4 Staffing Automation Tools to Increase Back Office Capacity
The uptick in the application of automation is nowhere more common than in the business world. Many back-office tasks that used to be the domain of human workers have rapidly shifted to being run by software programs, and it’s not hard to see why. Programs are consistent, never need to take breaks, and don’t cost nearly as much per completed task as a human worker. The staffing industry, in particular, has benefited from the introduction of increased automation of back-office tasks and staffing automation tools. This allows for the managing of far more contractors than ever before while ensuring accuracy in the tasks assigned to the programs.
Below we’ll discuss some of the most common areas for staffing industry back-office automation and some of the leading programs in each field.
All-In-One Automation Tools
When we write about all-in-one automation tools, we mean a program that can link up all your other automation tools into a single interface. This overall program should be able to provide greater control and organization and ease of use improvements over using each of the programs independently. Let’s dive into two of the best.
Bilflo
Have you ever wished you could integrate your applicant tracking system with payroll and accounting, all in one easy-to-navigate location? Bilflo does just that. By linking seamlessly with the vast majority of the top software offered in these three areas, it can function as an aggregator of three independent data sets, including sales activity, timekeeping, and accounting, a rarity in this space. But it does so much more than that. Featuring built-in metrics that make the most of all available data, you can easily keep track of your team’s performance. Can’t seem to find a preset that works for you? Create your own analysis by any available metrics. This further level of integration also creates the need for fewer human employees, in turn leading to savings.
Bilflo is set up for both contract and direct placement work.
- Contractors
- Manage your roster of current contractors
- Automatically invoice clients based on the number of hours worked by your contractors
- Automatically send data to payroll and accounting
- Create reports based on metrics of your choosing
- Direct Placement
- Provide a single place to manage all of your placement data
- Automatically invoice clients based on the terms set out in your agreement
- Keep track of your payments and commissions
- Create reports based on metrics of your choosing
Bullhorn One
Like Bilflo, Bullhorn aggregates and centralizes the information from your applicant tracking system, payroll software, and timekeeping software, all with an easy-to-use interface to boot. One key benefit touted by Bullhorn One is its built-in integration with HereFish, a leading automation platform also made by Bullhorn. Indeed, stressing the importance of automation is very central to all of Bullhorn’s products. And when you find out how much time it can save each recruiter and effectively multiply the number of candidates they can manage, you’ll likely be interested in learning more as well. However, while Bullhorn is amazing at what it does, its focus is typically on larger clients and their products are therefore costlier to purchase and implement.
Applicant Tracking Systems Automation
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are at base repositories for all candidate-related information. Today’s ATSs go well beyond simply holding information. They must be well designed and easy to use, and provide insight into each candidate and requirement. Here are some top options on the market today.
Avionte
A mix of ATS and customer relationship management (CRM) software, Avionte strives to make every candidate and client profile easily accessible in an intuitive manner and short amount of time. It accomplishes this through the integration of automation. Among its automation features are:
- Resume parsing
- Find resumes with the qualifications you’re looking for quicker than ever
- Email synchronization
- Track and send emails through any provider, including Outlook and Gmail
- Fast and accurate search
- Boasts a powerful engine for boolean searches
- Comprehensive order management
- Provides tracking for status, types, durations, and requirements
- Mass/quick assign
- Assign multiple recruiters to large requirements at the same time
Bullhorn
Another mix of ATS and CRM comes from the previously mentioned Bullhorn. Its software promises to increase margins by maximizing productivity per recruiter through the use of automations. Post-placement relationship management is another area Bullhorn puts emphasis on in its program design. All of this allows you to make better business decisions through the availability and analysis of data.
JobAdder
JobAdder has many of the same features as Bullhorn and Aviante, including resume parsing and intuitive search. One area that JobAdder seems to have a leg up on the competition is its easy-to-use mobile app. It touts the app’s number one ranking and rave customer reviews including claims helping agencies get jobs to market two to three times faster. As a bonus, they claim to be able to post to more job boards than any other provider, which saves time and increases productivity and speed to market.
Accounting Automation Tools
Keeping track of numbers is an area uniquely suited to computer programs. After all, everything they do ultimately comes down to ones and zeroes. And accountants have been using tools to assist them since the time of the abacus. For this and other reasons, there is a proliferation of accounting software on the market. Here are a couple that stand out from the rest.
QuickBooks
There are many options available in the QuickBooks family for everything from payroll processing and taking payments through the accounting software we’re discussing today. The progeny of one of the first accounting programs on the market, this is probably the one you were most likely to have heard of coming into this article. By automating tasks like bookkeeping, invoicing, time tracking, and more, valuable company resources are freed up for more strategic roles while overall headcount drops, minimizing expenses. This also helps ensure there are as few errors as possible while surfacing the relevant data when called upon.
MS Dynamics
If the Quickbooks family serves a large number of verticals, MS Dynamics from Microsoft operates in almost every corner of the business realm. There is little it doesn’t touch, from commerce to supply chain and marketing. Its high-level approach to finance emphasizes forecasting abilities and overall adaptability in the face of change, while its automation allows for greater accuracy and lower headcount. Frankly, with the power of Microsoft behind this, it’s best not to ignore it.
Payroll Automation Tools
Your company wouldn’t have employees very quickly if you stopped paying them. Traditionally, the process of actually paying employees has been a fairly labor-intensive process. Poor record-keeping in this area could lead to legitimate lawsuits or leave you open to frivolous claims. That’s why it can be refreshing when you first use either of the two programs below.
ADP
An all-in-one payroll and HR solution, ADP has been around for years and built up a good reputation during that time. By, like all these platforms, utilizing automation in ways that eliminate the need for unnecessarily large department sizes, ADP saves your company time and money. Offering different services to suit the needs of companies large and small, they strive to have something for everyone. Just starting out or have a smaller business? They’ll help you get your small business tax credit. Have thousands of employees? Maybe their tailored compliance services are more for you. The backbone of this all is comprised of their tested payroll and HR services which rarely disappoint.
Paychex
Payroll, HR, and benefits are the three areas where Paychex operates. In addition to allowing for faster and typically more accurate than non-automated payroll methods paycheck and payroll processing, it can calculate, file, and submit your payroll taxes for you and has built-in integrations with their other two areas of expertise. A compliance feature is also present to help businesses of all sizes not run afoul of relevant regulations.
Staffing Automation Tools: Conclusion
As we’ve seen, back-office automation saves businesses time and money by applying machine processing power to tasks that used to require large numbers of individuals and where the results were often suspect. Indeed, the modern staffing organization wouldn’t be able to function without some or all of these four functions receiving some degree of automation. Which one is right for you in each area will require additional research on your part and reaching out to some for consultations before making final decisions. But we hope this list has proven a good jumping-off point for your journey towards further back-office automation in your staffing agency.
