About a year ago, there was a lively discussion in our LinkedIn group about the next generation of MaxHire. In the months following that discussion, we started a dialogue with customers about the ideas in that thread and how we could make the next version of MaxHire more productive.
These common themes emerged:
- Lots of people are using Macs. Running MaxHire natively on a Mac would be more productive than switching between Windows and MacOS.
- Account managers are spending more time in the field and need a full-featured tablet solution.
- Working at a client’s office for an extended period of time is more common, especially for RPO. Accessing MaxHire from a client’s computer without installing software would be ideal.
- The speed and functionality gaps between browser-based software and installed software have closed. Well-built web-based software is now just as fast as installed software.
The writing is on the wall. These discussions led us to the conclusion that the next version of MaxHire needs to be 100% in the cloud and browser-based so it works on a tablet, a Mac, and a PC. A single HTML 5 browser-based product for all platforms lets us build new features faster without the inefficiencies of maintaining separate programs for different devices.
But if you’ve ever worked for a staffing firm that started out in perm placement and tried to make the transition to contract, then you know changing your core business isn’t easy. It’s pretty much the same (if not worse) trying to transition a software company from building installed software to web-based software. So how do we tackle this?
In the same way that I’d figured out most of life’s problems, the answer came over a beer. Art Papas, Bullhorn’s CEO, and I were chatting in a basement pub over a pint and the conversation went something like this:
- “Hey Art, we’re working on this, that, and the other thing.”
- “Hey Peter, we are too!”
Then we realized that together we’d create the world’s best staffing software. Bullhorn’s proven success with browser-based products combined with MaxHire’s technical innovations (like the industry’s first real-time Outlook email integration) is a potent combination.
So we’re making it happen. MaxHire and Bullhorn have joined forces to create the world’s largest, most experienced recruiting software team. As the new “Product Innovation Officer”, I’ll be designing new features full time, exactly what I love doing most.
Our customers will be pleased to know that they’ll get everything they wanted in the next generation of our product, and they’ll get it faster; cross-platform, mobile-friendly, multi-currency, and multi-language. It just won’t be called MaxHire, but that’s OK with me. I only came up with that name over a beer anyway.
MaxHire customers are invited join Art and me as we discuss the future of our combined companies on December 5, 2012 at noon PST. There will be an extended question and answer period at the end of the webinar.
Related Resources
Webinar: 12/5/12 12pm PST - For MaxHire Customers – Peter Blitz and Art Papas discuss the future of MaxHire and Bullhorn together
Press Release: Bullhorn acquires MaxHire Solutions and Sendouts
Blog Post: FAQs for MaxHire Customers – What you need to know about the acquisition
