Why Your Applicant Tracking System Needs to be Changed?

The case for using applicant tracking systems in recruitment is becoming stronger as business heads now acknowledge the role of next generation HR technology in improving HR productivity and efficiency. The C-Suite executives now understand that talent is their biggest asset. This is precisely why, whether it is an enterprise or a startup, every business is looking to expand their HR capabilities so as to improve the talent quality and hiring process (Also Read: Top 10 Benefits of Using an Applicant Tracking System). Even if you are one of those early adopters who were already using an applicant tracking system in your organization, it is essential to keep looking for signs that you are actually getting the maximum bang for your buck.

Using a legacy technology is as good as using no technology at all. Here are some indicators that tell you may be using an outdated Applicant Tracking System and there is a need to change your ATS:

• Change your ATS if it lacks a Configurable Hiring Workflow
• Switch your ATS in the absence of ATS Integration
• Replace your ATS in case of no improvement in Time to hire
• Upgrade your ATS in case of no improvement in Candidate Experience
• Lack of Social Media Integration is a sign your ATS is outdated

Change your ATS if it lacks a Configurable Hiring Workflow

Every business has its own hiring process and modalities. There are certain norms and practices that apply very well to a manufacturing business but may not hold true for an IT company. The Applicant Tracking Software you are using must take into account the nature of your business, the scale of your business and allow you to setup a hiring workflow accordingly. If the ATS doesn’t have such configurability, it is time to look for a better option.

Using your ATS, you should be able to replicate each step of your hiring process, whether it’s calling a candidate for an interview, sending out reminders, scheduling interviews, generating offers or onboarding.  Also, when a business scales and grows into various departments or separate entities, its hiring process also evolves and becomes complex. Your ATS should be robust enough to handle the new, complex hiring flow. In short, the applicant tracking system you chose should completely satisfy the unique needs of your company’s hiring workflow.

Switch your ATS in the absence of ATS Integration

Whenever there is talk of B2B software, especially enterprise software like ATS, integration is a major concern. Integration becomes tricky with Applicant Tracking Systems as most large organizations use their legacy HRMS or Candidate Management Systems, which they are heavily reliant on for managing a lot of HR tasks. Replacing their HRMS to accommodate a new ATS or vice versa doesn’t make sense most of the time and therefore, ATS integrations become a key concern in such scenarios.

Make sure your ATS vendor offers integration with third-party solutions, so that talent acquisition professionals can leverage the power of latest tools and technologies without compromising on their choice. These technologies could be anything, from data analytics & business intelligence tools to chatbots, third party search, email and others. This integration should take place seamlessly on the back-end, without affecting user experience, where user can be either the recruiter himself or a job seeker.

(Also Read: What to look for in an Applicant Tracking System)

Replace your ATS in case of no improvement in Time to hire

Deploying an ATS is largely dependent on the benefits that every ATS vendor promises. Reduced hiring time is one of such advantages that an ATS user should ideally experience over a non-ATS user. The ATS is supposed to have  functionalities, such as a search and parse algorithm, automated workflow, instant communication or collaboration between different stakeholders, that enables recruiters to take more effective and timely hiring decisions.

This can only happen when your ATS not only allows sourcing the best matches for a role but also supports end to end hiring. In effect that means, the Applicant Tracking Software must act as your end to end recruitment software.  Time to hire is an important recruitment metric that indicates the effectiveness of the ATS in use. Ideally, the ATS should be telling you the time spent in filling a position after it is posted. This would help you compare and gauge the effectiveness of your Applicant Tracking Software.

(Also Read: Why Cloud Based Applicant Tracking System is a Better Option?)

Upgrade your ATS in case of no improvement in Candidate Experience

A report from Software Advice says that 26% of recruiters believe using ATS has a positive impact on the candidate experience (Also Read: How to Measure Candidate Experience?). Using the right ATS can go a long way in improving the candidate experience. Good candidate experience comes from simplicity and intuitiveness. A good ATS should be invisible to its users. The last thing you want is to use an ATS which may count high on features but has an overtly complicated and long hiring workflow. If your ATS is making the job application process lengthier for the candidate than it should be, it’s time to change it in favor of simpler, easy-to-use software.

Of course some systems will claim to be better than others, but you have to test it out yourself which ATS are actually proving to be better for your audience’s experience.

Lack of Social Media Integration is a sign your ATS is outdated

If you are still stuck with an ATS that doesn’t have built in support for social media for sourcing profiles, it’s time to change it. The new age applicant tracking systems allow posting jobs on various social media channels in order to reach a previously untapped mine of talent. In addition to social media posting, social media sign in is another important feature where candidates do not have to create a new profile from scratch while registering for an account.

The ATS can pull profile details from the social media page of the candidate. Allowing employees to easily share the job posted on employee referral site to their own social media account through the click of a button will expand the company’s pool of resumes and help them tap into a greater talent pool. Thus, lack of social media integration in your ATS is no longer acceptable in the current age.

The role of Applicant Tracking Systems is vital in evolving hiring processes across departments and organizations. However, first it is important to bank your money on the right piece of software in order to maximize your gains and return of investment.

(Also Read: Disruptive HR Practices in 2018: What is changing for HR?)