An applicant tracking system (ATS for short) is a software application designed to help companies handle their recruitment needs more efficiently. It automates the recruitment workflow, from posting job openings to screening, interviewing, and hiring candidates.
ATS also enables higher levels of collaboration and communication between hiring teams, allowing them to share candidate information, schedules, and feedback in a centralized hub. Businesses can streamline their recruitment processes, save time, reduce costs, and improve the candidate experience by using an ATS.
ATS Software Benefits
One of the most significant benefits of using applicant tracking systems is that it helps recruiters save time and effort and enables them to focus on essential tasks such as interviewing, skill assessment, and evaluating a candidate’s suitability.
The system automates most recruitment tasks, such as tracking resumes, identifying top candidates, scheduling interviews, and follow-ups, allowing the hiring manager to speed up the entire hiring process.
Additionally, an ATS can help ensure that you comply with hiring regulations and track candidates fairly and consistently. These benefits increase efficiency and lead to better candidate experiences, which is essential in today’s competitive job market.
Key Features of ATS
While using different ATS at the agency, I discovered some main features that made the hiring process a breeze!
These features include:
- Candidate sourcing
- Managing interviews
- Candidate relationship management
- Reporting and analytics
Let’s take a closer look at each!
Candidate Sourcing
One of the key features of an ATS is its ability to assist with candidate sourcing. This means the system can help you identify potential candidates from various sources, such as job boards, social media platforms, and your database of past applicants.
These sourcing capabilities not only reduce the amount of time and resources needed to find candidates but they also increase the diversity of your applicant pool. By utilizing these features, you can ensure that you’re attracting the most qualified candidates for your open positions.
Managing Interviews
Another useful feature of an applicant tracking system is its ability to help you manage interviews. This includes scheduling interviews, sending automated email invitations, and collecting interview feedback from your team in real time.
It makes the interview process much more manageable and efficient, allowing you to focus your time and energy on finding the best talent for the job. In addition, ATS can even automate the follow-up process with candidates, sending them personalized messages and reminders so a hiring manager doesn’t have to.
Candidate Relationship Management
Additionally, ATS helps businesses manage the relationships between recruiters and candidates. It enables hiring managers to maintain a positive relationship with their candidates and ensure that they are kept informed about the status of their applications throughout the recruiting pipeline.
With this feature, businesses can automatically send reminders and updates to candidates regarding interview times, follow-up steps, and other important recruitment milestones. This helps to build trust and enhance the candidate experience, which is crucial for SMBs that want to attract top talent and retain their employees.
Reporting and Analytics
Finally, ATS also offers powerful reporting and analytics capabilities. This enables businesses to track their recruitment efforts and measure the success of their hiring processes.
It also allows recruiting teams to identify potential areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions about how to optimize their process. The insights gained from these reports can help SMBs find the best candidates for each role and make the most of their resources.
How Does an ATS Work?
An ATS works by automating various recruitment activities and tasks. When candidates apply for jobs, the system collects and stores their information in its database.
This data is then used to help hiring managers identify the best-qualified candidates for each job opening. Once a decision is made, the system can also efficiently onboard new hires.
With an ATS, businesses can easily manage large volumes of resumes and job applications. This system guarantees a streamlined hiring process, giving business owners and hiring managers more time to focus on other important tasks.
Does Your Small Business Need an ATS?
If your small business receives many job applications or you’re struggling to organize your hiring process, then an ATS may be worth considering. It can save you valuable time and also reduce the risk of human error in the hiring process. Moreover, an ATS can assist in tracking hiring metrics such as time-to-hire and cost-per-hire. So, if you’re tired of manually sifting through applications and struggling to keep track of the hiring process, consider investing in an ATS to help you out!
ATS Examples
Like CRMs, many different ATS systems are available on the market.
Below are some of my top ATS options!
Greenhouse
Greenhouse is a cloud-based ATS software that helps streamline the hiring process by organizing resumes and applications, automating tasks such as interview scheduling and sending out offer letters, and providing analytics on recruitment metrics.
It also integrates with other HR tools, such as job boards and background check providers, to create a seamless experience. SMBs can customize Greenhouse to fit their unique hiring needs, and the platform also offers a personalized onboarding portal for new hires.
Workable
Workable is another cloud-based platform that offers features like job posting management, resume screening, interview scheduling, and custom hiring pipelines. It allows you to post job openings to multiple job boards with just one click and lets applicants apply with their LinkedIn or Google profile, saving them time and making it more likely they’ll complete the application process.
With it, you can track applicant progress at every stage, automate tasks, and collect valuable data to optimize your hiring strategy. Plus, its intuitive interface and mobile app make it easy to use on the go.
