Searching for Care Recruitment Software reveals countless systems. Are they all good options for Care Providers?

Care Providers face unique recruitment challenges. Care providers are regulated and their recruiting processes are more demanding than other employers. Size doesn’t really matter either. Larger care providers have more resources to recruit, but smaller care providers have the same recruitment obligations. Care budgets are stretched, particularly for smaller providers. The goal is to find a moderately priced care recruitment system that meets the challenge.

Let’s explore why Care Recruitment Software is different from other types of recruitment software. We’ll present some options too.

We’ll take a look at:

• Different types of recruitment software
• Recruitment software for general employers
• Recruitment software for Care Providers
• Choices

We will also present an option that starts from £79 + VAT per month.

Different types of recruitment software

Firstly, is a Recruitment Software System the same as an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

Yes! References to “Recruitment Software” and “Applicant Tracking System” are interchangeable. In fact, the standard industry term for recruitment software is Applicant Tracking System, or ATS.

The goal of a recruitment software system is to make recruiting easier and less costly. Most employers want to reduce recruiting budgets but still hire successfully. Recruitment software helps because employers can recruit with less administration time. Care recruitment software should also help to make use of some free advertising options. That’s because a good recruitment software system should automatically post adverts to free sites such as Indeed, Care & Support Jobs, talent.com and GOV Find a Job.

Overall, there are 2 broad types of recruitment software systems. They are either:

• made for employers, or
• made for recruitment companies.

Employers and recruitment companies work differently to each other. Employers recruit for themselves whilst recruitment companies recruit for their customers.

An employer ATS helps its HR team and its employees to team around the whole recruitment process. Most systems help HR and internal recruiters to advertise vacancies and receive all job applications centrally. It then helps the whole team to review and shortlist applicants before managing each stage through to placement.

An ATS for recruitment companies works a little differently. This type of recruitment software helps to advertise vacancies, but then market appropriate applicants to its customers and prospects. That introduces requirements for mailshots and some Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functions. A recruitment company ATS ignores some of the internal teaming support required by a care provider.

Recruitment software for general employers

A summary list of recruitment software system requirements to suit most employers could look a little like the following:

• Automated vacancy advertising on employer website, job boards and social media
• Simple online application process capturing a CV, introduction and some personal details.
• Shortlisting support and applicant management by a central recruiter(s).
• Quick applicant communications at various stages of the recruitment process.
• Help with interview scheduling and employment offers.
• Some management reporting.
• Perhaps some bells and whistles for diary management of video interviewing.

Most employers recruit by reviewing a CV and optionally include a note of introduction or covering letter. Some also review one-way video interviews too. However, this isn’t generally sufficient for care providers.

Recruitment software for Care Providers

Care providers must follow safer recruitment guidelines and that means avoiding many common recruiting shortcuts. They must ask for lots of information to ensure that anyone they hire is safe to work with young people or vulnerable adults.

How does this affect a care provider’s recruiting practices?

• Care providers ask about spent and unspent convictions.
• Driving information is important for domiciliary / home care roles.
• CVs are considered unreliable, so work history should be requested by Q&A with gaps explained.
• Sensitive information should be withheld from those performing shortlisting.
• On-boarding and ensuring compliance is essential.

So, Care Recruitment Software requirements may look something like this:

• Vacancy advertising on website(s).
• Easy upload of jobs to some useful, free job boards.
• Flexible application process might include note of introduction, optional CV, criminal convictions, full work history with gaps, equal opportunities info, referees and more.
• Shared shortlisting with auto hiding of sensitive information from line managers.
• Quick and easy method to message every applicant.
• Easy way to request and confirm interviews.
• Auditable management of employment checks.

The Application Form

Care providers require a lot of information from applicants so their application forms are long and take time to complete. However, carers are in short supply and generally unwilling to complete so much detail. That is a potential barrier.

To illustrate, a care provider may need the following information from an applicant:

• Personal details.
• Letter of introduction.
• Optional CV.
• Criminal convictions.
• Answers to job related questions.
• Full work history with employment gaps explained.
• Driving information.
• Education.
• Whether the applicant is friends with or related to a member of staff or a student.
• Equal opportunities data, including disability.
• Referee details.

So, how does a care provider get all the applicant information it needs to satisfy itself and the regulator? A good approach for care providers is to stage out the information required. A care recruitment software system should support a flexible application process in which application information can be requested in stages.

For example, a care provider could request just personal details, a CV and equal opportunities declarations up front. It may then choose to request criminal convictions, work history and education. It could go on to request referee information and a national Insurance number for those who have been successful in interview.

Reviewing applicants fairly

Bias is a complex subject with both conscious and unconscious bias in the mix. Most employers understand that the following personal criteria can be subject to bias:

• Age
• Gender
• Sexual preference
• Religion
• Disability

It is a challenge to eliminate bias in recruitment, but this is where care recruitment software should help. It should be optional to disguise an applicant’s criminal convictions, disability, and other information like places of education, dates of employment, employer(s) and even name from shortlisting managers.

Most importantly, shortlisting decisions should be easy to understand and consistent. That means that care recruitment software should help central HR to set the criteria for shortlisting and monitor its effectiveness.

Choices

CVMinder ATS is the best applicant tracking system for Care, according to its users and pricing stats from £99 + VAT per month. This is the CVMinder website you will have to forgive us for the plug. However, no single product can successfully meet the needs of every care provider, so here are some other useful options:

• CVMinder ATS
• Access
• eploy
• Tribepad

There is just one last point to consider; ease of use. No matter what your care recruitment software does for you, make sure that it’s easy to use and well supported. Only by using any system properly will you achieve the full benefits.

We wish you success as you search for the ideal system for you.

Prices are subject to variation without notice by the author and are subject to standard terms & conditions.