Hiring is an exciting development for a growing business, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. According to Glassdoor, it takes an average of 23.8 days to complete the hiring process. That timeline accounts for everything from creating the job description to extending an offer – and all the hard work in between.
That amount of work is exactly why businesses turn to applicant tracking systems (ATS) to streamline this essential business function. Let’s break down what an ATS does and how it can support your business.
What Does Applicant Tracking System Software Do?
An ATS is a form of recruiting software designed to simplify the hiring process. This type of software, also referred to as a talent management system, helps businesses organize important processes and improve internal efficiencies to streamline the entirety of the hiring cycle.
A typical ATS performs a variety of tasks to automate time-consuming responsibilities and provide additional information. These tasks can include, but are not limited to the following functions and capabilities:
- An ability to post openings to various job boards.
- Storage of applicant data as individuals apply to your open positions.
- Application screening to identify potential matches based on set parameters, keyword filters, and other means.
- Applicant ranking based on how well resumes match a specific job description.
- Collaboration tools that allow employers and recruiters to comment on applicants and leave ratings for internal review.
- Automated emails to schedule interviews, update candidates, and stay connected with priority individuals.
The Benefits Of Applicant Tracking System For Employers
When it comes to the hiring process, businesses can use every advantage they can get. An ATS is equipped to give organizations the tools and technology needed to stay competitive while improving their internal procedures. These benefits allow your business to do the following:
- Find and hire better candidates.
- Improve the candidate experience.
- Make the hiring process shorter and more efficient.
- Increase collaboration during the hiring process.
- Streamline the onboarding process.
- Stay competitive in the hiring market.
Find and hire better candidates
Between the need for skilled workers and the costs of employee turnover, it’s essential to find the right people for your positions. Tracking systems gives employers an advanced way to identify ideal candidates for each and every role. Employers can prioritize certain skills and other factors to call out more qualified individuals. Some systems can even utilize artificial intelligence to create an ideal profile for a position and predict new success factors for future candidates.
Another way that an ATS can improve your candidate pool is by helping it grow. These systems can help distribute applications to as many job boards, recruitment sites, social media platforms, and other potential posting destinations as you deem fit for your business. Better yet, users can publish job posts on all these sites simultaneously (or pretty close to it). This streamlined approach to job distribution makes it easier for employers to reach more people without nearly as much of the legwork.
Improve the candidate experience
Tracking technology also allows employers to improve your reach is to simplify the application process for candidates. An ATS gives job seekers the ability to apply for your positions on their phone, laptop, tablet, or any other device. Better yet, applicants won’t need to create a new account and log in to apply to your openings. In turn, promising candidates won’t drop out early to pursue other openings with fewer roadblocks.
Make the hiring process shorter and more efficient
Manually reviewing applications is a long, tedious process. An ATS takes out a lot of the menial labor by organizing and optimizing the review process.
As individuals submit their applications, an ATS automatically pulls every submission into a central database. These systems will then use varying means ranging from pre-set filters to AI machine learning to sort and even rule out certain applicants. These methods give your business a streamlined process to review organized, qualified applications.
A good ATS also reduces time-to-fill for job openings is by simplifying the applicant management process. An ATS makes it quick and easy to message candidates through a single platform. Businesses can even automate large portions of applicant management through chatbots that screen questions and address frequently asked questions.
Applicant tracking technology also automates the scheduling process. It takes time to review calendars, set up interviews, and send out information. An ATS typically offers integrated scheduling tools to set up interviews and send out meeting reminders. This process not only saves you from more initial work, but also keeps everyone on the same page to limit confusion and potential no-shows.
Increase collaboration during the hiring process
It’s not always easy to get everyone on the same page during the hiring process. It’s good to get input from different individuals within your company, but it can be difficult to collect everyone’s input and keep everyone in the loop. The right system gives users a space to work together in an organized fashion.
ATS software allows different team members to take notes, see resumes, and review other information all in one place. The recruiter can use this system to assign out roles and set up alerts for anyone needed in the hiring process. These tools help ensure that everyone can take part in selecting the right candidate without adding extra complications.
Streamline the onboarding process
An ATS offers benefits that extend beyond job applications and interviews. These systems also allow businesses to speed up the onboarding process and help qualified candidates start their new careers off right.
Once you fill a position, the ATS starts the welcoming process for your newest employee. Employers can set up their ATS to provide new hires with key information about their role, the business, and expectations for the initial few weeks. These systems can also prompt individuals to fill out new employee forms and other necessary paperwork.
Stay competitive in the hiring market
The vast majority of Fortune 500 companies use some form of ATS in their hiring process. Based on all the benefits listed above, that makes sense. However, that doesn’t mean that this type of software is exclusive to larger companies.
Businesses of all sizes can reap the benefits of an ATS. A good system can help your company stay ahead of big corporations by making your openings more visible and giving applicants quick, easy access to your business.
Streamline Your Recruiting And Hiring Process
As the labor market tightens, hiring is only getting harder for small and mid-size businesses. That’s why GMS partners with businesses to manage this essential process. Between our team of HR experts and cutting-edge applicant tracking technology, we can help you recruit top talent while saving you from the time it takes to do so.
Ready to simplify your business? Contact us now to talk to our recruiting and hiring managers about how GMS can help solve your talent acquisition challenges.