Mindscope is renowned for empowering staffing agencies to place top talent, but the organization continues to add to its own team as well. Mindscope is proud to attract leading individuals from the staffing and recruitment market to support the applicant tracking system’s continued growth.
Recently, the company added a powerhouse employee to its delivery department. Ron Villareal has been brought on board as Senior Account Manager. By adding Ron to the team, Mindscope continues to outline its ambition to become the most trusted software resource in modern-day staffing and recruitment.
Ron has decades of recruitment industry experience, most recently as an operations director at a large industrial staffing firm based in Texas. Many of his roles have been focused on applicant tracking software, including time as an implementation expert at one of Mindscope’s competitors.
Attracting someone of Ron’s caliber to the team is a real honor for Mindscope. There are very few individuals out there that have the same level of knowledge and expertise. Applying technology to meet the ever-changing needs of recruiters is Ron’s passion, and he has identified Mindscope as the best place to pursue this.
Shortly after joining the team, we took the opportunity to find out a bit more about Ron. It was fascinating to hear his views on the Mindscope, staffing software in general, and the recruitment industry as a whole. Here is what he had to say…
How long have you worked in staffing and recruitment for?
It’s crazy to admit, but I’ve been in staffing for 31 years now. I actually started my career in retail, working my way up to a manager position. During that time, I would go to job fairs to find new recruits. I didn’t really know where to start, so on one particular occasion, I decided to observe a lady across from me as she seemed to be doing a good job. I even got in line to see how her process worked. We ended up chatting for a bit, and she wound up hiring me as a recruiter. It changed my life forever.
I eventually became VP of Operations for a large staffing company, with lots of different roles in between. One job involved moving an entire organization from paper files to automation through the deployment of an applicant tracking system. Managing a team of I.T. professionals opened my eyes to technology and sparked my passion for staffing software – something that remains with me to this day.
How have applicant tracking systems changed in that time?
31 years ago, there was no internet, and laptops were big, clunky machines that were both hard to come by and eye-wateringly expensive. We didn’t have cellphones either, although I seem to remember beepers being a thing.
Our initial applicant tracking systems ran on the old DOS operating system, which meant you would have to use written commands to complete actions – it has been a steep learning curve from there!
I used to conduct ATS training and would travel around from city to city with 18 monitors and a server. I often think about this and laugh when I hear recruiters complain about too many clicks!
What attracted you to working at Mindscope?
I remember being introduced to Mindscope’s software by my former employer. Having got used to other ATS products like eRecruiter and Avionte, I was skeptical at first. However, two things quickly led me to change my mind: product and people. Those might be the basics of business, but Mindscope really hits the mark in both respects.
Mindscope’s user interface was the first thing that grabbed my attention. Having something so comprehensive yet easy to use certainly made my workdays much more relaxed.
The people are a huge factor too. Dan Duic and his Mindscope colleagues are so friendly and accommodating – the hallmarks of a great business! Everyone is extremely knowledgeable too.
Due to the fact I’ve spent so long on the recruiter side of the fence, some persuasion was required for me to make the switch to a staffing software developer. When Mindscope approached me, I decided to reconsider my future. My experience of ATS has taught me that Mindscope’s product is superior to anything else on the market, and the people are phenomenal too. The temptation was too much, I just had to be part of it.
What Mindscope features are you most excited about?
Although I’m still in learning mode, the 2022 roadmap clearly indicates that Mindscope is going to continue leading the market both in terms of product development and customer support. The new Mindscope UI blows away the competition.
What do you believe the future looks like for applicant tracking systems?
In the immediate future, it is crucial that applicant tracking systems don’t become commoditized. The benefits need to be clear – staffing and recruitment firms want tools that increase efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
Looking further ahead, it’s safe to assume that ATS features will become even more advanced. There’s lots of talk about the utilization of artificial intelligence. There’s no doubt that AI can enhance processes and speed things up, but I’m not so sure it’s the way to go. Staffing and recruitment is a relationship business – removing human interactions would almost certainly lead to decreased candidate engagement.
Personally, I see voice commands as the next step in recruitment technology – we’re already surrounded by smart devices these days, so it isn’t that hard to imagine. As a recruiter, being able to physically tell the system what to do is the pinnacle of simplicity – now tell me there’s too many clicks!
Ron typifies what Mindscope is trying to do in the staffing software sector. Experienced recruitment personnel bring valuable knowledge and expertise to the table, and with industry experts on board, Mindscope is perfectly placed to develop products and services that meet the precise requirements of the end user.
Mindscope provides innovative, user-friendly staffing and recruitment products designed to facilitate a seamless hiring process. We are committed to helping our customers succeed – contact us today to see how we can transform your recruitment activities.
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