Applicant Tracking System (ATS): Streamline and Organize the Hiring Process Efficiently

A strong talent acquisition process is critical to the success of thriving organizations. However, the recruitment process often doesn't receive the attention, investment, and focus it deserves. As organizations continue to struggle with constant skills shuffling, finding the perfect hire can consume a lot of an organization's time and resources, impacting the bottom line. 

To come out on top, the hiring team needs the right technology. Enter the Application Tracking System (ATS), an innovative technology tool that helps navigate the complexities of talent acquisition. This article explores how leveraging this tech tool can help organizations navigate the recruitment maze.

ATS: Your Recruitment Sherpa

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) automate the requisition-to-hire process. This software allows HR and recruiting teams to streamline the hiring process from start to finish by automating the recruitment process, such as job posting, application screening, candidate communication, etc.

Specifically, the ATS:

• Creates a database of relevant candidate information (resumes, cover letters, references, etc.)

• Tracks candidates through the recruitment pipeline.

• Eliminates the need to screen candidates manually, read CVs, schedule interviews, and send application updates.

Decoding the Outsized Role of ATS in the Hiring Process

The ATS is emerging as a critical component in shaping the candidate experience.

Traditional hiring methods often rely on human intuition, manual screening and static metrics, which can be time-consuming, biased, and inefficient. ATS algorithms can help overcome these limitations by automating tedious tasks, analyzing large data sets, predicting outcomes and providing insights that human recruiters may miss. Research has concluded that AI-powered algorithms play a significant role in enhancing the effectiveness of job advertising.

For example, a US e-commerce giant is using a machine-learning-powered ATS to identify candidates who can move forward in the hiring process based on their skills and other qualifications - without having to wait for a recruiter to review their resumes. All other candidates' resumes are referred to the recruiting team for review and consideration of next steps based on the candidate's likelihood of success.

Interestingly, the company found that candidates who were successful in the hiring process tended to be more diverse when using this tool. In addition, the tool increased the number of candidates who progressed to the next step in the interview process (and were ultimately hired) and did so in a fair way.

Keeping all this in mind, it is also crucial to ensure that the talent acquisition team has the bandwidth to manage the effort. Unfortunately, the impact of a poor candidate experience is often more damaging than it appears.

ATS as a Cognitive Recruitment Partner

Applicant tracking systems are being reimagined. Forward-thinking organizations are integrating the use of the ATS with other talent acquisition technologies such as CRM, video interviewing, and big data.

For instance, an HR recruitment software company has reinvented the ATS as a solution that revolves around CRM and includes integrated, always-updated reporting on candidate pipelines and all of the recruiting processes.

What is the ROI from ATS?

An ATS can be a great investment for all types of organizations, small, medium and large. By automating many of the recruitment and selection processes, it can help reduce the time, labor and other administrative costs associated with recruitment. 

In addition, an ATS can help small businesses stay organized during the recruitment process while improving the quality of the candidates they hire.

While significant investments are being made in ATS tools to optimize pipelines, we all know that tools alone are only as good as the people and leaders who use them. 

Hence, organizations and leaders must be willing to support their teams in requesting the resources they need to undertake this effort. 

Screening, Engaging and Communicating with Candidates Better

As the war for talent intensifies and time becomes king, investing in an ATS is a strategic imperative for companies to grow and prosper. Through streamlined processes, effective communication and the use of technology, organizations can create a positive and memorable experience for candidates, foster long-term relationships and establish themselves as an employer of choice.

But today, the world's best chess players are neither computers nor humans, but human teams playing alongside computers. The same stands true in business. That's why it's important to note that ATS algorithms should not be used to make the final hiring decision by themselves but rather as one tool among many in the hiring process. Human judgment and expertise should always be part of the decision-making process. Algorithms can only make predictions based on the data they are trained on and may not be able to consider factors such as cultural fit or soft skills fully.