Employee Recruitment Software – Everything You Need to Know 

Any company hiring at scale knows that employee recruitment software, or Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) as they’re more commonly known, are a key tool in the HR arsenal. Being able to track adverts, applications, and interviews for multiple vacancies from one central dashboard is invaluable when it comes to modern recruiting. 

But what are the key benefits of automating your recruitment process and how can ATS software possibly make the candidate experience more personal? Below you’ll find answers to a few of our most frequently questions, to illustrate how employee recruitment software could make a difference to your company.  

What essential features I should be looking out for with an ATS? 

Any ATS worth its salt will offer you an end-to-end solution when it comes to your recruitment process. Look for a product that will take you from request to hire right through to onboarding via ads, applications, and interview. 

Ideally, the system you choose will be able to automatically post adverts on the country’s top job boards for you.  A Reach ATS offers bespoke fully branded portals for Hiring Managers and candidates, offering a seamless transition from your company website to the employee recruitment platform. 

Don’t forget to consider data security too. Is your data secure, does the ATS fully integrate with your existing software packages? Remember, if it can’t deal with your HRIS software, online video platforms such as Microsoft Teams, major online calendars apps such as iCal and Google, or personnel checks such as DBS, then it’s going to cause you major headaches down the line. 

Finally, think about what training and support is being offered. How responsive is the team? Will you have to wait days for an issue to be solved? What training is offered and to how many members of staff, will you speak to a person or a chat bot? 

Is it true that employee recruitment software can efficiently screen applications? 

It is! Reach ATS will do the first sift of all applications for you. It sorts applications against the defined criteria in your job specification – skills, qualifications, and experience. 

However, a word of caution! When it comes to employee recruitment and selection, an ATS should not be considered as a complete shortlisting tool. Employee recruitment software can look at pre-defined criteria, but it’s no match for you and your team’s expertise when it comes to the right fit for your company.  That really requires the personal touch. 

By doing the first sift however, an ATS is there to do the leg work, meaning you and your hiring managers are presented with candidates who have all the required criteria for the vacancy, then it’s down to you to decide who you’d like to take to interview. 

Can candidate relationship management tools really help with engagement during the recruitment process? 

Absolutely. Whilst the words ‘automation’ and ‘personal’ might feel like they’re a million miles apart, using an ATS to keep a candidate engaged throughout the hiring process is one of the great benefits of employee recruitment software. 

Simple template emails, fully branded, reminding the candidate to send in their application, confirming receipt, keeping them apprised of their progress can make a huge difference, keeping them fully engaged with the process. 

Don’t forget that your ATS can also help during the contract and onboarding period, helping to welcome the candidate into the company fold. With a Reach ATS you can sign contracts, share documents, confirm start dates, send onboarding documents, and make your new hires feel part of the team before they set foot through the door. 

Automating these communications saves huge amounts of time and effort for your team, and the level of personalisation means candidates always feel you’ve gone the extra mile for them. And even if the applicant isn’t successful, they walk away with an incredibly positive impression of your brand, and who doesn’t want that?  

I’ve heard an ATS can facilitate internal collaboration, but how?

Employee recruitment and selection goes way beyond the HR department – hiring managers, interview panels, department heads, payroll – so many parts of a business are involved in recruitment.  Finding an easy way for everyone to communicate is key to encouraging a seamless recruitment process.

Reach ATS has a Hiring Manager Portal, through which you can share applications, check calendar interview availability, book interview slots, assemble panels and share feedback and scores, in a data-secure fashion, in one easy to access place. 

That means no more chasing emails, no more sending files back and forth. Data remains safe, candidate information can be compared side by side, and push notifications ensure everyone knows their tasks and deadlines.  Co-working never seemed so easy! 

Can an ATS really save time, or will I spend my days inputting data? 

In short. Yes, it will absolutely save you time. Good quality employee recruitment software will save you time and money. The key is to buy a system that’s tailored to your company, one that will work with your recruitment process. There’s absolutely no point buying an ‘off the shelf’ ATS that’s been designed around a different type of business. Look for one that flexes with you, grows with you and fits around your current software and procedures. Reach ATS does just that. We’ll adapt to fit your recruitment process; visit our ATS overview page to discover more about our ATS features. 

As for data input. At set up we’ll help you upload all the documents, templates, and workflows you need to hit the ground running. All you need to do is start hiring. 

Got more questions? Reach out today, we’d love to hear from you.