Recruit top talent with an applicant tracking system (ATS)

Around 1.79 million unemployed Brits are job searching in the UK. Coupled with millions more employed Brits applying for new roles every day, that’s a lot of applications for companies to manage.

Hiring can be a time-consuming and costly process, but an applicant tracking system (ATS) can help. ATS will use advanced tools to help filter the best CVs for consideration—meaning only the candidates that meet the criteria will be considered. Saving the hiring team time, money, and resources.

With the job market landscape evolving—with around 1.26 million UK workers taking on a second job—having a suite of tools that can streamline the recruitment process and make it faster and more efficient can be essential.

What is an applicant tracking system (ATS)?

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a type of recruiting software that streamlines the entire hiring process. That means more time for more strategic work.

An ATS makes hiring smoother by:

• posting job openings to multiple job boards
• storing applicant data
• screening applications for potential matches
• storing internal notes about candidates in a single database
• producing data-driven insights into the hiring process
• facilitating collaboration between recruiters, hiring managers and other stakeholders.

Applicant tracking systems are designed to optimise the hiring process for recruiters and candidates. With the right applicant tracking system, you can save money within the hiring budget and improve your net hiring score.

The benefits of an applicant tracking system

An applicant tracking system can have many benefits. Most importantly, it can consolidate hiring managers’ and recruiters’ feedback. When stakeholders can choose the best candidate efficiently, organisations don’t lose out on top talent, and candidates aren’t left wondering where they stand.

Many organisations also use applicant tracking systems to analyse and improve their hiring process. With the ability to generate reports on hiring data, recruiters can identify bottlenecks and drop-off points that may negatively affect the candidate experience.

Candidates who feel connected and informed are more likely to have a positive experience, regardless of whether they receive a job offer.

Some benefits of an ATS include:

• Time saving: Automates time-consuming tasks, such as job posting and applicant screening.
• Improves the quality of candidates: ATS can identify which candidates best fit by skill-matching the applicant to the role.
• Consolidates data: A single centre that holds all of the applicant’s information and notes, including right-to-work. Reducing the need for multiple documents, spreadsheets, and emails.
• Streamline induction: Automate new hire paperwork and resources to ensure your new starters get off on the right foot.
• Promotes collaboration: With shared access, different teams (where permissions permit) can have all the relevant information—meaning everyone is on the same page.

How do applicant tracking systems work?

Most applicant tracking systems automatically sift through CVs and applications to determine which candidates should move to the next phase of the hiring process. But every ATS system is different. Here’s an overview of how applicant tracking systems work.

Add job description and role information

Firstly, the hiring team enters the job description and details about the open role into the system. It scans incoming CVs, and the pool of applicants is tagged and labelled within the system according to information on their CVs.

Filter the applicants

Once applications have been received, recruiters can filter through candidates based on several key elements, including:

• relevant keywords
• years of experience
• required skills
• professional certifications.

Contact applicants and plan interviews

The ATS system allows recruiters to communicate with the applicants and schedule interviews. After the interviews, the hiring team can submit feedback and add notes to the system. Scoring candidates can help decision-makers evaluate candidates and advance successful applicants faster.

CRM vs. ATS: What's the difference?

A  candidate relationship management system (CRM)  is software that attracts job candidates  before  there's a high demand to fill the position.

• Recruiters typically use a CRM to sort through passive, qualified candidates, former job applicants, and active job applicants.
• A CRM can help recruiters build relationships for positions to be filled more quickly as hiring needs arise.

In contrast, an  applicant tracking system   (ATS)  is designed to simplify the process of managing active job applicants.

• Its main purpose is to streamline the hiring process, with the goal of increasing efficiency when interviewing a large group of job candidates.
• Ideally, an ATS should be optimised to work with a CRM.

When the CRM and ATS are optimised, hiring teams can:

• avoid mistakes
• reduce time-to-hire
• cut the cost per hire
• improve the quality of new hires
• streamline the interview scheduling process.

How much does an applicant tracking system cost?

ATS prices will vary depending on your company’s needs. Some ATS services may offer a flat rate, while others might require a pay-per-job or per-user. Below are some areas that can affect how much ATS costs.

• Company size: Small businesses could find ATS more affordable than larger businesses. This is because smaller businesses may opt for a pay-per-user (and may only require one or two people to use it), while larger businesses may require multiple people to access it and therefore may need to pay a flat fee.
• Features needed: A range of features are available, including AI, analytics, induction tools, and many more that can cause the price to rise. If you want ATS on a budget, consider which tools and features are most important to you and the business.
• Set up: You may have to pay a fee to have the ATS set up and installed. Integration and even training on how to use the system can all add up.

Set up your ATS

An applicant tracking system is a vital tool that can help with a range of hiring and induction needs. It can assist with streamlining procedures to not only speed up timely processes but also help to save money by freeing up hiring managers’ time:

• Post to job boards in a few clicks.
• Review potential candidates.
• Construct offer letters using customisable templates.
• Assess the hiring process with reports and detailed analytics.