Did you know that 98.8% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS software to manage their recruitment?
Well, that’s because hiring top talent today isn’t as simple as posting a job opening and waiting for applications to roll in. With the job market more competitive than ever, recruiters now must act fast to attract, evaluate, and secure the best candidates before they’re gone. This is where applicant tracking system software (ATS) becomes a lifesaver for recruiters, automating tedious tasks and ensuring top talents don’t slip through the cracks.
However, simply having an application tracking software doesn’t automatically guarantee hiring success. Many businesses struggle with poor ATS optimization, which eventually leads to inefficient hiring processes instead of improving them. To truly benefit from recruitment software, recruitment teams must avoid common pitfalls and adopt the best practices for ATS Software.
What is Applicant Tracking System Software?
An ATS software is an advanced recruitment solution that automates, organizes, and optimizes the hiring process from start to finish. It serves as an efficient tool through which recruiters can post job openings, screen resumes, track applicants, communicate with candidates, and even manage onboarding, all from a single platform.
What is the Main Purpose of an ATS Software?
The aim of applicant tracking software is to remove inefficiencies in hiring while improving candidate experience and successful recruitment decisions. Here’s how it helps businesses:
- Centralised Candidate Database: ATS software stores and organizes candidate information, including resumes, cover letters, references, and interview feedback, making it easily accessible for recruiters and hiring managers.
- Automated Resume Screening: It uses artificial intelligence to filter and rank applicants based on predefined criteria such as skills, experience, education, and therefore, eliminating unqualified candidates early in the process.
- Application Tracking & Status Updates: An applicant tracking system software system keeps track of every applicant’s progress in the hiring pipeline to ensure no candidate is overlooked. It helps recruiters to track where each applicant stands in real time.
- Efficient Collaboration Among Hiring Teams: Top ATS software allows different teams like the Talent Acquisition Team, Recruitment Team, and Respective Interviewers to stay connected through one single integrated platform. From raising requisitions to sharing approval or accessing candidate profiles, everything can be managed from one single recruitment software.
- Data-Driven Hiring Insights: Applicant tracking software provides recruitment analytics that tracks metrics like time-to-fill, source effectiveness, and candidate engagement. These metrics help the recruiters identify the loopholes and refine their hiring strategies accordingly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using ATS Software
Writing Generic Job Descriptions
Job descriptions that are too vague, broad, or generic tend to attract more irrelevant applications. When job descriptions lack clarity, it becomes difficult for your applicant tracking system software to filter qualified candidates precisely. Also, if you are not adding the right keywords in your job post, your ATS won’t be able to find the best candidates.
Besides, if you use short forms, abbreviations, or special words in the job posts, especially for a technical job, it can confuse the system. Not all ATS and applicants understand the same short forms.
How to fix it?
Here are a few tips recruiters can follow to optimise job descriptions in ATS software:
- Use clear, role-specific job descriptions in simple language with relevant industry keywords and precise experience requirements.
- Outline job responsibilities, required skills, and company culture clearly to ensure the ATS attracts and shortlists the right candidates.
- The length of your job descriptions should be concise yet contain all important information regarding the role, ideally within 300-700 words.
- Try to work with a standard template across all job postings with clearly defined sections, and consistently use headings, bullet points, and spacing to help ATS scan and extract relevant information.
- While using acronyms or special words, try to add the full form as well. For example, if you write “CRO” in a job post, also mention “Conversion Rate Optimisation” at least in the job description to help both the ATS and the people applying to understand the requirement better.
Failing to Customise ATS Filters
A “one-size-fits-all” approach to filtering applications for specific job roles can lead to irrelevant applications getting through or qualified candidates getting rejected. If your applicant tracking system software isn’t configured correctly with the right filtering criteria, the system may overlook well-matched candidates who don’t use the exact keywords.
How to fix it?
Regularly update and fine-tune ATS filters based on the role. For instance, if you are hiring for a B2B sales profile and an inside sales profile, the filters should be different. Work closely with hiring managers to define key competencies and must-have qualifications and adjust criteria accordingly.
Over-Reliance on Automation
While automation definitely speeds up hiring, relying too much on ATS software can result in missing out on strong candidates. While an applicant tracking system can rank resumes, it cannot evaluate soft skills, adaptability, or cultural fit. Relying solely on automated filters may cause highly qualified candidates to slip through the cracks.
How to fix it?
Use the ATS to streamline processes but always conduct manual reviews for shortlisted candidates. Always balance automation with human judgment to make the right hiring decision.
Ignoring ATS Data and Analytics
Many businesses fail to leverage ATS-generated insights, which eventually leads to inefficient hiring and longer time-to-fill rates. Without analysing recruitment metrics, companies miss opportunities to improve their hiring process.
How to fix it?
Regularly review ATS reports to track key metrics like time-to-fill, applicant sources, and candidate conversion rates. Use data-driven insights to refine job postings and improve recruitment strategies.
Not Updating Job Listings and ATS Settings
An outdated ATS setup can attract the wrong candidates and miss key trends in hiring. If job postings are not updated at regular intervals, they may not align with the present company needs.
How to fix it?
Periodically review and update job descriptions, candidate requirements, and ATS filters. Keep job postings current to reflect changing market demands and business objectives.
Ignoring Candidate Feedback
Neglecting to collect feedback from applicants can harm your recruitment efforts. Candidates who experience a poor application process are unlikely to reapply or recommend your company to others.
How to fix it?
Use ATS features to gather and analyse candidate feedback. If candidates are frequently highlighting the application process as being too lengthy, it would be wise to rectify the process. Identify such pain points in the hiring process from ATS and implement improvements to enhance the overall candidate experience.
Not Complying with Data Privacy Laws
Your applicant tracking system software stores a large volume of sensitive candidate data, and failure to comply with privacy regulations like GDPR or CCPA can lead to legal consequences and security risks.
How to fix it?
Choose an ATS or recruitment management software that follows strict data privacy protocols, encrypts personal information, and provides candidates with data access and opt-out options. Regular security audits also help ensure compliance.
Which is the Best ATS Software?
If you’re looking for a powerful, AI-powered applicant tracking system software to streamline your hiring, Talentpool’s recruitment management software is the ideal solution. It offers more than just an ATS but a comprehensive recruitment solution with a higher ROI. Here’s what Talentpool Recruitment Software offers:
- Applicant Tracking System (ATS): Talentpool’s applicant tracking software uses AI to help recruiters efficiently manage candidate applications throughout the hiring lifecycle. This includes capabilities for resume sourcing, candidate engagement, and interview scheduling.
- Collaboration Tools: Talentpool’s three distinctive modules for recruiters, other hiring members, and employees ensure hassle-free collaboration among hiring team members.
- Reports and Analytics: The platform provides detailed analytics and reporting tools to help recruiters identify bottlenecks, track the effectiveness of job postings, and refine recruitment strategies.
- Security: The ATS software ensures that sensitive candidate data is protected through an AWS-hosted infrastructure along with role-based access controls, encryption, and regular security audits.
- Vendor Management: Our recruitment management software enables organizations to efficiently manage relationships with external recruitment agencies to streamline the procurement and management of third-party recruiting services.
By integrating these features, Talentpool can reduce time-to-hire, secure top talent, and ensure a secure and efficient hiring experience for all stakeholders involved. Schedule a one-on-one FREE demo now!
