An applicant tracking system (ATS) is the modern tool that every employer needs when hiring. These software systems are increasingly easy to use but also highly sophisticated. The best ATS platforms are cloud-based, which captures and shares information in real-time. They also have artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that allow companies to automate the most tedious functions of the hiring process. This blog will help you understand why an investment in an ATS can pay you back quickly and consistently in time, organization, and better hires.
Benefits of an ATS
You’ve probably heard of a customer relationship management (CRM) system. These software tools help sales and customer service teams track information on their prospects and customers in a way that streamlines the process of closing deals and retaining clients.
From the CRM concept comes the idea of an ATS, which is software designed to track your candidate-specific activities. Many companies now rely heavily on these tools for talent management. Within each ATS is a database that houses individual candidate records along with resumes, contact details, and any contact your hiring team has had with that person. Why is this so important?
Federal and state labor laws require that companies keep records on anyone that applies to jobs. The laws also cover candidates that turn into employees. An ATS gives employers a way to capture and retain all of this information so companies stay legal under regulatory rules. When an applicant applies online, their CV, cover letter, or any other information, is uploaded. It creates a “single source of truth” around each candidate, so that, if they move through a hiring process, everything is kept in one spot. All notes can be made in the candidate record and you can email or text straight from there, too. That way, every point of contact, whether it is a recruiter or a CEO, will be recorded in the platform.
But that’s not all an ATS can do for your business. An ATS can improve your candidate experience by automating basic functions. For example, many candidates express frustration about sending their resume into a bottomless well where they never hear back from the company. It leaves a bad impression that the employer they just applied to simply doesn’t care about them. That’s the last thing you want to do. Or, at least it should be.
An ATS allows you to automate candidate communications in a way that creates consistency between applicants. For example, an ATS can be programmed to send a thank you note to every candidate that applies, so they know you received their application. Each job can be tailored to send out personalized communications as the candidate moves through the process. The automation can even send out automatic notifications when the job is closed. Not only does this create a better candidate experience, but it also takes care of the most mundane tasks that slow down your recruiting and hiring teams.
Since time is money, the smart automation found in the best ATS platforms saves big bucks by helping your hiring teams work smarter. However, that’s not all an ATS can do for your business. We invite you to take a short demo of Exelare to get a better sense of what this intelligent software can do. Contact us to find out more.
