In speaking with some college grads you may hear, “Let me follow your Twitter® for a while so I can see what types of jobs you offer”. When that happens does a “thinking cloud” appear above your head that says, “Follow me on Twitter®? I don’t post jobs on Twitter®! What do I say?”

How about a client that wants to run reports on the business they do with you on your “portal”? Does another “thinking cloud” appear? How about the new employee that wants to know how to post job orders to CareerBuilder® directly from your software?

Situations are coming up that were not an issue just a few short years ago. It seems that technology is progressing so quickly that before you implement a solution yet another technology issue arises. How do you keep up?

The staffing and direct hire placement industry is no stranger to technology challenges. First there was the much talked about “resume import issue”. How can one scan in a resume and get the data in and searchable quickly and easily? Today this is not a problem. Next, web based technology or server based? After a huge hullabaloo now everyone knows that this is a matter of preference and most vendors have software available in either platform.

Connecting with clients and candidates through electronic means has become a prevalent way of doing business whether we like it or not. Not to say that the days of a personal phone call is history, but people find it more convenient to pick up an email or a text rather than answer a phone call. Response time is significantly sped up with this type of communication. Since staffing is one of the most fast paced businesses around, response time is important.

How can staffing and recruiting software help? Luckily communicating via social networking, text and email is something that software can easily accomplish. Today, you can Twitter® jobs directly from software if your software vendor supports such an interface. Posting to Facebook®, LinkedIn®, job boards is something that all prominent staffing software vendors offer.

Web Portals® bring significant value add to the services you offer. Allow clients to view and print reports and invoices and approve timecards electronically. Offer candidates the ability to look up hours worked, view checks, enter time and more!

Text messaging is a terrific way to communicate to candidates. Let them know about job openings, report times and any other significant information that they would like to receive to make their life easier.

Email resumes to clients to help them assess candidates. Improve client communications by emailing important information that may be helpful to clients in doing business with your firm.

Perhaps your client would prefer to have their invoices emailed. It’s so simple to accommodate these requests with the technology available to staffing companies.

Clients and candidates are interested in saving time and ease of communication. Staffing and recruiting firms can answer those needs effortlessly with the correct technology in place.

This article made an appearance in the May 2010 issue of staffdigest Magazine. www.staffdigest.com

Terri Roeslmeier is President of Automated Business Designs, Inc., software developer of Ultra-Staff software for the staffing and direct hire industry. Ultra-Staff is a staffing software business solution with components for front office, back office and the web. Terri’s email address is TAR@abd.net or for more information on Ultra-Staff go to www.abd.net