An online applications system has enabled Kent University to revolutionise recruitment, leading to lower costs and soaring quality.

Breaking new ground in higher education recruitment, the University of Kent, recently voted the number one university in London and the south-east for student satisfaction, has revolutionised its recruitment process using a new e-recruitment platform. 

The solution will help the University computerise the entire process, from online job posting to offers and contracts management, helping the University – which operates at locations in Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge and Brussels, as well as having partnerships with several universities in France – tap into a global talent base, while promising every candidate a swift, professional experience. 

The implementation of StepStone’s i-GRasp system, completed after just 12 weeks, will see the University, which advertises around 350 academic, research and administrative positions every year, abandon a largely paper-based recruitment process in favour of a wholly electronic model. 

Kent will also be the first UK University to implement i-GRasp’s offers and contracts module, which can generate a formal offer letter and contract within moments of the successful candidate leaving their final interview. This agility will prove a vital asset to Kent, as demand for world-class academic talent becomes tighter.

Since the new system went live in October 2007, job applications can be processed through its recruitment portal (www.kent.ac.uk/jobs), all candidate correspondence handled via email, and self-service functions such as online interview scheduling and offer confirmation will help the University unlock major efficiency gains, including reduced time to hire, lower costs and improved quality of hire.  

David Mee, director of personnel, University of Kent

“i-GRasp gives us some important advantages, in particular the ability to have an offer letter and contract waiting in successful candidates’ in-boxes as soon as they get home from their final interview. We expect this system to move us to the forefront of recruitment in higher education, so we have the talent to back up our reputation as ‘the UK’s European University’.” 

Matthew Parker, group managing director, StepStone’s Solutions business

“With other institutions, government and, increasingly, industry offering tempting incentives to leading academic talent, Universities are increasingly looking towards using their employer brands as magnets to attract strong candidates. From a practical perspective, this means avoiding unnecessary delays and ensuring that every applicant benefits from a swift, well managed experience, no matter what the outcome.”