8 Features to Look for in an Applicant Tracking System

Companies that use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) are more likely to attract, identify, and hire the best candidates in today’s job market. The ability of a company to implement more streamlined and agile processes that allow recruiters to focus and spend more time on what matters most: engaging with top talent, is critical to driving an efficient recruitment strategy.

An ATS can help you by digitizing and centralizing all of the candidates’ information on a single platform, as well as performing an initial screening of incoming applications to identify the best prospective candidates. Applicant Tracking Systems can improve the entire recruitment process and alleviate some of the most significant hiring and talent acquisition pain points.

What is an Applicant Tracking System?

An applicant tracking system (ATS), also known as a talent management system, is a type of recruiting software that helps an organization’s hiring process from start to finish. It is usually in charge of tasks like posting job openings to multiple job boards, storing applicant data, and screening applications for potential matches.

An applicant tracking system (ATS) may also enable recruiters to comment on and rate applicants in a single database, allowing everyone involved in the hiring process to easily collaborate.

The Features of Applicant Tracking System

It’s important to remember that many ATSs will have some features and functionalities in common, so you’ll want to look for an applicant tracking system that does more than just store candidate information. Let’s discuss the features of ATS recruitment and how it can help you gain a competitive advantage in your hiring efforts.

Career Pages

Candidates can learn more about your company and what opportunities for advancement you have on your career pages. Some ATS systems provide a career page layout that you can customize. You can include a search tab that allows interested professionals to look for job openings and displays which locations or departments have openings.

Job Distribution

Candidates look for jobs on a variety of job boards. To ensure that your job postings are seen by all job seekers, you’ll need an ATS to help you distribute them. When you post your job on as many job boards as possible, you can broaden your reach and ensure that you find the best candidates.The most established recruitment sites and job boards already have relationships with applicant tracking systems. When you post a job through your ATS, it will automatically and instantly publish to all of these sites with minimal effort on your part. An ATS will also provide you with reports and analytics on which websites are generating the most traffic for you. This allows you to change your strategy as needed.

Receiving and Sorting Applications

Recruiters frequently receive hundreds of resumes for a single position. A good applicant tracking system will be able to properly rank these resumes based on who best matches the job qualifications.Jobvite ATS automates and intelligently streamlines the process, eliminating time-consuming manual tasks and ensuring that top candidates are identified early. With less time spent narrowing down the candidates, teams can concentrate on converting those candidates into new employees.

Resume Storage

When an applicant applies, their information is saved in your applicant tracking system database. A good applicant tracking system (ATS) will properly store all applicants, even after the position has been filled.This feature comes in handy when you realize you need to hire someone else from the applicant pool. Perhaps you need to add a position to accommodate the increased workload, or perhaps the person you already have is better suited for another position. One of the reasons HR departments use an applicant tracking system is to have a large database of qualified applicants to choose from.

Collaborating with Teammates

In addition, an applicant tracking system allows multiple team members to collaborate on the hiring process. Few tools in a recruiter’s toolbox are as valuable as an employee referral, but with so many people involved, an ATS is critical to keeping everyone on the same page.Using applicant tracking software, you can easily share information about an applicant with other colleagues. You can also specify who has access to information and what roles they play. Because each member of the team can contribute to the selection process, many applicant tracking systems include this feature.

Managing and Scheduling an Interview

Another feature of an ATS is the ability to create and manage interviews. ATS collects CVs and resumes from all applicants from various sites after posting the job requirement on multiple platforms.It also aids in the evaluation of applicants. Those who are shortlisted are invited to the next stage of the application process, the interview. The Applicant Tracking System allows for quick communication with shortlisted candidates. You can also use this feature to conduct direct interviews with candidates.It also saves time and energy because the ATS sends an automatic reminder to both the recruiter and the candidate when it is time to interview. So scheduling interviews with ATS has become much easier.

Onboarding Tools

After you’ve chosen your new employee, it’s time to start the onboarding process. Using an Applicant Tracking System for onboarding can help you hire and fill your open position faster.Many systems begin by welcoming new team members, introducing them to your organization, and explaining what to expect. You can provide new hires with access to resource pages that include breakdowns of employee benefits and other important information. The new hire can then complete the necessary paperwork to ensure that they are prepared for their first day.

Social Sharing

Social media can be a valuable recruitment tool, and many applicant tracking systems are built with this in mind. With a single click, you can share your job posting to multiple social media platforms.This allows more potential applicants to see your posting and apply directly from their desktop or mobile devices. As you can see, a great applicant tracking system requires a lot of work. Investing in a solution that covers all aspects of the hiring process is critical.As the job market expands, ATS assists in reaching more qualified candidates. With the Applicant Tracking System Features (ATS) listed above, you should be able to get a system that works for the size and volume of your business