Bullhorn Professional Services Team Gets Certified by National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS)

The National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) was founded fifty years ago to educate and inform members of the growing personnel services profession in the United States. The organization has created educational and ethical standards and an extensive curriculum. Their goal is to ensure that members understand the entire range of the profession, from best practices to legal requirements. As part of their service, they also administer certification exams.

This summer, members of the Bullhorn Professional Services team became the first non-recruiting members of the national organization. Bullhorn Professional Services has a rigorous training regimen that includes both technical and industry-specific information. In addition to classes in HTML5, Java Engineering and Architecture, and Requirements Gathering, the 2012 curriculum included education about the recruiting industry. All client-facing professional services positions were required to study both the temporary and permanent placement materials provided by NAPS. After a suitable study period, the teams were gathered for an intensive training session with one of the industry thought-leaders.

The project managers, solution consultants, solutions architects and trainers learned what a “BFOQ” is (1), how temporary employees are counted when identifying if an employer qualifies for FMLA (2), and why a smart job posting rarely uses the word “permanent” (3). After the intensive session, the Professional Services group sat for two exams: Certified Temporary Staffing – Specialist and Certified Personnel Consultant. It was an exciting day when the results came back – positive – along with the beautiful certificates and the permission to use the CPC and CTS abbreviations in signature files.

This training in the staffing industry helps set apart Bullhorn’s Professional Services group. We’ve always known how to help configure the Bullhorn application to meet client needs, or to architect custom software for a custom requirement. But this commitment to learning about the industry helps ensure that the solutions Professional Services creates take into consideration the unique needs, constraints and language of personnel services!

1) “Bona Fide Occupational Qualification” is a restriction based on gender or other usually protected classes. The classic example is that a ladies washroom attendant must be female. Although most positions, by US law, must be open regardless of gender – this is the exception.

2) Temporary employees count as eligible when identifying whether an employer has the threshold of 50 or more employees required for the Family Medical Leave Act.

3) Most jobs, even full-time jobs, are “at will” unless otherwise negotiated. By calling a full time employee position “permanent,” a recruiter may imply a commitment that is not actually intended.