The recruiters’ job is to bring in the best possible talent for an organization. Because there are so many moving parts to recruiting–scheduling, interviewing, communicating– recruiters can significantly lighten their workload with applicant tracking systems(ATS).
A talent acquisition system is a combination software and strategies that automates certain parts of the recruiting process. This helps recruiters and hiring managers to perform better. The software helps to streamline the hiring process by reducing the time that recruiters spend on analyzing resumes, screening applicants, and sorting resumes. The software stores applicant statistics on a central machine or database, allowing for candidate records to be maintained and skill pools to be developed.
Applicant tracking system provides a variety of solutions to the challenges and difficulties faced by recruiters, including sourcing, testing and selecting the best candidates.
The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a way for HR professionals and experts to automate the entire recruiting process from receiving applications until finally hiring employees.
The applicant tracking system takes a lot of weight off recruiters’ shoulders. It gives them more time to concentrate on the quality and quantity of candidates they are hiring.
A successful recruitment will result in a candidate that meets the requirements of the company. Before the candidate can be hired, there is a period of time and effort that must be put in. Many recruiters use the applicant tracking system (ATS) in their work.
What is an Applicant Tracking System?
A software application that tracks applicants is an excellent tool for recruiters and HR professionals. It allows them to automate their hiring process and optimize it. Using an ATS, they can manage and filter all of the applications they receive. ATS software is able to process large volumes of applications, making it easier to select the best candidates.
A powerful software solution, an Applicant Tracking System is designed to optimize and streamline the recruitment process in companies of all sizes and across industries. Recruiters and hiring managers can source, evaluate and hire candidates more efficiently and effectively with the help of an ATS.
All candidates’ details can be stored in one place, and the status of their applications can also be tracked. A software for ATS can include other features such as assessment generation, scheduling interviews, integration with job sites, etc.
Not all ATSs are the same. An applicant tracking system is a great tool for companies to collect and organize applicants. This system helps companies collect information that will help recruiters evaluate candidates according to different demographics and skills.
An applicant tracking system is also able to help hiring teams automate many manual tasks, such as resume reviews, bulk hires, outreach and communication, surveys, and diversification recruiting.
How does the Applicant Tracking System Work?
It is important that both the hiring team and applicants have a process that is streamlined. Here, companies can benefit from using an applicant-tracking system for both recruitment and candidate experience. How do these systems function?
Applicant tracking software collects and stores candidate information (such as resumes and cover letter) in a central database for recruiters. This information can be stored by organizations for a long time. It makes it easier for hiring managers to refer back to and access.
A recruiter may also be able to move candidates, their information, and the process into different workflows, depending on the system. This allows the recruiter track outreach, interviews and other aspects of recruitment. Customers of Lever, for instance, can access a candidate relationship management system and an applicant tracking software.
Why Should you Use an Applicant Tracking System?
Applicant tracking systems modernize the way company’s source, engage and nurture top talent.
Many organizations use applicant tracking system to streamline their hiring process. These are a few reasons why companies should use an applicant tracking system:
- Your hiring goals are not being met because you can’t find quality candidates
- Few employees refer candidates
- Candidate abandons the application process due to a bad experience
- Interviewers are late or don’t arrive at interviews and don’t know who they’re interviewing
- You are too busy with administrative tasks and they take time away from strategic initiatives
- The hiring managers do not have a common vision and little insight into the talent pipeline
- Candidates are dropping out of the recruitment process because it takes too long to hire.
- You can’t optimize your processes if you have poor reporting capabilities
You must first determine why and how an applicant tracking system is important to you.
How an Applicant Tracking System Helps
Research is important to understand the potential benefits of a new applicant management system. You can read software reviews, browse vendor websites, ask colleagues for advice, or request an ATS demo. Do not forget to review case studies and statistics that show the power of an applicant tracking system.
Determine your ATS Requirements
Work with your hiring team in order to understand the top priorities and challenges of your business. Consider where your applicant tracking system is lacking and the negative impact this has on your organization.
Implement a Plan for Auditing
The decision to switch or select an applicant tracking system will affect all members of your organization: recruiters and HR personnel, as well as hiring managers. It is therefore important to consider all aspects of ATS.
You’ll probably also seek input from the people and culture team, as well as customer service. You should at least gather feedback from different users: hiring managers, interviewers, executives and candidates.
How to Get Executive Support for a New Candidate Tracking System
Be sure that your executive leadership is on board before you start evaluating solutions. Share your requirements, the ways you think a new system of applicant tracking can assist, and what return on investment is expected. Before you choose a system, make sure that your executive team has approved it.
Best Applicant Tracking Systems in 2024
The following are the 15 best applicant tracking systems in 2024:
Recooty
Recooty, the easiest ATS in the world, is available at a very affordable price. It is a simple and effective way to optimize your hiring process. Post your job on Recooty partner job boards as well as on social media. Create a fully-branded careers page. Schedule interviews. Build talent pools. And much more. All at the lowest price you can find on the market. Recooty was also rated the #1 Recruitment Software by Gartner for 2023 and 2024. Recooty can be used by both small and large businesses.
Zoho Recruit
If your company is in the staffing or recruiting business, Zoho Recruit will be the best ATS application tracking system to use. Zoho Recruit’s Applicant Tracking features help recruiters manage and streamline a large number of applications. Zoho Recruit offers recruiters in-house solutions that help them find great talent to fill all types of roles. With Zoho, recruiters are able to source top talent across multiple platforms, automate tasks like scheduling interviews, and more.
Workable
Workable is an ATS robust and scalable that offers great automation and optimization solutions for many recruitment processes. It gives recruiters the ability to post jobs on a variety of job boards and attract top talent. Workable makes it easy to manage the entire recruitment process, from finding candidates to onboarding. Workable can be used by both small and large companies to find better candidates.
iCIMS Recruit
iCIMS is a leader in recruitment automation and has been providing solutions to employers for over ten years. iCIMS was built for global enterprises with a large workforce. iCIMS can handle a large hiring volume up to 50,000. iCIMS also has a marketplace with over 300 integrations to third-party products. If you are a large enterprise looking for a solution to manage high-volume recruiting, iCIMS Recruit could be the platform for you.
Pinpoint
Pinpoint is an applicant tracking system that has a new approach. It transforms the ATS of your hiring team to something very easy to use. The system is simple and intelligent. They also offer unlimited support to help recruiters find the best talent. Pinpoint, then, is an ATS which allows recruiters to tailor the solution according to their hiring needs.
BambooHR
BambooHR is an easy-to use cloud-based HR software designed for small and mid-sized businesses. BambooHR provides a variety of tools and features to help recruiters manage and monitor each step in the hiring process. BambooHR thrives largely because of its powerful reporting features. BambooHR’s ATS can generate reports on Equal Employment Opportunity, as well as benefit reports. BambooHR also supports this feature on mobiles.
Greenhouse
Greenhouse is a powerful Applicant tracking system and recruiting software. It helps and enables companies to create a winning culture of hiring. It allows companies to be ahead of the competition in the race for talent. Greenhouse has a ton of features. Over 300 pre-built Integrations can be used to extend these features. The recruiters can manage both current and prospective clients at the same. They can use this information to compare and analyze candidates’ performance.
Freshteam
Freshteam, an Applicant-Tracking System, has bridged the gap perfectly between recruiters and candidates. This is a multitasking tool for recruitment. It helps many companies achieve their hiring objectives. Freshteam also automates all recruitment tasks, including managing job postings, sourcing potential candidates, etc. Freshteam’s user interface is very intuitive, making it easy for users to navigate.
Bullhorn
It is a system for finding the best candidate quickly. Integrating with major vendor management software, it optimizes and streamlines the hiring process. It also automatically imports and updates all job records into your ATS software. Bullhorn also offers powerful reporting tools and visualizations that will help you track results.
Recruitee
Recruitee, Europe’s most popular recruiting software platform, is available to companies of any size. Recruitee’s team focuses on helping clients build great teams to help them build a great company. Recruitee streamlines and automates hiring processes. Recruiters are able to create great career websites that will attract the best talent.
JobVite
JobVite, a software for Applicant Tracking Systems, also allows social recruiting, mobile optimized career sites, onboarding and other desired recruiting features. Recruiters are able to create branded and customizable career sites that include their brand, applications and forms.
Teamtailor
Teamtailor, an Applicant-Tracking System for recruitment and employer branding, is distinguished by its Career Site Building feature. Career site builders are available in most ATSs, but Teamtailor was the first to offer this functionality. Its interface is also very user-friendly and mobile compatible. Teamtailor offers its users a variety of branding and onboarding tools.
Matern
Manatal is a great choice if you are looking for an Applicant Tracking System that’s friendly and new generation. Manatal is a budget-friendly ATS with AI-powered features such as candidate filtering and recommendation. This is a very flexible and easy-to-use solution that can be tailored to the hiring needs of any company.
SmartRecruiter
SmartRecruiters, a talent acquisition suite for enterprises, is more than an applicant tracking software. Scalability and ease-of-use make it a perfect recruiting solution for companies that are rapidly growing. It has powerful features such as AI-powered tools for candidate sourcing, engagement, assessment and more.
Lever
Lever’s Applicant-Tracking System focuses on hiring that is more humane and efficient. This unique system combines an applicant tracking software with customer relationship management. Lever allows recruiters to create their own career profiles and websites. Lever provides all the data on recruitment through its recruitment metrics and analytic tools, making it easy for recruiters create their progress reports.
Recruitment Agencies: Problems
Recruiting agencies are crucial in connecting potential job seekers to employers. Despite their crucial role, recruitment agencies still face a number of challenges that may affect their ability to match job seekers and employers. These challenges can range from issues sourcing and attracting the best talent to compensation and client relationship problems. This section will discuss some of the common problems that recruiting agencies face and possible solutions.
Inefficient Manual Processes
The reliance of recruiting agencies on manual processes, such as email and phone calls, to manage candidate and job information, is one of their biggest challenges. This outdated method can cause a variety of issues, such as lost or duplicated information, increased administrative effort and time, and a loss of efficiency. In the fast-paced world of today’s job market, recruiting agencies must adopt digital tools and process to streamline their operations. They also need to improve their ability manage large volumes candidate information.
Tracking Candidate Progress
A major problem for recruiting agencies is tracking candidates’ progress through the hiring process. Without the right tools, it can be difficult to keep track of who has applied for what jobs and where they stand in the hiring process. It can lead to missed opportunities and a lack transparency, both for the candidate and hiring manager. To solve this problem, recruiters should invest in applicant tracking system (ATS), which can help them track and manage candidate information.
Inadequate Communication
It can be hard to make sure that all recruiters are on the same page when they work on a job together. It can lead to duplication of effort and conflicting information for candidates. In order to address this problem, recruiters should use clear communication protocols, procedures and digital tools, such as project-management software, to keep all parties informed about the status of each position.
Resume Screening is Time-Consuming
Recruiters must spend a lot of time screening resumes. This process could take days or even weeks without the right tools. Meanwhile, top candidates might be snapped by other employers. For recruiting agencies to streamline the process, they should use resume screening software. This software can accurately and quickly identify top candidates based upon specific criteria such as education and work experience.
A Staffing Agency Solution
Recruitment can be time-consuming and challenging, but it can also be made more efficient with the right resources and tools. Recruitment agencies face many challenges in their daily operations. These include manual processes, disorganized tracking of candidates, miscommunication and slow resume screening. These problems can be solved with an Applicant Tracking System.
These are the advantages of using an ATS to recruit agencies in detail.
- Automation Manual Processes: Many recruiters have to perform a number of manual tasks such as screening resumes, tracking candidates’ progress and sending follow-up email. These tasks can be automated with an ATS. This saves recruiters’ time and ensures that candidates have a professional experience.
- Better Tracking of Candidate Progress: With an ATS, recruiters have an overview of each candidate’s position in the hiring process. They can also see who is responsible for contacting them. It helps to ensure that candidates are not overlooked and that everyone has the same information.
- Better Communication: Communication plays a key role in the recruitment process. An ATS can help recruiters, hiring managers and candidates communicate. It ensures everyone is in the loop, and there are no misunderstandings. The entire process will be smoother and more efficient.
- Faster Resume Screening: The ATS can accelerate resume screening by sorting resumes and highlighting those that are relevant. This allows recruiters to quickly identify the most qualified candidates and reduces the time it takes to fill a job.
Why Do Recruiting Agencies Need an ATS?
In the competitive job market of today, recruiters need to find and hire top candidates as quickly as possible. A candidate tracking system (ATS) can assist them in this process by automating manual tasks, improving the tracking of candidates’ progress, facilitating communications, and speeding resume screening.
How do you decide which ATS is best for your agency, with so many options? Consider the following factors:
- Ease-of-Use: Your recruiters will be able to get started quickly with an ATS if it is intuitive.
- Customization: Different agencies will have different requirements, so you should look for an ATS platform that allows customization to your needs.
- Integration of Other Tools: Consider a ATS that integrates well with the other tools you already use, such as your CRM, database, resume parsing, etc. This can improve your agency’s efficiency and streamline your processes.
- Pricing: Different options of ATS come at different prices, so choose one that suits your budget and has the features you require.
- Training and Support: It is important to find an ATS that provides excellent training and support so that your team can use the platform efficiently.
Considerations for Choosing the Right ATS for Recruiting Agencies
There are many options on the market when it comes to selecting an Applicant Tracking System for your business. The selection process is made easier by focusing on two factors: the platform type and the company type.
In terms of platform types, ATS can be divided into three main categories: Software as a Service, On-site and Integrations.
SaaS, or Software as a Service, is a cloud-based service that provides 24/7 access and ease of use. On-site platforms run on the company’s IT infrastructure. They offer more customization and security but also require more IT resources and maintenance.
Integrations are modular, smaller solutions which are ideal for small companies. They allow them to select the features they need.
There are three main categories of company sizes and types: SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses), agencies, and Enterprises.
- Enterprise companies are large corporations that have 5,000+ workers operating in multiple locations. They also have complex data management and recruitment needs.
- SMBs have fewer than 100 employees, and require less powerful features in ATS and data storage.
- A higher volume of applicants means that agencies need to store a large amount of data and process applications.
Align your company profile to the different ATS platforms and sizes categories. You can then find the best solution for your business.
8 Must-have Features for a Candidate Tracking System
After determining your ‘why and how’, you will begin researching the various systems. You should keep in mind that most ATS share similar features and functionality. Therefore, you will want to choose an applicant tracking system which does more than simply store candidate data.
Here are eight features that your applicant tracking system must have.
Candidate Sourcing
You can’t just post job openings on job boards and use LinkedIn to track applicants. It’s also important to create a strong candidate pipeline. You can enrich your pipeline with the right applicant tracking software and expand your talent pool when you hire and source for new roles.
Consider whether the ATS you are considering allows you to save candidate information, search and refer candidates quickly, create unified profiles for all candidates, and automate outreach.
Interviewing
The hiring process is largely dominated by interviews. You’ll need to find features that will streamline the interviewing process for your team as well as candidates.
You’ll also want to think about whether you are ATS:
- You can easily schedule interviews with your team and integrate their calendar.
- Prescriptive feedback forms and structured interview kits are available.
- Integrates with DEI Tools like anonymous resume review
These features are not only beneficial to your hiring team. These features provide an excellent candidate experience that recruiters can manage and offer.
Candidate Relationship Management
You may come across candidates you’d like to hire but don’t yet have the role for . A candidate relationship management (CRM), in cases such as these, allows you to leverage the applicant at a later date when the right time comes.
You can also use a candidate relationship management system to build meaningful relationships with candidates through your applicant tracking software, so you don’t miss out on job seekers who might add value to your company culture.
You should be on the lookout for features such as the ability to filter and search your database of candidates. You should also check if you are able to create workflows which allow you view previous outreach and stay in contact with active candidates.
Dashboards, Reporting, and Analytics
You want to be proactive in sourcing and hiring qualified candidates, as so much of recruiting is reactive. You could end up spending a lot of money on recruiting without getting the right insights to make informed decisions.
All in one tool, reporting and analytics help hiring teams understand their candidate pipeline and track hiring progress. Dashboards can be useful when strategizing your recruitment strategy or making changes to the hiring process.
Centralization
The management of candidates can be a difficult task. Between endless spreadsheets and job descriptions, career websites and outreach, it’s a tedious process. And that’s before you even get to the interview phase.
To centralize their efforts, more recruiters are using advanced applicant tracking software.
Centralization makes it easy to organize candidate information, such as profiles, feedbacks, communications, and interviews.
Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Reporting
What about diversity, equity and inclusion? Diversity recruiting is becoming more important for companies across all industries, so hiring teams must have access to data that can help them make progress in DEI.
Recruitment Marketing
It’s a common misconception that recruitment marketing only includes what your business does on social media. Recruitment marketing is essential in today’s competitive hiring environment. It must include every interaction a candidate may have with your company.
Every stage of the hiring process should be aligned with your recruitment marketing. This includes job descriptions, career pages, application forms/portals, and nurtures.
Personalization and Automation
The lack of good workflows can hinder the productivity of recruiting teams, particularly when they create additional tasks and manual work.
Automation and personalization will help ease the burden of recruiting on your talent team. Setup of interview processes, gathering candidate feedback, scheduling meeting, and personalizing outreach should all be possible with a few simple clicks.
Benefits of an Applicant Tracking System
ATS offers a number of benefits for recruiters and the companies they work with.
- Administrative tasks reduced
- Hires of higher quality
- Candidates who have been engaged
- Compliance is ensured
- Data Access
- Tracking applicants is easy
Take a look at the advantages that an automated and streamlined recruiting process can provide to your company’s hiring process.
Reduces Administrative Duties
An ATS can help businesses boost their productivity by reducing administrative tasks that are required for a recruiter’s position. With an ATS, recruiters are able to focus their attention on the quality and not the hiring process. With ATS, tedious tasks such as posting jobs online and screening resumes can be simplified.
How to Hire High-Quality Employees
This benefit is directly related to the previous one. When recruiters utilize applicant tracking systems, many of their tasks can be taken care of completely or made much easier. This allows recruiters to focus on their primary goal, which is to bring in qualified, talented and motivated new employees.
ATS can filter and match skills, which means it can scan through resumes and select the best candidates for the recruiter to review.
Engages Candidates
The hiring process is made more pleasant by applicant tracking systems. They are not only a benefit to recruiters but also for the applicants.
Even the hiring process can discourage an applicant from pursuing your business. About 60% of applicants will not complete an application if they don’t like the process. ATS can help you optimize your hiring process so that it is enjoyable for candidates, and not a burden.
Compliance
The application tracking system is specifically designed to remain compliant during the entire hiring process.
Software can structure your hiring practices to ensure that they are in compliance with the rules and regulations prohibiting discrimination. While hiring, compliance is crucial. ATS helps you avoid lawsuits and fines as well as a negative image of your brand.
Access to Useful Data
ATS helps recruiters to determine the effectiveness of their current recruitment system.
Data from applicant tracking systems can be used to measure the success of a hiring effort. The metrics offered by different tools may vary, but examples include the success rate of a sourcing initiative or the time it takes a new employee to be productive. This data can be used by recruiters to make sure their hiring process runs as smoothly as possible.
Easy Communication
The communication aspect of hiring is improved by using applicant tracking systems in multiple ways.
It makes communication with candidates much easier. It will keep your inbox free of clutter. ATSs can help recruiters connect with job search sites, increasing the exposure of job postings to candidates and simplifying their application process.
Conclusion
The use of an ATS by recruiting agencies is essential in the competitive job market today. An ATS can improve candidate experience, streamline recruitment processes and increase efficiency. It is crucial to choose the right ATS. It is important to match your company profile with the ATS type and size categories. You will be able to narrow down your search, and find a solution that is of value. A good ATS will help your agency to stay on top of the competition. It can connect job seekers to potential employers.
In the right hands, an application tracking system is a powerful tool. It allows you to hire top talent more quickly and reduce your hiring costs. It can be your worst nightmare if it’s not understood how it works or what its power is. Even the brightest candidates can be lost, and hiring costs can increase. Understanding the ATS and its capabilities are essential.