Are you aware of the benefits of ATS recruitment software?

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) automate all steps of the recruitment process within organizations. It is useful for automating the staffing process, keeping track of resumes and applications, and providing an overview of applicant interview results. The benefits of ATS recruitment software will assist you at every stage of the recruiting process, which is its greatest strength. 

By using an applicant tracking system or ATS, you can significantly improve your talent management process. Your hiring process will be better managed this way while ensuring greater efficiency. 

In the staffing process, applicant tracking systems automate and streamline the process. Using a tracking system will enable the applicant to get more out of their interview experience by providing personalized reminders, emails, and notifications. In addition to enhancing your process, it will help you organize your data better and tag more candidates for each job.

Let’s try to understand why businesses should invest in an applicant tracking system now that we know what an applicant tracking system is.

The benefits of the ATS for organizations

Recruiters spend a lot of time on each job opening during the recruitment and selection process in a company. The screening of resumes consumes more than half the recruiters’ time during a manual selection process. By using a system that helps with this, reviewing a resume takes less than 10 seconds.

In a manual process, recruiters may be overwhelmed with resumes, in which case they may overlook some qualified candidates for lack of time. Using the software, the process is streamlined and the best candidates are found. All these processes are made by the tool, from screening in the best channels to find company profiles, to resume ranking, to job requirement management.

The reports help recruiters keep track of how the hiring process is going, what are the main channels of attracting candidates, and the average time of a job search.

An overview of applicant tracking systems

ATS programs allow companies to enter specific criteria for job postings and automatically sort through resumes using their automated algorithms. Human employees would otherwise spend hours sorting through resumes, so this is often the first step in the hiring process.

The applicant tracking system acts as an electronic gatekeeper for employers and hiring managers. A job application is parsed by the ATS into categories and scanned for specific keywords to determine whether it should be forwarded to a recruiter. As a result, the recruiter is able to allocate his or her time to evaluate those candidates who are more likely to be candidates for the job. By contrast, the ATS tends to throw out the least-qualified candidates rather than identifying the best candidates.

An organization can configure their ATS in a variety of ways. As described below, they may choose to add “knock-out questions” to quickly eliminate candidates who do not meet minimum qualifications. Working with an ATS company can help an organization maximize the efficiency and speed of their system.

Where does ATS get its data from?

Our lives are streamlined by software. Google searches through all the matching websites in order to present you with the most relevant results. 

If you search on Amazon for a product, it looks through sometimes hundreds of thousands of similar projects to recommend the most appropriate item.

When hiring candidates, employers want the same efficiency.

An applicant tracking system can help with that. Employers use them to sort through dozens, hundreds, even thousands of resumes to find the handful that matches their requirements. 

System Optimization for Applicant Tracking

Most likely, when a candidate applies for a job through an Applicant Tracking System, they will be asked a series of questions referred to as ‘knockout questions’. Do you know what knockout questions are? You can formulate these questions in either the style of tick boxes or short answers. By applying them, you are narrowing the applicant pool appropriately, in line with the job description. A candidate who answers these questions incorrectly will automatically be flagged by the Application Tracking System, so they can take the necessary steps. Correct answers will result in the CV moving forward.

Optimising these knockout questions, as well as the keywords and filters, will ensure that your best candidates aren’t missed. As a recruiter or HR manager, it is your job to find the best and brightest candidates for your latest role.

The ATS era has begun

Spreadsheets used to be the best tool for recruiting before, but not anymore. There have been many changes to the recruitment industry as the times have progressed.

ATSs are up-to-date tools that can help organizations adapt successfully. When you utilize it, you’ll be able to notice a big difference in your hiring process. This can lead to better hiring and a more productive internal workforce, leading to exponential growth in success.

Are all job seekers required to write an ATS-optimized resume?

In contrast to what you may read elsewhere, some job seekers don’t need to worry about applicant tracking systems. You may not encounter an ATS in your job search, depending on which companies you target and how you find your job leads.

When you are aiming for companies that use this software, however, you have to become familiar with how to write ATS-optimized resumes. ATS-optimized resumes will only be reviewed by humans. In other words, even if you are well qualified for the job, your resume may not get you noticed if it is not optimized for the ATS. ATS optimized resumes, which are designed to score well in this type of screening process, should be written to ensure the human reviewer sees your qualifications.

Social media plays what role? 

Today, most job seekers are aware of the impact their social media presence has on their job search. Your job search can be aided by social media if you follow a few basic guidelines. For example, do not post drunken pictures on Facebook or tweet racist or misogynist comments. Having a polished and professional social media presence can help you network with others in your field, and establish yourself as an expert in your field.

There are also some applicant tracking systems that have the ability to read social media sites like resumes. It is even possible to search individual profiles with the same keywords that are searched by applicant tracking systems. It could be detrimental to your job search if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile or if you have one but don’t fill it out enough. You can add keywords to different parts of your LinkedIn profile, including your headline and summary. Adding keywords increases your likelihood of being notice.

You, recruiters, become data entry workers with your ATS

It is impossible to disguise poor design choices with the prettiest interface in the world. If you had to update an Excel file every time you completed a project, it would be very burdensome. Updated the system after calling a candidate who did not pick up: he did not answer. 

We updated the system after the candidate requested to reschedule their interview. Update the system with the interview notes collected from the phone call. You do this with most of your ATS’ features. The system of record requires recruiters to record every single action they take. Instead of keeping track of candidates, your recruiters should focus their energy on candidates. 

When you improve your KPIs, you will know that you’ve succeeded. Since these indicators are benchmarks of what you hope to achieve, they are vital to monitor as a business. You will quickly lose your team’s motivation and sense of purpose without them.

Recruiting KPIs can include metrics like quality of hire and source of hire. With an ATS, you can easily track these metrics.

Do they really happen that often?

Recruiters are placing an increasing emphasis on candidate experience for recruitment. Automation and ranking systems are evident in recruitment software as it starts to leverage AI.

You need an ATS compliant resume before you can face a human recruiter. You should have the best chances you can to beat any applicant tracking system after reading this article.