Applicant tracking system

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment needs. An ATS can be implemented or accessed online on an enterprise or small business level, depending on the needs of the company. An ATS is very similar to customer relationship management systems,[1] but are designed for recruitment tracking purposes. In many cases they filter applications automatically based on given criteria such as keywords, skills, former employers, years of experience and schools attended.[2] This has caused many to adapt resume optimization techniques similar to those used in search engine optimization when creating and formatting their résumé. [3]

Principle

Almost all recruitment agencies and most major corporations with an in-house recruitment function use some form of applicant tracking system to handle job postings, applicants, resumes, interviews.[4] A dedicated ATS is not uncommon for recruitment specific needs. On the enterprise level it may be offered as a module or functional addition to a human resources suite or Human Resource Information System (HRIS). The ATS is expanding into small and medium enterprises through open source or software as a service offerings (SaaS).

The principal function of an ATS is to provide a central location and database for a company's recruitment efforts. ATSs are built to better assist management of resumes and applicant information. Data is either collected from internal applications via the ATS front-end, located on the company website or is extracted from applicants on job boards. The majority of job and resume boards (Monster.com, Hotjobs, CareerBuilder, Indeed.com) have partnerships with ATS software providers to provide parsing support and ease of data migration from one system to another.[5]

Recent enhancements include use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and natural language processing (NLP) to facilitate intelligent guided semantic search capabilities offered through cloud based platforms that allow companies to score and sort resumes with better alignment to the job requirements and descriptions. Modern ATSs allow applicants to be sourced from the company's own database of past job applicants.

With the advent of ATS, resume optimization techniques and online tools are now used by applicants to increase their chances of landing an interview call.

Benefits

Functionality of an ATS is not limited to data mining and collection; ATS applications in the recruitment industry include the ability to automate the recruitment process via a defined workflow.

Another benefit of an applicant tracking system is analyzing and coordinating recruitment efforts - managing the conceptual structure known as human capital. A corporate career site or company specific job board module may be offered, allowing companies to provide opportunities to internal candidates prior to external recruitment efforts. Candidates may be identified via pre-existing data or through information garnered through other means. This data is typically stored for search and retrieval processes. Some systems have expanded offerings that include off-site encrypted resume and data storage, which are often legally required by equal opportunity employment laws. Very few applicant tracking system have any major job distribution function instead relying on suppliers such as Logic Melon and eQuest.

Applicant tracking systems may also be referred to as talent management systems (TMS) and are often provided via an application service provider or software as a service (SaaS) model.[6] The level of service and cost can vary greatly across providers. In the UK and Ireland, Applicant Tracking Systems which are specifically for Agency Recruiters are often referred to as Recruitment Software and this is a term used mainly in the recruitment agency industry (representative bodies include the REC in the UK and the NRF in Ireland). Although proprietary systems dominate the ATS space, there are open-source alternatives.

This table: free and open-source ATS lists the available free and open-source ATS. Apart from Free open-source ATS there are also paid ATS providers on the market such as Taleo, Halogen Software, and Logic Melon. Advanced "context" based talent acquisition products like Spire TalentSHIP are also in the market which are said to be better than the conventional ATS.[7]

As the data held within recruitment software is predominantly personal data, it is often tightly controlled by data protection legislation, preventing the data from being held offshore, which frequently places a legal restriction on the use of SaaS offerings.

References

  1. ↑ "Do you know your ATS from your CRM".
  2. ↑ http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204624204577178941034941330
  3. ↑ "Your Résumé vs. Oblivion". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  4. ↑ "BU Applicant Tracking System". BOSTON UNIVERSITY.
  5. ↑ "Home >> Press Releases Monster Announces a New HR Alliance Strategy To Offer Integrated Hiring Solutions to Customers". Monster worldwide. Retrieved Jun 20, 2005.
  6. ↑ Levinson, Meridith. "New Job Search Service Helps Job Seekers Penetrate Applicant Tracking Systems". PC Advisor. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  7. ↑ "Spire Announces Global Launch of TalentSHIP®".

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