A study found that, on average, an organisation will view 94 applicants for every hire they make. Numbers like these are why the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) was first developed in the 1970s. Originally designed as a system for keeping track of applications, they evolved into a way of publishing job vacancies, managing applications and communicating with candidates.

Advances in technology, including AI, mean that there’s a whole lot more an ATS can now do for recruiters. In this post, we’ll look in more detail at how an ATS streamlines the recruitment process, but also at some of the wider ranging benefits that a modern, integrated ATS offers.  

Time saving

Probably the best known–and arguably the most appreciated–benefit of an ATS is that it automates the time-consuming task of processing applications manually. More advanced systems use smart technology to generate candidate shortlists, automatically arrange interview timeslots and some, like GeniusATS, have built-in AI functionality that will generate copy for you. If you have an ATS and you find you’re still spending too much time on administrative tasks, it could be a sign that you need to upgrade. The right ATS should ease the burden on recruiters, speed up the recruitment process and allow recruiters to focus on making better hiring decisions.

Improved candidate experience

Your ATS is often one of the first experiences a candidate will have of your organisation so it’s crucial that it’s a positive one. By providing clear communication, regular email updates and a user-friendly application process, your ATS helps you create candidate experiences that will build stronger connections with applicants and warm them to your organisation. That’s not just important if they are subsequently hired by your organisation: remember, statistically the majority of applicants won’t be successful. The candidate experience you offer should help turn them into advocates who will recommend you to friends and might be open to working for you in the future, should a suitable vacancy arise.

Mobile optimisation

In today’s on-the-go world, having a mobile-friendly application process is crucial—especially in sectors like retail where as many as 60% of applications are made on a mobile phone. An ATS that minimises the number of pages applicants must visit to complete their application (as GeniusATS does) can improve mobile candidate experiences and help reduce the number of abandoned applications.

Streamlined collaboration

An ATS streamlines the recruitment process by providing a central platform that stakeholders across the recruitment process can use. Having an accessible shared resource makes collaboration easier and empowers stakeholders involved at all stages of the recruitment process to make better-informed hiring decisions. Plus, with all candidate information, feedback, notes and contact records in one place, the risk of essential information being lost is minimised.

Talent pooling

Talent pooling helps recruiters cut cost-per-hire and time-to-hire, but it can also be time-consuming—especially in a competitive jobs market when a single vacancy might attract hundreds of applications. Upgrading to an AI-enhanced ATS can help with this. Genius ATS, for instance, uses AI to sort applicants into talent pools segmented by skill. This gives recruiters a resource that they can mine for suitable candidates, reducing the need to advertise roles externally and, with a ready-made source of potential candidates always to hand, you can start talking to candidates as soon as a vacancy arises.

Improved compliance and reporting

Recruitment is governed by legal and regulatory requirements, such as equal opportunity employment laws and data privacy regulations. Ensuring compliance can be time consuming—but by automating record-keeping, generating reports and ensuring that your hiring process meets legal guidelines, your ATS should make short work of it. GeniusATS, for example, has automated candidate identity verification, through our partnership with TrustID, so that the identity of candidates can be verified within an hour. The ability to process a Right to Work check within 35 seconds as part of the application process means that candidates benefit too.

Customisation

Your ATS should be fully customisable so that you can take full advantage of the application process as an employer brand building opportunity. Configuring the system to match the look and feel of your branding will give candidates a consistent experience. The latest version of GeniusATS has a whole new storefront which also brings articles, recruitment events and key information into the mix. What’s more, tailoring application forms to the requirements of specific roles will help you weed out any unnecessary steps in the application process. This makes it more streamlined for candidates and benefits recruiters by eliminating unnecessary candidate data.

Scalability

Hiring needs aren’t always consistent. An ATS should come with a 100% uptime guarantee so that you can scale up recruitment at peak times, such as before Christmas. It should be able to handle the recruitment process for a single job opening or manage hundreds of positions simultaneously. Whether you’re a small startup or a large enterprise, an ATS enables you to meet your talent requirements.  

An ATS improves your recruitment process in many ways—from driving efficiency and collaboration to enhancing compliance and reporting—that benefit both candidates and recruitment professionals. By choosing an ATS that leverages the power of automation and data-driven decision-making, you’ll be even better able to attract talent and build the high-performance workforce you need to reach your business goals.