Could you pick the best e-Recruitment Software Vendor? Quick tips to pick a winner.

Choosing an e-Recruitment software vendor could be an extensive and complex task, not to mention the potential costs associated with it.

This guide provides a basic framework to use when selecting the right vendor at a very high level. RecruitAdvantage’s aim here is to provide you with the general areas you should consider when evaluating recruitment software. It is not meant to provide you with a practical checklist that you can adapt according to your particular circumstances.

We believe to succeed in finding the right e-Recruitment vendor; you need to be clear on exactly what you want. From the different problems you wish to address to the ideal outcome, understanding your needs enables you to select the best online recruitment software remedy. Without clarity, the process of finding an e-Recruitment vendor becomes hypothetical, and your investment in a recruitment system becomes less reliable. Once you define your needs, then it is just a matter of making sure you gather the specific information pertaining the context of your e-recruitment software search.

Please find below a step-by-step guide to achieve this:

1. Define your e-Recruitment objectives:

e-Recruitment objectives must be aligned to your general business objectives. Some probable objectives are:

2. Define the type of vendor that fits better your objectives.

There are several key considerations in this step:

There are two main types of e-Recruitment software packages in the market today: the ones that are Web-based (also known as "on demand" or Software-as-a-Service) and the ones that have chosen a client-server architecture. The selection of a recruitment software solution based on the systems architecture is not a matter of personal preference. It’s a critical factor that will dictate what you can or cannot achieve in particular circumstances.

Client-server software is purchased via a software license, and an annual maintenance fee. It will need to be installed, maintained and managed on your own computer hardware. 

Web-based software is purchased via a subscription fee, and the vendor host the system for you, looking after all the hardware and software in their own data centre and the service is delivered in real-time over the Internet. When it comes to configuration and flexibility, Web-based systems tend to have a serious advantage, as all changes can be deployed online without the need for installation patches and change management tasks at your end.

Local support and local presence are sometimes mutually exclusive terms in the software sector. It is not enough to know that there is a sales organisation in your local market. Make sure you check how the support calls are going to be handled, how well resourced is the support team and how well equipped is the vendor to subscribe to a reasonable service level charter.

Whatever your choice of recruitment software vendor, make sure they are able to support your business needs, both from the technical perspective and from the business perspective. Inevitably, your business needs will change and evolve as time progresses. Make sure you select a vendor that is capable of adapting as your needs change over time. You are looking at solutions that are configurable, but that can be implemented in a short timeframe.

Recruitment processes may change from industry to industry and having a recruitment software vendor that has had exposure to the type of recruitment you do will be an added benefit. Even better, dealing with vendors that have dealt with recruitment processes in a range of industries and countries, including your own, may allow you to leverage from invaluable experience.

Beware of vendors that claim that they can do anything and everything when it comes to HR & recruitment processes. These vendors tend to have a close-minded approach to integration, and implement these regardless of the needs of the client. Even though it is theoretically more convenient to have a vendor capable of offering all areas of talent management, it is sometimes impractical for a vendor to excel at all the very specialised product areas that encompass the complex spectrum of modern recruitment processes. Because of the nature of Web-based systems, integration to other systems is simpler and easier to achieve.

It is important to know where a vendor is heading strategically. It is also important to know the history behind the recruitment software vendor. Check that there is a clear vision, that there is no conflicts with your own strategic intent and that the vendor has been consistent at achieving previous strategic objectives. Even if the vendor has not met every objective it has set up for itself, analysing that history and the approach will give you valuable insights into the vendor's philosophy and business approach. You are looking for points of resonance with your own organisation.

Even though this shouldn’t be on its own right the only selection criterion to choose or reject a vendor, it is a very important consideration. Look for methods of quoting (fixed price versus time and materials?) used by the vendor, hidden fees, and overall pricing strategy from the vendor. This can be a test for fair and reasonable practices.

3. References

You need to ask the hard questions if you want to have a true picture of what it is like to deal with the prospective vendor. Ask about :

You may want to ask how often releases take place, how disruptive the releases are and whether or not the e-Recruitment software vendor involves their clients in the product roadmap. Get referees to talk to you about both the positive and the negative experiences with the vendor.

4. Implementation Approach

A successful implementation is as essential as the vendor fulfilling the necessary requirements from the technical and business perspective. If the product cannot be deployed in a timely fashion and with the desired quality, it doesn’t matter how good the product looks. Explore the vendor’s implementation history, talk to reference companies that have gone through this process with the prospective vendor and make sure you ask questions specifically about the implementation process.

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