Contrary to what you may think, a recruiter’s judgement isn’t the thing that prevents you from being invited to job interviews in the first place. Nowadays, an increasing number of companies, especially medium and large ones, use the so-called applicant tracking systems (ATS). What are they and how do they work? Keep reading!
Table of contents
- Applicant tracking system – what is it?
- What are the benefits?
- How do applicant tracking systems work?
- What are the limitations of an ATS?
Applicant tracking system – what is it?
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment processes.
An ATS can be used to screen resumes and select candidates that are potentially the right fit for the job.
What are the benefits?
An ATS is a helpful solution that allows sizable companies to:
- Easily and quickly post job openings to multiple job boards
- Screen candidates based on specific qualifications
- Rank candidates based on an assessment of their resume
- Schedule and coordinate interviews with candidates
- Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the recruiting process
- Reduce the time it takes to fill a position
- Increase the quality of hires
- Obtain data and analytics to help identify recruiting trends
How do applicant tracking systems work?
Are you wondering how applicant tracking systems work? Typically, an ATS includes a resume parser that can extract data from resumes and store it in a database. The system may also be equipped with tools for online job postings, candidate screening, and interview scheduling.
Once a pool of candidates is generated, the ATS can be employed to rank and score candidates based on their qualifications. The most qualified candidates can then be selected for interviews.
What functionalities do applicant tracking systems offer?
Automatically generated rankings
Most applicant tracking systems come with a ranking feature that automatically rates and ranks candidates based on specific qualifications and criteria. This can be a helpful way to quickly identify the most suitable candidates for the job.
Searching by keywords
ATSes also typically come with a keyword search function that allows recruiters to find candidates that match a specific job description or have given skills.
Viewing applications
With an ATS, employers can view all submitted applications in one place. This can make it much easier to compare the qualifications of candidates and make hiring decisions in a more transparent manner.
Screening candidates
Are you looking for a solution that would allow you to screen all job candidates with a few clicks? This is when an applicant tracking system comes in handy. With its help, you’ll quickly process high volumes of resumes and do the initial screening of applicants to make sure that you devote your time to interviews with specialists who are potentially the right fit for your business.
What are the limitations of an ATS?
Even though ATSes have numerous advantages that streamline the entire recruitment process, there are also some drawbacks regarding how applicant tracking systems work.
One of the main limitations of an ATS is that it can produce inaccurate results. This is because the system relies on keywords when matching candidates to job openings. If a candidate’s resume doesn’t contain the right keywords, the ATS may not identify them as a good fit for the job.
Additionally, applicant tracking systems sometimes create a “black box” effect, where it’s hard to determine how or why a particular candidate was selected for a job. This can be frustrating for recruiters and complicate the entire process.
Therefore, you shouldn’t blindly trust these tools. If you have a possibility to monitor each stage of the recruitment process, definitely do it.
If not, keep in mind that applicant tracking systems can be unreliable, and using them means that finding the right candidate will depend mainly on the words used in their resume, not their actual skills.