“We have used BLOOM for years. Since the beginning, many things in the system have changed and improved. The BLOOM team has worked with us to accommodate all of our human resource needs - from employee data exports to role descriptions. BLOOM also offers many documents that can be changed, rearranged and branded to meet your company's requirements."
Insight Strategic Concepts, makers of BLOOM, together with Reach360 back...
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Align Talent with Strategy
BLOOM versus Competitive Talent Management Solutions.
See How BLOOM is the Simple Alternative to Other Popular and More Expensive Systems
Systems such as SuccessFactors, Halogen, ReviewSNAP, Taleo, and Silk Road have been in business since the mid 1990’s, creating HR processes and solutions and developing many of the leading talent technologies in the field today.
Over the years, a number of shortfalls in these software systems have come to light, and updates have been continually requested by their users. These shortfalls mostly relate to overly complex features and the need to simplify interface and workflow so that implementation is successful all the way to front line managers and supervisors.
We launched BLOOM® in 2008 after using it with selected clients for five years. It comes with a robust and simple user interface, a 5-step methodology, and features missing in competitive talent solutions. BLOOM includes an integrated platform that navigates seamlessly — no fragmented and confusing menus and portals.
Books like One Page Talent Management outline the many reasons why simple talent management practices will always be more successful than the complex. With other systems you need to figure out what features to turn off; with BLOOM you focus on implementation within days to front line managers.
Top Reasons to Use BLOOM Talent Management Software Instead of Others
We think BLOOM is good software that will serve a lot of businesses well, but these are the top reasons we think you should consider using BLOOM instead of systems such as SuccessFactors, Halogen, ReviewSNAP, Taleo, and Silk Road.
• BLOOM is less expensive. For the same price or less, BLOOM includes more integrated features and is easier to use than even the least expensive of the others.
• Annual agreements are optional. Most other systems require at least an annual agreement. BLOOM offers annual agreements for a 10% discount or pay month-to-month via an easy recurring credit card payment.
• Assign organizational strategic growth plan details to employees.This is a key feature that most other systems don’t have. You can assign multiple team members to each strategic initiative, objective, goal, or action step and assign deadlines, budget, objectives, measurements, and files to each detail to assure strategic alignment and understanding throughout the organization. Completion and progress of these growth plan details can also be linked to and rated in performance reviews.
• Set percentage of tasks complete. In BLOOM, team members can set how much of a given strategic task is complete just to let people know where things stand.
• Create role descriptions.BLOOM includes a role description module for creating dynamic and complete role descriptions, which you can tie to Key Results Areas and Competencies and rate in performance reviews. This avoids job description document uploads that are often forgotten and create formatting errors.
• Customize and personalize review forms. Not only can HR select the areas to rate on the review form, the employee’s specific requirements are imported in the following areas: role Key Results Areas, individual development goals, competencies, learning progress, and strategic initiatives and actions.
• Track and schedule learning activities and performance. Systems such as ReviewSNAP only assist with completing performance reviews. BLOOM also tracks, schedules, monitors, and sends email notifications for learning activities, classes, and programs assigned to employees for performance enhancement and development.
• Simple dashboard.When employees log in, there is one simple and clear Dashboard that includes all activities due within next the 30 days. If you choose not to use some features those will simply not show. There is no complex configuration required.
• Simple permissions.BLOOM includes four security levels that make security simple and easy to understand: Admin, Executive, Manager, and Personal.
• Employee resources.You can embed 3rd-party apps and links within your BLOOM Dashboard to other HR and organization resources. An Employee Information Center includes a vast library of forms and resources for HR and staff. System resources and documentation are hidden to share as needed, and you can replace them with company data.
•Simple interface. OK, this is a matter of user preference, but from the comments we are getting from others’ customers we think it is safe to mention this.
• We listen to our customers.One of the frequent complaints we hear about other larger systems is that many do not believe in sharing their development roadmap with the public. We consider our customers to be our business partners and listen to their needs. Send us an email, and you'll see just how down-to-earth and friendly we are.
• Simple options and customization.We actively listen to our customers, and we know that businesses have different needs. We offer a few limited options that can be turned on or off as you need or as your organization's need grow. Our system setup and codes customization are super easy to navigate, and nearly every dropdown field is customizable.
•Publicly available, community-driven development roadmap. Other systems do not share their free upgrade roadmap with the public. We do. Our feature direction is driven by responses and comments from our users. Typically, this is done through ZenDesk, our help desk that enables any user to submit a bug report or a feature request. We try to listen to everyone, reply to everything, and get essential items done as fast as possible. You can see the daily progress – including new features and bug fixes – on our forum page.
As of August 16, 2010, the above list is accurate, but if you spot any inaccuracies, please just let us know.
What Do Other Systems Have that BLOOM Doesn't?
Other systems have been building complexity for over 10 years, and we are just coming close to 3 years in the commercial market after having served our private clients for five years with BLOOM. Naturally, these older systems have some features that we don't (in fact more than we care to develop). Because we want to be completely honest with you, we are up-front the features that other systems have that BLOOM doesn't (yet). These are the features that we believe are aligned with the direction of BLOOM. We believe they’re necessary– and, if done right, are not complex.
• 360 multi-rater reviews. We are working on this now. Our current review form capabilities will be available for unlimited internal and external peers and team members to rate individual employee behaviors and performance per the requirements set for their roles.
• Succession planning. Manager and peer feedback will determine top performers and those needing improvement based on criteria set to assess the performance and potential required to achieve a role.
• Peer feedback tools. Soon we will launch the BLOOM Goal Board, which is where employees can display their developmental goals for peer feedback. They can also post their expanded profiles, sharing past job experience, education, hobbies, and interests.
• Assistance writing reviews. Sometimes managers need guidance on what to write during a review based on the rating given. We are working to provide tools that will assist managers with such communications.
• Publicity. The team at 37signals have done a great job promoting Basecamp. We are working hard on this and are continually developing our website. We will also release an affiliate program soon.
