FAQ banner
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this system integrate with the resume files and/or skills database we already have?

Yes. We can either do a one-time conversion of your existing data or write programs to keep old and new systems in sync. The cost of this conversion is additional to your purchase of the software.

Is the system Y2K-compliant?

Yes. Dates are represented internally in the standard Y2K-compliant ODBC format. Where years are displayed on-screen they are always displayed in 4-digit format (1999, 2001)

The 4 criteria for Y2K-compliance, as laid out in Millennium 2000 Program Document PA96014 from GTE Government Systems, are:

  • General Integrity: No input date value interrupts normal operation.
  • Data Integrity: Calculations involving dates and date ranges that span century marks return correct results.
  • Explicit Century: The internal date storage format of the software explicitly includes the century, and reports display in 4-digit year format.
  • Implicit Century: The software unambiguously infers the century part of imported data where this is not explicitly included.
The software can run on various back-end databases, all of which follow the fully Y2K-compliant ODBC database standard. The software as a whole is then made fully Y2K-compliant by taking care that the formats of input and output routines are Y2K-compliant also.

For what types of agencies does the software work best?

It's deliberately designed to be versatile. We will help you set up the system in the way that best supports your work. The software is most effective for settings in which:
  • Selection is based on skills or qualifications (rather than e.g. unskilled labor)
  • Candidates have resumes, ideally on their computer
  • At least some employers and candidates, and all agents, use e-mail on a regular basis and/or have access to the Web.
However, even in the absence of the above our system can enormously increase productivity relative to a manual or semi-manual system.

We offer industry-specific skill templates for the following industries:

  • High-Tech
  • Health Care
  • General Employment (Clerical, Secretarial, Light Industrial)
You are welcome to use these templates. modify them, or create your own, which in our software is very easy to do.

How about security?

Every single page of the Agent system starts by checking that the user has already entered a valid login: even if a user manages to bypass the menu structure it won't do her/him any good. If an agent leaves his/her computer unattended for too long, the system automatically logs off.

The Candidate and Employer interfaces are also password-protected. Agents may shut candidates or employers out of the system if they are using the system inappropriately.

Does the system provide different levels of access?

Yes, as follows:
  • There is a set of privileges that may be granted or withheld to each agent, from doing simple things like viewing another agent's candidates or contacts to being allowed to radically reorganize the database. These privileges are granted or withheld from agents, according to their experience, by the system manager.
  • Job seekers may also access the database on a limited read-only basis. They may search through jobs with employer information suppressed, and may contact agents in regard to registering with the agency, receiving email notification of new jobs, or to apply for a particular job.
  • Employers may register jobs on-line, and again may search the database on a limited read-only basis.
    • Agents may grant to, or withhold from, an employer the permission to view identifying information about candidates.
    • If the permission is granted, the system stores information about which employers have looked at which candidates.
    • If it is withheld, the employer is given the means to contact the appropriate agent by phone and/or e-mail.

Won't the software 'de-skill' our work?

Most emphatically not. You'll spend less time on unglamorous tasks like working the fax machine, driving in traffic, and giving interview driving directions, and more on using your understanding of the industry and your people skills to make connections that work.

How long does is take to learn to use the system?

Most people learn to use the system fairly effectively within a day or so. Some of the subtler 'fine-tuning' comes with experience and with observing the flow of jobs, candidates, and clients through the system.