Bamboo HR More than a Cool Name.

Here’s another company worth watching.  Check out Bamboo HR. Bamboo HR is an online HR database that gives you easy access to your employee records, relieves paperwork headaches, and reduces employee management costs for businesses of all sizes. Bamboo HR allows you to manage employee records, track required training, and store important documents securely on the web so all of you HR information is in one place.

Not only is their name cool, we love their business model too.  Bamboo HR offers a 30-day free trial, simple pricing for companies of all sizes and their service is pay-as-you-go. Seem like a no-brainer.

Learn more about Bamboo HR at www.BambooHR.com

Sonar6: Performance Reviews that don’t Suck

From time to time, we come across companies that we think are really cool. Sonar6 has been on our radar for a couple of years. While many of their peers seem to be making HR software more and more complicated, the folks at Sonar6 are doing the opposite by providing the simplest way to help businesses make better people decisions.

Founded in 2006, the goal of Sonar6 remains straightforward: Provide the best possible way to create in-depth performance reviews online. Sonar6 delivers.  They’ve built a slick, easy-to-use product and with their “quick start” option, activation is a snap.  Clear, no-nonsense, tiered pricing is available on the Sonar6 website so prospective users know exactly what they are getting into – no surprises!

Learn more about Sonar6 at www.sonar6.com

Takeaways from HR Event in Silicon Valley

Joel Passen, Newton Software’s VP of Marketing addressing the members of the Silicon Valley NCHRA

Last week we joined the Silicon Valley chapter of the NCHRA at Hakone Gardens in Saratoga, CA. The evening event billed as the Summer Social brought together members of the regional HR community including  some interesting guest speakers and local vendors.

We want to quickly share some of our takeaways from the event.

Project Hired is a great organization and it’s time to get involved
For those of you not familiar with Project Hired, it’s time to learn more about them. Project Hired’s mission is to assist individuals with disabilities to gain and sustain employment, in partnership with businesses and the community. During the event a Project Hired alumni explained how the program not only helped him find the confidence to look for a new job after a debilitating accident but, also how Project Hired’s placement service helped him find a great job. For more information about volunteering opportunities visit Project Hired at: http://www.projecthired.org/volunteer_how.html

Recruitment outsourcing is alive and growing
Recruitment outsourcing seems to be gaining momentum. At the NCHRA event last week, I met representatives from 3 recruitment outsourcing companies. In years past, I knew of only 1 or 2 companies in the Bay Area providing RPO services. While the space still seems pretty fragmented (every RPO has a different focus), more and more of these firms are emerging  to offer creative recruiting services to customers of all sizes. This is definitely a segment to watch as recruiting once again becomes a front-burner issue.

HR professionals are hungry for metrics
Throughout the evening, we presented a live demo of our latest release of Newton’s real-time performance management / analytics platform. It was amazing how many folks we had come up and ask questions about the product. Based on the response, it is evident that HR people are hungry for metrics that can help them make decisions and improve the service they offer their internal customers. We appreciated all the attention, feedback, and suggestions for future metrics to capture.

SolutionStream Selects Newton for Applicant Management

Superb technical solutions

May 22, 2009  – Solution Stream, a leading technical solutions consultancy headquartered in American Fork, Utah, has selected Newton’s recruiting software to manage their hiring initiatives.  SolutionStream has enjoyed steady growth since 1996, creating rich media experiences for an impressive list of clients.  Always searching for top talent, SolutionStream has built a creative staff possessing a wide range of talent and experience.  Leveraging Newton allows SolutionStream to maximize recruiting effectiveness and productivity in order to provide their clients with access to the best and the brightest technical and creative talent available.

“We use Newton to keep recruiting organized so nothing slips through the cracks.  We have access to all of our candidates in one place, accessible online so our teams can see our active candidate pipeline anytime.  Newton also allows everyone to get involved in hiring from our hiring managers to our sales team.  Everyone can track progress, see what jobs are prioritized and participate in helping us hire the best people possible,” said Cade Garrett, Technical Recruiter at SolutionStream.

Newton, Inc. is an internet company that develops next generation business technology. Our first product called Newton is a next-generation recruiting software application.  As the first enterprise Rich Internet Application for recruiting, Newton is a native SaaS application delivered entirely over the internet.   Newton leverages Web 2.0 technology to enable unparalleled collaboration and ease of use empowering companies of any size to establish an efficient, effective recruiting process, boost recruiting productivity, and lower recruiting costs.

About SolutionStream

SolutionStream was founded in May of 1996 to provide superb technical solutions to its customers. A common problem to the industry then and now is software projects that go out of control due to incorrect planning, technology, and implementation. With SolutionStream’s excellent track record, deep expertise, and highly adaptable methodology, projects can consistently be delivered on time and within budget. Not only have they successfully executed large scale projects, but they have also rescued failing ones.

For more information about SolutionStream visit their website:  www.solutionstream.com