Introduction
MTC’s business purpose is to supply its customers, including small- and mid-size businesses, nonprofits, and governmental organizations, with highly professional experts and consultants in business process consulting, IT consulting, and IT outsourcing consulting. Currently, the firm is anticipating expanding procedures, which will require the fast hiring process of numerous applicants for the upcoming contract. The currently applied manual hiring procedure puts time and effectiveness constraints on the human resource department. In the face of such challenges and tasks, MTC needs to launch a new automated hiring system that would allow for achieving the goals within the company’s business strategy. The current report introduces the analysis of the business environment for the application of the new hiring system and the analysis of the existing hiring processes. Essential requirements for the new system and detailed recommendations are presented.
Strategic Use of Technology
Business Strategy
The currently used manual hiring system obstructs the firm’s ability to build a cadre of consultants internationally and provide customers with highly skilled consultants with expertise in new technologies and innovative solutions. Therefore, the proposed automated hiring system will increase the recruitment capacity and ensure that large volumes of information about numerous applicants are processed simultaneously. When using the new system, MTC will meet its goals of employing the best candidates to win new contracts, build an international team of consultants, and increase its competitive advantage by improving its most valuable asset – the human capital.
Competitive Advantage
Within the sphere of the consulting industry, MTC meets significant competition, including such firms as Hewlett-Packard (HP), Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), and smaller niche companies with loyal customers. However, as demonstrated by MTC’s strategic goals, the company aims at expanding its share in the IT consulting market by 7% each year during the next five years. Evidently, employees constitute the most valuable strategic asset of the company since it performs as the provider of consulting services. The more highly qualified and experienced consultants work in the company, the higher is the level of its competitive advantage over the rivals (Pereira et al., 2017). Therefore, an effective highly-technological hiring system is an immediate valuable tool for building hiring capacity that will ensure the recruitment of the most qualified and appropriate people for the most tentative positions within the entity.
Strategic Objectives
MTC’s strategic goals are aligned with the company’s overall business strategy and provide a step-by-step vision of what the firm plans to pursue in the nearest future. The objectives presented below provide measurable planned actions that will help achieve the goal if assisted with the new hiring system.
Decision Making
This table shows possible decisions on the strategic, tactical, and operational levels, which define the directions of the company’s development and will be supported by the new hiring system (“How do information systems support decision making,” n. d.).
Process Analysis
Hiring Process
The following table provides an analysis of the currently executed hiring process in MTC with each step defined, responsible positions identified, improvements the new system will provide for each step, and anticipated business benefits.
Expected Improvements
In the table below, the new hiring system-informed expected improvements are presented to demonstrate how they will facilitate the performance of MTC hiring team within such areas as collaboration, communication, workflow, and relationships.
Requirements
Stakeholder Interests
The following table demonstrates the problems and challenges faced by the company stakeholders in relation to their hiring practices.
Defining Requirements
In the following table, the identified user requirements and system performance requirements are listed in relation to stakeholder position in order to ensure that the new software meets these requirements; security and reporting features of the hiring system are addressed (Jambakr, 2019).
System Recommendation
System Justification
UMGC Hiring Solutions, Inc. provides an applicant tracking software, a solution that functions as a cloud-based software as a service. It integrates a system that allows for fast and cost-efficient top talent attraction, accessible and comprehensive user application, secure and online-stored data, and customization of hiring goals with corporate goals (UMGC Hiring Solutions, 2019). The automated hiring process’s solution complies with the strategic goals of MTC, the company’s objectives concerning the improvement of the hiring process, and meets user requirements as informed by interviews and business process analysis. Within the business strategy aimed at increasing the number of contracts with new clients and expanding internationally, the currently used manual hiring system is overloaded by paperwork and fails to suffice to the requirements of rising hires. The new system will allow for finding, interviewing, and employing the best talents available in the market. The automated algorithms and processes will increase the staff’s efficiency and allow for obtaining a competitive advantage in the sector. Also, the technology will allow for incorporating data globally, which will help to pursue the creation of an international team of consultants.
The new applicant tracking software improves the business processes by providing maximum automation, enhanced communication, and collaboration assistance for the hiring team. The software’s configurability allows for adjusting dashboards toward the company goals to eliminate redundant information and help managers and recruiters make hiring decisions more efficiently. Reports customization helps track performance, identify new fitting candidates promptly, and recruit the best talent faster than competitors (UMGC Hiring Solutions, 2019). Finally, the workflow will be improved due to the software’s features of providing timely updates on job openings and formal offers.
The specific requirements of the hiring team will also be met with the implementation of the new software solution. Firstly, the system functions as a software as a service solution and is presented as an electronic dashboard. Secondly, it meets the security-related requirements by storing data in cloud-based storage and online databases. Thirdly, it stores all applicant-related data, tracks candidates, and provides the evaluation of candidate’s qualifications as per the required positions. Fourthly, the system contains minimum manual processes with maximum automation related to applicant tracking, feedback, reporting, and interview scheduling. Finally, the software is optimized to comply with MTC’s current security guidelines and timekeeping/payroll systems.
Implementation Areas
Implementing a new software solution is a two-fold process that involves both a vendor and a recipient company engage in cooperation to ensure the effectiveness of new system integration. Since MTC is interested in fast and seamless transfer to the new system as soon as possible to provide the enhancing of competitive advantage and winning new contracts, it should take several steps. The organization should “that the business strategy is supported by feasible and appropriate technology architecture,” which facilitates the business process, complements the company resource capacity, and meets requirements (Oyekola & Xu, 2020, p. 2). While the vendor is obligated to comply with the company’s demands, MTC should ensure that it enters the agreement prepared.
Vendor Agreement
UMGC Hiring Solutions requires MTC to select the service within its budget, sign the agreement, and make the payment. The minimum cost of access to and configuration of the software includes a one-time system setup fee of $1,000, a one-time configuration fee of $2,500, web-based training of $295, which constitutes $3,795 in total (UMGC Hiring Solutions, 2019). The monthly fee to allow 60 system users falls under 25-100 users and costs $100 per month. However, the vendor provides MTC with the option of a free 30-day trial before prolonging the implementation.
Hardware and telecommunications
To access the system, MTC employees can use any devices, including personal computers, laptops, and mobile devices. Since it is a software as a service solution, cloud-based telecommunications are used. According to Bourgeois (2014), such systems’ advantages include lack of necessity to install software, availability from outside the company networks, and quick and efficient processing of information. Therefore, the employees will have access to the system instantly and guarantee proper functioning regardless of the hardware used.
Configuration
The vendor offers MTC an opportunity to adjust the configuration to the strategic business goals. Also, it provides the company with an option to customize the configuration of dashboards and workflows according to MTC’s needs. The configuration will be done upon the payment for a one-time individualized configuration by the vendor.
Testing
Once the system is set up and configured, MTC is eligible to start a free 30-day trial period for testing. To test the software, the MTC hiring team should test for functionality by checking account management, reporting, scheduling, and tracking (Oyekola & Xu, 2020). The system usability (the ease, effectiveness, and efficiency), flexibility, and fit with the company must be tested. Finally, software reliability and vendor observability should be checked (Oyekola & Xu, 2020). For example, to try user requirement number four concerning that the system must contain electronic scheduling of interviews, MTC employees will run the software, allocate several interviews to the calendar and evaluate the quality of automated scheduling adjustment.
Employee preparation and support
To prepare employees for the utilization of the new system, the CIO should initiate the training session. The allocation of the proper time for familiarization with the system within the training will ensure adequate utilization of the software in the future. Within the change management, the Director of HR should implement the interventions aimed at instructing the team on the shift to a new system. The preparation should include the articulation of the expectations and the readiness to change work patterns. The vendor representative should be allocated to MTC within the training service provided and paid for. The training sessions will be distributed to all team members. Finally, user support is provided by the vendor within the offered plan. The informational, technical, and explanatory support should be provided on demand.
Data migration
The information on existing applicants and positions that are stored manually should be inserted into the software manually. Electronic means, the information and data stored within the company’s electronic storage and interoffice mail might be transferred. The process of data migration might be facilitated by the vendor via user support options.
Maintenance
According to the vendor’s information, security, and other updates do not disrupt the process and are made automatically. The vendor is responsible for system maintenance and updates; MTC should address any disruptions to request a proper adjustment. Also, in case of implementation of the need to redesign job requisitions or other features, MTC is eligible to request the vendor’s support for showing how to make necessary adjustments.
Summary and Conclusion
The proposed software solution meets MTC’s requirements of enhanced competitive advantage in the IT consulting sector, company growth, increase of contracts, and international expansion. The software as a service solution allows for integrating the currently used guidelines and systems into the automated one with multiple benefits. In particular, MTC is guaranteed to obtain a cost-efficient, easy-to-use, and secure technology. The vendor provides setup, installation, updates, and maintenance that does not disrupt the workflow. The team’s communication and collaboration will be facilitated by means of automated reporting, applicant tracking, interview scheduling, and flexible software features. Cloud-based technology will ensure data safety and security, as well as software functionality, reliability, accessibility, and effectiveness.
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