Automating traditional HR  processes creates time for focus on more strategic functions. These smart solutions increase efficiency, save costs and spur the seamless operation of the HR department. We’ll see how the applicant tracking system is recommended as an effective tool for intelligent work.

In this post, we’ll discuss what an applicant tracking system is, its benefits, how it works, how to choose an applicant tracking system and the top 8 applicant tracking systems for human resources in 2022.

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What is an Applicant Tracking System?

According to Wikipedia, “An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment and hiring needs. An applicant tracking system is software that uses the principle of Artificial Intelligence and natural language processing to sort, & filter, CVs based on suitability for the job role.

It is similar to the sort and filter function in Microsoft Excel, which allows users to easily organize and sort data at the click of a button once the parameters are defined.

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Tech-innovative  HR leaders use ATS filters as the first step in their recruitment process to provide an automated end-to-end recruitment process. This analysis from Capterra reveals that 75% of HR professionals use an applicant tracking system in the recruitment process. An applicant tracking system allows HR leaders to identify the suitable candidates for each role almost effortlessly.

What are the Benefits of Applicant Tracking Software?

An Applicant Tracking software simplifies the hiring process and provides the following benefits.

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1. Seamless Candidate Screening: It can be a daunting task to wade through 250 applications to hire 2 to 6 candidates. This  ATS uses AI algorithms to identify the best fit for each role using a ranking system, which saves the recruiter the ache of wasting a lot of time to achieve this.

2. Easy Head Hunting: The Applicant tracking system enables recruiters to headhunt target candidates by spooling a database of professionals from top sites globally into a single platform. From this platform, recruiters can search for and get the contact information of the employees they want to hire.

Best of all, it doesn’t just gather candidates. It identifies and selects the best fit for the job role you are trying to fill based on your required parameters. You can find the best candidates faster without any mental or physical stress.

3. The “SIRI” in your recruitment process: We have all heard about SIRI, the virtual assistant created by the Apple brand, as a faster and more seamless way of doing all valuable things. Well, an ATS is to HR what SIRI is to Apple users. Once adopted, an Applicant tracking system carries out every activity in the recruitment cycle process.

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4. Fosters Team Work Values: Organisations emphasize their values of teamwork, where everyone’s input is essential. With an Applicant tracking system, you are walking the talk. The ATS software platform facilitates collaboration by having all HR leaders share notes, ideas, recommendations and evaluate candidates. This drives a collective approach in the hiring process and results in a more successful team

Applicant tracking systems are crucial tools in this era of the internet of things; innovative work, artificial intelligence, and HR leaders need to review their strategy to include tech solutions to get their job done faster and efficiently.

How Does an ATS Work?

The traditional recruitment process is to create job descriptions, create job roles, post or advertise the vacancies, schedule interviews, follow up, and onboard new hires. The result is hundreds of CVs especially when an organization is hiring for multiple roles.

An ATS circumvents this tedious process by automating this process and getting superior results with the click of a few buttons.

Applicant tracking systems work like electronic doorkeepers for recruiters by scanning each resume to see if there is a fit suitable enough to allow it to reach the recruiter. It acts as a sieve by simply separating the qualified from the unqualified. 

A recruiter would only review resumes that match the job post’s defined parameters.ATS automates the entire hiring process by aiding recruiters to create job posts, advertise them on websites, job boards, and social media. It then tracks the results and reports, up to the last stage – a job offer.

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How to Choose an Applicant Tracking System

ATS possesses different facets and features based on the software brand, and some brands work better than others. Choosing the wrong ATS  would impact an organization’s hiring success negatively. In other to choose an ATS, here are some factors to look out for :

1. Define your recruitment needs & ATS requirements: At the start of searching for an ATS, it is ideal for identifying your needs. 

What is the goal? 

What recruitment problem are you trying to solve?

Is it candidate sourcing?

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Answering these questions would aid your selection accurately; that way you would not pick ATS with features that do not meet your needs.

On the other hand, Brainstorming sessions and lists are relevant in defining the top requirements for your ATS.  This list would now serve as a checklist while reviewing and researching various ATS features.

2. Involve Your Recruiters in Selection: Involving Recruiters is a smart move, especially as they are at the core of the selection process. They would be able to pinpoint your organization’s recruitment pain points aptly and quickly identify which ATS would be easy to navigate and meet your organization’s needs accurately. 

3. Consider User Experience:  While you are trying to meet the needs of your organization, it is also essential to consider the experience of the user, in terms of ease of use, the candidate’s interactions with the ATS. According to AIHR Digital, over 90% of candidates use a mobile device when searching for a new role. So the ATS you decide to adopt must offer a mobile-friendly interface.

This way, you are using a more balanced approach to sorting your recruitment needs, which is necessary because an unpleasant experience will hurt your company brand.

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4. Analytics: An ATS with real-time analytics is a must-have. This way, you can measure your results, and this would help you identify strengths and weaknesses in your process. You have a holistic view of your process with real-time analytics and focus on what you need to improve.

More importantly, find out if an ATS that allows you to customize and automate reports along with the parameters you want.

5. Company Size and Flexibility: The company size determines an organization’s recruitment needs, influencing the type of ATS an organization would adopt.

Companies or large corporations that recruit frequently would need a different ATS instead of a small business that recruits once or twice a year. 

Secondly, your company niche also matters, as some ATS tools fit specific industries better.

6. Support Quality: The support you would get from your ATS vendor is essential when choosing an ATS software. Checking reviews from other users online would help you select an ATS software to meet your needs and get good quality support when required.

7. Pricing: The cost of an ATS software is also worthy of note, as most ATS software is priced based on company size and needs. Paying attention to your ATS checklist would guide your choice; this way, you would not just adopt the fairest price option. 

It is important to remember, that the price of an ATS is not a function of its quality or value it will provide to your company and your recruitment process.

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Best Applicant Tracking Systems for HR In 2022

• Greenhouse

Price: (Provided by Vendor, based on company size)

The Greenhouse  ATS is a multifaceted software that sorts out the entire recruitment process and ensures you get the most qualified candidate for your organization. This tool is flexible and adapts easily to other software, and the platform intuitively supports teamwork. 

This software allows recruiters to organize team members’ workload and ensures everyone is aware of their part. It removes recruitment bias through its scorecard function and uses its automatic notification system to ensure recruiters stay on track and also reminds you of where you are in the recruitment process. This ATS has an intelligent analytics interface, which supports over 30 different report types, with the ability to export data.

The greenhouse is a popular go-to software amongst small-mid-sized organizations in the tech space.

• Teamtailor

Price: Custom pricing

Teamtailor, used by over 200,000 users, is the latest tool to attract and hire great candidates. It offers a distinct approach to recruiting by allowing recruitment teams to brand their career sites through its interface.

It also offers marketing services tailored to specific candidate demographics through its landing pages and candidate database. Teamtailor supports 6 major international languages, has a robust network of partners in the HR space, and integrates well with add-on recruitment tools.

Some of its key features include Customizable workflows, Dashboards, and analytics, Talent pools, Candidate sourcing tools, automated triggers, anonymous hiring, text recruiting, nurture campaigns, etc. It is suitable for both startups and large organizations.

The pricing adapts to the size of your company, and it does not offer a free trial, however, new users can request a free demo here.

• Pinpoint 

Price: Custom pricing

Pinpoint is a current applicant tracking system that provides excellent support to recruiters by helping them automate their recruitment process. Its robust features include background screening, CRM tools, reference checking, assessment management, diversity hiring, and features synonymous with other great ATS software.

Pinpoint is an Applicant Tracking System developed for in-house talent acquisition and HR teams at organizations making between 15 and 5,000 hires per year. With this ATS, you attract 4times more qualified candidates, reduce the attrition ratio of your best hands and automate your administrative process, all at a friendly cost

• Trakstar Hire

Price: Custom pricing

Trakstar Hire is an applicant tracking system (ATS) made for the needs of small and midsize companies. The ATS allows recruiters to create new job roles and receive bulk applications all at once.

You can publish job posts directly to numerous social networks with this ATS. It can parse multiple resumes simultaneously and can process CVs in any format. It supports collaborative hiring in real-time using the automated communication software, allowing the recruitment team to communicate without email.

• SmartRecruiter

Price:100$Monthly/Per User

SmartRecruiters is an award-winning, cloud-based talent acquisition software that publicizes your job post and boosts the reach to reach and attract the most expansive pool of job seekers. The most prominent feature is that it covers all the primary requirements of any recruitment strategy and features a flexible platform compatible with over 350 recruitment tools that support the recruitment process.

It is compliant with international regulations and can be adopted in various countries. The savvy recruiters are the go-to ATS for HR leaders who want to win the battle for global talent. It is ideal for large organizations and currently offers a freemium for new users on its website here.

• BreezyHR

Price:149$-299$

Breezy HR is award-winning applicant tracking software (ATS) created to automate the end-end recruitment process. It has a global client base of 3000 + companies. It is recognized as a  pacesetter in the talent management space due to its robust features, which integrates well with other recruitment tools and is easy to use, with minimal training, due to its drag and drop option.

With this ATS, you can hire globally and put your brand in the spotlight with your beautifully customized mobile-optimized career page; you can advertise your organization and attract top talents. Breezy HR allows users to automatically publish job posts to over 50+ job sites at the click of a button and track applicants’ progress in real-time as they navigate the stages in the recruitment process.

The software report system provides insights into your recruitment process and a video conference feature that allows for interviews, primarily when you are recruiting for a remote role. Overall, Breezy HR is best for companies that run a remote system and large organizations that hire multiple roles frequently within a year.

• VidCruiter

Price: Custom pricing

VidCruiter is a web-based video interview software company that helps recruiters facilitate their hiring by offering a blend of video tools to save time spent on recruitment and helps attract top talents. It provides pre-recorded and real-time video interviews based on client requirements.

VidCruiter virtual interview software allows users to pre-record interview questions and collate candidates’ responses via video, text, and dial-in options. This way, recruiters interact with top talents who have met their criteria.

It also features an applicant tracking system and supports multiple languages, analytics, and reporting. It is ideal for small companies. It is an advanced world’s virtual interviewing ATS that provides a wide array of digital tools for every stage in the recruitment process and can integrate seamlessly with popular recruitment tools.

• Avature

Price: Custom pricing

Avature is a mobile-friendly ATS software powered by advanced AI, Machine learning, and intelligent automation technology to achieve strategic HR recruitment for fortune 500 companies. It is a robust, one-stop solution for all the strategic and executive recruitment processes. 

It offers all the features of a great ATS tool. Some of its unique automation features include internal mobility management, performance management, diversity and inclusion management, and integration with over 100+ recruitment tools. Its solutions are tailored to fit multiple niches.

More details about this ATS are available here at avature.net.

Conclusion

The options to consider when choosing an ATS are broad. However, what is most important is your, goals and already curated checklist, as this would help you decide objectively.