Solving The Broken Or Legacy ATS/Recruitment Software Problem

Official Partner:

Introduction

‘Solving The Broken Or Legacy ATS / Recruitment Software Problem’ was an intimate speaker and

round-table networking breakfast event for 30 management-level in-house recruitment & HR

professionals, who heard from two specialist guest speakers who kindly shared their experience of

their ATS’s and how having a first-class system has aided them in their recent recruitment

endeavours.

The ATS is always a principal topic for in-house recruiters and is typically associated with various

challenges and frustrations, but it doesn’t need to be. This event showed our group of in-house

recruiters that the ATS needn’t be a hindrance but can actually be a huge asset. Each attendee sat at

various stages of the process from still capturing recruitment data manually to navigating a slow,

out-dated, prehistoric system. It seems the event arrived at just the right time for most. The

breakfast was held in conjunction with our partners at eArcu, who are without a doubt, the best

partners to share their expertise on the subject of the ATS.

Of course, our breakfast events would mean little without some context. We welcomed Vika and

Sarah along to discuss the success they’ve experienced as a result of a first-class ATS and both gave

us a fantastic insight into what an easy-to-use, intuitive and ultimately ‘smart’ system can do for the

in-house recruitment function. Vika delivered an engaging and inspirational presentation on how

revamping their ATS has completely transformed the way the NSPCC recruits and Sarah’s interactive

presentation gave us a critical insight into how FitFlop’s ATS has enabled its small recruitment team

to generate quick results on a global scale.

These event notes are here to provide you with a better understanding of the conversations that

took place on the day of the breakfast meeting, as well as extra resources to help you solve the

problem of the broken ATS and hopefully fix yours if need be.

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Vika Golokov Head of Resourcing

NSPCC

Sarah Lloyd Talent Resourcing Specialist

FitFlop

eArcu

eArcu is the new generation eRecruitment Solution.

“We have combined the expertise gained over the last fifteen years with the newest and latest

technologies, to create a very special product.

Naturally our software includes the features you’d expect from a global leader. But, it’s the silky

usability and new generation features that make us different. From simple consumer style features,

such as star ratings and iPod style slider buttons, to dashboards with clickable charts and gauges, the

user experience is transformed. We provide real-time visual prioritisation, to make it simple and

powerful for recruiting teams to optimise their processes. Clients love our “Recruitment Pipeline”!

We include drag and drop facilities so that each user can personally define the information they

want to see on screen, for each job. And we can offer the whole experience on tablets and

smartphones!

We take our inspiration from contemporary consumer sites. These web experiences hadn’t yet been

dreamed of when the first generation of eRecruitment solutions were created. However, the tools

and technologies to build Software as a Service have changed beyond all recognition. eArcu provide

the only eRecruitment Solution that fully embraces these new platforms. This creates possibilities

that no other provider can hope to achieve. For example, we can offer new Intelligence Nuggets,

without needing to modify the application. But, we value experience and so our people are also the

ones who built the most successful product of the first generation. Their knowledge and expertise

combined with the latest technologies has allowed us to make hiring faster, cheaper and safer than

ever before.”

The In-house Recruitment Network

The In-house Recruitment Network This breakfast event was attended by around 30 members of the

In-house Recruitment Network. The In-house Recruitment Network is the fastest growing

community for In-house Recruiters and HR professionals in the industry. Members benefit from

helpful and informative online forums, specialist breakfast events, high value conferences and of

course the official In-House Recruitment Awards. With almost 10,000 members, the In-house

Recruitment Network is the largest, most active professional network of In-house Recruiters in the

industry, hosting over 25 high calibre events and meetups a year. The In-house Recruitment Network

is the perfect place for intimate peer-to-peer networking and knowledge sharing.

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What are in-house recruiter goals for the ATS of 2016?

The Conversation

This document was compiled thanks to the conversations that took place during our breakfast event

‘Solving The Broken Or Legacy ATS/Recruitment Software Problem’. During networking events it’s

virtually impossible to be privy to every conversation on every table, so we aim to bring as many of

the notes to you as are available to us.

What key points are you looking for this event to answer and why? Explain

the challenges you’re facing with your recruitment software/ATS and gain

advice from your peers.

Appropriate training for systems seems hard to come by

Integrated video tutorials – we need more of these from our providers

Mobile access to the recruitment process for devices that we have all become used to using

The lack of an intuitive user interface is hindering the effectiveness of our existing ATS

dramatically

We don’t have enough control of the system to be able to make the changes needed to run a

streamlined and unproblematic process

Lack of self-sufficiency when it comes to the ATS coupled by lack of quality support

Limited reporting capabilities through the interface which could be down to the software’s age

The rapid rise of digital in the last 10-15 years has dated various systems prematurely it’s

almost impossible to keep up with the constant change

Talent pooling is virtually impossible

Some of the systems are far too clunky for managers to navigate, especially those who may not

be using it every day

It takes a long time to get simple things done such as post an advert. This can sometimes take a

matter of days rather than a matter of minutes

Automation is a struggle

There are issues surrounding data privacy, especially now that candidates have the right to

request interview notes

There are so many barriers to jump through and it’s a constant battle to overcome them

Mobile adaptation, particularly with older systems

UK versus global recruitment differences and challenges. It’s no longer good enough to have a

one size fits all approach because it simply isn’t true anymore

Managers shouldn’t need to be trained to use the ATS. It should be something that someone

can navigate independently

Which of your questions remain unanswered or do you wish to better

understand?

What are your next steps and how are you going to achieve them? Discuss

the best ways to gain management buy-in to support these

What are you going to takeaway from this event and implement

immediately?

Finding an ATS that suits your requirements

Increase internal engagement with the systems and gaining buy in

How best to gain board approval

How to involve procurement/IT without abdicating control

Process vs engagement

How to move to strategic resourcing

Better understanding of the solutions being used by others

Recruiter view and usability

Understanding how to improve what we’ve already got

How to review the current onboarding process and areas for evaluation

Understanding internal expectations of the function better

Looking closely at the best and most up to date suppliers

Search for the cost savings and deliver those to management

The importance of SEO where the careers site is concerned

Implement a careers page independent of global business branches

Consistency of the candidate journey and the importance of the candidate experience

A better understanding of the relationship between the consumer and the employer brand

Get rid of procurement in the decision making process and have full responsibility over our own

budget for software

Put together a full proof business case and take to the board

Getting management to understand the value of selecting a new ATS

Talent pooling is currently a challenge and senior management need to be educated on its

importance in the process

Explain that the introduction of a new system would lead to the improvement of data quality

Lots of mystery shopping of our own system

Reporting and insights

Push strong supporting data (costs, results, time-to-hire) to the board

Measurement of quality of hire

Your Questions Answered: The ATS

Finding an ATS that suits your requirements is an obvious must. A system that it either too

sophisticated or not sophisticated enough will get you nowhere and every business is different.

Company Profile

Your sole aim when searching for an ATS is finding one that fits in seamlessly with your process and

works best for your business’s individual needs. Make sure you’re fully aware of where your

company sits whether it is a small/medium business or an enterprise and do your research. Read

reviews and gather recommendations from your peers, particularly those who are working within

companies of a similar size.

Ease Of Use

Don’t we want all systems to be simple to navigate? The ATS is no different, if anything; it should be

a second nature type of situation. Your team and hiring managers alike should be able to use the

system with virtually no training whatsoever. Not only will this save you time but your team will

become far more engaged with it and use it more effectively producing a higher quality of data and a

more consistent recruitment process. Your new system should be intuitive from both the front and

the back end and it should require minimal maintenance.

Candidate Experience

It’s no secret that a poor candidate experience loses recruiters candidates at any stage in the

process. Having a poor candidate experience can be the deal breaker that pushes your candidate

into the arms of your biggest competitor, so it should be taken seriously when it comes to the ATS.

Any candidate who is forced to endure a lengthy, out-dated system as part of the process is going to

be put off. Could you be bothered to work through ten pages of application information after you’ve

already spent weeks perfecting the same information on your CV? It’s important that you mystery

shop your system and make sure it’s as slick as possible for a candidate. This should always be a

consideration when you’re looking at suppliers.

Social Networking & Job Posting

Anyone who doesn’t realise the potential of social media and online job advertising is quite clearly in

denial. With the constant evolution of digital, it is important you remain ahead of the game, so look

for a provider who’s riding the wave. One frustration that appeared to be common was the length of

time it took to post just one advert. Find out how long this process will take you and how much it

will cost by asking providers whilst you shop around. Choose the solution that works best for you.

Support

As with all technology, there are going to be hiccups, particularly in the early days. Make sure your

provider offers plenty of support. When you’re shopping around, consider the support team in your

queries. Consider what hours and days of the week the customer support team is available. Is their

customer support team comprised of employees or outsourced? Can they provide you with

customer satisfaction ratings? This information will really help you to make an informed decision.

Reporting

Reporting, reporting, reporting, everyone is always talking about reporting! Recruitment data is a

highly valuable asset to every in-house recruitment team and an ATS with strong reporting

capabilities can not only help you improve your existing process, but it can help gain crucial

management buy-in for other initiatives. Knowing your recruitment metrics is a vital part of your role

as an in-house recruiter. Knowing your source of hire can help inform future financial decisions and

you can improve candidate experience through adjusting your known time to hire. Make sure you

ask about all of the reporting capabilities a provider possesses.

Easy Integration

Integration came up as an incredibly popular topic of conversation among in-house recruiters at our

breakfast event on the ATS. Depending on the size of your company you will probably need to

integrate your ATS with another system whether it be a CRM or a careers site. Make sure you’re

aware of what’s involved here. Some ATS providers will have their own 360 solution to incorporate

your entire recruitment process from social media to careers website to back end CRM system.

Internal Candidates

Internal candidates are easily forgotten during the ATS conversation but giving internal employees

the chance to apply for positions is brilliant for employee retention not to mention engagement. If

you’re a larger business, you’ll be no stranger to internal applications so make sure you account for

this in your ATS search.

Do Your Research

This is a no brainer, just do your research. Don’t worry about rushing because this isn’t a decision to

be rushed. You need to act carefully and choose a solution that is bulletproof for your business.

Hopefully these points have given you a strong basis to begin your search.

eArcu Case Studies

The event notes wouldn’t be complete without some up to date examples from eArcu. eArcu aren’t

just an ATS provider, they are 360 degree software solution to all of your recruitment needs and it all

starts on the front end with their award-winning careers websites. To explore each website in more

detail, click on the image to view their careers websites and discover for yourself what you could

achieve for your recruitment function:

wagamama

BP Retail

British Airways

The White Company

An Introduction To eArcu

Love what you see in the case studies? Find out more about eArcu here:

Presentations

We have the pleasure of being able to share with you two presentations, one from the NSPCC, who

have been experiencing huge success with their ATS in the past couple of years and another from

FitFlop who present a wonderful case study on how a first-class ATS can aid centralised global

recruitment. These presentations give you a fantastic array of advice, information, statistics and case

studies that are intended to inspire you to rethink your current ATS and even implement one into

your function if you haven’t already.

Replacing Legacy ATS – NSPCC

Tackling The War For Talent – FitFlop

Resources

https://www.eremedia.com/ere/

http://www.inhouserecruitment.co.uk/replacing-legacy-ats-nspcc/

http://www.inhouserecruitment.co.uk/tackling-the-war-for-talent-fitflop/

http://www.inhouserecruitment.co.uk/solving-the-broken-or-legacy-ats-recruitment-software-

problem-a-round-up/

https://www.earcu.com/

https://www.earcu.com/case-studies

https://jobs.wagamama.us/jobs

https://www.bpretailjobs.co.uk/

https://jobs.ba.com/jobs

https://careers.thewhitecompany.com/jobs

Conclusion

The ATS is always going to be a common topic of conversation among in-house recruiters and it is

especially popular for 2016 due to the rapid evolution of digital and the growing need to keep up

with it. The most important thing to consider is what your business needs from an ATS. It’s all

dependent on the size of your organisation and how much recruitment you actually do year on year.

Identifying the profile of your company is crucial in deciding which provider is right for you and we

hope that this document has given you a little food for thought and courage to go and begin your

search.

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to eArcu for their input and partnership for the event ‘Solving

The Broken Or Legacy ATS/Recruitment Software Problem’. Without eArcu we would all still be even

further in the dark about the ATS than we were before and we are incredibly grateful for t heir

outstanding case studies and unrivalled expertise on the subject.

We’d also like to say thank you to both the NSPCC and FitFlop for sharing their own personal ATS

stories. It just goes to show that making the decision on an ATS provider can completely transform

the recruitment process from both a functional point of view in the back end and a candidate

experience view point on the front end.

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