The recruitment industry is booming and is expected to grow by more than 25% over the next 3 years. With a turnover of a remarkable £26.5bn in 2013, the industry is attracting more and more business people who all want to have their share what is becoming a very big cake.
Competition is fierce and many companies disappear just as quickly as they pop up. In the end though, like most things, the recruitment industry boils down to survival of the fittest.
The best companies will utilise the latest technology to create a competitive advantage.
Luckily, each day there is a new technology that promises to revolutionise the way professional service firms handle clients, store data, process invoices, communicate with prospects, find candidates or any number of other important functions. But where should a recruitment firm start?
Recruitment consultants make hundreds of phone calls everyday speaking to candidates and clients. Telephony is the lifeblood of a successful firm, and arguably the most important piece of technology that a recruitment consultant will use. As such choosing the right telephone system is critical, and the first place to start in developing a winning strategy.
There are 5 key capabilities a recruitment firm’s telephony system needs to have in order to provide a competitive edge:
1. CRM integration: Click-to-dial out of your CRM solution such as RDB and automatically keep track of all interaction between you and your contacts. Integration will ensure you don’t lose valuable time dialling numbers or scribbling down notes.
2. Work from home or on the go: The best consultants will try to meet their clients and candidates as often as possible. A hosted VoIP phone system allows you to work from home or on the road just as if you were on your desk phone, and never miss that important phone call.
3. International numbering: The most successful recruitment firms are expanding to Asia and the continent. This is very difficult to achieve however without a local presence. With international numbering, you can have any international number you want, saving you the cost of actually having to setup an office locally.
4. Call recording: With call recording, you can easily listen to and / or download all the conversations that you have had. This is particularly useful when you need to review exactly what was said to a client when discussing their requirements.
5. Connect multiple sites: Need to call your colleagues in Asia or initiate a conference call with them? This can all be achieved with a push of a button at no cost. A hosted VoIP phone system allows you to interconnect your London office with your Manchester office or even that satellite office you might have in Hong Kong.
The best part of telephony technology is that with a hosted VoIP system, firms can get a new phone service set up quickly, with all of the above features and most likely, save money.
