What is an ATS and what might it do for you?
Let’s start with what an ATS
In simple terms an ATS – Applicant Tracking System is a software package used by organisations to help them manage the journey that a person takes when they apply for a job, become a candidate during an interview process and then proceeds to being offered a job, if they are fortunate. It will help you mange the end to end process of you want it to and if you design the workflows correctly.
Typically if architected and used wisely the ATS will help organisations structure, schedule and report on activities taking place at each stage of each vacancy and for each applicant in the process.
Despite what a few might think it WILL NOT or CANNOT do the recruiting for you.
Now I know this makes sense to some of you, yet there are some who are now thinking that their business case is toast.
The ATS is a tool, a tool that needs to be used by people, following processes, workflows defined by the company and the Resourcing function. It will address some of the administration issues that you have to deal with, it will help you as a company organise and keep track of activity so that the information about a vacancy requisition and those that apply to it can be maintained and organised, in the hope that errors are minimised.
What an ATS won’t do is replace human interaction and hands on recruitment.
So which ATS is best for you then?
Well one size wont fit all. What is ideal for one organisation won’t necessarily meet your requirements and vice versa. Whilst companies may choose to use the same software, their experiences of it and the benefits they derive from it will vary considerably.
Such variations will be entirely dependent on how the required solution has been designed and architected prior to and during implementation. It is also true to say, sadly, that the level of service received from the software vendor will vary depending on the nature of the contract, price paid and the relationship that you have established with them. So many variables.
