Next time you want a lower fee watch this!

My way or your way! Do software vendors know best?

Getting the process defined is often the toughest job when implementing a new recruitment system. 

I've heard an SAP quote that basically says the buyer should change their process to suit the software and that they (SAP) can prove the value with examples of customers who have followed this route and reaped the rewards.  This may of course be an urban myth but it does resonate with my own experience; both client based and when I have implemented my own CRM systems.

When I see some of the recruitment processes that have been deployed, and have then had the opportunity to streamline them, the SAP approach yet again bears fruit.

So, next time you are reviewing your recruitment process think not how can I change the software but how should I change to make more of the software.  You may not agree but what have you got to lose!?

U gotta luv ur ATS

Because it is a "she" and we all know what happens if we don't love her!  Here are a few traits that I base my view on.

1. They ALL look great at the beauty parade.
2. The better they look the less sense they make when they speak. 
3. You have to change how you work to suit them. 
4. They appear low cost when you first start out but just become more costlier the longer you have them. 
5. To get out of your "agreement" costs a small fortune; even if you are right. 
6. It's never a fault with them; it's always user error. 
7. The brain (code) logic never quite makes sense.  
8. Under the bonnet, the logic is scrambled. 
9. The mulit-tasking module just makes you do lots of things badly BUT all at the same time. 
10. Shouting at them does not help. 

Luckily I love technology; life would be so mudane without it!

DISCLAIMER: I am married, have two young daughters and two cats. I am currently suffering from "just let the cat out just before she goes to the vet" fear. It is all my fault; I didn't read her mind! (An e-mail would have helped)

Hire Strategies Discovery System Breakfast Seminar - July 7th London

We are running a free employer only breakfast seminar on July 7th at One Aldwych in London for employers who are either:

• Still recruiting and want to do it more cost effectively.
• Planning ahead and are looking at their future direct resourcing strategy.

Very few people need convincing on the merits of direct resourcing but actually putting the right things in place at the right time and for the right cost is not as easy as people would hope.  Having done this now on a number of occasions we have now systemised our process which allows us to quickly identify where an individual employer will get the quickest return but also have a 3 year plan to work towards.

If this sounds of interest more details are on our website at www.hirestrategies.co.uk/discover.

Don't be a slave to technology - 10 tips to turn the ATS tables

The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is designed to make your life easier not harder!  I often see an ATS implementations that do not deliver on this promise.

1. Don't assume the way it works is the way it has to work.
2. If the screen layout is wrong change it.
3. Too many steps or too rigid - remove some.
4. Re-visit your process but ON PAPER then get the system to match it.
5. Make sure you know what every function does.
6. Become a system expert and get better at your job.
7. Don't take NO for an answer - keep asking WHY until you understand.
8. Don't always blame the ATS vendor - until you are sure you should!
9. The ATS cannot do everything, don't expect it to.
10. Consider alternative systems outside the ATS - not everything has to be joined up and free stuff can be of great value - sometimes.

And finally, remember who the customer is.  ATS vendors vary in their attitude to customer support so if you are being looked after, make the most of it.  And if you're not, frying pan to fire is not always the best option in the long term.

Systems take effort but unless you know what you want, need and can do, no system will ever be able to deliver.  Responsibility for great recruiting starts in the mirror.

Process automation - beyond the ATS - become an expert

The ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is often blamed for poor processing of candidates but in reality this is missing the point.

If I were an ATS vendor.....

.....I may think SERVICE rather than SALES.

I know customers can be a pain, expecting help and advice, and systems that help them do a better job, but I would have thought today a current customer is better than a prospective customer?!

Mr Ted Smartrecruiters - mad or magic?

I spoke with Jérôme Ternynck, CEO of Mr Ted earlier this week about his latest venture smartrecruiters which is a FREE Applicant Tracking System.  So is this a last gasp effort for survival or has he out-smarted his competitors and will be adding some serious profits to the bottom line?

Think cloud | Think ATS | Think Salesforce

I had a demo yesterday by Job Science who have created a very neat ATS based on the Salesforce platform with a very sensible cost for pretty much any size of organisation from 1 User upwards.

There are a number of other vendors in this space such as Taleo which I will cover in more detail in a special report due out in January.  But where does the potential of Salesforce leave other ATS vendors?  Shaking, hiding, laughing???

ATS vendors

Is the list of vendors shrinking, not moving or actually growing?  I'm updating my list of UK and Global vendors so feel free to add to the list if you think I have missed anyone.