An applicant tracking system (ATS), also known as a talent management system (TMS), is a software application that enables electronic handling of applicant data and resumes. There are a lot of benefits to implementing these systems into your organization.
First, it can be linked directly to your company Website or Intranet. The very basic version of these systems allows you to accurately track open position time and is an excellent tool for affirmative action reporting requirements. Most important is that it serves as your very own resume database of all your past applicants that can be tapped into at anytime with ease. You can track your applicant’s progression through the recruitment process and store notes on your interviews for you to reference later.
Depending on the level of sophistication for your particular system you can pre-screen candidates through the system to weed out unqualified candidates. This is an excellent asset as it ensures all applicants are screened using the same preliminary questions. The system can then rank pre-screened candidates based on their answers. You can communicate directly with the applicant through the system and grant hiring managers access to communicate with and follow up on candidates. Your system can also be designed to post to major job boards (i.e. CareerBuilder, etc.) directly from within your site. You can even funnel an Internet search on your candidate through their application.
Some things to note – these systems can serve as an excellent deterrent to passive candidates due to the time required to create a profile, answer questions and upload a resume. On the other hand, it can also be a deterrent to candidates who aren’t computer savvy. Also, serious consideration should be given to multi-language platforms. Further, this is not typically a tool for senior/executive level candidates as these candidates don’t typically job search utilizing the Internet.
Depending on your open position and applicant count, this can be a time consuming system to administer and may require a dedicated staff member to manage it. These systems are becoming increasingly more common with large and small organizations but they can be very costly depending on the level of sophistication. It really isn’t beneficial if you don’t have a large number of positions open at any given time or don’t generate a large number of applicants.
Before you decide to implement an ATS think long and hard about what you want out of your system and select a system that can be modified effectively as your organization’s needs change.
Allyson Smith is the principal of Smith HR Consulting, an HR Consulting firm operating in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Tags: affirmative action, affirmative action reporting, applicant, applicant tracking system, application, ATS, candidate, employer, hiring, hr metric, human resources, internet application, new business, online application, open position time, recruit, resume, resume database, small business, talent management system, TMS
