The best ideas often spawn out-of-the-blue. The proof: the new OTYS on the Go! app. "It all started when we sat together one time," begins Mart Borghuis, Developer at OTYS Recruiting Technology and lead developer of the application. "We said to each other: why don’t we try to build an app that performs all the tasks in one and that 'just' works simply." That very same day he started building the app. One year, two designs and several rounds of feedback later, OTYS' new application is in all the app stores. But, if it is up to Mart Borghuis and Jonas Stolk, UI/UX Designer at OTYS, they are far from finished.
From brainstorm session to concept
For years, OTYS offered separate apps. Less practical for OTYS users, and the apps were also causing OTYS some headaches. "For people who used the previous apps, this new app must be a big shock," Jonas says with a laugh. "You actually get a look and feel that belongs to this day and age."
Within a week there was already a first draft that allowed people to see e-mails and other simple things. "It wasn't even an official project we were going to do yet. It was just an idea," says Mart, who studied application development. "I just started working on a first outline myself. Soon I discovered that it was pretty easy and we could make it. That's how it all started, and it has now become the application it is."
"Mart first investigated: what can and should it do?" adds Jonas, who later joined the development of the OTYS on the Go! app as a designer. That Mart can do a lot is evidenced by the fact that he single-handedly built the current app in a tight six months. "That's the beauty of OTYS. We're given freedom and he doesn't tie us down to things. He says, 'just build the prototype your way,” says Mart talking about Bert, the CEO.
A clever piece of engineering work
That an application should support the work process is a given. However, this was not always the case with the previous applications. "The old apps were used by quite a reasonably amount, but often a component broke down or something didn't work, yet again," Mart says. "It then also became costly, both money and timewise, to fix these issues. We needed developers with separate competencies to develop for both IOS and Android, which meant that it took a lot of time to fix small problems."
The new application runs as a PWA (Progressive web application), which means it is developed in a language that all operating systems are familiar with, namely web. This way, it is built for one platform and then deployed on multiple operating systems at the same time. "This way you don't have to write separate Android and IOS code, but one application that works on both devices. An additional advantage," Mart explains, "is that with this variant you merely have to change something in one place to solve a problem for all platforms. You save a lot of time and you can develop much faster." Because the apps are packaged specifically for IOS or Android, you can download the new OTYS on the Go! app from both the App Store and Google Play Store.
Something both men point to as a nice piece of engineering are the dossiers. "Visually not very cool, but technically it's constructed in an awesome way," says Jonas. "The fact that you can easily search through it is incredibly cool," agrees Mart. "After all, you have a file in candidate detail, but also in a vacancy. You build dossiers in a relation contact, but also in a relation. The fact that this works generically for all entities in OTYS is really fantastic."
Designed with the Best Practices in mind
With a degree in Communication and Multi Media Design, Jonas was the right person to take charge of the design of OTYS on the Go! "Since my start at OTYS in 2019, I have mainly designed recruitment websites. You do create a mobile design for those, but this is really different. There are a lot of functionalities in OTYS Go!
The app is basically a light version of the main application. OTYS Go! is, of course, a desktop application with a broad ratio. You have to know how to compress this into a mobile design. In this process, information will drop out." Partly for this reason, they discussed every aspect with OTYS' product management team.
For the app's design inspiration, Jonas looked for best practices within the field. "An app consists of many different little parts. A search hook, a list view, cards that hold information. You have floating action buttons, an app's most prominent add button, menus, etc. "I used inspiration from all the big well-known apps to create a strong modern design." What Jonas is most proud of? The calendar in the app. "How the calendar is going to look in the next update, that's really sleek. That's just a good equivalent of the Google Calendar."
Our eyes are on the future
Their ambitions are not yet fulfilled. "We have now built a live prototype based on the techniques and code languages I know. Now we are improving that as well."
Mart learned the latest variant of the Angular Framework last year, and the next update that will come out early this year is built within this framework. “Visually not much changes for the user, but the app is much more scalable and a lot faster.” Jonas interrupts Mart to say that they do in fact have design improvements in the new version.
What does scalable mean according to Mart? By building the app within a framework, everything is a lot more scalable. All elements are reusable, and therefore it takes less time to build new parts. We can simultaneously build in the same application with multiple developers without getting in each other's way. If there is a new development in recruitment, we can act on it even faster now.
The app is also a valuable addition to the main OTYS Go! application. "The new version of OTYS Go!, is built in the new code language. The mobile app is built as a mini Go!" says Mart. "The advantage is that it allows us to use new techniques, new ways, to deal with data and to present something to users which they can easily try out. And to do it in a way so it doesn't disturb our customers, but can still be easily built into the main software."
Ambassadors of their own app
They themselves are also enthusiastic users of the new app. "We are obviously not recruiters, so we don't use the CRM or job applications much ourselves," says Jonas. For example, Jonas checks the calendar to see if it is necessary for him to come to the office the next day because of an appointment, "without having to open and start my laptop again." Mart, in turn, uses it to create reminders for himself. "When I have a eureka moment on th
We've all experienced it once. You got a bill from, let's say, your energy company that you don't quite recognize. So you think: I'll get in touch with the company. You navigate to the website, you log in, click on the customer service icon and you are presented with a chatbot: 'describe your problem in a few short sentences'. You write a short description with your question, but you always get the answer: “Sorry, I do not understand your question. Can you type it in a different way?” Well... no! Besides the bill, you are now also stuck with a feeling of frustration.
This is the exact opposite of what a chatbot is supposed to do. You want a chatbot to contribute to the candidate experience in a positive way. To quickly give the user an answer or quickly tell the applicant the status of their application. In this blog, we'll give you some tips for writing texts (conversational copywriting) for a chatbot to make your chatbot a definite hit and not a miss.
Tip 1: Give your chatbot a clear personality
A conversation with Annie is not as informative as a conversation with Lisa tends to be. And a chat with Harry is not nearly as funny as a chat with Melvin. This is exactly the same when talking to chatbots. Just like how your brand has a personality (archetype), the chatbot should also be an extension of the brand with a consistent brand voice.
Always keep this personality in mind when writing for the chatbot. You want it to have a recognizable tone-of-voice. The bot has to sound almost human. And you can only do that if you give it a personality. After all, the way you address a candidate can make all the difference between a successful job application or not.
Here you can find the definitions of all the twelve different brand archetypes, if you want a little refresher course.
Tip 2: Write in colloquial language
Unlike what you learned in school, you will have to completely abandon all official writing rules.
Starting sentences with And? Totally fine!
Using 'annoying' filler words like: uh, yes, actually, just? Definitely do it!
That just adds that extra touch of personality and human character.
How do you make sure you apply this correctly and say the right things? First speak your conversations out loud before you write them down. Have real conversations first, with colleagues for example, and put them on paper verbatim. Also, don't be afraid to make the occasional tongue-in-cheek comment, even if it seems off-topic. In real conversations, you also occasionally digress. No one goes through a conversation completely humorless. Or, at least, almost no one.
Tip 3: Don't hesitate to put words in the candidate's mouth
Whereas our psychologist might teach us not to fill in for someone else, I advise you to do the exact opposite for the chatbot. You want to know exactly what a user is going to say so you can anticipate it. When you think all possible scenarios through as far ahead as possible, you also have an appropriate answer ready for all possible questions.
One way to make sure you stay in control of a conversation is to ask lots of questions. This way you can steer the conversation. Using simple action buttons, you give the candidate control, but within the framework you set.
It can happen that a conversation does not go well. That the bot does not understand a question. Again, prepare appropriate and varied responses so you can get the conversation back on track. Does it still not work? Then you can always have a "real person" take over the conversation.
Tip 4: Get experts on chatbots and Conversational Copywriting to contribute ideas
We all think we know how to have a conversation. I mean, we do nothing else all day long. Right?
However, nothing could be further from the truth. At least, that's my (not so) humble opinion. After all, it pays to admit when something is not your field of expertise. That is also the reason why OTYS focuses on the core of recruitment software, and links with all kinds of expert partners for a complete package. We don't say Jack of all trades, but master of none for nothing.
We believe in the power of chatbots and therefore we link with various specialists in the field of chatbots. That's why we partner with companies such as Joboti and NIXZ. The most recent addition to our impressive list of partners: Dora from Happy Recruiter.
The recruitment robot Dora was developed by Happy Recruiter to connect with candidates as well as maintain contact with them. Create an almost instantaneous bond of trust with the use of an AI-driven chatbot.
And as a final tip: keep improving your bot
The last game is not fought at the facility. Stay critical. Let other people walk through the chatbot. Keep expanding and honing the bot's vocabulary.
Is there still a hitch? Does a conversation unexpectedly go less smoothly despite all efforts? Does the bot have to endure answers to which it has no answer? Learn your lesson and write better, smarter and wittier answers.
Don't have a chatbot yet, but are you interested in it? Please contact us and we will help you build the perfect recruitment solution for you. You can do this by sending us an email, filling in the contact form or by giving us a call.
At OTYS we are continuously optimizing the user experiences for our customers. For this we consider your feedback to be very important.
Based on your feedback, we have decided to change the Key User Training.
Why are we making changes?
Within OTYS we have had two roles for years: Users and Key Users. As a Key User you have more rights within OTYS and you can adjust the layout of the system, submit tickets and create new users.
We have always covered all options for the Key User in one afternoon training. As you may understand this is a lot of information for half a day. We also received this feedback from the participants of the training. For those who really want to get started with managing their own system, it was actually too much information in a short time. What we also noticed more and more is that a large part of the participants do not really want to make adjustments to the system themselves, but mainly want to become Key Users in order to be able to send out tickets and create accounts for new colleagues.
New roles and training types
With the feedback received in mind, we have adapted both the roles and the types of training. We now use three roles: User, Super User and Key User. We explain the differences to you.
User
As a User you have the usual rights for daily work. We give a User Training twice a month via Teams, in which we discuss the most used modules and functionalities. You can register for this training via our website.
Super User
The Super User has the rights of a User and additionally the rights to create tickets and new users. So for this you no longer need to become a Key User! A Super User does not have the rights to make changes to the layout, but can submit a change request via Support.
We expect this to be a godsend for many of our customers; this way you can ensure that the system remains up-to-date with your working method, without having to delve into settings and extra modules yourself.
Are you interested? You can request the rights via Support. The maximum number of Super Users depends on the size of the organization. There is no separate training for the Super User role; we have made informative videos that explain step by step how to create Tickets and Users within OTYS.
Key User
In our previous training courses, we made the assumption that someone who became a 'Key User' would be responsible for all changes to the interior. Statuses, workflows, mail templates, rights for your colleagues, everything was in one training. In practice, it turned out that participants often came to a training for one specific component, for example reports.
In our new training courses we have divided the topics. This way you can choose training courses that suit your interests and the role you have within your own organization. Because of this division we also take plenty of time per subject. This also gives you more time to deepen your knowledge and to practice on your own. These training courses are given on location in Houten and include a catered lunch.
Cloud-based recruitment solution OTYS to integrate chatbot interviewer Dora
Houten (NL) & Tirgu Mures (RO) – Dutch OTYS – developer of OTYS Go!, an intergated cloud solution for the recruitment sector – is to enter a global partnership with Romanian Happy Recruiter – developer of the HR chatbot Dora. Thanks to this new partnership, OTYS’ clients can further automate and optimize the full recruitment process. Advantages are obvious, both for candidates, employers and recruiters.
In an ever more difficult labor market, technology is gaining importance in the recruitment process. Dutch OTYS is the developer of OTYS Go!, a cloud-based integrated total solution for recruiters. OTYS helps companies in seamlessly finding and linking candidates and employers throughout the full recruitment process, from searching and finding to managing all administrative details.
The OTYS offering is now expanded by integrating ‘Dora the recruitment robot’ in OTYS Go!. Dora is a chatbot, developed by Romanian Happy Recruiter. It is a robot that searches for candidates all over the Internet. Next, it contacts the candidates and takes first job interviews.
Grâce à la combinaison de nos deux technologies, nous sommes en mesure d'automatiser les parties répétitives et stressantes du recrutement. En conséquence, nos recruteurs humains peuvent se concentrer sur ce qu'ils font de mieux : aider les gens à trouver le meilleur emploi possible.
Bert Koning
CEO OTYS Recruiting Technology
Both OTYS and Dora offer advanced technologies, that from now on are flawlessly integrated.
La rapidité est essentielle dans le recrutement. Notre chatbot Dora travaille 24/7, recherche sur Internet des candidats adaptés et effectue les premiers entretiens. Les meilleurs candidats sont ensuite entrés dans le logiciel de recrutement OTYS.
Calin Stefanescu
CEO Happy Recruiter
Many Advantages
Advantages of this partnership are manyfold. Candidates are found, contacted and interviewed faster, and get immediate feedback. Recruiters can outsource the timeconsuming and stressful parts of the work to robots and focus on the human interaction further on in the process. Employers get better candidates faster, and do not have to waste time in several stressful elements of the whole recruitment process. The Dora-integration into OTYS Go! results in faster processes, higher success rates and all this with less working stress on the human recruiters.
The OTYS Recruitment System is designed to work quickly and efficiently. For this intelligent cloud solution, all you need is internet access and a web browser. But, what if you now want to add a new candidate on the go? What if you want to look up a customer's contact details? Or just simply want to send an update e-mail to a colleague after a conversation? The new OTYS on the Go! app makes mobile working easy, efficient and pleasant!
All the information at hand
In the OTYS on the Go! app you have all the information at hand to work quickly and, most importantly, easily in OTYS. You can now consult the following matters in the app: vacancies, candidates, contacts, e-mails and calendar appointments. Over the past period, we at OTYS have worked hard on an app that is not only technically sound, but which is also at the highest level in terms of interface and ease of use. Enjoy a very intuitive app. Safe, easy and fast.
Improving our software
The old OTYS apps all had only one function. This worked, but let's be honest: not very well. You were forced to continuously switch between the apps for your different actions. In the new OTYS app, you will find all modules bundled. With a single swipe of the thumb, you go from candidate to contact, so you can send said contact an e-mail.
Flexible dashboard
Get to work mobile with a handy dashboard where you can see your entire schedule at a single glance. Just like the dashboard in your web browser, this dashboard can be adjusted to taste and preference.
Partner integrations
The app not only has room for the modules of OTYS, but also for our partners. For example, do you use the smart Whatsapp inbox of our partner Joboti? Then you can easily access it via the On the Go! app. Did you know that OTYS is the only recruitment software supplier where partners are so seamlessly incorporated in one application?
OTYS starts a partnership with Talentir, a start-up from Martijn Roffel, a former OTYS employee and now specialist in Recruitment Marketing. AskSem is the party to improve your recruitment results! How? Through Recruitment Marketing.
What does Recruitment Marketing entail?
Recruitment Marketing is a broad term but as soon as the activities below come to mind we're talking about about Recruitment Marketing.
Activities which...
- are needed to make candidates aware of your employer brand,
- can increase interactions with your candidates,
- are supportive of the placement of candidates
Concrete examples of this are reducing Cost per Hire, increasing Candidate Value or providing insight into your Candidate Journey.
Talentir is the ideal partner for OTYS users who have the desire but not the knowledge to use the possibilities of Recruitment Marketing.
Martijn Roffel: "A Recruiter is not a Marketeer but in the current market you can't really do without. I started Talentir so I can help recruiters achieve their goals."
OTYS: "The collaboration arose because we noticed that there is an increasing demand from OTYS users for Recruitment Marketing.
People are increasingly inquiring about the possibilities for Ads in Instagram or Tiktok. With a specialist as a partner, we help our clients optimally."
Some OTYS clients already knew the way to Talentir and can speak from experience about the unique approach and positive results.
An additional advantage of Talentir is the knowledge and experience of Martijn Roffel. Divided over two periods he has been working at OTYS for about 10 years. His knowledge and experience is very useful for both OTYS and OTYS users. A win-win situation for every stakeholder!
AskSem est une organisation ambitieuse, personnelle et motivée avec une expertise étendue dans le domaine du marketing de recrutement. En combinant l'utilisation de notre plateforme avec l'approche d'AskSem, le recrutement via des canaux payants en ligne devient plus facile, plus rentable et plus efficace. Cela a déjà conduit à une croissance visible avec nos clients communs.
Bert Koning
CEO - OTYS Recruiting Technology
Unique name and work method
The name AskSem comes from Arbeidsmarktcommunicatie (Labour Market Communication), Strategie (Strategy) and Kpi's and Search Engine Marketing and is considered the foundation of AskSem's services.
AskSem developed its own Recruitment Marketing models, which in combination with an employer brand form an unforgettable Candidate Journey. Every candidate touchpoint is equally important leaving nothing to chance. This is how AskSem delivers data-driven and forward-thinking solutions.
"Because every employer, intermediary, recruiter, vacancy, sector and candidate is different, we believe in a customized solution.
AskSem's model allows us to develop a tailor-made strategy that makes every AskSem client unique and no campaign the same," says Martijn Roffel.
Interest in Recruitment Marketing
Are you interested in AskSem's services? If so, please get in touch with your contact or the Customer Sales department: customersales@otys.nl.
