Decision Maker’s Guide to Creating an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

There is a common belief that the first obstacle to getting through a job interview is a recruiter’s judgment, but the reality completely differs from all these thoughts. According to the latest research, almost 90% of large and middle-sized companies filter CVs using an applicant tracking system (ATS) before even the HR manager takes a look.

It all began before the covid and boomed after a year in pandemic due to too much documentation within one hiring department. Manual recruitment is losing its meaning in the modern world with implementations like ATS, as it provides numerous benefits for both – employees and companies. To put it simply, an ATS ATS is certain software that automates every aspect of traditional hiring processes. It speeds up the search of the needed candidate by allowing you to post vacancies on dozens of job boards, check hundreds of CVs with a single click, automatically schedule preferred job interviews, and much more.

According to the survey performed at the end of 2020, 66% of enterprises and 35% of SMEs trust ATS managing their talent pipelines, with the following mentioned advantages: 

• Decreased resources required for repetitive and administrative work;
• Improved quality of hires and quicker candidate shortlisting;
• Implementation of recruitment and accounting;
• Lesser costs for the process.

Although ATMs are in high demand among most popular companies that want to improve many valuable business processes, when you consider creating an applicant tracking system, it could be challenging to get in line and not to fail in this competitive industry. This is why this guide has been crafted by our experts closely working with various ATMs to help you understand the basics and how to build your own applicant tracking system through practice-proven tips.

What is Applicant Tracking System (ATS)? 

It is specially developed software that helps companies organize most hiring and recruitment purposes. They allow businesses to gather relevant information, manage prospect candidates based on experience, skill set, location, and filter challengers for further interviews.

Today over 90% of Fortune 500 Companies use ats development because it is a great tool not only for storing candidate information but also for tracking all communications with candidates. This makes the enrolment process straightforward, providing smart search and filter resumes, thereby decreasing resources for this task and giving the company a 100% fit.  

Since we know what it means, it is time to dive deeper into its principles of work. Let’s imagine that you are looking for a job and you want the process to be as simple and fast as possible. For this reason, high-tech application services allow you to easily apply for a position using any device, even without logging in. While you, as an employee, benefit from the decreased time needed for downloading your resume, companies also get a larger pool of challengers that later will be ranked automatically based on skills and experience.

During the hiring process, applicant tracking software helps recruiters to submit feedback and vital details about a prospect easily. In addition, some give an opportunity to collaborate from a mobile device, so it is hassle-free even for most busy managers.

Since almost every enterprise has its own form of resource managers responsible for looking for new talents to join the team, these platforms can benefit all spheres and industries regarding the size. 

1. Speed Up the Recruiting Process

When considering building an applicant tracking system, this reason takes first place. It significantly improves the time to hire with the resources required to fill an open job position. Using it, companies speed up tasks that usually take hours of work, like resume parsing and eliminating non-qualified or irrelevant prospects. The product allows businesses to gain more time for the onboarding process and other vital tasks while also getting the best candidates before others will make them offer.

2. Improve the Quality of Hire

Best ATS services allow companies to set pre-identified standards and requirements to avoid unqualified prospects and prioritize the perfect fits. This not just improves the quality of hire but also saves time on ones that won’t be a good fit for listed needs. This also helps to make better and quicker offers, showing a candidate your dedication and brand’s appreciation. 

3. Provide Enhanced Reporting

Since these services are usually packed with analytics and reporting features, they can provide unique insights for creating data-driven decisions. For instance, enrolment reports are basic and time-consuming tasks every small business needs. This is where this service comes into the picture and determines the efficiency of the HR process, identifies which source offers the best candidates, tracks Equal Employment Opportunity data, and keeps management up-to-date on prospects pipelines.

What are the main features of the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software? 

The ATS definition is vast, as the capabilities of these modern services affect the entire recruitment process virtually. However, these features are most common in the platform, and they are responsible for faster and improved hire.

Search of talents

This is the primary feature that helps to start automated vacancy posting and application pages that enter into the database while also promoting employer management for a higher revenue. 

Candidate control

This one provides automatic downloading of prospect data, uploading documents into an open database, scheduling and screening information regarding employee files, well-thought-out storage of current candidates, as a result ensuring higher talent pools.

Pre-screening resumes

Being highly efficient and helpful in times of too high demand for the vacancy, this feature makes keyword parsing of CV to help find out needed skills. It also offers automated screening of irrelevant ones, automated hires outreach, and then first interview scheduling. 

Smarter job offers

Thi tool can be basic or extended, but the second option is more appealing as it is used to generate and send offers, gain signed talent data, and append them to needed files. 

Employee onboarding

Also not an essential one, but valuable for a smooth workflow and first weeks of your new talent. Once the person signs your offer, further documentation can be easily stored and tracked using the ATS service. 

These features represent only the most common or fascinating capabilities provided by new systems. So when used, recruiters will be surprised how many functions and benefits these platforms can bring into their hectic working days.  

What are the benefits of Applicant Tracking System (ATS) development for a company?

Improved time-to-hire

This software is known for optimizing the workflow, automating repetitive tasks, reducing paperwork, and improving communication. While resume research and reviewing is still the most time-consuming stage of enrolment, over 70% of CVs don’t qualify for a vacancy. This is how this software can optimize recruiters’ resources and help them find only relevant skill-sets.

Reduced cost-per-hire

By using this software, human resource managers get the top 25% of resumes, meaning the process is more valued. With an average monthly cost of $2000-$3000, HR software development will significantly overlap the costs and help the enterprises gain more revenue and reduce costs on recruitment.

Engaging recruiting process

Unfortunately, even the best companies struggle with finding good fits for most roles, with the biggest problem among developers. The reason is the poor and not engaging hiring process. Most high-skilled and attractive prospects have to experience satisfaction during every stage, but in reality, they get only dry numbers. This high-tech platform has more dedicated solutions that help find, engage, and hire the best talent with no problem.

Verified legal compliance

These platforms also keep HR’s compliant with the latest laws and regulations to ensure fair hiring. In addition, most of them also contain information on the challenger’s performance and can offer a clear picture of reasons why not hire someone in case of a lawsuit.

Reasons on why to choose HR software development over buying a readymade

Benefits of Readymade	Disadvantages of Readymade
Low-priced and affordable for startups	It can be expensive in case of adding new features or users
It will be perfect for small businesses with low resources needs	Can’t satisfy all business needs
Ready to use, so buy and start	Additional costs further
	It May be challenging to integrate into your exciting system

Benefits of custom development	Disadvantages of custom development
Ideally tailored to your business needs	It could be expensive for startups
Pre-estimate costs with no extra fees later	Requires time for development
Perfect for large companies with lots of requirements	Needs personal approach
Round o clock support
Specially-designed product only for your company
Free from bugs and no need for constant updates

Partner Interexy as your HR software development company

Even though all companies can greatly benefit from using applicant tracking systems, these platforms will be incredibly useful for every business regularly hiring employees for different roles, as well as those that lack some positions.

If you are not sure why you need an ATS and who can be your partner, contact our experts and get deeper into any question that arises.  

Final Thoughts

Creating an applicant tracking system allows companies to close deals up to 5x with less effort. In this article, we explained the basics of this software, how it works, why to consider it, and what benefits you can get when developing the platform with a trusted app development company.

FAQs

How much does it cost to develop an applicant tracking system?

There are no rough guidelines for all tracking systems. This all depends on the company’s size, personal requirements, features added, plus there could be extra costs for supporting, maintaining, and updating. However, the average cost of the development starts from 6000$. We recommend you to pre-estimate your project to learn costs better.

What are the benefits of ATS software?

It improves the quality of a hire as a good process is one of the best predictors of a company’s success in a challenging market. HR departments usually struggle to find and retain top talent, so this recruitment software is an efficient weapon for helping to minimize this stress.

What makes a good applicant tracking system?

There are many factors that differentiate poor platforms from a great one, but most vital are: compliance with specific industry needs, containing all critical features, no irrelevant information, fascinating design, high functionally and bug-free development.