How to Choose the Best Applicant Tracking System for Your Company

Is your HR department overworked? Are your recruitment and onboarding expenses through the roof? It’s probably time you invested in a new and better Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

Whether you’re implementing new technology into your organisation or looking at alternative providers, ensuring a return on investment has to be the primary objective of any ATS.

But how do you choose the right ATS for your business from the plethora of providers out there? This blog will guide you through the process of choosing the right ATS for your recruitment strategy.

What is an applicant tracking system (ATS)?

An applicant tracking system is specialist software designed for recruiting and hiring staff. It reduces manual and administrative tasks and is widely popular with organisations looking to recruit the best possible candidates.

There are several types of ATS platforms such as basic databases that simply help recruiters and employers track candidate process. However, more sophisticated products like IRIS Networx are a powerful portal of carefully designed tools that provide far greater functionality. Not only do they enable recruitment teams to take complete control of candidate filtering, but they also allow for in-depth analysis and full management of future employees.

What are the 5 key considerations when buying an ATS?

Buying applicant tracking system can be daunting, especially when you’re undecided over the level of technology you require. Here are our top 5 considerations that will help you make the right decision for your recruitment strategy.

Functionality

The level of functionality offered by ATS providers can vary significantly. Understanding and listing what functionality you require is the first step before buying an ATS. With the speed of digital transformation and the constant development of new features, it is almost impossible to know exactly what you need from an ATS without a comprehensive understanding of each solution.

Implementing recruitment software is not just about having the tools to manage your recruitment, but more about continuing to enhance and improve your processes too. For the best ATS solution, a provider should scope out your entire recruitment process, evaluate what tool you currently use, and advise on the implementation of new tools that can drive greater efficiency.

It is not just about what functionality you think you want; it’s about understanding what functionality is available and how that can replace existing processes to innovate your recruitment.

Flexibility

The flexibility of an ATS is just as important as the functionality. It is vital to understand what tools can be implemented and how easily they can be configured to reflect the way that you recruit in line with your budget.

From authorisation to application forms, to sifting criteria and managing your offer workflow, each recruitment stage should be tailored to support your needs. All too often organisations expect an ATS to offer a specific level of flexibility, but in reality, this is simply not the case. For example, some ATS providers like IRIS Networx allow you to edit and amend application forms with no financial impact, but others may charge their customers to make even the smallest amends.

Development

With the rapid advancement in technology and candidate expectations, your ATS should be constantly evolving. New functionality, system enhancements, and improvements to efficiency should all be available for you and your team to see. Not only that, some ATS providers actively encourage their users to take part in Early Adopter Schemes in order to have a say in how the latest technologies are implemented. When choosing an ATS provider, the size of their development team can provide a clear indication of the organisation’s commitment to not only support the use of their system but also make continued enhancements to deliver the best possible recruitment support product.

To ensure that you and your team benefit from these developments, it is also important to check that your ATS is cloud-based. Unlike on-premises solutions (often found with the HR add-ons), cloud-based ATS systems can be easily updated for all users.

Support and training

Having outlined the best-case scenario for your business, your focus should then turn to how your ATS will be rolled out across your organisation, how your users will be trained to use the technology, and how users will be supported should they encounter any issues or require assistance performing tasks.

The level of support and training offered can ultimately determine the success of your chosen ATS and return on investment. In terms of support, you need to consider the following:

• How do you and your team obtain the support you need?
• What are the turnaround times?
• Can you track the status of the tickets?
• Can you view the tickets submitted by your team?

Training should be ongoing and be accessible as and when you need it. Some ATS providers offer annual health checks to assess the use of your current software and identify opportunities for improvement or greater efficiency.

Having the option for training on new functionality is expected, but bear in mind what support you have should you introduce new employees to your organisation, or simply require some refresher training for current staff.

Security and compliance

The level of security and compliance your software can offer is potentially one of the most important factors to consider. Whilst a certain level of security and compliance is expected, the actual parameters that ATS providers work to can vary significantly.

As mentioned above, businesses and organisations could be hit with severe fines and penalties for failing to comply with UK GDPR and strict data protection laws. Therefore, you should ask the following questions before buying an ATS:

• Is the organisation ISO 27001 certified?
• Do they have a robust candidate registration process?
• Can you easily amend and update your privacy policies?
• How do you restrict access to personal information?
• How do you manage candidate accounts due to expire?
• How do you share information with 3^rd parties?
• Does your ATS support SARs requests?

Buying an ATS can undoubtedly revolutionise the way you recruit and drive greater efficiency. However, rather than simply look at the initial cost of buying an ATS, it’s important to consider the overall return on investment (ROI) that this technology can bring. This includes process improvements, candidate experience, and knowledge that any data you collate is stored securely.

What are the 8 key features of an ATS?

An applicant tracking system allows you to streamline and automate your entire recruitment strategy. It acts as a centralised platform for managing and organising job applications and candidate data. The key functions of an ATS include:

1. Job postings

Organisations and employers can post vacancies and opportunities on a variety of digital platforms such as company websites and job advertisement boards to gain maximum exposure and attract the best candidates.

2. CV scanning

An ATS will extract and organise key information from resumes to match job listings, making it faster and easier for recruitment teams to review and compare candidate qualifications, thus saving valuable time.

3. Candidate screening

ATS automates the initial screening process by applying predefined filters for shortlisting candidates based on the relevant qualifications and skills.

4. Interview scheduling

You can schedule job interviews with some ATS platforms, allowing recruiters to coordinate and manage the full interview process more efficiently.

5. Candidate communication

Recruiters can communicate with candidates through an ATS. Features also include automated status updates, interview invitations, and even rejection notifications.

6. Staff collaboration

Multiple users from HR teams to recruitment managers can collaborate and work together through an ATS to share important feedback on candidates, interviews, and more.

7. Full compliance

ATS ensures businesses and organisations remain fully compliant with hiring regulations set out in the Data Protection Act 2018.This controls how candidate information and personal data is used, stored, and protected.

8. Analytics and reporting

Many ATS solutions feature reporting tools that allow recruitment teams to extract, track and analyse key metrics and data to refine their entire recruitment strategy.

What type of ATS does my company need?

When adopting new ATS software it’s important to begin by identifying which provider will deliver the best solution to achieve your recruitment objectives. For instance, organisations that are rapidly expanding or hire temporary staff and apprentices in large numbers, are likely to benefit from more advanced ATS to give them greater insight into their recruitment strategy.

Similarly, companies that need to fill critical long-term executive roles, such as managers and directors, may also find a comprehensive ATS beneficial. When high volumes of applications for C-suite vacancies occur, ATS can ease the burden of talent screening and recruitment by increasing accuracy and efficiency with a better, streamlined processes.

What should I look for in an ATS?

Based on our own research and client feedback, usability is the critical factor in an ATS. Ideally, the platform and interface should be intuitive, comfortable, and clear, so there’s no need to invest in unnecessary staff training.

Cross-platform applicant tracking systems are also popular, especially with organisations with a large number of hybrid or remote workers. Here, the ability to track candidates anywhere, anytime, can help fill vacant positions more quickly and prevent the ideal candidate from slipping through the net.

Do you need to upgrade an ATS?

Yes! All software systems require regular upgrades to protect organisations from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Without upgrades, sensitive data is at risk and serious breaches can result in fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is higher.

Ideally, choose an ATS that has both automatic and optional upgrades for security updates, bug fixes, tools, and applications. Optional upgrades can help you tailor your software to your specific recruitment requirements. Therefore, new functions can be added as and when you need them, while unnecessary downtime for updates you may be unaware of can be avoided. ATS software can be particularly beneficial for companies that are growing as it can be scaled up or down according to demand.

Are all ATS solutions flexible?

No! Not all applicant tracking systems are flexible. However, many types of ATS like IRIS Networx offer full flexibility and can be tailored to your own recruitment strategy. Flexibility is important for many reasons; it gives companies the freedom to choose the right modular set-up according to their budget, recruitment requirements, and time availability. For example, recruitment teairisms may experience greater efficiency and less stress with a more automated ATS. Also, all organisations go through change, and flexible ATS options can be easily tweaked to provide the right level of recruitment support as and when required.

Can applicant tracking software drive your recruitment strategy?

IRIS Networx is a complete applicant tracking software solution that takes care of your entire recruitment process from job postings to onboarding. Download a brochure today.