Guest post by Sam Holzman from ZoomInfo
It’s no secret: Advancements in technology have reshaped the world of recruiting. Businesses now have access to a wide variety of tools and software that impact the way they find and recruit talent. In fact, 75% of hiring and talent managers say they use recruiting software to improve their hiring process.
Technology can help recruiters streamline every part of the hiring process—including sourcing candidates, interviewing applicants, onboarding new hires and much more. But, given the vast amount of recruiting tools and technologies on the market, deciding which technology to purchase can be a challenge.
This article looks at several key considerations you must make before purchasing new recruiting technology. Here is an overview:
- What are your biggest pain points or challenges?
- How has your current and past recruiting technology performed?
- Does this tool integrate with my existing technology?
- Is this tool easy to use, and will it require extensive training?
- What do your peers say about this tool?
- Will this tool require maintenance over time?
- Am I being asked to pay for unnecessary features?
- Is the product or platform optimized for mobile use?
- What does the tool cost and what is its estimated ROI?
- Will you have an easy exit strategy if you stop using this tool?
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1. What are your biggest pain points or challenges?
When it comes to buying new technology, many businesses suffer from shiny object syndrome. In other words, they impulsively purchase the latest technology, without any real vision or objectives.
Each component of your recruitment tech stack should alleviate a pain point or address a specific need within your strategy. Otherwise, you’ll end up with an excess of exciting new tools that ultimately complicate your recruitment strategy rather than improving it.
Let’s look at a few examples of common recruiting pain points and how technology can address them:
- Candidate sourcing: Sourcing the wrong candidates can lead to an inefficient hiring process. If your business struggles to identify and target qualified candidates, your top priority should be to invest in a tool that streamlines the candidate sourcing process.
- Content creation: Content has become an integral part of the modern recruiting strategy, as businesses look to build a strong employer brand and stand out in the saturated recruiting landscape. A content management tool can help you organize and implement a consistent content strategy to support your recruitment needs.
- Performance tracking: It’s important to track and analyze a number of recruiting metrics to improve your hiring strategy over time. But, manually keeping track of these KPIs can be a full-time job. A recruiting analytics platform can streamline this process and generate actionable reports you can use to improve your recruitment program.
- Quality of hire: Let’s say you suffered from a high turnover rate or hire candidates who regularly underperform. You may want to prioritize a tool that specializes in pre-hire assessment so you can better evaluate and test your candidates to ensure you top-notch talent.
If you don’t think you’re hiring the right people, you might want to consider tools helping you improve quality of hire.
Of course, these are just a few examples—and your technology needs will vary depending on your specific recruitment goals. But, no matter what your goals are, you should steer clear of purchases that aren’t entirely essential.
2. How has your current and past recruiting technology performed?
What recruiting technology has your business purchased in the past—and what tools do you currently use? More importantly, how have these tools impacted the overall performance of your recruiting team? These are the questions you should ask before you look into a new tool or recruiting software.
Identify any tools that aren’t being used, haven’t helped you reach your goals, or don’t perform as well as you need them to. These are the tools you’ll want to consider replacing with superior platforms or products.
It’s also important to take note of the tools that have worked well for you in the past or work well for you currently. Use these tools as the foundation of your technology stack—only add new technology as needed.
3. Does this tool integrate with my existing technology?
Integration is critical when it comes to assessing a new tool or software. Think of it this way: A tool might offer the features you’re looking for and have great reviews—but if it doesn’t integrate with your existing recruiting technologies, it will cause more problems than solutions in the long run.
For example, let’s say you want to purchase a tool that specializes in locating and sourcing passive candidates. But, the tool does not integrate with your applicant tracking system (ATS). In this scenario, candidate data will be stored in separate silos, which can lead to confusion and errors throughout the hiring process.
4. Is this tool easy to use, and will it require extensive training?
Certain recruiting software and tools are inherently sophisticated, and can only be operated by trained and skilled employees. If you’re purchasing a tool for your entire team to use on a daily basis, we caution against technology that will require extensive time and energy to master.
Remember: You want your team to want to use the technology you purchase. Even if a tool promises great results, an overly complicated platform or interface will alienate your team members who have already established their preferred workflow. When you’re researching recruiting technology, be sure to consider ease-of-use as a fundamental requirement, unless you have the manpower to handle a more complex tool.
Being difficult to work with is a major obstacle in using recruitment technology.
5. What do your peers say about this tool?
A company’s website and trained sales reps can make any recruiting platform sound like the perfect fit for your organization. But, for a more transparent and realistic look at a product, you must consult your fellow recruiters who have experience with the technology in question.
Luckily, today’s digital buying landscape has made it easy to find honest product feedback online. We recommend conducting extensive research–dig into review sites, social media comments, and other online forums. You may find a small detail or red flag that forces you to consider a different software altogether.
With so many competing tools, you’re almost guaranteed to find several platforms that fit your needs. Peer reviews can make the difference between finding a suitable tool, and finding the perfect tool that your business uses for years to come.
6. Will this tool require maintenance over time?
As any recruiter knows, the hiring landscape often undergoes rapid shifts and changes. Your recruitment process likely looks different today than it did a year ago—and it will look different a year from now as well. Technology must not only fit your current recruiting needs, but also the future needs you might not yet be conscious of.
When you research vendors and specific platforms, take a look into their latest updates. Take the time to understand how each tool and service has progressed. And—ask about the product or company’s vision for the future. If you are going to purchase technology for long-term use, you want to be sure it will evolve alongside your recruiting strategy.
7. Am I being asked to pay for unnecessary features?
When shopping for recruitment technology, there is likely one key function you’re looking for. Perhaps you need a more comprehensive analytics platform, or maybe you need something to automate your job posting process. You might find a tool that can perform that main task, but also includes a number of other features your team will never use.
Sure, additional features aren’t necessarily a bad thing. But, extra bells and whistles can distract from the tool’s primary function and promote a quantity-over-quality purchasing decision. Don’t lose sight of your initial goals—and remember that sometimes less is more when it comes to generating results.
8. Is the product or platform optimized for mobile use?
The recruiting process has become increasingly mobile over recent years. In fact, 89% of job seekers say their mobile device is an important tool for job searching, and 45% say they use their phones to search for jobs at least once a day. But, this trend of mobile recruiting is two-sided—just as candidates use mobile devices to find and apply for jobs, recruiters now must use mobile in their sourcing and recruitment strategies as well.
If you’re looking for a tool that your team will use on a frequent basis, such as an applicant tracking system, then make sure you inquire about its mobile functionality. Not only does mobile compatibility put you on the same page as many of your candidates, but it also ensures that your team can access your ATS or other tools from anywhere, at any time.
People engage in job search in various situations, including getting ready to sleep or before getting up. That’s why optimization for mobile use is essential.
9. What does the tool cost and what is its estimated ROI?
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without including one of the most obvious yet important considerations—cost. Every business has a specific budget for recruiting software, so we can’t tell you how much you should spend on any given tool. But remember, the initial price is just one element to consider—you must also estimate the return on investment you’ll receive from the product.
If you’re operating within a tight budget, the price of a solution may be your most important consideration. And, even if your budget is more flexible, cost will still play a major role in your decision-making process. For this reason, we recommend you ask the following questions when considering a new purchase:
- Does the cost of this software fall within my ideal price range?
- What is the estimated ROI of this tool, and within what timeframe will I achieve these results?
- Will this software eliminate any other expenses that currently exist in my budget?
- How are the payments for this purchase structured? Is it a subscription, payment plan, or one-time fee?
10. Will you have an easy exit strategy if you stop using this tool?
Even if you’re completely satisfied with a tool or technology, there may come a day when you decide to stop using it or replace it with another system. This transition can be smooth and easy or it can be a major headache.
Consider, for example, that you want to switch from one applicant tracking system to another. But, the ATS you’re retiring offers no way to store or transfer your data and candidate information onto another platform. You then face a difficult choice: continue to use the inferior system, or undergo an arduous and time-consuming transition to the new product. Avoid this type of scenario by speaking candidly with vendors about an exit strategy prior to making a purchase.
Final thoughts
Purchasing new technology can be an exciting process—after all, new tools and systems have the ability to revamp and revitalize your recruitment strategy. But, such purchase decisions grow more and more difficult as the technology market becomes increasingly saturated. We implore you to take the above considerations into account before rushing into a purchase and regretting your decision later on.
If there’s one thing you should remember, it’s this: nobody else can determine what’s best for your business and recruiting strategy. The best technology for one organization might not be the best for yours, and vice versa. Keep your team’s unique process and needs in mind, and you’ll be able to purchase the right technology to reach and exceed your recruiting goals.
| About the Author: Sam Holzman is a Content Marketing Specialist at ZoomInfo where he writes for their sales and marketing blog. ZoomInfo is a leading business database that helps organizations accelerate growth and profitability. Sam regularly covers topics related to sales, marketing and recruiting, and likes to write about sports and travel in his free time. |
