Software for job agencies and HR departments – know your options

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software for job agencies
Sławomir Wnuk
Latest posts by Sławomir Wnuk (see all)

Is HR your passion or your career?

It could be both if you’re lucky. But no matter how much you love your job, everyone gets tired sometimes. If you feel like you could use some help, the right kind of software should bring a relief.

It will automate the repetitive and boring tasks. And leave you with only pleasant responsibilities. Sounds good? Let’s dive into your options. And there are a few.

A closer look at challenges inside job agencies and HR departments

First. Let’s look at your responsibilities. What does it mean to run a job agency or to be a Human Resources Manager these days?

  • Are you managing a team of recruiters and their activities?
  • Do you influence job descriptions and career paths available?
  • Are you handling employee appraisals?
  • Are you in charge of benefits and employee well-being?
  • Is employer branding your concern?

Yes to some or all of the above?

Guess what? There’s a system to help you organize your days. A separate one if you’re picky, or a fully-blown platform in case everything applies.

A range of options in the field of HR-related software

The confusing part is that software manufacturers aren’t too consistent. At least with naming their products.

If you tried to do your research, you probably found a lot of options. Many qualified under a different software type, but mostly delivering similar functionality. Let’s start by explaining what is what.

ATS – Applicant Tracking System is a tool dedicated for recruiting teams only.  You should look for one, if you’d like to optimize the process of finding new talents. It comes with features that will help you: look for, verify, and interview job candidates.

Recruitment CRM – you can spot this name being used on forums and LinkedIn groups for HR specialists. Sometimes also by software providers, who recognized its popularity. It is maybe not the most accurate one, but it tells a story. A story that goes like this: “We want to get something similar to what the sales team already has. And use it ourselves to recruit new employees”. Pretty straight forward, right?

APS – Automatic Payroll System is something to reach for, if you want to organize typical, old school HR business activities. Forget recruitment, career paths and self development. Here, all features are just about money.

HCM(S) or HRM(S) – here’s where the inconsistency of software manufacturers hits hard. You will find systems called: HCM, HCMS, HRM, HRMS and they all usually mean the same. Human Capital/Resources Management (System). A tool for handling activities associated with the “soft” side of HR. And there are many.

HRIS – Human Resources Information System could be the same as its HCM/HRM brothers, but it often gets enhanced also with payroll and insurance features. Unfortunately, you will need to look at every option out there separately. There’s no guarantee that what’s being called a HRIS, actually offers the full spectrum of HR functionality: soft and hard.

What to do when there’s no ready solution that meets your requirements?

Once you decided on what type of software to look for, remember that out-of-the-box solutions come with some limitations. They look and work a certain way. It might be enough for a pretty straight forward workflow like sales. That’s why it’s rather easy to find a cloud-based CRM. But in the world of HR, nothing is that simple. It usually calls for something custom-made.

Good news is, we could build from what a ready-to-use, hopefully Open Source solution has to offer. It is actually the preferable approach. That way, we could deliver an MVP in a matter of days, rather than weeks or months. And the faster you get to use the solution in its preliminary but fully-functional state, the better.

Imagine what is possible when you do not need to start from scratch and the solution you’re now looking at is not your end game but a solid foundation to build on.

Or actually, don’t imagine it, ask us to get access to a real-life example. It should be interesting for any Human Resources Manager to see, that the software could perfectly fit their organization. Not the other way around.

Sławomir Wnuk
Latest posts by Sławomir Wnuk (see all)
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