How to select an HR recruitment software vendor and system

Skipping this vital process means that you run the risk of settling for a mediocre solution that is likely to increase spend longer term, not solve the real issues, nor provide a good ROI. The following are guidelines that will help you determine how you should approach this process.

Clearly outline your desired e-recruitment outcomes

These could include workflow automation; decreasing time to hire; measurable cost savings, a high ROI; candidate attraction methods; leveraging or building an employer brand; obtaining useful business intelligence; centralised recruitment information management; overall process optimisation and added-value services.

Identify a vendor that has the best fit when considering:

Deployment client server vs cloud/web-based

The first is procured via a software licence and annual maintenance fees, and needs to be implemented and maintained on your own server hardware, thus increasing the initial and total cost of ownership. The latter is paid for by a monthly subscription fee; the vendor undertakes the hosting and maintains the system on its servers in a data centre. The software itself will then be delivered over the Web using a browser and has the advantage of accommodating any changes to the system very quickly.

Support

Ongoing short-term and long-term system support capability is vital when considering a vendor. Make sure that you clearly define and understand the vendor's service level agreement when it comes to support and beware of vendors or online sites offering free solutions. Many instances have shown that companies offering these types of services struggle to support clients long term.

Flexibility and innovation capabilities

Recruitment is a dynamic industry with new technology and methods of recruitment changing frequently. Also, no two companies are the same and each organisation will often have specific requirements that will need to be met. It is imperative that the selected software system and vendor will have the ability and flexibility to work within your processes and workflow relatively quickly and easily.

Market expertise

It's best to go with a vendor who has been involved in the recruitment software industry for a long period of time. Not only does this give you an indication of long-term stability, but will also lend an indication as to the level of expertise the vendor will have when it comes to corporate recruitment processes and their solutions.

Pricing

Though this should not be the sole deciding factor, it is a very important part of deciding on a vendor. It is always best to compare the total cost of ownership vs return on investment. Cheaper solutions may come across as being more attractive as they may not impact on your budget in the short term. However, in most cases a recruitment software product on the higher end of the pricing scale tends to give a higher return on investment and greater costs savings, thus actually paying for itself in the medium- to long term.

Functionality

When reviewing new recruiting software to solve business problems and improve HR operations, it's easy to get caught up in comparing features, benefits, bells and whistles. However, all solid and worthwhile solutions should have:

Workflow automation and tracking

Possibly one of the most important features when looking at a vendor's solution, as this will be one of the main ways to reduce the pain points you have identified in your processes. Effective recruiting software should reduce your manual processes and admin, and manage the entire recruitment life cycle from start to finish. It should also automatically keep track of activities run through the system as they happen.

Online candidate sourcing

Another vital aspect is the type of methods that the vendor's software uses to source applicants. Does the software allow for a link between the system and a careers page, job board and social networks? Does the application make allowance for building a searchable talent pool?

Automated candidate screening

It is not enough merely to source and funnel candidates into your system; you will want to ensure that candidates that come go through your application process meet the minimum criteria for both the company and particular position. Be sure to enquire as to how the vendor makes provision for screening applications, whilst still making it easy for applicants to apply.

Automated response

One of the biggest complaints that job seekers have is that there is little to no communication from a company after they send their CVs through for a position. This does not do much for a company's employer brand and occurs due to there normally being a high influx of candidates for advertised positions. Be sure to enquire about the software's ability to communicate with candidates automatically.

Applicant Tracking and CRM

Find out about the methods used to track candidate applications across single or multiple vacancies. Also find out what level of applicant activity tracking is available, this could include: interview tracking, reference tracking, credential verification tracking and referral tracking.

Searching

If the recruitment software package allows for a candidate database to be built from all applications received, review the methods they incorporate to search the database.

System self-administration

Whilst your vendor should provide support for all aspects of its product, it is extremely useful if the software allows a user to administer and change aspects of the system themselves.

Recruitment agency management

Whilst one of the main aims of using in-house recruitment software will be to reduce the dependency on third-party suppliers, such as agencies, there should still be provision in the application to manage recruitment agency suppliers.

Reporting and business intelligence tools

There is no point in streamlining and automating recruitment activity if one cannot obtain measurable data to monitor progress. Make sure that the recruitment systems you consider allow for vacancy reporting, source success analyses reporting, turnaround time reporting and application reporting, among others.

Implementation approach

Successful deployment and implementation is as vital as the effectiveness and functionality of the software itself. Should it be difficult to implement rapidly with the required objectives met, it is irrelevant how good the package is. Be sure to obtain a clear implementation plan from the vendors, whilst still in the investigation stage.

Finally, contact a vendor that is able to offer a wide variety of recruitment solutions across a range of different types of companies. One such vendor and system to consider in this regard is MCI's Direct Hire HR recruitment system, which is able to cater to all the aspects discussed here and more.