With hundreds to thousands of job-seekers encountered from application to hiring time, the recruitment process is tedious and time-consuming. Having an automated system will surely save you time and get the process done in no time - and an ATS is one of the best systems you can use for your company's recruitment needs.
What Are Applicant Tracking Systems?
An application tracking system is software that has a database to store the information of job seekers and implement automated functions of sending emails and notifications. You can post job openings, post ads in other social media networks, collect application documents and screen them, and guide applicants throughout the process.
How Applicant Tracking Systems Work
Applicant tracking systems work in a filter and select manner. The first part of an ATS is usually a quiz that your company needs to develop; it has a standard score that the applicant needs to meet. If the score didn't fit the company's criteria, the applicant's resume and other requirements would not be engaged in the system for the next process in hiring.
For those who pass the quiz and make the cut, you can review their resumes and cover letters to rank them accordingly. You can use the keyword search to check what you're looking for, like the skills and work experience. Then, you can schedule them for interviews if your team has decided on the finalist of applicants. The interview invitation can be sent out automatically through ATS.
Why Do I Need an Applicant Tracking System?
Human error is inevitable in the manual recruitment process. You'll have times where you won't pick the best candidates upon checking resumes due to lost documents or other unintentional mistakes. Having an automated system for recruitment like an ATS will be a great advantage for your company. You can minimize errors through the digital system where all the information is uploaded in an ATS without the threat of ruining or losing paper documents.
The applicant tracking system also has an organized database of all the information an applicant uploads, saving you time from piling up paper documents to scan through them. You'll save effort, and at the same time, money from additional hours of sorting and filing the applications.
What Are the Benefits of an ATS?
You already have an idea of why you need ATS for minimizing errors, saving money and time. Here are more advantages you can get when you incorporate ATS into your company's recruitment process:
- Automates and speeds up the screening process of applicants where those who don't meet the minimum criteria will be filtered out immediately. The remaining candidates will be ranked and chosen according to their qualifications.
- The HR department can collaborate in selecting the best candidates through the online accessibility of ATS for the whole team. Having many people scan through resumes to assess a job seeker's qualifications will be much easier and efficient for the HR team.
- Employer branding is boosted with a consistent hiring process that allows applicants to trust the company.
- Easy job posting where you can upload position openings on several platforms with just a click.
- Ability to gather the engagement in different social media platforms of the job opening ads through the ATS analytics.
- Candidate experience is improved through a hassle-free application process. In case some didn't make it to the cut, they can strive to improve and still choose to apply to your company in the future.
- The ads can reach a wider audience since you can facilitate social media posts easily.
- ATS has a secured cloud-based system that complies with data privacy for each applicant. Thus your candidates will not have to worry about leaks of personal information.
What Is the Difference Between an ATS and CRM?
ATS and CRM are often used interchangeably. However, they are different from each other. The software design of CRM or Candidate Relationship Management is to boost your relationships with potential candidates for future job opportunities. In comparison, ATS was designed to select employees during the recruitment process.
Suppose you want to have a ready list of applicants for an open position in your company. A CRM has potential candidates you've kept in touch with that you can select from and notify them to have less time looking for job seekers. At the same time, an ATS is a platform you can use to screen these candidates to get the most capable one for the position.
Recruitment will ensure the highest qualified candidates when an ATS and CRM are in one platform for a better data-driven hiring process. When a CRM creates a strong relationship with candidates, hiring is fast and efficient by gaining the applicants' trust with the company, and exceptional talents would be choosing the company. Then, through an ATS, the hiring process will be much easier since you can share the data from the CRM and view the best candidates.
What Is the Best ATS?
There are many ATS you can choose from. So, to make it easier for you, here are the Top 5 ATS for 2021:
1. Talenteria
Empower your HR team and streamline your recruiting process; Talenteria's easy-to-use applicant tracking system enables you to create enhanced candidate profiles, configure recruitment stages, create and manage jobs, and get analytical insights. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Talenteria is the premier choice for an end-to-end recruitment marketing platform. Reach out for a demo and for pricing.
2. Bullhorn
It is a cloud-based recruitment software that is best suited for managing the recruitment process. It offers four pricing plans: Team, Corporate, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus, which start at $99 per month and varies depending on your companies requirements. Its best feature is real-time updating of records and an in-system access to LinkedIn records.
3. IBM Kenexa BrassRing
It is a cloud-based applicant tracking system that uses behavior marketing to attract talent proactively. Its pricing depends on the business needs analysis. It is powered by IBM Watson analytics thus can easily find the best fit quickly and has access to a wide range of talent pools.
4. Jobvite
It is a cloud-based and candidate-focused software that enables social recruiting, managing mobile-optimized career websites, and onboard functions. It is best suited for medium to large-size companies. Its pricing is $4,000 per year for 26-59 employees and $100,000 per year for 2,501-5,000 employees. Its best features include a mobile-friendly application, powerful search engine, and automatic screening and interview-based candidate ranking.
5. SmartRecruiters
It is used for enterprise, and with pre-integrated assessment tools, it allows better communication through sending scheduled and automated notifications and replies. Its pricing plan costs $10,000 per year and allows add-ons for a growing employee base. Its best features include accessible communication, easy tracking of records, and advanced filter search.
How Do I Find the Right ATS for Me?
Looking for the right ATS is hard since there are many options you need to settle with. However, what you must consider in purchasing the right ATS are as follows:
- Price - The price must be reasonable. The ATS’s price should have a reason why it’s priced that way. In this case, many ATS gauge their prices based on an organization’s size and how it’ll be used.
- Features - Pick an ATS with features that you deem beneficial to your organization or company. For example, if you have a small company that doesn’t require complicated features, it’s not advisable to purchase a very expensive ATS.
- Company Needs - Most importantly, the ATS must fit what your organization wants it to fulfill. You must consider what kind of company you have since different ATS applies to different types of companies.
It’s also important to make a background check of the ATS you are planning to purchase and ensure that it has good reviews and the features you value. You can also sign up for a demo account and test the software if it satisfies what you are looking for. You can also get feedback from previous and current software users from other companies' recruiters and hiring managers.
What Should I Ask an ATS Provider Before I Buy?
It is critical to reach out to an ATS provider and make inquiries before purchasing. It helps if you ask about what features they offer and what pricing plan applies to your company. How does their pricing system work? Is it paid monthly, yearly, or per user? Ask about how you can communicate to recruiters, hiring managers, and possible candidates through the ATS.
You can also ask if their software is customizable depending on your company's needs and ask if how easy it is to locate each possible candidate in the process. Ask if they provide any email templates that you can use for your hiring process. Inquire who you will turn to if you encounter a problem in their software and how quickly they can resolve it. You can request a demo account to test their software.
Talenteria: Streamline Your Recruiting Process With Easy Applicant Tracking
Now, more than ever, an applicant tracking system is necessary for a smooth hiring process. Get improved efficiency through smart tools: easily build your perfect team and track every stage of the candidate journey. If you’re interested in a cutting-edge ATS, reach out for a demo of Talenteria! We do that, and so much more.
