An applicant tracking system software enables an organization to electronically handle recruitment data and needs. Commonly known as recruitment software, an ATS gets implemented easily into the small company’s HR system and can be accessed online anytime. Depending on the needs of the company, the recruitment team can buy the software that fits their preferences. ATS is very similar to CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software but the major difference is that ATS is exclusively designed for recruitment tracking purposes. A small company applicant tracking system helps the hiring manager filter out resumes and candidates on some defined criteria such as skills, years of experience, keywords, geographical location, etc.
What Is the Main Principle of a Small Company ATS?
An ideal applicant tracking system automates the recruitment specific procedures and also acts as an additional module to the internal HR suite, better known as Human Resource Information System (HRIS). With the coming of SAAS (Software as a Service) or open source solutions, applicant tacking systems are finding their place in every small and medium enterprise.
The main objective of any small company applicant tracking system is to provide a central database and server for meeting the recruitment needs of the company and automate the underlying processes. Apart from automation, a small company applicant tracking system can assist in the management of applicants’ information and resumes. The main sources of data collection are:
- ATS front-end which is often linked with the company website’s job-portal page.
- Data extracted from online job boards and resume boards
The ATSs have modules which help recruiters connect with the major online job boards such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Monster, Indeed, and more. These job boards have partnered with the ATS providers as they offer them easy data migration and parsing support from one system to another.
These next generation recruiting systems have integration points that help other providers seamlessly integrate with the software. This leads to omni channel talent acquisition which means that the ATS solutions can post the jobs targeting the candidate and not only the job boards.
The upcoming major advancements in a small company applicant tracking system include processing the information via Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques. This facilitates intelligence and semantic guided search capabilities which are offered through cloud based platforms. This helps small companies sort and score resumes with an efficient and optimized alignment to the job descriptions and requirements.
Candidates these days are using resume optimization techniques and other online tools to increase their chances of getting an interview call.
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Benefits of a Small Company Applicant Tracking System
There is a common misconception that an ATS is limited to data collection and mining. But the benefits of an ATS in any small and medium enterprise are diverse. These include:
- ATS automates the recruitment processes via seamless and defined workflow.
- An applicant tracking system analyzes and coordinates all the recruitment efforts by managing the conceptual structure, often known as human capital.
- Recruitment software gets integrated with the company’s web job portal easily. This portal even allows the small company to offer opportunities to existing employees prior to the external recruitment.
- The database of all the candidates, whether selected or rejected, remains stored and it might be helpful in future prospects.
Most of the small companies prefer SAAS based recruitment software as they don’t require additional infrastructure and are fully secure and affordable. All the data gets stored on tightly secured servers with layers of protection.
ATS Integrated with Existing HR System
A SAAS based small company applicant tracking software creates and maintains a candidate information database and keeps track of all the open positions within the company. In short, all the company’s job openings and applicants can easily be tracked using this software.
With the help of recruitment software, the hiring manager can easily cross reference and search the entire candidate database to find the best fit for the job opening. Apart from storing just the candidate information, an ATS allows a system of reporting and filing applications. It also allows the employer to keep a track of each and every application irrespective of the hiring status or job applied to by the candidate.
The entire interview scheduling and planning can be done with a single click from the software itself. The ATS also sends notifications to the candidates regarding the status of their application or next steps after the interview etc.
Some other functions of ATS which play a major role in the recruitment drive of a small company are as given below:
- Word processing
- Complete job descriptions for each position
- Resume scanning
- Interview scheduling capabilities
- Statistics and trend analysis
- Equal employment opportunity reporting
- Pre-employment testing and tracking
- Job posting capabilities
- An automated notification system
- Remote and 24/7 access
How Does ATS Work?
The ATS software automates every process of the recruitment drive. The process begins when the recruiter creates a job position. The ATS helps the hiring manger or recruiter reach out to every deserving candidate in different geographical areas through numerous job posting websites and portals.
After the applicant submits their resume/CV for the job opening, the ATS parses and stores the information. Depending on the parameters set by the recruiters, the ATS accepts or rejects the applications.
After being scrutinized, the final candidate resumes are sent to the hiring manager and interviews are scheduled and managed with the help of ATS. Notification during each and every phase of the interview process are sent to the candidates. Even after the final selection, ATS expedites the onboarding process for the new hires. An ATS literally helps and automates each and every phase of the recruitment campaign.
Influence of Small Company ATS
The main effect of bringing an ATS onboard in a small company is that it makes the complete recruitment process easy, streamlined, efficient, and faster. An ATS helps in:
Streamlining the Entire Recruitment Process
An ATS help the recruiters and the hiring managers sift through hundreds of resumes in just a few minutes based on pre-set criteria.
Saving Time
As the applications and the resumes are sorted and scored in just few minutes, a lot of valuable time is saved for the hiring managers. Manual sorting of the resumes can consume a lot of time and no one is free enough to look through each and every resume personally. An ATS makes sure that a small company never loses a good candidate just because the recruiter does not have enough time.
Tracking and Keeping the Record of Every Process
ATS keeps track and records every recruitment process such as how many candidates applied, how many qualified, candidates’ demographic locations, how candidates learned about the job posting, interview scheduling, and more.
Providing Analytics
All the valuable analytics such as number of applications received per job opening, the job filling rate, efficiency of the recruiter, etc are stored in a database. This helps the small company improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the recruitment process.
Posting Jobs to Online Job Boards
Posting jobs manually to every online job portal consumes a lot of time. A
small company applicant tracking system fetches the list of all the online job portals so recruiters can select the portals on which they want to post their jobs. Thus, an ATS helps the small company recruiters and the hiring team to reach out to global audience and aids in improving brand value as well.
Resume Parsing and Information Storage
An ATS parses and stores the candidate information by extracting it from the resume. It also matches the resume against the job description. Only if a match is found are the resumes forwarded to the next level.
Scheduling and Managing Interviews
The small company applicant tracking system sends notifications in form of emails and SMS to the candidates regarding their selection/ rejection for an interview. The notifications are also triggered when the applications are received.
On-boarding Process
Apart from finding a perfect hire for the company, an ATS assists the HR team in the on-boarding process too. ATS helps in the initial induction processes and informs the new hires regarding all the formalities to be completed and offers them explanations to their queries. Other information such as HR policies can be added to the small company applicant tracking system in order to make the on-boarding process timely and smooth.
Some Final Words
In this fast-paced world, digital platforms have become an essential part for every company, large or small. An ATS eliminates the need for paper work and saves time desired by busy recruiters. Bringing a small company applicant tracking system on-board ensures that all the job openings are filled in a timely manner with well-suited and deserving candidates.