Technology continues to revolutionize the staffing and recruitment industry, but a personal touch remains crucial when dealing with clients and candidates, so it is important that agencies keep things balanced.
The key is to automate repetitive administrative tasks to free up time for relationship building. An applicant tracking system (ATS) can do just that, but human involvement may still be necessary in certain situations – after all, recruitment is a people business.
A balanced blend of ATS and human input will need to be considered when assigning tasks in order to maximize the effectiveness of both resources.
Applicant tracking system tasks
Automation is especially useful in situations where recruiters need to place a high volume of candidates in ashort period of time. Mindscope applicant tracking software can automate tasks throughout the recruitment process, ensuring that candidates are sourced, onboarded, and placed in a fast, efficient manner.
Sourcing
When it comes to sourcing candidates, it is vital that recruiters maintain a comprehensive database that is up-to-date and easy to filter.
Importing candidate lists
Mindscope features a data import tool that can upload up to 500 lines of CSV data into the system at once, meaning that databases can be populated with the relevant candidate information in no time at all.
Resume parsing
As well as acquiring information from candidate lists, recruiters can use Mindscope software integrations to parse resumes from email attachments and online profiles. Mindscope’s Outlook Plugin syncs a user’s email account with their applicant tracking system in order to parse resume attachments. Alternatively, the ShazaamGoogle Chrome extension can be used to retrieve candidate information from websites or LinkedIn profiles to populate the resume section of a Mindscope candidate record.
Once a candidate’s resume is in the system, the applicant tracking software will be able to compare a job seekers skills and qualifications to the role requirements and determine whether or not they progress to the next phase of the hiring process.
Online job posting
Recruiters can automatically post jobs directly from the Mindscope applicant tracking system. The platform syncs seamlessly with major online job boards including Indeed, Monster, ZipRecruiter, and more.
There is even the opportunity to drive job seekers directly to an agency by hosting fully integrated job board pages within their existing website. Associated job postings are SEO-optimized and formatted for Google Jobs to give listings an even better chance of being seen.
According to Glassdoor research, around 80% of job seekers use social media as part of their job search. Mindscope applicant tracking software helps staffing and recruitment agencies take advantage of this trend by enabling users to post jobs on major social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Any applications received through these channels are automatically added to the applicant tracking system within the relevant workflow.
Communication
Mindscope applicant tracking software features integrations that allow recruiters to contact large numbers of candidates at the same time.
Email messages can be sent directly from the applicant tracking system, reaching as many as 500 recipients at once using Mindscope’smass email feature. In addition, the mail merge function allows users to personalize messages to maximize the impact of their campaign. Responses are automatically captured in the system and attached to the relevant candidate profile.
Texting
For light industrial staffing agencies in particular, SMS texting has become the go-to communication method when it comes to contacting candidates. It is no surprise given that text messages have an open rate of around 97%.
Just like the mass email feature, Mindscope’s texting integration allows users to reach out to up to 500 candidates at the same time. Responses are quick and easy to manage – recruiters can view SMS messages via desktop email or on their personal mobile device. Correspondence is recorded in the system for future reference.
Candidate engagement tool
Traditionally, recruiters have spent the vast majority of their working day trying to reach candidates on the phone or via email. The back-and-forth nature of this process is time-consuming, and in many cases, unproductive.
However, increasingly sophisticated chatbots and automated engagement tools are now widely available, making it easier than ever to streamline the recruiter-candidate communication process. Mindscope users can utilize the Kaptivate candidate engagement tool to quickly extract information from candidates without having to pick up the phone.
Recruiters can set up automated conversation trees that will instantly guide candidates through a series of quick-response questions. In addition to sourcing and screening, this resource can be used to keep candidate records up-to-date (availability, location, etc.). Kaptivate can be deployed via email, text or Whatsapp for ultimate convenience.
Onboarding
Recruiters often trip up and fall at the last hurdle when it comes to placing a candidate. The onboarding phase requires organization and attention to detail, traits that are difficult to maintain when dealing with high volume job orders.
Mindscope provides onboarding software that can be set up to automatically request mandatory information from placed candidates. Individuals can upload licenses, certifications, and ID documents to a cloud-based portal where details are stored for future reference.
It is even possible to maintain these records on a long-term basis – the license expiry trackerwill notify the recruiter when a placement’s license renewal is due, prompting them to contact them and request up-to-date documentation.
Analytics
Data has a very important role to play in making continuous improvements to the recruitment process, keeping staffing and recruitment agencies one step ahead of the competition.
Agencies with access to real-time data are able to stay up-to-date with key metrics, such as applicant processing volume, applicant processing time, average cost-per-hire, offer acceptance rate, and turnover percentage.
Mindscope’s analytics dashboard brings together key data sources to give users a simplified view of performance while also providing recruiter, candidate, and placement activity reports, as well as overview of sales performance.
The system’s Microsoft Power BI integration opens the gateway to a combination of customizable and standardized reports that unlock valuable insights – enabling staffing and recruitment firms to hire smarter and grow revenue.
Of course, it is up to the recruiter to utilize this information and devise a plan of action, but automated reports go a long way to shaping these decisions.
Recruiter tasks
A human touch will always be necessary to some extent, particularly in the later phases of the candidate screening process. That said, most of tasks that do require significant input from a recruiter will be heavily assisted by applicant tracking software in some shape or form.
Job descriptions
Having established the requirements of a role, a recruiter will be responsible for creating and posting a job description. Although integrated job boards automate the process of posting of a job, the job description will need to be crafted by the recruiter themselves. It needs to be informative while also striking the right tone in order to attract suitable candidates – something that requires a personal touch.
Sourcing
The search process is aided significantly by the presence of an applicant tracking system, but the onus is still on the recruiter to define the criteria for finding viable candidates before commencing a database search. Knowing the right skills, qualifications, and career experience to look for is an essential part of the initial search and screening phase.
Networking
Relationship building is critical, and networking is where it usually begins for recruiters. While LinkedIn offers an online solution for making connections, there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction. In-person networking dies use up a significant amount of time and effort though, so the automation of day-to-day administrative tasks is vital in order to preserve time in a recruiters schedule.
Screening
Candidate screening can involve numerous interactions, ranging from a preliminary telephone screening to a face-to-face interview. This is where a good recruiter can really show their worth in terms of assessing a candidate’s suitability for the role in question. Automated systems simply don’t have the same capability as a recruitment professional when it comes to uncovering an applicant’s personality traits and enthusiasm.
Phone calls
A human interaction can reveal a lot more about an individual than a resume. By talking to candidates directly, recruiters are able to uncover additional information and better understand their personality traits.
Although telephone conversations themselves cannot be automated, technology is able to assist in making the process efficient and productive. VoIP calling from Mindscope allows recruiters to call candidates directly from the applicant tracking system in a single click.
Outgoing calls are made from the user’s unique phone number and incoming calls pass through a caller recognition feature. This means that candidate information will be displayed on screen during the call, seamlessly giving the recruiter all the information they need at their fingertips.
It is easy for recruiters to add comments to a profile during and after the call. Each conversation is tracked in the system with the accompanying notes for future reference.
Job interviews
Whether it is conducted virtually or face-to-face, a job interview represents a critical step along the recruitment process. With applicant tracking software taking care of more administrative aspects of their job, a recruiter can focus on establishing polished interview strategies that enable them to get the most out of their conversations with candidates.
Mindscope can provide agencies with a comprehensive applicant tracking system that automates a multitude of recruitment processes and administrative tasks. For more information on how Mindscope software can transform your approach to staffing and recruitment, please get in touch.
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