An applicant tracking system is recommended for the New Westminster Human Resources Department and Police Department to improve efficiency. HireDesk or iCIMS are suggested providers as they allow a single shared system with separate access controls. Interviews found the current paper-based process is time-consuming and information difficult to access. An ATS would automate application intake, screening, and information sharing while centralizing applicant data. Estimates indicate implementation costs would be recouped through time savings.

1. RECRUITMENT PROCESS
AND APPLICANT
TRACKING SYSTEM
New West Human Resources and Police
Greg Wood
Gwwood2000@gmail.com

2. R E P O R T
Human Resources Department
To: New West HR department and NW Police Date: Wednesday May 13
From: Greg Wood, BCIT,
student consulting project
Subject: [Recruitment process and Applicant Tracking System]
RECOMMENDATION
Implement an Applicant Tracking System for both the New Westminster Human Resources
Department, and the New Westminster Police.
Either HireDesk or iCIMS will be the best system to meet the requirements identified through
the research in this report.
It is possible to have the same system in place for both departments, to operate it together, and
share the cost. There can be separated areas for multiple administrators, and user access will be
controlled to give defined access between specific users, and relevant applicants. This ability will
depend on the provider chosen. iCIMS can accommodate this, and has been recommended for
this reason among others. HireDesk may also meet this requirement but this has not been
confirmed.
A Cost/Benefit analysis has been undertaken, and with very conservative estimates regarding
benefits, realized with time savings, the costs of implementation are returned several times over,
and are easily justified. Briefly benefits for the two parties include;
NW HR department NW police
 Eliminate paper process - Eliminate paper applications
 Application database created automatically - Centralized, accessible information
 Easier, faster screening - Maintain links with deferred candidates
 Increased communication - Reduce time to respond to info requests
 Ease of access to information - Share information for Volunteer, Reserve

3. 1. Introduction
Municipalities may not operate in entirely the same way as private enterprise, but they do have
many things in common. They face constraints like any business, taxpayers prefer to pay less
taxes to keep more money in their pocket, but at the same time many services are required to
provide the standards of living we all enjoy. In a growing and dynamic city like New
Westminster it is necessary to constantly strive to become more productive and efficient to
provide top quality services to the constituency, in a fair and competitive way.
With the implementation of effective technology, and the training to get the most out of it, the
same number of employees will be able accomplish more in a smaller amount of time. The time
that is freed up can be put to work providing more of the necessary services demanded. Over
time with the implementation of these applications, the need for increases in staff can be
moderated without reducing the standard of quality provided to residents.
87% of North American recruiting professionals agree that using ATS/CRM technology is
important to the success of their business and 62% said they consider it “extremely important.”1
Online job applications and an ATS tool is exactly what is needed to reduce the time/cost
associated with workflows under the recruitment and selection responsibility.
a. Purpose of the project, including the business need /value proposition
The purpose of this project is to identify challenges or issues existing within the current
recruiting process. Through interviews, and collecting information from relevant outside sources,
determine whether an applicant tracking system (ATS) may be suitable in order to improve the
challenges identified. Lastly to make a recommendation regarding an appropriate ATS provider
and draft possible improvements.
b. Scope of the project
This project will focus on the activities of the HR department of the City of New Westminster, in
regard to their recruitment processes. Areas which can be improved with the implementation of
an ATS and an online application process. Also the New Westminster Police Department and
their recruitment process will be evaluated with the same potential improvements in mind. To
1 “Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: North American Staffing and Recruiting Trends Report,” Bullhorn, Inc.,
2013

4. support the recommendation of an ATS a cost/benefit analysis will be created to support
financial feasibility and approximate the potential return on investment (ROI).
What is an ATS
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software solution that automates an organization’s
recruiting and staffing operations, providing a central repository for candidate data. This includes
resumes and applications, as well as, other necessary qualifications like Police Record Checks
and results of skill tests. Information is always readily searchable, and reports can be easily
created and viewed on a dashboard. Recruiting can be better managed with improved processes,
from application to hire, using an ATS, delivering greater overall efficiency.
ATS will provide solutions to screen applicants faster, with self-reported qualifying questions,
resume parsing, and identification of selected keywords, identifying targeted competencies.
Quick comparisons can be made between candidates and their respective qualifications and the
fit to a particular job description.
ATS will eliminate the necessity for large amounts of data-entry, eliminate the need to print and
organize paper applications, and facilitate communication, and ease of access to files and records
for hiring managers.
Also data will be collected as the system is in use to create reports and begin to measure metrics
and create analytics which can demonstrate areas of success and identify areas where
improvements are possible.
2. Current situation
New Westminster Human Resources Department
The current recruiting and hiring practices follow industry best practices, and represent a fair and
balanced process to find “the best and most qualified individuals, based on knowledge, skills and
abilities and other competencies”. As laid out in the policy document #197175 Corporate
Employment Policy. During this research process several areas have been identified which may
be improved with the implementation of an ATS.
Jobs are posted online, on the city’s website, civic jobs website and specialized industry level
websites. However there is no online application process at this time and resumes and cover
letters are collected with several methods: e-mail, fax, mail, and in-person. This process is labor
intensive, and increases time/costs, as well as, materials cost. Costs that could be reduced
include:

5.  Printing costs, ink, paper, maintenance, wear and tear, staples;
 Manual filing for competitions
 Data inputting, when competitions are kept in an Outlook folder;
 Time consuming screening process;
Implementation of an ATS will automate many of these processes, and create a centralized
database, with records including reference checks, police criminal record checks if needed, and
any necessary certifications. Also the following issues will be improved:
 Less accessibility, inconvenient for hiring managers to access;
 Less convenient to share notes, and communicate among managers;
 No separate integrated e-mail for mass communication with candidates;
 No automatic replies, condolences, or encouragement to apply for different position;
 Little access or information from past applicants;
 No talent network, social networking, sourcing, online referral programs;
 No data, metrics, or analytics to create reports;
During the final shortlisting phase and interview process, if hiring managers from other
departments want to look at resumes they currently have to come from their home locations to
City Hall. If they remove the files there is a risk of loss, or lack of security regarding privacy.
With an ATS buckets or groupings of resumes can be created and will be accessible only by the
appropriate hiring manager, as well as, the HR manager.
With a dedicated e-mail integrated with an ATS hiring managers can if they so choose separate
e-mails regarding selection and hiring from their ‘everyday’ business e-mail. Also mass
communication and automatic replies can be set up to send condolences to those applicants who
were not selected to be interviewed, and those who are not selected at later cut-offs. Applicants
who are a good fit for the culture or who have desirable competencies can be separated into a
separate category and be sent a different automated reply encouraging them to apply for a more
suitable position.
Applicants and candidates who are not successful with their first application may select an
option to have their profile information remain in the system for future opportunities. In this
situation managers will have access to notes and previous information determined about the
applicant.
Before and after interviews all notes from the interview panel can be attached with the applicants
profile to be reviewed at the convenience of each participating manager. Interview results will be
easier to compare when making decisions.
With the current process all notes are decisions are recorded and kept for an appropriate amount
of time for the purpose of legal defensibility and fairness. This is best practice in preparation for,
and to avoid Human Rights complaints, complaints concerning nepotism, conflicts of interest or
union disputes. This system can also benefit from having all this information at one’s fingertips
in the centralized database created with the ATS.

6. New Westminster Police
Currently the New Westminster Police and a rigorous multi step, multi hurdle, 8+ step process in
order to qualify to enter the police academy training and become a sworn member. There is a
very thorough application process followed by reference checks and an investigation conducted
by members of the police force to determine a candidate’s suitability.
Over the past four years there has been an average of 9.4 hired sworn members per year. The
number of hires can vary broadly from 2-12 constables per year. On average an application takes
between 4-6 months. During this time the candidate may be accepted, deferred, closed, or
terminated. Deferred candidates are applicants who fail to meet a certain requirement but are
encouraged to meet it over a certain period of time and then continue their application.
Candidates with closed applications are allowed to re-apply in the future and be reconsidered.
Terminated applicants are not welcome to re-apply.
Through interviews with Kim Doxsee, Chad Johnston, and Todd Matsumoto areas for potential
improvement with the implementation of an ATS were identified.
 Information from past applications, is hard to retrieve, and very time consuming;
 Past applicants who are deferred can become, discouraged, and drop out of the process,
or misunderstand the situation and may not fulfill the requirements to continue on;
 Little follow up and tracking through outside means of development;
 Long application folder, lots of paper very large files;
 Information regarding disqualified applicants is not stored and accessible to reference for
Reserve Officer, Civilian, or Volunteer applicants.
The greatest advantage with the implementation of an ATS is the central database where all
information is collected and accessible to relevant parties. All information is searchable,
information is easier to compare amongst candidates, and against requirements. One major issue
that occurs on a daily basis is requests for information from past candidates regarding their
status, and requests for information from other police forces regarding past candidates. The paper
files are only kept on hand for one year after that they are moved to an archives area.
Searching for information which is on-hand is slow and time consuming for both Kim Doxee and
Chad Johnston. However this process is even longer and can take days if the information
required is more than a year old and requires access from archives, the Information Management
Unit (IMU). Having applicant information available in a database will save several hours of
work each week for both these stakeholders and will add value by being able to share
information easily and quickly with other police forces.
Past applicants who have been moved into the deferral stream are still valuable assets to the
recruitment department. At the moment these applicants receive a letter outlining what
requirement needs to be completed and when in order to move forward with the application.

7. However this is a weak point in the recruitment process. Remaining in contact with applicants in
this situation is difficult since there are so many, and each one has different requirements. Also
the information is not available in a centralized and searchable database.
With an ATS repeat e-mail could be automated to follow up once a month or weekly in order to
ensure the candidate understands and is encouraged to complete the requirement. Demonstrating
to the candidate that the NW police is interested in their success, and by keeping a channel of
communication with the candidate open, these deferred candidates will be more likely to
complete the process. Increasing the return and completion rate of deferred candidates will allow
for a better selection pool and may assist with the ability to target high potential candidates and
attract the diverse set of skills and people necessary to fill all available positions.
Having the large paper driven system is bulky and requires time consuming searches. In an
average week Constable Johnston will have to make several trips from his office to Kim’s office
in order to locate and search for information from a file in order to answer an inquiry. Or obtain
information for another purpose. Avoiding these trips alone and having the convenience of
searching data on a computer will save a large cost in time savings.
Lastly another potential danger is for an applicant who has been discovered to be in-admissible
for any employment or affiliation with the NW Police may re-attempt to apply for a lesser role.
For example they may apply for a reserve position, civilian position, or as a volunteer. If the
termination has been made during a later stage in the investigation process of applicants,
information that is not available in a common police search may have been discovered, in order
to come to that decision. However because this information is not kept on record to be referenced
by others recruiting services, for lower level positions for example volunteers, unacceptable
applicants may slip through. In all likelihood unacceptable applicants will be rejected in any role,
and for all positions proper measures are followed in the very least this again is wasted time, that
could be made more efficient with the ATS.
All the advantages described for sworn members, can also be stated as advantages for keeping a
central database of volunteers. Being able to keep in contact with volunteers who have dropped
out of participating for whatever reason, like the deferred candidates, it will it much easier for
them to come back. As new opportunities arise or the need for volunteers for certain events or
seasonal activities occurs a mass e-mail can be sent out to past volunteers to let them know
opportunities are available. An automated e-mail once or twice a year might also raise the level
of appreciation they feel and could be an encouragement to stay involved in the community.
Instead there could be an alert to remind the organizer and a template to recap all the activities
and event where volunteers have helped out to acknowledge their service.

8. 3. Research
a. Methodology: outline both primary and secondary
Interviews will be held with all relevant stakeholders in order to have a complete understanding
of the recruitment processes. Particular attention will be given to the early stages where
maximum benefits will be derived from the use of an ATS.
Information regarding successful uses and implementation of ATS will be sought out from
outside relevant and comparable parties. Other municipalities with similar needs and similar
characteristics like population size will be particularly useful. In order to offer useful information
on the Police side interviews will take place with other agencies who have recently implemented
an ATS.
With the requirements understood various providers of ATS will be evaluated and contacted in
order to collect available information. Information from websites, white papers, reviews and case
studies and third party sites offering opinions from HR professionals who have used these
applications will be considered as support for any recommendation.
Interviews with HR staff
Sally, Angela, Marie, Donna and Christine
Major issues, and needs discussed were:
 Overall usefulness, reliable and functional;
 User friendly, good user interface;
 Security;
 Capabilities;
 Beneficial opportunities of online applications;
 Convenience or posting to outside platforms;
 Integrated e-mail.
During interviews with Sally, Angela, Marie, Donna, and Christine valuable aspects of ATS
were identified and centered around, functionality, ease of use, learning curve, maximizing time
saving benefits, high validity with parsing and sorting results, while keeping any potential for
error low.
The time consuming nature of the current process becomes quickly apparent when considering
all the time that goes into the primary stages of the recruitment process. As shown in the
cost/benefit excel sheet simply changing the method of collecting resumes and cover letters, in

9. combination with the elimination for the need to print, collate, and file applications saves large
chunks of time.
Screening and shortlisting candidates is the second best time saving area. During interviews the
impact of question forms during the application process was anticipated. Self-reporting
qualifications, help to reduce the time is takes to separate qualified from un-qualified
applications, then it’s a simple process to vet the validity of those claims with the short listed and
accepted candidates.
Capabilities of the ATS regarding communication with applicants and tools to facilitate
scheduling interviews, tests, and completing police criminal record checks or other background
information if necessary was identified as valuable. Having a separate e-mail integrated and with
capabilities to use templates, automated programmed e-mails and mass e-mails was considered
to be a useful function.
Accurate resume parsing is another important function which was identified to speed up short
listing activities, and compare the top applicants in any given competition. Keywords were also
considered somewhat useful for identifying competencies matching those required. The soft skill
necessary to fit with culture and work well in the organization can then be corroborated as well
as can be possibly done with the panel interview process. By keeping track of applicants
throughout the process and collecting data on successful hires it will be possible to back test
accepted hires and asses the usefulness or identify adjustments that need to be made to the
application process to increase the usefulness and validity of the ATS tools.
There were some concerns raised over the lack of personal touch and face to face contact
involved with this type of process. It would be possible to accommodate the small number of
people who for whatever reason will not or cannot participate in online applications. Many
municipalities however have strictly refused to accept any other method of application and have
decided that the benefits of this process outweigh the negatives.
Jeannie Karen Richard and Wendy
Major issues, and needs discussed were:
 Security;
 Sharing information, communication ability;
 Centralized data storage;
 Functionality.
After the initial phases of the recruitment process which realize the bulk of the gains there will
also be benefits in terms of maintaining information collected and realized during the interview
process. One major advantage is accessibility for hiring managers from outside the HR
department. No longer will managers have to travel to City Hall to view and discuss applications.
They will be able to access the pool of candidates they are choosing from wherever they are.
Security and privacy of information was a major issue identified in these interviews and the

10. separation of buckets of candidates into files accessible only to particular users is a benefit of the
ATS identified.
Storing data and keeping records appropriate for legal challenges stemming from Human Rights
disputes, conflict of interest issues, and union grievances. Having notes and recorded decision
alongside applicant’s profiles makes it easier to keep track of this important information. During
interviews this stage of the process was also a noted area to consider.
Lastly upon the successful completion of the selection process if by the push of a button the
applicant information could seamlessly be moved to JD Edwards then this would reduce one
more step and save time. Having the ATS integrate seamlessly into the current HRIS would be
valuable to avoid the necessity for double entry of employee data. From JD Edwards Chronos
can pull data for timekeeping so only one link would be necessary there.
Interviews and responses from outside related parties regarding the use of HireDesk
Mathew Papp, Surrey HR
Positives
 Ability to customize work flow
 Captures resumes well
 Simple to use from applicant perspective
 Can create buckets of applicants to share with specific people
 Pre-questionnaire works well
 Good for smaller sized organizations
 Servers in Canada
 Affordable
 Likes point system for ex B.A – Master – PHD higher score
Negatives
 Lack of upgrades
 Unhappy with reporting tools
 Could not identify the source of hires
 Does not handle mobile
 Not adaptive
 Suggested E-recruit iCIMS

11. Elaine Tindle Port Moody HR
All positive
 Cost $9,000 initiation then $5,000 per year
 Moving away from paper a big improvement
 Left telemetry add on when it lost LinkedIn functionality
 Easy to use
 Not much training necessary, mostly self-taught
 Customer service is quick
 Looking to improve her process, eliminate steps
 Working with a group of people from other municipalities to develop more skill
 Likes reporting function
o total profiles in system,
o time to hire
 Notes on profiles, number of contacts, time between status’
 TQI talent qualification inventory, built for each job
 Auto emails, communicate direct from HireDesk application, separation
 They do not accept any paper applications except for some internal applications
Cst. John Wilcox Recruiting Section Abbotsford Police Department
Negatives, he started with the negatives
 Dated program, rigid
 Unable to modify, built jobs
 Cannot edit. Add or remove steps
 Limitations with keeping accurate statistics ex. Reactivated candidates show as new
Positives, after I asked
 Hard to get lost
 At the end of the day it serves its purpose well
 Can generate tailored statistical reports, although experienced double counted and
trapped data because of newly made “jobs” which would have preferably been edited
current “jobs”
Jill McDonald, Abbotsford Police Department, Human Resources
 We do not use [the system] to its potential
 Have not done much “back end” work with it
 No basis for comparison
 Has been a benefit to our organization for tracking resumes and jobs.

12. Lisa Tran, VPD
Contacted but she didn’t have much contact with the system, no comment.
Lisa Kofod, VPD
The cost: approximately $9,000 to start up and will be approximately $5,000 per year.
Expected benefits: We have been live for approximately 4 weeks and have already reduced
Administrative costs/duties considerably. Having applicants fill out details during the online
portion, as opposed to processing information from paper applications, has been a significant
time saver.
The decision to go with HD was ahead of my time, but I believe there were a number of options
considered. Cost was a factor, as some systems were considered too expensive for a single
department.
Integrating HireDesk with any other I.T system: No
Applicant info automatically moved to another system, linked: No
Things we like about the system: Applicants enter data that we previously had to enter. There is
an amazing resume extraction software that uploads general, employment and education
information. The email template capability makes it so fast and easy to send out multiple,
customized emails.
Problems so far: Some initial difficulties with our IT capabilities/firewall blocking the ability to
use some facets of HD. There are some things that HD cannot do, as it is designed for companies
that recruit – so we will never use some of the functionality.
Is there a representative who comes to set things up for you: We have worked closely with
several HD specialists? I have arranged a few team training days and the implementation director
was there as well. There is ongoing help via email or by phone. I set up most of the questions and
have learned administrative duties for any ongoing changes needed – such as changes to
wording, etc.
Customized website or customized forms: Although the initial HD program is set up for hiring
purposes other than our own, we have been able to modify the tabs and areas from our own
website to the HD site. HD allows for some branding, so even though applicants have left our
website and entered the HD site, it still appears to be ours. We are able to link to our site when
needed.

13. Sally Abel, NW Sr. HR Assistant, 2012 ATS Survey
Other municipalities already using HireDesk
 Abbotsford
 Delta
 Langley
 Maple Ridge
 Surrey
Provider Contacts
Darryn Hook iCIMS
 iForrms library with dozens on pre-made forms
 Ability to upload and re-format paper forms
 E-signatures legally binding
 Skype or e-mail through the system directly
 Video screening supported and easy to manage on both sides
 Social distribution and sourcing, referral program,
 Facebook, LinkedIn pulls information and makes suggestions or auto e-mail
 Source tracking
 Responsive mobile design, conforms to any screen
 Branded sites
 Dedicated implementation team 8 weeks, much faster than industry average
 Reached out to JD Edwards and integrates with Chronos, will speak to all systems
 Highest industry retention, 2 upgrades each year.
iCIMS Partners: LinkedIn, Indeed, Workopolis, Glassdoor, SimplyHired, Recruitics, FirstJob,
Digime, Career.co, appcast.io. 2
Kim Gougeon, HireDesk/ Talemetry
We discussed price only, and information regarding the system was gathered from outside users
as previously discussed.
Nathan Gilroy, Halogen
Halogen does not currently have the functionality in their ATS portion of their service, they are
in development. Halogen sells a combined performance management and recruiting suite. This
company is worth investigating in regards to performance management and have excellent
products in this area which would combine well with the recommended ATS.
2 http://www.icims.com/company/software-partners

14. Interviews with Police staff
Kim Doxee and Chad Johnston
Major issues, and needs discussed were:
 Security
 Privacy concerns due to depth of information involved process
 Ability to move the entire process online, paperless
 Advantages in operating the multi 8+ step process in a more efficient way
 Massive advantage of central database
 Time savings benefits
 Ease of use for applicants
 Potential to reduce drop off of deferred candidates
 Address concerns of terminated applicants re-applying to other positions
 Advantages in organizing and managing information of volunteers
Secondary
Investigating HireDesk, iCIMS, Halogen
 Websites
 White Papers
 Case Studies
 Info graphics
 Online Reviews, Linked in reviews by users in HR field
Companies excluded Taleo, Workday, Bullhorn, BambooHR
 Data hosting in the U.S FOIPPA privacy concerns
 Higher cost with less benefit and functionality
 Undesirable performance from applicant perspective
b. Findings: both primary and secondary
During the course of researching the recruitment processes of NW HR and NW police clear
benefits leading to a positive Cost /Benefit ratio have been identified. With broad gains available
in value that can be achieved throughout all levels and stages of the process estimations are many
times the cost of these systems. For every tangible benefit that can be converted into an

15. approximate savings there is an equally valuable intangible benefit such as the potential to attract
more candidates and possibly find a better employee for a position which will be a benefit that
pays many time over the course of a career. Extra time savings generated by implementing a
technology solution will spill over in improvements in all other areas since more time and energy
can be spent in those areas. Saved time and efficiency is clearly an advantage that will be created
for both parties interested in implementing one of these ATS.
Better results, more information with data collection, metrics, and analytics through reports. At
this time there is very little data available to make proper estimations of the benefits. Also
because it is difficult to measure the processes in their current form it is also difficult to manage
and improve those processes. With the implementation of ATS and having data automatically
compiled with every transaction a wealth of knowledge will become available and accessible at
one’s fingertips. Pulling up reports and metrics concerning the operations of recruiting and
selection will open up possibilities for locating areas that need to be improved or areas that can
be altered to gain better results.
ATS will make recruiting processes scalable over the long-term. With growth in the city’s
population the quantity of service must increase. In order to keep costs from increasing faster
than necessary technology must be added to replace paper processes to gain in efficiency and
productivity. Empowering HR professional with the best tools will help reduce the number of
new employees needed over time and will make economies of scale possible.
Through the research findings suggest that HireDesk may be an acceptable program and should
be demonstrated to a final decision maker, as well as, iCIMS. Although iCIMS has a larger cost
associated to it the higher level of functionality and high level of service will bring many more
benefits to the implementation of this system. The police especially will benefit from the ability
to change any paper application document they are currently using into an e-document or iForm.
The ability to make legally binding e-signatures is also important. iCIMS is a leader in the
industry with high recurring revenue and fast growth leading one to believe they will be a very
stable company moving into the future. iCIMS has valuable partnerships and because they focus
only on ATS they can update rapidly and meet the needs of individual organizations in a wide
range of industries.
4. Recommendation
The findings in this report demonstrate the value of implementing an ATS. Both HireDesk and
iCIMS should be explored as options. iCIMS is more sophisticated and has newer functions that
are leading the industry today. Their platform is optimized for mobile devices, they have video
functionality, for video cover letters easily made with the click of a button from inside the
application with one’s webcam. They are partnered with LinkedIn and therefore will never lose
recruiting functionality as some other applications have, like Telemetry, which is the upgrade
available for HireDesk. iCIMS has revenue growth which is leading the industry at 35%, their
repeat customer base, recurring revenue is 97%. iCIMS is entirely focused on ATS that is their
only business. They have an online university for training and development and are committed to
the highest levels of customer service. They promise to integrate with any other system that is
required. iCIMS also has an iForms library with dozens of pre-made forms and promises to be

16. able to re-format any paper application document into one that is compatible and usable online in
the application process. These forms have the ability to add electronic signatures which are time
stamped and legally binding. iCims costs about triple the price of HireDesk per year at
approximately $15,000 per year.
HireDesk is adequately functional, and is local, contrasted by iCIMS which is located in Ontario.
There may be an advantage with many other municipalities using HireDesk, it may be easier to
exchange information. HireDesk is not likely to integrate with other systems easily. Much of the
focus for this company is in developing Talemetry which is an upgrade and add on to HireDesk
whcih costs an extra $5,000 per year, and they have lost much of their access to LinkedIn since a
change of policy took place there. HireDesk does not feature some of the new and trending
functionality like mobile adaptation, and video cover letters or video conferencing. However
HireDesk would still bring many of the efficiencies created by moving from a paper driven
system to an online application and central database advantage.
Halogen does not provide the functionality required in regards to an ATS, they are currently
developing in this area. Halogen sells a combined performance management and recruiting suite.
For performance management this would be an excellent choice.
Cost Benefit Analysis
***See excel sheet for cost benefit estimates.
iCIMS cost = $6,750 initiation, $16,200 per year
HireDesk cost = $9,000 initiation, $5,000 per year
Conservative estimate of benefits created by time savings = $50,000
However and estimate of $250,000 in time savings could be easily substantiated.
iCIMS ROI in year one with the conservative estimate is 1.18.
HireDesk ROI in year one with the conservative estimate is 2.6
***This ROI is simplified because it uses the same benefit for both systems, it would take more
time, comparing the actual effects of the two different systems to arrive at a more accurate
estimation of the benefits. Unfortunately this study is too limited to arrive at a complete solution
and both systems should be investigated further. Demo’s and pilots of both systems can be
provided by the contact sales people, and further information may be provided by them to come
to a more complete conclusion.
Processes improved by ATS
 Time to accept and collate resumes
o Phone calls, in person applications, receiving by e-mail, fax, mail
 Cost of printing and time to print, wear and tear on machine and ink

17.  Cost of waste/ environmental cost
 Time to input data into spreadsheet or outlook folder
 First reading and Screening resumes
 Creation of a short list recommendations
 Communications, and scheduling
 Making interview notes and decisions easily accessible, on-site or remotely
 Automating in-put of newly hired employee data into other systems
 Avoiding double entry of information.
5. Next steps or Implementation
 Privacy Impact Assessment
 Verify integration
 Verify Privacy and data storage concerns
 Verify contract terms, suitability of company, and risks of takeover? Data loss
 Discuss accessibility of various users, administrators, data flows between HR and Police.
 Request for Proposal
 Demo Pilot
 Draft a training and development plan
 Design branded website portals
6. Any Other Findings
“Building a Talent Network” is a trend that came up in the course of research over and over. This
refers to applicants who may decide they are not interested in current availabilities but like the
organization and can see themselves fitting with the culture or goals. Having a place for these
interested candidates to keep connected and in communication with a potential recruiter is a
valuable asset. A talent network can be passively built up and is best in combination with a social
networking strategy where information about an organization can be pushed out. Also jobs can
be posted or spread out in this fashion and the talent network can refer people they know from
their own network or distribute information for the organization. In combination with an ATS
like iCIMS a referral incentive program can be created and a distinctive link which can be later
identified is pushed out by any person in an organization for the purpose of referral. If this link
which may be passed through many hands ends up creating a good candidate the originator of
that successful referral can be rewarded, incentivizing further participation.
Offensive vs. Defensive recruiting, with access to social employment networks like Linked in
and sourcing abilities created by ATS like iCIMS offensive recruiting can be more easily
implemented in a passive and automated way. iCIMS can look for potential matches with
keywords, job titles, and other data to match possible candidates with available positions.
Automated e-mails can be programmed or alerts sent to recruiters in order to follow up with high
potential matches. These candidates would be good to have signed up in the Talent Network for
future possible openings.

18. Social Media integration and presence is becoming more and more important and common place
for all kinds of businesses and organizations. Having a significant social media presence is
valuable to increase the employment brand of an organization. This will help attract the best
talent and make those high value employees aware of the best attributes and advantages that may
be available for them at that organization.
New West police already have good social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. LinkedIn
presence alongside these other two could be further developed with portals to the ATS and
access of more people to the recruiting process. Having employment links and an improved
online applications process will add to the ability to attract a diverse and skilled workforce that
matched the community it serves.
7. Conclusion
Implementing an ATS as recommended will create many benefits: time savings, creation of data
to use in metrics and analytics, more accessible, easily compared information, and better
communication. These advantages will continue to help make the best hires possible in a
competitive market meeting the growing demands of the City.
Having data automatically collected in a central database that is searchable, reportable, and easy
to access, yet secure, is a necessity to move into the future in an efficient and scalable way.
Applicants are very used to online application processes, and enjoy the convenience. They are
also looking for faster response times which can be accomplished with automation and use of
technology. Sourcing from social networking sites and building a talent network for referrals and
maintaining a pool of candidates for future openings will also be more convenient
There are many valuable functions, integrated e-mail with automation, and mass communication
ability, separation that keeps e-mail organised and encapsulated. Resume parsing, question based
TQI’s, and keyword highlighting and analysis for self-reported competencies are only some of
the benefits which will vastly reduce the time spent sorting and filtering resumes. Implementing
an ATS will also create the ability for applicants to use mobile devices which has been
increasing in popularity. ATS functions will create better efficiency and productivity of current
workflows in order to free up time and make improvement in any other areas of the HR process.
_______________________________
Name: Greg Wood
Title: Recruitment process and Applicant Tracking System

19. Appendix
HelloGreg,
Althoughwe have beenusingHire Deskforabout4 years,my experienceswithHire deskare somewhat
limited.
I workwithHire Deskon the civilianside,we onlyuse itforexternal applicantstoacceptandto store
resumes,itisunfortunate,butwe donotuse it to itspotential. Iwashere whenwe implementedthe
system,butto be honest,once itwas setup we reallyhaven’thadtodo much‘back end’withregardsto
setup or changes. We didnot have an ATSprior to this,aswe diditall manually,sounfortunatelyI do
not have anythingtocompare thissystemto,but I can say ithas beena benefittoourorganizationto
have implementedthissystemfortrackingresumes&jobs.
The limitationsthat [respondent1] has mentionedare validandcan be a bit inconvenientattimes.
I have not done toomuch withreports,butthe reportsthat I have utilizedare somewhathelpful,but
not necessarilyaccurate,thereforeIcontinue totrack manually.
I agree with[respondent1]’sideaof talkingto [respondent3] at VPD,theyare inthe processof
implementingitsotheirlevel of knowledge wouldbe more current.
If you have specificsyouare inquiringabout,letusknow andIam sure one of us can helpyouout
Respondent#2

20. Greg,
I can’t speakto [respondent2]’sexperienceswithHireDesk,butIwill give youmyfeedbackfrommy6
monthsof usingit to processrecruitapplicants.
It isa datedprogram,and fairlyrigid. Once youbuilda“job”,you are unable to modifyit. For example,
we recentlyaddedanewstepto our applicationprocess. Inorderto incorporate thatstepinto
HireDesk,we needtocreate a new“job” – there isnoabilitytoedityourcurrent joband simplyadd(or
remove) astep.
If you wantto keepaccurate statistics,ithas itslimitations. Forexample,re-activatingapplicationsfor
oldapplicants(whowere notsuccessful intheiroriginal application,butare now more competitive)
wantingtore-enterourprocessgetaddedintothe current yearas “New”applications. Therefore,there
isno way at the endof a calendaryearto tell whotrulywasa “new”application,andwhowasa
“reactivated”application.
If you haven’talready,I’dsuggestyoucontact [Respondent#3] at the VancouverPolice
Department. VPDhasjustgone to HireDesk,and [Respondent3] andher teamare far more
knowledgeable fromaground-uplevel thanIam.
[Anotherperson] alsoinformedme thatthe Province of Albertajustwenttoa province-wideapplication
processthat issharedby all non-RCMPagenciesinAlberta,if Irecall correctly. Inotherwords,anyone
applyingtoanyand all police departmentsinAlbertacandoit viaa single portal.
I do notknowabout cost. My predecessorbroughtthe programinto APDin late 2010. I don’tbelieve
that there wasanythingontop of the initial purchase price. Ido know that one of the commentsI heard
frommy predecessorwasthatgettingsupportcouldbe difficult. VPDhas a directlinkwithHiredesk’s
rephere in BC (basedinRichmond),so theymighthave adifferentperspective.
I hope that helpssomewhat. Feel freetocall if youhave more questions.
Yours truly,
Respondent#1 police.
Follow up question, positive features?
I will see if Ican findoutthe purchase price.
It isa verysimple program,verylinear,hardtoget lost.
At the endof the day,it servesitspurpose well.
There isthe abilitytotailorandgenerate awide varietyof statsreports – the onlyissue asmentionedis
whatI see as double-countingwhenyou bringsomeonebackintothe processwhohas beenpreviously
rejected.
I shouldhave mentionedtoothatif youbuilda new jobto capture a new stepin the process,you
candidate datato that pointis“trapped”in the oldjob. When yougenerate reports/statsfromthe new
job,it doesnotinclude applicantsfromthe time priortothe start date of usingthe new job. Inother
words,youhave to run reportsundereachjob,oldand new,andthencombine the reports. AtleastI
haven’tbeenable tofindaway to migrate all the applicantdatafromthe oldjobintothe new
job! Maybe VPDcan helpyouthere!

21. HelloGreg,
I have made some noteswithyourquestionsbelow.Letme know if youwouldlike more details.
The cost: I am not the bestpersonto talk to about this,asI can onlygive yougeneral numbers.Itwas
approximately$9,000 to start up and will be approximately$5,000 peryear.
Expectedbenefits: We have beenlive forapproximately4weeksandhave alreadyreduced
Administrative costs/dutiesconsiderably.Havingapplicantsfill outdetailsduringthe online portion,as
opposedtoprocessinginformationfrompaperapplications,hasbeenasignificanttime saver.
Was there anyresearchdone aheadof time or how didyoudecide tochoose HireDesk: The decisionto
go withHD was aheadof my time,butI believethere were anumberof optionsconsidered.Costwasa
factor,as some systemswere consideredtooexpensive forasingle department.Youmightwanttolook
into451 Solutions.Thisisacompany currentlybeingusedbyCalgaryPolice andIbelieveRedDeerand
Edmontonare all sharingthe same hiringsystem.The contactsI have forthemare: PatrickShea
(PShea@451-solutions.com);anewburg@451-solutions.com
Do theyhostyour data or are youdoingthat in-house:Theyhost.Theirstorage facilityisbasedin
Toronto.
IntegratingHireDeskwithanyotherI.Tsystem: No
Applicantinfoautomaticallymovedtoanothersystem, linked: No
Thingswe like aboutthe system: Applicantsenterdatathatwe previouslyhadtoenter.There isan
amazingresume extractionsoftware thatuploadsgeneral,employmentandeducationinformation.The
email template capabilitymakesitsofastand easyto sendoutmultiple,customizedemails.
Problemssofar: Some initial difficultieswithourITcapabilities/firewallblockingthe abilitytouse some
facetsof HD. There are some thingsthat HD cannot do,as it isdesignedforcompaniesthatrecruit –so
we will neveruse some of the functionality.
Is there a representative whocomestosetthingsupforyou: We have workedcloselywithseveral HD
specialists?Ihave arrangeda fewteamtrainingdaysand the implementationdirectorwasthere aswell.
There isongoinghelpviaemail orbyphone.I setup mostof the questionsandhave learned
administrativedutiesforanyongoingchangesneeded –such as changesto wording,etc.
Customizedwebsiteorcustomizedforms: Althoughthe initial HDprogramissetup for hiringpurposes
otherthan our own,we have beenable tomodify the tabsandareas fromour ownwebsite tothe HD
site.HD allowsforsome branding,soeventhoughapplicantshave leftourwebsiteandenteredthe HD
site,itstill appearstobe ours. We are able to linktoour site whenneeded.
I hope that ishelpful!
Respondent#3

22. Hi Greg,
Here is a breakdownonpricingforthe iCIMS RecruitSolution.Lookforwardtoreconnectingnextweek.
Here is a linktothe iCIMSUniversityforthose webinars… https://care.icims.com/iCIMS-U/Live-
Training/iCIMS-101-New-User-Training
iCIMSRecruit $1,350/month
Implementation $6,750/one time
Includes: 2 Branded CareerPortals
Mobile Optimized/ResponsiveCareerPortals
Unlimited "Hiring Manager"UserLicenses
Standard &Unlimited AdhocReporting
Standard (Recruit) iFormsLibrary
WorkopolisJob Posting Interface
Video Interviewing Capability
SeamlessUpgrades(min.2per year)
Phoneand e-mailSupport(open &unlimited)
Unlimited Training (on-line& phone)
Dedicated Client ManagementTeam
Social Distribution
Job Board Posting Integration
1 userlicense
Question
Is data for ICIMS stored in Canada? In BC we have this regulation:
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT
Storage and access must be in Canada
30.1 A public body must ensure that personal information in its custody or under its control is stored only in
Canada and accessed only in Canada, unless one of the following applies:
(a) if the individual the information is about has identified the information and has consented, in the prescribed
manner, to it being stored in or accessed from, as applicable, another jurisdiction;
(b) if it is stored in or accessed from another jurisdiction for the purpose of disclosure allowed under this Act;(c) if
it was disclosed under section 33.1 (1) (i.1).
Hi Greg,
Absolutelyall dataisstoredinCanada (Torontoto be exact).We deal witha lotof governmentagencies
that require informationnotbe crossedoverintothe USA.
So we are goodhere!
Respondent#4iCIMS Rep.

23. Talemetry
Hi Greg,
Thank you for registering for the Candidate Attraction Solution Snapshot.
As you explore and expand your need for technology to support recruitment marketing capabilities
within your company, please keep us in mind.
Talemetry works with your current ATS to enable you to implement modern recruiting strategies.
We've helped some of the world's largest hiring organizations attract, source, engage, and delight
more of the right candidates through:
 Intuitive search and candidate relationship management (CRM)
 Flexible talent networks, candidate pipelining and email campaigning
 Intelligent auto-distribution of job ads
 Targeted, mobile-enabled career sites
 Social sourcing
 Easy, flexible, and measurable online applications
 Unprecedented source to hire analytics for all your recruiting efforts
If you'd like to learn more about Talemetry, just click the button below for a personalized
demonstration.
Hi Greg,
The list price for an organization size of 650 is $7,500 plus a one-time cost of $2,500.
If you are looking for some cost/benefit analysis I would suggest reviewing some of our case studies
http://talemetry.com/bay-state-health-success
story/?__hssc=269164782.3.1429637481232&__hstc=269164782.d474a56cbea5f506e02852b93b8ae8fe.140
0595374341.1429568864156.1429637481232.282&hsCtaTracking=19ee6033-ba12-4e1a-853a-
c4b95db66cac%7Cf616dfcd-30c3-4937-94a1-199e77c43c7d
There is also some good insight in our recruitment marketing handbook.
I have attached a case study specific to HireDesk.
HireDesk contact person.

24. iCIMS 6.8% HireDesk less than .6%

25. List of researched useful websites
1. Applicant tracking myths
http://www.social-hire.com/social-recruiting-advice/3867/applicant-tracking-myths
2. 9 questions to ask when selecting ATS
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/9-questions-ask-when-selecting-your-ats-shane-
long?trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A3743766751428536713219%2CVSRPtargetId%3A597
6095593683054592%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary&trk=vsrp_influencer_content_res_nam
e
3. Forrester report
http://www.forrester.com/pimages/rws/reprints/document/110447/oid/1-S2P4QT
4. Taleo JD Edwards and strategic talent management
http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/human-resources-1860192.pdf
5. 17 to think about before picking an ATS
http://www.ere.net/2013/05/21/the-17-things-to-think-about-before-picking-an-
applicant-tracking-system/
6. Good list of ATS with information
http://www.staff.com/blog/list-of-applicant-tracking-software/
7. Is your HRMS attracting a modern workforce?
https://www.oracle.com/applications/human-capital-management/index.html
8. Top 55 ATS systems.
http://blog.ongig.com/recruiting-software/top-applicant-tracking-systems
9. HR Smart 10 metrics you should care about
http://marketing.hrsmart.com/acton/media/12141/top-10-recruiting-metrics-hr-should-
care-
about?gclid=CjwKEAjwsZyqBRCT1aq6qcD53DQSJACcen4CcPE85Y2o56GWqCeI2A
Frjl0h4kLMsfX-Xd1C7E4UcBoCjinw_wcB
10. Halogen management resources
http://www.halogensoftware.com/learn?query=talent
11. Bullhorn ATS advantage
http://pages.bullhorn.com/rs/bullhorninc/images/Digital_ATS_BuyersGuide_Final.pdf?m
kt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRohvK7LZKXonjHpfsX%2B6%2BorWaS%2BlMI%2F0ER
3fOvrPUfGjI4JTsdmI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFS7PEMblx0bgIXRk%3D
12. Bamboo ATS
http://www.bamboohr.com/blog/applicant-tracking-software-simplifies-and-speeds-
hiring-in-smbs
13. iCIMS partners
http://www.icims.com/company/software-partners