Deconstructing Recruitment Jargon – A Reach Guide (Part 1)
From pipelines to talent pools, recruitment can be a magnet for jargon and, when you’re new to the field, it can sometimes feel a little overwhelming.
Fear not. Reach has put together a guide to help you navigate your way safely through the tangled web of words your fellow recruiters have spun for you. Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa and let us walk you through some of the key recruitment terms you need to know.
What does an ATS system mean in recruitment?
Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) is a system that automates many of the repetitive recruitment processes. It also centralises all your recruitment documentation and gathers hiring data.
It’s estimated that around 66% of large UK companies now use ATS systems for their recruitment. The reason for this is simple. Applicant Tracking Software is the Swiss army knife of recruitment tools. It can do almost everything: post jobs to job boards, filter, and track applications, send candidate communications, manage interview scheduling, and even facilitate onboarding.
In short, an applicant tracking system is a really efficient way of automating and streamlining the hiring process and speeding up time to hire.
What is the meaning of a Candidate Pipeline/Talent Pool in the context of HR and Recruitment?
When you recruit regularly or at volume, having a steady flow of potential candidates is really important. It helps you pre-empt vacancies and prevent skills gaps. Building up a database of potential candidates (talent pool) can be really valuable to keep the flow (or pipeline) of skills into your business.
One of the best ways to build up and store a talent pool is on an ATS. Rather than keeping that speculative CV in a file on your computer (or the back of a filing cabinet!) an ATS will store and sort all potential candidates, either from speculative applications or those that missed out on previous vacancies. That way, when you know you have a vacancy coming up, you can search your talent pool for potential candidates before you spend your time and money advertising a position.
What does the ‘candidate experience’ mean and why is it important?
When we talk about the candidate experience, or the ‘candidate journey’ we’re talking about the job application process and how that process feels to someone applying for a job with your company.
They say you never get a second chance at giving a first impression and in today’s crowded marketplace, your business needs to stand out from the crowd. A simple and engaging application process is a great way to do this. It signals to candidates that you’re a great employer.
So, what does a positive candidate experience feel like? Is it a swift process? Is it regular communication? Is it a simple and transparent application process? Or perhaps it’s a candidate being able to schedule an interview at a time that works for them?
We say it’s all of that and more.
Every interaction with a potential client needs to be a good one. A candidate who has a good experience applying to work for you will feel favourably towards your brand, even if they don’t get the job.
Using an ATS can really enhance your candidate experience. It allows you to template and schedule your communications, keeping applicants up to date on their progress without eating into your team’s time. It also lets candidates apply via their socials or by email, making the application process as simple and convenient as possible.
An ATS can even handle contracts and onboarding, providing a consistent, professional feel to all your communications, in turn giving your candidates that warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you’ve found a company that just feels right for you!
What is the meaning of candidate sourcing?
Candidate sourcing (also known as talent attraction) means finding someone with the right skillset for your business. Usually this is done by advertising your vacancies on online job boards. Most companies advertise their vacancies on the main UK job boards such as Indeed and Monster.
This type of advertising offers high visibility for your available roles and the job boards send out alerts to candidates when a role they’re seeking is advertised. So, your role gets delivered straight to your candidate’s inbox!
When you’re recruiting using an applicant tracking system, job board posting becomes even easier. A good ATS will provide standard advert templates or even customisable ones, making posting your jobs even faster.
But if you’re looking for a very senior role or something that’s quite specialist, you might find that you need advice on where to find the right talent for your vacancy. Maybe you need a teacher for a school on a remote island in the Hebrides, or a nurse who has experience in treating tropical diseases? Perhaps you’re looking for a CEO who has extensive experience in fundraising for charities but also a background in chemistry?
Finding the right person for that specialist role can be tricky. That’s when it’s time to call in the experts. Sourcing the right talent for that vacancy might require wider exposure than just using your regular job boards. Talent attraction specialists (like Reach) can leverage your ads with their superior buying power. They have extensive knowledge of a wide range of job boards and are expert at sourcing candidates for even the trickiest of roles. They’ll be able to help, whether you’re looking for a needle in a haystack or that diamond in the rough.
What is the meaning of ATS Integration and how does it streamline the recruitment process?
Simply put, ATS integration means that your applicant tracking software works well with the rest of your recruitment technology
When you integrate your ATS, it works alongside your existing software and partners expanding your recruitment capabilities. For example, you could perform a variety of background pre-employment checks, such as DBS and Right to Work from your ATS.
Integration also facilitates the transition of candidates from your ATS to employees on your payroll system. And it lets you download and transfer your recruitment data for reporting and presenting. Because life is so much easier when we all work together, right?
So, there you have it. Recruitment jargon explained. Well, some of it! Keep your eyes on our blog for Part 2. Got any other terms you’d like decoded? Let us know. Want to know more about how we can help streamline your recruitment and get that candidate pipeline flowing? Reach out!