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ATS Systems Must Perform When Time Is of the Essence

Once considered a luxury only for the largest businesses, applicant tracking systems and resume tracking software are now an integral part of the HR world. Companies must be able to sort through excessive amounts of chaff to find a few kernels of wheat. Powerful talent acquisition software is a must. Candidate-centric software is part of that because it attracts the best candidates, but the nuts and bolts of the recruitment system must be strong enough to handle a high volume of applicants quickly and effectively.

ATS Systems Provide a More Proactive Process

Candidates don’t want to wait around to hear if they’ve been hired or not. They want and deserve timely notifications. They’ve sacrificed their time and effort to seek you out. It is only honorable for you to spend the requisite effort and capital to treat them professionally and respectfully. Otherwise, word might get around that you don’t value their time, effort, or talents, and that could be damaging to your recruitment strategy.

The right applicant tracking system will let you find candidates with the correct qualifications, ask them clarifying questions, and manage their progress. By using such resume tracking software, you can also shift effortlessly to onboarding with the candidates to whom you extend an accepted offer of employment.

Without the right system, however, communication between you and your candidates will break down. Many of them will leave for greener pastures rather than wait around. If that happens, you will have to start the process all over again, which wastes more time and money.

Applicant Tracking Processes Make Hiring Easier

The right system isn’t all you need, though. You also need the right processes. If your career website attracts a lot of candidates for your various job openings and your workflows aren’t up to the task, then despite all efforts at speed and efficiency, your recruiting process will not be successful.

Well-designed ATS software also allows HR managers to delegate when the number of applicants rises to the point that one person cannot handle them all. As long as the company philosophy and operating procedures are clear among all of the HR professionals in the company, the manager can free them up to handle resumes and process candidates swiftly.

Don’t let poor processes, technology, and attitudes deflate your recruitment strategy. Rely on solid applicant tracking and all of its accompanying systems, but don’t let the technology overrun you or your plan. Recruitment software is a great tool, but it shouldn’t be the only factor in defining your recruitment strategy.