When it comes to talent management in the hiring process, many employers rely on an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to help them narrow down their search to a group of candidates they believe would be the best fit for the position they are marketing to fill. The solution at its very core is designed to make the hiring process quicker, easier and more enjoyable.
What is an applicant tracking system?
An ATS is an automated solution that helps to manage the entire recruiting process from receiving applications and cover letters to hiring the best candidate. The data centralized within an ATS is used to screen candidates, schedule tests and interviews, check references, send new-hire paperwork and more.
How can ATS software help improve the recruiting process?
Simply put, automating core aspects of the recruiting process can enhance the experience exponentially for applicants, administrators, managers and the organization as a whole. With candidate data centralized in one location, keeping track of where they are in the process is easier. As the ATS obtains more data over time, you will be able to pinpoint the different areas of the recruiting process that need improvements. For example, you would be able to understand where obstructions happen during this process, the breakdown of communication, where and why candidates drop out, the effectiveness of your assessments and more.
With an ATS, you will have the ability to make actionable decisions based on real-time data to improve your entire recruiting process.
What are the benefits of an applicant tracking system?
An ATS offers an array of benefits to employers who are looking for ways to improve or revamp their talent management procedures. This solution offers a way for companies to re-think their recruitment strategies and how they utilize their tools through automated feedback and reporting.
The power to manage filters
Administrators in charge of an ATS have the ability to set up predefined questions to help sort out ‘qualified VS unqualified’ candidates during the beginning stages of recruitment. With these predetermined questions, keywords and other specified criteria set up, the solution will then organize and send resumes to the admin that met their criteria to move forward with the hiring process.
This solution also gives administrators the ability to set rules where ‘declined applicants’ will receive an automated message thanking them for their time and interest while you’re moving forward with other candidates.
Integratable to top job search websites
Indeed, Monster and CareerBuilder—these are a few of the most popular job search sites online today. With an ATS, you’ll be able to integrate your system to communicate with these sites to help get your job postings out to a wider audience. After a candidate selects your job posting on one of these sites, their data is seamlessly connected back with your applicant tracking system, allowing for faster/immediate feedback.
Seamlessly move from applicant tracking to onboarding and training
After hiring the perfect candidate to fill an open position, many employers will want to set them up onto their onboarding and training programs. With an ATS, the data acquired by the candidate is stored and secure in one single location on the employers’ servers. When it’s time to move them to onboarding and training, the data stored can be transferred seamlessly to a new employee profile without the need for duplicate data entry.
Navigate compliance and employment laws easier
An ATS can help ensure that employers remain in compliance with fair hiring laws, while also protecting themselves from allegations of unfair practices themselves. The system can be configured to help keep HR and management up-to-date and within compliance of employment laws while also providing the reasons why a specific candidate may not have moved forward with a job opening, storing the information on file to protect from potential lawsuits.
Other ATS benefits
- Administrators can automate routine tasks such as scheduling calls, interviews, gathering feedback, rating candidates and more
- Improve reporting and compliance efforts to easily attain, track and report crucial data such as Evidence of Equal Opportunity (EEO)
- Connecting an ATS to an Employee Portal allows stakeholders to reconnect with qualified employees who may have not made ‘the cut’ the first time around for other employment opportunities
- An ATS can reduce the amount of money and time it costs spent on recruiting, thus improving the ‘cost-per-hire’ metrics
Tips for setting up and managing an applicant tracking system
Determine who will have access to the ATS and set permissions
Set up a superuser or two to have total control and access to the module, and only give access to parts of the solution to employees whose job it is to oversee those specific tasks. With fewer hands on the product, you will be able to ensure that your data stays secure and within compliance.
Create approval workflows
In this step, it’s crucial for administrators to set up appropriate approvers for each step in the workflows your candidates will be going through. Who needs to approve the job ad before it’s posted? Who is the interviewer for this position? Who is the hiring manager? How do we get our applicants’ emails/calendars connected to one of these workflows?
Create appropriate screening and scoring questions
Determine a set of questions that can be scored by the ATS as applicants run through the process for both fixed and temporary. You can create templated questions for specific job categories that can be reused for high-volume, high-turnover, or seasonal jobs.
Update ATS job templates to your company brand
This is the moment for employers to really boost their brand and create lasting recognition with present and future applicants.
Set up a test position and test it with a small group
After you believe everything is set up and ready to go for your next open position, make sure you take a small group of people, internally, and test out the new workflows you created. This is an opportunity for you and your team to fix any possible kinks you find before you go live.
Arcoro ATS Software
The Arcoro Applicant Tracking System–powered by BirdDogHR–is a scalable, automated solution that enables employers to update and organize their recruiting tactics across numerous channels. The software keeps all job postings and applicant data in one secure, centralized location. This helps to shorten the hiring time and keeps candidates engaged.
The benefits to recruiters
Recruiters can discover the most qualified candidates with this automated module. They can enjoy the following features during this extremely important step of the recruiting process:
- One-click Job Distribution
- Local and National Reach
- Veteran and Minority Outreach
- Source Analytics Reporting
- Branded to Your Needs
- EEO Survey Information
- Unlimited Users
- Interview Scheduling
- Offer Letters
- Niche Job Boards
The benefits to applicants
The candidate experience is much improved with the following features offered:
- Ability to Apply in Minutes
- Resume Parsing
- No Login Required
- Automated Communication
The cloud-based, Arcoro HCM Platform offers solutions in the following areas of HR management:
- Benefits Management
- HR Automation
- ACA Compliance
- Employee self-service (Employee Portal)
- Payroll Processing
- Recruiting
- Applicant Tracking
- Time and Attendance
- Reporting
- Performance Management and Feedback Delivery
- Online Learning Management
- Succession Planning
- Employee Onboarding
- Surveys
- Job Posting and more
