For some companies, the most challenging aspect of business is the finding and acquiring of highly-qualified employees. In the past, inefficient paper files were used in talent acquisition management and more recently, cumbersome internal systems were utilized despite their impotence. With the rise of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), that electronically handle recruitment needs, companies are increasingly finding their recruitment tactics to be streamlined and organized. Despite a new age of recruiting dawning with the introduction of ground-breaking new technology, companies still have to make the difficult decision of choosing the perfect ATS that will fit their recruiting needs.
Here are eight things you should consider when looking for an Applicant Tracking System (ATS):
1. Ease of Use
A good Applicant Tracking System should be easy to use. It should be intuitive in performance and it should not be excessively difficult to use the system effectively. It should also offer the ability for multiple users to manage applicants.
2. Training and Support
Optimally, an ATS will be easy enough to use that little to no training is required, and support will not be needed. In the event that a breakdown does occur, the system should include both training and technical support so that your recruiting process will not be interrupted.
3. Visibility
Part of the reason for a switch from paper files was increased visibility within the recruiting chain. If the system doesn’t offer immediate visibility for each candidate, position, and for the company as a whole, consider another vendor.
4. Cloud Based
With the introduction of more cloud based technologies, data storage has never been easier! If your ATS is stored in the cloud then even if your internal systems fail, your data stays intact. In addition, using cloud-based systems and storage allows users to access data from any location, with the right credentials.
5. Time and Cost
As recruiting budgets have been cut, cost outlay has become a big issue. It is hard to justify the need for an expensive program when company managers think you should still be able to do it all on paper. A cost-efficient system is a must but the ATS should be simple enough so that you don’t have to spend all of your time managing an inefficient system.
6. Social Media Recruiting
Three in four people in the U.S. are using social media on a regular basis. If an ATS cannot manage to integrate with social media for recruiting – your company is likely losing essential components in the recruitment process.
7. Optimized for Mobile
Many internet users, particularly the millennials access the web more often through mobile devices than traditional desktops. Some of these users access the web exclusively through mobile devices which means that any job posting ads or other systems need to be mobile-ready.
8. Employee Referral Tracking
Many companies offer employee referral programs and your ATS should be able to track those so the right person gets credit at the right time. If you have to track referrals separately, you are wasting valuable time. Also, you should ensure that employee referral tracking is a built-in component of the ATS.
Eliminating paper, saving time and money, and using up-to-date recruiting technology can help you fill those open positions — fast. Reflik, a social recruitment platform, solves all these problems and more at no risk to the employer. You post the job, track the applicants, and only pay when a qualified hire is made – and it costs nothing until that happens. You can eliminate the need for any standalone system; our system is easy-to-use and support is always available in case you get stuck.
Reflik specializes in cloud-based, crowdsourcing, social media-driven recruiting, which can be used by your employees and by our members to exponentially increase your candidate pool. Ultimately, by integrating your ATS with Reflik’s system or by using Reflik exclusively, your company will find higher quality candidates in less time on an intuitive platform.
by Ash Geria
