How Modern ATS Technology is Bolstering Recruitment for Companies

The traditional hiring formular is a long, laborious process wrought with imperfections and inherent bias. A recruiter sifts through thousands of application pages, verifying each for formatting best practices while calculating industry buzzwords in each paragraph. Depending on the mood of the HR executive, a job-seeker could move from an ideal candidate to being tossed in the bin because of a badly formatted date.

In an ideal world, candidates are only a call away from their future employers. The world is far from ideal, however. And, while people are still reliant on age-old methods of recruiting talent, there are businesses that are relying on technology to bolster their recruitment processes. From job advertisement to on-boarding, instant messages, CV databases, keyword search and reference/recommendation tools define the modern applicant tracking system (ATS). A good ATS is an invaluable asset for businesses in general. For recruitment service providers, it is an absolute must-have.

The Modern ATS

An Applicant Tracking System is a technology that helps businesses automate and optimise the recruitment process. It creates an all-in-one service that caters for both job-seekers and employers. With different dashboards for each group of users, an ATS offers services and options that are suited to the needs of job applicants and employers. There are varying degrees to ATS sophistication. However, the most advanced and efficient systems provide an end-to-end recruitment process that starts from the job board and ends with on-boarding services.

Easy Job Filtering for Job-seekers

For the job-seeker, a modern applicant tracking system like Gesatech’s gRecruit makes it easy to upload a CV and do a simple job search. Filter options allow for a fine-tuned job research by grouping available jobs based on salary potential, job function, geographic location, job title, and other relevant keywords. On the Monster job site, for example, ATS allows job-seekers to find all jobs offered by a specific company. Other sites display job offers based on candidate availability, so that they can choose from full-time, part-time, or even contract job offers. The level of detail ensures the right persons are matched with the right jobs.

Job Market Insights for Job-seekers

The job search function of a modern recruitment platform is invaluable for candidates looking to plan their careers. Under frequently searched positions, a job-seeker will see which industries are growing and which have become stagnant. Even within industries, candidates have first hand data on which positions and job titles are hot on the market. By understanding trends in the job market, a candidate is in a better position to plan for the future.

Glassdoor, for example, offers more detailed insights like average income levels for specific positions. The company reviews section gives a fair idea of what it is like working for some firms. With some prior knowledge of what to expect, candidates are more likely to land jobs that offer more satisfaction. On Indeed.com, candidates who do a keyword search will see dozens of openings as well as average earning potential across specific regions in the same window. They also see keywords equally suited for finding related jobs in the same category across different companies as well as for different managerial levels.

Learning and Career Advancement for Job-seekers

And, when there is the need for further study, some modern ATS provide a wide range of learning resources to beef an applicant’s capacity. Whether it’s a short online course on business reporting or a weekend-long accounting fundamentals for an entry level accounts officer position, the platform provides invaluable services to the user even if it comes at a price.

This is very popular for staffing companies who have clients on both sides of the recruitment process. On Indeed.com, candidates are able to read on different topics about the hiring process. They also have the Hiring Lab, which provides more elaborate posts on industries and recruitment patterns, information needed by both businesses and job-seekers.

Faster and More Efficient Hiring for Employers

For businesses, an ATS complements the HR department by offering access to a well-curated list of expert talents. The CV database can be a jungle of false pretenses and absurd job titles. With a few clicks of filter buttons, though, the database transforms into a trove of potentially high-value candidates. And, in the event that the right skills are not currently available, the job board allows businesses to showcase their company to would-be candidates. The job-seeker is able to see a brief description of the company’s activities and, in some cases, a salary range. This level of detail encourages only the most qualified candidates and reduces the probability of spending time and resources on a low-level target.

Recommendations at the Convenience of References

Some positions require recommendations from former employers or university professors. Businesses need these guarantees especially in professional situations in order to make better decisions about hiring. Instead of sending out contacts via email or on hard copies of  CVs, Applicant Tracking Systems make it possible to provide said information online and at the convenience of the referees. Such information can’t be altered by the applicant, giving businesses a more objective chance at getting honest feedback about their potential employee.

Accepting references this way is not limited only to job recruitment companies. Universities and other professional institutions also prefer that referees for potential students send referrals via more secured platforms. This method is instant, and recruiters, whether employers or universities, are able act more swiftly.

Cutting Costs, Boosting Productivity

A business that seeks to be in the front row when hiring top talent cannot fail to appreciate the exciting prospects an ATS adds to the business. The CV database does in a few clicks what HR Executives do in weeks. With a few clicks, an employer is able to determine the exact candidates whose experiences match the stated job ad. In some instances, the questions an applicant answers determines whether or not they will be permitted to complete the application process. If a job function demands French proficiency as a primary requirement, for example, candidates who answer in the negative during the data collection process are automatically rejected even if they are allowed to finish the application process.

More Efficient Candidate Screening and Assessment

This level of detailed analysis cuts down costs and frees man hours needed for other activities. Not even email applications can provide anything close to the ROI that an ATS provides. In effect, modern ATS helps cull a tall list of applicants using the most efficient and time-saving processes. Because the system keeps track of all applicants’ updated CVs, businesses who deploy the system will be able to create a rank of potential employees months before they are even contacted for a job opportunity.

After the list of prospective employees is created, ATS helps businesses still narrow down their targets by letting them undertake assessment tests. Whether it is a test to judge a candidate’s management profile or aptitude in a specific area, companies are now able to select personnel that are most suitable for their organisations and not just for the position. A company culture built on team work needs workers who fit that work style. If an employee is competent but has inadequate interpersonal skills, the work environment might become toxic easily.

Ready Access to a Pool of Potential Candidates

ATS technology is not only valuable to HR departments. Staffing companies that deal with dozens of businesses and thousands of job-seekers are finding Applicant Tracking Systems more suited to their activities. Apart from being able to attend to more clients at any time, the system’s automated responses are making it easier to send instant messages to both job-seekers and employers.

Modern ATS nowadays allow HR companies/departments to raise extra revenue through monetization. With an in-built e-commerce system, businesses can charge job-seekers for taking competency and career-fitting tests or other training modules. Also, marketers and HR departments are able to send targeted newsletters to individual users with a greater precision now. Whether it is news about current job openings or informational resources, newsletters will have a better open rate if users expect high value content.

AI in the Hiring Process

ATS vendors are always coming up with more features that improve adoption rates among both recruiters and job-seekers. For businesses, machine learning systems are now able to make future hiring decisions based on successful past decisions. For example, an inbuilt algorithm will be able to analyse the key attributes of successful managers and, based on said information, recommend more qualified applicants from a pool of job-seekers. The ATS looks out for education and work histories to tease out characteristics that have a higher probability of increasing value for the business based on attributes that the company’s current and past workers exhibit in general. This refined approach aims at diminishing human errors while providing a more scientific, fact-based recruitment process. In some cases, AI-empowered systems suggest the best words to use in a job ad in order to reduce incidences of gender or racial bias.

On LinkedIn, for example, users who give their consent are sent open positions based on their preferences. In addition to these, LinkedIn makes it possible to see how qualified candidates are, given their stated skills and competencies based on the job requirements. LinkedIn also shows users how late or early they are in the application queue. To streamline the process further, the applicant has the opportunity to contact the employer directly.

One area that HR recruitment has followed marketing is in the use of chatbots. When built into the recruitment process, these instant messages direct candidates on how best to fill out online forms. With more accurate information, HR departments/firms are now better placed to offer jobs more suited to the clients.

Beyond deploying ATS solutions, ATS functionalities now make it possible for a close relationship between HR and marketing teams. High value candidates want to have a feel of what they are working on. They are more excited by what they will be creating than just seeing a few lines of job descriptions. By following leads using marketing assets like a company’s social media page, the company is able to draw from a pool of candidates already aware of the prospective employer. These candidates are fans before they become workers, and the net effect is a boost in productivity and low staff turnover.

Mobile Optimisation

With the level of mobile proliferation and increasing internet access, chances are your potential employee is checking out job boards while on a public transport from Accra to Sogakope. If you are employing from the youthful African demographic, know that there is no better way of reaching them than via mobile. An ATS platform that fails to load effectively on mobile is a bad advert for business. Not only does it cast your business in a negative light, it limits your access to talent to take your business to the next level.

JobzMall has used this understanding of the importance of mobile to create a mall-like experience to recruitment. Yet to launch in Africa, the recruitment platform showcases each recruiter as a shop in a mall. Businesses also use video to showcase their offers to potential clients.

Since users are always on mobile and probably browsing a social site, SMS alerts are an important way of reaching out to the target demography. Not only do Applicant Tracking systems make it easy to collect user information, they automate messaging to make for seamless deployment. Once a job-seeker’s details match a job ad, sending an SMS alert means the candidate can be reached in real time. A candidate might wait till the end of day to read an email message. With a text message, however, the result is usually instant.

Because of easy integration with social media sites, modern ATS also makes it easy to reach out to potential clients. Social-ready recruitment sites are convenient to users, thereby increasing participation. Employers are also able to monitor online footprints of potential employees in order to provide jobs that better suit them. Politically exposed persons and individuals with toxic social tendencies can easily be monitored on social than can be made out from a list of candidates in a CV database.

Note that social integration has its shortcomings. Clients who have gone through a negative recruitment process are more likely to share their experiences on social these days because of the convenience. Thus, modern ATS challenges recruiters to master the art of service delivery. It allows for a comprehensive approach to the recruitment process rather than focusing on just hiring the seemingly right candidate. When a candidate is treated well, they will give your business a thumbs up vote even if they fail to make the cut.

Security

Perhaps, most important in the whole recruitment process is the security of user data. ATS technology allows businesses to collect very sensitive information regarding finances and other biodata. Such information in the wrong hands could be calamitous first for the user, and then the business. The very basic feature on any ATS should be a secure platform. An ATS platform without an SSL certificate is exposing personal information to countless danger.

HR businesses and employers that deploy ATS technology across international boundaries must take local data protection laws into account. The GDPR in the EU, for example, makes businesses responsible for data collected from EU citizens. Candidates must be able to delete their information on your servers when they wish to, and the processes for doing so must be open and transparent.

At a time when the internet has created a near-borderless world, identifying and catching the right talent could depend on who is quick and agile enough in making recruitment decisions. Sticking to the old method is wrought with human interference and unhealthy caution. The modern ATS, like the gRecruit, however,  helps recruit the right people for the right jobs at just the right time. By getting the right fit for your business, you are increasing job satisfaction and cutting down staff turnovers.