The Top Applicant Tracking Software Tips You’ll Find In 2024

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) have made managing the recruitment process a whole lot easier. These applications make life much easier for recruiters. This is from automating tasks to tracking and maintaining communication with candidates.

The industry is growing, and new features are being added almost daily. Businesses want to increase their productivity and effectiveness when recruiting employees. With that said, here are the top ten tips for applicant tracking system software!

What Is Applicant Tracking System?

The applicant tracking system is a software application that allows companies to manage their recruitment process. The application automates and streamlines the recruiting process that can cater to different countries or specific one.

An applicant tracking system is a must-have resource for any business that wants to hire the best talent. It allows you to keep track of all candidates and their applications. They can also automate the entire recruiting process by sending emails when new positions become available.

Managing the flow of candidates through the recruitment process is made easier with applicant tracking systems. They can be used by both large and small businesses looking to expand their workforce quickly.

Though they may vary in price range and features, they all have one thing in common. They help recruiters keep track of applicants and process them more efficiently than they could manually.

The main functions of an applicant tracking system include:

• Managing and organizing applicants’ resumes and CVs, including uploading them into the ATS.
• Organize candidates based on relevant skills, experience, education, and other criteria.
• It helps assess candidates’ suitability for the job through automated scoring tools. These evaluate their resumes against your company’s requirements.
• ATS helps in screening out unqualified candidates before they reach your inbox. Thus, you don’t waste time reviewing irrelevant applications.
• Matching candidates with job openings as they become available. It then sends them notifications when they’re a good fit for open positions within your business.

Top 10 Tips for Effective ATS Software

The applicant tracking software market is continually evolving, and you must keep up. Below are some of the most important tips you’ll need to know to ensure your ATS is as effective as possible.

1. Use Relevant Keywords for Each Job Type

When searching for applicants, use keywords that describe the position and the qualifications you’re looking for. For example, if you’re looking for an administrative assistant, write down a list of words that describe the ideal candidate.

Then include those keywords in your postings and advertisements. When applicants find your postings, they can easily apply with their resume, cover letter, and other documents.

2. Employee Applicant Tracking System Training Session

Ensure all employees understand how to use your applicant tracking system. This includes the basics, like uploading resumes and creating new job postings. They should learn more advanced features like reporting on hiring activity.

You’ll also want to ensure everyone understands how to manage candidates’ applications through the ATS. They can thus take advantage of all its capabilities.

3. Responsive Design

Responsive design is the most important feature of applicant tracking software. It allows the software to adjust itself to fit any screen size, whether it’s a laptop, a phone, or a tablet. Besides, it also ensures that the application works smoothly no matter what device you use.

This is important because many recruiters have changed their job from desktops to laptops and have started using mobile apps for work. Hence, it is necessary for this type of software to be compatible with both computers and mobiles.

4. Keep it Mobile-Friendly

It is no longer enough for your ATS to be compatible with desktops only, as recruiters are using mobiles these days too! While selecting an applicant tracking system for your business, ensure it can be accessed from any device, like phones and tablets. If someone tries accessing your ATS on their mobile phone or tablet, they should get access to all its features without difficulty.

5. Add Video Interviewing Capabilities

In 2020, companies started using video interviews as part of their hiring process. By 2024, this trend will continue to grow as more companies adopt video interviewing as part of their recruitment strategy.

If you want to find out if someone will be a good fit for your company, you need more than just their resume. You need to get a sense of who they are as a person. One way to do this is through video interviews.

This way, you can see how they react when answering questions and see if they would be comfortable working with others in person or over the phone. Video interviews also allow you to reach out to more people who may be unable to travel for an in-person interview due to time or cost constraints.

6. Implement Gamification Elements

Gamification elements are another way you can make your applicant tracking software more engaging and fun for applicants. Gamification encourages user engagement or participation, increases motivation, and improves performance.

You will find that most of these systems already have features like leaderboards and badges, but you can implement them yourself as well. For example, your website can add a leaderboard of the most active applicants. This way, people want to compete for the best score to get their name on top of the leaderboard.

7. Application to Be Simple and User Friendly

A poorly designed application form can lead to lower conversion rates. So ensure that it’s easy to understand and use. You can use Applicant Tracking Software for this purpose. These software tools are designed to ease the burden of hiring and make the process more efficient for both recruiters and applicants.

Some ATS solutions even allow you to create customized templates for each job role in your company. This makes it easier for applicants looking for work within specific industries or fields of expertise.

8. Include Links to Social Media

Applicant tracking systems often include links to your company’s social media profiles like Facebook and Twitter. This is a great way for candidates to familiarize themselves with your company before applying for a job. While this isn’t necessary for every company, it is an easy way to make your ATS more user-friendly and personal.

9. Test your ATS

Before rolling out an applicant tracking system, you should test it thoroughly to ensure everything functions well. This also allows you to ensure that there aren’t any glitches or bugs in the system. Bugs can annoy candidates while they’re applying for jobs or looking through applications on their own time. In turn, this will potentially cost you valuable applicants!

10. Integrate With Other Business Tools

Applicant tracking software is great for managing your recruiting process, but it’s not the only tool you need to hire great employees. Integrating your ATS with other business tools like HR management can help streamline your recruiting process.

You must ensure the applicant tracking system is compatible with your hiring process. You can test this using an applicant tracking system checker that compares different platforms’ features. This will give you a good idea of which tools offer the features you need for your business.

Conclusion

Today, more and more companies are using applicant tracking systems. Even small businesses are hopping on the bandwagon. To be successful, understand how the systems work and how they can help your business.

The best ATS has everything you need, so one person in the entire organization can manage to recruit for any number of job openings. These tips will help you to see the most from your applicant tracking system implementation.