Candidate Shortlisting:  Give yourself the ATS Advantage

Automating your recruitment with an applicant tracking system (ATS) is about much more than just streamlining your entire hiring process.

Of course, we’d be happy to talk for hours about the benefits of just that… but did you know that an ATS is also a strategic power tool when it comes to candidate shortlisting?

Easy, convenient, and efficient, an ATS makes shortlisting candidates a breeze. Your team will spend less time on admin and more time focusing on strategic talent acquisition. Sounds like the holy grail, right? Maybe. Read on to find out how Reach ATS can make shortlisting better. 

How can an ATS help me? 

Let’s talk efficiency. Rather than manually sifting through applications, Reach ATS leverages its sifting technology to compare any applications you receive against your predefined job criteria. 

This means that by the time your team get to shortlisting, Reach has already removed any candidates that don’t meet your defined qualifications or criteria. You only deal with candidates that could potentially fill the position. 

What about those that don’t meet our criteria? 

With an ATS, all applicants receive a personalised response from your organisation letting them know whether they’re progressing to shortlisting or not.  By keeping candidates abreast of their progress, you’re minimising the risk of losing candidates, showing that your organisation is proactive and responsive and maintaining your brand reputation. 

And those rejected applicants? Gone but not forgotten. An ATS will keep information on those clients and add it to your talent pool, meaning if you need to revisit initial applicants or have another vacancy in the future for which they’ll be suitable, you can get in touch. 

Isn’t an ATS just about data? Does this mean the system chooses who to interview?  

Not at all. An ATS is not just about data (although it’s great with that!). We’re very much on the side of the Humans when it comes to HR. An ATS will help you sift through applications and match them to your predefined criteria (skills, qualifications, experience) and then it’s down to you and your colleagues to use your knowledge and expertise to shortlist for interview. 

Applicant tracking software is about efficiency and ease of use. It streamlines the administrative processes, freeing up your team to focus on people, not process. This means you’ll more efficiently and accurately get it right when you’re shortlisting candidates for interview, and subsequently hire the right talent.

Of course, data has its place: Reach ATS provides real-time analytics, so you can see, at-a-glance, how many candidates are available to shortlist; how many have been rejected and where in the hiring process all your vacancies are. 

So, how else can an ATS help with shortlisting? 

Once the ATS has done the initial sift of the applications, you can use our Hiring Manager Portal to invite colleagues to shortlist. With as many logins as you need, you can easily assemble a shortlisting panel from across your organisation. Colleagues simply log into the system to view and score the approved applicants. So, there’s no more emailing files back and forth, or finding a convenient time to meet face to face. 

Got a colleague who’s always a bit late to the party? Through the Hiring Manager portal, you can set up alerts when applications are ready to shortlist, you can even schedule reminders for those gentle nudges required when deadlines are approaching. Saving you and your team precious time.

What is blind shortlisting and how does it work within an ATS? 

In today’s diverse and inclusive workforce, some companies require a more stringent process to mitigate unconscious bias. This is known as blind shortlisting. If your organisation requires this additional option, make sure you check your ATS can accommodate this specialist function. At Reach ATS, we already work with a small number of organisations that require blind shortlisting. So please get in touch if you’d like to find out more. 

Can software help you be more human?

We like to think so! Candidate shortlisting is an art in itself. While traditional criteria such as relevant experience, skills match, and education remain important, today’s talent acquisition landscape demands a more holistic approach. By using an ATS, you’re freeing up your colleagues to use their knowledge and expertise to focus on the strategic talent acquisition that will help your company thrive. 

Reach ATS’ cutting-edge software offers advanced features that facilitate shortlisting and streamline the entire candidate selection process. We know that you’re not just hiring the best talent; you’re building a workforce that reflects the values your organisation stands for, and we’re here to help. 

Contact us today to find out how Reach ATS can elevate your talent acquisition efforts and foster a more inclusive workplace. Also, consider checking out our candidate management software page, covering some more information on candidate shortlisting. Your journey to an even fairer and more equitable hiring process starts here!