What is an applicant tracking system?
An applicant tracking system is a running application that facilitates the electronic handling of recruitment and hiring needs. An Applicant tracking system can be implemented or accessed online at the company - or small-business levels, depending on the demand of the department; free and open-source ATS software is also there.
An Applicant Tracking System is very similar to customer relationship management (CRM) systems, but are designed for recruitment tracking function. In many cases they clear applications naturally arranged on given principal such as skills, old employers, years of exposure and schools attended. This has introduced many to adapt resume optimization techniques similar to those used in search engine optimization when building and formatting their resume.
What are the benefits of an applicant tracking system?
Performance of an ATS is not vaulted to data mining and size in the recruitment industry include the capability to automate the recruitment process through a detailed workflow.
Another advantage of an Applicant Tracking System is interpreting and coordinating recruitment efforts – controlling the theoretical structure known as human capital. A corporate career site or company correct job board module may be given, permitting companies to offer opportunities to internal candidates prior to external recruitment efforts. Candidates may be classified via pre-existing data or through knowledge garnered from other means.
This data is typically gathered for search and retrieval procedure. Some of the systems have expanded offerings that add off-site encrypted resume and data storage, which are often legally required by equal opportunity employment laws.
The system can also be set up to automate responses, send out interview reminders, and notify database users of new job positions. In this sense, the ATS serves as a sort of customer relationship management tool.
Why do employers use applicant tracking systems?
Top employers hire for several jobs at a time and receive thousands of resumes for any given opening. Thus, an Applicant Tracking System saves employers time and paper while also keeping them organized.
ATS are everywhere- Most of the large corporations apply applicant tracking systems. Jobscan research found that ninety-eight percent of Fortune five hundred companies use ATS while a Kelly OCG survey suggested 66% of large enterprises and 35% of small organizations rely on recruitment software.
How does applicant tracking systems work?
Applicant tracking systems collect and store resumes in a database to appointing professionals to access. Resumes may also be kept long after the original job you applied for is filled. Corporate recruiters or hiring managers can be searched and sort through the resumes in a lots of ways, depending on the system they’re using to sort
Resume formatting matters in applicant tracking systems
When you are uploading your resume into an applicant tracking system, the recruiter won’t necessarily see the file. Some Application Tracking System parses the document into a digital profile to make things uniform and searchable.
How to beat applicant tracking systems?
There is still no universal trick of “beating” applicant tracking systems. Getting past an ATS and landing a new job interview requires a well-written resume that is mindful of ATS algorithms as well as the people pushing the buttons.
Don’t cheat or over-optimize for applicant tracking systems
Optimizing your keywords and outputting for applicant tracking systems is not the same as cheating the system. In theory, you can trick ATS algorithms by stuffing your resume with keywords. Some of the people do this by secretly adding additional keywords to their resumes using “invisible” white text or by unnaturally overusing keywords.
How to find the best applicant tracking system?
As we have taken a look at what is ATS? And considering that there are many other different Applicant Tracking System in the market with various different features and prices, choosing the ATS that perfectly matches your needs and fits your budget is not a very easy task.
There are so many important factors which you should keep in mind you when you are choosing an Applicant Tracking System.
Our structured 4-steps strategy for finding your perfect Applicant Tracking System will make sure that you don’t miss any of the Applicant Tracking System key requirements. Following these 4 steps will also help you recognizing your perfect choice in the shortest amount of the time.
Step #1: Identify your recruiting challenges
In order to find your perfect Applicant Tracking System for small business recruiting, first thing you should do is identify your recruiting goals and challenges. Create a detailed list of most of your pressing recruiting pain points.
Step #2: Research ATS providers
The next step is to research different Applicant Tracking System for recruiters and their products. Browse their websites and find three to five Applicant Tracking System providers that seem like they might be good to fit.
Step #3: Demo your top ATS picks
Get a demo of your chosen 3–5 Applicant Tracking System providers to check how exactly a specific Applicant Tracking System works, what features does it offer and how it can help you deal with most of your pressing recruiting challenges.
Step #4: Get a free trial
Most Applicant Tracking System providers offer the possibility of a free trial. Utilize this opportunity to test and compare the ease of use of your top two Applicant Tracking System for small business picks.
Conclusion
Applicant Tracking System for recruiters is a very effective hiring solution that most of the successful recruiters utilize.
Because without it, there is a good chance that your process of moving applicants through different stages can become very difficult. This tool is very important for optimizing the hiring process with the help of artificial intelligence and technology. As we move forward, the ATS tools are evolving and making the monotonous tasks easy.
