We spoke with four top players in the staffing and recruiting industry to find out if they agreed with our statement. These are some of the common themes that we found…
Data analytics allows you to identify new opportunities and evaluate
Staffing companies have found data analytics invaluable in difficult times. Providers of technology helps them turn their data into action.
“We saw significant growth in the quarter despite increased economic uncertainty. This was due to new customers who share a common goal: to understand market opportunities and to identify operational efficiencies through data.
We are fortunate to be a business-critical tool for the staffing industry during these difficult times. It allows recruitment leaders and consultants to see real-time data on any device.
To stay agile in an industry that is changing at a rate we have never seen before, it is crucial to have world-class data.
Education and Training – Anytime, Anywhere
The COVID-19 disaster prompted the staffing industry, which relies heavily on networking and face-to-face interactions, to suddenly cancel large scale events and postpone them. Technology enabled the industry to quickly adapt.
We actually saw an increase in webinars and valuable training sessions, as industry professionals wanted to help others and share their knowledge during difficult times. We spoke with many staffing knowledge providers, who both use technology to host online events.
Technology allows companies to communicate efficiently remotely
The Association of Professional Staffing Companies is a professional body that represents and supports the interests of recruiters. APSCo hosted more than 100 events per year before COVID-19.
APSCo was able to continue communicating with members of the body via a peer-to-peer networking platform thanks to digital technology. APSCo was able to move quickly their program to a virtual service through online platforms like Zoom. This included webinars, meetings, workspace, and breakout rooms.
Technology allows companies and organizations to share their knowledge and offer advice to large audiences
The Recruitment Network (TRN) is another example where a company has excelled in using technology to offer education and training to staffing professionals.
TRN is one the UK’s fastest-growing support groups for leaders of recruitment businesses. Many of their courses, consulting’s, and events have provided industry leaders with the opportunity to network face-to-face.
They rose to the occasion during COVID-19 by using digital technology to support and provide their network with online advisory and advisory support.
Their platform TRNWorld has allowed recruitment leaders from all over the globe to connect online and access the support, mentoring, tools and content they need to improve their businesses.
To learn more about how technology has helped TRN members navigate the complexities of COVID-19, we spoke with James Osborne, Chairman.
“The technology trends we see have increased dramatically since the COVID-19 epidemic. These trends are important for the recruitment industry because they increase efficiency in the operational workflow, which in turn improves performance and profitability of individual recruiters as well as entire recruitment businesses.
Had we not experienced this pandemic in the past 10-15 years, I don’t know if the industry could have survived. Thanks to new tech, it is possible to work remotely and recruit effectively.
The TRN team has never been more busy or more efficient than right now, supporting hundreds of businesses in recruitment during these difficult times. Technology is now a part of our daily work. This will change the way we do business. Technology will play an even more important role in our business and make us a better company .”
Streamlines, automated back-office tasks
The technology has dramatically improved over the years, which has made it easier to operate in the staffing/recruitment sector. It has allowed companies like Practical Software or Protostaff to streamline repetitive back office processes.
Practical Software is a back-office software for recruitment agencies. It automates back office services like payments, expenses and contracts. John Hetherington is the Head of Sales at Practical Software. We asked him questions about his tech.
“The switch to remote work highlighted how crucial it is to have an online back-office system. Practical Software’s electronic portal for timesheets allowed clients to get rid of their manual timesheets, and make it safer in this age of COVID-19.
Multiple staff members located in different locations could also access the same technology to ensure they were able to do their jobs effectively. Clients were able to see real-time reports in the system, which allowed them to identify areas of their business that had been less affected by COVID-19
How iProto has transformed the workflow of Protostaff?
We at Protostaff have seen the importance of automation in transforming workflows. Thanks to our technology iProto, we were able quickly adapt our workflows to accommodate the pandemic.
During COVID-19, when remote working was a new reality, iProto’s ability for workers and employers to access the portal from anywhere at any time was invaluable.
Our technology has allowed us to onboard and offboard employees for clients in just minutes. It has been a breakthrough for workers to be able to update and submit their timesheets online.
It is likely that manual timesheets are still being used by companies, which would have made it difficult for them to keep track of COVID-19. We were so thankful to iProto for helping us get ahead during the crisis. It allowed us to see and track client and worker journeys. This enabled our business managers to provide excellent customer service.
It is possible for technology to make a significant impact on pre-qualification, screening, scheduling, and sifting of candidates in the initial stages of the recruitment process if more agencies embrace it. Automation is predicted to be here for the long-term. It has the potential to transform entire workflows by recording activity and providing insights that will enable companies to make better business decisions.
Has technology changed the workforce industry?
The digital transformation of the staffing industry is on the rise. This is due to the increased demand for tech-powered services. COVID-19 was born. Companies that had begun a journey to digital transformation were better equipped to handle the shock of remote work. This is because their operations were already streamlined using tech. Others struggled to adapt their processes and digitalize them almost immediately.
One important lesson from the pandemic was that technology plays an integral role in staffing companies’ ability to survive and thrive. Maybe we can all learn from companies that are already flourishing by using technology.
Get in touch if you’re interested in learning more about iProto and how it can transform your back-office staffing business processes.
