It’s no secret that staffing agencies are becoming a growing need in the marketplace. As people leave their jobs in droves, looking for new starts, staffing agencies are becoming swamped with clients to place with employers. One solution to simplify your workload is using an applicant tracking system (ATS). But before you hop into a new system, it’s important to know exactly what you’re getting into. Here are the top ten things you need to know about applicant tracking systems.
The Basics
Let’s start simple: what is an applicant tracking system? An ATS is a program frequently used by human resources departments to screen applicants for job positions and organize resumes. An ATS allows employers to quickly gather a list of qualified applicants and track each one through the hiring process. Applicant tracking systems streamline work efforts, saving companies time and money.
ATS vs CRM: How They Differ
A CRM, or candidate relationship management system, streamlines the process of searching for qualified job candidates and building relationships with them. An ATS, on the other hand, only tracks those who have already submitted applications to the job posting. With a CRM, you have the ability to enter data you learn about applicants. With an ATS, you can only see information the candidates themselves have put in the system. Both kinds of programs are highly useful, and many companies use both to aid their hiring efforts.
The Ins and Outs of How an ATS Works
So how does an ATS take a pile of resumes and spit out a list of top qualified candidates for the open position? It’s simple: when you input a job posting, your ATS puts together a “profile” for the ideal candidate. The profile will list qualities you prioritize in the person you hire. The system will then search each submitted resume and rank prospective candidates in order of most to least promising. From there, hiring managers step in to schedule interviews and move forward with applicant interviews.
Unique Benefits of an ATS
Using an ATS makes it easier for candidates to apply for your job posting, so you get a larger pool of applicants. Additionally, the system allows you to find candidates from more than one channel. The ATS can search for information within resumes and organize it efficiently, as well as provide a central point for scheduling interviews. The best benefits that come with an ATS are efficiency and streamlining the hiring process.
Staffing Agency Benefits
At a staffing agency, you’re looking to connect employers with the most qualified candidates for their open positions. When you use an ATS to centralize your hiring process, you save time and money because the program does most of the heavy lifting for you. You’ll cut costs and find yourself placing highly qualified candidates in perfect positions.
Most Important ATS Features
When you’re deciding which ATS you should use for your business, you’ll want to look for specific features that prove the system is a worthwhile investment opportunity. You specifically want to ensure your ATS can source candidates from multiple channels, that it automates based on events and conditions, that it has a built-in CRM, and can sufficiently integrate with other softwares you use.
Keep Up With the Competition
The truth is, your competition will most likely be using an ATS. In order to have a fighting chance, you’ll want to invest in streamlining opportunities that achieve the same results and help you quickly place your most qualified candidates in job positions. An ATS is often the most effective and cost-efficient way to keep up with the competition.
Reduce Missed Opportunities
Those who don’t use applicant tracking systems often use a keyword method to sift through resumes. Unfortunately, not every resume is optimized for keyword searches. This means you’ll often miss out on resumes from the most qualified job candidates by using this method. With an ATS, you decrease the missed opportunities in front of you.
Increase Revenue
When you’re spending less time on tedious resume digging, you’re saving time and money. An ATS allows you to take the money you save and put it straight towards your revenue. Additionally, you’ll be placing qualified candidates at a much faster rate, allowing you to do more and earn more from your partnerships.
All-in-one Solutions
The best ATS systems, like Timerack, often integrate other systems within their ATS so you can achieve more. Consider the other opportunities presented by a fully integrated platform. With Timerack’s HR Solutions, you get an all-in-one ATS, HR support center, onboarding abilities, benefits administration, workers comp claim documentation, performance reviews, insurance and benefits tracking, employee termination, equipment tracking, and payroll integration—and that’s with just a single software. With a trustworthy platform like Timerack under your belt, you’ll feel confident in your ability to streamline your routines and increase your revenue.
As you continue establishing your staffing agency, we hope you can see how using an ATS will allow you to see better results in real time. Interested in learning more about Timerack HR Software? Click here to see how Timerack can help your business thrive.