What is an Applicant Tracking System?

GetApp carried out a survey to gather information on the professionals in the talent industry. It was brought to light that the respondents who had used an applicant tracking system (ATS) had been more successful in their efforts to acquire candidates. As a result of using an ATS system, the employment rate rose for 86.1 percent of the participants, according to their admissions. On the other hand, 78.3 percent of them recognized that there had been an improvement in the quality of hires as a result of their recruitment procedure.

Every kind and size of the business may benefit from using an applicant tracking system. It may make the process of handling candidates already in the pipeline easier and more efficient for recruiters. In addition, it enables them to attract candidates who are a good match for the roles that are offered. Recruiting qualified candidates in a timely and effective manner is one of the most important responsibilities of human resources managers. However, since there are so many applications and an increasing desire from firms to attract the best talent, it has become very difficult for recruiters to find candidates who are a good match for the positions they are trying to fill.

Advanced searching capabilities are one of the ways in which an applicant tracking system (ATS) may assist recruiters in improving the efficiency of their hiring process. It brings a significant amount of automation to each step of the employment process, from sourcing through onboarding. You may not know what to anticipate if this is the first time you will utilize applicant tracking system (ATS) software or if you are considering implementing one for your company’s recruitment process. Because of this, we have created a helpful guide for you to refer to so that you can get a head start. It describes the advantages of using an applicant tracking system as well as the things you may anticipate from an ATS solution.

A Brief Explanation of What an Applicant Tracking System Is (ATS)

An applicant tracking system is a kind of recruitment software that was developed with the express purpose of making the process of hiring new employees for a firm easier. An effective applicant tracking system (ATS) serves as a centralized archiving system for the candidate data that is collected from firms. This data includes job applications, resumes, and any comments or feedback from recruiters.

It makes it simple for recruiters to obtain the data they want, keeps track of important recruitment KPIs, and identifies areas in which possible improvements may be made. Numerous time-consuming procedures, such as arranging interviews and sifting out individuals who do not meet the qualifications, may benefit greatly from the automation and uniformity introduced by an applicant tracking system.

The functionality of an application tracker system is combined with an intuitive user interface to provide recruiters and hiring managers with an advantageous tool. The task of selecting the ideal ATS system, particularly one with a comprehensive set of capabilities, may be quite challenging. You need to make sure that the candidate you choose for your recruiting process has the following ATS features before you make your final decision:

• Candidate database.
• Portal for job seekers.
• Open APIs.
• A market area for sellers from third parties.
• Company Portal.
• Outstanding UI/UX.
• Reporting and data analysis are included.
• Collaboration.
• Compatible with international standards.
• Built-in artificial intelligence for fair hiring.
• Cloud-based.
• Modifiable with relative ease.
• Complete and total resolution.
• Integrated customer relationship management functionality.

The recruiting efficiency of an applicant tracking system (ATS) may be used to forecast the prospective success of any staffing organization. If an organization has access to the appropriate applicant tracking software, not only can it save time and make more informed recruiting decisions, but it can also significantly advance its goals.

You need a reliable applicant tracking system in order to transform your chaotic recruitment team into one that is productive, creative, and frugal with its time and resources. It is helpful to have a sophisticated, user-friendly, and intuitive applicant tracking system if you want to increase the number of people who apply. Additionally, it helps HR professionals save time that would otherwise be spent on hiring-related chores and provides a speedy response time to inquiries.

Different Categories of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

When it comes to choosing an applicant tracking system, the majority of recruitment organizations are likely to be confronted with a number of obstacles. For example, depending on the installation, they need to know what kind of application tracking system they should go with. In its most basic form, an applicant tracking system might be one of two installation-based varieties. The first form of the applicant tracking system is known as an On-Premise/Offline Applicant Tracker System, while the second type is known as a Cloud-based/Online Applicant Tracking System.

Various Types of ATS Analyzed and Contrasted

Whether you decide to use an on-premise applicant tracker system or a cloud-based one, you will be able to take advantage of the many advantages offered by each option to make the hire that is ideal for your business. Therefore, in order to assist you in determining which kind of applicant tracker system is most suited to meet the requirements of your company, the following is a quick comparison between on-premise and cloud-based applicant tracker systems:

On-Premises Tracking System for Job Applicants

• For an On-Premise ATS program, whether it’s an applicant tracking system or not, if it has to handle numerous users and has to be put on a server, then it is considered to be an enterprise application. When purchasing a server, you need also to budget for an IT professional to install the server’s software and hardware. In addition, it requires a high level of network security in order to guarantee the confidentiality of data.
• You have the option to save money on upgrade costs when you use an offline applicant tracking system. This is useful if you do not need any modifications to your program and would rather keep using the basic version for as long as you want it to remain in its current state.
• Your prospects’ resumes and any other information relevant to recruitment may be stored in an on-premises applicant tracking system with an infinite capacity.
• Setting up and deploying an on-premise applicant tracker system might take more time than using a cloud-based solution because of the many different hardware, software, network, and staff requirements.
• If you are using an on-premise Applicant Tracking System (ATS), you have a solid assurance that the data of your staffing firm is just as safe as the network that is contained behind the corporate firewall.
• If you plan on increasing the number of people using your service, you will need more resources, including hardware, software, network infrastructure, and initial configuration. If you adopt this approach as a guide, adding more users will become much simpler as your company expands. On the other hand, if certain conditions in the market or a recession cause your company’s sales to collapse, you will be left with the infrastructure in which you have invested.
• An essential backup for your recruitment data is required to be included in an on-premises applicant tracking system (ATS). In the event that you do not have any backups, you run the risk of losing all of the important data that you have accumulated over the years if your hard drive fails.

On-premises software is often provided to small organizations without any kind of disaster recovery strategy included. Therefore, in the event that there is an act of God, the users will not have access to the premises. This means that you will not be able to perform anyplace else until you have access to the premises again. Additionally, this might result in the loss of essential data.

Tracking System for Job Applicants Hosted in the Cloud

• The good news is that if you have made the decision to employ a sophisticated cloud-based applicant tracking system, you can quickly set it up online. If you have made this decision, the bad news is that you cannot use the internet. Even the assistance of the person from whom you acquired the ATS software is not required of you at this point. In addition, the one-time setup charge for an applicant tracking system often does not go over $250, even if the program is very difficult to implement.
• In most cases, the amount of storage space provided by cloud-based monitoring software is restricted; nevertheless, regardless of the subscription plan you have chosen, you always have the option to set a higher limit.
• When you sign up for a free trial of an online application tracking system, you can immediately begin using all of the features of the system. The process may be completed in as little as one to three days at most.
• Depending on the cloud provider, the data that is kept in an ATS system that is hosted in the cloud may be more secure than the data that is kept in an ATS system that is hosted on-premise.
• The ability to expand or contract the setup is one of the many benefits that come with using a cloud-based applicant tracking system. A single click is all that is required to increase or decrease the total number of users. You will only be required to pay for the proportional number of users that you have.
• The vast majority of cloud-based ATS systems take advantage of three different degrees of redundancy. This indicates that for every file you upload to the cloud, there will be three copies stored on three separate drives. In addition, the information in the database is typically backed up once every five minutes, so there is very little possibility that any significant data will be lost.
• Users of cloud-based software often have access to a disaster recovery plan in the event of an act of god since the program’s suppliers are able to quickly move users’ data to locations that are not impacted by the event. They also make it possible for users to view the data from any location, which enables you to maintain your productivity and continue operating without interruption.

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Why is it necessary for you to make use of an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

When you require your recruiting staff to be more proactive, productive, and cost-efficient, you will find that using an effective applicant tracking solution provider is of great assistance to you. You should employ applicant tracking systems as part of your recruitment process for a number of reasons, including the following:

Collaboration:

The hiring managers and recruiters are able to keep well-structured and logical communication among their team as well as with the candidate thanks to the applicant tracking tools. Within the confines of a protected environment, the recruitment teams have the ability to simply add remarks, engage decision-makers, build communication between themselves and the prospects, and send resumes in a streamlined manner. Candidates now have a better sense of engagement with staffing organizations throughout the recruiting process and are less likely to lose out on chances since applicant tracking technologies ensure that they are notified immediately of any openings that arise. Both the people in charge of recruiting and the candidates are kept informed at all times. Therefore, it is no longer necessary for the applicants to make any assumptions regarding their standing at any stage throughout the selection process.

Analytics:

The applicant tracking technology also provides capabilities for analytics and reporting, which may be used to assess the efficiency of the various hiring and recruitment tactics currently in use. Real-time data may be actively used by hiring managers and recruitment experts to anticipate their staffing needs, develop a recruiting pipeline, and maintain effective human resources to their capacity. In addition to this, they are able to properly determine the essential parameters for the related prices, quality, and amount of time spent on their recruitment efforts.

Recruitment Marketing:

With the level of rivalry that exists in today’s cutting-edge employment market, it is unavoidable to have an all-encompassing recruitment plan in place. It is possible for hiring managers to quickly and easily attract and engage potential top talent for their open positions and employer brand with the assistance of effective applicant tracking systems and recruiting strategies. This can make the task of attracting and engaging top talent a quick and easy task for hiring managers. Methodical job advertising, customer relationship management (CRM) campaigns, events, social media networking, social campaigns, client interactions, and employee referral programs are just a few of the techniques that may be used to attain this goal.

Compliance:

Compliance has always been the major motivation for the creation of an application monitoring system. The realm of compliance encompasses a vast amount of ground, consists of a number of interconnected parts, and is continually expanding. Depending on the geographic region from where your firm conducts its operations, there are a variety of issues of compliance that need to be addressed throughout its administration. For example, a corporation that operates on a global scale and employs a large workforce is obliged to comply with regulations ranging from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (General Data Protection Regulation). The many nations and states throughout the globe each have their own unique sets of compliance standards and regulations. Therefore, in order to comply with the constantly changing compliance regulations, it is vital to have the most effective recruitment techniques as well as a cutting-edge solution for recruiting.

Important ATS Features

Job Posting:

Once you have a clear notion of where to source potential candidates, you will have an easier time tracking them down. If you have an applicant tracking system, you may advertise open job opportunities on prominent job portals and the career website of your customers without having to worry about the complexity of any of the details. Verifying that the job description is well-organized and has all of the necessary information prior to posting it on several websites is an essential step that should not be overlooked. The information that your client included in the job description will be analyzed by the software that you use for recruiting purposes in order to find candidates that best meet the requirements and competencies of the position. If the description is not clear, you run the risk of attracting people who are not qualified for the position. When a candidate tracking system is connected with a job board, it makes it much simpler for recruiters to immediately find potential applicants. As soon as candidates begin sending in their information, the recruiters will have the ability to establish a large prospect pool.

Email Marketing:

Email marketing is another method that can be used in addition to job advertising to find potential candidates and convince them to submit an application to the firm that your client works for. Email marketing is another method that may be used to solicit and get new customers. In addition to utilizing email marketing to find prospects, you can also use it to publicize your open positions. It could seem to be time-consuming, but if you have applicant tracking software, it can really be rather straightforward and accomplished in a short amount of time. You are able to send tailored emails to a large number of individuals all at once thanks to the availability of email marketing. Inform your applicants that your customers are in need of the workforce, attach the job specifics, and encourage them to send in their applications by having them drop them in your mailbox. After some time has passed, it will be simple for you to include their resumes in your database.

Importation of Resumes:

You will find the resumes in either your physical mailbox or the inbox of your email account. When you finally get your hands on these resumes, you could discover that storing them all in one location is more difficult than you had anticipated. As a direct result of this, you will discover multiple resumes stored on your computer in addition to a large pile sitting on your desk. Manually sorting through all of these resumes may be an extremely time-consuming and laborious process. An advantage of using an applicant tracking system is that it often comes equipped with a resume importation capability that enables users to upload their physical resumes directly into the program. In addition, you can immediately import electronic resumes into your database without any delays if you received them from a variety of job portal websites or in your email. This is a feature that is available to you. After being imported into your candidate database, the resumes are in their final form.

Resume Parsing:

If an applicant tracking program is made available to you, then you won’t have to go through tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of resumes. There is no consistent format across all of the resumes. It’s possible for them to be very dissimilar to one another. For instance, applicant A has included his talents in the experience area of his resume, but candidate B has a separate section in his CV dedicated to his skills that is well organized. After the resumes have been imported into your recruiting software, the resume parsing tool will retrieve key data from each resume in order to synchronize them into a format that is consistent across all of the resumes. After the resumes have been analyzed, the applicant tracking software ranks the applicants according to which of their applications are the most compatible with the job description.

Tracking Potential Candidates:

The monitoring of candidates is another important part of an applicant tracking system, and it is likely the function that is the most helpful. After you have obtained the resumes, you will be able to monitor the candidates that are in the pipeline. You are also given the ability to monitor the development that your potential prospects are making. When you use an applicant tracking system (ATS), you will also be able to get a summary of all of the applicants that your customer has either accepted or rejected. When you are going through the steps of the requirement process, you have the option to tap on the profile of any applicant, and the system will provide you with an update on the progress of that person’s application. The examples that follow provide a visual depiction of the current standing of five distinct candidates in the selection process:

Candidate A: Conducting an Interview

Applicant B: Conducting an Interview

Candidate C: Placement

Candidate D: Offer

Candidate E: Conducting an Interview

In the event that your current customer is no longer interested in the applications, the candidates will still be stored in the database that you use for recruitment. It gives you access to their data, and it makes it simple for you to get in touch with them for any future employment prospects. You are able to organize the applicants into several categories depending on the knowledge and expertise they bring to the table. For example, all of the candidates relating to healthcare may be grouped together in one category, while those relating to content writing could be placed in a different category.

Advantages of Utilizing an Applicant Tracking System

Because they come packed with so many useful features, applicant tracking systems unquestionably come with a plethora of advantages that outweigh any potential drawbacks. Your attempts to attract new employees might stand to benefit from the use of an application monitoring tool. The following are examples of some of the distinctive benefits, but this list is not exhaustive:

Save Time:

Your recruiters will appreciate the time savings afforded to them by the applicant tracking software because it eliminates manual tasks through the use of automation. Instead of spending time entering recruiting data into the system by hand, recruiters can put that time and energy toward making contact with potential candidates.

Reduce Prejudice:

The hiring managers and recruiters of a company can be assisted by applicant tracking software in their search for the most qualified candidates to fill a position. Not only does it lessen the workload for humans, but it also does away with the inherent bias that people have. The applicant tracking software is based on several decision criteria regardless of the race, gender, nationality, and political inclinations of the candidates. The focus of ATSs is solely to target candidates who best match the job requirements.

Enhance the Quality of Candidates:

Because it automatically eliminates unsuitable candidates for a position, an applicant tracking system (ATS) ensures that only qualified workers are hired. The fact that your applicant tracking system can assist you in finding candidates who are qualified enough to meet the stringent requirements of your hiring procedure is of utmost significance.

Positive Reinforcement of Performance:

The software that tracks applicants does more than simply make the recruiting process simpler for you to perform. In addition to this, it grants you the ability to improve it by employing a number of different reinforcement parameters. If you have access to the right data and it enables you to generate, organize, and analyze the data, you will be able to easily direct your attention to sources of hiring that are both effective and indiscriminate.

Better Candidate Experience:

When a person submits their application for a job at a firm, they undoubtedly anticipate that the company will have a competitive recruiting procedure. The provision of an ATS ensures that individual candidates will get a prompt response to their submitted applications. You are able to provide a remarkable and uncomplicated experience while working with your firm. As a result, you are able to provide a wonderful experience for candidates, regardless of whether or not they are accepted. Along with the positive reputation of the organization, the quality of the applicant experience has emerged as a critical component of a successful recruitment process. It is particularly significant since applicants have access to review sites managed by third parties, where they may provide input about their previous work experience.

The interface that is pleasant to users:

The vast majority of applicant tracking systems are pro-actively and persistently attempting to create a user experience that is more inviting and user-friendly. Due to the widespread lack of available time, the vast majority of those in charge of recruiting choose the more complex design of recruitment software, which may include the use of drag-and-drop functionality and email automation. The most helpful ATSs have plug-and-play functionality built in. These ATSs need the end users to do minimal or very little modification and maintenance on their systems.

Improve Your Methods of Recruiting:

It is very necessary for the hiring manager and the recruiters to make consistent use of analytics in order to be able to make strategic selections. They will need an efficient recruiting management system in order to be successful with this. The ability for hiring managers to assess massive data sets that have been gathered from the various phases of recruitment is made possible by a top-notch applicant tracking technology. During the steps that include but are not limited to sourcing candidates, vetting applicants, and conducting interviews, recruiters are presented with a wealth of data. As a consequence of this, recruiters are able to readily pinpoint the areas in which they are squandering their efforts.

What sets our applicant tracking system apart from other applicant tracking systems (ATS)?

Put an end to your anxiety over the application tracking system that will serve your company’s demands the best. It is meant to be of comprehensive assistance to you. It is not necessary for you to make a concession and use a mediocre application tracking system. No of the size of your organization, the applicant tracking system provided by us is affordable for both the people applying for jobs and the HR experts who are hiring them. It makes it easier for users to achieve success in the competitive world of recruitment. It provides a user experience that is both interesting and simple to use, and it does it at a price that is astonishingly affordable. In the middle of the COVID-19 epidemic, we are providing our services to staffing and recruiting firms via the use of its text recruitment tools.

Additionally, it is one of the finest applicant tracking systems available, and it is incredibly economical for small organizations as well. If you are new to the staffing industry, you probably don’t want to go with a pricey software solution for the recruiting process. If you are starting a startup, you should never commit a large portion of your money to that venture. Because of this, it is the ideal applicant tracking solution for startups. Don’t stifle your recruitment efforts, and provide your recruiters the tools they need to be successful with automated:

• Job advertisements.
• Tools for social recruitment and networking.
• Easy data tracking.

Additionally

We are grateful that you have made it this far in reading our blog. If you are considering using our services, feel free to contact us so that we may set up a no-cost demonstration for you. A free trial of our services may be obtained from us for a period of seven days. If you are interested in learning more about the processes that we use, please go here.