The importance of an ATS and why they’re here to stay

Automation is so ubiquitous today that we don’t even realise it’s there half the time. It has made us more efficient and consistent, and in the recruitment industry, many of us couldn’t imagine doing the job without it. Yet, there are still businesses out there who cling to outdated, manual processes. While they may have their reasons for doing so, the benefits of an ATS are undeniable. Here’s just a handful!

In a talent-scarce market, securing your ideal candidate quickly is vital. If the process takes too long, they’ll likely be snapped up by someone else.

Carefully scanning every resume that lands in your inbox is no easy feat, so it makes sense to invest in software that can essentially do the work of an entire team in a matter of minutes.

By setting parameters and filtering applicants through an ATS, you’ll be able to separate the legitimate candidates from the “ eh, it’s worth a shot ” applicants. A great ATS will even rank your candidates from the most to least eligible based on certain criteria you set. This helps narrow your talent pool significantly, meaning you’re not wasting time individually vetting those ‘Hail Mary’ applicants.

Admin can take up a huge chunk of time, so why not let your tech do the grunt work for you? By automating the repetitive, time-consuming elements of your job, you can streamline your entire process and allocate that extra time to high-value tasks. Rather than spending hours posting on various job boards and thumbing each individual resume, an ATS will do much of this work for you, dramatically reducing the time to hire and, in turn, the costs.

The entire recruiting process is an unavoidable cost for growing businesses. From drafting the initial job ad to the point where a new starter becomes productive, companies are shelling out money. Speeding up the process is the best way to reduce the costs associated with taking on a new employee. And on a larger scale, a smooth, efficient recruitment process also reduces the time that a team might be understaffed and underperforming as a result.

Recruiters know better than anyone, there are some seriously talented people out there. And just because they’re not a perfect fit for one particular role doesn’t mean they won’t be an incredible asset to one of your clients in the future. That’s why having an ATS with a built-in CRM can be such a game-changer. When an applicant comes through your ATS, their contact details are stored securely – in accordance with privacy laws, of course – so you can reach out to them in the future if another great opportunity comes across your desk. Having a large talent pool of high-calibre individuals is a recruiter’s dream, and an ATS makes it easy.

Before things went digital, performance and success were measured by a few rudimentary indicators and “optimisation” was limited to trial and error. Today, computers process incredible amounts of data every second, which can then be analysed and transferred into easily digestible reports. A great ATS will have built-in analytics functionality so you can generate detailed performance reports to monitor key metrics, such as time and cost to hire. This can provide invaluable insight into where you’re excelling, where you’re wasting time and where you can improve.

It’s easy to get bogged down in the numbers and focus solely on conversion and sales – but a key area that is often neglected is the candidate experience. Negative reviews travel far beyond the water cooler. Social media and employer review sites can carry these messages through huge networks, tainting your pool of potential future candidates. That’s why facilitating a great experience at every touchpoint is so crucial to the recruitment process. An ATS with an integrated CRM will be able to close the loop with unsuccessful candidates with an automated follow-up email, so nobody is left in the lurch. You’ll also be able to obtain anecdotal feedback from candidates through surveys so you can further improve your process.

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