Stonbury, a specialist contractor to the water industry, has chosen the Vacancy Filler end-to-end online system to help it with all its recruitment, onboarding and induction requirements. The order includes not just the Vacancy Filler ATS (Applicant Tracking Software) but also the Vacancy Filler Onboarding and ‘Connect’ Induction and communication modules as part of a drive to make Stonbury perceived as a ‘remarkable place to work’ right from the start of the recruitment process.
Initially Stonbury, which employs around 280 of people and recruits some 50 people a year across a range of jobs including site operatives and project workers, ordered the Vacancy Filler ATS (applicant tracking software) to reduce the time involved in recruitment activities. Using the ATS has vastly improved the effectiveness of the company’s ability to advertise on job boards, allowed the creation of a branded careers page on the company’s website, managed candidate applications and the selection and interview process, as well as communicating with potential recruits about the status of their application, and, finally, making the job offer. However, shortly after taking the ATS, the company then decided to order Vacancy Filler’s Onboarding and Induction Modules with a view to having a complete recruitment solution.
Loraine Thomas, HR Team Leader, said, “Stonbury is a forward-thinking company. All our systems – payroll, billing, and order processing are being digitised and it makes sense to ensure the entire recruitment process is also as fast and slick as possible. We recruit many people who are familiar with digital technology and expect to be able to run most of their lives, and work, with an app. Prior to taking the Vacancy Filler system, our approach to recruitment was a little haphazard, and sending out induction packs through the post and waiting for important documentation to be returned was time-consuming. The next step, once the Vacancy Filler ATS was up and running, was to add the additional modules to ensure the entire recruitment, onboarding and induction process is as professional as possible.”
The Vacancy Filler Onboarding Module allows the organisation to communicate interactively with those it plans to hire. This includes gathering all relevant information from a new hire before their start date and transferring it to the payroll and HR systems, including information about clothes sizes for uniforms, any car requirements, pre-employment health checks, and the right to work in the UK. The software encourages and facilitates ongoing communication and engagement with a candidate after job acceptance and during the notice period – a time when businesses sometimes lose candidates who change their mind about accepting a job offer, which good communication and candidate engagement can help reduce.
The newly-launched Vacancy Filler Induction Module - a highly visually attractive app or desktop platform called ‘Connect’ - can be fully branded to an organisation and accessed by those who have just accepted a job as well as by new joiners. It can also be used by staff on an ongoing basis, which is particularly useful to candidates who work remotely as it allows instant connection with their manager and the rest of their team, no matter where they are located. Company information packs, forms, training details and a variety of other communications can be sent to recruits via the app and this level of engagement can help reduce the number of people who leave within the first three months.
Loraine added, “We wanted a system that would save us time and money and which would make the entire recruitment process not just easier for us but also for our candidates, from an easy application process through to engaging with them in the crucial post-offer stage and beyond. We want our staff to know we care about them and are genuinely interested in involving them with the organisation. The Onboarding and Induction Modules will help us to communicate easily and interactively with staff during crucial periods for candidate retention, such as between job offer and starting and within the initial few months of beginning work, and they know that their payroll and other systems are set up from day one. “
