Finding the right applicant tracking system that meets all the needs of your organization can be an overwhelming task. It can be a challenge even knowing where to start when considering applicant tracking systems and how to compare each solution. Here you will find important areas to investigate, questions to ask and responses to analyze during the applicant tracking systems evaluation process. This information will guide your company in the search for the appropriate applicant tracking system to meet your needs.
Identify Applicant Tracking System Decision Makers
A company must organize itself internally before starting any applicant tracking systems evaluation process. When preparing to evaluate an applicant tracking system, it is essential to form a collaboration of stakeholders and give these decision makers time to arrive at an informed decision. Your selection committee should be prepared to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant tracking system vendor. The selection committee should include these members.
* Selection Executive: This is usually a Senior Vice President (SVP) or Vice President (VP) of Human Resources who can empower the other committee members with a clear directive and vision. The person should also have the ability to explain the vendor selection in terms of Return on Investment (ROI) to his/her counterparts.
* Selection Manager: This person must have a full understanding of the hiring process and the company’s pain points in order to create proper search and selection tactics.
* Committee Member: To ensure the users` voice is represented and that a successful adoption of the chosen solution will occur.
* Committee Contributors: These are members from other departments that provide additional input to the applicant tracking system selection process. Those with financial expertise can give input on the financial stability of the vendors or compare the total cost of each applicant tracking system in relation to the project budget. IT contributors can educate committee members on the technical capabilities of the vendors’ applicant tracking systems and help compare each solution to your current system.
Committee members should be people who can recognize the value of technology tools, process optimization, and customer service as it relates to your corporate vision of talent management.
Document Your Current Hiring Process
After you have assembled your applicant tracking system selection committee, your first assignment is to create a document that tracks the process of the employee requisition, your hiring process, and the role of the hiring manager, the recruiter, and the candidate to complete a hire. Then your committee should discuss why each step is necessary and what would happen if it were eliminated.
Simplify your hiring process and make sure each step is really adding value and helping you produce quality hires. This will allow your committee to compare the needs of your hiring process with the capabilities of each applicant tracking system. This evaluation is a great opportunity to learn about best practices in hiring and to review and optimize your current hiring process.
Identify Requirements for Your Applicant Tracking System
Now that you have clearly identified your company’s hiring process, your committee is fully prepared to identify your company requirements for an applicant tracking system. Bear in mind that you want to have a clear-cut answer to the following questions:
* Why are you buying this applicant tracking system?
* Is your current hiring process aligned with your company goals?
Keeping these questions in mind will help your committee make a strong case to purchase an applicant tracking solution. In order for the applicant tracking system you choose to have a strong connection to the ROI, your committee must create clear expectations of what you want in an applicant tracking system.
Your applicant tracking system should build a better relationship between recruiters and hiring managers, streamline your requisition creation and approval process, and improve your quality of hires. Your applicant tracking system should streamline the recruitment efforts of Human Resource professionals through automation, creating a more efficient and cost-effective hiring process. This is the perfect time to address common HR challenges, such as:
* High volume of resumes with no effective way of accepting, reviewing and managing.
* High volume of job opportunities with cumbersome internal communication.
* Inability to access information quickly and report on all recruiting metrics.
* Losing qualified applicants due to haphazard storage of resumes.
* Duplication of recruiting efforts between various branch offices and divisions locally or abroad.
* Excessive IT maintenance and support expenses with homegrown technology.
* Ineffective tracking of EEO-OFCCP compliance data.
Source:
http://humanresources.about.com/od/hristechnology/a/applicant_track.htm
Identify Applicant Tracking System Decision Makers
A company must organize itself internally before starting any applicant tracking systems evaluation process. When preparing to evaluate an applicant tracking system, it is essential to form a collaboration of stakeholders and give these decision makers time to arrive at an informed decision. Your selection committee should be prepared to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant tracking system vendor. The selection committee should include these members.
* Selection Executive: This is usually a Senior Vice President (SVP) or Vice President (VP) of Human Resources who can empower the other committee members with a clear directive and vision. The person should also have the ability to explain the vendor selection in terms of Return on Investment (ROI) to his/her counterparts.
* Selection Manager: This person must have a full understanding of the hiring process and the company’s pain points in order to create proper search and selection tactics.
* Committee Member: To ensure the users` voice is represented and that a successful adoption of the chosen solution will occur.
* Committee Contributors: These are members from other departments that provide additional input to the applicant tracking system selection process. Those with financial expertise can give input on the financial stability of the vendors or compare the total cost of each applicant tracking system in relation to the project budget. IT contributors can educate committee members on the technical capabilities of the vendors’ applicant tracking systems and help compare each solution to your current system.
Committee members should be people who can recognize the value of technology tools, process optimization, and customer service as it relates to your corporate vision of talent management.
Document Your Current Hiring Process
After you have assembled your applicant tracking system selection committee, your first assignment is to create a document that tracks the process of the employee requisition, your hiring process, and the role of the hiring manager, the recruiter, and the candidate to complete a hire. Then your committee should discuss why each step is necessary and what would happen if it were eliminated.
Simplify your hiring process and make sure each step is really adding value and helping you produce quality hires. This will allow your committee to compare the needs of your hiring process with the capabilities of each applicant tracking system. This evaluation is a great opportunity to learn about best practices in hiring and to review and optimize your current hiring process.
Identify Requirements for Your Applicant Tracking System
Now that you have clearly identified your company’s hiring process, your committee is fully prepared to identify your company requirements for an applicant tracking system. Bear in mind that you want to have a clear-cut answer to the following questions:
* Why are you buying this applicant tracking system?
* Is your current hiring process aligned with your company goals?
Keeping these questions in mind will help your committee make a strong case to purchase an applicant tracking solution. In order for the applicant tracking system you choose to have a strong connection to the ROI, your committee must create clear expectations of what you want in an applicant tracking system.
Your applicant tracking system should build a better relationship between recruiters and hiring managers, streamline your requisition creation and approval process, and improve your quality of hires. Your applicant tracking system should streamline the recruitment efforts of Human Resource professionals through automation, creating a more efficient and cost-effective hiring process. This is the perfect time to address common HR challenges, such as:
* High volume of resumes with no effective way of accepting, reviewing and managing.
* High volume of job opportunities with cumbersome internal communication.
* Inability to access information quickly and report on all recruiting metrics.
* Losing qualified applicants due to haphazard storage of resumes.
* Duplication of recruiting efforts between various branch offices and divisions locally or abroad.
* Excessive IT maintenance and support expenses with homegrown technology.
* Ineffective tracking of EEO-OFCCP compliance data.
Source:
http://humanresources.about.com/od/hristechnology/a/applicant_track.htm
