StaffSoft
For
most of the last twelve months or so we have written about a number of Web based
ATS systems. Recently, I have heard from several agency owners expressing
reservations about having their data stored outside of their office. They just
don’t feel comfortable trusting an outside service with this responsibility. I
don’t necessarily share those fears but for those individuals and any others
that feel the same way this month we write about an excellent ATS system,
StaffSoft, that can be used either stand-alone or networked.
One
of the things that stood out immediately when I first loaded the program is its
simplicity, an important feature to me. I have always thought that many of the
software vendors make their software overly and unnecessarily
complicated...cluttering the screens with too many fields and luxurious
features. Not so here...a half screen interface with enough fields to suit
anyone.
As
always...I will run through many of the features available in this program.
A
contact manager is provided for each module. You are able to add unlimited notes
throughout the program with date/time and user added automatically.
Form letters are provided specific to each module, and are completely
customizable and allow attachments. All contact information may be retrieved and
filtered at any time. The displayed information can be filtered by any required
option including a date range. There are a number of Contact descriptions,
however, additional descriptions or reasons may be added free form from within
the Contact Manager. A number of user-defined fields are available for each
module, including searchable fields. International phone numbers and postal
codes are accepted. Origination dates for records are automatically recorded.
The
StaffSoft Web feature enables the user to automatically post a selection of, or
all jobs, to the users web site, invite applicant response and allow the
submission of personal data and résumé for a job or jobs selected by the
applicant. The recruiter may then
download applicants considered suitable into the Applicant/Candidate database
creating a complete record from the information received.
Regarding
client records...you can record each client by contact name, title, address,
contact information, industry, skill and rating. Each client can have multiple
addresses. You can print or e-mail form a template letters to clients
automatically. You can sort client information for easy information retrieval
and add any special notes you need to for a given client. Fee schedules are
always handy. Neat is the ability to show not only all current employees but
also all former employees as well. You can send emails with attachments to
clients from within the software package. Nice also is the ability to access you
job orders from within the client module.
Regarding
Applicants, information may be added by the importation of résumés from the
Internet, scanning and the use of OCR, or downloaded from a submittal entered on
a client’s web site. Records applicant information including name, address,
home phone number, cell phone number and e-mail address. Skills are also
imported from résumé information. StaffSoft has the ability to process .doc,
.rtf and .txt documents for résumé importation. Additional fields exist for
social security number, work phone number, mobile phone number, fax number, and
pager number. Records may be imported one-at-a-time or in batches. StaffSoft
detects duplicates and prints out a log report for each import activity.
Applicant information may also be added manually at any time. You can also
import resumes in several languages with unique characters and accent marks. You
can enter of applicant’s skills; educational information and industry
experience, and mark them active or inactive. The software generates automatic
follow-up dates, creates automatic To-Dos,
and schedules appointments from within the applicant screen all of which
can be written out to Microsoft Outlook 98 or higher. The career history for
each candidate automatically records most recent employment including title,
salary, start and end date. External career history information may be added
manually. Important to me is the Résumé Sent History. Automatically records résumés
sent to clients on behalf of an applicant. Shows interview date (if any) and
applicant’s status. The software allows you the ability to automatically
create a résumé from existing applicant data. A customizable Referral field
and a Referral field for Commissioning purposes is available. A
Licenses/Certificates screen allows the user to keep track of applicant’s
licenses and certificates. Furthermore,
you can automatically copy the reference information into the Sourcing module
for further recruiting. You have direct access to résumés documents via a
selection of word processing programs. You can search from within the applicant
record. StaffSoft calls it They call it a ‘Reverse Search’, offering the
ability to search and find viable job orders using the applicant’s skills and
education as a reference.
For
those sourcers out there (aren’t we all), some neat features. The software
records all resource information for easy sorting and viewing.
Transfers automatically to client database or applicant database or both.
Includes unlimited memo fields, major skill, expertise, and referral
information.
For
job orders you can display all orders for a particular client in one screen
including job title, unlimited job description field, job location, job skills,
degree and major required, industry experience, date job order posted, start and
end dates, number of positions needed, number of positions filled, active job
order, permanent or ongoing, job status - open or closed, salary range -
annually or hourly. From within the Job Order you may use Candidate Search or
Keyword Search. Candidate Search automatically includes the skills requested in
the job order specification. Search criteria, such as active status, origination
date, job title, area code, city, state, zip code may be selected to refine the
search. Additional criteria may be activated to include a search on a degree
and/or major requested or on an industry requirement. You can search and print a
list of open jobs from within the Job Order screen as at the current date
(default) or a selected date. Keyword Search uses the information in the
applicant résumé to carry out a search using the same job order criteria.
Additional search criteria may be added at will. The results of a Candidate
Search and a Keyword Search may be merged. Neat is the ability to create a
‘slide show’ of prospective candidates to allow a review and selection of
the most suitable candidates for transfer to the candidate list. Candidate résumés
may be emailed or faxed directly from within each candidate screen and the
contact information may be automatically removed, including the applicant name,
if desired, leaving only the StaffSoft designated ID number. Applicants may be
notified automatically via e-mail asking if they are interested in a particular
job in which they qualify. You can develop Account Development Reports,
recording and categorizing all recruiter phone calls made on a specific job
order. Generates a report over a selected time frame with space for opening and
closing narrative. Works with the Contact Manager. Fee Schedules per Job Order
override the default client fee schedule.
Searching
is easy. The software allows searches on virtually every field of the Applicant
/ Client / Sourcing /Job Order databases. This
includes all unlimited notes, descriptive fields, and User Defined fields.
Includes a slide show for viewing the records and a print selection for
printing the results. Keyword searches may also be made from within the Quick
Search module. Unlimited search criteria. You can also search on all
user-defined designated fields.
An
optional accounting module is available for setting up an interface with a
popular accounting application. You can also generate invoices automatically
when a placement is made.
Although
I have mentioned mostly the features specific to a permanent placement
operation, the software also has many features available for anyone involved in
temp placement. Temp Tracking, for example, allows the user to view ALL their
Contract/Temp placements on one screen at one time.
Filtering features allow the display of assignments by client, by job
title or by shift. There are five shift options.
Reporting
integrates with MS/Excel and offers a sophisticated statistical/graphical
module. You are able to easily
create virtually any report desired. With the click of the mouse, you’ll be able to arrange data
fields, sort, create totals, and filter items. Client Reports listed by most
asked skill displays either a one line report including client name, contact
name and title, phone number, credit and prospect ratings total placements or a
comprehensive report including client name, contact name, contact title,
industry, phone number, total placements, last contact, credit and prospect
ratings. Client Reports by
recruiter displays all the same information as by skill only report
alphabetically by recruiter. Job Order Reports filtered by open or filled orders
(filled refers to closed job orders). May
be printed by month or year-to-date. Placement Reports by month or year-to-date.
By Recruiter displays recruiter’s name, date of placement, name of
worker placed, fee charged, status of account, job type (perm or temp).
By Client displays recruiter’s name, date of placement, candidate
placed, job number, type of job, start and end date, client’s name, fee,
status of account, and job type.
Lastly...the
utilities. You can store recruiter information including recruiter ID, security
access level of recruiter, commission percentages and commissions earned report.
System Setup allows custom information to be added including company name and
address details. Setup time stamps in memo fields and Word Processor to be used.
Setup dialing and fax options. Setup tasks and appointments to interface (export
to Outlook 98 or higher). The System Tools perform system maintenance including
checking data integrity, repairing tables, editing a table, recalculating
invoices, archive utility, change ownership, reset temporary workers’ days of
absence, trim leading edge on quick search files, clear all applicant résumé
text, reset # of active users, database back-up, unlock records, update years of
experience for applicants’ skills and industry experience, send all tasks and
appointments to Outlook 98 or higher.
As
always...a few paragraphs cannot do justice to this software program or any
other but hopefully I have given you enough information to at least make a
decision on downloading the trial version and taking a look.
Pricing
starts at $2,250.00 for a single user. I am told that breaks down to $1.000.00
for the program and $1,250.00 for the user. Additional users can be added at
additional cost. Also, there is a $1,000.00 mandatory annual maintenance fee for
continued use of the software.
For
more information you can contact Shelbye Russell at (800)
856-9696 or via email at shelbyer@staffsoft.com.
You can also visit their Web site at www.staffsoft.com.
Free
Resumes 101
Another
Barbara Ling winner. This is the second review for Barbara’s ebook series to
be reviewed in this column and hopefully not the last. 45 pages packed with
information guaranteed to help you find resumes on the Internet. Why, you might
ask, in this slow, job-order-driven market, would it be important for you to
know how to find free resumes on the Internet? The answer is simple. This is the
perfect time to be stockpiling resumes. There are loads of them available. The
more you can gather while they are readily available the more you will have once
the economy picks up again.
Without
giving away too many of Barbara’s secrets…let me cover some of the finer
points of this book. She covers locating resumes using many sites on the
Internet including Professional Organizations, Trade Associations, User Groups,
Personal Home Pages, Industry Communities, Societies, Diversity Organizations,
Town Sites, Forums, Message Boards, Ezines, Chamber of Commerce’s,
Geographical Phone Directories, Instant Messaging, Military Sites, and Work at
Home Networks, to name a few.
As
is customary with this type of material, Barbara starts out with some very basic
information, mainly for beginners, including a description of Web page
components and how they are best utilized to locate resumes. Know what a URL
is…a Domain? Most of us do but for those who don’t…you will. She also
describes some of the more common ‘tags’ that you can use with the search
engines to get resumes up on the screen. Learn how to locate the search tips for
the search engines so you can use the correct tags, in conjunction with the
proper keywords, to get what you are looking for.
Looking
for resumes from a particular employer? If it’s AT&T…try (title:resume:*
OR url:resume*) AND link:*.att.com. If not
AT&T, substitute the Web site of your target company. This gives you the
resumes no only on the main AT&T corporate Web server but also all the other
AT&T Web sites, of which there are many. How’s about a few resumes from a
specific geographic region…try the ISP’s…they are loaded with resumes.
Also, one rarely used tag available in AltaVista, the Anchor tag, is fully
explained and is one of the first things I will try when I am done with this
article.
Also
included, although I won’t go into great detail here, is a chapter on how to
get the candidates in your queue, once you find them. What are your
expectations…what are the candidates?
Keywords…the
starting point for most resume searches. You can know all the search engine
tricks and syntax you want but without good keywords you aren’t going to get
the resumes you want. Barbara gives you the information you need to construct
the proper searches including use of asterisks (wildcards) and geographic
keywords.
There
is also a section on locating resumes from the communities like AOL, Geocities,
Tripod, etc. This is one of the most overlooked sources of resumes and it should
be one of the first places a sourcer should look. Keep in mind these potential
candidates that are constructing their own homepages are doing so because they
WANT people to find them and correspond with them. Take them up on it. On my own
searches, many times I get more quality resumes from AOL than I do from
AltaVista. You get a list of communities to try.
Resumes
from Professional Organizations…pick your industry. Barbara says that by going
into Google and typing in “industry associations” without the quotes and
substituting the industry of your choice you will often get the home pages of
the industry association you are seeking. From there you can search the site for
resumes taking some comfort in the fact that any resume you get form an
association/organization site will either be a match or knows some candidates
that are a match for your search. Try it.
User
Groups…another solid source of quality resumes. There are user groups for
almost any vocation or recruiting discipline out there. Many user group sites
have a resume section and some even have a job wanted section. You are shown how
to locate these sites and then locate the resumes in them.
Have
you ever used instant messaging to recruit? Me neither…but I sure plan to try
it out. A couple are ICQ and AOL Instant Messenger. There are many others out
there and you are told how to find them. Messaging groups form communities that
enable you to identify professionals of interest. Almost like newsgroups. A
quote: ”As always, it’s not only how you
find these candidates (give me ten minutes and I could probably locate hundreds
of key potential candidates)…it’s how you contact them so they respond
favorably to your correspondence.
Thus,
never simply pop an instant message to someone on ICQ or AOL Instant Messenger
to ask, do you want a job? Instead,
try to form the relationship first. People
generally like being helpful to one another.” Good advice. The interesting
part of this sourcing method is that you are communicating with these people in
real-time…not email, via a small box on your screen. Try it out.
Tips
on seeking out resumes of quality professionals are also found for colleges and
universities, diversity organizations, and Yahoo eGroups (read the book).
Barbara draws you towards the obvious conclusion that
free resumes can be found in a multitude of places but warns many of them will
be from passive candidates so you need to have quality and compelling reasons
why recipients should want to return your email or phone call.
Here’s
a freebee for you…straight from the book. If you’re searching specifically
for active resumes, you can try the following search on Google: “free resumes
list” without the quotes and go from there.
Free
Resumes 101 is available as part of set that also includes the 7th
Edition of The Internet Recruiting Edge (reviewed in this column
at least twice), Art of Job Posting (also reviewed in this column), New
Client Profits, Make Them Beg To Hire You and No More Missteps which
normally sells for $197.00. Barbara has made the full set available to Fordyce
readers for $119.99, a savings of over 40%. Visit http://www.barbaraling.com/fordyce
for more information.
News
Release – ACT! Add-On
Recruiters
Online Network, Inc. (RON) has announced (from a press release):
NEW ACT! ADD-ON NOW
AVAILABLE FOR HEAD HUNTERS
PLANO,
TX July 22, 2002/Biz Wire -- Recruiters Online Network, Inc. (RON), the leading
provider of online services to 3rd party recruiters and headhunters, and Core
Consulting Services Inc. today announced RON Job Orders for ACT! This ACT! AddOn
integrates managing the recruitment process using ACT!, the most popular CRM
(Contact Resource Management) product on the market today and Recruiters Online
Network.
"RON
Job Orders for ACT! is a great opportunity for recruiters to integrate their
desktop and web efforts. Recruiters save time by eliminating duplicate data
entry and still have access to RON's broad job distribution network, talent
profiles, and resumes." said Glenn Whitten, RON President. ACT! has long
been a mainstay of the recruiter's toolbox. RON Job Orders for ACT! enhances and
refines ACT! to make the recruiter more efficient and more profitable.
Any
ACT! users might want to check this out. For more information you can contact
Glenn Whitten of RON at info@recruitersonline.com.
News
Release - PostOnce
PostOnce
introduces private, customizable job board services (again, from a press
release, edited for length):
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July
26, 2002 - PostOnce™, a San Francisco-based Job Posting Portal, today
announced the introduction of the PostOnce Private Customizable Job Board,
pcJobBoard™, which allows employers an easy, low cost solution for wrapping a
corporate website around open position announcements.
The second most clicked link
on a company's web site is the jobs link. Now employers can combine the power of
PostOnce's employment ad distribution services with the convenience of a private
job board.
When a job seeker visits a
corporate website, employers have a unique opportunity to market their company
and employment opportunities to a "captive" audience. However this
opportunity can be squandered if candidates, already visiting a company's
website, are redirected to a third-party job board -- a place where competitors
hunt for top talent.
About PostOnce
PostOnce simplifies job
posting to thousands of career destinations. With PostOnce, employers are
empowered to:
Quickly
and easily enter jobs into a single form
Automatically
distribute jobs to major online job boards as well as niche employment sites
Win
top ranking by job search engines
Host
all external and internally posted job announcements in one system, pcJobBoard™
For
more information contact Diane Brown of PostOnce at dbrown@PostOnce.com.
Tips
For
this month I have two tips from Shally Steckerl, Vice President of the VP,
Breckenridge Group, an organization dedicated to recruiter training and support.
You can check out the Breckenridge Group Web site at www.breckenridgegroup.com.
Inktomi
Tip
Inktomi,
the service that provides results to many popular search engines like Excite,
AOL, HotBot, Overture, iWon, About.com and MSN can now be searched DIRECTLY.
That’s right, that was previously impossible!
Previously
only available through partner search engines, each with their own separate
rules and search algorithms, now you can directly access the raw Inktomi data.
The results you can obtain are unaltered by any custom search algorithms with
the added bonus that any and all commands available through partners can also be
used here.
For
the pure Inktomi web search go to: http://169.207.238.189/.
Magazine
Tip for Executive Recruiting
A way to get leads for executive candidates from online magazine articles is through an innovative website which allows users to search article excerpts for free: http://www.findarticles.com/. A non-traditional search engine—this site is a vast archive of published articles searchable for free. Constantly updated, it contains articles dating back to 1998 from more than 300 magazines and journals. Here are some tips to remember when searching FindArticles.com:
It
will return results with any one of the words entered appearing in the magazine
name, article title, author name or text of a specific article.
To
search only articles containing all of the words in a query it’s necessary to
use the plus sign (+) like this: +Lucent +DWDM +”Vice President”
Keywords
can be excluded by using the minus sign (-).
It
is imperative to begin with very specific terms, then broaden, as necessary.
Words
in quotations will be treated as phrases.
It’s possible to search just one publication by choosing “View by Name” at the top of the page.