INTRODUCING TALENT CONNECT - UCI'S APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM

We are implementing a new Applicant Tracking System (ATS), replacing TAM, the current ATS module within UCPath. We will continue using UCPath but will no longer use TAM as our applicant tracking system. Our new ATS is Talent Connect powered by iCIMS. iCIMS has been an ATS provider in the HR technology space since 2000. The platform offers a robust set of features to support the entirety of the hiring process, ensuring collaboration among hiring managers, candidates, human resources, and talent acquisition. Talent Connect also offers us a more contemporary system experience, similar to many of the online tools we have all become accustomed to using. The platform allows us to enhance the candidate experience, making it easier to use and providing real time communication regarding opportunities and hiring process status.

UCI needed improved hiring and application experiences for managers and candidates. This change allows us to boost efficiency with managers and HR team members throughout the hiring process. The talent market is extraordinarily competitive and we need to operate more efficiently. Being able to enhance the candidate experience will help to improve the quality of our candidate pools and the number of candidates who apply. For managers, having an ATS that provides better tools for posting jobs, seeking approval, reviewing candidates, managing offers, and confirming new hires is essential.

UCI continues to seek talent in a highly competitive market. The talent market is not exclusive to higher education and healthcare; we have the potential to attract candidates from a wide range of industries. We need to be prepared to collaborate and manage all phases of the hiring process efficiently. Making more timely decisions and collaborating better with hiring process stakeholders will help us secure candidates. The new feature set will include tools such quick links to initiate jobs and review candidates. The new Offer Workflow will allow us to generate offer letters directly from the system. The statuses of candidates are visible throughout the process, including tasks and statuses during onboarding.

An HR based project team is working with a number of hiring process stakeholders; vendor partners, UCPath, and the HR community. We are following a traditional project management plan and have been meeting weekly to complete assigned tasks and deliverables. This has been a step-by-step process as we work to configure Talent Connect and transition from using TAM. TAM will remain available to us through the formal transition date.

The project first kicked off in June 2023. The initial meetings with the vendor helped to produce a prototype that was released to the project team in August 2023. We hosted a full system testing April 9 – 13, 2024. Training will begin the week of May 20, 2024. Our go-live date for the new ATS, Talent Connect, is Thursday, June 20, 2024.

Once we begin using Talent Connect, TAM will no longer be used for any recruiting. As we get closer to the cutover to Talent Connect, we will publish the date when data entry into TAM will end. We will, however, have read-only access to TAM for record keeping purposes.

Requisitions and candidate activity previously entered into TAM will remain there.

Talent Acquisition (TA) will be sharing a transition plan with all departments who have active requisitions. This includes tasks to close or cancel any requisitions that remain open from 2019 – 2022. The TA Operations team will also be providing guidance on information necessary to ensure appropriate record keeping for any requisitions that are yet to be closed.

All employees will have a standard profile in the new system. Employees will be able to access their profile, upload a resume, and create job alerts. The new internal career portal will also provide access to resources such as resume and interview advice.

If you have feedback, ideas, or questions about the ATS project you can submit your ideas and inquiries to the Talent Strategy inbox.