It’s part of the recruiting routine to create and post job descriptions on job boards and social media. The purpose is to get a large pool of candidates and talents for the company. The problem is that catching so much attention can backfire when you’re not equipped to handle it. That’s why a good applicant tracking system is recommended to help you through the process.
This is especially true if your company is one of these two. You’re not taking advantage of modern ATS software or you’re stuck with an old one that’s difficult for everyone to use. By “everyone”, we mean the applicants and your internal recruitment team.
That’s why you’re doing everyone a favor by going for modern applicant tracking systems. You gain several benefits by doing so as well, such as streamlined sourcing and social engagement. We’ll talk about the factors you should look for in an ATS system and how to manage the software. That way, you can make the recruitment process less painful and more efficient for your team.
What Is an Applicant Tracking System?
Although this type of software has been around for a few decades now, some still ask what is an applicant tracking system. It’s a software application that companies use to organize and customize their recruitment process. They can attract, source, and evaluate applicants better because of how organized it is. It has features that hiring managers can use to quickly move capable candidates to the next step.
Essentially, an applicant tracking system simplifies the recruitment process, making it more effective. You can accomplish this by giving your recruiters a centralized platform for the process. It will help them collect and view the applicants’ data while tracking their progress. And as the process goes on, the software will also help filter them out depending on their qualifications.
You’ll find that the more powerful ATS software is cloud-based SaaS (software as a service) solutions. But keep in mind that the type of business you own dictates how complex your ATS should be. And the more complex it is, the more costly the software will likely be. For example, on-site and SaaS solutions are generally more expensive but provide more features.
What Should You Look for in an ATS System?
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1. High-Quality Communication
Being able to collaborate and communicate on a platform should be a benefit of using ATS systems. Your team needs to have access to information to stay informed and prepared for interviews. In other words, the ATS system must assist them in engaging candidates in conversations.
It should provide the interviewers with the necessary information to ask the right questions. And the way it should deliver information is automated by putting it in its calendar. In that sense, it makes it easy for the participants to access the system and communicate with each other.
2. Good Candidate Experience
Think of your days as an applicant and recall the times when a company forgets to keep track. Maybe they weren’t able to schedule you for the next interview or they might have lost your file. Either way, a poor candidate experience will dissuade you from finishing the recruitment process. Instead of gaining new talent, the company lost you because of the poor experience they provided.
Other applicants who experience poor tracking during the recruitment process can decide to do the same. They will likely abandon their application and feel reluctant to revisit your website. Additionally, they might even go through different unnecessary steps to create a profile. And then they’d enter repetitive information which is bad user experience. They’d expect that the company they’re applying to is more organized and has a centralized database for applicants.
Applicants have higher expectations of companies now with all the tools available online. And their experiences will also affect your brand and image so it’s best to prioritize this.
3. Leverage Social Media Recruiting
What is modern-day recruiting without leveraging social media and social networks? Those have proven to be more effective than what some people would expect in this field. But when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense for top talent to be there. Social media has billions of users worldwide, 302.25 million in the US alone. Hence, you can expect your job posting to reach a sizable audience.
The talents and candidates you’ll find on social media are usually just passively looking through their phones. So it’s also a kind of stroke of luck if they check out your page to pursue your post. And this exercise is a good test for your free applicant tracking system and its level of integration for social media.
See if posting job openings on social media makes it easier for you and your company to find applicants. Track your success rate and then decide if there’s anything you can do to further improve it. You can also see how your ATS software integrates with applicants from social media.
4. Integrate Employee Referrals
Top-class companies understand that employee referrals can bring high-quality talent. And they can do it effectively as well because these are people who know each other. Hence, employee referral programs are critical for sourcing and hiring the cream of the crop.
Many companies do offer some bonuses for employee referral but there’s a gap in the plan. They lack the means to get those employees involved in the hiring and referral processes. This is where you need to integrate your ATS system with employee referral capabilities. This should make it easier for your employees to share referral information through the system.
Tips and Tricks for Managing an ATS System
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1. Streamline Recruiting With ATS Software
When you own a growing business, you end up recruiting for different positions at a time. That can get chaotic quickly if you’re not using a good and reliable applicant tracking system. Having one will enable you to manage the whole hiring process from start to finish. You don’t need multiple platforms to do it and you won’t have to juggle between different spreadsheets either. You’ll have a centralized system that has everything your HR needs.
Streamlining your recruiting process is important, especially when hiring during your company’s growth. Your company needs talents that were pooled together quickly and accurately. That way, you’ll minimize your losses when you make bad hiring decisions.
Even the ATS used by small businesses can help you achieve those results. You’ll have the authority to manage job postings, interview scheduling, and assessments. Offer management and onboarding processes can also be provided by the same software.
2. Have Multiple Job Postings at Once
While leveraging social media is important, you should also use ATS to post on numerous job boards. Companies spend a sizable budget paying subscriptions to job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn. This can find the best candidates, but it’s also time-consuming and expensive. You end up juggling through multiple job boards with no tangible data about where your candidates come from.
But your ATS system can integrate with different job boards including the ones we mentioned. It will enable you or your HR to post jobs and track applications from one platform. This helps in reducing recruitment costs as you can focus on one platform and still maximize results.
3. Automate Your Repetitive Tasks
Automation is the future of any industry, so grasp it once it’s available to you. In this case, ATS can automatically accomplish tasks that are mundane and repetitive. This will help you save time and focus on more essential tasks at hand. You don’t need to spend manual resources on routine tasks that an AI can do just as well.
This in turn improves work efficiency for your and your HR team in terms of recruitment. You’re able to screen resumes and reject candidates based on customized requirements. Online assessments and background checks can also be scheduled online for you. Hence, the system ensures your conditions are met and each stage is executed smoothly.
Your applicants won’t feel ignored or bottlenecked by delays in the process. And that also increases their trust and excitement to join your company. After all, who wouldn’t want to join an organized and capable business?
Conclusion
An applicant tracking system is a necessity now for every business, regardless of size. The complexity and features of the software may vary depending on the specifics of the business. But essentially, the ATS is there to keep your recruitment process in order. It helps you reach out to applicants and candidates while ensuring there’s a system that will lead them along.
You’d want a system that enables your team to communicate effectively in a centralized platform. That way, no one has to go on different programs just to reach out and ask for data. The ATS should also provide a good candidate experience so they’ll feel eager to join your company. But don’t forget that integrating social media applicants and employee referrals are just as important.
That’s why, with how far your reach can be, you need to streamline the recruitment process with ATS. Automate the tasks that you don’t necessarily need to focus on and work on something else. Improve your work efficiency and have the ATS post your job openings on multiple websites. By doing these tips and tricks, you and your team can lead a better office life with more talents.