant tracking solution by developing a list of features and functions. But the more appropriate first step is to determine the broad outcomes desired.
Is the goal to speed up the hiring process? Automate time-consuming manual tasks such as generating application confirmation letters? Improve the quality of the hiring pool? Manage growth more efficiently and effectively? Or perhaps a combination of the above?
Once an organization has developed a list of objectives, it then has an appropriate template from which to evaluate the features and functions of different systems.
Manage roadblocks
It’s a rare employee who embraces change, and automating the recruiting process is no different. An organization can transform that resistance into enthusiasm by including the front-line recruiters in the decision-making process.
Find out what parts of their jobs are repetitive, difficult and just plain unpleasant, and ask for their input on solutions to address them.
Be upfront about the tool’s impact on the department. While many applicant tracking systems enable companies to do more work with less people, most organizations are looking for a solution that helps them address rapid growth.
If the organization’s objective is to rely on the automation to double the number of requisitions handled without adding more recruiting staff, it should send that message out. People are more willing to accept a new tool if they know it won’t be replacing them.
Focus on the benefits for the recruiting staff. Most organizations find that deploying an automated applicant tracking solution enables recruiters to be more productive and frees time for more important work such as strategic planning rather than resumé pushing.
Choosing features and functions
Once an organization has determined its overall objectives and uncovered the employee wish list, it’s time to start looking at some features and functions.
Does it want a solution for the HR department or something enterprise-wide? Does it need multilingual support for global locations? Does it need a package that contains pre-built reports or one where the vendor will develop custom solutions? Something that excels in correspondence, offers behavioural assessment integration, enables online applications and gathers candidate metric data?
Spell each item out and then rank each from must-have to nice-to-have. Features that support the overall objective should be on the top of the list.
Look beyond the sticker price
When evaluating the initial price of a system, make sure to look beyond the package price and get information about customization, integration and upgrades.
These three often turn a low-cost system into one that’s out of reach. If the system doesn’t run out-of-the-box, get hard estimates on what it will cost to customize it in terms of dollars and time. The more specific the information an organization provides to a vendor, the more accurate the quote will be.
Make sure the quote specifies clearly who will be responsible for each step of the integration process. Will the organization be responsible for integration or will the vendor be on-site managing the process to completion? By knowing the integration costs upfront, the organization can include them in the final comparison.
If a solution requires customization to enable an organization to meet its recruiting goals, find out what happens when the vendor issues an upgrade. Will the organization lose all customized reports, functions and features? Request information about those costs in advance before deciding to purchase any system.
Getting started
Few recruiting departments are able to stop work for weeks, or even days, at a time to accommodate lengthy product deployments. Yet even out-of-the-box packages require careful planning and integration.
The best way to get a realistic installation schedule is to talk to previous users of the system. Ask the vendor to provide one or more customer references who can describe their installation and integration process.
Don’t forget to set time aside for training. The best system will make no difference to the company if the recruiting team can’t or won’t use it.
Measuring results
At this point, an organization has determined its overall objectives in automating the recruiting process, picked a product with the necessary features and integrated it into the workflow. Now it’s time to measure results.
Start with a list of overall objectives and calculate how things have changed. Within several weeks, an organization should have measurable statistics on productivity improvements such as time saved in processing application documents, generating correspondence and tracking open requisitions.
Within the next six months, results on larger issues will emerge, such as reduced time to hire and improvements in quality of applications.
Applicant tracking and talent management solutions can turn good recruiting teams into powerhouses.
Bob Neveu is president of Recruiternet, a developer of applicant tracking systems based in Portland, Maine. He can be reached at [email protected].
