Open Platform vs. Closed Platform: What’s the Difference and Why Does it Matter?
We live in a digital world, and the speed at which technology is advancing means it’s an exciting time for growing organisations. The best software products are readily available to companies of all shapes and sizes, and it’s getting easier and easier to bring on new software and switch software when required. Ultimately, this means we have more choice, control and opportunity available to us than ever before. Like many organisations, you probably need different software solutions for different purposes. In choosing the right tech-stack, it’s important to understand the difference between Open Platform and Closed Platform solutions to make an informed decision. So, what’s the difference? Let’s think about our smartphones as a baseline tech product. Whether you’re an Apple or an Android user, you can add Apps to tailor your phone to suit your personal needs and interests. (The Apps you choose don’t need to be developed by your phone provider – more often than not they’re developed by a variety of different companies.) In the same way you can add Apps to your smartphone, Open Platform software allows you to choose a baseline tech product, and integrate other products with it to make your life easier. You can tailor this software to suit your organisation’s unique needs, and edit and adapt the functionality of certain features. Software that doesn’t allow you to integrate with other products is called Closed Platform. How does this relate to HR and recruitment tech? The best tech for your organisation is fit for purpose, backed by expertise and support. You wouldn’t ask your electrician to fix your plumbing. You wouldn’t fill your home and wardrobe with items from a single department store. So why use a generalist HRIS to achieve your recruitment goals? At Scout Talent, our tech is Open Platform. This means you can integrate our products with your other recruitment, HR and wider business tech – seamlessly – via APIs (Application Programming Interface). APIs allow different applications to “talk” to one another and provide the flexibility to adapt to different purposes. Is Open Platform the best choice when it comes to HR/Recruitment tech? Many HRIS are Closed Platform, meaning you have no option but to use only the products in their suite, whether they’re right for your needs or not. A Closed Platform can lead you to technological dead ends if the system doesn’t use current technology. It can lack specialised features and functions. Maintenance and updates affect the entire system, which can interrupt access. All this creates further pain and frustration during the recruitment process. It can increase time to hire, which ultimately increases costs and reduces your ability to secure top talent. Open Platform gives you choice and control. With so many great HR and recruitment tech options available these days (not to mention those that haven’t even been invented yet!), why lock yourself into one vendor? Open Platform is easy to update without impacting other areas in your organisation, and can adapt to market changes and your changing needs. Updates can run in the background, or can be scheduled to only impact one system at a time, so your whole organisation isn’t held at ransom by technology. Keep your mind at ease knowing you can perform the important tasks you need to do. Decision time The costs can be high in recruitment, so the right technology is critical in allowing you to complete your processes in the most efficient way possible. When it comes to recruitment, the software you use is essential in being able to secure quality talent. Open Platform recruitment tech is designed with this in mind, to create the best processes for both users and candidates. It allows you to choose the right tech-stack for your specific organisational needs and use integrations to allow them to talk to each other seamlessly. At Scout Talent, we’re excited about our Open Platform integration partnerships and continuing with this momentum to build the best experience for our users. Through integrations and tailoring specialised capabilities, we love seeing the positive impact this has on our clients’ ability to achieve direct, measurable outcomes for their organisation. Open Platform systems support you and are flexible to suit your needs. They are the best choice to use as part of your rec-tech stack to positively impact your organisation’s most powerful advantage – your talent. Learn more and enquire about our Open Platform Candidate Management System (CMS), Scout Talent:Recruit or request a demo.
