ATS

Subterms

    Latest story

    188 Shares109 Views

    The Metrics That Matter: What HR Leaders Need to Know to Track Progress in 2024

    by

    Though promises of efficiency, productivity, and experience boosts may have served as initial motivators for HR leaders’ investments in connected technology, there’s another benefit that is slowly but surely stepping into the spotlight: objectivity. As digital toolsets expand and their capabilities grow, talent acquisition (TA) teams are increasingly recognizing the value that comes with quantifying outcomes—especially in a field in which “success” often feels like a moving target.
    That said, not all data is created equal. Some metrics prove more valuable to teams than others, and knowing which ones speak to your organization’s goals is critical to benchmarking performance and making progress. As recruiting’s digital transformation journey continues, learning about the metrics that digital suites can provide—and which matter in the context of your optimization journey—is critical to improving outcomes.
    Seeking success with statistics
    Employ’s recent Recruiter Nation study aimed to get to the heart of the matter, asking participating practitioners to rank key TA performance metrics by their value. Here’s what they said…

    Quality of hire: Quality of hire was overwhelmingly cited as the most valuable metric TA teams use to evaluate success, with nearly one-third (31%) of respondents putting it at the top of their lists and 73% ranked it in their top five. This metric takes into account employee productivity, engagement, culture fit, and other performance feedback to try to add color to recruiter and TA team performance. It also helps teams correlate skills and qualities with successful hires to build more precise profiles for different roles.
    Time to fill: Time to fill reflects the timeline of the average hire, from the day the listing posts to the day a candidate accepts the offer. More than half (59%) of practitioners put time to fill in their top five metrics of value, with 14% saying it is the most valuable metric they use. This information can help highlight opportunities to improve sourcing and interview processes by department, role, or sector.

    At present, the average time to fill across industries, business size, and roles is 47.5 days, but it can vary wildly across industries. At one end of the spectrum are things like media roles, which take an average of 62.21 days to fill in today’s market. Healthcare roles, which are on the other end, take just 38.23 days on average. Knowing the timeframe for your industry critical to planning, as is seeing how your company compares to others.

    Cost per hire: Cost per hire uses operational data to estimate how much it costs to fill a given role. This metric ranks just behind time to fill, with 12% of respondents ranking it in the top spot and 57% putting it among their top five. Knowing the cost of each hire helps teams contextualize recruitment spending and find opportunities to cut waste by adjusting processes to avoid superfluous costs.
    Retention rate: It’s no secret that retention is a top priority in modern businesses, and retention rate data was an easy choice for respondents’ top five lists. Despite only 11% of respondents saying it’s the most valuable metric in their operations, 62% put it in their top five and 14% cited it as their second-most valuable data point.

    To determine retention rates, teams calculate the percentage of employees meeting specific criteria that remain employed over a set period. This exercise can help reveal the characteristics that may lead to employees staying at your company for the long haul and signs that someone might be gearing up to leave.

    Hiring manager satisfaction: Hiring manager satisfaction rounded out respondents’ top five metrics of value, with 53% of practitioners citing it among their top choices (7% said it was their most valuable). This measures managers’ overall satisfaction with the hires made on their behalf using data from qualitative and quantitative surveys. With this information, acquisition teams visualize performance, evaluate progress, and learn from feedback about areas they could improve.

    Of course, all of the above metrics can function at various levels of the business to provide different types of insights and speak to different opportunities for improvement. For example, one company may look at retention rates by department while another may look at this measure through the lens of the recruiter that conducted the search. The former can give insight into ways to improve department-level management practices, while the other may speak to the performance of the TA team member.
    The same is true for any of the metrics noted above—and others. As teams filter results down by various criteria, they are able to find patterns, identify correlations, and identify and test possible solutions.
    What matters to you
    Perhaps the most notable insight is the lack of alignment on the issue overall. Yes, some metrics—like quality of hire—stood out as clear frontrunners. Still, though, none of the options presented were seen as unanimously without value. Even those that scored lower overall were at the top of someone’s list, which speaks to a truth about measuring progress: The perceived value in any metric is directly linked to organizational goals. In short, the difference isn’t between having data and not having it; it’s how you use the data that makes the real difference within an organization.
    Candidate relationship management (CRM) platforms, applicant tracking systems (ATSs), and recruitment marketing software (RMS) all serve as records of past successes and failures. For companies that are used to having “lifers” among their ranks, a metric like retention rate may not be important. But for someone else, finally putting retention performance into tangible, quantifiable terms may yield the insight they’ve been missing.
    Because the possible variations, combinations, and applications of data made available by CRM, ATS, RMS, and other connected platforms are near infinite, it’s up to each company to identify what matters to them. That’s the beauty of connected operations; if you can capture it, you can track it and measure against it. That’s what allows you to experiment with new approaches and find solutions that move the needle for your business, whatever they may be.
    By Josh Jones, talent acquisition manager at Employ Inc.
    Share this post: More

    More stories

    • 113 Shares149 Views

      in Talent Acquisition

      The 6 Best ATS’s for Recruiting Firms in 2023

      by

      In today’s competitive job market, it’s crucial for recruiting and staffing agencies to have the best tools and resources available to stay ahead of the game. That’s where the Best ATS platforms for Recruiting and Staffing come in. 
      Some standout solutions in this category include Bullhorn and Manatal. From candidate sourcing and tracking to collaboration and reporting, these platforms have everything agencies need to succeed. 
      But with so many options on the market, it’s essential to consider factors such as pricing, ease of use, and customer support before making a decision. Let’s explore the top six ATS (Applicant tracking software) platforms for recruiting agencies and staffing firms and see what sets them apart.
      The Best ATS for Recruiting Agencies
      1. Bullhorn
      With over 10,000 customers worldwide, Bullhorn is an acclaimed ATS in the staffing industry. The cloud-based platform offers both ATS and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) features to help recruiters manage their end-to-end staffing process.
      If you’re a recruiting agency that needs a scalable solution to manage its staffing needs, Bullhorn is your friend. The ATS can handle high-volume recruiting, complex workflows, multiple locations, and diverse client requirements. 
      Bullhorn dashboard
      It also comes equipped with AI-powered resume parsing and job matching to save time and improve candidate sourcing and screening processes.
      One of the unique differentiators of Bullhorn is its relationship intelligence features like pulse and radar that help recruiters monitor interactions with candidates and clients to identify engagement opportunities.
      Additionally, Bullhorn provides advanced reporting and analytics to dig deeper into recruitment metrics, identify trends and optimize recruitment strategies.
      Some of the key workflows of Bullhorn include:

      Candidate submission: Recruiters can submit candidates to jobs internally or externally, review their resumes, track their status, and communicate with them via email or text.
      Interview: Bullhorn lets you schedule interviews with candidates and clients, sync them with your calendars, send reminders and feedback requests, and update your status.
      Placement: It allows you to create placements for candidates who accept job offers, associate them with relevant information (including job details, pay rates, and start dates), and generate contracts and invoices

      Pros: 

      Bullhorn integrates with various third-party tools, including major vendor management systems, social media platforms, and email providers, to provide a seamless workflow and data synchronization. Some prominent names include Gmail, Outlook, LinkedIn, Herefish, TextUs, and more. 
      Bullhorn has more features than other ATS software, including job order management, candidate search, activity tracking, reporting, lead tracking, pipeline management, and relationship intelligence.
      Bullhorn’s bulk email-sending function allows you to communicate with multiple candidates or clients simultaneously.

      Cons: 

      Bullhorn does not have a free version or transparent pricing. Plus, the basic plan doesn’t include LinkedIn integration or unlimited data storage.
      Some users report that Bullhorn’s interface is not very intuitive or user-friendly.

      2. Manatal
      Manatal is a cloud-based ATS that helps HR teams and recruiting firms manage their entire recruitment process – from sourcing and candidate management to placement and onboarding.
      Manatal also stands out from other ATS solutions in a few key ways. 
      For starters, it offers candidate enrichment that lets you build detailed candidate profiles using data from LinkedIn and 20+ social platforms. This feature gives a holistic view of a candidate’s background and experience, allowing you to find a suitable match for a job opening.
      Candidate Enrichment
      Another unique feature is AI recommendations. You can reach top talent in your database with search tools, filters, and candidate scoring. 
      Recruitment CRM is another standout feature. This lets you keep track of commercial activity, clients, placements, and revenue all in one place. This is particularly useful for staffing and recruiting firms that need to manage a high volume of client relationships and placements.
      Recruitment CRM: Track pipeline in one place
      Manatal also offers a branded career page that helps you create a customizable career page or integrate an existing one. This can be a great way to showcase your brand and attract top talent to your organization.
      Some of its key workflows include: 

      Candidate sourcing: Manatal helps you source candidates from multiple channels, including job boards, career pages, LinkedIn, referral programs, and even manually. You can also enrich candidate profiles with social media data and AI insights. 
      Applicant tracking: It lets you track job applicants through different stages of the recruitment process using pipelines and activities. You can also collaborate with hiring managers and invite them to review candidates and provide feedback.
      Candidate matching: Mantal’s AI engine finds suitable candidates for your vacancies based on their skills, experience, and education, among other criteria. You can also use search tools and filters to narrow your candidate pool.

      Overall, Mantal is for HR teams, recruitment agencies, and headhunters looking to source and manage candidates quickly. It’s especially suitable for those who want to leverage AI and social media data to find the best fit for their vacancies. 
      That said, Mantal may not work for those who prefer a more traditional or manual approach to recruitment or need more customization or integration options.
      Pros: 

      Manatal has lower prices than many other ATS tools. You also get a 15-day free trial to try the features beforehand. 
      Manatal is easy to use and has Kanban-style, drag-and-drop pipelines for candidate management. 
      It also saves time and improves hiring quality with its AI-based suggestions tool. 

      Cons: 

      Manatal doesn’t let you add multiple locations for a single job position on the career page.
      They need to offer more customization options for the career page and email templates. 
      Lack of integrations with some popular tools like Zoom and Slack.

      Pricing: 
      Manatal offers three pricing plans: Professional, Enterprise, and Custom:

      The Professional plan costs $15 per user per month, allowing up to 15 jobs per account and up to 10,000 candidates. It also includes unlimited hiring managers.
      The Enterprise plan costs $35 per user per month and allows unlimited jobs, candidates, and hiring managers. It also includes custom features and integrations upon request.
      The Custom plan is on demand and requires contacting the sales team for a quote. It includes everything in the Enterprise plan plus custom features and integrations tailored to your needs.

      3. Recruit CRM
      Recruit CRM is a cloud-based recruitment software that combines ATS functions with a customer relationship management (CRM) system. It works as an all-in-one solution for managing and automating the recruiting process. 
      One of its most notable features is its simple and easy-to-use interface, making navigating and setting up a breeze. This can be a massive plus for recruiters with limited technical expertise.

      Recruit CRM interface
      Recruit CRM also has a visual pipeline that shows the status of each candidate, making it easy to track their progress through the recruitment process. Additionally, the platform offers a self-service portal that lets candidates update their profiles, reducing administrative work for recruiters.
      Another unique feature is its sourcing tool, which allows you to source candidates directly from LinkedIn. This can save recruiters time and effort when trying to find the perfect candidates for a job opening.
      Some of its primary workflows include: 

      Candidate interaction: It helps you communicate with candidates using email templates, bulk emails, email tracking, SMS integration, and a candidate portal.

      Managing clients: The CRM feature allows you to create and track opportunities, submit candidates, get feedback, and generate invoices.

      Posting jobs to multiple job boards: It has a single interface that lets you buy and post ads to premium job boards or automatically post jobs for free.

      Pros: 

      Recruit CRM’s modern and easy-to-use interface requires minimal training and setup.
      The visual pipeline gives a quick overview of candidates’ status, such as applied, assigned, shortlisted, or offered.
      It provides native integration with Zapier that helps connect with 5000+ business apps.

      Cons: 

      The lack of a calendar view for scheduling interviews or tasks. 
      The limited character limit for notes on candidate records may not be sufficient for recruiters. 
      Users have reported difficulties in training and solidifying processes with RecruitCRM due to constant updates and changes since it’s still in an early stage of development.

      Pricing: 
      Recruit CRM has three pricing plans: Pro, Business, and Enterprise.

      Pro plan ($85 per user per month): It allows unlimited jobs per account and up to 10,000 candidates, contacts, and companies. 

      The Business plan ($125 per user per month): It allows up to 20,000 candidates, contacts, and companies. It also includes everything in the Pro plan + resume/CV formatting, 100 custom fields, and API access.

      The Enterprise plan ($165 per user per month): It allows unlimited candidates, contacts, and companies. It also includes everything in the Business plan + a custom SLA, custom branding, dedicated servers, and a dedicated account manager.

      You can also start a free trial of Recruit CRM with no credit card required. The free trial provides access to all features with 50 candidates, 50 contacts and companies, and four open jobs.
      4. Loxo
      Loxo is an all-in-one talent intelligence platform that combines ATS, CRM, outbound recruitment, data, and sourcing tools. Consolidating these functions into a single platform helps simplify workflows, reduce costs, and improve performance.
      Loxo’s sourcing tool is worth noting. It provides access to a 1.2 billion professional and social profiles database from multiple data sources, including public profiles and the open web. And if you’re worried about the accuracy of contact information, Loxo’s got you covered with verified email, phone, and social profiles for over 800 million contacts.
      Candidate sourcing
      Loxo also offers an outbound recruiting tool that lets you create and automate multichannel sequences to engage candidates via email, SMS, and phone calls. This can be a great way to build a strong talent pipeline and reduce your reliance on job boards and other passive recruitment methods.
      That’s not all – Loxo also leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to learn hiring preferences, suggest potential candidates, and automate tasks. This can help you save time and focus on the most important parts of your job.
       Here’s a quick overview of Loxo’s key workflows:

      Sourcing candidates from 1.2 billion profiles using a sourcing tool that automatically adds them to the database and enriches their profiles with social media data.
      Managing candidates using an ATS that shows the status of each candidate using a visual pipeline.
      Managing clients using a CRM that allows you to create and track opportunities, submit candidates, get feedback, and generate revenue.

      Pros: 

      Loxo combines ATS, CRM, outbound recruitment, data, and sourcing tools into one AI-powered talent intelligence platform.
      It offers access to a large database of professional and social profiles, verified contact information, and AI-recommended candidates.
      It allows you to automate outbound recruiting with multichannel sequences and built-in email, SMS, and calling features.

      Cons: 

      Some users mentioned difficulty in importing data from other sources or exporting data to other formats. 
      There’s a need for more training and documentation on how to use the software effectively.
      It’s priced higher than many other ATS platforms on the market. 

      Pricing: 
      Loxo offers three plans; their pricing will depend on your plan and add-ons. 
      The free plan offers the basic ATS and CRM features for free forever but includes no add-ons. The add-ons are optional features that can be purchased per seat, per month, such as Loxo Connect, Loxo Source, Loxo AI, Loxo Outreach, Talent Insights, SMS & Calling.
      The professional plan costs $299 per seat per month and includes all the add-ons as well as customized workflows, a dedicated onboarding specialist, and priority customer support. 
      The enterprise plan has custom pricing and includes all the features of the professional plan as well as AI internal mobility sourcing, e-signature integration, SSO, SOC 2 Type II reporting, audit logs, and deployment options.
      5. ZohoRecruit
      ZohoRecruit is another talent acquisition software that offers an ATS and a CRM in a single recruitment platform. It helps staffing agencies and internal HR teams source, attract, engage, and hire quality candidates for any role.
      To source candidates, you’ll get access to a database of professional and social profiles, along with verified contact information and AI-recommended candidates. 
      ZohoRecruit also offers a visual interface to help you track and manage the entire recruitment process – from sourcing to hiring. It consists of different stages, such as Screening, Assessment, Interview, Offer, and Hired, and each stage has appropriate candidate status.
      Hiring pipeline 
      You can also customize your hiring pipeline by adding or removing stages, color-coding them, and mapping candidate statuses to them. 
      Here’s an overview of the key features of ZohoRecruit: 

      Source & Attract: It allows you to post jobs on 75+ job boards with a single click and share those listings on social media platforms. You can also access an extensive database of professional and social profiles, verified contact information, and AI-recommended candidates.
      Track & Engage: Recruiters can track where their candidates are at every hiring stage and optimize their recruitment process with advanced analytics. They can also communicate with candidates via email, SMS, and phone.
      Automate & Hire: You can use custom automation tools to push candidates through every stage in the hiring process. You can also create a customized career site to attract more applicants. 

      It also lets you customize your career sites with SEO-friendly keywords, subdomain mapping, localization, and mobile optimization. And finally, it integrates with over 50 other tools, including Zoho CRM, Slack, Zoho Sign, Zoho Analytics, Outlook, and LinkedIn.
      Pros: 

      Affordable pricing plans, making it accessible for small and medium-sized businesses.
      Integration with other Zoho products, such as CRM and HR management, for a seamless hiring and onboarding experience. 
      Easy-to-use interface and intuitive navigation, reducing the learning curve for new users. 
      Good customer support, with helpful documentation and responsive customer service agents. 

      Cons: 

      Some users have reported occasional glitches and slow performance, particularly when working with large amounts of data.
      Some users have reported difficulty integrating third-party tools and plugins, which can reduce the platform’s flexibility.
      Reporting and analytics features are less advanced than other ATS platforms, making tracking and analyzing recruitment metrics harder.

      Pricing: 
      Like Loxo, ZohoRecruit’s pricing also depends on the plan and different add-ons. 
      The free plan offers the basic ATS and CRM features for free forever but includes no add-ons. 
      The add-ons are optional and can be purchased per seat, per month, including Zoho Workerly, Zia Voice, Candidate Anonymization, Assessment Module, SMS & Calling.
      The Standard plan costs $25 per seat per month and includes all the free features + resume parsing, email templates, interview scheduling, and reports. 
      The Professional plan costs $50 per seat per month and includes all the standard features + career site management, social media integration, and advanced analytics. 
      The Enterprise plan costs $75 per seat per month and includes all the professional features + modules, custom functions, and webhooks. 
      The Ultimate plan has custom pricing and includes all the enterprise features + a dedicated database cluster and premium support.
      6. Gem
      Gem is a talent engagement platform that leverages data and automation to help you engage talent more deeply, build diverse, high-quality pipelines, and hire predictably at any scale. 
      Gem integrates with various applicant tracking systems (ATS) to streamline the recruiting process and provide a single source for all talent relationships.
      For starters, it offers full-funnel insights into the recruitment process. This means recruiters can see the entire process, from sourcing to hiring, and use this information to optimize their outreach strategies and measure performance.

      Pipeline analysis 
      Another feature worth noting is its ability to automate personalized email campaigns and follow-ups. This will help you save time while ensuring you stay in touch with candidates. Additionally, the platform syncs all email activity with the ATS and LinkedIn, making it easier to track communications.
      Some of its key workflows include: 

      Sourcing candidates from LinkedIn or other sources and uploading them to Gem and the ATS through a single click. 
      Creating email sequences and templates and sending personalized outreach campaigns to candidates. 
      Tracking email opens, clicks, replies, bounces, unsubscribes, etc., and syncing them with the ATS and LinkedIn.
      Scheduling interviews with candidates and sending calendar invites and reminders.
      Moving candidates through stages in the ATS based on their responses or actions

      Gem is particularly beneficial for teams looking to build diverse pipelines and make predictable hires at scale. However, it may not be suitable for recruiting teams without access to an ATS or those who do not have a clear hiring strategy or goals.
      Pros: 

      The platform supports diversity and inclusion initiatives by helping recruiters source underrepresented talent, track diversity metrics, and mitigate bias.
      It facilitates collaboration between hiring managers and other stakeholders on candidate profiles, feedback, notes, ratings, etc.
      Offers a modern and user-friendly interface, making it easy for recruiters to navigate and use the platform.

      Cons: 

      Gem doesn’t disclose its pricing on its website but offers a free demo and a free trial for interested customers. 
      It’s not an ATS itself – you’ll need to integrate it with your pre-existing ATS to sync data and context.

      Benefits of Using ATS for Recruiting Agencies  
      Here are some of the benefits that an ATS can offer:
      Faster Hiring Process
      It’s a given that automated systems help reduce the time recruiters take to make hiring decisions. They allow candidates to apply via their website or mobile applications while they are away from their desks. 
      The application process is quick and simple, eliminating human errors during data entry or selection. This also helps recruiters save time and quickly get the right person on board.
      Streamlined Recruitment Process
      ATS automates many manual tasks, including posting job ads, screening resumes, scheduling interviews, and sending follow-up emails. 
      This frees up time for recruiters to focus on more human-centric tasks like candidate engagement, employer branding, and stakeholder collaboration.
      Data-driven decision making
      ATS platforms provide recruiters with valuable insights into their recruitment metrics like time-to-fill, source of hire, and cost-per-hire. This helps them optimize recruitment strategies, measure performance, and make data-driven decisions.
      Easier Management 
      An automated system allows you to track your candidate’s progress at all times, making it easier to manage them throughout the recruitment cycle. From assessment through onboarding and beyond into career development programs or even promotion opportunities when available within your organization’s structure, ATS platforms help you keep track of everything. 
      Manage Large Volumes of Applicants
      One of the best things about an ATS is its ability to handle large volumes of applications and resumes. 
      If you receive hundreds of applications per week, it would be impossible for your team members to go through each manually, especially when they have other responsibilities on their plates. Using an ATS allows you to keep track of all those applications so that you can identify candidates who meet your criteria and contact them if they are chosen for a position. 
      Key Features That Your ATS Platform Should Have 
      Here are some key features you should look for in an ATS platform:

      Ease-of-use: The platform should be easy to use and navigate through. You don’t want to waste time trying to find something that is not there. Your ATS should also be user-friendly, meaning it must come with a great user experience (UX).

      Integration options: Integration is key when choosing an ATS platform because they allow you to connect with other systems you already use — including HR software solutions, CRM, and applicant tracking solutions. It also helps you keep all the data related to hiring candidates in one place.

      Job posting: Job posting is one of the most common activities in recruitment. Naturally, your ATS should allow you to post jobs on job boards, social media, and other platforms like LinkedIn. Many ATS platforms even help you post multiple jobs simultaneously and also allow you to create automatic notifications when someone applies for a particular job. This saves you time as you don’t have to manually review each application received or respond to each candidate individually.

      Application tracking: You’ll need a system that can keep track of each applicant’s information throughout the entire process – from initial application through follow-up emails after interviews or preliminary job offers. That way, if someone doesn’t get hired but is a good fit for another position in the future, you can easily add them back into the database.

      Interview organization: Your ATS should assist you in scheduling and interviewing candidates. You should be able to send calendar invites and reminders and create interview kits that include candidate resumes, questions, feedback forms, etc. 

      Collaboration: The ATS you pick should let you collaborate and keep everyone in the loop on hiring decisions. It should also help you share candidate profiles, notes, ratings, feedback, etc. 

      Questions to Ask Vendors on Demos 
      When evaluating an ATS platform for your recruiting agency, it’s important to ask vendors the right questions to get a suitable fit for your organization. Here are some questions to consider:

      Ask the vendor about the candidate pipeline process. This question will give you an understanding of how the system handles each stage of the hiring process and if it aligns with your agency’s workflow.

      How does your ATS integrate with other recruiting tools and services? Make sure your new ATS will integrate seamlessly with whatever systems you already have in place, like payroll or HRIS systems.

      What type of tasks does it automate? Automation can help you save time by automating tasks such as candidate follow-ups, interview scheduling, and resume screening. Ask vendors about the extent of their automation capabilities.

      What’s the difference between our current applicant tracking system and yours? This will help you understand what exactly you’re getting when you pay for this new software and why it’s worth upgrading. 

      How does the ATS handle diversity and inclusion? Many companies are prioritizing diversity and inclusion in their hiring processes, so don’t forget to ask vendors how their system can support your agency’s efforts in this area.

      Can you customize the ATS to fit our agency’s specific needs? Every recruiting agency has different workflows and processes, so check whether you can customize the ATS to meet your agency’s needs.

      What kind of reporting and analytics does the ATS provide? Reporting and analytics can help you track the performance of your recruiting efforts and make data-driven decisions. Ask vendors about the types of reports and analytics their system provides.

      What kind of support and training do you offer? Knowing what kind of support and training vendors offer is important. Ask whether they provide support for onboarding, training videos, and ongoing support. This can significantly affect how quickly your agency can get up and running on the new system.

      How much data can it hold? This will greatly impact how many applicants you can track and manage through the system. If you need to store resumes, cover letters, interview notes, and other data, ensure your vendor has enough storage space.

      Common FAQs
      What is an ATS?
      An ATS platform is a software application that helps recruiting agencies manage their entire recruitment process, from sourcing to hiring. It automates and streamlines tasks like job posting, resume screening, candidate communication, interview scheduling, and reporting.
      Why do I need an ATS platform?
      You need an ATS platform because it will save you time and money in the long run. You’ll have a more efficient way of finding the right candidate for your job openings so that you can reduce the amount of time spent on recruiting efforts. This means more time for other important things like training new hires or managing existing employees.
      What are the key features I should look for in an ATS platform?
      The key features to look for in an ATS platform for recruiting agencies include job posting and distribution, candidate database management, interview scheduling, and collaboration. Some additional features include reporting & analytics and integrations with other recruiting and HR tools.
      How much does an ATS platform cost?
      The cost of an ATS platform varies depending on the size of your recruiting agency, the number of recruiters using the platform, and the features and functionality you require. Some platforms charge per user or job posting, while others offer monthly or annual subscription fees.
      How secure is my data on the ATS platform?
      Most ATS platforms offer data encryption, regular backups, and access controls to ensure the security of your data. It is important to ask vendors about their security measures and certifications to protect your data.
      Pitfalls to Avoid When Buying an ATS for Your Recruiting Agency 
      If you’re looking to buy an ATS for your recruiting agency, there are a few pitfalls you should avoid.

      Focusing too much on features and not enough on usability: While an ATS with robust features can be enticing, if it’s not user-friendly and intuitive, it can be challenging for recruiters to adopt and fully utilize the tool.

      Overlooking integration capabilities: A good ATS should integrate with other key tools in your tech stack, including job boards, HRIS, or CRM. Overlooking this can lead to manual data entry and siloed information.

      Neglecting security features: This includes password protection, encryption, and user access controls. Your ATS should also have a backup system if something goes wrong with the primary server or database.

      Ignoring customer support and training: Without proper training and support, you might end up struggling to use the platform and encounter issues that hinder your productivity.

      Failing to consider scalability: As your recruiting agency grows, your ATS needs to scale with you. Investing in a platform that cannot meet your hiring demands can result in downtime, lost candidates, and missed opportunities.

      Wrapping it Up!
      An ATS platform can significantly streamline and optimize the recruitment process for recruiting agencies. An ATS can also help recruiters source, engage, and hire top talent by automating workflows, enabling better collaboration, and providing data insights.
      Overall, each ATS platform discussed in this conversation has standout features that may make it the best choice for certain recruiting agencies. 
      Zoho Recruit’s hiring pipeline and candidate management system may appeal to agencies seeking a customizable and visual approach. Gem’s automation and collaboration tools may be ideal for agencies seeking to streamline their communication and hiring decisions. Or, Loxo’s comprehensive suite of features may appeal to larger agencies with more complex needs.

      Share this post: More

    • 100 Shares119 Views

      in Talent Acquisition

      The 5 Best Recruiting Software Tools in 2023

      by

      Looking for the best recruiting software on the market? You’re in the right place!
      Hiring a new employee can be costly and time-consuming. According to Indeed, you can expect to pay up to 30% of the hired employee’s first-year salary to a recruiter – and it can take up to 52 days to fill a position. 
      But what if you could save money and time with some powerful software tools? Recruiting software like JazzHR, Recruitee, etc., can help you streamline your hiring process, attract more qualified candidates, enhance your employer brand, and optimize your talent acquisition strategy. 
      But how do you choose the best one for your needs? We have compiled a list of the 5 best recruiting software tools in 2023 based on their features, functionality, customer reviews, and major pros and cons. 
      Here are the 5 best recruiting software tools in 2023:
      1.JazzHR
      Originally founded in 2009, JazzHR is now a full-fledged ATS and recruiting software that helps small and medium-sized businesses streamline their hiring process. It offers unlimited users and jobs, a customizable workflow engine, and integrations with popular job boards and platforms. 
      A customizable workflow engine is its biggest USP. This means you can create different stages for each job, add tasks and reminders, automate emails and notifications, and track the progress of each candidate. You can also use scorecards and assessments to evaluate candidates objectively.

      JazzHR Candidate Screening Dashboard
      Some of the key workflows that JazzHR supports are:

      Job creation: Users can create jobs using templates or custom fields, add job descriptions and requirements, set compensation ranges and benefits, assign hiring managers and team members, etc
      Job posting: Users can post their jobs to 18 free job boards, share them on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., and embed them on their career site or website. 
      Candidate sourcing: Users can source candidates from various channels, such as referrals, resume databases (such as ZipRecruiter), talent pools (such as Indeed Resume), etc.
      Candidate screening: Users can screen candidates using filters such as location, education level, and experience level. use knockout questions to eliminate unqualified candidates automatically, use scorecards and assessments to rank candidates based on skills and fit, etc.

      Custom Knockout Questions 
      All in all, ​​JazzHR is a simple hiring solution for small and medium-sized businesses that need to collaborate with multiple hiring managers or teams. However, it may not suit large enterprises or highly regulated businesses that require more advanced features, compliance, or support.
      Pros:

      The pricing plans are affordable, making JazzHR accessible to small and mid-sized companies.
      Since all their pricing plans allow unlimited candidates and users, you won’t have to shell out extra money to scale the recruitment process. 
      It offers social media recruiting, career site branding, reporting, and applicant tracking as some of its main features. 

      Cons:

      Some emails go to spam or get lost in transit.
      There is no way to highlight your posts on certain boards or customize the application questions’ wording.
      The software is feature-rich but buggy and slow at times.

      Pricing:
      JazzHR has three pricing editions: Hero, Plus, and Pro. Hero costs $49 per month and allows up to 3 open jobs. Plus costs $229 per month and allows up to 15 open jobs. Pro costs $359 per month and allows up to 50 open jobs.
      2. Recruitee

      Recruitee is another cloud-based collaborative hiring software that allows unlimited users and data for all plans, so you can involve your whole team in hiring without paying extra. 
      It also has a talent-sourcing Chrome extension that lets you import candidates from LinkedIn, GitHub, Dribbble, etc., directly into Recruitee. In addition, it has a social media connection feature that lets you post your jobs on multiple platforms, increasing your reach and visibility.

      Social media connection feature
      Some of the key workflows of Recruitee are:

      Customized pipelines: You can create customized pipelines for different roles or stages of hiring. You can drag and drop candidates along the pipeline, track their progress, schedule interviews, send feedback forms, etc.

      Drag and drop interface 

      Hiring team: You can invite your colleagues, managers, or external recruiters to join your hiring team. It also provides the ability to assign roles and permissions, share notes and tasks, and mention each other in comments.
      CareersHub: You can build a branded careers site using Recruitee’s templates or your own design. It will help you showcase your brand, culture & values, display your open jobs, and collect applications via forms or LinkedIn Easy Apply.

      While it’s a holistic recruitment platform, it may not be good for companies that need more advanced features, such as AI-powered matching or automated screening. Recruitee is more suitable for HR teams looking to scale their hiring activities. It’s especially suitable for companies that want to collaborate with their team members and external partners on hiring.
      Recently, Recruitee also launched a ReferralsHub feature that lets you create and manage employee referral programs within the platform.
      Pros:

      It offers a high degree of autonomy and independence for recruiters. This means that you can create your own pipelines, templates, and workflows without relying on external agencies or consultants. 
      It helps internal teams hire better together by assigning roles and tasks, allowing you to collaborate with your colleagues and stakeholders on hiring decisions. You can also assign specific people to review applications, conduct interviews, or give feedback.
      Recruitee provides marketplace access, where you can integrate with other tools such as video interviewing, assessments, background checks, etc., enhancing your hiring experience.

      Cons:

      The pricing is based on active jobs, which can be limiting for companies that have a lot of open positions but a low hiring volume.
      Recruitee can be relatively expensive compared to other recruitment tools in the market. 
      While Recruitee offers a range of templates and customization options, some users have found it to be limiting in terms of customizing fields and designing forms to fit their specific needs. 

      Pricing:
      Recruitee has three pricing plans: Launch ($224/month paid annually for 10 job slots), Scale ($399/month paid annually for 10 job slots), and Lead (custom pricing). All plans include basic recruitment features and a free trial for 18 days.
      3. Teamtailor 

      Teamtailor is a recruitment and employer branding platform that helps companies attract and hire talent. Initially founded in 2013 by three entrepreneurs who wanted to make recruitment more fun and human, Teamtailor has grown to serve over 7,000 organizations and 115,000 users worldwide. 
      What makes Teamtailor special is how it combines an applicant tracking system (ATS) with a career site builder and a social media integration tool. 

      Employee dashboard 
      Companies can create a customized and engaging online presence that showcases their culture, values, and opportunities. At the same time, they can grow their talent pool by reaching out to passive candidates on social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
      Here are some of its key features: 

      Custom Workflows: You can create different workflows for different roles or departments, and assign them to your job ads. Each workflow consists of stages that represent the progress of a candidate through the hiring process. 
      Automated Triggers: You can also add triggers to automate certain actions when a candidate reaches a certain stage. For example, you can send an email confirmation, request feedback from your team members, schedule an interview, or send data to another platform like intelliHR. Triggers help you save time and streamline your communication with candidates and colleagues.
      Requisition flows: Requisitions are requests for approval to create or publish a job ad. You can set up requisition flows to define who needs to approve a requisition before it goes live. You can have different requisition flows for different roles or departments, and assign them to your job ads. Requisitions help you ensure quality and compliance in your hiring process.

      Pros:

      Teamtailor is intuitive and easy to use, even for users without extensive technical knowledge. The software features a clean, modern interface and offers simple navigation, making it easy to access and manage your recruitment process.
      Teamtailor offers extensive integrations with other platforms you use for recruitment, such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Slack, Google Calendar, etc. Integrations help you expand your reach and functionality without leaving Teamtailor.
      You can set up custom workflows for your hiring process, enabling you to define interview questions, and set up scoring systems to evaluate candidates. This flexibility allows you to tailor the software to your specific hiring needs.

      Cons:

      Teamtailor’s pricing structure is based on the number of employees, which can add up quickly as your organization grows.
      It does not support multiple languages for the career site, making it unsuitable for many international companies.
      The reporting and analytics feature is not very robust or flexible. Some users wish they could export or customize their data more easily. They also find it hard to track some of their recruitment metrics or SLAs.

      Pricing:
      Teamtailor has a subscription-based pricing model that adapts to the size of your company. The starting price is $2400 per year, but you can request a custom quote from their website. They also offer a free trial for 14 days. 
      4. PinPoint

      Pinpoint is a talent acquisition software and modern applicant tracking software that helps companies attract, hire, and onboard top talent. The built-in recruitment marketing automation platform helps run programmatic recruitment campaigns that get smarter over time, using data from Pinpoint’s ATS.
      They also have a diversity dashboard that gives access to anonymized data and actionable insights, allowing you to measure and improve diversity across the hiring process.

      PinPoint dashboard
      Other key workflows that Pinpoint supports are:

      Creating and publishing job ads on multiple channels
      Building career sites that showcase the company culture and values
      Managing candidates through stages and pipelines
      Collaborating with hiring managers and team members
      Scheduling interviews and sending reminders
      Sending offer letters and contracts electronically
      Onboarding new hires with checklists and tasks

      They have also added new features such as video interviewing, automated screening, and candidate feedback surveys.
      Pros:

      Pinpoint has a developer-friendly API that allows users to integrate with other systems and customize their workflows.
      They offer unlimited support from their team of recruitment experts who can help with optimizing recruitment advertising, improving job descriptions, setting up integrations, and more.
      It has a powerful and flexible career site builder that allows users to create attractive and branded career pages without coding or design skills. 

      Cons:

      It is a relatively expensive solution that may not suit smaller or budget-conscious businesses. Users have to pay per month or per year based on their number of employees. 

      Pricing:
      Pinpoint has two different plans: Growth and Enterprise. 
      The Growth plan costs $600 per month when billed annually and offers unlimited active jobs, team members, corporate branding, a single-page careers website, and standard integrations. 
      The Enterprise plan costs $1200 per month when billed annually and offers everything in the Growth plan plus custom integrations, a dedicated account manager, advanced analytics, and more.
      5. Greenhouse
      Greenhouse is a hiring software that helps companies hire and onboard the right talent. It provides an ATS that allows users to customize their recruiting process, track candidates, collaborate with hiring teams, and measure their hiring performance. 
      The platform is especially known for its structured hiring approach that helps users define clear roles, create consistent interview plans, and collect structured feedback. It also boasts a large ecosystem of integrations with over 450 partners that enable users to build their own hiring tech stack.
      It doesn’t skimp on reporting either – with the ability to track key metrics such as time-to-hire, source-of-hire, candidate quality, and diversity.
      Some of its other key features include: 

      Greenhouse Inclusion: It helps reduce bias in the hiring process and promotes diversity and inclusion.
      Job creation: Users can create job posts using templates or custom fields, assign hiring teams, set up scorecards and interview kits, and publish jobs to various sources.
      Candidate management: Users can track candidates throughout the hiring process using stages and statuses, send email communications, schedule interviews, collect feedback forms, and make offers. 

      Despite all these offerings, Greenhouse may not be the best option for companies that have a limited budget or prefer simpler software. It’s a bit on the pricier side and requires a steeper learning curve. 
      Pros:

      It has a dedicated customer support team that provides training, best practices, and troubleshooting.
      Greenhouse integrates with over 300 third-party applications, including HRIS systems, assessment tools, background checks, and more.
      Greenhouse has a high customer satisfaction rating and a responsive support team.

      Cons:

      They aren’t upfront about their pricing, making it difficult to compare with other solutions. 
      It’s a bit complex to use for some users and requires training and support to get the most out of its features. Some users also report that the system can be slow or buggy at times.

      Pricing:
      Pricing plans aren’t available on their website. You can request a quote from Greenhouse by filling out a form on their website.
      Benefits of Using Recruiting Software
      Streamline the hiring process.
      Recruiting software automates the otherwise tedious tasks in the hiring process, including posting job ads, screening resumes, and scheduling interviews. This helps you (the recruiter) save time and focus on more human-centric tasks, such as building relationships with candidates.
      Take JazzHR’s hiring software, for instance. It streamlines the entire hiring process by automating job postings and offering custom career pages and a candidate database.

      Candidate Database
      Improve candidate experience.
      Just like recruiters, candidates also prefer a streamlined, user-friendly application process. Recruiting software can help provide that. By making it easy for candidates to apply and stay informed about their application status, recruiters can improve their candidate experience and enhance their employer brand.
      Reduce bias in hiring.
      Workplaces are sometimes rife with a biased hiring process. Luckily, recruiting software can help you reduce biases in hiring by standardizing the screening process and using data-driven methods to evaluate candidates. This ensures that all candidates get evaluated fairly and based on their qualifications rather than subjective factors like their name or appearance.
      For instance, TeamTailor’s anonymized screening feature masks candidates’ personal details during the initial screening process.
      Make data-driven hiring decisions:
      Recruiting platforms, more often than not, focus on gathering and analyzing data to facilitate the hiring process, allowing recruiters to make fair decisions and improve their recruitment strategies.
      Scale your hiring process:
      As your business grows, your hiring needs will likely become more complex and time-consuming. In that case, a recruiting tool can be your friend. These tools can help you scale your hiring process by automating tasks and providing tools to manage high volumes of applicants.
      For example, Greenhouse has a special feature, “structured hiring workflows,” that helps recruiters manage high volumes of applicants while maintaining consistency and quality.
      Key Features That Your Recruiting System Should Have

      Resume Parsing: Most often, recruiters spend 6-7 seconds reviewing a resume. This isn’t a lot of time, which places doubts on the efficacy of the entire process. Resume parsing – with its ability to extract relevant data from a candidate’s resume and automatically populate fields in the ATS – solves this problem by and large. 
      Job Posting and Distribution: A report by Content Stadium shows that for those recruitment teams who use social media as a communication channel, the top three platforms are LinkedIn (79%), Facebook (71%), and Instagram (45%). That’s a lot of back and forth. But recruiting tools with automated job posting and distribution make it easier to post job openings to multiple job boards and social media sites.
      Analytics and Reporting: Analytics and reporting help recruiters measure the effectiveness of their hiring process and make data-driven decisions. Make sure your software offers the ability to track and analyze recruiting metrics such as time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, and source of hire.
      Candidate Relationship Management (CRM): The recruiting CRM features allow recruiters to track and manage candidate interactions and communications throughout the hiring process.
      AI and Automation: Automation-based features allow recruiters to use artificial intelligence and automation to improve recruiting efficiency and accuracy. For example, AI screens resumes and identifies qualified candidates, while automation assists in scheduling interviews and sending follow-up emails. 

      Questions to Ask Vendors on Recruiting Software Demos
      When evaluating recruiting software vendors and attending demos, here are some questions to ask to ensure that you’re getting the information you need:

      Ask whether the software can parse resumes automatically. Don’t forget to ask about all the formats it can extract data from. For example, can it handle PDFs?
      Next, check whether the software automated the process of posting to multiple job boards and social media sites simultaneously. Also, can it track the source of candidates?
      The ability to create detailed analytics and reporting is another essential feature to consider. Make sure your recruiting platform can track metrics like time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, and source of hire. Also, can it provide insights into the effectiveness of the hiring process?
      What integrations does the software offer? The software should be able to integrate with your existing HR systems, such as ATS or HRIS. Otherwise, you might have a hard time streamlining the process. 
      Ask whether the software has features to handle candidate relationships. Can it track candidate interactions and communications? Can it send automated follow-up emails and reminders to potential candidates?
      Don’t forget about customer support! Ask whether they offer phone, email, or chat support. Is there a dedicated customer success manager?
      Many SaaS-based platforms have customized pricing plans. So, if the pricing is not available on their sites, ask about their pricing model. It’s also important to verify if the pricing is based on the number of employees, the number of job postings, or another factor. Also, are there any hidden fees or additional costs?
      What security measures does the software have in place? How is candidate data protected? Is your software GDPR or CCPA-compliant?

      In addition, ask them to share case studies or references from companies that have used your software. This will give you an idea about the effectiveness of the software and an inclination on the type of results you can expect.
      Recruiting Software FAQs
      What is recruiting software, and how does it work?
      Recruiting software, often synonymously used with applicant tracking software (ATS), is a type of software used by HR professionals and recruiters to manage the hiring process. These platforms often assist with resume parsing, job applications and distribution, candidate relationship management, and the like.
      How much does a typical recruiting software cost?
      Their cost can vary based on the number of users, the number of job postings, and the level of functionality. Some vendors offer pricing plans based on a monthly subscription fee, while others may charge per-user or per-posting fees.
      How does recruiting software handle candidate communication?
      Recruiting platforms usually offer candidate communication features like automated email reminders, scheduling tools, and messaging platforms. This can help keep candidates engaged and informed throughout the entire recruiting process.
      What security measures are in place to protect candidate data?
      Acclaimed recruiting software vendors usually protect candidate data with data encryption and multi-factor authentication. It’s also important to ensure that the software is GDPR or CCPA-compliant based on your company’s operating locations.
      How do I evaluate recruiting software vendors?
      When evaluating recruiting software vendors, it’s important to consider factors, such as the software’s functionality, integrations, customer support, pricing, and security measures. Demos and free trials can be helpful in assessing the software’s capabilities. Additionally, it can be useful to read customer reviews and case studies to gain insight into other users’ experiences.
      Pitfalls to Avoid When Buying Recruiting Software
      Here are some common pitfalls to avoid when buying recruiting software:

      Overlooking integration capabilities: Let’s say, as a company, you invest in recruiting software that does not integrate with your existing HR management system. This can lead to data duplication and inaccuracies, as well as inefficiencies in managing the hiring process.
      Ignoring user experience: It goes without saying that poor user experience can put off both recruiters and candidates. A difficult-to-navigate recruiting tool or one that takes too long to load might even discourage candidates from applying – resulting in a loss of potential top talent. 
      Focusing too much on price: While you obviously have to consider your budget, it’s equally important to balance cost with functionality and value. Opting for a cheaper software solution may result in a lack of features or insufficient customer support.
      Neglecting security and data privacy: Failing to prioritize candidate data security and privacy can lead to breaches and data loss, which can be costly and damaging to your company’s reputation.
      Not considering future needs: If you don’t invest in a recruiting tool with scalability options, you may need to switch to a new software solution in the future. This can be both time-consuming and costly.

      Choose Your Perfect Recruiting Solution!
      In conclusion, each of the top 5 recruiting software tools for 2023 offers unique features and benefits to help organizations streamline their hiring process.
      JazzHR is an affordable and user-friendly option, while Recruitee is ideal for organizations seeking a range of features. Teamtailor is a modern and customizable platform, while PinPoint offers a comprehensive recruiting solution. Greenhouse may be more expensive, but it offers a range of features and may be a good fit for medium-sized and large businesses.
      Ultimately, the best recruiting software tool for your organization will depend on your specific needs, so it’s important to evaluate each option carefully.
      Share this post: More

    • 100 Shares169 Views

      in Talent Acquisition

      Top 10 Tips to Avoid Ghosting Your Candidates

      by

      A bad candidate experience can have a detrimental effect on both brands and those applying to work with them. During the pandemic, we saw a huge increase in volume of applicants for different positions. Rumors ran rife about being ghosted deep into the recruitment process. We wanted to investigate the scale of the problem and the damage being done, so we commissioned some research.
      The findings were shocking. 65% of people have been ghosted, according to our research of 2000 UK adults. 86% said their experience of being ghosted left them feeling down and 43% said it took weeks, or even months, to rebuild and move on. The damage to brands also became clear, with 94% saying it left them with negative thoughts or feelings towards the company they applied to.
      Most small companies manage with spreadsheets and simple trackers while large companies and recruitment agencies invest in technology, customized to their needs. Here are some tips to ensure your company can confidently avoid ghosting candidates.

      Get everyone on board. Recruitment is an area that most department managers get involved in as well as HR teams. Step one is to take the facts about the impacts of ghosting and educate everyone internally. Once you have company-wide support to ensure this doesn’t happen in your organization it’s time to make a plan on how you’re going to tackle ghosting head-on.
      Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. What sort of communication would you want at each stage? A quick email takes seconds and can really help a candidate.
      Set up automated emails. If you have one, use your applicant tracking system (ATS) to set up automated emails to candidates at each stage of the application process. This means they will always be kept informed of the stage of their application.
      Send updates promptly. No news is good news, except for when you’re waiting to hear about an application. As soon as you’ve made a decision, positive or negative, then let the candidate know.
      Make notes straight after a call or interview. ‘Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today’ as the old adage goes. Take thorough notes each time you speak to a candidate, this will make it easier to make a decision and also give you plenty of information to use when you go back to them.
      Use bulk email or SMS. Communicating with multiple candidates quickly and simply, a standardized message is better than no contact at all.
      Use your ATS reporting feature or keep a log. This helps to ensure that no candidate gets forgotten, know how many candidates have applied to each role, what stage they’re at, and when you last contacted them, save all that inbox searching time.
      Close down the role. When you hire someone make sure to go back and check you have processed and responded to all of the other applicants.
      Get feedback from your applicants. They’re the ones that have been through your process so can offer some valuable insight. Make sure you speak to both successful and unsuccessful candidates for a well-rounded view.
      Review and improve your process. There’s always room for improvement, ensure you revisit your plan and the tactics you’re using every few months to make sure they’re still impactful and to implement any new ideas.

      Telling candidates they haven’t been selected is a tough call to make, especially when you’ve been positive up until that point. But doing so quickly and kindly provides closure and allows them to move on with their career elsewhere.
      No one ever intends to ghost a candidate part-way through the recruitment process, but it’s important to acknowledge that it does sometimes happen. We need to tackle this problem together. By supporting this campaign and following the best practice guidelines, employers can show that they care about each applicant as an individual. We invite readers to join the campaign or share their stories at www.end-ghosting.com.
      By Neil Armstrong of Tribepad.
      Share this post: More