An ATS is a software application that helps recruiters manage their job applications. The main function of an ATS is to automate the entire recruitment process. This means that instead of manually searching through resumes and sending out emails, recruiters can simply upload resumes into the ATS and wait for applicants to apply.
In comparison a human recruiter is much more manual and time consuming. They have to search through hundreds or thousands of resumes which they then need to screen before contacting candidates.
Some of the pros of an online applicant tracking system, aside from all the time savings are:
– You can quickly find qualified candidates by filtering your resume database based on keywords found in the candidate’s resume.
– You can automatically send out automated follow up messages to candidates who haven’t applied within a certain period of time.
– You can easily track the status of each application you’ve sent out.
– You can create multiple email templates so you don’t have to type out the same message every single time.
The cons of using an online applicant tracking system are:
– It doesn’t always work well with large databases. If you’re recruiting for a very specific role, it may not be able to find enough relevant candidates.
– Some ATS’ do not support multi-step application processes. For example if you want to filter candidates based on previous experience, this might not be possible.
– Many ATS’s require a monthly fee.
As you can see, there are a wealth of pros and only a few cons but when truly making the decision you should consider what kind of company you are working at. Are you looking to hire 10 people or 100? Do you want to spend $10k per month or $100k per year? Will your budget allow for the purchase of an ATS? These questions will help you decide whether or not an ATS is right for you.
