Firefish

Avantages

Firefish is a fantastic resource for recruiters who like to be able to easily track, monitor, and update roles, candidates and even client information. This is the real all rounder in terms of recruitment and business support software. Not only can each individual keep their work up to date and track it easily but due to the notes systems it is easy to keep up with colleagues and not duplicate work.

Inconvénients

Firefish is a strong programme but could benefit from more external job site integration (i.e. indeed, total jobs, etc) so that when uploading roles to users own site and CV Library adverts can easily be linked to other sites also allowing all applications to come through to Firefish.

Avantages

The fact that it is very easy to use and there are lots of tabs to include information for both candidates and clients to provide a full picture. I also like the function where we can send texts directly from firefish and it records the replies directly.

Inconvénients

As mentioned I'd like the recruiter interview tab on the job flow to be accessible throughout as we use this after CVs sent as well ask before. The location for the tab for the road map and the messages gets in the way. I would prefer this as a tab at the top of the screen as I often click on it when I am going through my lists.

Avantages

There are a lot of features, but not enough of them do the job properly

Inconvénients

it tends to be buggy and slow. There needs to be more features to help recruiters save time and organise their pipeline and candidates better.

Avantages

Easy to keep track of all your activity, advanced CV search capabilities, classy landing page design. All sections tie into one another with links to click between candidate, contact and company, saving you a lot of time.

Posting jobs is quick and painless. Users decide on new features to be build and not the company themselves, this is a great idea.

Everything that you can think of it has. Important CV's direct from email. Free bulk uploads each month done by the data team. Top class customer support.

Inconvénients

Nothing, I haven't found a single thing that I dislike. The product is constantly evolving, No bugs in 6 months of using it.

Avantages

The layout makes perfect sense. The functionality is spot on and is very intuitive and easy to use. For anything that you're unsure about, the back up and support from the team is spot on. It does all the stuff that I need my CRM to do and none of the stuff I don't need or want. I am particularly fond of the fact that it integrates beautifully with my web page and that I can update my webpage at any time. I've used numerous CRMs including Bond/Adapt, Bullhorn, Jobadder and many others and genuinely, this is the best I've ever used and I'm so glad that I'm using it for my own recruitment business. Firefish is a bit like Apple - they're stuff just works!

Inconvénients

I'm genuinely struggling to think of something that I don't like or find hard to use. The only thing I can think of is when I was looking to put a retainer through on the system. But, with one quick email to the support team, I had my answer in minutes. On that point - they have a great list of "how to do X" available to download with very easy to follow graphics...another plus!

Alternatives envisagées 

Bullhorn ATS & CRM, Dynamics 365 et Salesforce Sales Cloud

Pourquoi passer à Firefish

A few reasons. First and foremost, I found their systems really intuitive and easy to use. Secondly, it links with the Website which just makes total sense to me. Thirdly, ever single person that I've ever had any dealings with at Firefish, whether it be the sales team, IT support or finance and billing - they've been great to work with. Finally, it was great to see a Scottish company producing a world-class product.

Avantages

The stand out thing about Firefish for me is how easy it is to engage with our candidates and keep the database fresh and relevant. Candidates can manage their own work & marketing preferences via an online portal so their info is kept up date, compliant and they can sign up to job alerts that are specific to them. The automation is great; saving our consultants precious time away from admin. It gives us the functionality of a great CRM & applicant tracking system with added benefit of being able to market out effectively too. Many of the support team at FireFish are x- recruiters so they really get us and offer lots of useful market insights.

Inconvénients

There’s not a lot not to like to be honest. They integrate with a lot of job boards but unfortunately not with Indeed so that would hep given their market share. It would help if we could see some engagement indicators on the mailshots we send to hiring managers.

Avantages

Before purchasing Firefish we conducted a full search of other products on the market. What ultimately swung it for us came down to 3 things:

1) The easy layout and use of the software
2) The customisation's available
3) The passion and help of the support staff

We felt from day one that the team at Firefish understood our business and at the time it was a very complicated one! They supported us and did everything they could to accommodate our requirements, we didn't just feel like a number to them!

We spent a good amount of time talking to Firefish over voice calls having training sessions which were beneficial and they answered any queries we had, and those they couldn't answer at the time, they took away and came back to us on.

The software itself is very easy to use. There are of course tweaks that every business feels it could benefit from, and what's good about Firefish is that you can make suggestions to the Company for feature improvements and they do their best to implement these improvements.

I really can't fault the Firefish software, the support staff, or their Company ethos.

Inconvénients

Cons? Hmmm this is a tough one because I'm not sure there are any. Possibly and maybe the only thing I could suggest would be the option to have a member of Firefish come to your business to help set up and implement the database so that all features are used to their fullest. With how busy our daily lives are here, and the fact that we had to set the system up as we used it because of the situation we were in at the time, 2 years on we are still learning about some features which had we known about in the beginning would save a lot of tedious work now!

But I have no negative thoughts or comments about the system at all. It's a very intelligent piece of software that fits our needs perfectly.

Alternatives envisagées 

Bullhorn ATS & CRM

Pourquoi passer à Firefish

Bullhorn was the only one I can honestly remember as it was a fore runner with Firefish. Fishfish to us just had a simpler layout and was kinder on the eye.

Avantages

Easy to add candidates and search resumes - very user-friendly and everything is very easy to pick up. A lot of the email templates can be changed to reflect the way I work. The support team is great and responds quickly to any problems or queries. I love the way you can track changes through the process and move them from each stage of the recruitment journey.

Inconvénients

I wish it would include some form of Video Interviewing technology so we could stop using Odro. I know this is a massive ask!

Alternatives envisagées 

Bullhorn ATS & CRM

Pourquoi choisir Firefish 

To improve our processes and the way we work. We wanted to use a CRM built specifically for the recruitment industry.

Pourquoi passer à Firefish

Personal recommendation and a general 'gut-feeling' it was right for us.

Avantages

The customer service is great, they are quick to respond to issues, happy to help when customising features in the CRM and always open to suggestions. The system was designed by those with recruitment experience and it shows, the task and workflow management is logical and the contact search capabilities and suggested matches are intelligent, adding real value to your candidate and client communications. They also had my website and CRM system set up quickly when my business was founded offering full training and support through onboarding

Inconvénients

The site doesn't fully integrate with major job boards or social media so advert response does not automatically list against your roles and instead goes into your email. There is a 365 integration that means its fairly simple to transfer these into the system but this can be time consuming if you have a high volume of response to manage.

Alternatives envisagées 

Zoho Recruit et Bullhorn ATS & CRM

Pourquoi choisir Firefish 

The complete lack of support from the previous provider along with the system being unsuitable for use. I was looking for a system that would enable and improve my ability to do my role rather than being a additional admin tool. When I later set up my current company Firefish where my first choice.

Pourquoi passer à Firefish

Logical task and workforce management, ease of use, website and email integration, great customer service as demonstrated by the level of customisation available and ongoing improvement based on user feedback.

Avantages

The user interface is excellent and very intuitive. We also like the fact that the product is constantly evolving with new features regularly being added. We also like the fact that feedback from customers is taken on board and used to further improve the product.

Inconvénients

Some features/functions can take a long time to implement but there is a fantastic community where ideas are raised and voted on. If a client requires a new feature to be built or custom fields to be added for example, this can be prioritised via professional services.

Alternatives envisagées 

Bullhorn ATS & CRM et Vincere

Pourquoi choisir Firefish 

Lack of development of the product, very inefficient desktop application and convoluted processes.

Pourquoi passer à Firefish

Best balance of features, functionality, cost and future potential

Avantages

This is an easy-to-use software, which allows for the integration from outlook and calendars to ensure a "one-stop overview" for all our company needs. The new feature of being able to customise the terms within each client provides an easy overview of the terms, also this feature links through to new jobs minimise steps and speeds up the process.

Inconvénients

With the preview windows being in PDF format, this can mess with the format of Word documents, so we have added an extra process to convert word documents to PDF to ensure documents view correctly

Avantages

There are a number of excellent features in firefish. - The search functions and talent pools are great - Application tracking- The dashboard is great for easy access to almost everything - System is easy to use and also easy to make changes if required

Inconvénients

If talent pools could be shared this would be a great feature. Especially when working in teams where candidates often cross over. The report function can be a little confusing but the team at FF are always on hand to help.

Avantages

The process from start to finish, enables you to give the candidate a good experience, whether they are right for the role they've applied for or not. The Firefish software is exactly what recruitment businesses need, they've thought of everything!

Inconvénients

I don't feel there is any cons to Firefish - the team are always developing new ways to make a recruiter's job easier.

Avantages

It is user friendly, intuitive and logical. It is constantly evolving and improving.

Inconvénients

A few minor tweaks such as the email box much larger so you can see all of an email template you are editing.

Avantages

The software is integrated into your website so seamlessly add value and eas in managing the data flow, you have full control of the editing and functionality to can make changes and update drop downs and functionality.

Inconvénients

Not a great not to like in fairness, it delivers across all metrics for us

Avantages

Firefish is a great platform for recruiting professionals. The intuitive user interface and automated processes make the process of finding and hiring the right talent much easier. The customer service team is very responsive and always willing to help. The platform also offers valuable insights into the job market and the skills necessary to make successful hires.

Inconvénients

The main downside of Firefish is that it can be quite expensive for smaller companies. The cost of the platform makes it hard to justify for some businesses and can be a barrier to entry. Additionally, the platform isn't as user-friendly as some of its competitors, making it difficult to use for those not familiar with its features.

Avantages

The software is reasonably priced and does the job. It's easy to use and if you have an issue they have a great support team to help. If you have a suggestion for a new feature, it will be reviewed and if possible implemented, so you feel like part of the team.

Inconvénients

As I work on my own, I need to find time to input categories for jobs and remember to only add the areas of work the candidate does. My system is currently needing an update as I haven't got enough categories under each industry.

Avantages

We have 3 people in the business total, all with varying computer skills. Firefish's software is super simple to use and their training sessions are great and full of every single bit of info you could possibly need. I like that I can find candidates relevant to what I am looking for simply by typing in one word.

Inconvénients

Only issue I have with Firefish is I wish I could email myself a list of people or email one of my colleagues a list of people. For example, if my colleague isn't able to access their Firefish due to not being around their laptop but they need info on what candidates to reach out too it would be good to be able to send them a list of what I found on Firefish. I hope that makes sense. If this is already an option, please let me know.

Avantages

It's relatively quick and easy to use. Able to access from anywhere.

Inconvénients

Lack of integrations with LinkedIn and WhatsApp. email function is clunky. Have to create duplicate contacts for multi-office clients

Avantages

Lots of functions, and features that can be utalised.

Inconvénients

A few hidden costs, if after 3 months your workload increases and Firefish isn't for you, you find yourself roped into a 12-month contract. Way too over the top for what it is supposed which makes it over complicated.

Avantages

I use the Advert posting, applicant processing, and CV database. I absolutely love all these features as they're incredibly easy to use and very convenient. My favourite feature is the option for mandatory pre-screening questions as this saves me a lot of time when going through the job applications.

Inconvénients

Honestly, not many cons come to mind as there are parts of Firefish I don't use but perhaps the organisation of the Candidate profiles. The CV is buried on the last tab in documents but is the most important thing on someone's profile.

Avantages

Outlook integration is essential and allows me to quickly import candidates and see our interaction with them. Important when several consultants work on same role.

Inconvénients

Still learning what I like and dislike but nothing critical
Duplicate names have been an issue

Avantages

The software is easy to use, certainly much easier to navigate than other recruitment CRM I have used previously. I like the fact they are listening to users and continually making changes to the platform.

Inconvénients

I am not a fan on the CV formatting section, I haven't been able to use this successfully yet.

Avantages

Its very user friendly - it matches to candidates very well. Easy to move through - I have had new starters who have managed to get their head around it in a couple of days. Simple but effective!

Inconvénients

I feel the only real area that could be improved on is the sales pipeline tool and sending jobs to a centralised report for sharing.

Avantages

I enjoy the streamlined and easy-use layout of the platform. It makes it easy to move through each section and complete tasks. Keeping track of client processes every step of the way and informing clients through the click of a button.

Inconvénients

The lack of Integration capabilities with other platforms- lack of integration with Job oards

Avantages

It's incredibly easy to use and collaborative with my colleagues. If I need to take a step away from the business for a day or two, my colleagues are able to see a great snapshot of my desk and carry this work forward for me. There are also loads of added features to add context behind your notes, and a clear progression for recruitment.

Inconvénients

User interface could be more attractive, it can be a little 'black and white' for users. New user videos could be revised.

Avantages

The ease at which I can post roles, track candidates and re-cycle back into new processes

Inconvénients

Ideally, the interviews would feed into my outlook calendar so I could keep track that way

Avantages

The people at FireFish - they're patient, friendly, knowledgeable and accept and act on recommendations - they listen to their customers.

Inconvénients

I'd like to be able to attach multiple docs to emails at source

Avantages

Easy to use, and add any locations or disciplines being a super user.

Inconvénients

Not being able to spell check and change words automatically if incorrectly spelt

Avantages

Logical workflows so easy for new staff to learn the system.

Inconvénients

Jobboard integrations could offer more functionality like how many credits used/available per month, which adverts are posted on XX job board and editing adverts within a period (if allowed by the job board). Reporting could be expanded for better management visibility of individual and team performance.

Avantages

CRM, keeping all notes, history, calls, email in one place, and the boolean searches - to be able to use as a job board

Inconvénients

Sales forecasting for temps, great for perms but not so user friendly for temps

Alternatives envisagées 

Bullhorn ATS & CRM

Pourquoi passer à Firefish

We loved the over all user friendliness of the CRM, the data capture, CV searching, formatting, reports, and workflows, as well as hosting our website.

Avantages

Customer service and support has been excellent and I have noticed some updates within the first 8-12months that have improved the usability. They definitely listen to their customers.

Inconvénients

I find some of the searches limited. For instance, I can't just put in a town or county and get the candidates from those area. It only seems to work by postcode and most applicants don't put their postcodes on their CVs.

Avantages

Firefish is the best CRM I have used so far, like every CRM it is only as good as the stuff you put into it. The more accurate and detailed your entry is the better the software becomes.

Inconvénients

The lack of integration with some of the bigger platforms. The formatting of CVs isn't great and end up just doing it outside of the system.

Avantages

ease of use, good search facility. good reporting suite

Inconvénients

can be glitchy. lack of two way API, from sales lead platforms and job boards

Avantages

Great onboarding -Easy to use recruitment software - helps generate more business -good system for managing candidates and recruitment process

Inconvénients

Can be a bit slow sometimes but overall very useful recruitment tool

Avantages

The system is very easy to use and has all the features we require to do our job. The mailshots and the applicant tracking system are key for us to manage both candidates and clients.

Inconvénients

Very rarely but sometimes the system can be quite slow and when we are on a tight deadline, this can hold it up slightly.

Avantages

They have nailed candidate candidate engagement within their platform. You are able to keep easily engaging with our candidates through social channels, email and click to call.
The platform is easy to use and shows users a clear path To enable them to match candidates to clients and jobs quickly.

Inconvénients

The clouds software can be limiting at times with trying to save documents on the fly and also the ability to navigate through multiple screens in one session.

Alternatives envisagées 

Bullhorn ATS & CRM

Pourquoi passer à Firefish

From day one, Firefish wanted to be our partner and grow together. No other supplier showed this to us. Also, they started from the candidate journey and engagement which is something we really value.

Avantages

Software is always being improved and updated. Very easy to use. Good value for money.

Inconvénients

Formatted CVs need to be more user-friendly. It's a little glitchy.

Alternatives envisagées 

Bullhorn ATS & CRM et Salesforce Sales Cloud

Pourquoi choisir Firefish 

Looking for better product

Pourquoi passer à Firefish

Better overall product. Affiliation with TEAM

Avantages

The ability to load job sepcs/descriptions to the software, which will then also load to google for jobs, our own website as well as other jobs boards and social media. Just what we were after, write the infoamtion once and post everywhere.

Inconvénients

Only keeps track of emails for people in the system, not everyone turns into a customer or client, so do not want to put everyone into the system.

Alternatives envisagées 

Bullhorn ATS & CRM

Pourquoi passer à Firefish

Just did exactly what we were after!

Avantages

Ease of use and functionality plus customer support of course

Inconvénients

Reports are a bit complicated and there are some 'hard coded' menu drop downs that would be better if you could put your own in. Also ability to change the dates / amend certain things (ie the date you sent a CV for example)

Alternatives envisagées 

Bullhorn ATS & CRM

Pourquoi choisir Firefish 

Felt we needed a more modern UI with better candidate management and tracking

Avantages

It is a self explanatory product and you can understand the basics easily. Allows you to see candidate progress quickly and easily.

Inconvénients

There is not a great search functionality for previous placements or roles. The most important is the inability to search and tailor keywords.

Avantages

It was easy to understand, logical to follow and allowed us to tailor it to our own industry. I was responsible for helping to choose FF and the process was made very simple, with FF providing excellent support.

FF allows you to create a system aligned to the sector /sectors you are working in, using your own industry language, rather than generic terminology.

It links to our website and through to social media and job boards, all aspects that save time and repetition.

They run weekly Webinars that cover a wide range of topics which are very helpful for the small business.

They were always ahead of the game when it came to GDPR, seeing it as an opportunity rather than a problem.

The support team are also very good and friendly, which makes it easier to contact them as you don't feel judged.

Finally, they are constantly developing the system, often based on the comments from the users.

Inconvénients

I am sure there are issues, but to date I have't found them.

Avantages

Firefish has allowed the whole company (front and back office) to get involved with all aspects of the Recruitment Process. The system is easy to use and has brilliant functionality. One thing that particularly stands out to me about Firefish is the people behind it. I have been in contact with lots of the team and always receive a prompt, friendly and helpful response. They go above and beyond to ensure your query is solved and often follow up with improvements or further solutions. Thank you!

Inconvénients

The Marketing side can sometimes be slightly limiting but they are always making improvements and often have a walk around for something we'd like to do.

Avantages

How easy it is to see the history of each candidate

Inconvénients

nothing, the system works really well, I personally have not had an issue.

Avantages

Responsible cost.Easy to manage job postings - on company website and 3rd party job boards.Comes with the option of a template business website.Google optimisation / SEO on all job postings and company website.Useful support and training.

Inconvénients

Some elements of tracking could be better.Reviewing the results of a 'database' search are not a efficient as they could be.Limited integration with 3rd party apps and software.No mobile app.

Alternatives envisagées 

Bullhorn ATS & CRM

Avantages

The interface is very easy to use and I'm pleased to say very logical. It allows a seamless flow between access to the files and doesn't have that clunky feel that so may CRM have.

Inconvénients

For a single user, I don't really get to use all of it's functionality but that's not really a negative.

Avantages

Ease of posting adverts. By doing this directly from the crm system it saves me a lot of valuable time.

Inconvénients

Candidate searching. Being able to search on address and distance from a certain point would be much more convenient. Rather than relying on the correct county being input by applicants and other colleagues.

Avantages

I like the ease of use and the customer support. There is continuous development of the software so our product is always up to date.

Inconvénients

One thing I would really like is a manually created talent pool. I'd like to almost "save for later" rather than it created a list of potential matches.

Avantages

We are a new business and finding the right CRM system was key. I have used Firefish in a previous business and new this had to be the one. Been in recruitment for 10 years I have used various systems, but Firefish is the best system out there.From integrations, coaching sessions, configurations, to general support - they have an amazing team that are there to help & support at anytime.

Inconvénients

The only thing I feel could be improved is job platforms - as a new business we only have CV Library that is paid - I know there are free job boards out there, so would be good to have them on here too.

Avantages

The biggest pull for me, is how simple and user friendly Firefish is! Fantastic detailed, yet so simplistic at the same time - without unnecessary complications like so many of it's rivals.

Inconvénients

Any faults I've ever had, have also been rectified and added in during any upgrades - so no complaints from me!