Human Resources Software, that is Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) includes the two functions commonly associated with applicant tracking software:

• The automatic conversion of a text resume, such as a Word doc or an e-mail message, into a comprehensive, searchable database record:
• A powerful search function that makes it easy for a recruiter to find candidates who match any profile.

But recruiting software also adds two additional functions that are critical within any recruiting organization:

• It tracks candidates as they progress through the interviewing and hiring process;
• It maintains comprehensive, up-to-date records for client organizations, for the job orders that originate from these organizations, and finally for the hiring managers who are responsible for filling these positions.

To perform these additional functions, recruiting software needs to maintain three additional sets of records, in addition to candidate records.

1. The first set of records is a file of client companies, which can also be locations or departments within a single organization.
2. Next is a file of hiring managers who work at that company or location.
3. The final set of records is a file of job orders (or requisitions) that originate from that client or location.

Recruiting software ties all of these files together, so that updating a candidate’s record, for example with an interview date, also updates the other three record types at the same time, completely automatically. A few mouse clicks cause the same interview date to be “posted” simultaneously into the candidate’s record, the client record, the job order record, and the hiring manager’s record.

This simultaneous updating of related records is made possible by the fact that recruiting software typically belongs to a category of database software called “relational database software.” Internal links in the software make the “cross-filing” of data into multiple records completely automatic.

The result is a lot more than time savings. The real benefit comes from the quality of the records themselves. Without a relational database, it simply takes too much time and effort to keep these four essential sets of records up to date. Each of these record types (candidate, client, job, and hiring manager) is important to the smooth functioning of a recruiting office, and having all records up-to-date greatly improves a recruiter’s efficiency in addition to saving time.

Finally, recruiting software typically does more than track candidates through the interview and hiring process. For professional search firms, recruiting software provides a broad range of marketing support functions, typically associated with software in the Customer Relationship Management category, such as ACT! or Goldmine.

For example, client records automatically display a complete sales history for that client. All jobs that have ever come from that client, as well as all candidates who have ever been submitted to that client, are an integral part of that client’s record. This is invaluable information when making a sales call on a client, and more generally for managing client relationships.

For this reason, recruiting software is best thought of as a comprehensive record keeping system for a recruiter, maintaining records for people (both candidates and hiring managers), clients, and jobs.

Summary

Here are five basic functions that are typically performed by recruiting software:

1. Like applicant tracking software, recruiting software creates database records for candidates, automatically extracting information from text resumes for the purpose of creating the database record.
2. Also like applicant tracking software, it allows for the searching of these records, matching suitable candidates with records describing open jobs.
3. Recruiting software tracks candidates through the interview and hiring process, so that at any time a snapshot is available that identifies all open jobs, and all candidates who are being considered for these jobs.
4. It automatically maintains complete historical records for clients, so that a client’s record includes detailed information about all jobs that have ever originated from this source, along with all candidates who have ever been submitted for consideration on these jobs.
5. Finally, recruiting software automatically maintains complete historical records for hiring managers, so that each hiring manager’s record includes detailed information about all jobs that have ever been associated with this person, along with all candidates who have ever been submitted for consideration on these jobs.