In a ground-breaking initiative Ocean Media Group has partnered with web design and development company, Abacus e-Media, and ConsultCIH – the consultancy arm of the Chartered Institute of Housing – to launch i-Talent, an innovative recruitment management tool for the housing sector.
i-Talent allows housing providers to manage the recruitment process end-to-end – from the decision to fill a vacancy right through to making the appointment with a full online application process and candidate tracking.
i-Talent is based on Abacus’ market-leading public sector recruitment product – Recruit v5 -and uses the same Software as a Service architecture to provide cost-effective rollout across a wide customer base.
i-Talent is web-based and enables housing providers to take a systematic approach to tracking applications, shortlisting and completing the necessary pre-employment checks. It reduces staff time taken to process jobs and applications, and it supports advanced equality and diversity monitoring and reporting throughout the recruitment process. i-Talent also allows users to monitor the effectiveness of their advertising spend. The system is entirely free to use and will be supported by the ConsultCIH team.
From the autumn, additional i-Talent PLUS modules will be introduced to help providers enhance identification and development of in-house staff talent, and to involve and engage their tenants in skills development and employment.
Speaking at the launch Trevor Barratt, Managing Director of Ocean Media Group, said: Through Inside Housing and www.insidehousing.co.uk we already offer the leading and most cost-effective recruitment advertising platform in the sector. Now with i-Talent's cutting-edge technology we are giving housing providers the opportunity to make their recruitment activity even more efficient and effective - critically important in the current economic climate. He went on: We see i-Talent as yet another way that Inside Housing can support the housing sector.
Richard Clark, Executive Chair of ConsultCIH said, “The i-Talent partnership between ConsultCIH, Ocean Media Group and Abacus eMedia has been a very productive relationship for all of us. It has enabled us to introduce a new human resources product into the housing sector quickly and with high impact. The support from Abacus has gone beyond technical competence and has contributed problem solving and innovative ideas throughout.”
The initiative has been strongly welcomed in the sector.
Gary Clark, Operations Director at Roseberry Housing Association said, This is an exciting new approach to recruitment; not only will this system make our recruitment processes a lot more efficient but it is also free, which I think represents excellent value for money. We are looking forward to the opportunity of using this system and testing it in the new environment.”