What is the best applicant tracking system (ATS) in the market to improve your recruiting?
You have a good idea of how helpful they are when it comes to better workflow and productivity, as well as finding the most skilled candidates who can take on the jobs required. For all HR departments across different industries, it’s highly likely they’re using an ATS to streamline and automate the screening process.
Now, the question is: what are the top applicant tracking systems to use in 2021?
There are different factors you need to consider. We’ll be going through everything you need to know in this guide so you know how you can find the best ATS for your organization.
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What Is An Applicant Tracking System?
The ATS is a recruitment software used by HR professionals and hiring teams to manage their list of job applicants and employees.
It’s popular in the world of HR and recruitment because of all the advantages it provides such as:
- Automating the screening process
- Streamline important tasks without compromising quality
- Attract the top-caliber candidates for the job opening
- Build a talent pool ready on standby
- And much more…
Without an ATS, you’ll have a harder time handling your recruiting and HR needs. But, when you’re working with one, you’ll have a smoother workflow operating at a more efficient and effective pace.
How do you know if you need one?
There are 10 clear signs. Aside from the fact it increases the quality of your hiring process and productivity, it’s a core component for the success of most businesses. For every professional recruiter, you can easily learn who’s the best fit for the job postings quicker and it helps to ensure you hire the best qualified candidates.
How to Choose The Best Applicant Tracking System
Whether you’re a small or medium-sized business or operating at an enterprise level, all companies function differently.
Before we get into the top 5 best applicant tracking systems for recruiters, it’s important you make a smart, informed decision on what applicant tracking software is best for improving your candidate selections.
1. List The Unique Needs Of Your Company
Each HR department has a different way of functioning. From the systems and processes to the way they communicate, lots of different factors are at play.
That’s why it’s important to understand your specific HR and recruitment needs.
The more narrow and in-depth you go, the better. Just make sure you’re aware of how the ATS you go for will benefit each of your needs the most by being able to serve your most complex functionalities, that’s what matters.
As employers and managers, when you know what you require for effective growth, you’ll be able to pinpoint if the ATS technology has what you need most.
Your vendors should also know exactly what’s best for you, and they should be willing to support your recruiting process to the best standard. In other words, customer satisfaction is vital.
To summarize, check whether or not the ATS can serve the functionality you need to work on most. For example:
- Are you able to simplify the interview and onboarding process?
- Are analytics provided to assess your marketing for the job boards posted?
- Can you save more time through automation and by completing the time-consuming tasks automatically?
Look at the reviews and the experience of others from their perspective to see if it resembles how you operate.
2. Simple & Easy to Use
A simple and straightforward interface is important. If the learning curve is significant or you’re not able to work smoothly, it’ll interfere with your workflow which is something you want to avoid.
The best applicant tracking system should be comfortable and easy to use. When it’s well designed, professionals at all levels should be capable of using it.
It’s an overlooked aspect of the ATS. However, it’s crucial your hiring team is operating with workable software you’re willing to use on a daily basis and manage as a long-term commitment.
3. Quality Communication
Effective collaboration is a key feature that an ATS should be capable of. Without being able to communicate smoothly, it’s almost the same as just hoping for the best.
In other words, you’ll have a disorganized workflow that can feel cluttered.
Your HR department should be able to collaborate effectively. Otherwise, the internal structure of your workflow will fall apart. If you can’t operate on the same platform, it’s difficult to function smoothly, deliver reports, manage applications, and meet your recruiting goals. Not just with the people on your team, but with your vendor too.
More importantly, the ATS software should be able to connect your shareholders. At any given time, they need to be able to access certain information and details.
4. Easy Integration
Your social media should be integrated.
If a cloud-based solution is offered, integrating your existing workflow and email will be an easy transition. It’s especially important for large organizations and companies to access a portal where everything is laid out. Scheduling becomes easier when you have customizable software with an internal database and you’ll find more flexibility and options.
Most staffing firms and agencies create a posting on LinkedIn to find the candidates who are open for a career best suited to their skills. This could be one of your job openings!
5. All The Essential Features Are There
This is a given, but you should ensure all the essential features necessary are there.
If you’re looking for an ATS software online with a specific feature, it’s important to do your diligent research.
For example, an applicant tracking system like StaffingSoft offers the following:
- Job distribution
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Onboarding tools
- Resume storage
- Candidate sourcing
- Report management
However, not all top applicant tracking systems for recruiters are as limitless and offer additional solutions like this. Each comes to their own competitive advantages and disadvantages, which is something we’ll look at in the next section.
The Top 5 Best Applicant Tracking Systems
Here, we’ve gathered what we believe are the best applicant tracking systems in 2021.
Some of the companies listed below may also offer a free live demo. This is something we recommend trying before making a commitment!
iCIMS Recruit
iCIMS’ software has the main resources you need when it comes to your overall recruitment solutions. They’ve been around for a while too, so you can trust they’re a team of experts who know what they’re doing.
Not only are they well-known for their premium quality database, but it’s also flexible.
The few setbacks recruiters may struggle with is when it comes to reporting because of the interface and format. Compared to some of the other platforms on this list, it’s not as straightforward and intuitive.
Smart Recruiters
Smart Recruiters are similar to iCIMS since it’s a great solution for those of you operating at an enterprise level. They’re also known for great quality communication and the recruitment team for being able to manage your talent pool.
It’s generally a great recruiting solution that enables you to operate with fluidity.
Bullhorn
Bullhorn is a great cloud-based solution and has one of the best workflows when it comes to recruitment. Above all, their systems are reliable and easy to use, especially when you need to organize and handle the data of all your candidates. They can make your entire talent acquisition process easy and simple by having the time-consuming tasks automated.
BambooHR
This is for those of you who are operating as a small or medium-sized business. Aside from being well-organized and having a clean interface, the performance review and report management system is excellent.
More importantly, the recruiting solution Bamboo HR offers are versatile. It’s applicable and more tailored for how companies work nowadays in the modern workforce.
StaffingSoft
StaffingSoft has made its spot on this list because of its proficiency and outstanding team.
They’re underrated and are one of the best companies that have been around for the longest. Not only are they a cost-effective innovative hiring solution that’s super easy-to-use, but the quality of workflow and customer service is outstanding.
Additionally, you get access to more than just an applicant tracking system since you have a complete hiring solution that includes:
- Job management
- Resume management
- Candidate sourcing
- Report management
- Client management
Without compromising your budget, they offer an exceptional return on investment.
With how the modern workforce operates nowadays, it’s crucial to have a team that can fit your unique workflow and meets all aspects of your recruitment functionalities no matter how complex.
The best part is, you can sign up for a FREE demo to test it out for yourself.
You won’t need to make a commitment unless you’re certain it’s a perfect fit. We offer an affordable solution for recruiters to deliver more value than the already popular and trending applicant tracking systems out there.
Discover how StaffingSoft can transform your recruiting process at no cost by signing up below!
“The tool has a wealth of features. I have experience working with a lot of the better known but very pricey ATS systems, and StaffingSoft is much better and easy to use than any of them.” – Mike S
Conclusion
The best applicant tracking system depends on three main things:
- What you’re looking to achieve
- Your HR priorities
- The unique needs of your organization
Every company uses different systems and has a unique workflow, so it’s important the applicant tracking system you pick caters to how you operate.
Take the time to do your research and fully understand the software.
If you found this guide useful, be sure to share it with others who would also find it helpful. Any questions or thoughts you want to add, let us know!
