Technology as a Work Perk: Your Recruiters Want Better Software, Not More Happy Hours
The conversation around employee perks and benefits usually centers on the competition between big tech companies that can afford in-office slides, free meals, and weekly dolphin rides — or whatever the latest fad in employee engagement is.
However, recent studies show less may actually be more when it comes to perks and benefits. Employees increasingly yearn for simple things like natural light and nice views. It makes sense: No one wants to work in the basement, no matter how brightly painted the walls are. Meanwhile, many workers would go so far as to trade Prosecco Fridays and Charlie the office dog for a nice chair with great back support!
Another simple and often undervalued office perk is access to intuitive technology that makes work easier and more efficient. Such a perk is particularly valuable to recruiters. Their time is precious, and it’s rare they get to clock out at 5 p.m. on the dot. Candidates often only take calls after work hours, and hiring managers don’t hesitate to push feedback calls to 8 p.m. In short, despite their best efforts, recruiters often find their evenings filling up remarkably fast.
Still, it’s unreasonable to assume your recruiting team will happily stay chained to their desks until 9 p.m. every night. With the right technology, however, they could work on more flexible schedules, getting important tasks done when they need to without sacrificing all their work/life balance.
Here are a few of the ways in which the right tech can be the perfect perk for your recruiters:
1. Mobile Technology
With mobile technology, recruiters have the freedom to log on and get to work wherever they are. This will open up a lot of possibilities for your team — not to mention some extra free time in their schedules. Gone are the days of staying late into the night just to wait for a hiring manager’s feedback form; so, too, are the days of lugging laptops home and spending 10 frustrating minutes trying to log on to the company server remotely. When recruiters have easy access to mobile recruitment technology, they can do what they need to do, when they need to do it, on a schedule that works for them.
2. Collaborative Platforms
Recruiting teams tend to be highly collaborative, with many different people working to support the same clients. This means an internal communication and collaboration system is a must.
Without such a system, recruiters are once again chained to their desks. Collaborative work can only occur when everyone is in the office together. With such a system, on the other hand, team members can see updates, track timelines, and share information wherever they are. In short, your team gets the flexibility it craves without losing any of its collaborative capacities.
3. Online HR Management
Recruiters need tech tools that make their jobs easier, but they could also use platforms that make managing their own careers a breeze. This is where an online HR management platform comes in.
Online HR management allows employees to access essential information, request records, and make amendments whenever they need. This can be a bigger boon to productivity than you might think: When your team members don’t have to track down an HR rep to update their payroll info or simply record an absence, they have more time to focus on the value-driving tasks that really matter.
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The technology your agency uses has a direct impact on your employees’ engagement and ability to perform at work. Providing your people with the right tools and ensuring they have access to adequate systems might just be more powerful than even the wildest of Silicon Valley-style benefits. After all, beanbag chairs and ping-pong tables are great for a month, but seamless systems that make your life better and your job easier never get old.
Stuart Thomas is a customer success lead in the recruitment division of The Access Group.