Employers and HR leaders are increasingly utilizing the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) in today’s competitive recruiting world. Using these platforms, small and mid-sized employers can better compete with big companies for top talent, leveling the playing field. Learn what a recruiting software solution is, what it can do for you, and what to look for when choosing one.
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a system for tracking applicants.
As a standalone tool or as part of a comprehensive Human Resource Information System (HRIS), an ATS can be provided.
As part of the basic functionality of an ATS, job postings can be created, shared, reviewed collaboratively, and communication tools can be used to communicate with applicants. Recruiters and hiring managers can handle applying for jobs, managing applicants, making offers, and onboarding new employees with one streamlined tool.
Why Are Applicant Tracking Systems Necessary?
An ATS allows hiring managers and HR to streamline and centralize the entire hiring process. Consequently, applicant tracking systems improve recruiting and talent acquisition and give smaller employers the chance to hire the best talent.
By doing so, both management and human resources can focus on finding the right employees for the right roles, rather than on administrative tasks.
Applicant tracking systems: How do employers use them?
In order to optimize their recruiting process, employers use ATS platforms. These features will be found in the best applicant tracking systems in 2021:
- Creation of job postings: Users are no longer required to post natively to each job board site.
- User-created posts can be shared on various channels, including social media, using the same system.
- The company maintains a centralized repository of all application information, regardless of how it was acquired (via Indeed, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.).
- All decision-makers can collaborate easily when reviewing a candidate when they apply for a job.
- Job applicant communications: Using the same system, hiring managers can directly communicate with job applicants. Recruiting emails can be preloaded into HR systems, making communication more efficient.
- As soon as a company decides to extend an offer to a candidate, it can do so using the applicant tracking system.
- With built-in functionality, onboarding can start almost immediately, even before a candidate has officially started.
How to Manage the Hiring Process
Employers can streamline the hiring process by using an applicant tracking system. A new hire’s information can be captured there at the first point of contact, applications and candidates’ communications can organize, and interview scheduling can be handled.
This streamlines the recruiting process as well as employee onboarding and benefits enrollment once a new hire has been hired. By optimizing all of these processes, retention increases. An online applicant tracking feature, such as BerniePortal Applicant Tracking, allows you to recruit candidates, manage candidates, offer and onboard new hires. Take Free demo ats Now!
Software to Track Applicant Applications
Where can you access the technology? This is the second question. Small and mid-sized employers commonly use HR platforms directly, whereas benefits brokers offer value-added services through value-added resellers.
In order to better serve the needs of small and mid-sized employers, brokers increasingly recognize that in order to solve their clients’ benefits challenges, they must also provide solutions for their HR challenges. The brokers may pay part of these costs as well. Because of this, ATSs accessed through a broker’s HRIS usually represent a much lower investment than systems sold directly to employers.
What is the price of an ATS?
There are different pricing models used by applicant tracking systems. A few of these include:
- There are ATS platforms that can access and purchased by paying a flat fee each month.
- Paying a variable monthly fee can be a viable option for many ATS platforms. The fee is based on a number of factors. In addition to the number of jobs listed each month, employers need to know how many employees they have on staff or how many recruiters they have hired.
The cost of doing business varies greatly from organization to organization. Because of this, some applicant tracking systems are available for free with HRIS platforms, while others can found for an additional monthly fee, depending on the features they provide.
A tracking system for applicants has its pros and cons.
Take the following into consideration when evaluating applicant tracking systems:
Applicant tracking systems have many advantages
- Streamlined hiring: An applicant tracking system streamlines the hiring process and provides administrators with powerful tools to manage applicants.
- Integrations with Job Boards: As previously mentioned, great ATS platforms integrate with the best job boards. What happens? Job seekers and candidates spend less time back and forth, which encourages applications.
- Onboarding: The best applicant tracking systems come with built-in applications that help to hire managers to save time and boost retention.
- Companies can save time and money by using ATS platforms to find better candidates faster. Consequently, hiring managers to spend less time searching for the right candidates, reducing time-to-hire and bringing teams to full productivity quicker.
Applicant trackers have some cons
- ATS platforms require some training, so poor training equals poor results. A company that fails to invest in ATS training, and reduces its effectiveness, may end up disappointed with the results.
- When hiring managers write vague or confusing job descriptions and titles, they will not receive the best candidates. An applicant tracking system is only as useful as its users.Â
Promote your brand by building ambassadors
It is not possible to hire every candidate during the recruitment process. That is not to say that they do not have potential; it simply means you have not found the right job for them yet. If you cut them off completely, they will lose interest. By doing so you will bYou create brand ambassadors by doing so.
Candidates will do the same for your organization if you prioritize them and provide them with the best possible experience. You will achieve victory in the end. In addition to acquiring talent, you will also acquire a brand ambassador.
There is nothing worse than waiting.
Waiting for something is hard. During the hiring process, it becomes even more difficult for candidates because recruitment takes time because there are so many variables when hiring for a specific position. Maintaining contact with candidates is important. Eighty-two percent of applicants expect to update and give a definite timeline.
Your staffing company’s success can negative affect if you ignore candidates. Neglecting your candidates will reduce their engagement with your company in the future when looking for a job.Â
Information spreads quickly
The speed with which news travels today is unprecedented due to social media. With social media, candidates aren’t shy about sharing, and sharing is how they express themselves. Approximately 72% of applicants reported sharing their bad candidate experiences online.
The opinions of third parties also seem to play a huge role in deciding whether to interview a candidate. Negative reviews discourage applicants from applying for jobs. Candidates are more likely to trust a company with positive reviews. Hence, positive candidate experiences translate into positive company reviews.
