SNHS Improved Company Portal Enhances Job Posting Process, Content Management, and Staff Workflows
May 21, 2021; New Hampshire; Hillsborough County – CommonPlaces Interactive is pleased to announce that they have successfully completed and launched the new Company Portal for Southern New Hampshire Services (SNHS). SNHS teamed with CommonPlaces to plan and execute a monumental overhaul of the SNHS Company Portal this year which has streamlined their job posting process, allowed for instant website updates, and has given staff the ability to automate processes that were previously handled manually so that they are able to focus more on the overarching goals of their organization.
CommonPlaces Interactive is a local New Hampshire growth-based web development agency specializing in custom-developed Customer Experience Portals which provide the opportunity for businesses to increase efficiency while offering a polished and easy-to-use Content Management System. Working together on this project, SNHS and CommonPlaces are confident that this newly redesigned Company Portal and website pose significant improvements for the user experience of job seekers, SNHS Employees, and Board Members.
For Job Seekers: SNHS believes that every individual “should have access to a healthy, sustainable life as a contributing member of society.” The Careers section is prominent on the SNHS site because their goal is to provide opportunities in New Hampshire for every individual and family they serve. The newly updated Employment Portal provides applicants an improved user experience so that less time is spent applying for jobs, and more time can be spent securing gainful employment.
The ability to easily search for jobs and apply for openings through SNHS is especially important in today’s economy since so many individuals have been impacted by the changes brought about by COVID-19. SNHS has recognized re-employment as a priority and has taken the steps to improve their job posting and application processes. The new web interface is more mobile-friendly so users can access their accounts from any device; it is ADA and 508 compliant for users with disabilities who may require alternate forms of navigation beyond a simple click, such as keyboard navigation and screen reader usability; and most importantly, it offers ease of use for both job posters and applicants alike. Applicants are now able to effortlessly search job openings by keyword, job category, employment type, experience level, and even education level.
In addition to job search improvements, an automated job posting process flow has been established for users who are adding or editing multiple postings, and access permissions to applicant information can now be established according to user security levels. This enables SNHS staff who create job postings for both public and internal visitors to receive an email to the mailbox of their choice as soon as a new application is submitted. In the portal, the job poster is able to easily and quickly view a list of all applicants to their job postings with any sensitive information excluded, while Human Resources Team Members can view all applicant information in order to streamline records handling. This improved capability greatly speeds up the interview scheduling process because there is no longer a wait time for Human Resources to sort and distribute applicant information.
Improved File Management: With this new update, SNHS has included a file management system that allows users to upload different file types and mark them for appropriate viewing/editing permissions such as: “Employee”, “Board of Director”, and “Public”. In addition to assignment capability, files can also be categorized into topic sections such as “Annual Report”, “Directory”, or other custom categories, and includes the option to export by category. This eliminates the need to add file information to individual pages when uploading a document, and in turn, reduces the possibility of errors or omissions. Individual documents will retain the ability to be outputted to custom areas when necessary, but the addition of “export by category” has drastically improved user experience with file handling.
Ease of Website Content Publishing: Specific to the staff responsible for website content, another addition to the update is the page builder which has been customized for SNHS. By working closely with CommonPlaces, SNHS was able to highly customize their page builder to create a straightforward Content Management System (CMS) for users specific to their workflows and needs, rather than just work around generic “cookie-cutter” builder solutions. Because of this, SNHS was able to build out the content of their website in the areas they chose, and edit on the fly without having to rely on a third party to place their content. The added value of being in control of their own pages means that there is no waiting involved to make changes that may arise.
SNHS Employees have seen an improvement with their Employee Portal as well, where they can sign in to view specific areas such as:
- Employee Directory: Allows employees to find contact info for their coworkers.
- File Manager: An organized area for HR files, Board of Directors files, departmental files, and even public files to share with their visitors on a user-permission basis.
- Board of Directors Area: Menu only visible to Board Members signed in with their credentials.
- Employee News Area: Where staff can read information pertaining to company updates, training sessions, and other bulletin items.
SNHS Background: Southern New Hampshire Services (SNHS) is responsible for assisting low-income participants to secure and retain meaningful employment, attain an adequate education, and make better use of available income. SNHS works to reform agendas that may contribute to causes of poverty within the community, and assists to meet urgent individual and family needs including health, nutrition, housing, and employment-related assistance so that individual and family self-sufficiency remains attainable to New Hampshire Citizens.
CommonPlaces Background: Originally founded in 1998, CommonPlaces began providing hosted, web-based solutions to over 250 colleges and universities. During that period, CommonPlaces owned innovative sites such as SixDegrees.com, whose patents and technologies were later sold to become the basis of LinkedIn.com. In 2003, CommonPlaces entered the development market as a premier open source development firm and has since helped establish and strengthen the web presence of nearly 1,000 successful projects throughout the country. Today, CommonPlaces combines its well-established experience in web and application development with the magic of inbound digital marketing to deliver unique solutions to businesses and organizations of all sizes.
Ben Bassi
CommonPlaces Interactive
603.329.6760
