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5 Key Steps to Choose the Right Staffing Software

Posted on 4/5/17

Choosing software for your staffing agency isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. This choice will go a long way in determining the effectiveness and efficiency of your organization.  It’s essential that you go into the process with a comprehensive understanding of your current situation and how the right staffing software could improve it.First, talk to your own staff to assess their pains and problems. That way you’ll know how new or updated staffing software could help them perform their job more effectively. Then, as you’re searching for the right staffing system, keep these five points in mind.

  1. Know your needs: Don’t get hoodwinked by whiz-bang features. Just because something looks pretty doesn’t mean it’s going to help you achieve your goals. When you’re looking for staffing software, have your goals clearly established beforehand. 

    Do you want to expand your clerical staffing business into the legal and IT fields within five years? If that’s your plan, make sure the staffing solution you invest in today is going to help you reach that goal. Always ask software vendors detailed questions about their product. The more specific questions you have, the more it suggests you understand your technology needs.
  2. Don’t compromise: Good staffing software is flexible enough to be configured in a variety of ways. However, if in your search for the right software you don’t come across a product that meets your needs, keep looking. You may think the only way to have your specific needs met is by commissioning a custom piece of software for your business. But this is usually unnecessary and can be very expensive. 

    The processes in most staffing firms are similar enough that a quality configurable package that meets your needs should be available. However, if you’ve exhausted your options on the market and you still can’t find the right program, only then consider custom staffing software solutions. Above all, don’t buy any product or service unless you’re confident it’s going to help your business.
  3. Know who owns your data: The days of companies buying software and keeping it installed on their on-premises servers are numbered. Before long, everything will be stored in the cloud. Cloud-based storage is cheaper and more efficient. But before you agree to any kind of cloud data storage with a software vendor, get a clear definition of who owns your data in writing

    The only business that should own your data is yours! However, it’s not uncommon for data storage providers to say that once the data is in their system, it belongs to them. This creates massive headaches if you ever want to get your data off their server and onto another one. Read your contracts carefully and be sure you understand what the deal entails.
  4. How is data backup and security handled? Before you go live with any staffing software provider, make sure you understand their security polices and protocols. No system is completely safe from cyber security threats, but you should feel confident that your software provider is diligently protecting your data. 

    Know what kind of firewalls and other data protection mechanisms are in place. It’s essential that your software provider has a robust security system, conducts frequent backups of your data, and has a policy that lets you take your data and leave whenever you please.
  5. Know what “strong” really means: Of course, “strong” is a subjective term. Define what strong software means for you and go after it. Some benchmarks for strong software include full data integration, efficient data flow, the flexibility to accommodate your unique business needs, and a user-interface that promotes speed and accuracy by eliminating the need to manually enter the same data repeatedly into multiple systems.

The right software will save you time, streamline your operations and make all of your agency processes easier to manage. Don’t stop searching for the right software for your staffing business until you’ve found something that covers every item in this checklist.

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