PeoplePlus

PeoplePlus are a leading skills and training business helping people to transform their lives and businesses through work, training, education and financial advice. Their head office is located in Birmingham and as a business, they have over 1500 employees.

Challenge

PeoplePlus first partnered with IRIS networx in 2018, after they were notified that the system that they had been using for several years was no longer going to be supported. 

As experienced system users, the HR team at PeoplePlus not only knew exactly what they wanted from a new system but were also keen to avoid some of the challenges that were associated with their old system. 

With high costs assigned to even the smallest of text changes, the system had undergone very little development since it had been implemented and the team was left managing their recruitment with out-of-date technology with documents that hadn’t been changed for 4 years. 

As a result, when the team embarked on their search for a new ATS provider, they had a clear outline of what was required, areas they needed to improve and what they needed in order to achieve these key objectives. 

Solution

Usability was one of the primary drivers for the business. The software not only needed to support the needs of the HR team but a large number of end users who would be regularly using the system to manage their own vacancies. A simple user interface and intuitive design were key to reducing the amount of time the HR team spent chasing line managers and supporting them to complete the necessary tasks, something that had actually become a full-time role for one member of the team. 

Other key requirements included the ability to replicate their existing offer process which they had perfected, seamless integration with the IRIS Cascade HR Software, and the ability to create roles-specific adverts and application forms rather than a basic job description that was previously used. were also key.

Having tailored their system to meet the needs of the HR team, attention was later turned to the candidate experience. In order to streamline the process and deliver the best possible experience for all candidates and new hires. Peopleplus chose to implement the Onboarding portal. This not only helped to bridge the gap of information that was transferred between the IRIS networx ATS and their HR system but also and ensured that necessary tasks critical elements of the process were completed prior to all new employees starting with the business. 

Since the implementation of the Onboarding portal, all Right To Work checks and documentation have all been completed prior to a candidate's first day and added to the HR system for a smooth transition.  

The continued development of functionality and features available within the IRIS networx ATS have also proved beneficial for PeoplePlus. New functionality such as the introduction of video interviews via MS Teams in particular has allowed the company to continue to recruit throughout the pandemic and due to the cost and time benefits for both parties, this functionality will continue to be utilised as part of a blended approach to interviewing candidates remotely and face to face in the future. 

Like most organisations, Peopleplus were keen to reduce their cost per hire and took advantage of the automatic publishing of vacancies to the network. The IRIS networx network also helped reduce cost per hire generating 77% of all applications received come via this method and 43% of offers are made to candidates from this source. 

The fact that PeoplePlus receives thousands of applications via the network means that they don’t have to use any other attraction methods for many of their roles and therefore achieved a cost per hire for candidates who are hired via the automated publishing framework of just £70.03 per candidate between Dec 19-20.

Resourcing Manager Lizzie Mills who has been using the IRIS networx software since its implementation back in 2018 commented: 

“The best thing about the IRIS networx ATS is that it is modular and can be customised as you need. Although we weren't ready for the Onboarding portal straight away, the fact that we could add it to our system when we were in a position to do so meant we didn’t have to pay for functionality until we were ready to use it. 

Throughout the implementation Networx really listened to what we wanted whilst also providing valuable advice and guidance as to how the system could not only support our own processes but could also help us enhance some areas too. There is a lot of knowledge and experience that goes into each system set up and this really helps maximise ROI.

The support team is amazing and they always respond really quickly to resolve any issues. I love the ability to raise tickets from within the system as this is great for Line Managers and removes any need for us to get involved in issues that can be resolved directly.” 

Find out more about IRIS networx.