Decoding the Application Tracking System (ATS) Features

Author: Arun Pillai

The evolution of new technologies has caused a dramatic transformation in the recruitment sector. The ATS, which is being used by 75% of companies today, is serving as a useful tool. This new technology is highly appreciated by job seekers who no longer have to make efforts to be employed. Giving interviews, as one of the traditional techniques is historical with this new system. People applying for jobs can send various CVs via online job boards, social networks, and so on hence employers receive many resumes from different people. There is so much coming in terms of data that there is no way human beings could handle all of it now! Consequently, businesses have resorted to using ATS software to organize such voluminous information to identify top talent that would fit well within their organizations. This article discusses the advantages of ATS technology, how ATS works, and some ATS features. By understanding these points, both employers and job seekers benefit and ace the recruitment process.

Understanding ATS

ATS, or Application Tracking System, is a software application that has been designed to streamline and automate the talent acquisition process, acting as a centralized database from where all the tasks related to recruitment in employers’ organizations (e.g., tracking job applications and candidate details) can be done. The unique thing about ATS is that it has replaced the conventional ways of job advertising such as using job boards and paper-based applications. It relies on resources such as online applications, social media profiles, and digital recruitment platforms.

Recruitment software has existed for a long time beginning with the manual handling of candidates’ details until recently when technology has driven automation. Since those years, ATS (Application Tracking Systems) have undergone tremendous changes from simple bilingual thesauruses to natural language processing (NLP) engines employed on online platforms. These features allow resumes to be read more accurately, more intelligent candidate matching, and predictive analysis for better outcomes in hiring.

A Bird’s Eye View of the Market

The ATS business has grown notably and shown innovation in ATS features lately. Key competitors include conventional software makers; specialized manufacturers that cater only for ATSs; and personnel management software developers. Different business sizes, industries, and recruitment needs have been addressed by many ATS solutions in the market. An increased number of organizations are realizing the importance of effective talent acquisition, leading to a high demand for application tracking systems. As such trends like mobile optimization continue evolving while others such as those involving integration with different HR systems as well as AI-driven analytics are being adopted by developers; thus shaping the ATS technology future giving better functionalities and insights to users who are into recruiting. Employers and HR professionals should know how to navigate the recruitment world by understanding the benefits of ATS. ATS has the capabilities to help in this, as it makes it easier for recruiters to work and recruit essential people. Consequently, it has become increasingly important for organizations to leverage the features of ATS to outcompete one another in identifying, evaluating and hiring the best employees.

Additional Read: B2B Audience Finder vs. Traditional Lead Generation: Why Make the Switch?

Key Characteristics of an ATS

Automatic Job Posting: The major aspect of an ATS is automating the process of posting a job at different sites. With a few mouse clicks, recruiters can post job vacancies on different job boards, career sites and social media platforms and reach a wide range of audience. This way it eliminates the necessity for manual posting on every platform to save time and energy. Moreover, automated job posting tends to ensure that job descriptions as well as branding are consistent across all channels thus improving the brand image.

Resume Parsing: Resume parsing stands as another crucial element that involves extracting information from resumes and putting it into a well-structured category. In order not just to accurately parse CVs but also to identify important information such as the experience of the candidate or qualifications, modern ATS systems rely upon complex algorithms, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to make these processes easier.

Screening and Ranking of Candidates: By comparing resumes against predefined criteria automatically, the ATS systems simplify candidate screening processes. This involves keyword matching in which the system goes through resumes looking for certain words or phrases linked with job descriptions. Besides, some ATS may adopt a form of algorithmic ranking to determine the appropriateness of candidates based on several factors such as qualifications, experience, and skills.

Interview Management: One of the major advantages of ATS is that it aids in managing interviews better because it comes with features such as scheduling, calendar integration as well as email notifications. Recruiters can schedule interviews effortlessly; they can also send automatic reminders to candidates and other interviewees using a single platform through their calendars. Thanks to this centralization, all participants have up-to-date information while preventing double bookings.

Analytics and Reporting: The ATS features in-depth analytics and reporting options that provide useful understanding during recruitment. It helps in tracking the various metrics including time taken to fill a vacancy, source effectiveness rate, and conversation level with any potential hire. Additionally, pipeline analytics are also possible using ATS which entails scrutinizing all candidates who have reached certain stages in the recruitment process over time by recruiters.

Moreover, ATS systems could also be used to enhance the likelihood of getting a job by giving detailed background information on what the recruiter expects from you which may include such things as your qualifications, expected salary range or the years of experience required for that advertised position. Consequently, recruiters may regard this as a useful tool when they need some help in determining who should be considered for hiring.

Additional Read: Data Validation Process: Fueling Data-Driven Decision Making

Benefits of ATS

Operational Efficiency

An ATS is beneficial because it helps improve efficiency in operations, especially about human resource management. ATS is used to make the recruitment process more efficient by carrying out repetitive tasks such as posting job openings, parsing resumes, screening candidates and scheduling interviews. It enables recruiters to concentrate more on strategic areas like forging a partnership with applicants and doing less research thereby saving them time, which would have otherwise been wasted manually doing these tasks. Recruiters can thereby save valuable time for more strategic activities such as building relationships with candidates or conducting in-depth interviews. This enhancement in operational efficiency enables the HR teams to handle higher applications and fast-track recruitment procedures thus reducing the time taken to fill up postings and lowering the administrative load.

Better Candidate Experience

During the recruitment process, ATS ensures the improvement of the candidate experience. The Application Tracking System enables recruiters to send timely and personalized messages to the applicants updating them on their application status as well as interview time while indicating what shall take place next. Moreover, it’s worth noting that an ATS makes it easier for members involved in hiring decisions to give their feedback concerning candidates. Candidates like it when an ATS gives them full information, and timely updates and maintains openness, in general, this facilitates their positive attitude toward the organization and enhances the involvement of the candidate pools

Improved Hiring Quality

An ATS empowers recruiters to enhance the quality of their hires to a significant extent. With keyword matching as well as algorithmic ranking, the systems ensure only the top-notch candidates progress in the hiring process. These structured data and analytics from the ATS analytics allow for the evaluation of sourcing strategies’ effectiveness by recruiters, identify areas of improvement, and make data-driven decisions to attract top talent. By consistently evaluating and fine-tuning their recruitment process with the help of an ATS, organizations can achieve higher-quality hires and reduce turnover rates.

Data-driven Decision Making

Recruiters and hiring managers are empowered to make well-informed data-oriented decisions by the valuable data and analytics from ATS platforms. To evaluate the effectiveness of various recruitment channels and strategies, it is possible to trace and analyze recruitment metrics like source effectiveness, time-to-fill, as well as cost-per-hire. As they gather information from this AI model, managers can pinpoint bottlenecks and enhance recruitment funnels in terms of candidates. Continuing to make use of evidence-based information helps firms redefine recruitment tactics, enhance hiring results and link talent-hunting endeavors with corporate objectives.

Regulatory Compliance

Nowadays, it is very important to comply with hiring laws and policies in the regulatory environment. To assist organizations in ensuring that compliance with laws and regulations related to hiring practices is observed, there are certain unique features of ATS like data privacy control, document keeping, and audit trail mechanisms. Application tracking systems typically provide tools to help with compliance with EEO rules, thereby ensuring that hiring is done impartially. By keeping information about candidates in one place and making certain that compliance processes are automatic, an ATS makes it possible for companies to reduce their exposure to various compliance risks, and at the same time, maintain a legally appropriate recruiting environment.

Conclusion

ATS is a strong tool that transforms how we recruit and acquire talent. We discussed how ATS works like automating job posting, parsing resumes, finding candidates, conducting interviews, and keeping track of all the actions done in it through analytics. Efficiency in operations, a better recruitment process, superior staffing as well as decision-making using data among others are some advantages of ATS. LakeB2B understands how important it is to have a powerful ATS system for current hiring methods, and therefore we have created a richly featured and comprehensive ATS platform. With the help of ATS, the recruiting process can be designed in the best way, and human resource professionals can collect appropriate information with less stress to get the best candidates. Visit our website to learn more about ATS and how it can benefit your recruitment strategy.