Why would a start-up agency consider recruitment software?
If you're a new recruitment agency or start up, you're probably going to invest some time looking at recruitment software offerings.
When starting out, many recruiters will more than likely make do with the tried and tested approach of maintaining a spreadsheet of candidates and clients, and there's nothing that's inherently wrong with this approach until you start to consider the benefits that a solid recruitment software solution can offer.
Firstly, let's consider exactly what type of information a typical recruiter is going to be storing;
1. Candidate CVs.
2. A candidate profile including a summary of their skills, industry experience, salary expectations and contact information.
3. Client information such as the names and contact details of the individual's they are going to be dealing with. For larger clients with multiple sites, you could be looking at fairly large amount of data.
4. Vacancy information - the job specification, the salary on offer, is it a permanent or contract-based role? Where is the vacancy based? What types of skills are required for the role etc.?
5. Interview schedules and follow-up notes for each vacancy.
6. Placement details - What was the final agreed salary or daily rate for the placement? When does the candidate start? Details of any acceptance / contracts etc.?
This list is by no means exhaustive, but consider if you will, trying to efficiently manage, collate, and quickly access all this information with only your basic spreadsheet model. Hopefully you can see my point here - it's not going to work very well.
Exactly How Can Good Recruitment Software Help?
To keep it to the point - a good recruitment software solution will help a recruiter accomplish all of the above as well as add additional features to the mix in order to make the job easier. For example, the process of matching potential candidates to a vacancy can often be a time-consuming and repetitive task, especially if we are using the spreadsheet model as our main CRM solution.
The right recruitment software solution will provide recruiters with ability to automatically match the most suitable candidate's to a vacancy based on a series of key attributes. Not only does this save the average recruiter much time by helping them to make more informed decisions in relation to shortlisting, but it also helps them to ensure that their candidate's profile is the first to be viewed by the client.
Web Based or Desktop?
One of the key points to consider when choosing a recruitment package is the question of whether to go for an online hosted solution or the more traditional desktop application.
These days, just about every major recruitment software provider offers a web based solution. These packages are often referred to as on-demand and involve you effectively leasing the software from the provider on a monthly or annual basis. In exchange for your monthly subscription fee, the provider takes care of everything else such as making sure your data is backed up and providing regular software updates to introduce new functionality to the product. These types of package offer way more flexibility in terms of exactly when and where you can use them due to the fact that you access the software via your device's web browser - perfect if you are out and about.
How Much Can I Expect to Pay?
This is an area which can be a little less straightforward. The normal model used by recruitment software providers is to charge for use of the system on a per-user basis. The cost of each user can range from £45 - £100+ per month depending on the provider you decide to go with.
One area you need to be wary of is additional charges as some providers charge fairly substantial fees in addition to the monthly subscription cost for the ability to download a backup of your own data! Storage space is also another area which can incur additional costs, so it may be worth clarifying any limits on this with the provider in question before you take the plunge.
Free Demos
Most providers will also offer a free demo of their software before you sign up with them which is a great way to find out if the software's going to meet your requirements first.