01/05/2020

Applicant tracking systems (ATSs) are powerful online recruitment software applications that help organisations attract, engage, shortlist, select, hire, and on-board employees. A good ATS also helps improve the quality of hires, maintain compliance, and informs decision making with quality recruiting data. This will ensure that your recruitment processes are more efficient and effective – thus saving you time, money, and the need to re-advertise.

See how to decide if you need an ATS implemented in your business.

Finding the right online ATS can be a mind-boggling mine field. Choosing the wrong software can be detrimental to your brand, as well as a waste of time and money.

Here are some critical aspects to consider when choosing the right ATS for your business:

Map out your process

Whilst your recruitment process will often vary depending on the role and its requirements – and it should – you need to know the general methodology your business follows. Where do you advertise? Do you post on social media? How do you carry out first round screenings of applications? What is the second round of the shortlisting process? How do you conduct interviews? How many people in the business are involved in the decision making for appointments?

And then map out what changes or additions you want to make to your hiring process – i.e. how do you want to utilise an online ATS to streamline and improve your recruitment?

Know your budget

Before selecting an ATS, keep in mind what you are wanting to achieve in your recruitment process – and what problem you are trying to solve. Will you get value for what you spend? Confirm how the product is charged – the number of user licenses, job postings, and other candidate management options – as well as customisation, implementation, training and support. These factors will directly impact on the price, and your purchase decision.

 Evaluate Software Options

Most ATS providers claim their online software is easy to use, has all the bells and whistles, and offers tailor-made solutions – but no two are the same, and they can never be taken on initial face value. Take time to research, evaluate, and compare multiple ATS options. Put together a list of questions to ask of the providers and make the most of their demos. You can also take advantage of the free trials that most vendors offer.

Mobile Functionality

Mobile recruiting is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. You, the candidates, and any other decision makers want and need full capability and access to the ATS wherever you may be. Make sure the ATS system you choose has a mobile version, so access can be made at any time.

Implementation, Service, and Support

You want an ATS to have the desired features and functional capabilities – but you also want those to be EASILY implemented and customised as well. It can be extremely time consuming and frustrating setting up the recruitment process with the required automations – as well as making changes down the track. Ensure that you know what support the vendor will provide for implementation, as well as ongoing service and support. See how to utilise your applicant tracking system so it is not a negative for applicants

Data Security

Privacy Acts and Policies place a legal requirement on businesses to ensure that personal information is secure. You need to make sure that any data you have in the ATS is secure in the cloud. Recruitment processes require a significant amount of personal and sensitive information that is for you and your business’ reference only. Make sure the ATS complies with current Australian legislative requirements.

Whilst an applicant tracking system adds significant value to the recruitment process, it is only one part of a quality hiring process. Other online tools such as video interviewing and skills testing should be considered within your recruitment strategy.

 Why not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform (ATS) that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews – Saving you from sitting through hours of ATS provider demonstrations, analysing each ATS functionality, painful implementation and setup, and hefty monthly subscription fees.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give us a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here

The current environment around the world has suddenly changed for businesses.

Businesses are required to implement specific risk mitigation practices as per Safe Work Australia’s Guidelines including allowing employees to work from home where possible, and ensuring physical distancing. Offices and workplaces that remain “open” are turning to online technology and innovation to support their business needs.

Businesses that do need to hire more people and bring in new talent must be able to collaborate with management, teams and key decision makers working both on-site and from home. An online applicant tracking system (ATS) can help you better manage the hiring process and provide efficiencies for handling the influx of applicants and resumes.

What is an online Applicant Tracking System?

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is online software that manages the recruiting and hiring process, including job postings and job applications. It organises and provides searchable information about applicants. As its name implies, an ATS tracks candidates through the recruitment process. It helps scheduling, issues notification alerts, and sends automated emails to candidates.

Some typical features of an ATS include:

• Simple job posting to multiple sites
• Centralised storage of applicant data
• Automated email responses
• Built-in communication channels
• Messaging capabilities
• Application screening for potential matches
• Interview scheduling
• Recruiting analytics and reporting
• Employer branding
• Social sharing
• Career pages
• Interview kits and scorecards

Top 5 Benefits of an ATS

Small, medium-sized, and large businesses are utilising the advantages of ATS to enhance their HR departments and recruitment processes. Automated tracking systems offer many benefits that save time and money—and make recruitment easier.

1. Speed Up the Recruiting Process

Online applicant tracking systems improve the time to hire (the total time spent to fill an open job position). With an ATS, tasks that previously required many hours of work can now be executed very quickly and easily – or sometimes even be done automatically. Some of these tasks include: resume screening, rejecting non-qualified applicants, interview scheduling, and email automation.

A faster hiring process helps you employ top candidates before they accept offers from your competition.

2. Improve the Quality of Hire

Quality ATS programs allow you to capture customised information and responses from candidates as well as setting pre-identified standards and qualifications to separate unqualified candidates and prioritise the best suited ones. This not only improves the quality of hire, but it also helps you to quickly identify the top candidates and not waste time on ones that aren’t a good fit. In turn, you’re able to move quickly to secure employment contracts with high-quality applicants.

3. Provide a Better Candidate Experience

Applicant tracking systems not only save time for the HR department, but they can also save time for applicants as well. An online candidate platform allows them to quickly and easily apply for a job, which makes for a better experience. In addition, the quicker and easier it is, the more candidates will likely complete the process, expanding the talent pool for you to choose from.

Having the ability to send automated emails that provide regular and timely communication to your candidates will also improve candidate engagement and experience.

It’s important to note that some job seekers don’t like using an ATS, but that may be a case of not fully understanding how it benefits them too. See why applicant tracking systems need not be an applicant’s enemy.

4. Offer Enhanced Reporting

Applicant tracking systems generally have analytics and reporting features that can provide additional insights for making data-driven decisions. An ATS can help determine the efficiency of the recruiting process (time to hire), identify which source of hire is providing the best candidates, track compliance information, and analyse individual components of the recruitment process.

5. Ease Workload for Management and/or HR

 ATS features streamline and automate many parts of the recruitment process, which helps relieve much of the manual work associated with identifying quality candidates. Online applicant tracking systems also allow multiple decision makers to access shortlisted candidates, make commentary, and to rank or score against the requirements of the role. Collaboration features of an online ATS allow for efficient decision making with confidence.

Why Not Make Recruitment Easier?

 No matter the size of your business, employing new staff is an important process that requires an investment of both time and money. The right ATS can help your business make the most of both.

See how to choose an ATS.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform (ATS) that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews – Saving you from sitting through hours of ATS provider demonstrations, analysing each ATS functionality, painful implementation and setup, and hefty monthly subscription fees.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give us a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here

We recently worked with a HR manager in the food services. She shared with us that applicants complained about their recruitment processes, particularly the ATS.

A scientific study conducted by Halden Ingwersen in Capterra, indicates that applicants loathe re-entering information that is on their resumes. They think ATSs are flawed and that if you’re using an ATS, you value keywords on the resume more than candidates having the right skills. There are even plenty of articles out there telling applicants how to tailor their resumes to “beat the ATS” system.

But when used correctly an ATS can be a great, positive experience for recruitment managers and applicants. Recruitment is most successful when you fill a position with a great candidate. Not all systems are created equally. As much as we want to cut down the time it takes to manage applicants, it is also important to be “involved” in the process.

Here are 3 ways to make sure your ATS makes life easier for BOTH hiring managers and applicants:

Automate what you can, but stay involved with what REALLY matters.

Yes, it makes sense to automate job listings to different websites/job boards or send out standard replies for applicants during some stages of the process. But don’t rely on keywords to choose the best applicants. You don’t want to dismiss potentially great candidates because they don’t use the exact same words on their resume that you program into the “system”. We’ve all hired gold employees that could easily have been missed without experienced human eyes and intuition.

Don’t make applying through your ATS a chore.

What exactly is your ATS asking applicants to fill out? Is it asking the same questions most already have listed on their resumes? Is it asking questions that are too open and require wordy responses? Make it easy for applicants to apply. The system should be simple and intuitive using a combination of question types and drop down responses.

Keep it simple.

Don’t go overboard trying to capture every single piece of information from candidates. Rather, you need to focus on what is important information that you need to find out about candidates for this job – and to help the recruitment manager to make decisions on who is most likely to be a great fit. Candidates get frustrated when they have to “keep jumping through hoops”. So, minimise the number of steps in the recruitment process. No one likes wasting time – recruitment managers, nor applicants.

An ATS can be an important and useful tool in the hiring process. However, it is critical to understand that how you hire impacts who you hire and to make it a great experience for them

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform (ATS) that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews.

We do not utilise AI technology to screen resumes, thus ensuring that potential “gold candidates” are not discounted immediately.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here