It’s no surprise that 11 years ago Robin Mee, founder, president and managing executive recruiter of Mee Derby & Company, had her first foray into virtual HR management technology, a growing practice of either outsourcing human resource services, or in Mee’s case, utilizing staffing software to manage talent for her small business. That’s because her Cabin John, Md.-based business is all about recruiting candidates for the staffing industry.
“It was before ‘the cloud’ was even a word,” recalls Mee, whose small business specializes in staffing, professional services and workforce solutions. “I was looking for the biggest technology solution with the least amount of disruption at a fair and competitive cost.”
While attending an annual trade conference, Mee found Bullhorn, an international recruitment software company that provides an applicant-tracking system targeted to the staffing industry. Bullhorn’s talent-tracking system was pretty innovative, according to Mee. “Anytime I or any staff member emailed a candidate or client, it captured that information and allowed us to use it all day, every day,” she says. More than once, Bullhorn has saved Mee time and money. For example, whenever Mee sends a candidate to a client, the client signs a fee agreement. That agreement is enforced for up to 12 months, so even if a candidate is hired five months after the initial interview, Mee will send an invoice to the client. Bullhorn provides immediate access to all of the email communications and supporting documentation connected to a client. “They now pay the invoice without any quibbling,” says Mee.
For other small businesses looking to tap into the convenience of applicant-tracking systems and recruitment software, there are several additional options to consider. Jobvite allows users to source candidates from multiple channels: recruiters, third-party job boards, referrals and even the firm’s own website. Resumator enables companies to publish and update job openings on the top paid and free job boards all at the same time; and Lever leverages an entire business—from interviewers to managers to recruiters—to source, vet and hire talent.
These virtual HR tools are a self-service and low-maintenance technology, which has been particularly important for Mee’s small business, but can be valuable to companies, in any industry. Many applicant-tracking systems today are web-based and require no IT support. “With this kind of solution, there are no servers, no consultants,” says Mee.
And with just nine employees, Mee doesn’t need a full-time or even a part-time tech consultant. “I want a company to bring their expertise so that I don’t have to build or manage something,” says Mee. Instead, she can focus her efforts on increasing her sales—something that all small business owners will appreciate.
SooJi Min is a freelance writer and nonprofit executive based in Ann Arbor, MI. She has written on small business topics for Crain’s, Imagination Publishing and The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.