ExactHire

This press release was in the Business section of the Indianapolis Star on August 12, 2010.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/08/prweb4327504.htm

Barada and Associates and ExactHire to Provide Indiana Companies with New Hiring Solution
Barada and Associates, Indiana's premier provider of employment screening and reference reports, announced today a partnership with ExactHire, an Indianapolis-based developer of applicant software.

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) August 3, 2010

Barada and Associates, Indiana’s premier provider of employment screening and reference reports, announced today a partnership with ExactHire, an Indianapolis-based developer of applicant tracking software. The two firms are also unveiling the integration of their web-based platforms that will enable Indiana businesses to gain access to their most essential pre-employment services – background screening and application tracking – from a single, online solution.

“We entered this agreement because the two processes are naturally linked based on when and where they occur in the hiring process,” explained William C. Barada, Vice President of Barada Associates. “We selected ExactHire for the partnership because we wanted to provide our clients with a complete, integrated solution from two best-of breed-providers.”

The solution has already been rolled out to several Indianapolis-area organizations that are benefiting from the effort:

“The integration between ExactHire and Barada has made the hiring process move faster,” said Susan Johnson, HR director of Conner Prairie. “By the time a hiring manager makes an offer they want the candidate to start yesterday, so the quick turnarounds on information are terrific.”

“As a mental health organization, our clients could very easily be taken advantage of, so it is very important that we get a thorough background screen that we can trust,” said Tina Baxter, payroll coordinator for Meridian Services Corporation. “It is nice that we can now go to just one site and get the answers and the information that we need.”

The new service is especially beneficial for HR managers in the Indianapolis area who have previously been unable to get the same combined services from any other provider.

“Background checks are a logical complement to our other applicant management and assessment services,” explained Harlan M. Schafir, Partner with ExactHire. “This new integration will allow us to expand the valuable services that we’re currently delivering to our customers and improve the overall efficiency of the hiring process.”

About ExactHire
ExactHire’s leading-edge applicant tracking software helps organizations improve internal operating efficiencies related to the hiring process. The ExactHire solution focuses on JobFit and the gaining of additional knowledge of candidates before they are hired. This unique combination improves the quality of an organization’s new hires, saves time and increases profitability. For more information, visit www.exacthire.com.

About Barada Associates
Barada Associates was founded by Paul W. Barada in 1979, as one of the first employment screening businesses. Today, Barada Associates provides reference reports, employment verifications and background checks to employers nationwide. Our professional reports and thorough research give our clients a clear hiring advantage. Barada Associates remains headquartered in its original building in Rushville, Indiana. For more information, visit www.baradainc.com.

I was recently emailing a newer client during our applicant tracking software implementation process, and asking him to make edits to the standard version of the employment application that we load to our client sites. After all, we can customize applications to the needs of each of our clients.

To this he responded:

"I’m actually wondering if I even want the actual employment application online.  At what point is the decision made for someone to actually fill it out?  Currently, we only get applications for candidates after they have interviewed face-to-face.  Your thoughts?"

This is a great question and one I have fielded before. After all, some of our clients have changed the placement of the employment application in their selection and recruiting process as a result of implementing our ExactHire applicant tracking software (ATS). And so I replied:

"Great question! The ATS portal actually uses the online application as the means by which ExactHire captures an individual's information in order to consider them as an applicant. That is, in order for one to apply for a position with your company, they complete the online application, and if they’d like, they may also attach their cover letter/resume. Without an application, we have no means of recognizing them as an applicant within the ATS for you then to manage them through the selection process.

It is perhaps a bit different of an approach than what you are used to at your company; however, it is nice to not have to worry about having to capture the applicants’ details after the fact and further into the interview process. Plus, you also have the option of asking job-specific questions on the second page of the application so that you may obtain more objective information about each candidate pre-interview so that you can better screen out unqualified applicants based on their answers to what I call “deal-breaker” questions."

If you have any questions about how your employment application can be customized on our portal, please contact us.

Okay, survive is a strong word. In fact, I am actually looking forward to my family reunion this weekend. I enjoy getting together with my extended family every once in awhile...especially my mom's side since we usually only see them every two years at this event.

It's funny, two of my other co-workers have had family reunions in the past week, as well. July must be the month for reconnecting with loved ones. And while they are loved, I'm certain that for some of you these get-togethers don't go without some entertaining drama as relatives catch up and express differing viewpoints on a handful of current events and family matters.

As I proceed through my life, I am more and more comfortable being my true self. And not just because Oprah says I should. I suppose with time comes perspective, but also a confidence to exhibit my unabridged personality. For me, that includes assertively (but believe me, not aggressively) trying to persuade my older sister to join us at the reunion this weekend. After all, it is only every two years that we see Uncle Ted and Aunt Barb from Virginia, right? But she doesn't feel like it since her significant other and kids won't be able to join her due to schedule conflicts.

I sympathize with this fact, but she will certainly know other people at the party. Nevertheless, I gently urge her to come anyway, and then finally resort to calling her "lame" when she ultimately refuses. After all, she is choosing to avoid spending extra time with her little sister, too.

While I usually second guess my "assertive" words after the fact, I still resign myself to the fact that I am who I am. And, the in-depth cognitive and behavioral assessment that I took when I interviewed here at ExactHire certainly unveiled my tendencies for the following (just to name a few):

• mid-to high- energy level - I like to multi-task and I'm not the most patient person around
• mid- to high-assertiveness - competitive and achievement-oriented
• high sociability - conversational (surprise, surprise)
• lower accommodating - I won't necessarily follow the group just to get along with others

So, don't you ever wish that you can have your family members or spouse take an assessment, as well? While I haven't hit my sister up to do it yet, I would imagine that while we are both high on sociability, her accommodating and energy scales would be a bit different than mine...hence the friction.

The good news is that we always work it out and realize that an effective sibling relationship takes a little compromise and give and take...the same way that any professional working relationship would, too. Along these same lines, there are many tools by which you can assess your applicants and employees to make sure that everyone will work together as a team in your office environment, not to mention achieve job fit in their own respective positions.

To help improve your employees' job performance, contact us about the assessments we offer at ExactHire.

You may recall from "Part 1" of this story the emphasis I placed on creating and nurturing a recruitment brand for your organization. Because whether or not you address it, you have a brand...so make sure it is a recruitment brand you are proud to support!

In this post, we'll take a quick look at how you may use applicant tracking software to help maintain the recruitment brand you worked so diligently to create. Specifically, we'll look at an ATS as a launch pad to social networking platforms; as well as, a means by which you can easily use status codes to move candidates through the selection process--while keeping those candidates informed.

Here are Right On Interactive's President Troy Burk's thoughts on the subject:

1. "We educate as much as we evaluate. We realize that throughout the entire recruiting process we must continue to show the value of the opportunity, the potential for personal growth, and future direction of our company.  The candidates are interviewing us as much as we are interviewing them.
   

2. Be honest with the candidates.  We talk about the specifics of the position, the requirements, and what our expectations are for performance.  False expectations on either end will end in disappointment (on either side).

3. If a candidate is not a good fit for the position, we will try to help them network with others that might be a better fit.   We have done this with several individuals and helped them find the right position (with another company)."

It is clear that Troy's organization understands the importance of mutual respect in the selection process, as well as how to leverage networking to help candidates. For more information about Right On Interactive, and their customer lifecycle marketing software, please visit www.rightoninteractive.com. Or, to apply for a position with Right On Interactive, click here.

So how can you use an ATS to exponentially increase the size of the audience that has access to your job postings? With ExactHire's applicant tracking software, you have the ability to allow candidates to "share" your job listing with friends and colleagues via the biggie's like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but also over 285 other Internet sites! And, if you have been paying special attention to your recruitment brand and how it dictates that you treat your applicants, you are much more likely to have site visitors that want to share your openings with others. Your recruitment brand is creating fans for your organization.

When you have the social networking under control, then it is time to keep applicants engaged by managing them through your selection process within the ATS. The administrative side of the ExactHire ATS allows you to use both applicant status codes and job status codes to assign a progress label to every applicant for each position to which he/she may have applied. Then, you may run a quick report that allows you to use status codes as search criteria to drill down to specific lists of applicants that deserve a follow-up email from your organization. Use the ATS to send emails to multiple candidates at once, and create a recruitment brand that embodies consistency in candid communication. Your applicants will note your efforts, trust me.

If you'd like to learn how ExactHire's ATS solution can support your recruitment brand, please visit our website at www.exacthire.com.

Over the span of each of your careers, I'm sure you can pinpoint at least one time in which you had a very unfortunate, if not comical, recruitment experience with an organization. That is, the company made some major blunder while recruiting you...for example, during an interview or a follow-up communication. If so, I invite you to comment and share your experiences, though please keep the organization anonymous to protect the innocent.

I'll go first. During my first full-time job search right out of college, I was engaged by an insurance brokerage during a job fair. I went through a series of interviews and also took an employee assessment before being invited in for a final interview with the principal of the brokerage.

Everything was going just fine, and then he started to ask me things like, "what do your parents do a for a living?" and "are you married?" Wow. Those are some major interview no-no's! While there is more to share to that story, you get my point. Needless to say, I decided not to pursue opportunities with that organization because of the implicit message their recruiting methods sent to me.

Now hopefully you have all had wonderful recruitment experiences, as well. You know, the organizations that really had their act together and left you feeling informed and valued as a candidate--whether or not you landed the position in the long run. What do these companies do differently to leave such a positive impression with you?

Odds are, these organizations have spent some time developing their recruitment brand. They have clearly identified the types of candidates that they seek, and have taken measures to consistently be up front with candidates about what should be expected from the recruitment process--sometimes down to the number of steps involved and the timing between each step. They appreciate the time applicants have invested in applying to their company, and while sometimes they are not able to personally address most applicants, they do use applicant tracking software in order to automate the process of sending responses to all candidates to explain next steps, or to thank them for their interest.

And because there are so few organizations who really live and breathe a true recruitment brand, you can imagine that the organizations who do spend the time reap the reward of a high volume of applicants. Build a recruitment brand and they will come...and the top talent will be included in those numbers, too.

So, with applicant flow covered, what can you do to manage the volume of applicants and really mine your database of individuals? Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog to learn how you may use applicant tracking software as: 1) a launch pad for social networking; and, 2) a means by which to assign status codes to quickly categorize quality applicants for future consideration as job openings become available.

If you want to learn more about ExactHire's Human Resources Software solutions, please visit our website at www.exacthire.com.

Isn't it the best feeling ever when, while you are buried in email messages with other interruptions springing up every time you actually settle in to get something done, that you run across a company/service provider that is the beacon of light in your day? An organization that provides such amazing customer service that you want to tell everyone you know about how they really "get it"?

Enter Mad Mimi. No, not the "lovable" office assistant from 90's sitcom "The Drew Carey Show." Although, that Mimi's flair for color is one similarity to the Mad Mimi I know. Otherwise, Drew Carey Mimi is probably the anti-Mad Mimi from a customer service standpoint. The Mad Mimi I know consistently responds to my email support requests within no more than 5-10 minutes of me sending them...AMAZING! And its the little things that count, am I right? Let's face it, it is probably unreasonable to think someone can always provide an answer in such a short period of time. But, what organizations can do is acknowledge a request with a reply email and assure the sender that it will be addressed as soon as possible. That my friends is why I'm mad for Mad Mimi.

So what is Mad Mimi? It is a phenomenal under-the-radar email marketing company that I started using a couple of months ago. It allows me to use a ton of graphics and easily build what I hope to be lovely email updates to clients and engaged prospects. I found Mimi after reading a rave review in an article that someone on LinkedIn recommended to me. I was a little skeptical when I went to www.madmimi.com to see the hippie-chick-looking Mimi logo; however, the company truly does live up to their tag line: "Simple. Lovely. Email Marketing."

After showing their site to a business acquaintance recently, he admitted that he felt more "relaxed" after looking at their site and seeing how the tool works. And with all those emails and phone calls and general business-day hysteria, we could use a little relaxation.

So for all of you clients, prospects, vendors and friends who are setting the hysteria aside to read this blog post, please help to keep us at ExactHire accountable to being Mimi-esque. When it comes to your questions about human resources software, your curiosity about applicant tracking software selection, and your desire to effectively explain the results of the latest assessments you've given to your employees or potential hires, we want you to be raving about our level of service. That being said, if you have any suggestions for how we can continuously raise our game, we're all ears.

If you want to learn more about ExactHire, our solutions and our quest to be your own customer service idols, please visit our website at www.exacthire.com. 

We're excited to be working with the folks at the Governor Bob Orr Indiana Entrepreneurial Fellowship, or Orr Fellowship for short!

For those of you who are not yet familiar with this exciting initiative, the mission of the Orr Fellowship is to "retain and inspire Indiana’s brightest minds. It serves as an applied training vehicle for the State’s future entrepreneurs and organizational leaders." Participants in the Fellowship program serve two year stints at some of the state's hottest, fast-growth and entrepreneurial-minded companies.

ExactHire just launched Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) for the Orr Fellowship, and we're proud to be part of the effort to battle "brain drain" in Indiana. The Orr Fellowship MyExactHire ATS creates a central repository of individuals who apply to Orr Fellowship and Orr Internship positions.

ExactHire's ATS solution creates a technologically-savvy means by which Orr Host Companies can quickly view the applications and qualifications of applicants, as well as contact these applicants for interview consideration, directly. These companies, some of which are also ExactHire clients (i.e. Angie's List, Compendium Blogware, RightOn Interactive) will have the cream of the crop from which to choose as Orr Fellows are some of the sharpest recent graduates in the state.

If you know of people who may be interested, please share these two listings with them (they are hosted on the MyExactHire ATS):

• Orr Fellowship
• Orr Internship

To explore whether or not Applicant Tracking Software is a fit for your organization, please contact us.