If you have ever researched job ads online and sent a job requisition, you have to deal with an applicant tracking system. Average seekers may still need to realize it entirely. Still, ATS software is essential for hiring managers and companies worldwide. With this software, the recruiting and hiring process is significantly simplified and accelerated.
In this article, we will delve deeper into what applicant tracking systems work and how they have influenced the modern labour market. In addition, we have even compiled a selection of the best recruitment software you can use to find the top candidates for a vacant position with a company.
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The recruiting process can be very complicated for employers and applicants, causing them frustration. Special applicant tracking systems have been created to simplify the process. We are talking about computer programs that manage and optimize the hiring process.
The recruiting team posts vacancies on job boards and collects resumes in this situation. After that, managers can check candidates with the help of the applicant tracking system ats and track them during the hiring process. This automation can save employers money and time.
It is worth noting that most applicant tracking systems are more than just organizers. They are also used to screen job-seekers and find the top candidates who best fit the job description. In addition, the system can pre-analyze candidates to find the most suitable ones. It can also use keyword searches and AI algorithms to analyze all applicants more deeply. The main goal of all applicant tracking systems is to speed up the recruiting team’s review of job applications and resumes.
The best applicant tracking system should assist recruiting teams at every stage of the talent acquisition process – from automated job postings to a job offer for a specific employee. This system should integrate with all boards for searching qualified candidates.
In addition, the program can track all the activity around a certain applicant. The applicant tracking system is based on several stages of candidate search:
At the same time, the implementation of the system has an impact not only on employers. Job applicants also need to create ats optimized resume so that it gets into the hands of the recruiter and is accepted by the system.
ATS software offers many different options. Candidates will be able to respond to the vacancy from any device. As a result, companies get a large selection of employees, among whom they can find the top talent. At the same time, the huge number of candidates creates a big load on recruiting teams, so it is necessary to use applicant tracking software to find a specialist quickly. The presented system implies different options:
The hiring process with an applicant tracking system becomes more accessible and faster. The ATS only needs to be activated to perform specific actions when required. There is no need for constant market monitoring and filtering if not needed.
Every company is unique, but they all want to succeed in attracting, hiring and properly utilizing top talent. However, most companies face significant challenges during the hiring process. The applicant tracking system can help in this situation. It is designed to organize and accelerate talent acquisition through a range of benefits and opportunities:
Generally, ATS automates many stages of work with candidates for a position. It allows you to search for employees, manage relationships, and simplify the hiring process.
Inefficient manual processes, poorly functioning search teams, miscommunication between key stakeholders and other problems often lead to the lowest level of candidate engagement. It also makes hiring too expensive and time-consuming. At the same time, ATS allows you to automate manual tasks, increase the transparency of the hiring cycle for all team members and enhance the ability to communicate with the candidate throughout the candidate journey.
Low levels of engagement often result from a poorly functioning search team that needs to understand how to work. ATS can significantly speed up this process and improve hiring quality to a new level. Questionnaires will be checked automatically, and the best options will be provided for consideration.
Some companies need more opportunities to connect with the best candidates or can’t cast a wide net in the marketplace. Others must be informed through the right channels to find the right employee. With ATS, a variety of problems can be solved when it comes to staff sourcing.
Some systems can be augmented with machine learning or AI to create a profile of the optimal worker, assessing and identifying available skills, education, experience and more. As a result, companies will be able to understand job seeker behaviour better, increase brand awareness, and target specific talent using the proper channels and platforms that are popular with job seekers.
Using all available options presented in ATS allows you to minimize manual processes and attract even passive candidates, who are often very difficult to interest. As a result, it will be possible to fill open vacancies in the company in the shortest possible time and with the best employees.
But also a large number of modern ATS have other options and advantages that are not so obvious at first glance:
In addition, using ATS provides an opportunity to minimize bias, whether conscious or not, during the search for workers. Many studies have stated that bias is a severe problem in the employment industry.
Modern job sites add special tracking options used in ATS, so they are not just job boards but more than that, making the employee search process more efficient and accurate.
The recruitment process doesn’t have to be complex and time-consuming. According to a study by Jobscan specialists, over 97% of Fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking systems. A similar study was conducted by Kelly OCG, which showed that over 66% of huge and 35% of small companies have implemented special software in the hiring process. These figures continue to grow.
If you apply to a large company for a job, your resume will likely have to deal with ATS. If you’re responding to a job posting on a virtual platform, you’re applying through an ATS. Even Indeed and LinkedIn have their built-in ATS.
Before integrating many ATS options, it is worth paying attention to a few crucial factors:
Applicant tracking systems are beneficial for every company. Manual review of applications is steadily becoming a thing of the past, and automated processes are taking place.
Like investing in innovative technology or new software, you must clearly understand your company’s capabilities before implementing a system. Employers should know whether their business is ready for such changes and implementation of new tools. In addition, the hiring manager should also be able to interact with the system. It is not uncommon to invest in staff training as well.
Applicant tracking systems vary in scope. Comprehensive solutions with a wide range of services are often quite complex. In addition, the main problem with ATS is that most are not off-the-shelf solutions, so it is worth ensuring that the organization has enough time and resources to automate the search for workers.
The process presented can take months, if not years, to complete. In addition, the implementation and integration of the system may go beyond the company’s existing IT infrastructure. Also, the system must often work with external software essential to the recruitment process. At the same time, the system is not ready to perform all tasks, including those that require personal involvement, such as background checks and pre-employment drug tests. Therefore, it is worth knowing your environment to find the right solution.
The modern recruiting process is only possible to imagine with computer automation. Previously, hiring managers had to perform repetitive tasks, reviewing each resume separately. Now, this process can be automated and moved to a higher level with the help of an applicant tracking system ats. Well-known products include the following:
It is a good applicant tracking system that boasts good functionality and excellent customization, making it easy to find new employees.
It is a comprehensive system that boasts many options and extra trickery. It is best suited for large companies that are constantly dealing with recruitment.
It was created by Oracle in 2012. It is a universal option for companies of any size and line of business.
An excellent and quite simple candidate relationship management system.
This platform is equipped with a video communication option for interview scheduling in a remote format. It also allows you to send videos to candidates and schedule remote interviews.
Over the last 10 years, applicant tracking systems have gone through a tricky and thorny improvement path. Earlier, they were used to facilitate routine tasks of hiring managers. Modern systems have gone much further, offering resume parsing, interview scheduling online, etc.
The future of ATS software is quite promising. Over the next few years, we expect to see even more features for maximum convenience and optimization of the workflow. In particular, developers focus on usability, integration with additional HR management tools, and improved AI options.
In addition, the developers will try to make scanning resumes easier for recruiters. Job searching websites can attract hundreds of potential candidates, so candidate relationship management is very important.
