Recruitment Software Buzzwords – Should They Matter?

‘True Cloud’, ‘Big Data’, ‘Social’ – Buzzwords quickly catch on and before you know it, lots of people are using them. If I was paid £1 every time I read or heard one of the ever increasing buzzword terms, I would be a rich man!

It is easy to get caught up in the latest trends though – either from industry peers, magazines or online publications – so I would like to explain what some of the most popular buzzwords really mean and dispel a few myths:

True Cloud: The word ‘True’ in ‘True Cloud’ means nothing.  ‘Cloud’ is just a word for the internet.  Software delivered via The Cloud is simply accessed online – choose your preferred device and securely login from wherever you have internet access.  Cloud delivery offers many great benefits, but make sure the Software as a Service (SaaS) you choose is the best fit for your business.  SaaS is available from single or multi-tenancy servers.  Single-tenancy is your server, delivering only your software. Multi-tenancy is a server delivering software to multiple businesses.  Each version offers key differentiators, be sure to find out which suits your business best.  Our ‘De-mystifying SaaS’ eBook will certainly help you decide.  Some recruitment software providers use the word ‘True’ to describe multi-tenancy only, especially if that’s the only SaaS model they provide.

Big Data: If you run a Wikipedia search on the term Big Data, this is the result: ‘An all-encompassing term for any collection of data sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using on-hand data management tools or traditional data processing applications.’ Which is correct, but how does it relate to the recruitment industry?  The question is, is your company effectively using and analysing your own, existing data? If not, why collect even more from the internet? What is your goal? ‘Analysis and prediction’ is a sound concept, but begin with your own system’s reports. Look closely at ‘time to fill’ numbers for specific clients and make smart decisions on where to focus your efforts.  Get a handle on your own data first. Perhaps ‘My Data’ should be a new buzzword!

Social: The key question to remember is: are you using social media properly? Don’t just ‘spray and pray’ jobs, be sure to protect your brand – one bad move can have a negative effect, perhaps more so than many good moves.  I recommend reading Lisa Jones’s blogs in this area.  On the recruitment software front, many providers claim to be able to ‘scrape’ data from LinkedIn, but this would contravene their terms and conditions and you may find yourself being sued.  Consider all the social media integrations available to you and make the right choice.

If you select solutions based on ‘tick-box’ buzzword requirements, are you reviewing the market in the best possible way? Budgets for technology remain under close scrutiny, so making the right choice, ensuring best practice, safeguarding revenue streams and proving your ROI is imperative.

Let marketers worry about buzzwords – above all, they’re an exercise in branding.  What will ‘The Cloud’ be called in five years’ time?  Or two?  Often, buzzwords unhelpfully muddy the water.  Every recruitment business is different and has its own particular set of requirements, what works for one company isn’t necessarily going to work for another.  The most important thing is to pick the right solution for your business, irrespective of the buzzword used to describe it.