Galileo ATS

Depending on the size of your organization and the complexity of system requirements, you may want to ask for a brief Request for Proposal (RFP) from potential vendors. This is your opportunity to gain clarification on any topic to help your committee determine whether the applicant tracking software can do the required job. Your committee should consider the following major issues to devise an effective RFP:

* Does the system support the main concerns of your committee? This ties into the previous part of the evaluation process; you must know your process completely before you can determine what features you need. Your committee cannot be distracted by solutions that may offer functions that are not your main priority. While they may seem attractive, many flashy features and functions will not create any value to your organization if they will not be adopted by your users.

* Has the vendor installed the system in another organization of similar size?

* Your committee should have access to references that can give you insight on issues such as customer satisfaction and follow up, the implementation process, and hidden fees. Remember, features are of no value without strong user adoption.

* What does the implementation process entail? Having a successful adoption rate begins with the proper implementation. You want to be sure that your chosen vendor does not leave your users without proper training and continued support. The implementation should be centered on your organization's recruitment process, not learning how to accommodate to their system.

* You should never have the feeling that your implementation program will leave you feeling lost and unsure of the vendor's capabilities. During the evaluation process, your committee should have the impression that, based on your department priorities and business goals, your implementation will create a strong foundation for a long partnership with your applicant tracking system provider. Remember the high user adoption to the applicant tracking system will generate a higher ROI.

* Is the application "user-customizable" by your staff or will you need you need to go back to the vendor every time you want to create a new job category, workflow step, or add a new user? Does the vendor charge your company every time you must go back to them for relatively mundane tasks like those mentioned above? It's best to get a thorough understanding of ongoing additional charges the vendor may invoice, before you are committed to one vendor in a long-term contract.