Introduction. Save time. Develop Talent Pools. increase candidate care

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2 Introduction Most professionals agree that employees are an organisation s greatest asset. It therefore stands to reason that the business of attracting, screening and appointing these people (i.e. recruitment) is a critical component of any growing organisation s overall strategy. The thing is recruitment isn t easy. The challenges of recruitment depend on the organisation, but can range from a volatile job market, to under-supply or over-supply of candidates, to economic pressures. These challenges make it difficult for even the most competent recruitment team to operate effectively. By adopting a candidate management system (CMS), an organisation is better equipped to recruit high-quality staff into the organisation in an efficient manner. Benefits of candidate management systems that will be explored in this guide include savings in time, development of talent pools, and increased candidate care. Evaluating different candidate management systems can be challenging. This guide will: Assist you in identifying your needs when it comes to a CMS Explain Software-as-a-Service (Saas) and cloud-based solutions Identify a range of features modern CMS solutions should be able to offer you Save time Develop Talent Pools increase candidate care

3 What is a candidate management system? A candidate management system is a software application designed to help an organisation recruit employees more efficiently. Features may include: Careers portals that integrate with your website Integration with external advertising mediums (eg. job boards, social networks) Rating and ranking tools to help you screen candidates Interviewing tools to assist in booking and conducting interviews Communication tools (eg. and/or SMS) Internal workflows to support the Request to Hire process Ability to manage the internal application process via your Intranet

4 Why do you need a candidate management system? If your organisation is focused on saving money and improving processes, investing in a candidate management system (CMS) is an ideal way to recruit high-quality candidates quickly and costeffectively. In fact, implementing a candidate management system can reduce the time you spend on recruitment administration by over 50%. With less wasted time, HR professionals and/or Hiring Managers are free to focus on choosing the best candidate for the role (as well as all of their other duties outside of recruitment!). A CMS can also help you build a valuable database of engaged candidates, which you can draw upon for future vacancies. You may hear this referred to as a talent pool. Talent pools have potential to decrease your spend on external advertising or recruitment agencies. Finally, because a CMS streamlines and automates a number of steps in the recruitment process, it can greatly assist in increasing your organisation s level of candidate care. For example, bulk features in a CMS make it easy to notify all candidates once a job has been filled, ensuring you never leave anyone hanging again. Be sure to test out the application process before choosing a CMS to ensure it is simple, streamlined and doesn t require too many steps.

5 How to identify your needs What is your budget? Before you begin the research process into candidate management systems, you may want to consider these questions. What is your budget? CMS solutions vary greatly in terms of price, from a few hundred dollars per month to tens of thousands of dollars per month. Who will be accessing the system? Is it a tool for HR/Recruitment only, or are Hiring Managers going to need access also? What demographic forms your ideal candidate market? For example, if you are targeting Gen Z or Gen Y candidates, you may wish to ensure the CMS you choose integrates well with social networks and is mobile-compatible. Where will you be when you need to access the system? Would you like to be able to access your CMS when travelling or moving between offices? If so, a SaaS solution is important. How will you be accessing the system? Will you ever use a mobile device or tablet to access your CMS? If so, you will need a solution that is mobile-compatible. Who will be accessing the system? What demographic forms your ideal candidate market? Where will you be when you need to access the system? How will you be accessing the system?

6 Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and 'the cloud' explained! In the past, many business applications were complicated and expensive. The amount and variety of hardware and software required to run them was significant and an organisation needed a whole team of experts to install, configure, test, run, secure, and update them. With SaaS applications, you eliminate those headaches because you re not managing hardware and software - that s the responsibility of your experienced candidate management system vendor. The shared infrastructure means it works like a utility: you only pay for what you need, upgrades are automatic, and scaling up or down is easy. SaaS solutions are delivered via the web, meaning you can access your account from anywhere with Internet access. Cloud computing centres around the sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale. The cloud also focuses on maximising the effectiveness of the shared resources. Basically, it s a secure and reliable way to store large amounts of data. 'Cloud computing' centres around the sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale.

7 Candidate Management System Checklist 1 How will your Careers Portal be managed and what functionality is available? 2 Is the system mobile-optimised for users and applicants? 3 4 Is the application process simple and streamlined for applicants? Can they apply in 1-2 steps or does it involve multiple stages? Does the CMS integrate with social networks, and in what way(s)? How about job boards? 5 What are the screening question and filtering options? Through which mediums can you communicate with candidates (eg. , SMS)? Can you use the CMS to manage interview and reference check stages? What tools are available to manage the requisition creation process? Does the CMS integrate with third parties (eg. your payroll, HRIS or testing systems)? Here are some questions yo u m ay wish to ask when researching candidate management systems 10 What are the reporting and analytics capabilities? 11 What is the approach to training and ongoing support? 12 How long does implementation take on average? How involved will your organisation need to be in implementation?

8 About SCOUT SCOUT is a web-based candidate management system that helps organisations reach their recruitment goals. Established in 2004, SCOUT is backed by Employment Office, a leading recruitment solutions organisation with operations in Australia, Canada and the UK. With over 5,000 clients and nearly 10,000 users, SCOUT has allowed over 500,000 candidates apply for jobs in the past 12 months. To learn more, please visit: