Busting Myths about ATS 

Myth busting: Four things you may have been led to believe about Applicant Tracking Software, and why they’re wrong.

Whether you’re new to the ATS market, or looking to upgrade your current system, it’s likely you may have heard some rather outrageous claims about Applicant Tracking Softwares (ATS) and why you should avoid buying them.

Here at Reach, as much as we love a tall tale, we also like clarity, honesty, and a bit of decent, open communication.  So, we thought it was about time we tackled these ATS myths head on. 

Buckle up, we’re going in! 

Myth One: Having an ATS means completely re-working your recruitment process. 

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater! Your recruitment process has been carefully thought through and is well-established. Any software that requires you to radically change your working practices is definitely not a worthwhile investment of your company’s time or money. 

A good quality ATS will work hand in hand with your existing hiring process. It should seamlessly integrate with your existing software, flex to your needs and grow with your business. 

When you purchase new ATS software, look for one that works alongside your current software and systems, from HRIS to DBS. It should pull all your hiring information and data together in one slick, central dashboard giving you an overview of all live vacancies and hiring data. 

A decent ATS should be customisable to fit your recruitment process, not vice versa. The service provider will need to spend time with you, learning about your hiring process, to ensure that your new ATS is adapted to fit your company’s needs. 

Remember, you know your company best, and you’ve a recruitment process that already works for you; you just need that super-efficient software to help you get it done quicker, and cheaper. 

Myth Two: Automating recruitment alienates candidates.

Lots of people are scared that using an ATS for their hiring will feel impersonal and put off candidates.  We understand that. But it’s absolutely not the case. In fact, when you choose a high-quality ATS, we believe it’s quite the opposite, here’s why: 

• All emails can be personalised to the individual candidate,
• Scheduling tools allow you to maintain regular communication with applicants, keeping them engaged and involved in the hiring process.
• A fully branded company portal makes the candidate feel as if they’re on the company website.
• Automating tasks such as interview scheduling and first-sift of applications frees up valuable team time to focus on candidates.
• Scheduling tasks and reminders for the hiring team removes the risks of any candidate ‘falling through the cracks’ due to human error.
• Virtual onboarding tools help you welcome your successful applicant to the company, making them feel part of the team before they even start work. 

Ultimately, an ATS is a tool to make hiring easier, not to depersonalise recruitment.  Use it alongside your HR expertise and you’ll soon find it’s a great way to humanise the hiring process – or as we say at Reach, put the Human back into HR!

Myth three: Switching to a new ATS will mean huge upheaval and cost for very little reward. 

It’s not you, it’s me.  Breaking up is hard to do. But in a world where ‘conscious uncoupling’ is the buzzword for the decade, working out what serves us and what doesn’t is important. 

If your old ATS isn’t providing you with all the flexibility and features you need, it’s time to make a change. And switching things up doesn’t have to be hard work. 

Look for a feature-rich system that will grow with your company. Whether you’re a tiny start up with big dreams or a multi-national conglomerate whose hiring needs have a global reach, there’s a package out there for you. 

And make sure you find a provider that will make the transfer to a new system a walk in the park. Your new ATS should be customised to your needs, optimised for your recruitment process, and offer team training as part of the package. That way you’ll be up and running the day you switch. Not a week or two later.  

A decent ATS will come with a great support package. Find a company that have a dedicated team to help with the technical aspects of the transfer and a customer support team that won’t leave you scratching your heads and frantically typing out messages to a chatbot! 

A new ATS shouldn’t mean upheaval and hard work for you. The benefits of a new system will hugely outweigh the slight inconvenience of the switch. Once you’ve found your new provider, all you should have to do is enjoy the huge efficiencies your shiny new ATS provides. And get hiring. Obviously. 

Myth four: Applicant Tracking Software Automatically Reject Applications

One of the most common myths about ATS is that you’ll miss out on potential candidates as their applications won’t get past the ATS screening software. 

Let’s be clear. The ATS is a tool for you to use as you need, so yes, you can set an ATS to do a first-sift of applications – perhaps only accepting applicants who have a specific qualification – but YOU set the criteria. An ATS doesn’t have that power. You’re in charge. 

When you’re hiring at scale, you might receive thousands of CVs for in-demand roles.  This is where an ATS can help. By politely declining (with an email template you’ve chosen) those that don’t fit the compulsory criteria, you’re saving yourself, and your team huge amounts of time sifting through inappropriate candidates. 

Conversely, if you’re hiring for a very specific post for which you don’t expect many applications, you can remove the filters and view all applicants. 

With an ATS you’re at the helm. You can amend hiring criteria in a central dashboard, allowing you to filter (or not) to your heart’s content.  Toggle sorting on for those high-volume jobs and off for those less specific roles where you might find that diamond in the rough or rocket scientist-come-fashion-designer no one knew would make an excellent Finance Director. 

The point is, when it comes to ATS automation, nothing’s automatic, it’s all pre-ordained, by you, using your recruitment knowledge and the experience of the team implementing the software for you. 

So, there you have it, four big ATS myths busted. And of course, if you are looking to buy a new ATS for your business, it almost goes without saying that we’d love to show you the amazing capabilities of a Reach ATS. Almost…

Go on, get in touch now!