In order to stay competitive in a market full of options, staffing software providers have to constantly update their existing products or create new ones. By doing this, providers makes sure that their services do not become outdated and continue to give their users the best possible services. According to a recent press release, recruiting software provider Sendouts has introduced its newest product, Sendouts Surge, to the world.

The release states that Surge is a remake of Sendouts Pro, featuring a newly redesigned interface. This will enable recruiting professionals to waste less time managing their HR software, which will give them more time to focus on cultivating relationships with both clients and job candidates. On top of this, the new interface gives users the ability to navigate through applications faster, handle complex tasks, source and customize their databases in a more efficient manner.

Aside from a revamped interface, Sendouts Surge has several other new features. Sendout Recon, for example, automatically sources up to 11,000 free and paid job boards for job seekers that fit with orders already in the users system. Recon will make it possible for users to accomplish a good deal without even having to be near their computer.

Sendout SuperFind, a new global search feature, will allow users to search through all records on their database from anywhere. Another feature, SourcePro, allows for real time integration. This gives clients access to Yahoo! Hotjobs resume database.

“Recruiting firms spoke, and we listened. We had one goal when creating the all new Sendouts Surge: create the ultimate balance of powerful features and ease of use,” said Sendouts’ Chief Technology Officer Rick Hall in the recent release. “This flagship product has redefined the user experience by targeting the exact pains currently facing the recruiting and staffing industry.”

Combined, Surge promises users that the 55 new productivity enhancements will deliver increase performance with 20 percent less clicks than other applicant tracking systems.

For many larger companies, trying to handle all various responsibilities that go along with trying to find the best talent to fill numerous staff vacancies can be difficult. Posting jobs online and managing other tasks related to recruiting new workers for a large number of staff vacancies can be overwhelming on a good day, but when the economy is suffering the need to utilize a services that handles businesses’ recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) needs grows.

In times of economic strife, the number of unemployed individuals rises significantly. This means that, for every job listing placed on the web, the number of people who send in their resumes skyrockets. Since HR professionals have many day-to-day responsibilities, trying to find the time to go through so many applications, without neglecting other tasks, can be difficult, especially at companies that have a large number of employees.

Instead of trying to handle all of the work associated with recruiting new workers in-house, many larger employers find it much more efficient to hire an outside company to take care of all of their RPO requirements. Doing so frees up HR workers to handle other responsibilities without having to do without new workers. By going with one company to handle all of their recruitment needs, instead of various agencies like some do, larger companies also usually stand to save a significant sum of money.

RPO firms can help out a lot, but this doesn’t mean that the business utilizing it won’t still have to handle some things. . If a company fails to sit down with a representative from the agency they are working with and outline their recruitment strategy and their hiring objectives, then no matter how talented the recruiters are, they may fail to meet the company’s needs. Since each business has its own needs, a recruitment processing firm can’t be expected to know what will fit each organization without being told.

Although an RPO agency can take care of the majority of a company’s recruitment needs, someone from the business still has to monitor its RPO activities. Initial direction can make sure that everything is on the right track, but continual monitoring makes sure it stays there. By doing this a company can also find out if the firm they are working with is not a perfect fit for them before too much money is spent on these services.

Deciding which recruiting software product to purchase can be a difficult decision, since there are so many options on the market. Factors that play a part in these choices include such things as cost, the size of the business in question, usability and industry. After considering these things, Kelly Services has chosen Bullhorn’s HR product for its software needs, according to a recent press release.

The release went on to say that Kelly Services, which is considered to be a leader in workforce management services, plans to use the software to improve its already existing applicant recruitment and placement operations. This will be particularly true for the company’s U.S. professional and technical divisions.

“We selected Bullhorn for its premier software solution as well as for the company’s proven industry experience and thought-leadership,” said Kelly Services’ senior vice president and general manager Steve Armstrong in the release. “Bullhorn demonstrated a solid grasp of Kelly’s technology needs and presented a comprehensive solution to improve and streamline recruiting, record-keeping and placement of qualified candidates with customers.”

Since Bullhorn’s HR software is designed for functionality, it allows for multiple users to view the program at the same time: a feature that is very useful for an operation the size of Kelly Services. By using this product, the company’s workers will be able to view all of an employees documents, including job orders, resumes and notes.

“As a leader in workforce solutions, Kelly Services understands the need for a robust solution that can handle thousands of users and millions of requests each day for sharing information across their wide network of branch offices,” said Bullhorn’s CEO and co-founder Art Papas in the same release. “We’re very excited to partner with Kelly Services and look forward to helping the company continue its growth through the use of software solutions that enable fast and effective ways to generate, source and fill job orders.”



LinkedIn users should put common misspellings of their last name into their profile. Why? Because people looking for them might use those misspellings in their search.

That and other insightful tips, such as how to put a maiden name or nickname into a profile, are available in the new LinkedIn training blog by Patrick O’Malley, the nationally known trainer and speaker. The trick is to put these names into the Summary Field of the user’s profile. The first blog post will describe the technique, and will also demonstrate it in a short video. Later posts will help users harness the undocumented power of LinkedIn to increase sales, get jobs, hire employees, or network in general.

The new blog is at LinkedIn Tips For Sales, Jobs, HR.

O’Malley has given countless speeches on LinkedIn and other Internet Marketing topics to audiences of all kinds, including the American Marketing Association, Meeting Planners International, the Harvard School Of Public Health, and NEHRA (the Northeast Human Resources Association).

One recent attendee said, “These LinkedIn tips were really insightful, especially the one about putting in misspellings of my name.”

Also, since Facebook has become such a popular social networking site, he will create a blog with similar tips for Facebook. For example, users can put common misspellings of their name into the About Me section of their profile. This would allow old friends to still be able to find them, even if they spelled the name incorrectly during their search. The same technique can be used to put in maiden names and nicknames.

When buying HR software it comes in handy to have plenty of information available to consult. With so many companies offering a variety of different systems, it can be difficult to navigate the buying process without reference material.

Knowing this, CompareHRIS.com has compiled one of the largest libraries of HR and Payroll software articles on the web. Many employers turn to the site in order to gather information before making a decision as to what will benefit their company the most.

The Web site recently announced in a press release that it has combed through its archives and gathered together a list of the most popular articles on the topic according to data from the last six months of traffic. Ten different articles made the list. They are:

HR and Payroll Software Buyers Guide. This article, which was written by an industry veteran, outlines the ten steps that should be taken to when buying an HRIS or HRMS software application.

HR and Payroll Software Prices, which explains why quick quotes may not be the best thing for an HR department interested in purchasing this type of software.

Payroll HRMS Interface Defined, where the author explains how HR and Payroll software interfaces and integration works. In addition to this, the article tells why it is important to know the difference between the two.

HRIS Systems and VAR’s, which explains the pros and cons of purchasing software through a Value Added Reseller. A VAR is an independent company that resells vendors’ applications.
Employee Management software. For this article data was collected from CompareHRIS.com’s selection tool in order to present readers with the features that HR professionals are most interested in.

The final five articles included on the top ten list were; HRIS Systems Implementation Tools, How Human Resource Departments Can Leverage HRMS and HRIS Technology to Become a Strategic Profit Center, “IT” is from Mars & “HR” is from Venus, What Type of HRIS Application Training Works Best and Understand Your HRIS Input Requirements.

All of these articles and 92 others can be found on the Website mentioned above.

With many applicants falsifying information on job applications, background checks have become a necessary expense when hiring new employees. The problem is that, with many businesses struggling to make ends meet at the moment, the cost of on-boarding workers can be straining. Despite this, the negatives of conducting these investigations are far outweighed by their positives.

Because of the number of companies that provide this service and the need for employers to save money, the background check business has become highly competitive. Hoping to be more capable of retaining past users and attracting new ones, A-Check America, Inc. recently introduced its newest version of the company’s employment screening platform. The company, which provides background checks and drug screening services to employers throughout the globe, has maintained its web-based format, which will make it easier for those who were familial with the older edition to master.

Representatives from the company have said that the new A-Check Direct (TM) 3.0 will help to reduce the cost employers spend on hiring new workers and the amount of time and resources it takes, a feature which likely be very popular with HR managers. This part of the platform helps to eliminate the amount of energy and time spent on ineligible job applicants. This speeds up the overall process significantly.

Another way that the program is able to increase the overall efficiency of the process is that it offers a Progressive Ordering feature that enables employers to enter a minimal amount of the applicant’s information. Then the platform goes ahead and identifies “red flags” that would make an applicant ineligible for hire, without having to go through typing in all of the data. This and other features are not available through other background check providers.

“The new system makes the background check and drug testing process easier, faster and less costly,” said Carlos Lacambra, President of A-Check. “We set out to leverage our development expertise to provide maximum benefits for employers and to solidly affirm A-Check’s position as a technology leader in the employment screening industry. We have achieved those goals with A-Check Direct(TM) 3.0.”

According to A-Ceck’s Director of Operations, Kathi Parlapiano, the changes made to the company’s latest model are the result of carefully studying what their clients need.

“We listened to our clients and worked to eliminate their pain points,” said Parlapiano in a recent press release . “Clients expect us to help them control background screening costs without compromising quality. They want speed, efficiency and flexibility. They want innovative products. They want compliance. A-Check Direct(TM) 3.0 delivers on all fronts.

“A-Check focused on creating the best employment screening platform and now we want to share it with the world,” said Lacambra. “A-Check Direct(TM) 3.0 is truly in a class by itself. Employers now have a screening platform that delivers all employment screening services through one access point, in a clear, cohesive manner.”

Online recruitment has become particularly important to employers in recent years. Since many people now search for new jobs through the Internet, this has become a big concern for those who have a desire to attract the best workers.

Hoping to help businesses who specialize in the life sciences industry, Beaker, a well known community dedicated to the sector, announced the release of its newest online recruitment platform earlier this month. According to a recent press release, the company’s next generation technology now provides job seekers with free access to industry-specific multimedia content, company profiles and new jobs.

Through Beaker’s new online recruitment platform, employers get their staff vacancies out to professionals who are both those who are actively seeking work and more passive job seekers. This processes is aided by the use of multimedia employment branding and other online recruitment services.

“Beaker’s new recruiting platform merges the traditional online job board with a multimedia career management and social networking platform, tailored specifically for the life sciences industry,” said Beaker’s CEO Jeffrey Clark in a recent press release. “Simply put, we can provide an efficient recruiting process by telling a company’s story very effectively and to a highly relevant user base through a compelling online platform.”

Before the newest update, many of Beaker’s clients already had great things to say about the services they provided.

“Beaker has provided our company access to a rich talent pool and we’re seeing positive results from our employment branding and online recruiting through the Beaker platform,” said Angela Peters of Life Technologies. “Because of its obvious value proposition and its focus on our industry, an early partnership with Beaker makes sense for our organization.”

HR Services Inc. has announced the debut of the next generation of the myStaffingPro applicant tracking system with version 9.0. The new version was completed as a part of HR Services Inc.’s ongoing objective to improve the quality of the myStaffingPro system.

“myStaffingPro continually reviews its product to increase ease of use, aesthetic appeal, and relevant functionality,” said Chief Information Officer Jennifer Brogee. “The product development team worked diligently through untold hours of planning, research, design, development, and testing to produce an unmatched release.” System architect Tony Calvelage added, “myStaffingPro 9.0 is a more flexible system that will enable us to incorporate the new possibilities that emerging technology has to offer.”

myStaffingPro® is a web-based applicant tracking system with nearly ten years of experience. Clients of myStaffingPro® consistently give high ratings for flexible user functionality, unmatched prescreening, superior support, advanced reporting, and virtually “zero” down time. The system is available in four solutions to accommodate clients of any size or hiring process. myStaffingPro® is currently delivering the hiring process for over 400 clients and has processed over 13 million applications.

The release features a new look and feel, as well as more intuitive requisition management. The enhanced requisition management screens enable the user to resize, sort, and reorder the columns in requisition management. The enhancement will increase the usability of the system by allowing users to review and analyze their requisition data with their preferred formatting. “Combining total dedication to usability and creating a positive user experience is our number one priority,” stated director of sales Ruth Ann Stover.

The next generation is immediately available to myStaffingPro users. The myStaffingPro SaaS model enables users to benefit from the release without any downloads or assistance from IT.

Many companies in Virginia have an interest in nuclear power, an industry that has been near-dormant in the country for about 30 years. However, the possibility of a new focus on nuclear power will require companies to begin recruiting new engineers.

In the past year, according to an article by the Daily Progress, many state colleges and universities have increased their response to a potential need for more engineers, specifically on a nuclear level. The University of Virginia used to have undergraduate and graduate programs in nuclear engineering, as well as a research reactor on campus until the mid-1990s.

“Nuclear energy was going to power every aspect of our life,” Bill Hall, who worked at Duke Energy in Charlotte, North Carolina for 30 years and now teaches at the University, said in the article.

In 1979, a nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island in Middletown, Pa., had a partial meltdown, causing many company and university programs to fold. But the current emphasis on finding alternative energy is helping to revive nuclear studies. The University of Virginia is in talks to add a nuclear studies minor to its engineering school.

Aside from helping the country become less dependent, students of nuclear power could see a starting salary of about $65,000 per year. Also, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute, about 45 percent of workers in the nuclear industry could be eligible to retire or will leave the field in the next five years. This is leaving many openings and causing companies to up their recruiting efforts.

“In the next five to 10 years there’s going to be a lot of hiring going on,” Kerry Basehore, director of nuclear analysis and fuel for Richmond-based Dominion, said in the article.

Virginia Commonwealth University began offering a nuclear engineering component to its master’s degree program in 2007. The program is supported by Dominion and has found the majority of its interest among engineers who are already in the work force but who are looking for a nuclear skill set.

VCU also is using a grant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop a nuclear track for its undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. Students there also are working to develop an electric-powered see-through reactor simulator, so students can learn operations of a real reactor.

Virginia Tech, which once offered degrees in nuclear engineering and supported a research reactor, last year began offering graduate classes where students earn a master’s or undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering with a nuclear engineering certificate. The school is working on offering master’s and doctoral degrees by fall of next year. Tech professors Gene Brown and Mark Pierson are also working to bring master’s and doctoral degrees to the university by fall 2009.

Recently, Areva and Northrop Grumman Corp.’s shipbuilding division announced its plans to partner to build a manufacturing and engineering facility in Newport News, Virginia to supply components for nuclear reactors to be built in the United States, the first in 35 years.

The $360 million plant is expected to create 500 jobs. Areva currently employs about 70,000 people worldwide, 2,000 in Virginia, and is trying to bring seven new power plants to the United States between 2015 and 2030. The company has been spending more time recruiting recent graduates and current students lately.

Think your skeletons will stay firmly lodged in your closet? Think again. According to the Society for Human resource Management, 80 percent of employers conducted criminal background checks on applicants. In addition, 79 percent looked in to the previous work history of potential employees and 35 percent did credit checks. With those statistics, there’s a good chance a hiring manager will find exactly what you hope to hide. Since over 18,500 arrests for embezzlement in the U.S. in 2002, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, employers have learned that background checks are a necessity, especially for positions that could easily be abused.

For some, the idea of submitting to a investigation into their history and finances can be nerve racking. Not knowing what an employer will find can be the worst part. So, what should you do to avoid suffering such apprehension? Many experts say that you should consider conducting your own background check. You have the option of handling it yourself through public records or contacting a firm that specializes in these matters. For those that applying for high level executive positions the latter is suggested if there is any doubt about what a potential employer might find. By doing this you have the option of correcting any inaccurate information before it has the chance to make it into the hands of a potential employer and possibly ruin your chances at being hired.

For those that do have a black stain marring an otherwise perfect record there is only one option; be the one to blow the whistle on yourself before the results of a pre-employment background check have a chance to. You will find that many employers will understand extenuating circumstances such as a time of sever illness that resulted in your inability to work and therefore caused some credit problems.

In cases where a more serious offense will be found, it is still to the best idea to fess up to it. Still, you will find it in your best interest to be able to show some signs of improvement, whether it maybe a clean record since that time, receiving counseling, or volunteer service. This will give employers the idea that you have learned the error of your ways.

Nevertheless, employers must receive your permission to conduct an investigation into your background screening information. It is your right to refuse, but understand that doing so will most likely eliminate your chances of being hired by that company due to what they stand to lose if they make a mistake in who they add to their payroll.