What To Look For In An Applicant Tracking System

It is no surprise that the pandemic has been a catalyst for great change within the workforce at large. In turn, this has altered how recruiters and talent acquisition professionals engage with candidates and manage the recruitment process. Change can create challenges but it also invites innovation and opportunity for businesses. 

Gartner had recently surveyed more than 500 human resources leaders across 60 countries and industries to identify the emerging HR trends and expected challenges for 2022. The survey findings provide meaningful insights for recruiting agencies and HR departments. The need for critical skills and competencies within organizations and addressing rising staff turnover and talent shortages in some fields were noted as key priorities. 

With the nature of ‘work’ evolving with time, it is becoming increasingly evident that organizations need to structure their talent management around skills rather than job titles. It only takes a look at how the way we work has changed in response to the pandemic, particularly the wide-scale introduction of remote work, to see that the skills of the future are shifting. A restructure towards scouting talent pools for skill sets rather than job titles is required. This necessitates gathering and analyzing large data sets to appropriately fit candidates with jobs matching their skills. 

Furthermore, Forbes has weighed in on the conversation, adding that HR professionals need to have high levels of data literacy to be able to make sense of the large amounts of information they have at hand when it comes to jobs and candidates. As the need for data analysis grows, so too must the ability for recruiters to read data contextually and gather insights for improved decision-making in the recruitment space.

The business case for investing in a strategic and data-driven approach to HR is further supported by research showing that companies that approach recruitment this way are three times more likely to hire the right candidates. Those in the business of recruitment know that hiring the right candidate means positive long-term outcomes for both their organization and employees.  

The pandemic has also seen rising staff turnover and candidate shortages across some industries, leading to increased competition for talent globally. It is becoming harder to find the right people for the job and this means that attracting and effectively managing top talent should be at the forefront of recruitment strategy. When hiring is your business, the need for effective recruitment solutions becomes progressively more important for organizations to remain ahead of their competition in sourcing talent. 

The challenges faced by HR professionals in 2022 and beyond can be mediated through the implementation of an ATS. The right ATS can offer recruiters support to overcome challenges in the HR space and find top talent for their clients or own organization.

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ATS Overview

An ATS (or Applicant Tracking System) is an all-encompassing software solution to streamline the recruiting process for businesses, both large and small. An ATS can be utilized by recruitment agencies and/or recruiters within organizations. An ATS provides an end-to-end solution to support talent acquisition professionals in their search for high-quality and best-fit candidates.

But, of course, not all Applicant Tracking Systems solutions are the same. Here we’ll explore the key elements of a quality ATS to ensure you know what you’re looking for in the hunt for the ideal ATS to meet your business needs. 

Key Elements of a Quality ATS

Ease of Implementation and Use 

First and foremost, an ATS needs to be built based on functionality and intuitive design to ensure it can seamlessly fit within the existing recruitment process of any business. With this in mind, Manatal offers a solution that can be used by anyone with ease, even HR professionals with no IT knowledge. 

Some key features of Manatal include:

• A ‘Boolean’ search function across the entire ATS platform that works in the same way a Google search would. The familiarity of this means that information is at your fingertips quickly and easily. 
• A ‘drag and drop’ interface that is intuitive and removes unnecessary complexity, particularly when tracking a candidate through the recruitment process pipeline. 
• Integrations with existing email and calendar platforms, meaning that Manatal’s ATS becomes an enhancement to your existing workflow processes.
• A cloud-based platform that allows access to all data anytime, anywhere and on any device. This negates the need for a dedicated IT staff member to implement and update software. All IT maintenance will automatically be completed online.
• Security solution to safely manage all critical candidate and business-related data. Manatal’s ATS provides a solution with the top security certifications for a SaaS (Software as a Solution) platform. SOC 2 Type II security assures your data is always protected for the benefit of the business and your job applicants.
• Accessibility to post jobs on all the free and Premium Job Boards to widen the reach for sourcing candidates and funnel incoming applications into a centralized platform for an efficient screening process. 
• A quick and simple ‘career page’ setup allowing HR staff to customize all content to match their company brand and begin receiving applications without the need for technical support. 

Inbuilt Tools for Collaboration, Communication, and CRM 

The recruitment process involves communication between a number of different parties, from recruitment agencies to hiring managers and department heads to applicants. It is vital that all relevant information is readily available for relevant stakeholders to access and update in a timely manner. Manatal’s ATS software solution has been designed with both recruitment agencies and in-house HR departments in mind.

Our ‘Notes’ system allows for discussions between collaborators to take place quickly and easily, all within one platform. For example, we offer a feature that allows recruiters to invite hiring managers to the platform to check in with relevant job postings, allowing them to review candidates, leave relevant notes and see progress as the recruiting process advances. This also aligns with the ‘easy-viewing pipeline’ which allows for the seamless tracking and management of all jobs in the system at any one time. 

For recruitment agencies, it is vital for the ATS to include a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) in order to centralize all sales, client management and recruitment operations. Manatal’s CRM ensures that all staff members involved throughout the process can remain informed and on the same page. 

Candidates are also central collaborators throughout the recruitment process. Manatal allows recruiters to offer candidates a seamless experience for submitting their job applications. Noting the competitive talent market at present, businesses should have a vested interest in attracting top talent and making it easy for them to learn about a particular role and apply. A tedious application process or poor document management could mean losing a high-quality candidate to another organization.  

AI-Powered Technology

A quality ATS should include tools to easily retrieve best-fit candidates from databases. A common pain point for recruiters is the overwhelming amount of information that needs to be analyzed to find appropriate candidates for each role. Further, talent acquisition professionals want to manage shortlisted candidates in the talent pool as well as continually attract new ones. This means that over time the pool of candidates continues to grow as it encompasses both past and present job applicants. 

By harnessing the power of AI-technology, we support recruiters in the otherwise daunting task of ‘talent pool analysis’ that is required for each new hire. Our AI Recommendation feature allows recruiters to enter a job description into the system and the AI-technology scouts for best-fit candidates based upon core skills and job requirements. Each application is scored by the AI system allowing recruiters to save precious time and narrow in on the most appropriate applicants from their talent pool database.

Manatal also ensures that regardless of whether applicants are current or past, the AI-technology will identify the best candidates for each and every job description. This functionality opens up the ability to identify a quality candidate for a current job opening that had previously applied for a different role. The ability to leverage an existing ‘candidate pool’ for future hiring needs presents a win-win scenario for both recruiters and applicants as it ensures that quality of hire is always at the center of the recruitment process.

Another feature that forms part of our all-inclusive recruitment solution is ‘Social Media Enrichment’. This reporting tool means that recruiters, at the push of a button, can retrieve all publicly available social media accounts for a particular candidate. This allows recruiters to develop a holistic candidate profile to better assess the cultural fit of their candidates and save time undertaking this task manually. 

A quality assessment of a candidate’s cultural fit with an organization oftentimes leads to improving hire quality and staff retention. 

There can be a real value added to businesses that utilize an ATS as part of their recruitment process. A combination of AI technology and human-centered candidate screening is a powerful one and can have a positive impact on outcomes for both employers and employees. Manatal allows all facets of a candidate’s application to be assessed for suitability to a particular job description. By selecting the right candidate for a role, based upon both skillset and company fit, you can improve employee job satisfaction and performance as well as reduce staff turnover and cost savings associated with quality of hire.

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Comprehensive Reporting and Data Analysis

Throughout the recruitment process, there are a multitude of relevant metrics, for example, source of hire and quality of hire, that require ongoing analysis to ensure KPIs are being met. The real power in data analysis is the insight it can provide businesses on the outcomes of their recruitment processes. 

As Manatal’s ATS AI-Technology saves time by performing many of the onerous tasks involved in processing candidate applications, recruiters can spend productive time exploring data trends and gaining valuable insights into the efficiencies and outcomes of their recruiting efforts. This is the type of work and skill set we need recruitment professionals to focus on and develop as it requires higher-order thinking and problem-solving that cannot be replicated by AI technologies.

Adopting a data-driven approach throughout each step of the recruiting process allows businesses to be proactive and forward planning as the future of work evolves over time. Without the insights that data analysis provides, businesses may miss opportunities to make informed decisions and pivot if necessary. 

By implementing an ATS, comprehensive reporting and data analysis becomes central to the recruitment process by default, supporting best-practice and improved outcomes for hiring the right candidates for the right role. 

Document Management and Compliance

The need for the efficient collection, organization, and analysis of information is evident from a logistical perspective, but so too from a compliance perspective. HR professionals need to rely on technologies to protect their data and remain up to date and compliant with changing requirements.

The recent move towards more remote work roles also means much of what we do is now facilitated exclusively online. As sensitive data consistently flows into a business via the recruiting process, cybersecurity, compliance and data integrity need to be taken seriously. It is vital that systems are in place to safeguard organizations and their job applicants’ critical information. An ATS can be a steadfast tool in ensuring data privacy compliance. Manatal’s ATS features a wide range of tools that support compliance with regulations such as the GDPR, CCPA, PDPA, among others.

Cost-Effective Solution with Customer Support

An easy-to-use software service doesn’t mean that questions won’t arise throughout the process of implementing and using an Applicant Tracking System. Another common pain point for recruiters can be the frustration of not having the necessary support when implementing new software solutions. We know that accessible customer support is central to getting the most out of an ATS and tailoring it to your business or agency’s needs. 

Manatal offers live chat support and a Knowledge Base library of supporting documentation for various aspects of the platform. This means that as questions arise, you have the comfort of knowing an answer is available to you.

Manatal also offers an affordable ATS solution to efficient recruitment management. In our case, affordability does not equate to poor quality, low feature count, or a lack of support. Despite being one of the most competitive recruitment SaaS solutions in the market, Manatal offers as many, if not more, tools compared to other solutions.

Moreover, Manatal is transparent in its approach to pricing. Some ATS solutions do not publicly disclose their pricing or offer specific functions as add-ons which can mean pricing quickly becomes unaffordable for businesses to adopt. Manatal’s ATS solution means that businesses only pay for the number of users on the platform. Additionally, Manatal’s pricing is all-inclusive and easy to understand. It is important to us that you know what you are getting for your investment so you can budget appropriately and there are no costly surprises along the way. 

Conclusion

As discussed, the workplace and world of recruitment have changed and will continue to evolve over time. These changes offer recruitment professionals the opportunity to innovate and improve upon their current recruitment practices. The integration of an ATS into an existing talent acquisition process can support recruitment agencies and HR departments to move forward with ease and confidence.

The need for a data-driven approach to recruiting is clear. The implementation of an ATS offers a best-practice solution to meet the demands of recruitment in an increasingly information-dense and competitive talent market. By allowing an ATS to efficiently manage many of the time-consuming tasks, such as candidate screening, recruiters open up space to use their time more productively. The value of additional time can also mean that recruitment agencies can better cope with and adapt to future challenges in the industry.

An ATS can also have significant impacts on improving outcomes for recruiters and applicants alike. The features of an ATS can drive cost and time savings at each step of the recruiting process, improve outcomes for quality hiring and staff retention, as well as protect the data privacy of businesses and their applicants. A quality ATS also offers a consistent and streamlined recruitment process to attract top talent and assess their applications.
As noted, when hiring is your business it makes sense to invest in high-quality software tools like the Manatal ATS to ensure you have what you need in the search for best-fit candidates for every job need that arises.

Are you in need of an easy-to-use and powerful ATS to help streamline time-consuming processes and help you deliver results? 

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