Best and Worst - Databases and Tracking Systems

Hi all,

I'd love to get some feedback on the "best and worst" experiences you all are having with your current Applicant, Resume, Job Req tracking tools. Are there any "all in one" solutions that are great and don't break the budget (like Bullhorn) out there? What's working for you and what is not? I know this is a broad topic, but let's get the discussion started.

Many Thanks,

Philise

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kristin on December 8, 2008 at 10:35am

I have used a variety of tools such as Bullhorn, Taleo etc. I would say that Taleo went down often after implementing updates. Bullhorn didn't seem that comprehensive, but worked well for the organization that used it.

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Permalink Reply by 01. Lonnie McRorey on December 8, 2008 at 12:00pm

Reach out to Dan Diachenko at Avature for a free demo. Avature CRM product is all in one and much more- Have not seen a product that I can compare as far as quality and overall capabilities. (Ex-CEO of HotJobs created it)

www.avature.net

Dan Diachenko | Business Development | dan@avature.net

US P: 212.380.4175 | UK P: 44 (0)20 7099-2133 | US F: 212.380.4179
Avature | Recruiting Services | 115NW 1st Avenue | Suite 400 | Portland, OR 97209

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Permalink Reply by D. Regan on December 11, 2008 at 10:56am

I love the IAM (Information Access Management) system. I have been with it for three years and seen almost everything.

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Permalink Reply by Abe Goldberg on December 11, 2008 at 11:59am

I started in the business using Maxhire (www.maxhire.net). I looked at other systems, and even purchased a license for one (mentioned in this discussion), but in the end, I stayed with Maxhire. It's a very comprehensive application, reasonably priced and their customer support is excellent. There are so many systems to choose from, the decision process can be overwhelming. If possible, see if you can trial the application for a few weeks before you buy.

Good luck!

Abe Goldberg | Executive Search Resources, Inc. | 866.912.1982 | abe@esrisearch.com | www.esrisearch.com

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Permalink Reply by Daren Pegg on December 11, 2008 at 12:59pm

Jessica is mistaken, it is not the only ATS, CRM, HEM, Email, Timesheet and Invoiving system. Attract HR also send texts and posts to web2.0 application. I used Attract HR in my last position, built and designed by recruiters for recruiters it is and has everything you could never need. Having used Adapt, Profile, Microfile; I have to say they are not in the same league. Attract is built on an HTML platform which means it is versatile, flexible and easy to use.

A mornings training will have even the more computer challenged among us, able to use complete all the necessary tasks to improve their performance.

As a recruiter I like to feel I am impartial, however having used Attract HR I would recommend it to everyone.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Poreda on December 14, 2008 at 2:32pm

I've done a lot of research before deciding on an ATS. There is no question that Sendouts is best of breed. Not only do they have a superior interface but their customer service and support out shines not only ATS's but most companies I've worked with.

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Permalink Reply by PJ Cunningham on December 19, 2008 at 9:20am

Hello,

I have used many ATS systems working for different companies. There are many factors to be considered in deciding which one is right for your and your company. If you need timesheet integration then there are those that offer this feature. I do not need that feature at this time. I am currently very happy with CATS. It is very affordable, there is a free version and the paid version is $58 per user. They are continually adding new features that users are requesting and it has been the most responsive in regards to customer service that I have ever experienced.

You can visit them at http://www.catsone.com/index.php?cap=ABC907 to view their website. In the interest of disclosure...no I do not work for them but they did start an affiliate program. So if you do sign up under this link, I would receive a small spiff....HOWEVER...I honestly would not recommend this product if I did not think it was the right product for me and my company and perhaps is the right one for you.

Again, it does not have all of the integration tools as some of the more robust ATS' but it does have REQ Tracking, Candidate tracking AND I use it for Contact Management as well for Clients, companies, leads, candidates, etc. and the reports are very helpful. Other features are resume uploading, ,links to some job boards to upload resumes, email campaigns, resume/candidate keyword searches etc. Additionally, they provide a link to your current website's career page that allows candidates to respond on line and are automatically added to CATS. You are then alerted to new candidates. This feature has increased my traffic and candidate applications.

The WORST tool I have used is CyberRecruiter. I have not seen anyone else comment about this tool, and perhaps for good reason.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Levy on December 19, 2008 at 9:29am

And the affiliate programs continue...

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Permalink Reply by Robert Bialk on December 19, 2008 at 6:05pm

This is an age old question that has many right answers.

When I started selling ATS's 9 years ago it was either...remember Res Track or Resumix? Now there are hundreds, but can be easily narrowed down based upon the following: How much money do you want to spend?Are you a Corporate Recruiter of Agency Recruiter? And then define your functional requirements. I always find it interesting the bias that users have on the ATS that they use is always the best. I have heard of all the names listed on this blog and they all work and do similar things. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. The challenge the ATS vendors will have is that they all cannot survive.

I am just glad that as a sourcing tool I only have a few competitors.

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Permalink Reply by John G. Self on December 20, 2008 at 3:07pm

As a boutique firm that started 15 years ago with no money and a lot of hope, I can tell you that we have used every low cost solution out there! We made a boatload of mistakes. For example, thinking that Outlook was robust enough to handle 1,200 candidates! Now, 15 years and much more revenue later, I am still making mistakes with databases.

Note: We do not use candidate tracking because we are a boutique retained search firm. We have used ACT, a great little searchable database that allows you break up the data storage by candidates, clients and searches. Back then it was not networkable. Not really.

Then we had the bright idea of getting the new Microsoft CRM program, that lovely little accounting program developed by Great Plains that MS inhaled in one of their many acquisitions. Note I said NEW! We got CRM 2.0 which basically means BETA. We are now up to CRM 4 and it is not a lot better. Great client and candidate storage/marketing campaign program but it is not recruiter friendly. But we are big users of Outlook so we were seduced by that interface. Do not ask how that is working out.
It works but there are constant glitches.

The next time we will probably look at an ASP application so that we do not have to pay a lot for a virtual technical support company to diagnose and resolve bugs!

Bill Gates has left the building but Scrooge is still there trying to troubleshoot VISTA.