One thing that every small business needs to have in place, particularly when starting is their IT infrastructure. It’s not always the simplest thing to set up, so the job of implementing the IT can sometimes get put to the bottom of the list – It’s just picking a few computers up and getting the internet sorted surely? If only that were true – however some businesses do treat it that way when they are setting up and then pay for it later.
Setting up a new recruitment company is challenging. With extended hours to get off the ground and bring the first few clients on board, managing IT set up on top of that is an enormous distraction that takes away from efforts that bring money into the business. Outsourcing your IT – while an additional expense – leaves you as a recruiter free to do what you do best.
With that in mind, what should a new recruitment business be looking for – and looking to avoid as well – when it comes to the IT for opening a new recruitment business.
Circuit installation times
Getting a business-level internet circuit brought into your business can be something very likely to test your patience – especially when you’re starting up a new office and time is at a premium.
There is often only one provider in an area, which means that you have to dance to their tune. Frequently, whatever their lead times are, are the lead times that you have to accept. It can take up to 12 weeks for even the most basic work to be done to install an EFM or a fibre line into the office. This timescale is without taking into account any hold-ups (remember when time-limited you can guarantee that ‘what can go wrong – will go wrong!’ – so try to account for this).
The leads times can be accounted for and predicted, but if there are delays, it is impossible to say what the cause will be and how long they will last. Unfortunately, however, setbacks are prevalent. If there is a delay in your connection, there are some options – so long as you know what they are, then this can help you to make arrangements if it does happen.
Having a business quality internet connection is so crucial in recruitment – there will no doubt be a hosted phone system running off it too, and this is the lifeblood of your business, so make sure the installation is planned and ready in time.
Security
Cyber-security in this modern age is incredibly important. Don’t think that criminals won’t target your company, they sometimes see small businesses as easy pickings due to lax security and they have brought huge organisations like the NHS to their knees in recent years. It is no good worrying about this once it has happened – you need to be on the ball with this from the start.
The biggest weakness in any security system – even with your computers – is the human element. You can have all the anti-virus software and up to date security measures, but what you also need to do is make sure all staff are highly trained in cybersecurity and are very much threat aware. When it comes to security, make sure the human element is covered – train staff in it as well as getting all the relevant hardware and software.
IT Support
Getting the right equipment alone will not be enough. In a business like recruitment, if the IT network is down, you may as well shut the doors for the day until it is back up and running. No company can afford those lost hours, especially with the cash flow of a new business.
Should you consider an in-house IT team? While recruitment shouldn’t be a problem, the cost of full-time IT staff can be prohibitively expensive. There’s the full-time wage to consider along with continued training and accreditations and all the other expenses associated with a full-time staff member.
The alternative is a managed service provider (MSP) which is effectively an outsourced IT team that is available on call and is a lot cheaper than having an in-house team. There are pros and cons to both, but a reliable MSP will help your business stay running, and proactively fix any IT problems for you – sometimes before you even realise there IS a problem.
A comprehensive, cloud-based CRM Tool
As a recruitment company, you are going to have a substantial ‘talent pool’ of prospective employees for the companies you place people for. It is crucial to be able to go online and access your list of available people and your client information. A cloud-based CRM (customer relationship management) tool will allow you to do this and mean that your recruitment consultants can place the right people into the companies they are working for as quickly as possible. In the event you have a single device fail, there will be no loss of important customer data, and you’ll be able to get a new machine set up quickly.
Recruitment is one of the fastest-paced sectors there is – you need to be ahead of the competition at all times. It also lives and dies by its IT network – if the network goes down, the connection to the outside world does too, and then there IS no business. Setting up the correct systems and processes from the start gives you a platform on which you can build your business without any unwelcome surprises from your IT.
