In any business, the back office team are the ones handling essential but non-revenue generating work. Their work can be thankless, but nothing really gets done without it.
In a recruitment agency, the back office is essential to keeping the business compliant and efficient. The trouble is that, as critical as this team’s work is, it can also be time-consuming and costly.
In this article, we’ll look at some points to help the back office team run their operations more smoothly. And when the back office engine is set, your business as a whole can rev up for even more success.
1. An overview of the recruitment back office
The recruitment back office team take care of administrative tasks that support the business. This could mean things like maintaining records, managing job applications, preparing reports, and coordinating communication with candidates and clients. The back office also handles financial tasks like invoicing and billing.
Others working at a recruitment agency will stay focused on winning new business and placing candidates. That’s how the recruitment back office team can be a strong support: their work enables other teams to keep processes efficient.
Here’s the takeaway: When the back office does their work well, the business does well.
2. How else does the back office help recruitment agencies’ operations?
There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes at a recruitment agency. Here are just a few key responsibilities that the back office team take on to keep the business running (and this isn’t all they do).
Reference checking and compliance | The heavy responsibility of managing legal and financial compliance is on the back offices’ shoulders. It’s their role to keep records up to date, make sure all accounting is accurate, and keeping the business in line with any relevant laws and regulations.
Supporting staffing & recruiting | Onboarding and ensuring new hires are ready for their roles can also be a back office task. This can include managing the large number of documents that come along with a new candidate, and coordinating communication around placement details.
Maintaining policies & procedures | The back office will usually write and keep everyone to a set of company policies. When done right, this will keep the whole business submitting timesheets on time and sticking to due diligence rules. Clear policies can keep errors to a minimum and improve company communication.
3. How do you know if your back office is working effectively?
If you’re wondering how well your back office is doing, it might be time for some detective work.
Here are some questions you can ask about back office operations:
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What tasks do the back office work on?
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Which of these tasks are manual?
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How long do all of the back office operations take?
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How are data about this work being collected?
That last point is probably the most important one. Without a way to quantify effort and results, it’s difficult to know which recruitment back office solutions to choose.
Any back office tasks that are manual are probably too slow and inaccurate for your business. You might start here when making changes.
To smooth out processes, collect valuable data, and make it easier to control for quality of work, the right recruitment back office software can help out your agency. Automating some of the time-intensive back office tasks will free up teams to take on more strategic work - and lower the risk of human error.
Wondering how to strategize? We’ve got some ideas on how to choose a software platform that speeds up your hiring pipeline.
4. What features do you need in recruitment back office software?
Not all recruitment software is built to help the back office. Here are three main factors to look for in your ideal recruitment back office solution.
Digital onboarding features
One way to cut down on paperwork chaos: digital onboarding. Documents that are uploaded are much easier to track than those filed away, and the back office team can set up alerts to monitor expiry dates or missing files.
And if there is a document issue, it’s simple to send out a quick communication and get a new doc electronically - and upload it instantly. No more info stored in drawers or heads.
If candidates can get a head start with onboarding via portal, so much the better. Every little bit that gets digitized and/or automated makes everyone’s work easier.
Streamlined and transparent processes
In a well-run recruitment agency, the front, middle and back office are transparent with communication. When it comes to data on candidates, clients and job boards, your recruitment back office software should work the same.
Look for a platform that lets data flow between different office operations. As a leader, you’ll want to make sure that this information is available across all of the business, and not just siloed in the recruitment back office.
It’s also a practical problem if your software doesn’t work well with different teams. An example: payroll. An automated back office support service will collect timesheets with less effort, which keeps errors down and efficiency up.
Invoicing management
An invoice management system can save your back office team hours - and just as importantly, get your business paid faster.
When integrated with the rest of your back office recruitment software, an invoicing program can track hours and calculate payments instantly. Another timesaver is the possibility of auto-drafting invoices for your team to approve.
The back office team at your agency can go faster and further with the support of the right software platform. The end result: money saved, an easier time maintaining client relationships, and overall improvements to business operations.
CRM integration
The best recruitment back office software will include integration with a CRM platform. While the back office team have to work closely managing job postings and payment information, an all-in-one integrated software will pull data from different parts of the system to keep everything organized.
5. Final thoughts
The recruitment back office is the core team responsible for all those unknown or rarely recognized tasks that keep an agency going. If this team isn’t working well, the whole business can suffer.
The first step to a high-performing back office team is finding the right people to entrust with your operations. After that, make sure to give them the tools they need to work efficiently and accurately.
Vincere's back office operations software can be just the right choice for your team. After you’ve taken time to measure the power of your back office and decided to scale it up, think of giving us a call to talk over how we can help your business.