Kranect: Our Biggest (Data) Fan Yet?

KranectKranect is a staffing agency working exclusively with skilled IT professionals in Colorado. InsightSquared had a conversation with Rolf Kramer, president of Kranect, who had an interesting story to tell. Founded in August 2012, Kramer leads his team with over 15 years in IT staffing experience. Kranect combines integrated backend technology and social media to change the approach to staffing. Check out Kranect’s Facebook and follow them on Twitter for available positions and industry news.

How did you become a data fanatic?

I really started loving data in 2004 when I ran an IT staffing office. I first tried Bullhorn [an InsightSquared partner] and had a feeling that the ability to track statistics would help me around the office. But when I implemented Bullhorn, I had no idea how useful it would ultimately become. One of the reasons our office was so successful was because we were data-hoarders. I got to the point where I knew exactly how many dials a new sales hire needed to make everyday to be successful.

I am a fanatic about data. Setting up a system and looking at the data is critical to success. At the end of the day, sales and staffing is a numbers game. It’s a science.

How does data tracking effect the staffing industry?

Our industry is a relationship industry. Networking and interpersonal skills are a prerequisite.

[blockquote align=”right”]You can’t sell InsightSquared in Denver. I don’t want the competition using my competitive edge.[/blockquote]But there is a big difference between the companies that use data and the ones that don’t. Companies that don’t measure and track data cap their potential for growth. It also limits the time you can take off from work. The goal as an entrepreneur is to document everything and make your work duplicable so you don’t have to worry if you are on vacation for a week.

Some staffing firms are successful in spite of themselves, but the industry will be moving more and more towards embracing analytics.

What was your first interaction with InsightSquared?

In 2007 I made the move to Bullhorn as an enterprise sales rep. InsightSquared became demo candy when we tried to close big deals because it looked so good. The software elegantly shows very sophisticated data in a palatable way. Our leads always understood that data could help them, but InsightSquared tangibly showed them how diligently tracking metrics would help their business.

And how are you using InsightSquared now?

I always wanted to start my own staffing company so when the time was right I decided to do it. [blockquote align=”left”]I knew I needed to bring InsightSquared over to my new office.[/blockquote]I knew I needed to bring InsightSquared over to my new office. I connected InsightSquared to my ATS [Applicant Tracking System] so all of my important data is on one dashboard. I reference these metrics everyday.

We track everything, but keep it simple. Diligent data entry allows us to extract valuable metrics that down the road will help me manage my sales team by the numbers. There will be benchmarks that they need to hit.

I am definitely looking forward to integrating InsightSquared with Quickbooks and ShoreTel Sky (formerly M5) so I have a unified data package for all my data.

What is your favorite analytic to track with InsightSquared?

Ratios. By far. Activity breeds results, so I can gauge my business’ success from the level of activity. These ratios help us both with client building and recruiting.


When working with clients, I want to know how many calls I need to get a visit. And a job order. And a placement. It’s similar for recruiting. Ratios let me know how many activities we need in each stage of the process to meet our goals.

Going forward, I am most excited about integrating more email metrics into my data. Traditionally we worked exclusively with phones, but now I’d say up to 75% of my communication is done via email. People would rather open an email than pick up the phone. Data captured in e-mails will play a huge role in the future of staffing.

Any parting words?

Yes. But just one. You can’t sell InsightSquared in Denver. I don’t want the competition using my competitive edge.

Thanks Rolf!

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