Remote work has been around for some time. In 2022, it’s safe to say that it’s not going anywhere. The COVID-19 pandemic only solidified how valuable remote work can be – and how much the workforce wants it. Now, hiring remote workers isn’t the exception. It’s the standard.
Companies that hire remotely often use recruiting software tools to attract, source, interview, hire, and even onboard qualified candidates. This kind of technology has also been around for a number of years, but its use in the remote hiring space is now commonplace as well. With companies needing to fill crucial roles, recruitment software is more important than ever. Recruiters rely on this kind of software to streamline the hiring process and deliver on talent demands.
What exactly is recruitment software, and what does it do for recruiters? What recruiting software is out there, and what are the benefits? Read on for an in-depth guide to recruitment software and its use for hiring remote workers.
What is Recruitment Software?
Recruiting software is software used by recruiters, hiring managers, or other talent acquisition professionals to streamline and automate some parts of the recruitment pipeline. The ultimate goal of using recruiting software tools is to help talent acquisition experts fill job openings more efficiently and accurately.
Recruiting software provides capabilities like:
- Filtering through job applications to find qualified candidates
- Tracking candidates as they move through the recruitment process
- Centralizing data about candidates in a searchable database
- Automating responses to candidates, like updating them on their status
- Narrowing down the candidate pool through keyword filtering
- Listing job postings across several platforms
All of these functionalities save time and effort for recruiters, making their jobs easier and improving the entire process for their clients and candidates.
Major Recruiting Software Categories for Remote Workforce Management
There are two major categories when it comes to staffing software for recruiting, used by almost every recruiting firm out there: Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), and Customer or Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) systems. Let’s take a closer look at each of these staffing software solutions and what they’re all about.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
Your company’s applicant tracking system, or ATS, is the backbone of your entire recruiting effort. An ATS provides a central recruiting platform that tracks all candidates through the hiring lifecycle, from initial recruitment all the way through to hiring and onboarding. Recruiters can use an ATS to view the status of each candidate’s application, schedule interviews, and access relevant information. This is very efficient compared to piecing together various bits of information from multiple emails, text messages, and other communications.
Applicant tracking systems also provide recruiters with analytics about candidates, including how they were sourced. That way, recruiters can use the data to find out what hiring sources are working for them, and which ones aren’t, making better decisions in the future about how and where to find qualified candidates.
Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRM)
A CRM system allows recruiters to actively source candidates by building talent pools and nurturing them through the recruiting process. The “relationship management” portion of a CMS is the key here – while an ATS is more about tracking and analyzing, a CRM is all about forming and nurturing the connection with the candidate.
CRM systems help to connect with and nurture both active and passive candidates (those who aren’t currently looking for a job but might be open to one if the right opportunity came along). The advantage of a CRM is that it allows the recruiter to engage with their entire potential candidate pool, not just those who have recently applied.
The Best Recruiting Software for Remote Hiring
We’ve learned about the basics of staffing software solutions, including the two major pieces of technology that almost every staffing firm uses: an ATS and a CRM. But staffing software for recruiting extends beyond these platforms, too, and it can be especially useful for remote hiring.
COATS Staffing Software provides state-of-the-art recruiting software for companies that hire remotely. Here are some of the best recruiting software tools for remote hiring:
Online Job Posting Software
COATS’ customizable job posting software allows staffing companies to post jobs quickly, while automatically screening applicants to put the most qualified candidates in front of recruiters’ eyeballs. Remember: 90 percent of job seekers begin their search on job boards. So, if you aren’t posting jobs statically, you’re missing out on talent. Our posting software lets you screen and vet more applicants while spending less time on the process.
Online Employment Application Software
Online application software ensures that no applicants fall through the cracks, because each applicant is automatically added into your ATS. And it makes things easier for job seekers, too, because applicants can apply for any role from any device, including mobile phones.
COATS’ online application software allows applicants to apply for any position your staffing company offers from any device. The applications will be listed under each position for easy access by the recruiter. From there, the recruiter can follow up if they want to set up an interview.
Resume Parsing Software
Resume parsing software reads, interprets, and classifies all the data on a resume, allowing it to be sorted and turned into a format that can be easily stored in a database, like an ATS or CRM system. Then, a recruiter can easily reference applicants to find out details like work experience, core skill sets, and much more.
COATS’ resume parsing software harvests the information from your applications and helps you find the right match for your open jobs while also giving you data-driven insights into a more efficient and streamlined hiring process.
Employee Onboarding Software
Employee onboarding software helps to simplify and organize the integration process of each new employee and allows your recruiters to get more done in less time. Our employee onboarding software helps you complete new hire paperwork, ensure compliance, conduct background checks, ensure automatic workflows, and gain access to essential employee information – it’s a crucial tool for not only onboarding, but remote workforce management at large.
Employee Portal Software
Another lifesaver when it comes to remote workforce management is our employee portal software. This technology allows your workers and employees to be armed with the information they need to look up data and information. Employees can review their pay stubs and tax documents from the employee portal cloud, without bothering your recruiters and taking time away from other essential business tasks.
What Are the Benefits of Using Recruiting Software?
By now, you’ve probably got some idea of the great benefits that recruiting software can give you. The advantages of using recruiting software include:
Enhance the Candidate Experience
We’ve talked a lot about how much recruiting software improves things for your recruiters. But what about the candidates? The truth is that recruiting software improves the candidate experience at every level. They can apply from any device that has an internet connection; they can receive automated updates on their status; they can use employee portals once hired to access their important data. Recruiting software lets candidates remain engaged and informed at every step, rather than feeling like they’re all alone.
Time Savings to Recruiters is Invaluable
You may have noticed a theme when it comes to recruiters using recruitment software: It saves them a lot of time. The goal of most recruiting software tools is to automate parts of the process, reducing the need for hands-on manual effort by your recruiters. Plus, because recruiting software offers data-driven analytics at so many points in the hiring process, it helps recruiters find out what they’re doing best and what they could do better, further streamlining and improving their effectiveness moving forward.
Reduce Bias in the Hiring Process
Another great thing about recruiting software, particularly online application software and resume parsing tools, is that it reduces any chance of unconscious bias in the hiring process. Recruiters can unintentionally allow bias to seep in if they see a candidate’s personal details, but using software eliminates that problem. It’s purely data-driven, so there is no possibility of bias of any kind entering into the hiring process.
Increase Quality of Hires
One of the biggest benefits of recruiting software is that it gives recruiters and their clients better hires. A resume parsing software tool, for example, sifts through keywords to find the most relevant resumes, presenting the recruiter with the absolute best-fitting candidates for a role. And online job posting software allows you to screen a greater number of candidates faster, resulting in more qualified applicants overall.
Automate Your Remote Hiring Process with Recruiting Software from COATS
It’s easy to see why companies that hire remotely need recruiting software. It’s an indispensable part of modern recruiting, and it’s even more valuable as remote work continues to soar. And if your company needs recruiting software tools that it can rely on, COATS Staffing Software is here for you.
We’ve been supplying organizations with staffing software solutions for more than 25 years, serving industries like the technical, industrial, clerical, medical, financial, and professional fields. We’re here to help your business achieve its goals through quality staffing and recruitment software – schedule your free demo today to learn more and get started.