Talented candidates are scarce. In a highly competitive market, recruiters face a challenge to find the most qualified candidates. Talented candidates with highly sought-after skills will be able to shop around for the company that offers the best deal.
Spoiler alert! If you don’t have an Applicant Track System (ATS), it’s likely that this will be your company. You can use manual methods like a spreadsheet but this is not a fast and efficient way to ensure the best candidate experience.
We will discuss below why an Applicant Tracking System(ATS) is necessary if you want candidates to choose your company first.
These are the 6 benefits of an applicant tracking system for improving the recruitment process
- Hire faster!
- Find better-qualified candidates
- Monitor recruitment performance
- Enhance the candidate experience
- Improve collaboration
- Streamline your hiring process
1. Hire faster!
You can easily access all information about candidates and the hiring process from one location. This allows you to make informed and better decisions. It is easy to see which actions you should take and when. You can also quickly and efficiently move candidates through each stage of your hiring process.
You can create custom workflows so that you can tailor the applicant management process to each position.
2. Find better-quality candidates
For recruiters, sourcing and acquiring talent can be a huge headache. Although well-respected companies may be able to rely on their brand to attract talent, this is not the case for smaller businesses. Many recruiters must actively look for candidates rather than wait for them to apply.
You can find better candidates with applicant tracking software in many ways. You can also create targeted marketing campaigns. These will display job openings on social media and Google based on certain demographic data such as job title and location.
You can also create a career portal with candidate tracking systems. This allows you to list open positions and allow candidates to subscribe for updates when new jobs are posted. It also helps you to build your employer brand by showing off your company culture and perks.
To find the most qualified candidates for every job, you can use an ATS tracking platform such as Workable. Artificial intelligence-powered Auto-Suggest searches public online profiles in order to locate candidates that match your job description.
This allows you to create targeted campaigns via channels like Facebook that will make people aware about the job and encourage them to apply.
3. Monitor recruitment performance
You won’t be able spot opportunities to improve or expand on what is working if you don’t know the effectiveness of your recruitment process. You should establish metrics that you will track before you begin recruiting. This will allow you to keep track of your recruitment performance.
You should be tracking the following metrics:
- Time to hire
- Source for candidates
- Each stage takes time
- Rate of dropout by stage
It is important to know details, such as the time it will take to hire for certain positions, to improve your workforce planning and forecasting.
4. Enhance the candidate experience
The first opportunity a candidate has to see what it’s like to work for your company is through the recruitment process. They won’t get a positive impression of your company if you take too long to respond, reschedule interviews frequently, or communicate in a chaotic way.
They will most likely tell others about their experience and drop out of the hiring process.
Online applicant tracking systems allow candidates to schedule interviews themselves, rather than waiting for dates and going back and forth. They won’t be forgotten and you don’t have to ghost them.
This will improve your communication speed and accuracy and give the impression of a well-run and organized company.
You can communicate directly with candidates if you use an ATS system like ApplicantPro. You can send candidates either SMS or email depending on what they prefer.
You can save all messages and candidates’ responses in the tool. This allows you to offer a cohesive candidate experience.
5. Improve collaboration
It is not easy to find the right candidate. Your hiring team can provide advice, support, and input. Each member of the team should have up-to-date information.
Imagine what it would look like to a candidate when two people from the hiring department email them to schedule an interview.
An ATS allows you to assign roles-based access so that everyone on the team has the information they need. The hiring team members can easily share their opinions on candidates and can also make joint decisions on whether to move candidates to the next stage.
Everyone is on the same page regarding the current status of job openings, and how effective your recruitment strategy is for each one.
6. Streamline your recruitment process
Nearly all recruiters take unnecessary steps during their recruitment process. Why should you have to conduct two screening calls with candidates? Do you really need to ask candidates to attend three in-person interviews before they are accepted?
This is a two-way conversation. This is not about finding the right candidate. The candidate must decide if they want to work with your company.
An applicant tracking system will give you a complete overview of the various stages and workflows used to screen, hire, and attract candidates. This gives you the information you need to streamline the hiring process, so it doesn’t overwhelm candidates or your team.
How to Choose an ATS
There are many applicant tracking systems available, but it can be difficult to narrow down the options. It is important to think about who the system is intended for. Are you looking for corporate recruiters or staffing companies? It is an enterprise solution or a startup-friendly tool for recruiting. Is it easy to use? What is the average time it takes to put in?
