Implementing an ATS

Somerset County Cricket Club

Somerset County Cricket Club (SCCC) was founded in 1875 and is one of 18 first class county clubs in England and Wales. However, when it came to attracting talent to their organisation, they discovered challenges due to inconsistencies in their processes. Enter Jaie, their newly appointed Head of People and Culture.  

Jaie overhauled SCCC’s processes, with the objective of creating a consistent and structured approach across the organisation and a focus on increasing objectivity, fairness and diversity.

However, their recruitment still wasn’t digitalised and the time it was taking to conduct all the necessary steps to ensure a great candidate experience became an administrative burden. As an individual responsible for such a large scope of activities, Jaie decided to reach out to Fitzgerald HR to make some fundamental changes to the way they approached recruitment at SCCC.

The Challenge

Without an ATS in place to assist with high levels of recruitment, SCCC found that its existing process was laborious, time consuming and open to human error. Despite this, SCCC was committed to promoting diversity and inclusion. Jaie had incorporated the organisation’s EDI priorities into their application form and wanted to find a solution that would continue to promote equal opportunities for all applicants on a digital platform, without adding layers of complexity to the candidate journey and simultaneously removing unnecessary administrative tasks.

Calling Fitzgerald HR: implementing an ATS

In a strategic partnership with Fitzgerald HR, SCCC worked closely with their Fitzgerald HR account team, led by the Head of Resourcing and Talent Planning at Fitzgerald HR. The team designed and implemented a solution that would address these challenges effectively.

Creating a user-friendly careers page

Fitzgerald HR set up a new recruitment applicant tracking system, which included a new platform to attract, market, process and manage multiple recruitment campaigns within the portal.

One of the first steps in this project was the creation of a dedicated careers page for SCCC. This online platform provided an easy way for potential candidates to learn more about the organisation and to explore job opportunities available. Despite the page being standalone and not linked to their existing website, the careers page was designed to complement SCCC’s unique tone of voice and branding, ensuring a cohesive and engaging candidate experience.

Fitzgerald HR also worked with Jaie to streamline the application form. The original form was transformed into a user-friendly electronic format. This change not only simplified the application process for SCCC but also made it more accessible for candidates.

Promoting fairness and reducing bias

An essential element of the new system was the ability to anonymise applications. This was something Jaie felt was critical to incorporate into an ATS and we entirely agreed with her approach. Whilst this aspect is essential, it was an element of functionality difficult to source. The Fitzgerald HR worked with Jaie to select the right ATS for SCCC, which incorporated all of the functionality they required whilst being within budget, to enable them to retain this EDI priority going forward.

Customisation and training

Fitzgerald HR also ensured that the careers page differentiated between different arms of the organisation. Each section of the page aligned with the unique branding and image of the respective business units within SCCC. This customisation ensured that candidates received a tailored experience, strengthening the organisation’s employer brand.

ATS, implemented. What were the results?

The impact of the recruitment project was significant. SCCC now has a digital, efficient, and inclusive recruitment system that aligns with their values and organisational goals, but most importantly, allows Jaie to focus on the strategic aspects of her role, rather than recruitment administration.

Here are some of the key outcomes from our resourcing project with Jaie and SCCC:

1. Streamlined application process

The electronic application form has streamlined the process, making it more user-friendly for candidates and efficient for SCCC. The automatic email responses for bulk operations have been a particular favourite. Jaie has found that having everything in one place, from application forms to interview responses, means that recruitment at SCCC is no longer disjointed or cumbersome.

2. Anonymised applications

Jaie wanted to carry through her anonymisation of application forms into the digital ATS platform. Having the ability to remove personal data from the applications prior to sending them for consideration to the hiring manager saves considerable time and upholds the standards SCCC has in respect of EDI.

3. Customisation and brand alignment

The customised careers page offers a place to provide an added layer of detail about the organisation, to support individuals through their candidate journey.

4. Technical support

As a small HR team, SCCC also valued the fact that the Fitzgerald HR team can support their new ATS from the back end. Should their team be unavailable, Fitzgerald HR can jump in to manage the recruitment and maintain momentum, avoiding the chance of losing top talent as a result of delays. Additionally, as our team were involved in the set-up and implementation of the ATS, SCCC are able to draw on Fitzgerald HR’s expertise should they face any challenges with the platform.