As an employee at iCIMS, I’ve seen a great deal of change and improvement over the past couple of years, but today’s announcement overshadows all of the top highlights I’ve seen in the past. Today, iCIMS announces that it has signed over 1,000 customers in a little over 10 years. This reaffirms the Company as a successful leader in the HR space. Many companies (especially technology companies) struggle to make their mark on the world largely due to their inability to make the value of their product known. So what about iCIMS is different? How has iCIMS been able to remain successful and sign 1,000 customers with a 97% retention rate?

Indicators seem to point to the total value of the Company’s offerings:

• Robust, yet easy-to-use technology.
• Flexible and configurable software to match HR processes and needs.
• Responsive and helpful customer support.   

People need a software solution that will integrate with their business processes, which they can find in iCIMS’ solution and service. Correction –they ARE finding it. Recruiters and HR professionals worldwide have realized the value of the iCIMS’ Talent Platform in helping to improve their HR programs - and this keep's those users renewing year after year.

Okay enough tooting our own horn as you can read the facts in today's press release. The point is iCIMS has made its mark on the HR space and will continue to do so year after year.

By the way, I expect to be posting a very similar blog in just a few years’ time, as HR professionals continue to acknowledge the value of the Talent Platform.

This post comes to you from Will Finnegan, Team Lead of the Integration Services Group, at iCIMS. In conjunction with Joanna Snodgrass' post, this week's blog further explains the iCIMS customer support experience. Hope you enjoy!

Customer service is the cornerstone of business. A good experience can mean a loyal customer for years. A bad experience can leave a sour taste that never seems to go away. In today’s world, where much of the industry has become customer-centric, providing the best experience possible can make a huge difference.

At iCIMS, providing an experience second-to-none is something we all take pride in. Whether it's as simple as making a minor modification to an existing client system or directing a misplaced phone call or email to the correct recipient, we are happy to help. Taking lessons from some of the more well-known companies that have pioneered this approach, we strive to ensure every client, large or small, receives quality treatment and is given proper answers to their questions.

Being a customer-focused company isn't easy, but the results are worth it. Here's one of many client testimonials we've received throughout our eleven years of business. “We were coming from a vendor who we had been with for a number of years and the service had gotten really bad. By the time we came to iCIMS there was a certain amount of frustration and mistrust left over and Jennifer Land and Elizabeth Wise [iCIMS Reps] worked very well with us to help calm and guide us in the right direction. It is great to find a vendor that actually does what they say they can do.”

Taking pride in this mission of making every experience the best possible for the client has pushed iCIMS ahead in the ATS market. Offering cordial, quick, and personal responses set us apart from the competition. By creating a corporate culture structured around these values, we pledge to continue to bring the best service for our clients, ensuring every interaction receives prompt attention and resolution. Red, the color of iCIMS, is also the color of the carpet rolled out to our customers for any service they might need.

Today's post comes to you from Joanna Snodgrass, Subject Matter Expert at iCIMS. Joanna works directly with iCIMS customers to ensure overall customer satisfaction by providing technical assistance. Today's post is the first of two on the iCIMS' customer experience. Be sure to check back next week!

Its 9:02 a.m. when I settle in for my morning cup of Kirkland’s finest medium roast, poured in the tastefully obnoxious “World’s Greatest Entry-Level Employee” mug. Two desks over, I hear one of our ever-so-suave customer favorites finishing up what must be his 8th call of the morning. The minute or so it takes my computer to boot up is likely the quietest time I will have until 6 p.m. hits.  It’s just another morning at the iCIMS Help Desk, and the calls and emails are about to come in.
 
So what is the role of a Subject Matter Expert?  With each call it changes. One minute we're teachers, walking through the steps of properly constructing an EEO report. The next minute we're taking down notes on what features users would like in the next release. We troubleshoot system issues and resend lost passwords, all the while trying to provide the best experience possible for our clients.  In between all questions, emails, and ringing phones, it’s hard to forget the team itself is constructed of young, extremely social, eclectic personalities. We understand the importance of having a positive atmosphere, so in between calls you can hear us discuss the top methods of surviving a zombie apocalypse, proper casting for an iCIMS movie, and how to prank our co-workers’ desks while they are out on vacation (this week, we’re considering a bat cave theme, but the team is open to suggestions).

We love to hear from our customers even if the calls and emails are frequent. When we hear from them, we know that the client is actively using the product they have invested their trust, time, and money into implementing. The iCIMS Talent Platform is designed to make the HR professional's work easier, more accurate, and faster. But what good is any new system or gadget if the user does not set aside time to explore how it works?  My absolute favorite thing to hear a customer say is "I never knew I could do that!" Especially when I can follow it up with "If you like that feature, you'll love what else this can do..."

For all the clients who may be reading this, we want you to give us a call. We’re ready to show you how to streamline your work and honestly, we look forward to getting to know you a little better. And for those of you who haven’t made the switch to iCIMS yet – we’re all eager to support you in your talent management initiatives.  Who knows…switching to iCIMS and leveraging our support teams might just free up enough of your time for you to come up with your own office pranks.

(Added 8/9 - The bat cave theme was chosen...)

While it would be hard to escape news coverage of the whopper of a blizzard that the New York area suffered last week, from dramatic stories of passengers trapped on the A-train for 7 hours, to YouTube videos of snow-thunder and time-lapse snow accumulation cams, many of our customers might be surprised to know that the bulk of the iCIMS team was caught smack in the middle of this latest Snowmageddon. Located in Monmouth County, New Jersey, the communities in and around iCIMS' headquarters saw snow accumulation totals of up to 31 inches and wind gusts in excess of 50 MPH, making driving essentially impossible, and leaving drifts 8-9 feet high in some places.

As dawn broke in my town on Monday, December 27th, the scene looking East towards the beach was breathtaking:

But the scene just across the street made me gasp:

My car had been swallowed by snow.  How was I to get to iCIMS that day?

Luckily, iCIMS is a Software-as-a-Service company, and much of the work to be done can be conducted via internet. In addition, well rehearsed contingency plans for just such an emergency had been put in place, and as I turned on my computer I received an automated Weather Alert from the office to work from home. I poured a cup of coffee, and put the images of my unplowed street (which would remain unplowed for 4 days!) out of my mind, and I got to work.

“But how about our customers,” I wondered. How did they manage through the blizzard? With the entire New York tri-state area paralyzed, would they be able to enjoy the same level of Platform availability that they are accustomed to? What if they had a question, could they reach our Help Desk? After all, even the postal service with its pledge to deliver the mail no matter what wasn’t delivering the mail that Monday.

Well, I am happy to report that despite all three New York City area airports being shutdown, local transit services barely moving, and even the Philadelphia Eagles postponing their game for 2 days (!), the iCIMS Talent Platform didn’t miss a beat. Our customers had 100% availability through the blizzard and recovery period, and applicants in far warmer locales could browse and apply for jobs, never even realizing the servers processing their resumes were under many feet of snow.

Furthermore, internal action plans at iCIMS insured that someone was available to take calls if a question or problem did arise. On Monday, December 27th, iCIMS' Help Desk fielded 107 emails and 30 calls. Granted, this was lighter volume than normal, but the time period between Christmas and New Years typically is quieter as many clients are on vacation. And for those who visited our Customer Care Site, the only indication that iCIMS was in the eye of one of the worst storms to hit the area in recorded history was a notice that that clients might experience some delay in having their calls responded to, more a precaution than a reflection of what actually happened.

We aren't out of the woods yet here at iCIMS! We are only two weeks into winter, and the weather service is already starting to talk about a possible snow storm for the area this weekend. But rest assured that while we might be tired from shoveling our driveways, we’ll be there to take your calls. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays us from the swift completion of our appointed rounds.

Last week, iCIMS' Help Desk received an interesting call from a customer, one which no one was quite prepared for. The question did not involve any system feature or training need. The answer could not be found on our Customer Care Site or in any of the troubleshooting content available to our Subject Matter Experts. One would think the answer to this question would be extremely difficult to find... after all, we've fielded countless requests from over 1,000 companies who have used iCIMS in our 10 years of business. Surely, this question would require the full breadth of iCIMS' support staff to answer, but in reality, it took less than a minute to Google the response. So, what was this question?

"Your Customer Service team is always there for us. Can I have the number of a local pizza place to have lunch delivered as a thank you for all you do?"

We're so privileged as a company to have so many customers willing to share feedback on their experiences with iCIMS. Literally everyday, I receive a call or email from a customer singing the praises of one of our team members for the extraordinary effort they put in on a customer's behalf. Individually, these are incredibly motivating to team members. Collectively, they serve as a valuable reminder of what has made the iCIMS' Customer Experience so unique to the industry.

Though the gracious customer wished to remain anonymous, I just wanted to take a moment to thank them for the thoughtful action and to let them know how appreciative we are of their recognition. This is a helpful reminder of the impact that our Customer Experience has on customers while also helping to keep everyone well-motivated (not to mention well-fed) in their efforts to maintain the highest levels of customer service and satisfaction we can possibly deliver.

Thank you again to all who have shared their experiences with us, and please keep the feedback coming!!!

Last week, iCIMS partnered up with Recruiter Earth to celebrate a whole week of goodies - including a whitepaper on leveraging LinkedIn and a customer testimonial from Liz Claiborne. In reflection of last week, I wrote a post on iCIMS that I would like to share with you now. While I know this blog is pretty iCIMS-heavy, I would like you to read it as an informative insight into the company.

As we wrap up the last three months of 2010 (time flies!), iCIMS will be beginning its 11th year of business. It’s an exciting accomplishment that not many technology companies can boast about. So, how has iCIMS remained a major player in the HR Industry? I think it all points back to two of iCIMS’ main differentiators: customer support and “back to the basics”.

Customer Support for All!

iCIMS wants their customers to be happy, so the company strives to meet those needs every day, however they may change. If a client needs something done at 1:00 AM, iCIMS has a 24 hour help desk ready to answer their questions. Unwavering, enterprise-level customer service for all companies regardless of size…that is iCIMS’ motto. Let me give you an example. One of iCIMS clients, The Hershey Company, needed to get the Talent Platform up and running in just 10 days. Well, guess what? iCIMS did it. iCIMS did whatever it took to make sure Hershey was ready to go.

I think one of the major problems with a lot of vendors out there is that they don’t extend the resources needed to support their clients appropriately. So, if a client needs help, they may be waiting a while to receive the attention they need. I’ve been there and waiting is no fun…

iCIMS is different. iCIMS does extend those resources, because they want their clients to leverage their talent management system the best they can. Therefore, each client is equipped with the people-support, tools and resources needed to help configure and maximize their system. iCIMS wants recruiters and hiring managers to power their tasks through technology and this will never change.

Back to the Basics - Keeping it Simple.

More often than not, talent management software tends to be over-engineered and rather cumbersome to use. Isn’t the point of leveraging technology in the HR department to simplify HR tasks? Many vendors are too busy focusing on providing fancy bells and whistles before they master the basics of this type of technology. Again, iCIMS is different.  iCIMS’ “back to the basics” methodology gives clients a talent management system that is easy to use, scalable, and flexible. iCIMS has mastered the basics so they can provide quality software that is dependable.

Additionally, iCIMS frequently asks for client feedback on how to improve the Platform. Why do they do this? Simple. iCIMS wants to provide the functionality YOU need, not the functionality they THINK you need. Just recently, iCIMS announced version 10.2 of the Talent Platform, which incorporated a slew of client ideas. Clients love it! Further, iCIMS also looks to non-users for feedback. iCIMS wants to build a talent management system that is the best fit for you, when you are ready to purchase a system. Therefore, I ask you now, what do you need in a talent management system? What do you not need? If you are interested in sending over your ideas, you can submit them directly to iCIMS’ Idea Exchange.

Help us help you!

We look forward to learning from you and I hope, one day, we can work together to further simplify your HR function.

If you’re somewhat familiar with our “everything HR” iblog, you know that we LOVE stories/articles/studies about customer service and the customer experience.  While it’s not always a direct HR focus on the candidate experience or employee satisfaction – we know that everyone, regardless of job function, has a “customer” to satisfy.  So whether it’s candidates, employees, or clients, I thought I’d take the time to explore some customer satisfaction best practices.  And with our Annual Customer Advisory Council just around the corner, I couldn’t help but brag on how iCIMS treats its customers… 

Focus on Communication

HR Focus:
Having a CRM tool in place is key: Whether its automated responses to candidates or sending out employee news, make communication frequent and clear. Consider having an open door policy in your office or instant messaging services installed on computers.

iCIMS Focus:
Here at iCIMS, our help desk is available 24/5. Call us, email us, or visit our brand-spanking-new Customer Care Site. This dedication to customer support and satisfaction has helped iCIMS maintain a near-perfect 97% client retention rate since 2003.

Train Train Train!

HR Focus:
User adoption starts with training. Whether it’s training a new employee or training a new client – the quicker they become familiar with what’s at hand, the quicker they become loyal to your company or product. Having a streamlined onboarding strategy helps ensure a new employee is amped up and ready to go the first few days on the job.

iCIMS Focus
Our staff of experienced training and education specialists ensures that every iCIMS' training session is tailored to the unique process flows and compliance needs of the client. We even offer a full training library of videos, guides and upcoming webinars to help maximize our clients’ knowledge of the system. iCIMS' commitment to client training and education has helped iCIMS achieve the highest user adoption ratings in the industry!

Offer Forums/Idea Exchanges

HR Focus:
Gathering candidate and employee feedback can be a great way to find out which HR functions are working and which just aren’t getting the message across. Consider holding forums with your employees to find out what they want.  Employee satisfaction = corporate success.

iCIMS Focus:
At iCIMS, we know our customers are our best engineers. That's why we take the time to listen to them, and provide forums for customers to exchange ideas. One of these forums is the iCIMS Customer Advisory Council (CAC). This user conference is comprised of a subset of iCIMS' customers that meet regularly to discuss HR issues, iCIMS' solutions, and ideas for product improvements.

For the first time in 18 months, the US Labor Department reported last week that worker productivity has fallen, prompting headlines declaring “It’s official: We’re all burnt out.” And as if on cue, frustrated flight attendant Steven Slater grabbed a beer off his beverage cart and slid down a JetBlue emergency slide into folk hero status. While the inevitable debates and questions have since emerged around the Slater story, the very fact that so much of America’s immediate reaction was a collective cheer reaffirms the Labor Department statistics. Although not nearly as dramatic as Slater’s declaration of independence, employees across the country are expressing their own workplace frustrations with lowered productivity, and economists are predicting that companies will need to begin rebuilding their workforces to shore up flagging productivity numbers.

At the same time, however, reports are showing that consumer spending is down, raising questions about the willingness of American shoppers to support an increase in productivity.  Furthermore, one of the most popular articles in the New York Times during the week of the Slater incident (assuming that the list of “Most Emailed” articles on the New York Times website is an accurate gauge of an article’s popularity), is one examining the question of the relationship of consumption to happiness.  The recession, it is argued in the article, has resulted in a shift in consumption patterns, with Americans saving more and spending less.  And through this cut back in spending and consumption, people are beginning to realize they are happier.  According to author Stephanie Rosenblum, research into the relationship between consumption and happiness has revealed that the acquisition of material objects and one-upping your neighbors with the latest gadgets does not increase happiness.  The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index further backs up these findings with poll results showing that after the initial shock of the economic crisis in late 2008 and early 2009, a sense of well-being among Americans has been on the increase just as these new consumption patterns settle in.

So, does this new found trend towards downsizing bode ill for the economic recovery?  Not necessarily. What the Times article reports is that people are finding that spending on experiences produces a much more enduring feeling of happiness.  Additionally, people are happier when they can plan for and savor a purchase for some time before they actually shell out the money for it, and outdoing others in consumption does little to increase self-satisfaction.  Purchasing airplane tickets well in advance, for example, can provide months of happiness as you plan your trip (as I can personally attest as I look forward to my upcoming trip to the Big Island of Hawaii), as opposed to buying the latest smart phone or designer handbag.  And although consumer spending numbers for July appeared to show little enthusiasm for material purchases, “experience” spending such as airplane tickets and lodging was up.

In order to adjust to this cultural shift in priorities, retailers and marketers are beginning to focus on selling experiences, and the importance of good customer service and making the customer feel special. When I go to the supermarket these days, there are cheese tastings and suggestions for wine pairings and side dishes, (and even the occasional live music on Friday evening!), rather than just aisles of sterile packaged goods.  In the mail I receive catalogues that now offer up classes on how to enjoy my purchases, or recipes and other tips.  The Customer Experience is back!

Not to toot our own horn, but here at iCIMS, the Customer Experience has always been our passion. The latest and greatest features are very cool to have, but they are even better if you can attend a free training session to learn how to apply them to your day to day work. Free Customer Support 24 hours a day, and a Customer Care Site for all to visit and share tips, information and access user guides and training libraries all contribute to the iCIMS Customer Experience. And furthermore, clients can build their own Customer Experience for their own candidates and employees by implementing the Talent Platform, and let everyone know about it by harnessing the Platform’s powerful CRM tools! Finally, before the harried pace of work begins to put images of making that emergency slide escape in your head, consider the savings in tedious busy work that a Talent Management Solution can offer.

With the memory (not so long-term) of corporate scandal nipping us all in the back, we, the rest of the world A.K.A. the good guys, try our best to show the world our bare bones. What is Corporate Transparency?

Well, according to our good old friend, Wikipedia, Corporate Transparency is the concept of “removing all barriers to – and facilitating of – free and easy public access to corporate, political and personal information and the laws…and processes that facilitate and protect those individuals and corporations who freely join, develop and embellish the process.”

This only being one of many definitions, applying this concept, as it is rather vague, can be difficult. Since doing nothing is unadvisable, the only other option is to create your company’s own strategic plan to make your corporate actions visible. Articulate your mission, articulate your goals. Let the world know what you are doing and how you are doing it or how you are going to do it. There are a variety of customary venues to use to inform the public on corporate activity, such as press releases, SEC filings, news stories, etc. And, since it’s the future, there are many more outlets to funnel information, such as the internet and social media. Anyway, it is doable, I promise.

An important aspect in corporate transparency is to be proactive, not reactive. So what are you doing?

Some corporate executives are using social media to articulate the latest news. Take “the See-Through CEO”, Glenn Kelman of Redfin, an online brokerage firm. According to news reports, the company was struggling when Kelman acquired the post of CEO back in 2006. So how did Kelman propose solving this problem? He blogged! By opening up about Redfin’s practices, he was able to show the public that the company wasn’t all that bad. Kelman believes that it was through his “tell-all” strategy he was able to save the company.

Other companies are using the internet as well to get out real-time announcements and ensure the public is well informed of corporate activity. Not to talk about ourselves, but iCIMS is also a good example of being proactive. Take our Customer Care Site. Originally a site made for clients only, iCIMS recently revamped the CCS and made it available to the public. The site gives all viewers, whether client or non-iCIMS user, access to the latest iCIMS news and real-time announcements. By creating this information venue, the public is able to understand iCIMS goals, missions and business activity. iCIMS also utilizes the site to give users the chance to learn up-to-date technology information about iCIMS’ candidate and employee management system, the Talent Platform. Last week, iCIMS launched a publicly available user-propelled forum to enable all readers to be well informed on iCIMS products and practices. Be sure to check it out!

How about Twitter? Twitter does not have to be detailed, but it can give up to the minute news. Do you have an announcement that may not be descriptive enough for a press release? Here’s an informal way of telling the world.

Many companies are utilizing the internet and social media for some of their corporate transparency initiatives. With technology still improving at a fast rate, what do you think the future of corporate transparency will look like?

"If I were trapped on a deserted island, I'd be fine – as long as I had the sushi chefs from Sono." - Andrew Curtis, One of My Life Mantras

That statement may be irrational, but it brings me a level of comfort and confidence that I am prepared to accept. During the 14 years that I've been a loyal patron at Sono, these chefs have helped me define a decision making process that I am able to apply to every significant purchase and decision I've made over that period. A simple act – where to eat my favorite meal – has helped build the foundation I rely on when making evaluations and critical choices.

For me, it starts with the product. I have a series of key requirements that must be met or exceeded in order to believe in the product I am purchasing. I spent a good amount of time trying to nail down those important factors. At Sono, the ingredients are always fresh, they're healthy, and they're quite tasty. Sifting through the bells & whistles of extras – I neither like nor need (a deep fried spicy tuna roll... come on) – was a worthwhile investment. The critical part of this stage in my evaluation process is realistically outlining what I need in order to be satisfied with my purchase and identifying what would be nice to have against what I don’t want.

Unfortunately, I'm not yet at the point that cost isn't a factor in my decision-making process (I hope my boss is reading this). I’m aware of my budget constraints and I am able to factor that into my strategy. I’ve found that I tend to shy away from the low-budget shops I pass each day. As tempting as one-dollar sushi pieces seem, I find myself concerned about the freshness and the quality of ingredients. In a simple decision, like ‘where to eat lunch every day’, the possible consequences shouldn’t be too much to overcome. When making a deeper investment, as with electronics or a car, the potential impact is much higher and carries more weight. With this in mind, eating at Nobu or Sasabune (top-of-the-line sushi restaurants) more than once a week could prevent me from completing other important events, like paying rent and affording clothes. While the experience at the higher-end of the cost spectrum may be appealing, it may exceed my actual need. Throughout this stage of the consideration process I keep cost in mind, but make a point to validate the value I am able to find with offerings between the low-end & the high-end.

The final factor for me in wanting to have these chefs on my deserted island, is the personal experience they create for me when I walk in and grab my usual seat at the sushi bar (I enjoy feeling like a King). They’ve taken the time to get to know me, they understand my preferences, they make recommendations and suggestions, and they always deliver. I’ve noticed that this particular level of customer service is a common occurrence among the products and services I use and enjoy. Exceptional customer service is vital! And, although I initially always expect this type of service; I’m still impressed and pleased when I consistently receive it every time. While it’s not always easy to determine the level of service I’m going to get, I use multiple resources to help guide me. I have found the internet to be pretty helpful, recommendations from friends and acquaintances to be informative, and publications about the specific product or service to be useful.

I put down a monster lunch at Sono yesterday and continue to be impressed by the overall package they’ve executed since ’96. I look for the same track record anytime I review or make a decision regarding an organization. I hope these are the same qualities my team and I bring to the table for the people we work with and support.

Now, if I could just relax and wait for my Itamae to hand me fresh yellow-tail & fluke sashimi while stranded on a sandy beach – that would truly be “the life”.