In this second installment of our blog series dealing with some of the major things that staffing and recruiting solution providers are (or aren’t) doing that they shouldn’t (or should) be, it’s time to get a bit ethical. Keep in mind that the vendors we’re discussing represent only the small minority of companies who aren’t treating their customers appropriately. This type of conduct is still very much stigmatized in the field and is not considered good practice.
As far as business goes, make no mistake that your vendor wants to retain you as a customer for as long as it can, but sometimes, there is good reason to leave your provider. There are countless valid reasons for this: perhaps you no longer have a need for the solution, or it could be that you’ve found a more suitable solution for your company. Maybe you simply can’t settle your differences, or perchance—though we hope this is never the case—you’ve had a more unfortunate falling out with your vendor.
But as far as ethics go, no matter what fuels your choice to part ways with your staffing solution provider, there is no justifiable reason that your vendor should make leaving difficult for you and your business. Once your provider has exhausted every avenue to keep you, its staff should accept the loss and do what they can to ensure you leave with no harm to your company. Unfortunately, it’s at this stage in the game that some companies are so desperate to retain you that they’ll do—or threaten to do—the only thing that they feel they can. They’ll threaten you with your own data.
They’ll take your data hostage. They’ll tell you that, should you decide that their solution isn’t right for you, then your data will be wiped out permanently. Everything that has been stored or submitted into their application or solution will be irreversibly lost. Alternatively, they might make data migration impossible or unnecessarily difficult. This is ethically wrong for a number of reasons, but foremost of these is that it demonstrates lack of concern for your business’s welfare, which should be the ultimate priority. Software providers should want to see their customers succeed during the time that you are using their solution, but also should wish you the best and help you on your way out if it comes to this point.
The lesson to be taken from this scenario is understanding the importance of doing your research before you enter into a business relationship with a staffing and recruiting software provider. Discuss these terms with your provider before you implement their solution. Clearly define who owns the data, who is able to control it, and what happens should you feel the need, for any reason, to terminate your business relationship.
