Applicant Tracking Systems

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that hiring managers, recruiters and human resource departments in general utilize to find candidates for a given job. Prior to ATSs, this was all done manually, was extremely time consuming and expensive. Like a customer relationship management (CRM) system, ATSs are designed specifically for recruitment tracking purposes. They are powerful pieces of software, equipped with the ability to filter applications at lightening speeds based on a host of variables – years of experience, skills, schools attended, former employers, etc.

Today many job boards (Indeed.com, HotJobs, LinkedIn, Monster.com) have relationships and partnerships with ATS software providers who help to migrate data across platforms and entities. Some systems employ very advanced features such as artificial intelligence and natural language processing which speeds up the filtering and scoring of resumes and candidates.

One of the more highly touted ATSs on the market today is the Oracle Taleo Cloud Service. A unique feature is its connection to social media platforms as a tool for sourcing. Nowadays it is hard to find someone that does not have a presence on social media. Be it Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn, one of these platforms has likely penetrated the hearts and minds of most folks. Recruiting candidates via social media is a relatively new, but highly effective strategy and the Taleo Cloud Service does this expertly.

Greenhouse is another cool tool, smartly positioned as the most “complete HR administration system.” That is high praise, and while we cannot attest to such a statement, nor confirm validation, Greenhouse does receive many positive reviews, so it is safe to assume it is a highly valued ATS. Recooty is a new player (relatively speaking) on the scene that has taken an interesting marketing approach as branding themselves the “world’s easiest ATS.” Everyone likes something easy, don’t we? Ever bought something branded the “most complex, onerous, ridiculously difficult thing on the planet?” We didn’t think so, and neither do the good folks at Recooty. On top of being very easy to use, Recooty is also cheap. At just $10 per month, Recooty blasts the competition out the water in terms of pricing.

BambooHR is an innovative, cloud-based platform that is an excellent choice for medium-size businesses. Coupled with cutting-edge reporting features, BambooHR gives HR professionals the option of pulling Equal Employment Opportunity reports and best yet, all from the comfort of their smartphones! While most ATSs have this smartphone option, beware, some are much more advanced and user-friendly than others. With BambooHR you get one of the better ones.

If you work in this arena pick up an ATS today. The old days of seeking and processing applicants will seem like the Dark Ages.