The Applicant Manager Blog

Subscribe to Email Updates

Search

Recent Posts

The Rise of the Remote Workforce

The Rise of the Remote Workforce

If we have learned anything in the last year, it is that remote work has brought with it a new way of working. While many have sour opinions of remote work life, many are up and leaving their jobs if they don't allow some flexibility around it. Given that there was a...

The Best ATS Providers Put the “Human” in HR Recruiting Software

by | Jul 15, 2020 | hiring process

satisfied

There is no doubt that we live in the Digital Age. It’s all around us, everywhere, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only put more of an emphasis on technology.

This is especially the case in the professional world and the employment marketplace. We’re all social distancing, of course, and some of us work from home on a daily basis. This means plenty of online meetings instead of being face-to-face.

Heck, companies and organizations were looking for ways to replace human workers before the pandemic hit. Now many of them are trying to speed up the process. Does this mean that humans are becoming obsolete in the Digital Age?

The answer is a resounding “No!”

And nowhere do humans play more of a critical role than within the customer support realm, and that includes customer support for HR recruiting software platforms. Think about it. When you have to call customer support, regardless of what it’s for, you’d rather have a live person answer you than a machine, right? Of course you would! And so would everybody else.

It’s rather ironic, isn’t it? Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, so that we can work more quickly and efficiently, but when the technology isn’t working, we promptly call human beings to help us. Ironic, but also very true.

The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of HR departments in the marketplace these days are using some type software package like a Human Resources Information System (HRIS), payroll, or HR applicant tracking system. The good news is that these systems are designed to help streamline processes and increase efficiencies. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

But of course, chaos rules and eventually something is going to go wrong, no matter how good your HR recruiting software is. You’re going to need training, and you’re going to need customer support. So ask yourself the following questions:

  • What kind of customer support do you receive from your current HR applicant tracking system?
  • Do you get an actual human being on the other end of the line . . . or is it just an automated voice giving you an endless array of yet more automated options?
  • How would you rate the customer service that you receive from your current system? Is it excellent, mediocre, or poor?

Think about your answers to these questions. The fact of the matter is that customer support should be a HUGE consideration when evaluating software. The best HR recruiting software providers know the value of top-notch customer service, so be sure to put customer service and support at the top of your “must-have” list of requirements.

HR applicant tracking software support and training

With all of this in mind, below are six ways to help ensure that you’ll get great customer support from your HR applicant tracking system:

#1—Find out what existing customers are saying.

This is an easy one. Before making your purchase, be sure to read customer reviews and testimonials. There are plenty of listing sites on the Internet, including Software Advice, Capterra, and G2 Crowd. When looking through the reviews and testimonials, see what the customers say about the software’s customer support. You can also ask software providers for a list of references so that you can speak with an existing customer directly.

#2—Know what kind of support is being offered.

This is where you have to read the fine print and know the details. You don’t want to find out that you don’t have access to a certain level of customer support when you absolutely, positively need to have that level of customer support. Availability is another big aspect. Are support representatives available at all hours of the day? If not, which hours are they available? And how can you contact these representatives? Telephone, email, chat . . . or all three?

#3—Take the software (and the support) for a “test drive.”

Hopefully, the software that you are considering offer a free trial. If they do, take them up on it and then test out the customer support team to see how they respond to your inquiries. Better to find out about any potential problems now before you make a commitment to a particular package.

#4—Understand exactly who will be helping you if there is an issue.

This is an issue because some HR recruiting software providers outsource their customer support team. As a result, you should find out if this is the case. Will the support be provided by people working in a call center or will it be provided by people who have relevant industry experience and will be more likely to understand the problems you might encounter? Ask about credentials and qualifications. You may think you’re being nosy, but you’ll thank yourself later when your problems get solved in a timely fashion.

#5—Clarify the cost of the support (if any).

Some HR recruiting software packages include customer support in the base price of the software. For instance, if the software costs a certain amount of money per month, you get unlimited support included with that price. However, some packages charge extra for support, and some even have different pricing tiers. And don’t forget training. What kind of training will you get? And will the training be included with the base price? So many questions . . .

#6—Identify the role that support will play during the implementation stage.

One of the most important parts of purchasing a new HR recruiting software is the adoption stage. You want to make sure that you get up to speed on the software as quickly as possible so that you can continue to be as productive as possible, with a minimum of down time. Who is going to help with training? Is there a separate training team? Or will the customer support team also handle the training for new users of the software? So many more questions . . .

TAM: one of the best HR recruiting software providers

There are many reasons why The Applicant Manager (TAM) is one of the best HR recruiting software providers. One of the reasons is the excellent service, support and training that we provide for our customers. Our goal is to help our customers solve their problems as quickly and as easily as possible. That’s what people want. There is seemingly no end to the number of problems that exist in the world on a daily basis.

People just want solutions to their problems, and that includes with their HR applicant tracking system. And that’s what TAM offers.

If you’d like to learn more about how The Applicant Manager, including the level of customer support and training that we offer, we invite you to contact us.

And also consider getting a free demo of The Applicant Manager (or TAM). By replacing manual spreadsheets, paper resumes, and inefficient technology, TAM can streamline your organization’s recruiting and hiring process!