Labor shortages have plagued all kinds of industries in recent months as recruiters and job seekers navigate a new economy. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we work, and now Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) carries a new level of importance when it comes to matching ideal candidates and streamlining the onboarding process.
To succeed in this environment, recruiters and job seekers alike must understand the benefits of an ATS and how they can use this tool to get the results they’re looking for. Start by learning how an ATS functions and how it can improve your hiring process.
What is Applicant Tracking Software?
To understand how Applicant Tracking Software affects the hiring process, you should first understand what an ATS is and what it does. In the data-centric world of modern business, an ATS is one of the most important tools recruiters and job seekers can use.
But knowing why requires an exploration of the many functions and qualities of an ATS. We explore these here.
ATS Defined
An Applicant Tracking System does exactly what the name suggests: it tracks applicants for a job listing. This helps recruiters pare down the very best of candidates for the job all through a comprehensive dashboard. By using this tool, recruiters can save time and effort on vetting all the applicants in a job pool to instead focus on the best of the best.
However, there is much more to an ATS than just storing and categorizing resumes. Instead, an ATS handles a wide variety of applicant management tasks for recruiters and HR departments. These tasks include:
- Resume storage
- Candidate sorting
- Semantic algorithm vetting
- Social sharing
- Onboarding tools
These features enable an empowered workflow for hiring managers, making ATSs a common tool of modern workforces. By applying this software, recruiters create a smoother onboarding process. This is especially vital with today’s remote workforce.
But how does an ATS work? How does it provide benefits and insights to the recruiters and applicants that use it?
How an ATS Works
Not every ATS is built the same. Some offer more features than others, while some keep their functions to a bare minimum. Regardless, all ATSs fulfill the role of making hiring easier by digitizing some aspects of the process.
This often starts at the job advertising stage. These days, there are all kinds of job listing platforms. From Monster to Indeed, a host of sites are out there connecting candidates to open positions. Recruiters have to be able to navigate and use these platforms if they hope to attract more new talent.
An ATS makes the process easier by allowing a company to create a job profile and then effortlessly share it among the popular job hosting platforms. Because most ATSs partner with these big platforms, coordinating and automating your job listings can be easier than ever.
From there, the ATS takes over the resume collection and storage process. It assembles all collected applications in a secured database, then parses through them using artificial intelligence algorithms. Some tracking systems even apply Natural Language Processing (NLP) machine semantic understanding to help connect promising applicants to job postings based on phrasing in their resume and cover letter.
With the help of AI analytics, and ATS narrows the candidate pool down to potential best fits based on predetermined job qualifications. Then, hiring managers have only to conduct interviews with the remaining candidates.
Applicant tracking systems are growing in popularity due to their ability to streamline the hiring process. These benefits are important to note for anyone involved in the job market.
How ATS Improves the Hiring Process
Many of the benefits of an ATS are self-explanatory. A tracking system naturally allows for greater automation potential in the hiring process. From assembling candidate profiles to matching ideal applicants, the time and labor that can be saved from ATS use are incalculable.
This is especially vital with the new professional emphasis on remote work. Geographical limitations on employment opportunities have largely gone out the window, making for a more open and democratic environment for job seekers. But this can also mean more work for hiring managers who do not have the right software in place.
Fortunately, applicant tracking systems are here to help. By enabling the following improvements, an ATS can transform recruitment for the better:
- Centralizing job posting information
One of the most transformative functions of an ATS is its ability to communicate job listing information all over the world on a variety of platforms. This is essential for any employer managing a global workforce. Whether you’re hiring in Singapore, the UAE, or the UK, an ATS offers convenient, transparent, and centralized candidate information.
By centralizing your job postings, managing a global candidate pool is easier than ever before.
- Allowing candidates to apply quickly and easily
An ATS also offers a streamlined experience for job seekers. Anyone who has searched for a job likely knows how frustrating it can be to submit application after application, offering the same details again and again in a tedious and repetitive process. An ATS improves this process by allowing candidates to save their information so they can apply for more jobs quickly and efficiently.
- Matching candidates more quickly
Next, the time it takes to find quality applicants is cut down significantly with the right ATS. This is because of the semantic and algorithmic filtering patterns of these tools that parse in an instant what it might take a human a lengthy read-through to uncover. An ATS simply looks for resume optimization, a certain set of keywords, and other connections to the job listing.
From here, candidates can receive feedback and responses more quickly while recruiters cut down on hiring schedules.
- Automating tasks
An ATS further improves the hiring process through all the task automation it enables. Everything from narrowing down applicants to sending out interview invites can happen through ATS software. With the amount of time, this saves, hiring managers can focus on onboarding and employee success.
- Enhancing communication
Finally, a quality ATS offers communication tools that can further streamline the hiring process. This happens through automated messaging to candidates and recruiters, centralized dashboards for messages and insights, and living calendars for an interview and task scheduling. The result is a comprehensive environment for all your hiring needs.
But these benefits aren’t just available to anyone. It takes proper research into ATS platforms as well as integration strategies to reap the rewards of hiring software. For job seekers and recruiters, there are methods you can use to make the most of working with an ATS.
How to Work Effectively with an ATS
- Focus on keywords. To match semantically in an ATS, your skills and experience should use the same verbiage as the job listing. Some ATSs are optimized to match through linguistically similar phrases, but it helps to focus on a few definitive keywords.
- Craft your resume for the job listing. Similarly, your overall experience demonstrated in your resume and cover letter should demonstrate the skills mentioned in the job description. Employers have clear hard and soft skills they are looking for. To pass through the ATS, optimize your application directly for the job you’re applying to.
- Submit a clearly navigable resume. Once your content is optimized, you need to dedicate time to enhancing the navigability of your resume. This means going block by block, ensuring that your application meets expectations. For example, an effective ‘About Me’ section on a portfolio contains a clear header and keywords indicating what you have to offer.
- Pay attention to formatting and file types. One of the best things you can do as an applicant is to ensure your file type is compatible with the ATS to which you’re submitting. A good rule of thumb is to avoid PDFs and to keep formatting as simple and clean as possible.
- Keep your online profiles up to date. Finally, keep your online job profiles current on platforms like LinkedIn or your digital portfolio. Some ATSs track this information and could encounter errors if your resume doesn’t quite match what you have stated elsewhere.
Securing Your Job Prospects in a Digital World
Whether you’re a job seeker or a recruiter, the widespread application of ATS systems means a world of new opportunities. For applicants, this includes better connections and faster hiring processes. For recruiters, ATS tech makes for a smoother and easier workflow.
By exploring hiring process improvements inherent in using an ATS, you can maximize your potential in the workforce. Understand the value of ATS systems, then hone your skills to work with these tools effectively.
