3 Tools That Can Take the Headaches Out of Hiring and HR

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Growing and managing a workforce is almost never easy. And when it comes to staffing up, business owners have to juggle issues such as tracking resumes, analyzing candidates and other human resources obligations. For smaller firms, the difficulties associated with managing these duties can often be amplified.
The good news is there are several useful tools that can help. Though they will not replace a physical HR manager, these three services should be able to help even the smallest company hire and manage employees more efficiently:
1. Submittable Resume Manager
Resume Manager, by Missoula, Mont.-based Submittable, is an online app for bringing order to the hiring process by letting employers digitally sort, organize and prioritize inbound resumes as they flood in. It can be especially helpful when hiring for multiple positions at the same time.
Users begin by ranking resumes with a simple yes, no or maybe vote. Submittable offers custom filters that can further sort resumes according to criteria such as how an applicant was referred, educational background and current job status.
Price: Submittable Resume Manager is free for one user and unlimited resumes. Paid plans start at $25 per month for two users. There are no contracts, so businesses only pay for the service when they are hiring.

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2. WorkforceGrowth
San Francisco-based WorkforceGrowth is a cloud-based tool for conducting and analyzing employee performance reviews, as well as for giving and receiving feedback on tasks and projects. WorkforceGrowth can be useful for businesses that are training employees to do specialized or difficult jobs.
An online dashboard allows employers to build and manage custom employee reviews and evaluations, including categories like strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement. Think of WorkforceGrowth as a productivity-based social network for your business. Users dole out public kudos, or discuss company initiatives online via their WorkforceGrowth profiles.
Price: WorkforceGrowth costs $5 per employee, per month.

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3. WhosOff
U.K.-based WhosOff is an online calendaring application for planning, approving and managing employee leave time. It can be handy for just about any firm offering traditional sick leave and paid time off.
Through a straightforward online portal, employees can submit detailed requests for vacation time, sick days or other time off. Managers then approve these requests and generate detailed reports. Data can also be exported as a spreadsheet, which can be made into presentations.
Price: Plans start at about $18 per month for up to 10 employees.
What tools do you use for hiring and other HR tasks? Let us know in the comments below