Is Paperless Hiring More Efficient?

Would paperless human resource processes be more efficient for my small- to medium-sized organization? My cut and dry answer is yes. Since we are all grown-ups, however, we know that there are rarely instances when answers are cut and dry. So, let’s explore, briefly, why my answer is yes.

What do I do with all of these paper resumes?

Do you remember that seminar where the instructor says, “Try to make all of your paper ‘one-touch!’” Could you imagine a world where employment applications were one-touch? That’s a mind-boggling concept.

What do you do with hard copy applications these days? Let’s say you currently accept them electronically (perhaps via email) and/or in printed form (perhaps via mail/fax or at a job fair in person) and put them into a collection pile/email folder (touch #1). Then, you sort through the pile (touch #2) to see which ones you like the best. Oh darn! You’ve just knocked over your coffee; let’s hope this was an electronically submitted version. Then you walk the application stack over to the hiring manager for review if you are lucky enough to be in the same building (touch #3). I’m sure you can sense that this process is getting lengthy.

With an electronic application, there is no need for you to “do” anything with the applications until you’re ready to sort through the proverbial pile. If you want to forward an application to the hiring manager for review, then its three clicks of a button and the hiring manager can check out the application. I don’t know about you, but I can’t even make it to some of my co-workers offices that quickly. Plus, the process of sorting is a whole lot easier when using a web-based hiring software application that allows you to use automatic scoring and disqualification filters on application screening questions.

Paperless hiring helps you to be more productive with your time and de-clutters your office & email inbox.

I can’t read this application; do you know what it says?

I hear school systems are doing away with cursive writing. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it is all of the buzz with this new school year starting. But if focus is diverting from penmanship, then I have a feeling concerns with chicken scratch writing (per my question above) are only going to increase. If everyone completed his/her application or new hire paperwork online electronically, then you would not have to worry about the difference between an applicant’s handwritten number one or seven.

Paperless hiring software makes documents more legible.

We have compliance reporting deadlines coming up. Have you been keeping track of that spreadsheet?

No more need for manually documenting applicant information in spreadsheets! Because all of the information is captured automatically in a database, there is no need for anyone to manually enter information into an applicant flow log spreadsheet for affirmative action reporting, for example; nor, would there be a need for anyone to “catch up” the spreadsheet if it was not kept current.

Human resources software takes the tedious manual tasks out of the reporting process.

The two big efficiency questions are: will paperless hiring save me time and will paperless hiring move the process along more quickly. Yes, paperless hiring will make a compelling impact on both fronts.

To learn more about efficient software solutions for the hiring process, please contact ExactHire today.

Image credit: file cabinets by Jared and Corin (contact)