Choosing an Applicant Tracking System – Best of Breed vs. Single Source

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An issue that comes up quite frequently in my discussions with potential new ExactHire customers is whether it makes sense to purchase a stand-alone applicant tracking system (ATS) or utilize those capabilities within their existing payroll/human capital management (HCM) solution. Admittedly, I have a biased perspective on this. Despite that, below is a brief list of the pros and cons for each option, based on feedback from others over the past few years.

Single Source (Integrated with Payroll/HCM Software)

Pros

  • Single sign-on from existing solution
  • Core applicant information (name, address, phone, email) passes through automatically upon hire
  • Potentially lower cost (often discounted if purchased with the rest of the payroll/HCM solution)

Cons

  • Key features and functionality may be missing
  • Provider’s development budget for this part of the solution may be limited, with more focus on the core aspects of the solution
  • Implementation and support may not receive the same attention as the other core aspects of the solution

Stand Alone Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

Pros

Cons

  • Separate vendor for support needs (compared to one vendor with HCM)
  • Can be more expensive (ATS pricing varies based on several factors)
  • No ability to automatically transfer core applicant information (name, address, phone, email) to payroll/HCM solution – though may be available via custom integration

There are certainly more factors to consider than what I’ve represented here. Things such as the size of your organization, number of people involved in your hiring process, the amount of hiring you do, your relationship with your current payroll/HCM vendor, whether that vendor offers applicant tracking, etc. are all items you should consider as you weigh options for your organization.

Ultimately, there isn’t a right or wrong answer to this question. The unique aspects of your organization and the factors mentioned above will drive you to the best option for your needs.

To learn more about ExactHire’s applicant tracking software (ExactHire ATS), please visit our resources section

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What Employers Need to Know About Ban the Box Legislation

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Ban the Box.  Whether you agree or disagree with the concept, one thing we all can agree on is that this movement requires our attention in our organization’s hiring practices.  Depending on the states in which an organization hires individuals, “Ban the Box” takes a heightened level of importance since states and cities throughout the United States are enacting various forms of this legislation.  The future of hiring is rapidly changing so it is important for human resources professionals to be aware of existing and pending legislation that directly affects daily hiring practices in order to prevent an organization from experiencing legal ramifications due to noncompliance.

About “Ban the Box”

“Ban the Box” is the removal of any questions asking about an individual’s prior criminal record from an employer’s job application…essentially, barring any check boxes that an applicant might have had to mark on an employment application in the past.  The “Ban the Box” concept is based on the idea that limiting the employer’s access to the applicant’s conviction records prior to a job offer can help ex-offenders find employment based on their merit and skills instead of being eliminated from consideration for the position potentially due to the applicant’s past criminal record.  Through the “Ban the Box” movement, advocates of this concept express the belief that if hiring representatives did not know about the applicant’s criminal background, hiring representatives would not factor that information in the decision making process as the applicant goes through the employer’s hiring channels resulting in a more “fair chance” approach to ex-offenders.  The biggest benefit according to “Ban the Box” supporters is that when ex-offenders acquire employment, ideally, the recidivism rate would decrease which would also provide a boost to our overall economy.  According to an article published by NBC News, the latest U.S. census figures estimate approximately 70 million adults in the United States have some form of criminal record.  This equates to approximately one in four individuals in the United States with a criminal record.

Ban the Box legislation does not force an employer to hire an individual with a criminal record.  The ban would not necessarily prohibit an employer from conducting background checks; the checks would possibly occur later in the hiring process and/or once an offer is extended to the applicant.  Exceptions could exist for certain jobs as mandated by federal law (ex. prohibiting pedophiles from working with children, etc.)

History

In San Francisco, the “Ban the Box” campaign was started over a decade ago in a civil rights movement of formerly and currently incarcerated individuals and their families in an organized group, All of Us or None.  They began to encourage the local government to remove questions related to convictions from job applications so ex-offenders could be evaluated on their qualifications and not their prior record(s).  In their vision, any questions about convictions could be asked later in the hiring process, if needed.  The efforts by All of Us or None paid off; the city of San Francisco was the first to remove the question from city job applications.  This victory was the catalyst for the current “Ban the Box” movement.  In 1998, Hawaii was the first state to pass legislation to “Ban the Box” about conviction related questions on both public and private sector employment applications, statewide.

Current Ban the Box Laws and Ordinances

According to the National Employment Law Project (NELP), thirteen states have implemented some degree of a statewide “Ban the Box” Fair Chance Hiring Law.  Thirty states have enacted a local or state “Ban the Box” Fair Chance Hiring Law.  With the “Ban the Box” trend in motion, it is just a matter of time before additional states, cities and jurisdictions enact similar legislation.  The statewide “Ban the Box” legislation enacted in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Rhode Island include employers in both the public and private sectors, and Illinois and New Jersey are following in their footsteps beginning in 2015.

To keep abreast of States and Cities who enact “Ban the Box” legislation, NELP has an interactive map that provides an overview of the current legislative status.  An overview of the legislation for the locations with “Ban the Box” legislation can be found here.  For the actual legislation, you will need to go directly to the state or city government website to access the passed law(s) in its comprehensive language.

Employers need to be aware of the legislation that exists and which is pending to be prepared for the potential impact on their organizations.  If your organization currently has hiring practices in multiple states and cities, or posts job listings nationally, it is important to be cognizant of the locales’ legal expectations.  At ExactHire, we take pride in doing our best to ensure our clients’ satisfaction is the highest possible. We do whatever we can to resolve clients’ current needs and identify potential needs.  After you speak with your legal counsel, and if you and your legal team decide changes need to be made to your employment application(s) to comply with legislation, the ExactHire team can work with you to create a new application with the verbiage you specify for compliancy.  Also, please know that one of the benefits of using HireCentric as your applicant tracking software is that you can create multiple employment applications, each specific to your needs.  For more information about updating your current employment application(s) and/or creating additional employment applications, please email support@exacthire.com.

Please note:  The ExactHire team is not legal counsel, and we do not offer legal advice, so any questions regarding your company’s eligibility for exemption with the “Ban the Box” legislation and/or proper verbiage for your company’s employment application(s) should be discussed with your company’s legal counsel.

Related links of importance:

If you are not yet an ExactHire client, but are interested in using an applicant tracking system and online employment application, please visit our resources page for additional information or contact us today.

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Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act: Ban the Box in Illinois

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Due to the velocity of business, companies need to be up-to-date on the latest industry news to remain competitive. Perhaps more importantly, businesses are also required to stay abreast of changes in legislation. Legal changes that apply to the state, country, or other specific regulations for the company can seem overwhelming. Legislation is progressive and therefore, always changing our work environments. Businesses that operate across several states often yield to the least common denominator when it comes to designing applications and obeying regulations.

Many states are now adopting a law to ‘Ban the Box’ – that is, the box regularly found on employment applications that asks if you have ever been convicted of a crime. Illinois will be the newest state to join the trend in the near future, following the lead of other states and cities such as: Massachusetts; Minnesota; Rhode Island; Hawaii; Philadelphia; San Francisco; Seattle, Baltimore; Newark and Buffalo. This list may not be all-inclusive and one should also note that different geographic areas often have their own specific version of the legislation to ‘Ban the Box.’

Qualified Applicants Act – Ban The Box

Effective January 1, 2015, the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act will prohibit Illinois employers from pre-screening candidates based on their criminal history. The law requires that applicants not be asked about criminal offenses until the interview stage of the hiring process. Full details, including exceptions to the rule, can be found by clicking the link above.

At ExactHire, we recommend our clients take care to be aware of the state requirements for the states in which they hire. This may mean that multi-state companies opt to avoid issues by removing any criminal history questions from their applications (unless of course they are required to include them for the position and meet the exceptions listed in their specific governing body’s legislation). However, the best course of action is to always check with your employment law attorney for legal counsel on how to word employment application questions for your areas of operation. This recommendation is also encouraged for employers that use electronic job listings that can be viewed nationwide.

ExactHire’s HireCentric applicant tracking software allows employers the ability to have different employment applications for use with jobs that are listed in different states, if desired. For more information about our customizable employment applications, please view our video demo or contact us today.

Image credit: Springfield Illinois Statehouse Dome by LongitudeLatitude (contact)

Perfectly Indispensable – 11 Ways to Impress Your Boss

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High unemployment rates, volatile markets, and the constant need for businesses to run leaner are all great reasons to become indispensable at work. Let the perfect employee that lives within you radiate through your office, and recession proof yourself!

Increase your personal stock value and make sure you get noticed with:

11 Ways To Win at Work…And Impress Your Boss

1) Be timely and accountable. No one ever needed an employee who was a day late and a dollar short.

2) Use communication properly. Make sure you listen as much as you speak. Communication must go both ways or it doesn’t work.

3) Develop team morale. Don’t just bring in doughnuts on Fridays, offer to help a colleague who you know is overwhelmed. Volunteer to spearhead the project that nobody wants to take on and develop a fun and exciting way to tackle it.

4) Solve issues with solutions, don’t complain. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” In this case, as long as you have a suggestion on the issue, you can bring it up. Otherwise, keep it to yourself until you have an idea.

5) Know the industry. Spend personal time reading relevant and reputable articles that are in line with your work.  By keeping up on the latest and greatest, you are sure to help the business succeed.

6) Pick the hard action-items. When you leave your comfort zone, you will get noticed.

7) Become a SME. Subject Matter Experts are important to your boss and your co-workers. If you are the go-to person for a system, procedure, or difficult client, nobody wants to lose you.

8) Be productive, not just quick. Sure Sally can finish five projects in a day, but none of them are completed properly. Put the extra time into the details and make your pizazz show–your boss and customers will notice.

9) Commit yourself. Sounds pretty straight-forward, but commitment is hard. Luckily, it is also worth the trouble.

10) Embrace and share a positive attitude. Nobody likes a “Debbie Downer” or “Negative Nelly”. Look for that silver-lining and share the positive vibes. It will make your work day happier and more productive, and it might rub off on your coworkers, too.

11) Be reliable. If your boss can’t trust you to turn in something by the deadline, you will quickly be replaced. However, if you have a reputation for always being on time and turning in quality work, that will be duly noted by your peers and management.

Be Indispensable

Once you have mastered these behaviors, you are sure to be considered an indispensable part of your team. Of course, you should know that you will be held to these high-standards that you have created for yourself, too. If you happen to fall short of expectations one day, it will surely be noticed. But all in all, that is a small price to pay compared to what you will gain in not only job security, but most likely in additional financial rewards too. Raises, promotions, special projects and accolades will be yours for the taking!

Image credit: the garden of forking paths by Snap (contact)

Employee Onboarding: What’s It Mean?

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What does employee onboarding mean? Because one of our software tools helps to automate many of the tasks and documentation commonly associated with new hire onboarding, this question is asked of me quite frequently. And while the definition certainly changes from one workplace to another, I think it is helpful to break it into two main categories: 

New Hire Onboarding

I think you can also refer to this as “short-term” onboarding.  What I mean by that terminology is that this definition is pretty limited to the initial documents/forms/tasks associated with a new hire. Tax forms, policy acknowledgements, direct deposit sign-up, etc. are good examples of things that tend to be done right upfront for any new hire. These need to be completed before that person is able to really jump in and start their employment with the organization.  From my experience over the past few years, this tends to be what most people in the SMB market space think of when they hear about onboarding.

Employee Onboarding

A little different than above, I would tend to refer to this more as “long-term” onboarding. While all of the items mentioned with short-term onboarding would certainly be a part of this process, it doesn’t stop there.

Instead, this process often can go on for the first several months of an employee’s stay with an organization. Likewise, this tends to be done in phases within those first few months on the job for a new hire.  Examples of things that are included in this form of onboarding include: training/safety videos and acknowledgements; provisioning of different items (laptop, phone, desk space, etc.); job-specific learning milestones, etc.

Currently, this definition of onboarding tends to be found more in larger organizations.  However, with technology continuing to progress, I’m seeing more and more SMB’s going this route.

Guidelines For Onboarding

Regardless of how your organization views onboarding, there are some core guidelines that apply to everyone:

  • You must follow the old adage of “you never get a second chance to make a first impression”. Make sure new hires feel welcome and that there is an organized process to assimilate them into your company.  Do everything you can to reinforce their decision to come to work for you.
  • Have a methodology to keep track of where people are in the onboarding process.  This may be onboarding software, or it may be a simple checklist.  Either way, be sure nothing slips through the cracks.
  • Stay organized and compliant.  It’s imperative that you keep record of the various documents (I-9’s are a great example) new hires complete, as you may be required to provide them at some point in the future.

Onboarding new employees is a critical function for companies of all sizes. Pay attention to this and stay close to your onboarding process to ensure that new hires are engaged, which will improve the odds that they’ll stay with you well into the future.

 

To learn more about how ExactHire can optimize and automate your HR processes, including new employee onboarding, we invite you to contact us today!
By Lhb1239 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The Hiring Process: Are We There Yet?

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The hiring process can be difficult for both the applicant and employer. Just as an anxious child awaits the end of a long road trip, both parties are asking, “Are we there yet?”

Invest Time in Saving Time

Streamline Your Hiring Process

Wasting time is expensive. And if your company spends too much time and effort hiring, you’re wasting money–especially if you end up hiring the wrong person. But it doesn’t have to be so difficult, and it doesn’t need to carry a hefty price tag.

You’ve heard it before: work smarter, not harder!

An Applicant tracking system can streamline your hiring process and save you time by reducing the time spent posting positions, reviewing applications, contacting applicants, and getting hiring approval from corporate.

Work Smarter

Applicant Tracking Systems Create Efficiency

  • List a job once and post it on any job board you want with a few clicks.
  • Manage the hiring process for all open positions from one site.
  • Invite managers to add notes and feedback at any point in the hiring process.
  • Eliminate unnecessary sorting and sifting through applicants by adding a filter to remove candidates that don’t meet the basic qualifications for the position.
  • Create a set of specialized questions for each position and attach scoring values to fast-track your efforts at finding the perfect candidate.
  • Build email templates for status letters, thank you’s, interview requests, testing requests, and any other email you regularly send to candidates.

Cut Through Red Tape

Speed Up Job Requisition

  • Streamline the requisition process by having the applicant tracking system automatically notify the next approver in line.
  • Hiring managers can check on the status of a requisition by logging in–no distracting follow-ups.

We’re Here!

ExactHire Can Help You Streamline The Hiring Process

Learn how ExactHire applicant tracking system can help your company work smarter. Visit our resources section or contact us today!

Image credit: In The Distance by Angus McCrae (contact)

10 Tips for Small Businesses to Start an HR Department

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Recently, I wrote about making your first hire, but I probably should have prefaced it with this blog which asks the question…how should your small company approach creating a human resources department?  Eventually any growing business will have an HR department so here are some items to think about when starting up a company or expanding your HR needs:

Compensation structure

Know ahead of time what your payroll budget is and how raises or bonuses will be handled. This will make negotiating salaries less stressful when the time comes.

Benefit packages

What benefits will be offered to the employees? Keep in mind 401k, sick days, flex spending accounts as well as health, dental and eye care.

Staffing plan

It can be helpful to lay this out in such a way that you can view the management hierarchy of the company.  It’s important to know for which departments managers are responsible and who reports to the upper management. Having a clear, scalable design for future growth in mind is also important.

Keep an up-to-date profile of jobs

When hiring for jobs, keep accurate descriptions of the job requirements for each position within the company. This information will be useful to the overall structure of your organization in the future.

Performance measurements

Decide how job performance will be measured…it could be through peer assessments or manager reviews or measures of sales performance – or perhaps a combination. Regardless of the way, set these standards up right away and then set the proper expectations with employees well in advance of review time.

Travel or expenses

This might not pertain to every company, but it’s important to think about and document your processes. If you have lots of people that travel or turn in expense reports, it is important to have an expense policy stating what will and will not be reimbursed, and how the company needs documentation of the expenses that have incurred.

Time and attendance

Depending on the type of company, having a strict time and attendance policy can be vital. If it is a production facility, “clocking in” on time to make product is important. Make sure employees know their expected times and what penalties there are for being tardy or absent. Other organizations may be more flexible but there is still a need to keep employees informed of the expectations.

Employee referral program

This is a great opportunity for the employee and the company when hiring. The employee is incented to recommend others that would be a good fit within the organization and the company is able to find potential candidates more easily. Make sure to document the referral bonus and time requirements necessary to earn the bonus…and then promote the program frequently to your employees!

Training & future development

Even if you have a relatively flat organizational structure and a small company, thinking about the future of the organization is imperative. Ask yourself what kind of development plan you have for your future employees for training and growth purposes.

Vacation days

Ask yourself if these will be handed out in a standard amount to all employees or if they will be “earned” as the employee works longer with the company. Also, document how vacation days are to be requested to allow for efficiency on the job (i.e. avoid too many people being out of office on the same day).

I know this is a long list and it may seem overwhelming to the new entrepreneur, especially. The good news is that all of this does not have to be decided upon immediately, but it’s good to have a general idea of where the organization will stand on all these topics. As the company grows, these items will evolve and change to meet the needs of you, your staff and the company overall.  Knowing in advance how the company will handle situations that fall into these categories will save a lot of work and stress in the long run.

For more information about ExactHire and our hiring software products for small business, please visit our resources page or contact us today.

Do Not Underpay Employees – 3 Reasons Why

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Everyone wants to save a buck nowadays, and companies are no different. I am in finance so I understand. I am always looking for ways to help save the company money or find more efficient ways to function in order to be “leaner” overall.  That being said, here is one place that you do not want to “skimp” too much – what you pay your staff. Do not underpay employees!

Inspire Hard Work

When an employee is making a salary that makes him/her happy, it creates a stable happy environment for everyone. This will keep the employee working hard which will create an overall positive atmosphere in the office. Hard working employees will motivate each other to keep improving as individuals, and as a whole organization.

Keep Your “A” Players

If you underpay your employees, they are likely to eventually seek out employment elsewhere. By making sure they are paid adequately, you are able to retain your “A” players and also inspire others to work hard and improve as well.

Appeal to the Best Prospects

Keeping the best employees and having a happy work environment will appeal to the best potential applicants when you have new positions available.  Your reputation as a great employer will help attract the best applicants for jobs based on how your current employees feel. This could be through word of mouth or other networking avenues.

These three simple motivators demonstrate the importance of fair pay for your employees. When you are ready to hire your next “A” player, please contact us to learn more about how our applicant tracking system can streamline the hiring process.

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Combat Employee Poaching

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I have a friend who does hiring in the service industry. Let’s call her Jane. There have been many times where Jane and I have gone to a restaurant to have a meal or have decided to run our errands together while catching up. Nothing out of the ordinary.

However, Jane always has her business cards on the ready. They’re fun and funky; they contain Jane’s contact information and her company’s career website. She’s in Human Resources so Jane wanted to add a little “something different” to her business cards by using the careers site.

Oh, I almost forgot, Jane’s always evaluating the customer service employees that she encounters.

“I really appreciated your patience with us,” or “Your customer service skills are great,” and then with some type of go-go-gadget arms and a swirl of magic, her business card appears in the hands of this employee – your employee!

That’s called employee poaching.

Employee poaching is the art of luring good employees away from their existing place of employment, usually a competitor, with intention to hire the employee at their organization. It is real. If your employee is visible to the public with a great skillset, chances are high that someone has attempted to poach this employee.

There are all types of articles you can read about the legal limitations and the ethics surrounding employee poaching, but I am focused on how to protect your employees in the event poaching does occur.

The best line of defense with this threat is developing a good employee retention plan. An employee retention plan helps you to articulate your retention strategy to management as well as employees directly. For some employees, the sheer notion that a company has thought highly enough of their employees to create a retention plan begins to earn the employer bonus points. The plan itself will only get your organization so far, the content must be valuable as well as the follow through consistent. So, what type of items would go into a retention plan?

Supervisor review

Most employees leave an organization because of management, not because they did not enjoy the work or the organization. One way to keep an eye on this would be to schedule bi-annual or annual supervisor reviews where you ask the employees to review their supervisor. There are assessments you can utilize to help with this. What you should be looking to understand is, “what is the supervisor doing well,” “what could he/she do better,” and “how could he/she do that [thing] better”. Then use this information to help improve and motivate the supervisor.

Skill utilization & development

Is the employee showing interest in developing other talents in an area that would be helpful to your organization? Does he/she have a passion for something? Often these skills or talents will come up in casual conversation. Sometimes they will appear when an employee is given a special project. Keep an eye out for exceptional skills, and then engage the employee by allowing the employee to utilize the skill and/or continue to develop that skill.

Appreciation/recognition

Often employers think this must be done with grandeur and cost a fortune. It doesn’t. In fact it should not be something expensive as employees may be turned off that the money is not going toward a bonus or was not paid to them in a monetary way. There are very simple things you can do. Set monthly or quarterly goals and if the employee meets or exceeds that goal, do something special like providing lunch, car wash, a tank of gas, workplace conveniences, etc. If you have a group of employees that meet the goal they could spend an afternoon doing an off-site activity together. Keep in mind, if the goal is exceeded by a large amount the token of appreciation should also be increased. The employee must know that you are happy he/she is part of your organization and that he/she is valuable to you.

The very best way to protect against employee poaching and to build your employee retention plan is to create relationships with your employees. When employees understand they are valued and they feel as if engaging in open conversation with their employer is possible, great things can happen. You will not be able to keep all employees from being poached, but creating a retention plan is a good way to begin to protect your assets.

For more ideas on how to keep your employees engaged, check out my teammate’s post here. Or learn how the powerful software solution like ExactHire, can help you build a strong foundation to better engage with your employees–starting on Day 1.

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