Are you struggling to manage the influx of job applications and CV’s? 

Do you find yourself constantly bogged down by administrative tasks and losing sight of the qualified candidates in the mix? If so, then an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) may be just what you need.

An ATS is specialised recruiting software used by companies to assist with their human resources, recruitment, and hiring needs. While each ATS offers a different suite of features, they are all generally used to help those doing the hiring, organise and navigate large numbers of applicants. Job seekers who submit their CV and job applications through an online form are interacting with an ATS of some kind.

The relative ease of submitting an online job application has created a challenge for hiring companies. Online job postings can garner hundreds of applications, many of which are from unqualified job seekers. Instead of sorting through a stack of paper CV’s or a crowded email inbox, recruiters and hiring managers use ATS to keep themselves organised and efficient. This solution is especially critical for larger companies that are hiring for multiple positions and departments simultaneously. However, they’re increasingly being adopted successfully by smaller businesses looking to improve their hiring from the start, setting themselves up for success as they scale.

And while applicant tracking systems have historically been cumbersome and clunky, the new generation of these tools are focused on bringing together end-user experiences that improve candidate experiences while still benefiting employers. This new focus on employer and candidate user experiences makes the ATS a fundamental tool in any hiring team’s arsenal.

Think of your favourite business tools and how much time they save you. Now think about how much time (and general pain) you could have saved, had you discovered them sooner. The same is true for hiring and an ATS system.

Here are five signs you need an ATS:

Your time to hire is too long. Time to hire is an important metric to keep in mind when evaluating your need for an ATS. If it’s taking too long, your ATS should assist you with automating admin tasks to increase ROI. Not only should it help with automation but it should generate a large candidate pool from a variety of sources to push through a customisable workflow.

You’re posting the same job to different job boards and it’s a massive time suck. You want to cast the net wide when looking for tricky to fill positions and this involves getting your job ad on a variety of the best job posting sites. The better ATS and candidate management systems enable you to post to multiple job sites with a single submission. When you need a handful of job boards this is a cute time-saver but when you’re posting to 15+ job boards, it’s a lifesaver.

Your team is awash in a sea of candidate emails. The advent of online job boards has helped spread the word that you’re hiring, but the message is often received and misunderstood by people who aren’t even close to being qualified for the job you’re hiring for. Without an ATS, your team might spend precious time sifting through unsuitable applications. The best applicant tracking system options have customisable application forms where you can include screening questions that focus on your core requirements. If you need a relevant degree and related work experience, you can add a screener and avoid a large percentage of the unwanted applications. Secondly, a best-in-class ATS is built to deliver structured information about all applicants, making it quick and simple to disqualify applicants who aren’t going to be considered.

Your hiring team is growing. Awesome, that’s great news! That also means you need an advanced ATS that can help them to have access to:

• Screening candidates
• Posting roles
• Emailing candidates
• Scheduling interviews

If your team has become quite large or you’re continuously growing, we’d recommend looking for an ATS that doesn’t charge per user but offers scalable pricing so that your hiring process can remain seamless as your team expands.

You have a lot of open positions. Managing multiple open positions can be overwhelming for any recruiter or hiring manager. An ATS can help you keep track of all open positions in one place, allowing you to easily manage and prioritise each one. You can quickly see which positions have the most applicants, which positions are still open, and which positions need more attention. With customisable workflows, you can ensure that each position is given the appropriate amount of attention, and that no qualified candidate is left behind.

You’re losing track of qualified candidates. With hundreds of CV’s and applications flooding in, it’s easy to lose sight of the qualified candidates that would be the perfect fit for your open positions. An ATS can help you keep track of each candidate and where they are in the hiring process, allowing you to easily pick up where you left off and move them through the pipeline quickly. You can also easily search and filter through candidates based on specific criteria, such as experience, qualifications, and keywords.

In summary, if you’re struggling to manage the influx of job applications and CV’s, losing track of qualified candidates, and spending too much time on administrative tasks, then an Applicant Tracking System is a must-have tool for your hiring process. With scalable pricing, customisable workflows, and streamlined communication tools, an ATS can save you time and help you find the best candidates for your open positions.