Applicant Tracking Systems have been around for some time. Generally they are very expensive, enterprise software solutions that are designed for very large companies and organizations that have hundreds of job openings (think Fortune 500 companies). However, there are a new generation of online applicant tracking systems that are specifically designed for small businesses and smaller teams to collaborate on their hiring efforts. These tools are best suited for a company hiring for between 2 and 20 positions, rather than a recruiter or hr manager processing a large volume of resumes. These low cost solutions, are not a process tool only for the Human Resources department, but rather they are a central location for a company to view candidate profiles, provide feedback and move the hiring along quickly. Essentially it is a snapshot of how you hire, where you can post your openings, and how you can organize applicants, usually through a web-based interface. Companies that are used to using email to manage their hiring process are usually surprised to find there is software to make hiring much easier. An ATS solves some of the problems hiring managers face such as; receiving 50-100 resumes in an inbox and then going back and forth on a shared folder on feedback, losing track of applicants and did applicant X get moved to the final round. The inbox is super simple, but resumes can get lost in the pile of the constant flow of incoming emails. A good online ATS system helps do all of this in one place, with a search-able inbox of all candidates of where they stood and how fast the company moved.
A good online ATS will assist small businesses with not only helping to create an opening quickly, but also posting it on social media websites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter as well as job search engines like Indeed. By managing your own company's career page it will keep openings updated and enable people to apply in a more effective way, rather than emailing a resume. On top of this, the company will look much more professional, hopefully attracting higher caliber candidates as well. Every good tool out there will let a user control all data and even provide an easy way to export the information should the service no longer be needed. With the proliferation of Software As A Service (SAAS) providers, the processes for hiring have become much easier and collaborative in nature. The scale they provide, and the ease of use to deploy to their clients will make software such as Applicant Tracking Systems a very useful and inexpensive tool that used to only be accessible to hiring departments with very high budgets.
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