Applicant Tracking Systems: Why Everyone Is Using One and You Should Too!

With 94% of users in agreement, it seems that the consensus is in on Applicant Tracking Software: If you aren’t using an ATS by now, you are certainly at a disadvantage when it comes to hiring and recruiting the best talent around.

And who wouldn’t want to hire the best people?

An ATS delivers a highly organized accumulation of all data, so recruiters and hiring managers can review the same information, communicate with each other, and coordinate and schedule interviews. This keeps the hiring process greased and running fluidly, so you don’t have prime candidates drop off during an extended hiring process.

Solutions…Solutions Everywhere

You may be thinking, “my organization isn’t big enough to need an ATS.” Or even, “We can’t afford an applicant tracking solution.”

This is where you are wrong. ATS software is no longer just for the big dogs. Now there are so many solutions and pricing models, it is improbable that you can’t find a system that fits your needs at your price point.

Different pricing models based on features, your specific needs, and use-by-use basis make ATS software more accessible than ever. In fact, of the 200,000+ staffing firms today, small businesses representing a majority of them, more than 60% are currently using an ATS. Statistically, if you’re not using an ATS to recruit and hire the best candidates, you’re behind the curve in today’s talent-poor hiring environment.

The Statistics on ATS Use Are In, and They’re Absolutely Ridiculous…

Businesses using an ATS are 40% more productive compared to those functioning without them. Companies who adopt recruiting software report an average growth of 13% year-over-year. With those numbers, any amount of investment your organization can make into ATS will have a sizable return in productivity and the growth.

Still not convinced? Good. Because we’re just getting started…

Once implemented, an ATS removes a sizable burden from your HR department’s, or administrator’s, shoulders. From features like automated social sharing, to managing email templates and delegating tasks, an ATS takes many of the burdens your HR department traditionally faces and essentially automates them to the nth degree.

An ATS can also automate recruiting with automatic job board posting, resume sorting, and pre-screen questions, saving up to 20% or more in the time it takes to hire.

Not only are the first rounds of the hiring process long and tedious, but they come with loads of paperwork and huge lists of names, addresses, background checks, and intimate personal information.

No hiring manager or HR person wants to spend hours upon hours working through, organizing, and filing this paperwork. An ATS worth its salt consolidates all of that information in one easy-to-access (with the proper clearance) database.

Hiring costs, which can be staggering, will also be reduced with a solid ATS solution in place. Businesses that us an ATS are 40% more productive than those that do not. Hiring better can ultimately mean more resources to invest in other areas of business, which can result in the 13% year-over-year growth we discussed before.

Your company doesn’t need to be huge to see the return on investment and growth and ATS can provide, either. In the US, a company with just 8 employees can save up to $10,000 after they start using an ATS.

Now that All the Money Business Is Out of the Way…

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty of why you need an ATS. As the name suggests, and Applicant Tracking System is about one thing and one thing only; helping you find, recruit, and hire the best candidates.

The best candidate for a job can be a lot of different things, he can be the most skilled, have the most experience, or be the best fit for your company.

The main advantage an ATS offers is the ability to filter applications and automatically pull the best, most qualified candidates to the top of your hiring pipeline based on certain completely customizable criteria you set beforehand. This saves you and your hiring managers hours of work on the front end of the hiring process while allowing the best candidates to be contacted and, eventually, hired faster.

Secondary to an ATS’s ability to speed time to hire and help you find the best candidates is robust reporting features that provide in-depth information on the various stages of your hiring pipeline, allowing you to identify bottlenecks in the process while at the same time refining your hiring process using intelligent choices based on real data.

If you can fill open positions quickly, the ATS positions your company to benefit in multiple ways. You will be able to maintain the same quality of work and customer service, and also prevent an overflow of work from hurting employee morale.

The Candidate Also Benefits from an ATS Solution.

High quality candidates want to be able to find information about the company quickly, upload a resume with no issues, and apply with just a few clicks. Not to mention receive timely feedback. An ATS makes this process easier, faster, and more direct. Applicants can track the status of the process and won’t have to wait for months only to find their resume was not accepted.

With so many options and pricing models all but eliminating the cost argument for why you don’t have an ATS, you’re either signing up right now or you are losing the race for talent.

The talent shortage facing the workforce today demands quick, effective decisions. Hires not only need to be excellent candidates, but excellent fits who will stay in your company and develop for years to come.

Come On…Everyone Else Is Doing It!

Sure,  “..but everyone else is doing it” wasn’t a good enough excuse to give your mother growing up, the argument holds up when justifying an ATS purchase.

Without an ATS, your organization will be at a disadvantage when hiring against the majority of companies already using their own system. They are hiring from bigger pools of qualified candidates, moving their best prospects through a streamlined process, and then using data to refine and optimize their hiring further.

Don’t forget to share this post!

You might also like…