What Does An Applicant Tracking System Do : Correct Practise

Usually, HR spends a long period of time sorting the perfect resume from thousands of applicants, matching the skills and experience required for the position. All this tired and troubled work can be done using the applicant tracking system. 

Hunting for the perfect candidates is one tiring task for HR since it involves a lot of tasks and responsibilities. Selecting one wrong candidate might result in a huge waste of time and money for the company. 

It's become a common scenario because of not knowing the proper implementation of an applicant tracking system or what does an applicant tracking system do?  

The applicant tracking system is fitted with any size of the company. In short, it's automation software that is used for the recruitment process. 

The only way HR can get rid of all the recruiting trouble-some work is to know the proper use of the applicant tracking system. And this blog assists all HR in understanding the correct implementation of an applicant tracking system.  

Applicant Tracking System Explained

“Applicant tracking system,” also recognized as a recruitment management system or talent management system. An applicant tracking system is an automation software, significantly architected for scanning a resume, searching the keyword, sorting, and filtering the CVs which match the requirements needed for the company. 

Besides, ATS works as a helping hand for recruit officers, HR, or the hiring committee, who are involved with the “hiring process of the company.” ATS not only helps to hire the right candidate but is also one of the best time-saving mechanisms.   

This automation software is also considered recruitment management software, hence transforming the whole process to be simple and feasible to filter up the perfect candidate among thousands of applicants.

What Does An Applicant Tracking System Do? Implementation & Recruitment Cycle

Indeed, the applicant tracking system aids HR or the hiring team during the hiring process. Still, sometimes it takes a lot of time to sort and call/message every individual selected candidate to conduct the interview session. And all that happens because of not knowing the proper utilization of this time-saving automated recruitment management system.  

Job promotion, gathering, sorting, parsing, ranking, onboarding, and cold calling/ message can be fulfilled through applicant tracking systems. 

Most of the time, organizations don’t want to take the hassle of recruiting, hence integrating with some third-party recruitment organization. In comparison, all the tasks related to recruitment can be performed by the applicant tracking system. 

Here is some core that’s been performed by the applicant tracking system: 

• Headhunting Candidates:

One of the hardest tasks is headhunting the perfect candidates for the organization. There is a huge talent shortage in the job market; therefore, most companies filter up the perfect candidates from the diversified pool of applicants. Headhunting for candidates can be done on many different platforms, and the applicant tracking system keeps track of the unsorted applicant and their source so that HR can track the success rate and plan better. 

• Job Boards
• Social Media 
• Job Niche Sites 
• Employee Referrals 
• Offline Events
• Shortlisted Candidate

Because of the applicant tracking system’s advanced features, such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI algorithms, the numerous data automatically filter up and provide the best-fitted applicant. Moreover, have a “semantic keyword match” feature which automatically ranks the candidates based on the qualification requirements recorded in the ATS system.

• Database Management 

Applicant tracking systems store all the information of applicants, their date, time, and the source they applied. Now, there is no chance of missing out on the best-fitted candidate under the pile of hundreds of applicants. 

Why Should An Organization Use Applicant Tracking System?

By nature, the whole recruitment process is very stressful for the applicant, at the same time, very time-consuming for HR. An applicant tracking system is one of the crucial features of a human resource management system. Mainly handles the whole hiring process of an organization. 

Usually, HR maintains Microsoft Excel, Gmail, and zoom meetings to perform the hiring process. Besides handling, gathering, and manually checking every individual candidate, filtering, shortlisting, and onboarding process, etc., also there which need to be completed by HR.    

Indeed, applicant tracking systems transform all these tasks into an automated process, reducing the stress and workload of an HR and eliminating time and cost.

ATS provides an easy applicant process, which highly motivates and enhances the candidate's view of the organization. Besides, you can scale or rank up the shortlisted candidates from the numerous applicants.  

Among multiple applicant tracking systems available in the software market, here is our best pick:
HRM-Human Resource Management System

Human resource management software covers all the operational tasks which happen to be done manually by HR. 

This software solution gives an organization an automation touch and helps the organization to improve productivity, better monitorization of employees, track attendance, payroll management, recruitment management, applicant tracking system, etc. 

10 Effective Features Of Applicant Tracking System

The applicant tracking system handles the whole hiring process, reduces the workload of the HR, time and cost-saving strategy, and gets the best-fitted candidates for the organization. 

However, ATS has some compelling and time-saving computerized software that filters up the best-suited candidate for the organization. Some excellent features aid an HR manager with the recruitment process.

1. Job Templates 

Application tracking systems have in-built job templates; therefore, it’s become more accessible for the HR or the recruiting team to generate the job description, job responsibilities, and branding information about the organization. 

And after it is created in the system, with a click, the job circular will be published on numerous channels, social media, job boards, etc.

2. Applicant Talent Pipeline 

The recruitment process's most challenging part is an applicant or candidate management. ATS can automatically organize & rank the active & qualified candidates in the call-back list.

Moreover, the recruiting team can access any candidate's information because of ATS's intelligent searching capabilities and becomes a bulk database of active and passive candidates. 

3. Resume Parsing

Resume Parsing is one of the intelligent features of ATS because it saves the endless time HR spends sorting the CV. Because of these features, whenever candidates apply for the position, they automatically capture, store and organize the unstructured applicant information. 

4. AI Tool 

The applicant tracking system is one AI tool. Based on the keyword and skills set in the applicant system, it automatically crawls and finds the best, relevant candidate for the required position. 

Moreover, candidates' resume evaluations scan the cultural compatibility, educational qualification, extra-curricular activities, years of experience, expertise, etc.; based on that, ATS ranked them accordingly. 

5. Integrated With Multiple Tools 

Integrating with multiple tools enhances the searchability and profile-matching algorithm and controls the whole hiring process. ATS is integrated with job boards, job aggregators, niche job sites (Linkedin), productivity apps, plugins, video and interview platforms, assessment platforms, calendars, e-signature platforms, HRIS systems, Recruitment CRM, Vendor Management Systems, etc. 

6. Recruitment CRM

The recruitment team of an organization always tries to provide a good warm vibe, nurture and try to engage with every shortlisted candidate. And with ATS, HR or recruitment teams can launch an email campaign, construct a workflow and various outreach templates, and smoothen the communication flow through calls, messages, and emails to engage a smooth communication flow with shortlisted applicants. 

7. Employer Branding Capabilities

ATS is integrated with intelligent career site features, through which the selected employee can showcase their value proposition on different platforms, along with job description, flaunt the company culture, etc. 

8. Intelligent Reporting and Dashboards

The applicant tracking system is data-driven technology; hence HR or recruiting team will get automated generated reports based on sourcing, engagement, talent pipeline, etc., with ATS HR  or recruiting team can create a role-specific dashboard to manage the whole recruiting process.  

Purpose Of Using Applicant Tracking System

Still, most companies consider ATS a huge waste of investment for the organization because they need to understand the proper utilization, benefit, and purpose of this automation system. 

• Reduce The Administration Task: No paperwork or manual for calling/messaging selected applicants.  
• Cost Saving Strategy: Because of the automation technology, it reduces almost 50% to 70% of the time from the recruitment process. As a result, HR managers can focus on searching for quality candidates; hence time-saving means cost savings.
• Centralized Promotion For Recruitment: Promoting the job circular into different social platforms and job boards. Hence, it's easier for HR to keep track of each selected candidate's information and later measure the success rate.  
• Maintain The Company Standard: applicant tracking speeds up the whole recruitment process; hence organizations can easily hire qualified and talented candidates. This automation is the perfect combination of a dynamic process of filtering and gathering applicants from various sources. 
• Upgrade Reporting And Analytics: The applicant tracking system gives transparent visibility of the entire recruitment process. Hence it's become easier for HR to evaluate the applicants who applied and the most successful source. 
• Speed-Up The Hiring Process: The recruitment process is a repetitive process. Therefore, all that data-driven tasks can be completed by ATS, simultaneously shrinking the time needed to complete the hiring process. 
• Easy Apply Process: Applicant tracking system jot down the whole application process into one-click apply, maintaining a positive reputation for candidates. A long-form job application form or multi-step forms might make candidates impatient or bored, causing organizations to lose good talented candidates.

A Computerized Companion Of HR Manager 

A good Human Resource Management System: all the operational activity, tax, accounts, loan, recruitment process, evaluate employees, KPI, handling the employee payroll & attendance, and many more. 

The main function of HRM software is an employee management mechanism, which not only eliminates many HR-related tasks but also increases the efficiency of employee productivity. 

Conclusion 

Every organization is in the hunger to recruit the best-talented candidates in their organization. And with the help of an applicant tracking system, HR can easily handle and, within a short period of time, can complete the recruitment process effectively.  

Applicant tracking systems handle and manage the whole recruitment process and reduce the stress and pressure of an HR manager.