One of the most significant changes to hit the staffing world in the past decade is the rise and growth of applicant tracking software. These tools are designed to help recruiters manage the hiring process. An application tracking system automates many of the tasks involved in recruiting, such as posting jobs, collecting and storing resumes, and organizing candidate information. An ATS can also help a recruiter screen and sort resumes, perform initial candidate assessments, and even schedule interviews. The purpose of this software is to streamline and optimize the recruitment process, making it easier for recruiters to find and hire the best candidates for any given role.

As the market for job candidates tightened, we’ve increasingly relied on ATS software for staffing agencies to improve our time-to-hire. Now, with just a few clicks, we can target candidates whose resumes fit specific keywords that match a job description. We can quickly and easily post a job to multiple job boards. We can even automate emails to candidates for a better experience with our companies during the application process. Today, this software which was originally created to help staffing firms streamline their processes is now in widespread use for all kinds of businesses. The benefits stretch across industries. No matter where you work, ATS software makes the tough job of finding talent a lot easier. Here’s how applicant tracking software can help your business.

6 Ways to Hire Faster with ATS Software for Staffing Agencies

By automating many of the hiring processes, an ATS can speed up the time it takes to identify, assess, and ultimately hire the best candidate for the job. These platforms also help you schedule interviews and communicate with candidates, which can speed up many of the most mundane tasks associated with recruiting. Tech Target describes the usefulness of ATS software for staffing agencies, “These systems are far more than organizers. The goal is to speed HRs review of job applications and resumes. An ATS helps an organization manage each step of the hiring process.”

It’s obvious that applicant tracking software has become a go-to tool for anyone looking for talent. The statistics say that:

  • Over 98% of fortune 500 companies use recruitment software.
  • 68% of recruiting professionals say investing in new recruiting technology is the number one way to find talent faster.
  • 78% of employers with applicant tracking software say that the technology makes finding great talent easier than ever.
  • 94% of recruiters say ATS software has positively impacted their hiring process.

Whether you’re a fan of applicant tracking software, the positive impact on recruiting and staffing is almost undeniable. One of the biggest benefits is that these tools speed up hiring and improve the efficiency of in-house recruiting teams, staffing agencies, and hiring managers. Here are five specific ways that an ATS platform can help speed up your hiring process.

#1 Reduce Time Spent on Job Descriptions with an ATS

Job descriptions matter. They are the front line of your contact with a new candidate. An applicant tracking system can improve your entire process around job descriptions. For example, the software can reduce the time you spend by automating many manual tasks associated with creating a new job ad, including:

  • Pre-populate job description language based on previous postings.
  • Automatically format and standardize job descriptions to display on various job boards (each with individual formatting requirements).
  • Provide a centralized repository for storing and organizing job descriptions so you never have to search for a type of ad.
  • Enable easy collaboration and review of job descriptions by multiple organizational stakeholders.
  • Offer customizable templates and suggested language for job descriptions.

By automating these tasks, an ATS can help recruiters and hiring managers to save time and focus on more strategic initiatives such as sourcing and engaging with candidates.

#2 ATS Software Offers Automated Interview Scheduling

The volume of back and forth related to scheduling interviews is massive if you work in the recruiting industry. So much so that many companies have divided the recruiting function into three distinct roles: Sourcer, Recruiting Assistant, and Recruiter. While the sourcer works to find candidates, the assistant handles schedule coordinating.

But ATS software for staffing agencies saves time with automated interview scheduling. These features allow you to automatically schedule candidate interviews with pre-defined interviewers by using available calendar time slots and locations. Applicant tracking software eliminates manual email scheduling and the back and forth to determine an interview date and time.

These systems are user-friendly because they allow the candidate to click a link and choose a time available on a recruiter’s calendar. It’s a much more efficient process; instead of 10 emails over 48 hours, candidates can schedule themselves quickly. This self-serve scheduling feature gives candidates control over a process where they may often feel out of the loop.

#3 Reach More Candidates with Applicant Tracking Software

ATS software for staffing agencies can help you reach more candidates by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of your recruitment process. An ATS automates various tasks, such as resume parsing, candidate searching, and applicant tracking, freeing up recruiters’ time to focus on outreach and relationship-building. Additionally, applicant tracking software can broaden your reach by providing access to a large pool of job seekers through integrated job boards, social media, and other recruitment channels. An ATS can also enable you to reach a wider audience by posting job openings to multiple job boards and social media sites with a single submission.

#4 ATS Staffing Software Simplifies Application Process

Up to 60% of applications are abandoned because the candidate grows frustrated with an unwieldy process. That’s a lot of candidates that got away. From background testing and new hire paperwork to training, today’s modern ATS systems have become the tool you need to manage a job candidate comfortably, professionally, and in a user-friendly way. ATS software for staffing agencies provides job candidates with a centralized platform for resume or other documents submission and a single source of truth for testing, interviewing, and scheduling. Applicant tracking software can also help onboard a job candidate into an employee because most of these tools offer HR functionality.

Applicant tracking systems for staffing agencies or other companies reduce the time and effort required to manage multiple channels for applications. The software also makes it easier for recruiters to review and evaluate resumes. Automated emails keep the candidate on top of the next steps in the application process. This feature is particularly important to the candidate experience; 77% of job seekers think less of employers who fail to respond to their applications.

These efficiencies speed up the application process, making it a better experience for the candidate.

#5 Streamline Candidate Communication with ATS Software

Applicant tracking software streamlines candidate communication in several ways:

  • Automated email templates: An ATS often comes with pre-written email templates that cover common recruitment activities such as interview invitations, rejection letters, and follow-up emails. These templates are developed from hundreds of sample communications and honed to be as clear and efficient as possible. The job candidate benefits from experiencing well-written, easy-to-understand communications that make for a more efficient application process.
  • Communication tracking: Applicant tracking software logs all communications within the candidate record. By recording communications between the candidate and recruiter, an ATS provides a clear and comprehensive history of all interactions.
  • Mass email capabilities: ATS platforms allow recruiters to send bulk emails to large numbers of job seekers. This makes for an easy, simplified communications process between a recruiter and a candidate.
  • Mobile access: Nearly 70% of all job applications in 2021 were made from a mobile phone. Having an ATS that is optimized for mobile users means nothing will be lost when communicating with a candidate. It also means the applicant tracking software leverages texting to reach job candidates. Today, the average SMS open rate is 98%. The average email open rate is 20%. So, your candidates want you to communicate by test. Applicant tracking software gives candidates what they want for a more streamlined application process.

#6 Application Tracking Software Integrates with Other Applications

Software integration enhances the recruitment process to provide greater efficiencies. An applicant tracking system for staffing agencies speeds up hiring because these tools integrate well with some of the other platforms you use daily. The purpose of these integrations includes:

  • Better data management: Integration allows the seamless transfer of data between platforms, reducing the need for manual data entry.
  • Enhanced recruitment process: An ATS pulls together job boards, social media, and recruitment marketing platforms for a smarter way to reach more candidates.
  • Streamlined workflows: Applicant tracking software automates a variety of tasks which helps recruiters stay focused on improving the candidate experience and reducing time to hire.
  • Improved Collaboration: Integrating an ATS with project management or HR systems improves collaboration between teams and provides a centralized platform for tracking recruiting activities.

By integrating with other software applications, an ATS offers a comprehensive solution for managing HR functions from end to end. This can help reduce the time and effort required to manage recruitment activities and improve the environment for recruiters and job seekers.

Hire Faster with Exelare’s Applicant Tracking Software for Staffing Agencies

If you’re looking for an applicant tracking software that can provide these benefits and more, you’ve come to the right place. Exelare is a leading provider of ATS software for staffing agencies and companies in every field. We can help your team leverage the power of our intelligent software and hire faster in 2023. Call on us today and request a free demo to see what modern applicant tracking software can do for your business.