Bucknell University

Bucknell University Case Study

THE CHALLENGE

As a world-class higher education institution, Bucknell University fosters a culture of opportunity and innovation to ensure a rich learning experience. At its heart lies a strong ethos: inspiring people to thrive and take bold steps in learning.

With faculty playing a prominent role in fuelling the minds of students, the HR services team at Bucknell University needed a robust applicant tracking system to support the highly complex nature of faculty hiring. Recruitment consultants, Kelly Dinan and Brandy Bloom, along with Director of HR Services, Marcia Cooney, led the project to source and implement a fit-for-purpose recruitment system.

THE FOCUS

Applying for a faculty position at a university is a lengthy process. During the application stage, candidates must submit several specialized documents: including a resume, cover letter, research statement, teaching statement and confidential letters of recommendation. Depending on the type of faculty position, a teaching portfolio, sample curriculum, writing samples, research statement, a statement of teaching philosophy and other relevant documents may also be required.

The applicant tracking system that Bucknell University previously used wasn’t equipped to meet the demands of faculty recruitment. The HR services team found themselves tasked with two challenges – finding a system to streamline and optimize recruitment for all, and getting stakeholder buy-in from key players. “We had to have some faculty buy-in for our initiatives to be successful,” says Cooney.

The team was impressed by the functionality of PageUp Recruitment. They held mini introductory demonstration sessions with key faculty members from each of Bucknell’s three colleges and the Provost’s Office to get initial stakeholder buy-in. “We started with a core group of individuals that we thought would be potential supporters,” explains Cooney. “We brought them in and showed them some of the things PageUp could do – and how we anticipated that it could help them with faculty recruiting.”

A key feature of its previous applicant tracking system was the ability to support the management of faculty documents, especially confidential letters of recommendation. The team were tasked with convincing internal stakeholders that implementing PageUp would help streamline faculty processes. “The concept was that it was going to be a lot easier for search committees because they would only have to learn one system for staff and faculty recruiting. Evaluating and communicating with candidates directly in the system would be easier, as well as the ability to efficiently manage and send documents to others involved in the search process,” says Cooney.

Having the support of faculty leaders made the PageUp selection and implementation process a smooth one. “Ultimately the PageUp system was an easy sell,” says Cooney.

THE SOLUTION

PageUp enabled the HR team at Bucknell University to streamline recruitment – including the complexities of faculty recruitment. They have received positive feedback from internal stakeholders. “The faculty are happy. They can access everything easily,” says Dinan.

“The faculty are happy. They can access everything easily.”
– Kelly Dinan, Recruitment Consultant, Bucknell University

Dinan’s role involves getting faculty departments and search committees up to speed with the functionalities of PageUp. “I work with academic assistants using the events schedule and interviews, which has streamlined their work. If you can sell it to the support staff, or those who are managing the applications, that’s a huge talking point in terms of the robust features you can use,” she says.
An important part of the process for the Bucknell HR team was highlighting the ongoing support with PageUp. “We have layers of support in PageUp that we didn’t have before,” says Cooney.

“We have layers of support in PageUp that we didn’t have before.”
– Marcia Cooney, Director HR Services, Bucknell University

Bucknell University’s next step is to start using PageUp for the faculty offer process. The HR Services team expects additional benefits and efficiencies as a result of this next phase.

PageUp’s Recruiting Software Improves User Experience at Bucknell University

We are getting from PageUp a better end-user experience. The system has been incredibly user-friendly for us. People have easily been able to jump on board and take advantage of the benefits of using the system.

Brandy Collins,
Recruitment Consultant, Bucknell University

Bucknell University prides itself on offering students a quality educational experience. This private liberal arts college was founded in 1846 and has since been rated one of the United States’ best higher education institutions, according to Forbes.

Bucknell University chose PageUp’s applicant tracking system and recruiting software because of our proven understanding of technology and best business practices.

Bucknell University’s Director for HR Services Marcia J. Cooney applauded PageUp’s ability to tailor its HR solutions to the school’s needs.

“We found PageUp to be exceedingly flexible with us and very supportive,” she said.

“They worked with us to design processes that worked best for Bucknell. They were very patient to ensure we got what was best for Bucknell.”

Bucknell has seen the results of this unique and collaborative experience, right down to the end-user. Its user experience for new candidates, recruiters and hiring managers has improved greatly thanks to PageUp’s tailored modules.

A recruitment system for everyone with Bucknell University

We didn’t want someone who would do an implementation and then leave us with the product, but someone who would continue to collaborate with us. PageUp continues to do that: we’re three years live and we have a really excellent relationship with them.

Marcia Cooney,
Director of HR services, Bucknell University

When the time came for Bucknell University to find a new talent management provider, its Director of HR services Marcia Cooney knew she needed a solution that would grow with the institution. With PageUp, Cooney found a partner that continues to help her team set and achieve its goals.

With you each step of the way

“One of the most important reasons for selecting PageUp was we wanted a vendor partner,” Cooney explains. “We didn’t want someone who would do an implementation and then leave us with the product, but someone who would continue to collaborate with us. PageUp continues to do that: we’re three years live and we have a really excellent relationship with them.”

Working side-by-side with PageUp as a talent management partner has helped Cooney and her team to consistently deliver great HR outcomes for the faculty at Bucknell University. “We can say, ‘This is what we would like to do’ and PageUp works with us to get as close to that as possible,” Cooney says.

Seamless integrations

The ability for PageUp to integrate with a range of other industry providers has also streamlined and optimized talent management processes at Bucknell University. Such integrations mean processes become more efficient, and the likelihood of human error is reduced. efficiency. “Having integrations helps us with real-time data, helps us eliminate paper, helps us eliminate human error and data entry,” Cooney explains. “With less people touching it, we can be a lot more efficient in our processes.”  

Technology people love to use

PageUp’s easy-to-use interface has also proven popular with prospective Bucknell University applicants. “A lot of users are comfortable with PageUp’s ease of use – from an applicant standpoint, we used to get a lot of calls to our front desk from applicants who were having troubles with our prior vendor. We now have a significant absence of those calls,” Cooney says.   

It’s not just prospective applicants that find PageUp simple and intuitive to use: Cooney’s team – and the wider institution – have also embraced Pageup’s user-friendly functionality. “Our hiring managers have all found it very easy to use: Some of the features have been very helpful, like event scheduling and selection criteria,” she says. “We have recruitment consultants using the system all the time: it’s very user-friendly.”

Engaging everyone in recruiting with Bucknell University

PageUp is always willing to hear what we have to say, take our feedback and take it back to production.

Kelly Dinan & Brandy Bloom,
Recruitment Consultants, Bucknell University

Bucknell University implemented PageUp Talent Management in December 2015. Since implementation, two of its Recruitment Consultants, Brandy Bloom and Kelly Dinan have noticed an uplift in efficiencies and communication in their recruitment processes.

A positive brand experience

Implementing PageUp has been a game-changer for the University and its employer brand. “The site looks innovative and modern. It looks like we’ve put a lot of thought and attention into developing our brand for recruiting at Bucknell,” says Bloom.

Timely candidate communication

The candidate experience is crucial for an organization’s recruitment process. “With PageUp, we’re easily able to communicate to applicants through the different status of their applications. So even candidates that are not hired receive some type of communication. Having that constant communication with candidates even if they aren’t hired speaks highly and continues to make Bucknell an employer of choice,” says Dinan.

User-friendly functionality

PageUp’s Applicant Tracking System (ATS) has provided Bucknell University’s candidates and end users with easy to use functionality. “The biggest comment I hear from our users about the PageUp system is the ease of use. It’s not confusing at all, there’s ten different ways to get everywhere. They have no difficulty finding what they need to accomplish their tasks,” explains Bloom.

Intuitive features

Both Bloom and Dinan have noticed greater efficiencies in their day-to-day functions thanks to PageUp’s intelligent features. As a frequent creator of reports, it’s unsurprising Bloom lists the reporting function as one of her favorites. “There are two favorite features that rank pretty highly on my list. One is the reports feature. The reports are super customizable. We can really create whatever it is we need to create. I love the capability of scheduling the report to show up automatically whenever I need it,” she says. “It’s been very helpful for our campus to be able to utilize data more effectively.”

Dinan’s favorite feature is the event scheduler. “I work with search committees where using that feature has taken away a lot of back and forth communication with the candidates. There’s always a personal follow up when scheduling interviews but it takes away the initial phone calls. It saves time and it’s user-friendly for candidates. I receive that feedback from them as well.”

A collaborative partnership

Both Bloom and Dinan describe working with PageUp as a collaboration. “At Bucknell, we interact most frequently with our Technical Account Manager. She is always available and responsive – she’s a rockstar,” says Bloom.

Dinan appreciates the easy conversations she has with the team. “PageUp is always willing to hear what we have to say, take our feedback and take it back to production. They’ve also been very proactive with telling us about new features and how to use the system in a better way.”

Technology people love to use

My favorite feature is the quick reference button. It makes my job a lot easier because I can access an applicant card or look at lists of applicants by status.

Becca Laessig,
Talent Acquisition Strategic Partner, Kansas State University

Easy-to-use systems, consistent communication and on-the-go accessibility are just some of the reasons why PageUp is technology that people love to use.

Quick and easy

For Becca Laessig, Talent Acquisition Strategic Partner at Kansas State University, PageUp’s quick reference functionality means she can access need-to-know information from anywhere, at anytime. “My favorite feature is the quick reference button: it makes my job a lot easier because I can access an applicant card or look at lists of applicants by status – it’s something I share with all my customers,” Laessig says.

PageUp’s easy to use interface has also proved popular at Bucknell University, where Recruitment Consultant Brandy Bloom has introduced it to the HR team. “I think the biggest comment we hear from our users about PageUp is the ease of use. It’s not confusing at all, and there are ten different ways to get everywhere,” she says.

Consistent touchpoints

PageUp has also given institutions the power to take control of their applicant and candidate touchpoints, making the recruitment process more personal, precise and data-driven. For example, the HR team at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville were previously unable to track candidate data with their existing talent management system. Implementing PageUp has since empowered the institution to capture this rich candidate data and leverage it strategically.  

“We have experienced a lot more consistency throughout our recruitment, throughout our hires, we have been able to bring new hires on in a more timely fashion and track more info. We were never able to track applicant info prior to PageUp,” says Talent Management Coordinator Tara Rucker.

Christine Ray, Onboarding and New Employee Programs Consultant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has seen similar results by using PageUp to employ a recruitment approach that features consistent candidate communication.

“Since we’ve launched PageUp, our careers website is a much stronger presence and it’s consistent in the way we are posting our jobs which allows our applicants to understand the process,” Ray says. “It’s really provided a better experience for our applicants. We also love the consistent communication that’s able to go out through the system. We can automatically keep those going out in a timely fashion so we’re better in touch with our applicants.”

Seamless recruitment integration with PageUp

We have a two-way system. The benefits of having that have been instrumental.

Jackie Carter,
Talent Acquisition Coordinator, Medical University of South Carolina

Seamless integrations, reducing paperwork and manual processing are some of the key reasons organizations choose PageUp as their talent management provider.

Smooth integrations

For Marcia Cooney, Director of HR Services at Bucknell University, having a system that could seamlessly integrate with their existing platforms was important. “We have a two-way integration with PageUp. Having that integration helps us get closer to real-time data. It puts the information right in the hands of the people who are closest to the work,” she explains.

It was a similar outcome for the Medical University of South Carolina. Jackie Carter, Talent Acquisition Coordinator also wanted a system that could seamlessly integrate with their current platform – with the end goal of delivering better outcomes for her organization. “We have a two-way system. The benefits of having that have been instrumental,” says Carter.

Greater efficiencies

Connie Pfaff-Eickhoff, Talent Acquisition Senior Strategic Partner at Kansas State University was also looking for efficient talent management solutions. The PageUp system efficiently houses everything in one place, which means increased velocity in their day-to-day processes. “Having integration for our payroll and our transactional center in order to get that information across again has been a timesaver. It really helps speed up the time a new person gets into the system.”

Reduced human effort

PageUp systems eliminate tedious, manual processes – and this is evident at the Medical University of South Carolina. “We used to have people manually keying in new hires, their salaries and personal information. Being able to have that come right from the system has definitely reduced the errors, and reduced the time it takes,” says Carter.

With increased efficiencies in automation, the department can focus on developing people. “It’s also helped us with our manpower. We don’t need as many people keying into the system. We can utilize them better in other areas of our human resources department,” she says.

Minimal data entry

PageUp’s automated software also means less time wasted on human effort and reduced human error – resulting in greater efficiencies in the day-to-day recruitment operations at Bucknell University. “We eliminate paper and human error. So there have been a lot of benefits to having that integration and it really helps us to be more efficient in our processes,” says Cooney.