| With tons of recruitment software available from a | | | | their own business requirements - check that the |
| multitude of suppliers, how can you be sure you | | | | software will cover the needs of your business |
| choose the right one for your business? If you've | | | | before signing on the line. |
| used recruitment software within your organisation | | | | Ask for a demo or run through from the provider - |
| before, you may have a good idea of what you like | | | | any company worth it's salt will be more than happy |
| or dislike, or what works best for you. Here are a | | | | to let you see the benefits of their product before |
| few tips that will come in handy regardless of | | | | making a serious decision. Make a checklist before or |
| whether you've got a clear idea of your requirements | | | | during your demo and make sure to include some of |
| or not. | | | | the points below. |
| We seem to be increasingly moving toward online, | | | | Check During Your Recruitment Software Review: |
| web-based software at the time of this article. There | | | | - Easy to contact the provider? |
| are still client-server applications available, but you | | | | - Clarity of instructions / support |
| need to think about your business and it's location(s) | | | | - Costs of setup / maintenance / upgrades |
| before making a decision. If you have multiple office | | | | - Workflow automation |
| locations, then a web-based recruitment software | | | | - Integration with website |
| solution may be for you. If you are operating from a | | | | - Reliability/downtime of servers (particularly |
| single premises, or the internet and | | | | important with web-based systems) |
| telecommunications in your area are not particularly | | | | - Do they own the software, or are they just |
| fast or reliable, then a client-server application may be | | | | 'resellers' |
| best suited. | | | | - Communications integration (sms texts/emails) |
| Points To Check | | | | - Customisation - can you configure the system to |
| A good starting point to figuring out the quality of | | | | suit your business? |
| after-sales service you'll receive is right from the first | | | | - Back up and security - do you backup yourself, or |
| phone call or email you make. Is it easy to contact | | | | is it automated? |
| the company you are thinking of purchasing the | | | | - Audit trail - can you tell who did what, where, when |
| software from, or do you have to trawl through | | | | and why from your logs? |
| pages of information just to get an email address? | | | | - Migration from existing system - can it be done? Is |
| Does the company respond promptly? Are they | | | | there a charge? |
| helpful in leading you to gain the full benefit from | | | | If you include at least some of the questions above |
| your recruitment software? Reviews online can be a | | | | in your recruitment software review before |
| handy place to start digging around - but how useful | | | | purchasing, then you will at least avoid some of the |
| is a review from the company that designed the | | | | common problems when purchasing software of this |
| software? | | | | complexity. The more notes you make, the less likely |
| Of course, if you have a recommendation from a | | | | you are to say after signing up..."oh, I thought the |
| business associate in the same field this can be a | | | | system would enable us to..." |
| great help, but be sure that they are not | | | | Research definitely pays off here - try before you |
| recommending the software to you on the basis of | | | | buy, and make detailed notes for comparison. |