As any recruiter will tell you, hiring is not a one-and-done task. It’s an ongoing process rife with a barrage of tasks, such as posting jobs, filtering resumes, and mailing candidates. These tasks, when done manually, are not only time-consuming but also costly as well, often resulting in a lot of problems and delays for a company’s HR department.
Thankfully, there’s a way to make hiring more palatable: e-recruitment software. These software helps recruiters tremendously by automating rote tasks, saving recruiters time and effort. They also enhance a company’s outreach: now, employers can attract more candidates by posting their vacancies on multiple job boards as well as social media pages.
With that said, e-recruitment acts as an umbrella term for any electronic-based activity. This means that numerous digital softwares designed to support the hiring process technically count as “e-recruitment” software. To help you get a better idea about what this kind of software is all about, we’ve come up with a guide that walks you through the basics of e-recruitment software.
In simple terms, e-recruitment software is one that makes use of web tools to attract and hire potential candidates online. Since it involves the entire hiring process, e-recruitment software can be used to digitize everything, from job postings to selection.
This digital approach offered by e-recruitment software has several implications. For one, recruiters can now process information much faster, enhancing productivity. An example of this is resume filtering—instead of manually sifting through resumes, recruiters can simply apply a filter that automatically rules out certain candidates based on a set of criteria.
Core Functionalities Of An E-Recruitment Software
As stated before, e-recruitment software encompasses a broad range of software, each with its own unique selling points. However, there is a standard set of features found within these solutions, such as:
Applicant Tracking System
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a go-to tool for most recruiters. It’s used to manage applicants and track their progress throughout the entire hiring cycle. With the help of an ATS, companies can collect and organize candidate data in one place—a useful feature to have when your candidates are coming directly from job portals, emails, or career websites.
Job Posting
E-recruitment software allows companies to post on multiple job boards online with just a few clicks. Recruiters also have the option to automatically post on social media and career pages. This way, a job can not only maximize its candidate’s visibility, but also save precious time that could’ve been spent on manual job posting.
Candidate Screening Tools
Recruiters can utilize screening tools such as resume filters or skill tests to automatically screen out candidates who don’t meet requirements. Not only does this speed up the hiring process, but it also helps recruiters evaluate candidates more accurately.
Automated Emails
Instead of manually sending emails to everyone involved in the recruiting process (candidates, interviewers, HR managers), recruiters can just utilize e-recruitment software to automatically send emails.
Interview Scheduling
Yet another tool in an e-recruitment software’s toolkit is automated interview scheduling. With this, recruiters and candidates can easily coordinate and pick up an available time slot for an interview. This feature is also backed up by adjacent tools such as automated reminders (via SMS and email) and integrations (such as ERP software), helping everyone stay on track.
Recruiters can expect the following benefits once they’ve implemented an e-recruitment software:
Time Savings
One salient advantage provided by e-recruitment software is the reduction of hours and effort that were previously spent on important, but rote tasks such as job board posting and screening. With these tasks automated by software, recruiters are free to shift their attention towards their overall recruiting strategy, instead of getting bogged down by busy work.
Cost Effective
Since recruiters are sourcing candidates online instead of using traditional forms of advertising, the overall cost of sourcing goes down. On top of this, e-recruitment software facilitates further stages such as onboarding and retention, driving down overall recruitment costs.
Reduced Time To Hire
The inclusion of candidate screening tools (filters, ranking, etc.) makes the hiring process much faster. Online hiring also involves digital forms that are mobile-friendly and easy to fill out, leading to less time spent searching for candidates.
Wider Candidate Pool
E-recruiting allows companies to target a wider audience. Recruiters can cast a wide net by posting on multiple job boards and social media. They can even refine their search and target candidates based on criteria such as niche or location.
Improved Candidate Experience
E-recruitment software provides a smooth experience for candidates, since these platforms facilitate automation (faster responses) and mobile-friendly application processes (ease of use).
Since every organization has a different hiring strategy, there is no “catch-all” e-recruitment software for everyone. To find an appropriate software, an organization has to take the following steps:
Step 1: Assess Your Current Hiring Process
Begin by mapping out how recruitment currently happens in your company. How are job openings shared? How are applicants tracked, and where do bottlenecks occur? Identifying inefficiencies such as duplicated efforts, slow screening, or inconsistent communication helps determine what type of software can add the most value.
Step 2: Identify Current Needs
The next step involves identifying your priorities and requirements based on your hiring frequency. For example, high-volume hiring teams might prioritize automation and scalability, while smaller organizations may focus on ease of use and affordability. Aligning these priorities ensures that which solution fits your team, not the other way around.
Step 3: List Software With Essential Features
Now that you’ve got your priorities in order, you can begin searching for software. During the search, you must prioritize essential capabilities like job posting, applicant tracking, and interview scheduling. Advanced features are always nice to have; however, if your essential features are not up to the mark, there is a chance that it can result in a wasted investment.
Step 4: Compile And Review
Once you’ve come up with a list of e-recruiting software with solid core capabilities, the next thing to do is to whittle your list based on additional factors. Here, you must consider its compatibility with your existing HR software, whether it connects easily or not. Other factors to consider and review include scalability, ease of use, and overall candidate experience.
One recent trend emerging across industries is the inclusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). In the online recruiting environment, these technologies address common inefficiencies by providing features such as resume screening, predictive analytics, and chatbots.
The key here is that these new emerging technologies are intended to help recruiters, not replace them outright. HR professionals such as Natalie Fell have echoed similar sentiments, stating, “Recruiting talent and bringing new people into an organization will always be a human-centric job.”
What Do Real Users Have To Say About E-Recruitment Software?
According to forums such as Reddit, many users are of the opinion that e-recruitment software are useful as long as you know what you’re looking for. In addition, features such as ease of use and navigation are more prized than additional features. They also make it a point to focus on integrations with job boards such as LinkedIn.
E-recruitment software can streamline the entire hiring process for companies, making these platforms an indispensable tool in hiring endeavors. In addition, they also make the recruitment process more manageable for candidates, making it a win for all parties involved.
If used correctly, e-recruitment software can also help businesses provide a more personal touch in their hiring practices. As such, they’re not just a tool for filling roles faster—they're also a tool for building better relationships with talent outside the company.