In the past, sorting through job applications to find the perfect candidate could be a tedious process—for a larger company, which might receive thousands of resumes, an employee would need to physically read every one, hunting for the perfect match for their company. Even with the advent of the internet, digitally sorting through resumes has been a substantial chore. A recruiter could easily delete or throw away the perfect resume by mistake. In all, combing through resumes and picking out the possible candidates has been a time-consuming process.
Applicant tracking software (ATS) has helped to vastly simplify and expedite this process. The software handles recruitment by using algorithms to sort through resumes, searching for keywords and highlighting the applicants with relevant experience and skills. With ATS, much of the process of reading resumes, choosing prime candidates, and eliminating those without relevant experience is taken on by the software, freeing up valuable time for recruiters. While this software was first implemented by large corporations that field thousands of resumes, it’s recently been used by businesses of all sizes to make the hiring process more efficient.
Applicant tracking software makes life as a recruiter much simpler in a number of ways. By searching resumes for important keywords, sorting by user-selected relevance, and maintaining a database of submitted resumes, ATS helps to ensure that the best candidates for any position rise to the top of the pile. The software continues to retain the resumes of submitted candidates, so even if a prospect doesn’t fit one particular job, their resume will be easy to find if the right job opens up.
The software also helps optimize the entire recruiting process by providing mobile compatibility and remote access, ensuring consistent communication and instant notification should an interesting candidate emerge. Some ATS systems include scheduling capabilities that allow hiring agents to plan interviews, pre-screenings, and other parts of the process within the software. In addition, most ATS systems have onboarding software that conveniently transitions recruits into new hires easily and automatically inputs them into any onboarding processes necessary.
For recruiters, using software that takes care of some of their day-to-day responsibilities makes it possible to spend more time evaluating the most relevant applicants, helping fine-tune searches and find the perfect candidate for a position. Searchable and archived databases help to keep prime prospects on record during times when jobs aren’t open, while automated records-keeping makes communication with candidates easier.
ATS technologies are making it much easier to find the perfect match for a job opening. The software allows recruiters to focus on the most important part of the process – the human connection – eliminating the need to sort through mountains of resumes or the risk of losing out on the best candidates due to slow processing. With ATS systems, recruiters can be confident that they’re finding qualified candidates who fit seamlessly with employers, in record time.
