6 Tips to Help Your Clients Get the Most Out of Their Applicant Tracking System

One of the best questions any HRO can ask these days is, “How can I best support my clients as the economy reopens?”

With many employers looking to begin hiring again in 2021, offering an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is one of the best ways to help them quickly and efficiently find and hire the right employees. 

ATS systems automate all the critical and time consuming tasks related to hiring, but if your clients aren’t using the solutions to the fullest, they won’t reap all the benefits. Smart companies are leveraging their ATS software to the max — here are 6 tips for helping them do just that.

Get More from Applicant Tracking Systems

1. Reach out to applicants through multiple channels. If your clients limit themselves to a few tried-and-true job boards, they’re missing the opportunity to connect with potentially-talented candidates. Applicant tracking software allows them to post on numerous job boards and sites with a single click — be sure they take advantage of this feature!
2. Make sure applications are job mobile friendly. A growing number of job seekers are conducting their searches by smartphone. Your ATS should offer an excellent mobile interface; be sure they’re putting it to work. And keep it simple: 60% of candidates will ditch an application that’s too long, according to one SHRM study, and it may be higher for hourly workers.
3. Plug into social sites. Clients shouldn’t treat social media as a second tier recruiting channel. The applicant tracking system should push job posts directly to social sites, and confirm that the ATS is configured so job seekers can apply from their social profiles, too.
4. Update job posts. Chances are, your clients have been using the same job posts for some time. If they’re unhappy with the volume or caliber of applicants that are being attracted, it’s time to try something new. Try emphasizing the company brand or mentioning potential career growth. The point is, the applicant tracking system should make it easy to deploy multiple versions of job posts and keep track of the results, elevating recruiting efforts.
5. Communicate regularly with top candidates. Does the applicant tracking system include an email function that makes it easy to stay in touch with job applicants? If so, they should be using it often! Since many job seekers pursue multiple jobs at once, it’s a valuable feature, especially when courting top candidates. In addition, a robust ATS will allow them to schedule automatic emails based on certain triggers or at fixed time periods.
6. Get all of the stakeholders up to speed on the ATS system. One huge benefit of applicant tracking systems is that they provide everyone across the company with one centralized hub for reviewing resumes, classifying candidates, making notes and exchanging thoughts. If managers aren’t engaging with the system the way they should be, make sure they get the training they need to make the most of the system.