How to Select the Best Recruiting Software for Your Company
Sounds pretty great, right? The catch is that finding the right system for your business is a daunting experience. There are hundreds of “good enough” recruitment software packages out there — but what you’re really looking for is the best HR software for your specific needs.
The absolute first step in choosing recruitment software is simply recognizing the need for it.
If you’ve already made it to this step, then you’ve likely found yourself flipping back and forth between an ungodly amount of browser tabs, deep in software marketing jargon, trying to figure out which vendor is really going to meet your needs.
In order to help simplify this process, this article will break down the selection process so you can choose the recruiting software that’s best for your business, like an unbiased expert.
Identify Your Goals
Before choosing any software, it’s best to identify what your end goals are. If you start with what you need to accomplish, then it’s easier to identify the solutions that will help you get there.
If you’re buying your first recruitment system, what do hope to gain from it? Do you need help finding higher quality candidates? Do you need to fill positions faster?
If you’re upgrading to a new system, outline what your current software lacks. Do you need tools that facilitate collaboration with other teammates? Are you looking for a system that will forecast your company’s hiring needs? Do your goals indicate that you actually need recruitment marketing help, not new software?
Pinpointing the exact reasons you’re seeking new recruitment software will help you define your business goals and better navigate the market.
Establish Your “Must-Have” Features
Once you have your goals clearly defined, it’s time to establish precisely what features will help you achieve them. Make a list of your must-have features; while you’re at it, go ahead and list out some “nice-to-haves” as well. This way, if you come across two comparable vendors that meet the mandatory criteria, you have a secondary elimination method.
Similarly, if you come across a software package that is missing one of your must-haves, then it’s an automatic deal breaker. You’ve already identified your goals, so if a software doesn’t align with them, it’s not the best solution for your business. To get you started, below are some common features available in recruitment software:
- Website integration for job posting, career portals or pages, and employee referrals
- Bulk resume upload and resume collection from email attachment
- Duplicate candidate detection
- Customizable workflow and applicant tracking
- Collaborative hiring and built-in email platform
- Remote and mobile access
- Reporting and analytics dashboards
- Compliance tools
Determine your budget
One of the more frustrating parts of choosing recruitment software is that pricing plans are like a box of chocolates: with some vendors, you’ll pay per recruiting manager; others are pay per hire, and still others require you to pay per employee. You never know what you’re going to get.
It’s best to estimate recruiting software costs a few different ways so you’re prepared to compare pricing no matter what; that way, you’ll avoid any surprises. With a SaaS solution, businesses can generally expect to pay anywhere between $40-1000 per month, though costs may be higher for enterprises or high-volume recruiting agencies. When determining a budget, it’s helpful to have a range in mind, rather than a firm number.
Create a List of Preliminary Contenders
Once you’ve established some clear parameters for features and budget, your list of vendors should be narrowed to a handful. Don’t include any recruiting software on this list that doesn’t contain all of your must-have features — this is no time to settle! Each vendor should also fit within your price range.
This is often the part that can lead to hair-pulling. Once you’ve found a few vendors that seem great— and mostly the same — how do you pick? Do you go with the cheapest? The nicest interface? Let’s narrow the list by examining additional factors that set vendors apart.
Examine Vendor Track Records
Beyond features and budget, it’s important to evaluate a vendor’s history and additional offerings. Here are a few areas where vendors add additional value to their software:
- security features and accreditations;
- customer testimonials, case studies, or references;
- technical support;
- and/or robust employee referral program or HR suite integrations.
Eliminate any vendors that don’t offer the support, integration capabilities, or security your business needs.
Take a Test Drive
The last step in the selection process is to go for a test drive. Set up a demo (or register for a free trial) so you can see the software in action. Take advantage of free trials and experience the software for yourself. You may discover things you didn’t know you wanted, or realize that companies are masking subpar functionality behind great interfaces.
By the time you experience the software for yourself and know it aligns with your company goals, choosing should be an easy task. In the end, the software-buying process is like the recruitment process: define requirements, select potential candidates, and test their abilities. Follow those steps, and you’ll find the right recruiting software for your business.