Top Three Reasons to Invest in Staffing and Recruiting Software Information Technology Now
The future success of staffing and recruiting firms depends on their ability to leverage constantly evolving technology to meet the changing needs of their clients.
“If you keep investing in technology and innovation in the worst of times, your competitive advantage grows.” -- Jeffrey Immelt |
The staffing and recruiting industry responded to the near-meltdown of the economy in 2008-2009 with cutbacks and retrenchments just as their clients have. Now, with the economy beginning to grow, staffing and recruiting firms are facing a very different business landscape. Instead of a rapidly expanding post-recession economy that drove high levels of temporary job hiring and recruitment, economists and business leaders are pointing to fundamental economic shifts that imply a longer, slower growth pattern.
The challenge for staffing and recruiting firms is how to be successful in this new 'slow-growth,' highly-competitive environment. Significantly then, it’s important that you make investments that will support the strategic success of your staffing and recruiting operations. Chief among these, your investments in business technology can give you the biggest advantage and payback. In fact, seventy-two percent of senior managers place a higher value on the role of information technology because of the economic crisis, according to a December, 2009 Accenture study of more than 550 executives.
With that in mind, here are the top three reasons for you to invest in staffing and recruiting software information technology now.
ONE: New staffing and recruiting software can give you a competitive advantage
As Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and Chief Executive of General Electric Co., recently said, “If you keep investing in technology and innovation in the worst of times, your competitive advantage grows.”
Immelt’s statement is backed-up by a recent survey by the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor. It’s based on a nationally representative sample of more than 700 small business owners/managers of companies with fewer than 100 employees. “Technology can dramatically increase your productivity, resulting in more output without necessarily adding to your staffing expense,” said Anita Campbell, Editor and Founder of Small Business Trends, LLC. “It’s no coincidence that of companies that plan to spend, technology is the biggest category of planned investment expense (39 percent).”
And here’s great news for you – software vendors have not been sitting still during the recession. Software features and functions that are being introduced now are focused on helping staffing and recruiting professionals get more work done with less effort. And that always helps drive bottom-line results. For example, new staffing and recruiting software with automatic feeds to social networking sites such as Linked In, Facebook or Twitter can improve your firms’ communications with candidates, employees and clients without increasing the work load on your staff.
Strategically, new innovations in recruiting and staffing software can help you modernize your business operations to compete more effectively, improve your service delivery and create more satisfied customers. So, if you haven’t upgraded your software in the past three-to-five years, your business may be at a serious competitive disadvantage.
TWO: New staffing and recruiting software can help you cut operational costs
Over the past several years you’ve done everything you can to cut your operational costs as a survival mechanism. There’s nothing left to cut – or is there?
If you’re like many staffing and recruiting firms, you have an enterprise system comprised of server hardware, software, networks and internal IT support staff. You may have had the system for some time – it’s paid for and works OK – but if so, you’re missing out on potential savings. You could outsource all or most of your IT infrastructure and put the savings in your pocket.
Managed services programs (MSP’s) and software as a service (SaaS) deployment of your staffing or recruiting software offers a well-proven means to reduce your IT hardware and support costs and deliver improved system performance, security and reliability. Further, outsourcing your IT infrastructure offers you a means to reduce or repurpose your internal IT support staff for further cost-savings or other business purposes.
In short, any up-front costs associated with investing in new recruiting or staffing software deployed via MSP or SaaS may be quickly recouped with a predictable, manageable fixed cost for the services provided.
THREE: New staffing and recruiting software can position your firm for success
The economy IS improving. “The Accenture High Performance Workforce Study” released in July of 2010 noted that more than half (54 percent) of large U.S. businesses that reduced staff in the past 12 months plan to rebuild their workforces to pre-recession levels within two years. However, their hiring will be much more skill-strategic than in the past.
“A lack of relevant skills may present a hurdle for companies as they position themselves for growth," said David Smith, managing director of the Accenture Talent & Organization Performance practice. “Companies need to rethink how they equip employees with the skills required to be competitive today. They must also consider new strategies for hiring and developing untapped talent currently available in the market.”
Study results like that make a point. They strongly imply that your investment in new staffing and recruiting software along with appropriate training and support can give your team the tools it needs to meet these client hiring demands successfully and profitably. They are an enabler of the effectiveness of your own business marketing and innovation skill – and that positions you for success.
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About VCG
VCG provides comprehensive staffing and recruiting solutions that power success. Since 1976, VCG has helped hundreds of companies worldwide achieve operational excellence by streamlining their unique business processes and accelerating finding and placing the people most likely to thrive. VCG and Pointwing are registered trademarks of VCG, LLC. For more information visit: www.vcgsoftware.com or www.pointwing.com or call 1.800.318.4983.
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