Winning with e-recruitment

In my previous Industry Insight, I argued that e-recruitment had a key role to play in today's HR environment, because it created an automated platform for an integrated, streamlined recruitment process.

Obviously, this means purchasing some software, so I need to look at some of the factors to consider when assessing solutions - and then look at the overall success factors.

This is a fairly complex and specialist area, as well as being a significant investment, so I would tend to recommend the wisdom of using a consultant to help scope the business requirements and identify the right technology solution.

When it comes to the e-recruitment software itself, the first major requirement is flexibility. It's very important that it can be configured with business rules that align the automated process with the company's other processes and overall strategy. In this way, the recruitment process can become responsive to the business's needs, and conform to its policies.

Companies buy a Rolls-Royce and end up never progressing beyond a scooter.

Raymond Myburgh is head of IndigoCube's HR Solutions business unit.

Two examples will suffice to illustrate what I mean. In one instance, a company might have a policy that a vacancy should first be advertised internally, so that step needs to be built into the e-recruitment business process. In another instance, there might be a particular legal requirement for a regret letter to candidates. Again, a suitable template for such a letter that can be customised and then bulk mailed easily would be necessary. In each case, timing specified within the company's policies would also be able to be built into the workflow.

A second factor is that the system should be modular. This means a company can build its e-recruitment capability as it requires, and no unnecessary functionality is bought. All too often, companies buy a Rolls-Royce and end up never progressing beyond a scooter. The whole question of changing the way things are done is a delicate one; it's much better to build up to something than it is to buy something that appears too daunting from the start!

Clearly, a well-constructed technology solution is the foundation of e-recruitment, as described above. But, it's vitally important that one understand that the success of e-recruitment does not lie solely with the technology, surprisingly for some.

An automated and carefully constructed business process can provide a basis for a successful human interaction. But, the human element can never be abstracted, and must remain at the centre of the process.

Another key success factor is ownership of the e-recruitment process by the individuals within the company. A client once complained that its new e-recruitment system was not working. I used the system's management reporting functionality to look at the usage patterns, and was able to spot that certain of the recruiters simply were not using the system at all. By contrast, some of the recruiters were using it regularly. Most telling of all, it could be demonstrated that those who were using it were much more productive in terms of several key metrics than those who were not.

The related point is that change management is a vital part of ensuring the transition to e-recruitment is successful, and that the system is used to full effect.

A final point regarding how to make e-recruitment work, and it's one related to the fact that the technology is subsidiary to the process. It's important to be sure, first of all, what a company needs, and how the process of recruitment should work. Make sure the e-recruitment service provider has the intellectual capital to provide consulting service up front to help complete this vital step.

E-recruitment has huge potential benefits in terms of improving the process, and by finding better candidates, on a company's long-term success. It's going to become the only way to recruit, so it's worth getting right.