Ten tips for choosing an applicant tracking system

Choosing an Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) is one of the most important decisions you can make in online recruitment. The following tips aim to help you approach the process of choosing an ATS effectively.

1: Know what kind of recruiter you are

There are two main types of recruiters. The first are recruiters that hire for themselves and their own businesses (These are our focus in this article). The second are professional recruitment and staffing firms whose day to day business is to hire staff for other people’s businesses. Their needs of these two types of recruiters are very different and, as a consequence, Applicant Tracking Systems for each are very different.

For example, Applicant Tracking System for employers hiring staff for themselves tend to focus on the hiring process: job requisitioning, job specing, job advertising, candidate response and recruitment management; whereas Applicant Tracking System for recruitment businesses tend to focus more on managing candidate databases.

Corporate recruitment starts with a vacancy for which a candidate must be sourced. The whole recruitment process is about finding the right person for a specific vacancy. A recruitment business tends to source a database of existing candidates and put them forward for matched vacancies. While the difference is subtle the implication for how an ATS is implemented is significant.

2: Review your recruitment process

How do you currently hire? Is it good? Bad? How can you improve the quality of hire at your organisation? Use the process of choosing an ATS to review your recruitment processes: it’s unlikely that you will ever get a better opportunity to review how you recruit again. Your objective here is to define and establish a best in class recruitment process.

3: Decide what you need from your ATS

What exactly do you need your ATS for? Look at your recruitment process and identify what you really need. For example, will the ATS be used for a high volume generic hiring process or small occasional bespoke hires? Or both? Will the ATS be used for growing a CV database? Or will it be focused on job advertising? Will it need to integrate with job boards? How will it integrate with social media? How will it manage your careers site? Will it need to filter out applicants? Will there be aptitude tests? What kind of application process do you want? What about managing candidate? Decide what you need from your ATS.

4: Detail what your ATS must do

Once you have identified your recruitment process needs, define those needs that must be met by the ATS. That is, what is it essential for your ATS to do?

5: Decide what you would like your ATS to do

Once you have identified those things that your ATS must do, define functionalities that you would like your ATS to have. These are the things you’d like to have — but you’d be able to manage without. This point is especially important if you are working with a limited budget.

6: Enterprise or SaaS?

ATS systems come in two flavours: “enterprise” and “Software as a Service (SaaS).” Enterprise ATS systems are those that are implemented on your own system. These compare with ATS products delivered via the web as “software as a service” or “in the cloud”. Rather like the rest of the software world, most firms are moving towards the SaaS provision — not only is implementation simpler but they tend to cost a lot less than enterprise solutions.

7: Decide on the budget for your ATS

Knowing how much you have to spend on your ATS will help narrow down your choices. Prices vary from SaaS ATS providers offering free products to enterprise products costing tens of thousands of pounds. Your needs should define your budget. And remember, recruiting for your business is perhaps the most important thing you can do: there’s not justification for scrimping on the technology that supports your business success.

8: Research

Research as much as you can. Read articles and blogs on choosing ATS systems. Review ATS provider websites for products specs and features and benefits. Speak to ATS providers and allow them the opportunity to pitch to you. Get advice and recommendations from other people. Check the web for product reviews. Talk to the ATS sales people. And listen to them. The sales process itself can help you finalize your recruitment needs and choose the right ATS.

9: Create a shortlist

Create a shortlist of ATS suppliers and then compare and contrast the solution they provide and the price they provide it at. Invite the selected providers to present to you. This might include a visit to your office; or it might involve an online demo. Go through the full process and ask the questions you need. Ask for testimonials from their clients.

10: Choose your ATS

After all that, you’ve got there: you have identified your ongoing and future recruitment needs; you have honestly reviewed your recruitment process; you’ve established what you must have in your ATS to support improved recruitment; you’ve established a budget and shortlisted the candidate products. Now it’s time to decide.

Next steps? Check out these other guides and articles:

• Advantages and Disadvantages of Careers Sites
• An introduction to Careers Sites for employers
• An introduction to Psychometric Testing & Assessment
• An Introduction to Recruitment Branding
• An introduction to Referral Recruiting
• Search Engine Marketing for Recruitment
• Ten tips for a great careers site for employers
• Ten tips for choosing an applicant tracking system