How an Applicant Tracking System Helps with Hiring

Do we become more creative with limited resources? A sign of true efficiency is the ability to do more with less. Maybe you need to keep pace with hiring waves. Others in human resources may have their sights set on automating more hiring tasks. Right now, some may be hiring with less staff to get it done. Those constraints may force you to get creative with your hiring workflows.

Resourceful leaders make the best of what they have. With technology tools, it’s incredible what you can achieve. Think about what takes you the most time when filling positions. Posting the job? Candidate data entry? Scheduling interviews? Ordering the background check? Loop them into one solution for an end-to-end virtual hiring process. Getting started with an efficiency-boosting applicant tracking system (ATS) can advance you toward success when you feel the most strained.

An ATS is a software application that handles recruitment and hiring needs. Nearly all fortune 500 companies use an ATS in their hiring process. But they aren’t only used by large enterprises. A recent survey found that about three in four U.S. companies of all sizes use talent acquisition software, most commonly and ATS, when finding, processing, selecting, and onboarding new employees. Even in times of limited resources, starting a new ATS can:

• Centralize hiring from end-to-end
• Enhance the candidate experience
• Improve the quality of new hires
• Speed up the hiring process

How exactly does an ATS result in these benefits? Let’s dig into how different workflows and tools help.

Connect Your Essential Hiring Functions

 Where your HR technology is now may not be where you want it to be. A 2020 study we co-sponsored with HR.com showed that about one-third (31%) of companies integrate hiring functions into one system. Those same HR professionals survived indicated a unified process is high on their priority list. Over half responded that they believe integrating tools will become even more critical in the next five years. A newly competitive hiring market may have changed that window to implement. The need to scale quickly and remote virtual hiring also leans into what an ATS offers.

Your process comes full circle when you set up an ATS with your partner solutions. The most common partners HR wants to bring under one virtual roof is:

• Background checks
• Video interviewing
• Job applications
• Career site
• Employee referrals

Advancing your candidates becomes seamless to keep the process moving with little effort.

Centralizing your process in one place also means you don’t have to log in to multiple systems. By bringing together your vendors, all candidate information is available in your ATS dashboard – from application to interview to background check.

Learn how simple connecting background checks to an ATS can be ››

Candidates Breeze Through the Steps

You want to start your candidate on the right foot. An ATS can help with their first impression of you as an employer, your career site, and the application process. An easy-to-navigate site that is consistent with your brand and culture gives candidates a clear understanding of who you are. And when the application steps are simple and clear, applicants will feel confident that will be their future experience working with you.

According to Oleeo, candidates have an average of 91 communication touchpoints from the first application to the job offer. An ATS triggers and acts as a funnel for all communications. For example, iCIMS, a leading talent acquisition software, include specialized modules just for candidate communications to augment and personalize the many alerts, notes, and updates. Consistent and customizable communication gives candidates a more positive experience as they make their way through the process.

An ATS can have everything housed in one system resulting in less redundancy in the information a candidate is required to provide. The details they enter during their application process can be pre-populated for other steps, such as background checks. When a candidate goes through the screening process, they only provide the information, documents, and forms they haven’t provided yet.

Build Relationships with Job Seekers

Skilled and experienced candidates can be hard to find. Even if you aren’t hiring right now, there will come a time when the need arises. An ATS can help prepare you for that day without taking too much of your time now.

Many of the leading ATS solutions feature tools to nurture the connections made with job hopefuls, with little interaction from you. Even if a candidate isn’t right for one role, they may be the best fit for a future opening. Tools to stay in contact with past applicants through various communication channels can help keep those candidates engaged.

Employee referral solutions also provide a way to add to your candidate pipeline. Your team knows what it takes to succeed in your organization. They might be the best source for finding candidates just like them. Staying connected to your future hire hopefuls could help you hire more of them.

Timing is Everything

Time may be the most precious resource of all in the hiring process. The last thing you want is to miss that ideal candidate to a competing employer. Even in times where jobs may be scarce, the competition for top talent remains. So it’s no secret that organizations regularly look to reduce their time to hire. A single-system hiring platform can go a long way toward this.

With a background check integration alone, Verified Credentials’ research finds organizations save almost 20 hours of work for every 100 candidates screened. Can you imagine what kind of time you might save in the rest of your hiring process?

As a resourceful HR leader, limits lead to opportunities. It’s a chance to open the door to innovative solutions and tools, shake up stale workflows, and make moves toward the future. Getting started with an ATS can do all that for your hiring process. Leading you to a cohesive platform that saves you time and delivers a positive experience for your candidates without sacrificing the quality of hires.

Interested in connecting background checks to an ATS? Schedule a consultation to learn more.