Initial Look at Neogov's Insight E-recruitment Software

An Independent Surface Review for Neogov's Insight E-Recruitment Software

Neogov Software Company Overview

Headquartered in El Segundo, CA, Neogov is a public-sector focused (and privately held) HR software vendor that was founded in 1999. With products designed to "automate the entire hiring and performance evaluation process", Neogov has carved out a niche in the HR software market—becoming the market leader for public sector Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and HR on-demand applications. In fact, thanks to a 3-year growth pattern of 425% and 2009 revenues in excess of $8M, recognitions of Neogov's success abound:

• Ranked by Inc. Magazine as one of the top 50 fastest growing private software companies;
• Recognized by Deloitte as a Technology Fast 500 Company (#187); and
• Certified by analyst firm Gartner as an industry front-runner—occupying a top "visionary" spot in 2009 and recently moving into a "leader" position within the Magic Quadrant

Neogov Software's Customer Target Market

Developed with every conceivable Government and public sector vertical market in mind, Neogov currently services civil and non-civil services employers, as well as merit and non-merit structures. Further, due to Neogov's involvement in local, state, federal, and education employer environments, the company is situated to handle multiple centralization scenarios.

Neogov's Insight Software Application Purpose

Neogov's Insight E-recruitment software automates all aspects of the hiring process, and consists of 6 integrated modules with optional integration capabilities into Neogov's Perform, Onboard, and SalaryStudy solutions. Human Resource system capabilities are as follows:

Neogov's Software's Perfect Prospect Profile (PPP)

Working with U.S. public sector agencies that range in staffing size from 100 to 60K, Neogov's model has well-established that its ideal customer is any government or educational institution (including K-12). 800+ public sector organizations utilize Neogov's products to "recruit, select and evaluate their workforce". In total, these customers currently cover 2+M employees and process 10+M applicants. However, with the number of state and local governments hovering around 90K; a barely-tapped into federal prospect base; and a wide-open market for the education sector; Neogov has significant upside potential and a long way to go before their PPP is wiped out.

Neogov Software's Technical Specs

Neogov's Insight E-recruitment software is wholly delivered via the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery and subscription pricing model. Thin-client and cloud-based technologies used to develop this browser-based solution include the following:

• ASP.net;
• ColdFusion;
• Microsoft SQL Server and TSQL;
• Microsoft Server 2003 and 2008;
• Microsoft Active Directory; and
• Microsoft Silverlight

Neogov Software's Primary Competitors

E-recruitment is a very competitive HR software marketspace, both for private and public sectors, and popular Neogov competitors include:

• ADP;
• Taleo;
• Kenexa;
• Kronos;
• Lumesse (StepStone);
• Oracle (PeopleSoft and new Fusion HR applications);
• PeopleAdmin; and
• SilkRoad technology;

In addition, countless other HR software vendors have entered the e-recruitment and Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software market. Given Neogov's success (and the recent spate of M&As), it would not be surprising to see this company become part of a larger conglomerate sometime in the near future.

Strengths of Neogov's Insight Software
 

• Like many niche HR software players, Neogov's knowledge of the public sector is unrivaled, and as such products and services are specifically developed and targeted for the public sector vertical market.
• The process for pre-screening applicants and weight-ranking applications can be a resource-heavy and legally-risky procedure (thanks to federal and state parameters set for public employers). Both the auto-scoring and advanced screening functions of Neogov's Insight software provide second-to-none help for this process.
• Valid and Reliable testing methods (and a slew of other testing regulations) are required for public employers, and Insight delivers a robust testing module that can handle nearly all aspects of the testing process (including disparate treatment/impact analysis)

Weaknesses of Neogov's Insight Software
 

• Indicative of the entire HR software suite of Neogov products, the user interface is seriously lacking. Perhaps to be expected from a public sector software solution, Neogov's approach is a bare-bones and stripped down user experience, which younger generations will almost certainly be turned off by. That being said, Neogov seems to be beginning to address this through a series of targeted hires, aimed at improving the user experience. The company would be wise to seriously evaluate the newer consumer technologies and take a lesson from other HR software companies that have tapped into the convergence of B2C consumer technologies fusing the B2B software market.
• In direct opposition to the above point on Neogov's knowledge-base, the fact that Neogov has dedicated an array of resources to only public sector product capabilities could be decidedly short-sighted and result in less innovation than needed for both private and public sector organizations alike.

Bottom-line for Neogov's Insight E-recruitment Software

No doubt, Neogov's entire host of HR software products was built to satisfy the needs of public sector employers, and this solid, no-frills software will likely do just that. The larger question (and ultimately the bottom-line) for Neogov, is whether the needs and wants of the public will supersede those original employer demands of the software. Efficiencies in the recruitment process are a "must-have" (and Neogov's Insight delivers), but countless studies have highlighted that recruitment efforts must also serve the purpose of attracting the right candidates. Will Neogov have a software solution to address the innovation that is happening right now with social and mobile recruiting? Or are public sector employers immune from these trends? According to Gartner's Jeff Freyermuth, "Core HRMS solution providers continue to improve their functionality and flexibility", and for good reason—the market demands it. Neogov was listed at one point as a visionary e-recruitment software vendor…however a slowdown in innovation or deferring new (consumer) technologies would certainly threaten that well earned credential.

  Categories: E-Recruiting Software

  Tags: Mobile Recruiting

  Permalink: www.hrlab.com/neogov-insight-review.php

 Author: Micah Fairchild

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