Congratulations!  You have just signed on the line for your new staffing software.  And this isn’t just any staffing software product; it’s ADAPT, a fully configurable recruitment software. How excited are you?!  The ink is still wet and your mind is spinning with all the changes you want to make the system yours. 

SLOW DOWN!  When the sky is the limit, it’s easy to want to change everything.  I very often see systems that are highly configured before users even start using the system.  Inevitably, some of the changes are stripped out of the system after users become frustrated.  When I work with a client gathering requirements, I make sure we capture and talk about all the possibilities, but we also work together to determine if the items are REQUIRED or NICE TO HAVE.  

Required changes are the items where your business will fail or suffer if the changes are not made.  These are typically pretty basic changes; codes, a few new fields here or there, maybe making a field or two required to ensure the capture of important data.  Depending on the available timeline, we might even separate required changes into two phases: Phase1 – required in the system for Go-Live or Phase2 – required, but can wait for after Go-Live.

Nice-to-Have changes are just that; nice to have.  It’s your wish list, or maybe they are suggestions made by users.  Problem is at this point, neither you nor your users truly know the system that well, so how do you really know that the system is going have to be changed?   

My suggestion is to absolutely make the required changes needed for your business to operate before you Go-Live.  Then start using the system.  Keep the list of Required-after-Go-Live changes and the Nice-to-have’s changes handy and refer to it to see if these items still make sense.  Additionally, successful companies often have monthly or quarterly meetings with their users to see if the nice-to-have items are actually still nice to have.  Now that they are familiar with the system, they also will discuss new areas where a change or two might improve efficiency. 

Your business analyst will help guide you during any change process, but ultimately if you say something is required, we’re going to go along with you.  YOU need to know what YOUR company requires.  Heed this advice and check yourself before you go “change happy” on your new system.  Spend your money wisely and understand the system before you make too many changes; your users and ultimately your clients, will thank you.

For the above reasons and the fact that background checks are mandatory in some states we have built a powerful background screening integration, called the Evaluator, into Bond Adapt recruiting software. Evaluator gives you the power to interpret information with accuracy, speed, and peace of mind. You can run customized background checks with this tool without leaving the Adapt application, by simply clicking a button.  Using a quality background screening tool ensures you can be more confident in every placement you make.

An effective sales management system can show you not only where your company stands with numbers and charts but also provides insight into where your company is going. The most effective of these systems provide you the data you need to make the right decision

In the past few years I’ve noticed a common trend among those contacting us looking for recruiting and staffing software – many want a system that both their recruiting and sales teams can collectively use. Not only is Bond Adapt a great tool for recruiters, but we have the strongest Sales Management features in this industry, offering a system where both pieces interact in real time. In Adapt, you’ll find contact management and sales analysis as well as opportunity and lead tracking (not many of our competitors are going to allow you to track every phase of a job the way Adapt does).

Click here to learn more about Bond Adapt Sales Management.

If you are not taking full advantage of email marketing, here are some reasons to start:

1. It is so simple. Executing a campaign takes little time and is relatively inexpensive. Once you have a list of recipients in place and a strong message, what is easier than sitting at your desk and pressing “send”?
2. You can reach thousands. Even if some recipients are choosing to delete your message right away, they still have to read your name or the name of your company. Your brand is appearing right there in the inbox, more likely than not, the prospective customer will see it and over time, begin to recognize your name. It’s better than the chance that they will see some random advertisement, right?
3. Flexibility. Sometimes I want to email all of our customers and prospects about a new press release or a conference we are attending. Many times, however, I will need to email only prospects to promote our software. Most Email Marketing services allow you to categorize recipients in an unlimited number of lists so that you can target a specific group or send an email to all recipients in your database to reach a larger audience.

We’ve made it easy with Bond Adapt to create and manage email marketing campaigns. Using our batch activities you can send mass emails to any group of your choosing. Whether you are sending a marketing letter to 500 clients or the job details of a particular requisition to 5 candidates, Adapt will personalize each email by addressing each recipient by name, allow you to choose or customize a template, and then instantaneously blast the email out to everyone on your list. All you have to do is press send.

For more information on how to use Adapt’s email marketing tools give us a call at (800) 882-2663.

Every day in life we are faced with requests

“Will you make me lunch?”

“Johnny, put your shoes on.”

“The kitchen should be updated”

“Honey, can you pick up some chips from the store?”

Seems simple enough, right? But when you get home from the store with a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and you hear; “I didn’t want those chips; I wanted the lime tortilla kind. You know that’s what I like.” Then you have to go back to the store, or your honey goes to the store to get their own chips, or they just put up with the Cool Ranch Doritos and sulk while eating them. Also, next time you know to tell little Johnny to put his shoes on his feet before running outside to play. Point being, in order to get exactly what you want, you must be specific.

As a recruiting and staffing software builder I’ve received requests, or requirements, that seem detailed enough, but in actuality do not have enough information. It’s imperative that you take ownership in helping your Business Analyst compile your requirements. Your Business Analyst will guide you during the specifications sessions; however, it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re telling your BA the specifics of your company’s requirements.

Keep these common traps tucked in the back of your mind while working with your BA:

There are common questions that your Business Analyst will ask themselves for each requirement you give them. Knowing these questions will help you formulate better requirements as well. So in addition to the common traps, keep these gems in mind as you’re speaking with your BA:

• It is feasible?
• Is it testable?
• It is clear to someone not involved in your spec session? For example – ME, your system builder!
• Does it say where, when, who…?
• Are you over-engineering something that is applicable only to the 1%?

Once you get to the point of taking specifications with your Business Analyst, your company should be fully invested and your homework be done. Be cautious to not shortcut the time spent reviewing your business requirements before meeting with your BA. Also make sure that enough time is allowed for the actual specification sessions with your BA. Don’t short change yourself.Writing quality requirements from the starting gate is very important because it will result in less need for clarification once given to a builder; ultimately resulting in a more effective build timeline. Looking outside my build bubble for a moment, solid requirements are additionally the foundation for which your system is tested and which your users are trained. Your Business Analyst will ask you questions; be open and honest with your answers. If a vague answer is provided, it’s likely that a vague requirement will be written and the same question will come up again once it’s given to me. It’s okay to say if you don’t know a specific answer, just make sure you follow-up after you’re done your research.You are your company’s expert just as your Business Analyst is the system’s expert. Work in a collaborative environment with your Business Analyst providing your roadmap. If you follow these guidelines, we’re well on our way to an effective and timely build. Oh and, Honey, can you pick up some Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips from the store on your way home from work? I like the scoops kind.

The year is 2011…come on people…are you still skeptical of recruiting with social media sites? 

If you answered yes to the above question you may want to take a closer look at what sites like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter can offer your staffing company.  The number of passive candidates found on Facebook would alone be enough of an argument to prove the importance of opening your search to social networking sites.  Facebook, for example, has over 800 million active users; each averaging 130 friends.  I recently heard that every second someone joins Facebook and now people spend more time on Facebook than Google searching!  As you know, a bigger talent pool means the better your chances are to find the highly qualified candidate you seek.   Are you still skeptical?

By posting your jobs to Twitter or Linkedin or Facebook and/or 300+ other networks, you also increase visibility. You are putting your brand out there where many candidates spend free time. Your online presence should extend beyond your company’s website and job boards if you a really interested in growing your business and reputation for fast placements. Leveraging social networks is a simple way to build that brand recognition.

So, here’s the good news!  I have a proposed solution that will rapidly catch you up with Generation Y or Millennial Generation or Generation Next or Net Generation or Echo Boomers or whatever they’re calling our fastest growing talent pool.

We offer an integration between Bond Adapt recruitment software and Job Magic, a market leader in social recruiting. 

Key benefits include: 

• Leverage optimized job postings to social media in order to reach a massive audience.
• Boost your company brand visibility and engagement with embedded career videos.
• Maintain brand consistency across your entire recruitment team.
• Increase recruiting efficiency with automated social publishing.
• Fill positions faster with unique candidates at lower cost.
• Empower your recruiters with a competitive advantage to attract the right talent.
• Out-recruit competition in the largest talent pool in the world – social media.

Still skeptical?  Feel free to give us a call and request a demonstration of how Adapt and Job Magic can help find the best talent and maximize your company’s exposure. (800) 882-2663.

Fish Where the Fish Are

Richmond, VA (October 13, 2011) – The ongoing turmoil in the employment market has shown that being able to adapt to changing market conditions is critical to success. Diedre Moire, a leading recruiter of technical professionals and Bond client for more than twenty years, knows this well. Remarkably, Diedre Moire continued to grow during the recent recession and credits its Bond Adapt recruiting and staffing software for helping the firm. With that success and experience, Diedre Moire upgraded to Bond Adapt’s v11 recruiting software to help the firm continue its growth.

Stephen Reuning, President of Deidre Moire said, “During the recent economic downturn, Adapt’s flexibility was key to our ability to adjust quickly to changing market demands and rapidly improvise business processes and priorities. While others were shrinking, we were growing.”

Bond Adapt’s configurable workflow engine has been a strategic benefit for Diedre Moire over the last twenty years, enabling them to effectively manage and use their vast database of over six million resumes. With Bond Adapt as their recruiting software foundation, Diedre Moire has determined that upgrading to Adapt’s v11 platform will expand the configuration capabilities and robust features of the recruiting software, and give Diedre Moire the scalability and dependability necessary to support their growth in the future.

Bond International Software, Inc. President and CEO Steve Taylor commented, “We are proud of our continued partnership with Diedre Moire – the upgrade to our latest Bond Adapt platform is testament to our ability to take on a project of any scale. We look forward to assisting them in the management of their large database by providing the technology they need for limitless growth.”

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About Diedre Moire

For more than 30 years, Diedre Moire has been a leading recruiter of technical professionals and senior executives, successfully filling thousands of positions for clients worldwide. With affiliate offices throughout the United States and a wide range of recruiting specialists in almost every profession and industry, Diedre Moire is the ideal partner for the executive seeking to build a premier team and the professional looking to excel in his or her career.

 About Bond International Software PLC (UK, AIM: BDI)

Some of the advantages of our integration with PAM include flexible payroll options, metric forecasting, unlimited invoicing options, timesheets, and management reports. For instance, the flexible payroll options allow you to track payroll and tax benefit costs against a placement for more accurate margin analysis. Metric forecasting allows your organization to report forecasted sales/revenue margin based on all assignments at a given point in time. And Adapt with PAM supports unlimited customer invoice frequencies and formats that can be defaulted for the customer or assigned to the job.
Whether you choose to use one of our third party integrations or not we want to give you options to help you decide how to get the most from Adapt.

To learn more about Adapt’s integration with PAM read our press release.

For further information please call (800) 882-2663 or read the press release here.

With Recruitment Studio recruiters have the ability to manage emails, calls, meetings, tasks, submittals, placements, reports, and searches without having to bounce around from one screen to the next.

Recruitment Studio is changing the way recruiters work and we are very excited about the buzz it has created on the market. Please contact us to find out more about this game changing product and to see how it works!

Read our press release here or request a demo.