August 9th, 2022 | Updated on December 28th, 2022
Are you applying for a job online? The chances are that you will encounter an ATS or Applicant Tracking System. It is the HR-specific software solution that is responsible for processing job applications.
Learn how ATS can impact the job search process and how recruiters can modify their search using this advanced tool.
What Is The Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
An ATS or Applicant Tracking System is a HR software solution that serves as the database for job applicants.
ATS is utilized by organizations of all sizes and scales towards organizing, searching, and communicating with larger groups of applicants.
It is estimated that around 90 percent of Fortune 500 organizations tend to make use of ATS as a part of the recruitment strategy.
The primary objective of the ATS is to simplify the recruitment process for hiring managers and recruiters.
Organizations mostly hire for a wide range of positions at a single instance while receiving hundreds of applicants for every job opening.
When the hiring manager or recruiter receives a good number of resumes, it is not possible for them to go through each one of them manually.
ATS helps by making the search process easier or even automated. It helps in saving time while minimizing human errors.
ATS was introduced into the market during the 90s. It symbolized a major turning point in the recruitment and management processes across organizations that went ahead with integrating the solution into the respective processes.
It was because it primarily enabled recruiters to maintain a track records of the incoming applications while effectively organizing the information with respect to every applicant.
Importance Of The Applicant Tracking System
An applicant tracking system is a dedicated software solution responsible for managing a significant part of the recruitment process.
It helps in gathering and organizing the information of the candidates while offering initial screening of all incoming applications.
It allows recruiters to optimize the recruitment activity by focusing only on profiles that would best match the specific requirements.
Additionally, ATSs will have features and functionalities towards improving the productivity of the recruiters like job posting on different job boards.
It also offers support for integrated email templates for facilitating communication with the candidates.
While it is usual for recruiters to unconsciously search for reasons to reject specific applications, a software-based solution like ATS performs the desired search action as per the specific keyword set for the specific job. There is no prejudice of unconscious bias in this case.
Applicant Tracking Systems Streamlining The Recruitment Process
ATSs are utilized by both small-scale and large enterprises while featuring a wide range of functionalities as per the software provider and specific business needs.
Still, all ATSs help in streamlining and standardizing the recruitment process while making it digital. It tends to benefit both the candidates and the recruiters.
The automated software solution integrates different steps of the entire recruitment process. It is also capable of performing a wide range of functions -right from tracking to ranking, communicating, evaluating, and so more.
It ensures a faster implementation of the high-end agile procedures to maximize the effectiveness of recruitment.
The implementation is achieved by automating the entire screening process to quickly spot the best-available talents.
Usually, jobs are created in the respective recruitment platform. From there, jobs are then advertised in respective career pages, job boards, and so more.
Then, candidates are expected to submit the application that is categorized automatically. The software ranks the application as well.
Recruiters can then access the respective candidate profiles while analyzing and evaluating the candidates and conducting further assessment. The selected applicants are then interviewed and offered the job.
Why Are Companies Increasingly Investing In Applicant Tracking Systems?
As an organization grows while scaling up its operations, managing the huge influx of applicants of new potential candidates can be an overwhelming task.
It is one of the primary reasons why organizations across the globe are continually investing in a well-defined ATS or Applicant Tracking System.
It helps in automating the talent acquisition process such that the employers can effectively shift the overall focus on spotting and recruiting the most suitable candidate for the job.
Another major benefit of using the advanced ATS solutions is that it helps in boosting the overall collaboration within the HR team.
It makes it immensely simpler for recruiters to offer personal feedback such that applicants are rated accordingly.
To top it all, a reliable ATS solution offers recruiters relevant access to real-time analytics for improving the overall hiring process.
An Applicant Tracking System helps the recruiters in the following ways:
- Scrutinization of job applications
- Ranking resumes for selecting or shortlisting candidates
- Improving communication with applicants
- Ability to seamlessly ensure integrations with other advanced tools
- Performing keyword research to come across the right talent
- Allows the generation of performance reports
Hiring managers and recruiters can search the resumes stored in the Applicant Tracking System with the help of different functionalities, including:
- Automatic Rankings: Some ATSs will compare the resumes to the respective job description while ranking applicants depending on how well the resumes match the given job description. As such, recruiters can focus on top-ranking candidates rather than going through every resume individually.
- Viewing Applications: Most recruiters tend to glance at every resume coming through the ATS. It will serve as a brief glance. Therefore, applicants are expected to be quite careful to ensure that their high-end qualifications and top skills are easily visible.
- Keyword Searches: Hiring managers and recruiters can search resumes stored in the ATS with the help of relevant keywords. The resume keywords are common keywords that are used in any job posting. They could be based on preferences, skills, former employers, work experience, and location.
Conclusion
Equipped with a wide range of new capabilities, talent acquisition teams across the world are deploying modern recruitment solutions like ATS to deliver a great candidate experience while achieving hiring success in a shorter time span. Many software like the applicant tracking system Monday efficiently manage the recruiting process as well as job posting applications.
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