Hiring new employees is a time-consuming process. If you’re recruiting at scale or hiring for a global company, the task becomes even more complex. Manual methods just aren’t going to cut it. But if you use an applicant tracking system (ATS), you’ll speed up the recruitment process, boost productivity, and provide a user-friendly experience for candidates. It’s a win-win!
In this article, we’ll explain exactly how an ATS works and what features it should have and explore the many applicant tracking system benefits in more detail.
What is an Applicant Tracking System used for?
Applicant Tracking Systems are smart software solutions used to help businesses organize and manage their Recruitment process from start to finish. They are primarily used as a way to organize and track candidates from application to hire.
So why are applicant tracking systems important? An ATS stores resumés and applicant information and makes them easily accessible, lending transparency to the recruitment process. Recruiters can view the status of an application at all times and keep candidates informed of its progress with built-in communication tools.
These systems also use automation to reduce the time spent on time-consuming manual tasks. For example, they can scan and screen multiple resumés to find the most suitable candidates, run a candidate search based on your keywords, and schedule interviews. Plus, you can use an ATS to post job ads to multiple sites and boards simultaneously, ensuring each one is accurate.
What Features Does an Applicant Tracking System Have?
Before we get into the benefits of using an applicant tracking system, let’s look at the features that are included. Although each ATS on the market will be slightly different, here are some of the tools you can expect to see:
Resumé parsing
This feature is a key part of an ATS and provides improved candidate screening. By automatically scanning multiple job applications, it will highlight the candidates best suited for your vacancy and filter out those who are unqualified. You should also be able to set up keyword recognition to match the best candidates with your job opening and turn on anonymous screening.
Candidate management
A good ATS also enables you to communicate better with candidates, thanks to built-in 1:1 and bulk messaging tools to keep them updated on the progress of their application. Candidates can also schedule their own interviews, fill out tailored application forms and even apply via social media.
Virtual recruitment
Virtual recruiting means that the world is your oyster when it comes to hiring. You can hold remote interviews with candidates around the globe, both in real time and using pre-recorded questions. Some ATS software also provides tools for hosting and managing virtual events, such as online registration.
AI automation
Among the benefits of ATS is the ability to automate bulk job posting and application scanning, as well as reference and background checks and interview scheduling. With AI capabilities, the system can help you detect and remove bias from job postings, meaning you’ll source more diverse applicants.
Customization
Most ATS software is customizable by nature, so it molds itself to your style of working rather than the other way around. It can be adapted to suit all kinds of recruitment processes in all sizes of business. You can typically customize reports as well as parameters for resumé scanning.
Security and privacy
You’re handling large amounts of sensitive data about job candidates, so your ATS needs to have strong security features. Look out for a system that’s accredited to ISO 27001 standards and is fully compliant with global data protection regulations.
What are the Benefits of an Applicant Tracking System? – 10 Reasons
ATS Tracking is excellent for businesses who need more support with large-scale hiring by automating the many administrative tasks that accompany the hiring process and streamlining the procedure. Let’s check out the key benefits of an ATS.
1. It’s Intelligent
By using an Applicant Tracking System, you can create an extensive and high-quality Talent pool through the use of the software’s artificial intelligence to resourcefully select the most qualified candidates.
To do this, the software uses key phrases in the job description to pick out sought after experience in a candidate’s CV and application, and consequently ensures that you can shortlist the most qualified and experienced candidates with minimal effort.
2. You Can Customise Your Experience
ATS tracking software like Oleeo is built to be customized to your business’s needs. One of the benefits of an applicant tracking system is that you can adjust the features of the software according to the range of roles you have, and work with our team to build custom workflows that will work to help you make better recruitment decisions.
3. Collect Data to Streamline Future Recruitment Processes
Data collection is essential to evaluating your recruitment processes as a business. By using ATS Tracking software, you can capture an accurate picture of both your candidates, and the success of the recruitment policies, and make changes to benefit the quality of your recruitment drive and candidate selection by evaluating the data.
4. Create a User Friendly Experience
The better a candidate’s experience during recruitment, the better impression they will have of your brand or business, and they will be more likely to return as a candidate in the future.
By creating a user-friendly experience, in the event of an unsuccessful application, the candidate-focused nature of ATS software means that candidates remain in the loop of the recruitment process, boosting the probability of securing a role in future.
This user-friendly experience creates ease in organizing interviews, as candidates can schedule their own with the help of the ATS software.
5. Adhere to Diversity and Inclusion Policies
Diversity and inclusion policies are now increasingly at the center of recruitment, and by using ATS software, keeping those policies central to your business’ recruitment processes is now easier than ever.
Oleeo’s artificial intelligence can flag and help to eliminate gender-biased language within job descriptions, and recruiters can toggle the anonymous applications option to remove candidate names from forms and CVs.
6. Reduce Time-to-hire
Among the many benefits of applicant tracking systems is the ability to reduce the time it takes to hire a new employee. With automation for tasks such as posting job ads, identifying potential candidates, and completing background checks, the process is shorter and more efficient.
Most systems come with built-in tools for fast communication (internal and external), as well as easy interview scheduling—so there’s no need for lengthy back-and-forth conversations to clarify qualifications or arrange appointments.
Video technology means you don’t have to wait for a candidate to attend an interview in person. When you fast-track the right talent, you won’t lose out to competitors.
7. Reduce Cost Per Hire
If your recruitment costs are higher than you’d like, the good news is that an applicant tracking system can help. We already know that streamlining processes and boosting productivity can reduce time-to-hire—which means the cost of hiring is also reduced.
Automation for tasks like job posting and resumé parsing also means a reduction in errors, so you won’t end up posting the wrong text on a job board or sending the wrong pay offer to a candidate (both of which could cost you money).
When you’re able to move the right candidates through the Recruitment Funnel swiftly, they can quickly get started in their new roles and begin helping you to earn more revenue.
8. Handle High-volume Hiring
There may be times when you’re seeking multiple job applicants for multiple roles, perhaps because you’re spinning up a new branch of the business or diversifying your services. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the recruiting process. . . unless you use an ATS.
The ability to handle high-volume hiring is one of the key advantages of an applicant tracking system. You’re letting the software do a lot of the work for you, freeing your team up to focus on candidates further down the funnel.
It’s easy to manage scheduling for heavy interview days and to hire globally with virtual recruitment tools built in.
9. Tap into Existing Talent
Of course, you don’t always want to hire from outside of your company. You might already have people within the organization who’d be great candidates for a particular role. And you can use an applicant tracking system for internal recruitment as well as external.
You can use the ATS to collect feedback from managers on who should be invited to apply, and you can integrate the tool with your wider HR system to access employee details. You can send relevant communications to potential internal candidates when an opportunity opens up.
10. Manage Your Data
An applicant tracking system is a great way to manage your recruitment data. It enables you to keep everything digitally in one place so that resumés and interview notes don’t go astray or take up space in filing cabinets.
The information is easily accessible to the whole team, wherever they’re located—which helps with collaboration. And, since this data includes sensitive information, a good ATS will also make sure it stays secure. It’s important to choose a solution that guards against data breaches and ensures compliance with privacy laws.
Why Use An Applicant Tracking System? Let Us Show You
An applicant tracking system benefits your recruitment teams and candidates alike. Thanks to automation, you can speed up the hiring process and get candidates into roles faster while reducing the cost per hire.
With Oleeo’s ATS, resume parsing lets you scan multiple applications with a few clicks, and set your own criteria for qualifications. It’s a cinch to handle high-volume hiring, recruit internally, and use virtual Recruitment Technology to narrow down the list of candidates.
Plus, you get candidate management tools, reporting and analytics, and recruitment events software as part of the package.
Want to know more about working with ATS software in your recruitment process? Contact Us to find out more.
