The recruiting industry is fascinating in how its use of technology varies from company to company.
Some recruiters are always following the latest trends to try and keep a competitive edge, while others are just fine with the tried and tested – they know relationships are at the heart of what they do and don’t mind missing out on new technology. In many ways the latter group has the most to gain by modernizing some parts of their recruiting business but can be hampered by the process of changing.
This is one scenario we’ve heard from recruiters:
I have a legacy ATS that we’ve used for well over a decade. It’s worked well for the most part, but our outdated website reduces our credibility for candidates and sales leads. We also feel we could be attracting candidates and sales leads passively with the right tools, in addition to our outbound work.
We want to change, but we’re entrenched in our current system, so it will be difficult. (We have a checklist of things we know we need: mobile-friendly, social media connections, etc. But we don’t want to throw away what we like about our current process.)
Their concerns are valid, and it’s important to address them head-on. Below, we’ll discuss the four main problems and how recruiters can tackle them.
Creating a New Recruiting Platform
The challenge for recruiting companies in this situation is not that of giving an old website a fresh coat of paint, but making it truly work for them. The optimal work day for most human beings is around eight hours, but your website should always be on the clock. What this means is that your recruiting company’s website should be working to convince and convert candidates all the time.
This can be achieved through good content, optimizing it for search engines, paid and organic marketing, and having the right tools in place to engage people directly on your site. Candidates can register with you and submit their information in a way that your recruiters can use, and employers can learn about your value and connect with you.
When you have that in place, you don’t just have a website – you have a recruiting platform.
Preparing for Change
For those recruiters working with older systems and software who have had the same business workflows in place for many years, it can be very difficult to re-examine business models and get your team on board with new ways of doing things.
But the great thing about change of any kind is the opportunity that comes with reimagining your business with fresh ideas and offerings. You likely already have ideas about how you would like to run things in an ideal world, and this can be a chance to innovate as you change.
Make sure you and your team are clear on what is most important to you in your business – the goals, outcomes, and values that really matter. Focus on these as you begin your search for new tools and solutions.
Choosing Solutions
Choosing new tools and systems is a critical step, so it’s important to first outline what is essential to your business and your process. Focusing on outcomes can be helpful, as it can leave you with more of an open mind about the workflows that get you the result you want. Once you know which elements are critical to your recruiting platform, make sure you ask detailed questions about whether those features or workflows exist in the solutions you are reviewing.
It is very likely that the workflows and day-to-day tasks your recruiters currently perform may be different with a new solution. However, your criteria for evaluating them should be whether they help you achieve your end-goals and whether they will save you and your team time and effort.
Adapting to the Change
There are many little details to a big change such as transforming an old website into a recruiting platform and switching over from old software. One thing to ask technology partners about is the challenge of migrating the information you have to your new solution. This might involve moving data from your old ATS or importing resumes into the new system.
Another consideration is re-training your team to use new tools or processes. The best systems are user-friendly enough to figure out as you use them, but it doesn’t hurt to lay out how you envision the tools being used and any standards you expect your team to meet. Recruiters may find new and innovative ways to use their tools as they begin working with them.