Best applicant tracking systems (ATS) this year

Introduction

ATS or applicant tracking system solutions have become essential for recruiting agencies and HR managers to manage complex workflow and select the best talent for the company. Today, HR professionals are responsible for more than payroll management.

Employee recruitment is the foundational component of every company, and ATS solutions guides recruiting agencies and HR managers in the right direction. Usually, there are thousands of applicants for a few job openings. In this case, HR managers use the best applicant tracking systems to narrow down choices and lean towards candidates that meet specific job requirements and company standards.

Like most business processes, recruitment efforts have become automated. HR managers now use the best applicant tracking systems to automate and streamline their recruitment efforts. Small businesses and large corporations use applicant tracking system free to bring more value into their operations.

The Need to Use Applicant Tracking Tool

Companies are hoping that the effects of the Great Resignation will slow down in the coming years. Still, the fact remains that the resignation rate in the U.S. has reached an all-time high since November 2021. Naturally, organizations want to fill existing and new positions immediately.

Unfortunately, data shows that more than 80% of companies find it difficult to meet their labor needs. What’s startling is that HR managers cannot afford to manually perform all of their recruitment tasks. And this is where applicant tracking tools come to the rescue.

You may not be aware of it, but over 70% of HR professionals report a decrease in qualified applicants, which makes it difficult to move forward with the recruitment process. Fortunately, companies leverage the best applicant tracking systems to follow their diversity and inclusivity goals.

And all it takes is to focus on key metrics around diversity to build a highly diverse and inclusive workforce. Gartner reports that diversity, equity, and inclusion have become one of the top HR trends, and companies can ATS solutions to achieve DE&I goals.

Applicant tracking tools allow companies to streamline their entire recruitment process. Once you can process candidate applications, interviews, and follow-ups faster, it becomes easier to focus on qualified individuals that can bring the most value to the company.

Mechanics of ATS Tools

On the surface, features and integrated tools within ATS solutions may seem difficult and that’s fair. But the technicalities of ATS solutions are simpler than you think. For starters, an applicant tracking system automates various recruitment functionalities within the candidate database.

ATS tools also involve resume formatting, candidate assessment, applicant filtering, historical performance analysis, and analyzing candidate behavior. Now, after an applicant fills out a job application on a site, the ATS solution screens and suggests resumes based on predetermined keywords.

ATS tools forward the highly qualified candidates to the HR team. At this stage, the hiring team reviews the suggested candidates and passes them through the recruitment process. Hiring managers can save the application, interview, and back-and-forth follow-up data within a single interface. Later on, recruiters can assess applications, vote up or down applicants, add notes, and send direct texts or email alerts to applicants about their current progress.

Recruiters can also integrate calendars to schedule additional interviews with qualified candidates. Remember, an ATS database automatically saves data of qualified candidates for future reference. With ATS systems, recruiters can build a passive pool of qualified candidates for available positions in the foreseeable future.

Best Applicant Tracking Systems

In the quest to choose the “right” ATS tool, make sure to consider your company's needs. Opt for the most cost-effective and resourceful ATS solution with advanced automated features. To help you narrow down your options, dive into the best applicant tracking systems you can choose in 2022:

Workday

Workday is one of the leading and best applicant tracking systems that support various automated features. Workday is an ideal ATS tool if you’re looking for long-term recruitment planning or want to extend your current hiring cycle. Workday provides forecasting and budgeting insights that recruiters can use to plan out their long-term recruitment and onboarding processes.

Since Workday offers a long list of features and attractive UI, companies continue adding this ATS solution to their HR tech stack. Workday is a suitable ATS tool if you plan to hire diversified candidates to support medium to large business operations. Different functionalities of Workday support different recruitment activities.

For instance, you can use Workday to:

· Perform quick candidate sourcing and promote jobs
· Maintain engaged applicants throughout the recruitment workflow
· Provide positive candidate experience for the recruiter and the applicant
· Seamlessly collaborate with the hiring team
· Leverage applicant analytics, reporting, and interview management
· Ensure data compliance and privacy regulations

Workstream

With Workstream, companies can make their recruitment and onboarding process smarter and faster. Through text and automation capabilities, Workstream allows businesses to better engage with their candidates and fulfill required positions faster.

One of the hallmark elements of Workstream is that it prioritizes efficiency in recruiting by automating the recruitment process and helping companies tap into the “right” metrics. With Workstream, companies can make their entire hiring process easier and build a solid pool of candidates.

Automation and texting is a perfect combination to speed up your recruitment efforts. Recruiters can use Workstream from their smartphones and reduce hiring time by at least 70%. When it comes to hiring, Workstream helps recruiters source, engage, and screen applications with minimal effort.

Once hiring managers have more time on their hands, they can better serve their clients and provide additional support to the team. Recruiters also help companies organize collected paperwork by automating the onboarding process. Workstream supports several integrations and allows recruiters to pair together their favorite HR platforms to further improve the hiring workflow.

Monday.com

Money.com runs the most aggressive visual ads to promote its new features and how it stands out from other applicant tracking systems. In all seriousness, monday.com is a solid ATS solution for recruitment management and candidate engagement. It is a suitable applicant tracking system for small businesses.

Monday.com comes with a fully-functional candidate tracking system and centralized workspace for HR managers and executives. It also features interactive templates that allow recruiters to personalize their hiring process. HR executives and managers can review ready-made templates and make a few adjustments before starting their final talent hunt.

Monday.com features templates for applicant tracker, recruitment pipeline, applicant feedback tracker, recruitment tracker, candidate sorting, and candidate engagement. Monday.com also supports advanced third-party integrations with Google Sheets, Google Drive, Slack, Microsoft Teams, etc.

Final Thoughts

In hindsight, applicant tracking systems are innovative tools for HR professionals. It allows recruiters to automate the entire recruitment process, reduce recruitment costs, and focus on the most qualified candidates. Even if you run small operations, you don’t have to choose a free applicant tracking system. You don’t have to look for the most affordable ATS solutions. Instead, assess your company’s hiring needs and choose a suitable ATS tool.

Applicant Tracking Systems: FAQ

What is the best applicant tracking system?

Oftentimes, companies equate the best applicant tracking systems with the most expensive ones. An ideal ATS system can help you streamline and scale up your recruitment efforts. Focus on “your” company’s metrics to choose the “right” applicant tracking system.

Do recruiters use ATS?

Yes, recruiting agencies and HR managers use ATS solutions to speed up and organize candidate placements. Most recruiters concur that applicant tracking systems have improved their recruitment and onboarding process

Learn more information about Workstream and how it stands out from other applicant tracking systems.

Learn More About Applicant Tracking Systems: 

• Complete applicant tracking system guide
• Tracking software
• Candidate experience
• Recruitment software