StepStone and Birkbeck – An academic approach to e-recruitment

Birkbeck, a college of the University of London, is a world-class research and teaching institution and the UKís leading provider of part-time, evening higher education for over 19,000 students every year. Over 90 per cent of Birkbeck academics are ëresearch-activeí – the highest rate for any multi-faculty institution in London and one of the highest in the UK.

In October 2007 Birkbeck embarked on a major overhaul of its paper-based recruitment process to ensure that it could source and attract the best academic talent. Concerned by the number of hours spent by line managers and the HR team on recruitment administration within the College, Robert Morrison, HR Project Manager, realised that an e-recruitment solution was the answer.

Having implemented StepStoneís i-GRasp solution, Birkbeck has seen real improvements in efficiency in just four months. The capacity of the HR team to handle recruitment has more than doubled and cost per hire is projected to be down by 43 per cent year on year.

The challenge: Paper weight slowing time-to-hire

Birkbeck is recognised for providing the highest quality teaching, informed by international research excellence. It currently employs 1,100 academic, research and support staff alongside 700 active term-time teaching staff.

In the academic year of 2005/2006, Birkbeckís HR department received over 4,800 job applications, gathered over 1,200 references and spent over 1,100 hours on recruitment administration. The 2005/2006 academic yearís recruitment process generated over 190 reams of paper, enough to gift wrap a 4-bedroom detached house 27 times over. Birkbeck saw that an e-recruitment solution would fit well with the Collegeís other green initiatives and its policies to reduce waste.

Despite Birkbeckís long-standing use of print advertisements in trade media, Birkbeck quickly recognised online media, supported by a solid e-recruitment strategy, as the key to identifying and engaging with specialist talent pools. After benchmarking recruitment processes against those of its competitors, a business case was developed for an e-recruitment platform to support all recruitment activities. After consultation with its partner, The Guardian, Birkbeck decided to implement StepStoneís i-GRasp solution.

Robert Morrison comments: ìAfter reviewing our recruitment procedures, it was apparent that we needed to implement an e-recruitment solution to eliminate the low value routine paper-based process. The senior management team at Birkbeck wanted to be assured that the e-recruitment system put in place would reduce recruitment spend, whilst maintaining and building upon the high quality and quantity of candidates. It was also important that the system met with Birkbeckís ethos of widening participation and was accessible to all candidates regardless of age or disability, always ensuring a high quality candidate experience.î

From negotiation to launch the implementation of Birkbeckís new e-recruitment platform, StepStoneís i-GRasp, took just 11 weeks – with both StepStone and Birkbeckís IT Systems team instrumental to the swift and smooth set-up. Morrison appreciated that there would be some cultural resistance to the e-recruitment platform, so it was imperative that the implementation was both quick and delivered tangible benefits for College line managers, recruiters and candidates.

ìAs expected, certain stakeholders within the College were resistant to changes in our recruitment process. Some were apprehensive about working online and others worried that internet accessibility would be an issue. i–GRasp had to deliver from day one without fail, so our expectations were high – and it didnít disappoint,î continued Morrison.

The solution

StepStoneís i-GRasp now integrates Birkbeckís entire recruitment process, from job posting, candidate application management, internal career development to screening and selection. It offers a large range of functions ëout of the boxíî, enabling the HR department to redeploy team resources and accelerate time-to-hire. Guidance and content were also developed to meet the specific needs of Birkbeckís job candidates, internal line managers and the HR team, taking them step-by-step through the new recruitment processes.

Birkbeckís new external recruitment website now enables candidates to apply for multiple posts immediately. They can now revisit and change applications, keep track on the progress of their application, receive automated responses, schedule interview times and receive almost immediate job offers - all online. This is particularly important for overseas applicants where time differences had posed problems in the past. As an internationally renowned research university the e-recruitment system is enabling Birkbeck to improve accessibility to the global market. With internet use on the rise for all age groups, Birkbeckís senior management team was satisfied that all potential candidates could access the site at a lower cost than posting a paper application.

Before the implementation of StepStoneís i-GRasp, the HR team spent many hours logging paper CVs. This process has now been streamlined, not only reducing the amount of time spent on recruitment administration, but also the amount of money spent on postage and printing. Additionally, its management information capabilities allow the HR team to focus media spend on the best-performing channels. These functions enable them to reach high quality candidates, and target new media outlets resulting in access to a wider pool of talent.

The College line managers have been impressed by how StepStoneís i-GRasp has enabled the HR team to increase recruitment and improve the service offered to applicants.

The results: recruitment excellence!

With StepStoneís i-GRasp in place, Birkbeck was able to identify accurately its recruitment needs and customise the solution to meet these. The initial reluctance to move to an online approach has been replaced with enthusiasm for the e-recruitment system, particularly as StepStone hit the ground running, improving internal communications and time-to-hire almost immediately. In just four months, i-GRasp has made Birkbeckís recruitment process more cost-efficient, with the projected year-on-year recruitment cost per hire expected to be down by 43 per cent.

Over a year ago, the feedback from staff was that recruitment had become too administrative. Many hours were spent logging and reading through paperwork, wasting valuable time and money across HR and academic departments. Since going live with i-GRasp, candidate feedback has been positive and encouraging. We have made significant savings on media spend, HR capacity has more than doubled and candidate quality and quantity has been maintained and built on,î Morrison explains.

ìI am still waiting to see a hidden cost or undelivered promiseÖ the level of professionalism of the StepStone implementation team was beyond any of our expectations,î Morrison concludes.