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Create incredible candidate experiences that communicate your brand, mission, and values with recruitment marketing solutions.
Learn moreCommunicate effectively and efficiently with the candidates that can drive your business forward.
Learn moreSelect the right candidates to drive your business forward and simplify how you build winning, diverse teams.
Learn moreHelp your best internal talent connect to better opportunities and see new potential across your entire organization.
Learn moreCommunicate collectively with large groups of candidates and effectively tackle surges in hiring capacity.
Learn moreAccess tools that help your team create a more inclusive culture and propel your DEI program forward.
Learn moreRebound and respond to the new normal of retail with hiring systems that are agile enough to help you forge ahead.
Learn moreAccelerate the hiring of key talent to deliver point of care and support services that meet and exceed your promise of patient satisfaction.
Learn moreAttract and engage candidates with technical competencies, accelerate hiring for much-needed skills, and advance expertise within your valued workforce.
Learn moreSimplify how you recruit finance, insurance, and banking candidates with a unified platform built to match top talent with hard-to-fill roles.
Learn moreYour business strategy depends on your people strategy. Keep both in lockstep with the iCIMS Talent Cloud.
Learn moreBuild an engaging, high-converting talent pipeline that moves your business forward.
Learn moreDeliver the innovation your talent team needs, along with the global scale and security you demand.
Learn moreDeliver tailored technology experiences that delight users and power your talent transformation with the iCIMS Talent Cloud.
Learn moreThe #1 ATS in market share, our cloud-based recruiting software is built for both commercial and large, global employers.
Learn more Talk to salesAttract the best talent for your business with powerful, on-brand career websites that excite candidates and drive engagement.
Learn more Talk to salesBuild talent pipelines, engage candidates with multi-channel marketing campaigns, and use machine learning to automatically surface the right talent for the job.
Learn more Talk to salesEmpower candidates with automated self-service, qualification screening, and interview scheduling through an AI-enabled digital assistant.
Learn more Talk to salesSimplify employee onboarding with automated processes that maximize engagement and accelerate productivity.
Learn more Talk to salesCompliment your sourcing and engagement efforts with award-winning lead scoring and advanced campaign personalization.
Learn more Talk to salesImprove employee experience, retention, and reduce internal talent mobility friction with the iCIMS Opportunity Marketplace.
Learn more Talk to salesVerify skills with game-changing levels of automation and simplicity to improve the quality of hire at scale.
Learn more Talk to salesModernize, streamline, and accelerate your communication with candidates and employees.
Learn more Talk to salesTransform the talent experience by showcasing your authentic employer brand through employee-generated video testimonials.
Learn more Talk to salesGet robust analytics that help you make sense of your data and illuminate your talent pool.
Learn moreSimplify recruiting, dynamically engage talent, and reduce hiring bias with job matching and recruiting chatbot technology.
Learn more Talk to salesGet exclusive intel on industry and market trends along with expert one-on-one advice.
Learn more Talk to salesThe #1 ATS in market share, our cloud-based recruiting software is built for both commercial and large, global employers.
Learn more Talk to salesAttract the best talent for your business with powerful, on-brand career websites that excite candidates and drive engagement.
Learn more Talk to salesBuild talent pipelines, engage candidates with multi-channel marketing campaigns, and use machine learning to automatically surface the right talent for the job.
Learn more Talk to salesEmpower candidates with automated self-service, qualification screening, and interview scheduling through an AI-enabled digital assistant.
Learn more Talk to salesSimplify employee onboarding with automated processes that maximize engagement and accelerate productivity.
Learn more Talk to salesCompliment your sourcing and engagement efforts with award-winning lead scoring and advanced campaign personalization.
Learn more Talk to salesImprove employee experience, retention, and reduce internal talent mobility friction with the iCIMS Opportunity Marketplace.
Learn more Talk to salesVerify skills with game-changing levels of automation and simplicity to improve the quality of hire at scale.
Learn more Talk to salesModernize, streamline, and accelerate your communication with candidates and employees.
Learn more Talk to salesTransform the talent experience by showcasing your authentic employer brand through employee-generated video testimonials.
Learn more Talk to salesGet robust analytics that help you make sense of your data and illuminate your talent pool.
Learn moreSimplify recruiting, dynamically engage talent, and reduce hiring bias with job matching and recruiting chatbot technology.
Learn more Talk to salesGet exclusive intel on industry and market trends along with expert one-on-one advice.
Learn more Talk to salesHow a beloved restaurant hires 40,000+ annually with a great candidate experience.
Learn moreThousands strong, our global community of talent professionals includes creatives, innovators, visionaries, and experts.
Learn moreTogether we’re creating the world’s largest ecosystem of integrated recruiting technologies.
Learn moreExplore our network of more than 300 certified, trusted third-party service and advisory partners.
Learn moreUncover unique market insights, explore best practices and gain access to talent experts across out library of content.
Get resourcesExpert guidance about recruitment solutions, changes in the industry, and the future of talent.
Learn moreStay up to date with the latest terminology and verbiage in the HR software ecosystem.
Learn moreEmployers everywhere improve hiring efficiently and save money using iCIMS. Estimate the potential business value you can achieve.
Learn moreDive into the Class of 2023 Report highlighting this cohort’s expectations and where employers are willing — and able — to meet them.
Watch nowPartner with iCIMS to build the right strategies, processes, and experience to build a winning workforce.
Learn moreExpert guidance about recruitment solutions, changes in the industry, and the future of talent.
Learn moreThe iCIMS Talent Cloud delivers a secure, agile, and compliant platform designed to empower talent teams, job seekers, and partners with advanced data protection and privacy.
Learn moreView press releases, media coverage, and the latest hiring data. See what analysts are saying about iCIMS.
Learn moreiCIMS is the Talent Cloud company that empowers organizations to attract, engage, hire, and advance the talent that builds a winning workforce.
Learn moreGet to know the award-winning leadership team shaping the future of the recruiting software industry.
Learn moreWe believe the future of work isn't something that "happens" to you. It's something you create. We actively create the future of work with our customers every day.
Learn moreiCIMS is committed to being a responsible and ethical corporate citizen, which is why Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives are strategic imperatives.
Learn moreStreamline your tech stack and take advantage of a better user experience and stronger data governance with ADP and the iCIMS Talent Cloud.
Learn moreThe combined power of iCIMS and Infor helps organizations strategically align their business and talent objectives.
Learn moreOur award-winning partnership with Microsoft is grounded in a shared desire to transform the workplace and the hiring team experience.
Learn moreOur partnership with Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG) supports the entire talent lifecycle by bringing frictionless recruiting solutions to UKG Pro Onboarding.
Learn moreLet’s get in touch. Reach out to learn more about iCIMS products and services.
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So you’ve got executive buy-in for new talent acquisition software. We’re talking ATS, candidate relationship management, onboarding, maybe even recruitment marketing automation capabilities. The only problem is, you inherited your last recruiting system when you took this job. You need to create an RFP to send to potential vendors, but questions abound. What should you include? When should you expect it back?
Fear not. The RFP process doesn’t have to be complicated. To help, we’ve outlined a few of the top things you should consider when creating an RFP. Keep reading to the end for an RFP template you can use to get started right now.
A request for proposal (RFP) is a procurement document that announces and describes the needs of an organization for specific goods or services. This document is sent to vendors to fill out, giving the requesting organization insight into the vendor’s capabilities. RFPs are not binding contracts; rather they are designed to help potential customers determine if a vendor can meet their needs.
Creating an effective RFP starts with understanding your project’s requirements. We don’t just mean high level goals, although those are important. Your RFP should get super nitty gritty – all the details of what you need this recruiting software to do for you and what you can expect from your vendor of choice.
This means asking a lot of questions. If there’s something you need your new ATS to do, no matter how seemingly minor or insignificant – include it. The best way to get started is to engage in discussions with stakeholders, including recruiters, HR leaders, hiring managers and IT. Ask them to define the project scope as they see it, their goals and objectives. Get granular. Success and failure in the RFP process is determined by the details you provide – and understanding your own needs.
Once a vendor fills out your RFP, it’s your job to grade them. That means creating a rubric of sorts. Some RFPs will go so far as to list each need or desired feature with an indication of how important it is to the procurement decision. For example, you might prioritize a robust, built-out CRM that’s fully integrated into the rest of the hiring platform. You might also need name redaction on resumes. AI-generated shortlists may be preferred, but not a dealbreaker. Video incorporated into the onboarding process may be a non-negotiable.
The more clarity you provide, the more vendors will be able to provide details about what they can and can’t do – and possibly make suggestions of their own.
The language you use in your RFP also plays a role in setting clear expectations. From specific deliverables to milestones and performance metrics, leave no room for ambiguity. A well-defined set of expectations is the cornerstone of a successful partnership with your future vendor.
Scientists will tell you time is relative, but that’s not true of the RFP process. In fact, your RFP should outline a realistic timeline for your project, including when you want the RFP returned, a due date for your decision about considering the vendor further, a final decision date, and a deadline for implementation.
While timelines can and do change, setting out a framework helps with managing expectations and keeps the project moving. Additionally, being transparent about deadlines and expected timeframes is key to attracting vendors who can align with your project’s demands. If you need a new system up and running by end of year in preparation for an expansion in your workforce, but a vendor’s implementation time takes two years – that vendor may not be able to best support your needs.
Everyone’s favorite topic: cash money. The financial component of your RFP is important in determining if a certain vendor is the right fit. Clearly outline your budget considerations where possible. A well-defined budget not only provides a clear picture for vendors but also sets the stage for a mutually beneficial partnership.
Ease of submission is often the unsung hero of a successful RFP. Make it simple and straightforward for vendors to present their proposals. Provide clear guidelines on formatting, submission methods and any specific requirements.
If all applicant tracking systems were the same, selecting one would come down to customer support, pricing, a slick interface – and personal preference.
Ultimately, not all ATS are built the same. Most ATS and recruiting software vendors are going to lead with benefits. Those are important. But they aren’t the full story, at least where your organization is concerned. A good RFP needs to cut through the marketing slogans and dig into the nitty gritty of features and capabilities.
For example, you may want to ask about details specific to your use case, such as integrations, support, security, training and more. It’s also not a bad idea to ask for references and examples of success from organizations with similar challenges and needs.
This is far from an exhaustive list, and a leading ATS will offer quite a bit more.
For a full list of questions we recommend, download the RFP template.
What you include in your RFP ultimately depends on the scope of what your organization needs. If you only need a new ATS that integrates with your existing HCM, questions about the capabilities, features and quality of integrations are going to matter most. But an ATS is rarely the only recruiting software organizations need or already use. Many organizations opt for a full talent acquisition suite, complete with candidate experience management (CRM), career site software, video interviewing, text capabilities, offer management and more.
Below is how we structure our RFP template. It covers the features and capabilities that most enterprise organizations need. These are just the main categories; strip sections out or add to it as you need.
Download the full template for all 640 RFP questions, organized around the topics below.
1. Vendor’s information
2. Functional requirements
3. Security requirements
4. Platform and analytics requirements
5. Implementation and post go-live support requirements
Those are the basics needed to get you started. However, creating a thorough RFP takes a lot of time. There’s a lot to consider, especially when it comes to product features. It’s easy to overlook something important.