It is well documented that eRecruitment systems can offer many cost and efficiency saving advantages to the employer through automating workflow processes, making tasks easier, removing paper from the process and so on, but perhaps not as many organisations realise how these systems can invoke change of behaviours, attitudes and practices that have been in place sometimes for many, many years.
Through the design and implementation of automated workflow processes for authorities across the Country, we are now seeing an increasing demand for technology to transform working behaviours. In particular the areas of focus and benefit surround either vacancy authorisation processes, or candidate management.
From the many best practice recruitment audits we’ve conducted we have found practices that lead to vacancies taking upwards and over of a month to authorise, with multiple practices occurring throughout different departments, with each resulting in differing quality of information when it reaches HR to use in the recruitment cycle. This has been shown to cost organisations huge amounts of unnecessary time and create inconsistency and confusion; but the cost impact is really felt when considering the expenditure on temporary staffing to back fill a vacancy whilst the recruitment cycle is being undertaken.
With regards to candidate management, inconsistent practices have also been seen to occur around the authority in the eyes of the candidate who can experience a completely different process in two departments of an authority. And while we don’t want to be straight jacketed we do want to see consistency and a process that is reflective of an employer brand. So it’s in these areas where a well designed e-recruitment system should provide the flexibility to account for the varying needs of different roles, yet provide a consistent, best practice approach.
Changes in process and behaviour are becoming increasingly easy to adopt, and indeed enforce, as a result of comfort, ease and familiarity with technology and the internet becoming part of all our lives – even for those whose day job has no connection to an office environment. However good communications and adopting a consultative approach to the introduction of new systems and their ways of working is still very important which is why we have to provide a technology and a change management solution that has “successful recruitment for all” at the heart of it.
The technology and process changes should always transform both the client and candidate experience as well as deliver shorter recruitment timescales and increased productivity; as well as measurable cost efficiencies through effective talent management, reduction in paper and management and administration transactional costs and time.
E-recruitment systems also have to acknowledge that job seeker behaviour is changing and be creative and accessible, search-optimised, and making use all the interactive features such as RSS feeds, Blogs, Forums, SMS alerts, etc that are expected these days. In fact our latest systems also go so far as to provide a fully interactive candidate experience whether they are using their computer, mobile phone or indeed digital television. And they say there’s nothing good on the box these days… well there is now!
Brendan Harris is commercial development director at Tribal Resourcing. brendan.harris@tribalgroup.co.uk