As a veteran of more than three decades of recruiting, I have been very pleased to see that technology has finally arrived on the desktops of many recruiters, allowing the efficient and effective management of applicant and recruiting information. When these systems were first introduced over a decade ago, they were called applicant tracking systems, or ATS systems. Today, they have evolved into more comprehensive enterprises warranting a new label. I call them RIMS – Recruitment Information Management Systems.

In the current labor market, it is becoming increasingly evident that only those recruiters who have the greatest number of resumes of relevantly qualified candidates, and the ability to provide just-in-time staffing support to constituents or clients, will succeed and survive. The expectations we have today for volume, speed, knowledge, and communication can only be adequately served with desktop technology.

Due to the wide-spread accessibility of the Internet and e-mail, the days of the paper resume and old-fashioned filing systems are practically gone. Today, searchable electronic databases of resumes provide recruiters who have them with a tremendous advantage today. Electronic resumes have a far greater “shelf life” and allow the recruiter to establish and maintain ongoing relationships with potential employees for however long it might take to make the match.

Similarly, with the advertising of job vacancies swinging significantly from traditional print to online, we are now expected to be able to instantaneously create, post, and manage all of our open jobs. Many RIMS providers have developed one-step processes to allow the simultaneous broadcast of vacancies to multiple job boards, saving considerable time and effort.

By providing ever-ready desktop access to all applicant information, recruiters can spend more time identifying new candidates and maintaining relationships with those in whom there may be potential future interest. Electronic communications have increased the ease and frequency of interaction between both parties, thereby increasing the probability of a successful outcome.

By my count, there are more than 150 vendors today who offer recruitment technology solutions for both corporations and staffing firms. The prices range from the hundreds to the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Solutions may either be an installed software system or a web-hosted solution from an ASP-an application service provider.

Although every vendor will be happy to demonstrate its product for you, the best way to select the right solution for your organization is to start by mapping your current recruitment process and then identifying the functions you absolutely need the technology to automate or support. Be careful that unrealistic user expectations don’t become absolute requirements. These systems are not one-button solutions. They still require a lot of user input and management. The final list of required functions can then be used to request capability and pricing information from vendors.

We have provided a list of the various providers of RIMS solutions for you. This list is intended only to be a resource to our friends and customers. Inclusion on this list does not imply an endorsement by Cluff & Associates.

The value of a properly selected and implemented RIMS solution can be significant. Companies frequently report that their “time to fill” has been cut in half, their average cost per hire has been reduced by at least a third, and their recruiter productivity (hires per month) has risen by 25 to 50%. I believe that the greatest advantage RIMS technology provides is the competitive advantage, potentially providing your firm with more candidates, faster, and cheaper than most of your competitors.