It has been more than five months since I made the jump from recruitment over to recruitment software, and it really has gone quickly! I really cannot emphasise how much I have learnt since November, so I’ve put a few of the main points together on what it was like hopping the fence:
We could have done things so differently!
Before joining itris, I had spent 5 years working in the fast-paced world that is a temporary driving agency. We used a slightly antiquated bespoke system with a lot of manual processes and a hefty amount of admin. For example, the monotonous task of entering start and end times for 100+ temps per week – not much fun! At the time I never thought about using different recruitment software – you just get on with what you are given. But in hindsight, the business could have automated so many processes. This would have freed up much more time for filling shifts and business development to ultimately make the business more money. Online timesheets for a start would have been a godsend!
Recruitment is a huge industry
I always knew recruitment was a big industry, but it wasn’t until I did a company search in itris’ internal CRM, which promptly returned over 12,000 recruitment companies in the UK alone, did I truly take in the size. In my recruitment days we had a small postcode radius to work from, so from a sales point of view its nice to have a few more opportunities!
Every agency works differently
I come from a temp agency background who had very inflexible processes. What I have learnt from demoing itris to dozens of agencies is not one of them is the same. They all have different ways of effectively completing the same process and recruitment journey. Having a recruitment background has been a great help in enabling me to offer a consultative approach with recruitment businesses and tailor itris to meet their requirements.
There are lots of different recruitment software products to choose from
From doing my own research, being involved in shortlisting exercises, showcasing at trade shows and speaking to my new colleagues, you get a good indication of just how many off-the-shelf recruitment software suppliers there are to choose from. Some systems are very cheap and will do the bare minimum and some are more expensive but have a huge range of functionality. The impression I have is that I chose to work for a good product that is well respected in the industry.
I feel valued
When I joined, the guys here were well into the development of the next itris product (which looks awesome), but what really encouraged me is how involved I have been with that process, and being able to utilise much of my temp experience and knowledge. I feel I have really been allowed to contribute and put my ideas forward.
Exciting times ahead
April is the start of our new financial year so there is a real buzz and urgency to beat last years figures. I’m thrilled to be involved with itris as we have lots of exciting developments to come this year.
