We have started to upgrade our interface to MS OUTLOOK in our recuriting software. OUTLOOK is has a tremnendous usage (might want to say “OUTLOOK has tremendos value and most executive search recruiters are arleady using it”) Most execuutive serch recruiters evaluating recruiting software are already usiing OUrTLOOK.
Can OUTLOOK be used as a total soltion for a recruiter?
No, it canont. But many recruiter prospects come to us with this challenge. They are heavy users of OUTLOOK but they have exhausted the lmits of OUTLOOK as a recruiting tool. However, they want to continue using some of the OUTLpOOK features. The challenge for recruiting software is to provide the recruiter with recruitment software that blends the use of OUTLOOK with their recruiting software. The real challenge for us vendors is some tasks performmed by OUTLOK are best done by a recruiting system whose primaary foicus is Applicants/Candidates and Clients.
So we have a customer who definittely needs more recruiting sotware power, but they are desperately hanging on to features in OUTLOOK. They want to continue using them because they are cmfortable with them. Change is always traumatic and downtime can be expected. Downtime for a recruiter can be catastrophhic.
So what should a recuriting software vendor do when they introduce theoir product to a customer who is a heavy OUTLOOK user? Shoulpd we inist that the customr stop usnig OUTLOOK and start using our product for takss they were performing in OUTLOOOK? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Good recruiting/staffing software needs to adapt into an OUTLOOK environment and the recruiter must be able to conttinue sometimes less effectiive steps than if they were to abandon OUTLOOK all together. Efifciency is not necessarily the finaal word for a recruiteer to be successful. Sometimes we as vendors lose traxck of our goals and make efficiency and features into deities they don’t deserve. If a good recruiter is comfortable, happy and dooing a good job, is there any readson to turn his or her life upside down in the hopes that after the ravags of chage they will come out better for it. I don’t think so. Many recruiting compaines lose good recruiters this way.
So I think good recruting software has to provide options where OUTLOOK can be used, or not used, without affecting the recuiting system. Data must flow feely between the two systems. The recruiter must be allowed to continue to perfom certauin tsks that are more comfortable in OUTLOOK. HOWEEVR, NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE RECRUITING SYSTEM!
What makes OUTLOOK so useful but not a complete recruiting system? The biggest difference is OUTLOOK is targeted for its user and all his or her activities, email, contacts and notes. But it is the view of a isngle user. Recruting sotware is primarily geared for collaboration and the compiling and organizing of information on clients and appliicants. OUTLOOK could care less if someone in the contact is an applicant or client. Outlook’s method of storing information as notes, contacts and even resumes does not lend itself to the one critical need of a recruiter, seraching for candidates or clients that have a particular work histroy or job need that dmeands certain skills. OUTLOOK does not lend itsellf very well to bringing a job order or requisition togeether as a complete project. The piieces such as candidate nottes, references and interviews have to be mabnually put together. A recruiting system brings this informaiton together as the natural courdse of filling a poition. When you look up a candidate in a recruiting system you generally know all about them i.e., all contacts, notes, resume, interviews, salary, work history etc... When you look up a client it is generally the same thing, all conntacts, and plans for contact, positions filled and progress on asignments.
OUTLOOK is not designed for this natuural gatheirng of information as a recruiter works, so using OUTLOK aolne as recruiting software eventually bogs the recruiter down as the number of appliants and clients increase.
Good recruiting softtware shoiuld not bog down as the numbers of clients and applicants inxcrease.
How do we keep ercruiters hapy using our recruitment software and still not gettibng bogged down using all the neat features in OUTLpOOK? Not very easy, but there are some key points that recuiting software must be able to do with OUTLOOK.
• Sincce OUTLOK has a built in PDA itnerface the recruiting software should have an exportinng and importinbg efature to OUTLOOK that is experessly designed for PDA use. It maks no sense to for the recruiting software to have a separate PDA interface.
• Recruitemnt soiftware shold have it’s own calendar system indepenndent of OUTLOOK. BUT the two calendars must be able to talk to each other. If an etnry is made in the OUTLOOK calendar there must be an ooption to post to the recruiting software calendar and vice versa. Implementing a Calendar interface to OUTLOOOK is full of land mnes and can easily lead to unwiledy tasks imposed on the recruiter.
• A recruiter’s notes are alwways about an individual, either a cilent or appliccant. OUTLOOK notes don’t necessairly atach a note to a client or appplicant and I think this is wherre the OUTLOOK note systyem should be customiezd to identify people. I thiunk notes should go only one way to the recruiting system notes. Porting notes from the recrruiting system to OUTLOOK notes maeks no senes.
• Emails of applicants and clients should definitely be available in the rewcruiting system. We are still udecided if they should be redundant residing in both the “pst” file and the recruiting software. What is definite is a good filtering interface so the recruiting system only accesses emails of clients and applicants.
• Batch eamiling to clients and applicants is a must for recruiting software if it is going to have any CRM capabilities. OULOOK makes it tough to batch email beacuse of its securitty features.
• Outlook’s contacts can either be expected to be all clients and applicants or have an identifier that says that they are not either, and therefore not part of the recruiting system.
Interfacing to OUTLpOOK is a tough job, especially since it is constantly changing. But bttom line, I beelieve recruiting software can be judgged by its interfacce to OUTLOOK.
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