| I really don't know. I am not an official tracker of | | | | new products shine like diamonds on the beach and |
| software so I am unsure if recruiting software is an | | | | off the recruiters go, abandoning their jobs for the |
| anomaly or if this is a trend for software in general. | | | | promise of riches that lie there waiting in the sands. |
| Like cell phone choices, recruitment software options | | | | Alas, the shiny objects are only shards of glass and |
| have gone from only a handful in the late 80's to | | | | your business is left bleeding and trying to recover. |
| hundreds, perhaps well over a thousand now, so how | | | | And what of these new, flash-in-the-pan recruiting |
| do you choose? I get confused trying to buy a new | | | | products? I wish I had a dollar for every time I get this |
| cell phone and that is not a life or death decision for | | | | message when a customer tells me to check out a |
| me. But for small, third-party recruiting businesses, | | | | new recruiting software product: "URL not found....." |
| deciding on recruiting software can be a life or death | | | | It's no wonder the confusion over what to buy is so |
| decision for that business. | | | | widespread. So what do business owners and |
| Ok, here is my best guess as to why there are so | | | | recruiters do when trying to find recruiting software in |
| many recruiting software (also known as applicant | | | | this live or die jungle? We have several articles on our |
| tracking or staffing software) packages to choose | | | | BlackDog Recruiting software web site to help with |
| from. I think the production of recruiting software | | | | the process but a piece written by Carl Kutsmode last |
| mirrors the industry. Anyone can become a recruiter | | | | year in a discussion group still stands out in my mind. |
| and start a recruiting firm - just pick up the phone and | | | | "I am familiar with many of the popular systems and a |
| start calling companies, ask if they have any unfilled | | | | few tips I can offer that will help you narrow your |
| positions that they would be willing to pay a fee to fill | | | | search quickly are as follows: |
| and get them to agree that you're the one to fill those | | | | 1) First - Be sure to evaluate your current recruiting |
| positions for them. Voila! The birth of a new recruiting | | | | process and practices first to identify what is working |
| firm. Like new recruiting firms, the recruiting software | | | | well vs. areas that need improvement BEFORE you |
| apple doesn't fall far from the tree. A new recruiting | | | | go shopping or commit to any system. |
| software system pops up every few minutes or so to | | | | 2) Once you know your current gaps -- determine and |
| support the | | | | make all the changes you can afford to make before |
| er and their particular idea of what a recruiting | | | | putting in the new system as it is far more cost |
| software package should do. | | | | effective to implement new technology on good |
| But, like lightening bugs, these recruiters and recruiting | | | | process and practices than to retrofit on bad |
| software packages shine for a few hours or days | | | | processes. |
| and then are gone forever. I think it is good for the | | | | 3) After process improvements are made, make a list |
| surviving recruiting software developers because it | | | | of gaps still remaining that need to be addressed and |
| keeps us on our toes. These little lightning bugs | | | | prioritize them. Focus on your top 10 -15 MUST HAVE |
| contribute to the gene pool with some good ideas. | | | | system capabilities and features when reviewing |
| Heck, they even contribute what I think are bad ideas | | | | vendor options. |
| but some recruiting companies think are great | | | | 4) When vendors do a demo -- ask them to tailor the |
| innovations. So we have a litmus test going on before | | | | demo to those top 10 things that are critical for you to |
| our very eyes as recruiting firms using bad-idea | | | | address so you can truly evaluate how each will |
| software packages try to make them work. Will they | | | | functionally address your needs. If possible -- insist on a |
| survive and turn a bad idea into a good idea? I love to | | | | live demo -- not a PowerPoint overview of capabilities. |
| just hang around and watch. | | | | 5) Once you narrow your vendor choices to your top |
| As established recruiting software vendors we have | | | | two or three vendors -- then consider costs. Until this |
| are faced with a double edged sword when new | | | | point, don't make price a factor in narrowing your |
| recruiting software hits the market. We can never | | | | selection. More often than not, I find that my clients |
| relax because we are always being compared to the | | | | eliminate vendors purely on price and they end up |
| latest whiz-bang, out of the box ideas but we are also | | | | spending 10X more trying to get a lower cost vendor |
| getting peeks at some really great ideas for enhancing | | | | solutions customized to meet their needs. |
| and developing our existing products. And if we're not | | | | 6) When negotiating the final deal, be sure to compare |
| paying attention, our clients make sure we are. | | | | apples to apples. Some vendors include user training |
| The established recruiting industry customer base | | | | up front and ongoing as well as a certain number of |
| never hesitates to let applicant tracking software | | | | customized reports so their total price may be higher |
| developers know what's out there because they get | | | | than another vendor that has a base cost for the |
| bombarded with it on a daily basis. Recruiting software | | | | system and charges a la carte for everything else -- |
| peddlers are like credit card companies. You get about | | | | which in the end may be more expensive in the long |
| 10 offers by mail and five phone calls every day from | | | | run. |
| credit card companies and the recruiting software | | | | 7) In negotiations -- best to negotiate in Q4 -- as close |
| industry isn't far behind. Our customer base is being | | | | to year end as possible. All companies want to make |
| presented with new applicant tracking or recruiting | | | | their yearend numbers look good so you can |
| software systems on a daily basis. And the owners of | | | | sometimes get the best deals at this time of year. If |
| these recruiting or staffing firms are not only being | | | | buying during other times of the year -- just try and |
| driven insane with the direct marketing, they have a | | | | close the deal close to the end of a quarter for similar |
| horde of double agents inside their own company. | | | | negotiating power. Always negotiate with your two |
| For example, let's take a company with five recruiters | | | | finalists and accept the best overall value for your |
| that hires a new, 'experienced' recruiter. He doesn't like | | | | budget --which may not always be the lowest price. |
| the existing recruiting software system they are using | | | | 8) Be sure you get to meet or have input into your |
| and prefers using product X because that is what he | | | | implementation team project lead as that is the person |
| used before and he thinks it is cool. The poison starts | | | | who can impact your timeline and overall costs the |
| working its way into the comfortable little recruiting firm | | | | most if they mess up. |
| and soon all of the recruiters are more focused on the | | | | 9) When rolling out to the business / end users -- be |
| tool than on doing their job. The hot shot recruiter | | | | sure to have a change management plan that includes |
| moves on because he had not made any money in | | | | proper expectation setting that the system won't be |
| six months and leaves behind a trail of destruction. | | | | perfect out of the box. Also provide a forum for 24X7 |
| The firm is left in disarray because they were taken | | | | user feedback and weekly Q&A training sessions |
| off stride and swept up in the narcotic-like winds of | | | | for the first 90 days if possible. This will minimize |
| new recruiting and staffing software products. These | | | | frustrations and accelerate user adoption. |