Workforce Management Blog

With the complete transfer of control over the recruiting process out of the organization, HR managers are losing valuable knowledge that can directly affect the company’s business results

Because of the task load imposed on the organization’s recruiters, HR managers often resort to outsourcing services such as placement companies to facilitate the process of recruitment. The obvious advantage of using outsourcing services is freeing the HR department from dealing with tactical tasks for the benefit of strategic ones. Managers and recruiters assume that use of outsourcing will relieve them from having to keep track of the search and screening process and eliminate the need to maintain an internal pool of candidates for future searches. However with outsourcing, organizations renounce, often without being aware of it, control of the recruitment process.

In practice, by transferring control over the hiring process outside the organization, human resources managers lose valuable knowledge that can directly affect the company’s business results. This valuable knowledge, accumulated in the process of recruiting, includes information about changing market trends, data about the company’s positioning as an employer, and more. For example, a comparative statistical analysis of the applicants who seek various positions over a period of time allows the company to assess whether it is regarded as an attractive workplace relative to competitors in the market. A positive or a negative answer allows the company to organize and actively work toward improving or maintaining its positioning. Another example is a search for a candidate for a particular job. If it turns out that the number of applications for the position is considerably lower than the number of candidates for other positions in the organization, it is reasonable to assume that there is a shortage in this particular type of professionals on the market, so that even when a suitable candidate is found, compensation is likely to be very high.

The knowledge accumulated in the process of recruitment can also pinpoint critical aspects such as weaknesses that can jeopardize the ability of the organization to meet its goals. For example, the identification of critical skill shortages in the organization, which are one of the main business risks that companies recognize today.

This type of information is valuable and companies should not neglect it. It can reduce the uncertainty under which the company operates, identify the problems that need to be dealt with, and assist in making decisions concerning the changes required for the company to remain competitive. The company that collects such information and quantifies it with reference to its future plans can prepare and act in additional ways to bring the missing talent into the organization and carry out its strategy.

It is important to note that returning control over the recruiting process to the organization will help the recruiting department reposition itself in the organization as a contributor to the business success of the company. It does not require the active involvement of HR managers in all processes. HR managers must only ensure that the process itself is under control, and return to recruiters the knowledge and the decision-making power about how to recruit, whom to recruit, when, and by what means. This can be accomplished with tools that allow measurement of various processes in accordance with key performance indicators (KPI), such as time to hire for the specific job, type of occupation, the cost per hire by various recruitment sources (placement agencies, social networks etc.) and more.

There are cases and circumstances when the organization should definitely use outsourcing services for recruitment. The HR department, however, should make an informed decision when and in which cases or for what positions this is to be done, and what is the right mix to ensure the return on investment.

To achieve the goals they set for themselves, organizations must use the tools for measurement and evaluation of the effectiveness and the costs of the recruitment process. In this way they can choose effective recruitment processes and means for each position or job in the organization, decide when and which outsourcing firms to involve in the process, and save direct and indirect costs.

To learn more about the recruitment process ,click here.

Before looking at how E-recruiting helps organization save it is important to understand what E-recruiting is. E-recruitment (Employee recruitment) is the process of staffing an open position through the hiring of a new employee. An e-recruitment workforce management solution enables job management, capture of applicant resumes from various channels, creation of an applicant pool and bi-directional matching between applicants and job requirements to identify candidates more suitable for the organization’s needs.

So how does E-recruiting help companies save?

Saving on the cost of advertising:

Traditionally when companies were looking to hire someone for a position they would advertise in magazines or newspapers or have booths in job fairs. This method reached a limited number of individuals and the costs could add up quickly. However now organizations can reach millions of potential candidates by listing positions online free of charge. Recruitment software also allows companies to tap into social media websites such as LinkedIn to post jobs or connect with potential candidates at no cost.

Saving time on assessing candidates:

An organization which advertises a position sometimes receives an overwhelming number of responses from potential applicants. Unfortunately the majority of these applicants may not have the necessary qualifications and/or experience that the company desires. E-Recruitment software allows organizations to pre-define required qualifications and experience levels and filter resumes based on those qualifications and levels of experience. That way only the resumes which require serious considerations are the ones being read which streamlines the entire recruitment process.

Saving time on hiring the right candidate:

Many types of E-Recruiting software allow individual’s resumes and information to be kept on file. This is important since often organizations will have to wait for suitable candidates to apply for a position. However with the ability to keep resumes and other information on file organizations can quickly browse through a list of qualified candidates who they previously did not have positions for. Also as mentioned previously recruitment software can leverage social media so just in case an ideal candidate does not apply for a position the company can actually recruit the qualified candidates on their own. In either case E-recruiting software ensures organizations do not have to wait for applicants to apply and allows organizations to quickly fill the vacancy needed to help continue their company’s success.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of an e-recruitment solution.

What is E-Recruitment and why is it needed?

Recruitment involves advertising a position, attracting candidates to apply for the position, screening the candidates and ultimately selecting one of the screened candidates to fulfill the position. Organizations may choose to utilize recruiters in-house, have an external agency do their recruiting or take a hybrid approach where an external agency will send pre-screened applicants to an in-house recruiter. The decision of how an organization would conduct its recruitment process would be based on a number of factors such as:

-       Financial Resources

-       Time constraints

-       Number of positions which need to be filled

-       Number of applicants that apply for a position

-       Seniority of the position

Although recruitment is integral to the success of a corporation, traditional recruitment was prone to a variety of issues which included:

-       Escalating costs of advertising job positions

-       Difficulties in screening out unqualified candidates

-       Having enough qualified candidates apply for positions

However once again technology intervened and has helped make the recruitment process much easier to manage thanks to E-recruitment. E-recruitment is similar to traditional recruiting as the goals are still to advertise a need in an organization, attract candidates, screen them and then select the appropriate candidate(s). The difference is that with E-recruiting this process takes place online. E-recruitment has evolved to the point where employers are now advertising jobs, accepting resumes, using tools to screen resumes and even conducting interviews completely online. The benefits of E-recruitment include:

-       Costs: Many websites will allow organizations to post job listings online for free

-       Attracting more applicants: Organizations can leverage online tools such as LinkedIn to attract more candidates

-       Screening Employees: Recruitment software allows organizations to capture incoming resumes and match them against pre-defined criteria so that HR professionals do not have to spend their time reading unqualified resumes

-       Interviewing: Using webcams and the internet organizations can easily meet with candidates that may be located in another geographical region at minimal cost

1)    Price: This is always a consideration when a company or organization makes a purchase. However it is not always in the best interest of the organization to go with the lowest price. E-recruitment software is an investment and the return on investment may be much higher with a premium software package. Alternatively a low cost solution may not fulfill your organization’s requirements and any price paid will not be worth it.

2)    Support: Analyze the level of support your organization will receive from the seller. Do they have a support team that you can easily get in touch with? Do they have dedicated individuals on the support team that will be able to follow up with you for ongoing issues? What is the cost of getting support for your software? Is support built into the contract?

3)    Expertise: It is important to purchase your product from a company that has a solid and well established reputation in the software industry. Recruitment software is a sizable investment and your company should do their due diligence when selecting a vendor. Getting references from a potential seller is something that should always be done. Ask the references questions not just about the software but about the implementation and support process to get a full picture of your potential business partner.

4)    Features: E-recruitment software comes with a variety of features and each software solution can be vastly different from the next. For example some newer recruitment software solutions have the ability to leverage social media to hire candidates, while others can parse different portions of candidate’s resumes and provide a more holistic view of the candidate’s total experience. Therefore when considering a recruitment software solution you should have detailed demons done and ask as many questions as you can think of so you know exactly what you are investing in.

Synerion North America Inc. acquires ITR Systems Division

Synerion becomes the largest Canadian mid-market provider of WFM solutions following the acquisition of ITR Systems Division.

Dec 15^th, 2011, Mississauga, ON – A veteran in the WFM industry, Synerion announced this week their acquisition of the assets of the  ITR Systems Division.  Combined, the merger will create a company with more than 65 years’ experience and 20,000 customers worldwide, in a wide array of industries. The merger of the ITR division with Synerion means more effective, efficient and superior solutions for Synerion’s and ITR’s clients.

About Synerion

Tracking more than four million employees in various industries, Synerion provides comprehensive Workforce Management (WFM) software solutions and services that enable organizations to effectively optimize their most valuable asset – human resources. Using cutting edge technology and industry best practices, Synerion’s WFM Suite offers organizations a set of integrated tools for the measurable management of workforce performance. The solutions help companies meet organizational goals and maximize business performance.

About ITR

Established in 1965, ITR is the largest privately owned Canadian provider of workforce management systems, with more than 45 years of experience. With offices across Canada, ITR delivers exceptional, scalable solutions and responsive customer service. ITR’s Systems Division develops, implements and supports innovative software that helps organizations of any size and in any industry manage all aspects of their workforce including: time and attendance; employee and job scheduling; accruals; labour allocation; and time and labour reporting.  Tracy Parzych CEO of ITR believes that Synerion will be able to nurture and grow the ITR System Division.  She added, “The merger will enable the software to become even stronger and bring new opportunities to the employees”.

Ernie Pozzobon, President and CEO of Synerion North America, says this merger will provide expanded capabilities, and better levels of customer support.

“Synerion is excited about the possibilities and opportunities that will stem from the acquisition of ITR’s division and looks forward to creating many new and innovative releases in the human resources software arena in the future.”

“Moreover,” Pozzobon said, “the products and consulting services that Synerion delivers, combined with the complimentary products with which the company integrates, will create synergistic value. Customers will feel this synergy and ultimately receive a higher return on their investment.”

To learn more about Synerion, visit www.synerionwfm.com.