5 Signs You Need to Change Your Recruiting Software
Recruiter using software

5 Signs You Need to Change Your Recruiting Software

Recruiting is a fast-paced occupation. In order to attract and hire top talent, it's critical that you execute as quickly and efficiently as possible. Having recruiting software that supports this process is essential.

You're already aware that your processes could run smoother, that you're moving through the interview, offer, and onboarding stages too slowly, and that you're losing out on candidates because a competitor made their decision faster than you were able to. It's frustrating. But how do you know when you just need to make a few process improvements, or when your software is holding you back?

Look for one of these five signs:

1. You're still using a manual tracking process

If your applicant tracking system (ATS) is such that you need to use Excel for some recruiting functions, it's manual. Excel is a great tool, but tracking candidates and requisitions in a separate tool requires manual effort, and a manual process is the best way to lose track of people and lose your bearings during the recruiting process. Not to mention the man hours it's taking just to keep up with all that data entry. When it comes time to create reports for executives or other stakeholders, you'll spend far too much time collecting and compiling data that could have been provided instantly through an ATS.

2. Poor communication and connections

If your recruiting software doesn't allow you to communicate with candidates and hiring managers directly through the system, you'll have to fall back on email or social media interactions. Not only does this slow things down because of the extra steps necessary, it also makes it less likely that candidates will fall through the cracks. For example, sending turndown letters becomes a low priority when recruiters need to do it outside of the ATS itself, so in many cases, they just stop sending them. Not only is this frustrating for candidates, it's not great for your company's reputation. Sending rejection letters is not only a sign of respect, but it lets a candidate know they were at least considered.

3. Poor user experience

In today's technology-driven world, most people are used to interacting with apps and software that allow them to complete tasks in just a few clicks. The last thing you want is for applicants to arrive at your site, only to find that it's clunky, time consuming and confusing. This isn't positive for your brand. Further, if your site isn't multi-device friendly, you risk missing out on candidates whose only opportunity to apply was from their smartphone during their commute on the train, and who won't come back later when they have access from a laptop.

4. You're manually posting to job sites

If your recruiters are spending time manually posting openings to job sites, they are wasting way too much time every week. Job postings should only need to be written one time in your main recruiting software, and with a few easy clicks, be linked and pushed out to dozens of recruiting sites. 

5. You're writing offer letters in word

MS Word is a fantastic program and is still widely used every day. However, it does not need to be the place you're crafting and saving offer letters. A robust ATS has offer letters (and rejection letters) built into the software, allowing you to simply choose the correct template and automatically send it to the candidate through the system, populating the hiring information only one time, which makes the hiring and onboarding processes even smoother.

If your recruiting software is slowing down your processes, affecting your communication, causing you to lose out on strong candidates, and impacting your brand, it's probably time to consider a change.


Jessica Barrett Halcom is a writer for TechnologyAdvice.com, with specializations in human resources, healthcare, and transportation. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay and currently lives in Nashville, TN.

Jessica Barrett Halcom is a writer for TechnologyAdvice.com, with specializations in human resources, healthcare, and transportation. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay and currently lives in Nashville, TN.