Sendouts Recruiting Software Blog

Karate Chop Your Sourcing Costs

Sourcing can be an extremely time consuming function for a busy recruiter.  Finding ways to maximize your sourcing efforts, both time and quality wise, will give you a time management leg up.  

Now, it's no secret that Sendouts has built-in tools to help recruiters source from major job boards, social and professional networks and literally thousands of web sources right from the application, but what I'd like to focus on today are tips any recruiter can use regardless of their ATS of choice.  Using the open web and social networks to locate talent or prospect clients is a good and importantly inexpensive way to start.

• Using Google to find resumes - Thanks to the indexing superiority of the world's most used search engine you can find resumes lurking on the @www.  Using search strings you can hone in industry, location and skills you're looking for.  For example, the simple phrase (intitle:resume OR inurl:resume) will find indexed pages with the "resume" in the page title or url.  You can get more complex and drill down to gold if you tweak it right.  For more info check out this post on Boolean Black Belt - Great resource for open web searching and sourcing.  Also, Jim Stroud posted a cool search string tool a couple years ago that allows you to drag-n-drop complex strings and find the results, check it out here.
• Find company contacts on LInkedin - Linkedin recently hit 70 million users and is an excellent source to find candidates and company contacts.  Linkedin provides an advanced search feature you can use to locate people in your network.  You can find people by location, job title (former and current), industry, company etc...  and premium members can search on more advanced filters.  An example here would be searching for job title X in location X to find your target.  

These are a couple, fairly basic ways to source on the cheap and I didn't go into much detail.  There are great resources available online including the aforementioned Boolean Blackbelt.  Of course, if you're interested in more robust and automated sourcing tools, then consider an ATS with such capabilities. 

Sourcing New Ways to Source

In order to become a magnet for top talent, staffing and recruiting expert Barb Bruno says it is important to find at least one new way to source per quarter.

Barb reminds recruiters that the lack of top talent is actually a good thing. After all, if it was simple for clients to find top talent, they wouldn't need recruiters.

Recruiters should take Barb's advice. The good news is, it shouldn't be too challenging of a task. The industry has more available sourcing tools than ever. The biggest challenge with sourcing is knowing when and how to use the available tools. Use name generating software like Broadlook or TalentHook to quickly generate current titles, companies, e-mail addresses and phone numbers. For more network-based sourcing, most recruiters are using online social and business networking sites.

As recruiters embark on sourcing expeditions, they should keep in mind that more sourcing means more candidate information. They'll need systems in place to manage the information overload. An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) with advanced sourcing tools will import resumes in real-time from Internet job boards and social networking sites into a recruiter's database.

Take Barb's advice, and remember to stay organized along the way. Using Barb's words, "Become a magnet for talent."

An ATS IS A Recruiter's Personal Assistant

As a recruiter, your daily tickler looks insurmountable. From sourcing and interviewing candidates, to coordinating assessments, to determining and negotiating offers, you wear many hats. Unfortunately, those tasks are just the tip of the iceberg. Not only do you have a zillion tasks to accomplish, but you have to do it better than your competition.

A recent article for the Fordyce Letter Online explained how the right Applicant Tracking System (ATS) can help you manage your day. The article highlights the top 10 features recruiters should look for in an ATS.

When it comes to choosing an ATS, the primary point is to help recruiters focus on what they do best -- filling jobs with the right candidates.The right ATS will be your best friend and biggest asset. The wrong ATS could be a major liability. With the right system in place, recruiters will have a streamlined workflow and increased productivity and revenue.

After checking out Don's "Top 10"  list, see how recruitment expert Lou Adler evaluates ATS performance. Adler includes an actual "test," albeit brief, so recruiters can see exactly how their ATS measures up. In addition, Adler points out:

A good ATS, properly implemented and used correctly, will significantly enhance a company's ability to hire more top employees. The cost of missing a great hire because of inefficiences in the recruitment process is just as costly as making a bad hire.

Is That A Little Sendouts Guy On Your iPhone?

Since the Apple iPhone has become the #1 seller in the U.S., it would only make sense to have a mobile app that is compatible with this revolutionary device.  

 With Sendouts Mobile a recruiter can view notes, tasks, appointments, contacts, and add new information on the go, but the best part is being able to call, email, and map a contacts location right from the application.  

Now, we understand that not everyone has jumped onto the Apple train, that's why Sendouts Mobile is compatible with any mobile browser, keeping you in touch when you're on the go.

Sendouts Mobile is included with Sendouts Pro at no charge.  If you'd like to know more about Sendouts Mobile, click here.

Recruiting Process Automation Vs. The Easy Button

More recruiting firms are using technology to automate data entry, candidate sourcing, candidate submittal and the job application process. Process automation should make life easier on the job seeker too. The focus of process automation should be to increase efficiency without reducing quality. I'm sure your are familiar with the Staples Easy Button idea of comparing their services to simplifying life.  Everyone wants that “easy button” and my clients [recruiters] are always so  “busy.” Listen, it is 2008, everyone is busy; job seekers included.

Process automation is important for the job seeker so they reduce their job search time and focus on submitting quality material. As Chris Russell mentions in his Secrets of the Job Hunt blog, job seekers don't want to spend all day searching the Internet for jobs.

Most people fail to maximize their search. They only browse a few job boards and apply to only jobs they see online. Internet job boards are great but there are several other ways of getting hired.