What is Applicant Tracking and Why Should My Client Care?

Applicant tracking is relatively new to the payroll and HR space. Its relative age notwithstanding, applicant tracking is proving its worth in an increasingly competitive hiring environment. Assuming your client wants to effectively compete for the top talent in their industry, applicant tracking is something they should care about.

Basics of Applicant Tracking

Applicant tracking is a means of managing the hiring process by putting an automated software solution between job seekers and recruiters. What we refer to as an applicant tracking system (ATS) streamlines the hiring process by collecting, sorting, and filtering job applications.

Without an ATS, HR staff might be left with the task of sorting through hundreds of applications for a single position. This takes time and effort that could be spent on more important things. With an ATS however, the initial review and sorting process is automated. Recruiters never see applications from unqualified workers. And the applications they do see are sorted according to specific criteria so that the best applicants are presented first.

Benefits of Using an ATS

Now that you know what applicant tracking is, let’s talk about its benefits. As previously stated, applicant tracking is something a company should care about if they intend to compete for the top talent in the industry.

Here are the top five benefits of using an ATS:

1. ATS automation streamlines first level recruiting. By automating the initial review of job applications, the system can weed out those applicants who do not meet minimum requirements, saving hours of work for recruiters.
2. ATS integration improves recruiting. A well-designed applicant tracking system integrates with job boards, social media travels, etc. to go out and find qualified applicants rather than waiting for them to make the first move.
3. Data collection improves future hiring. By employing an ATS, a company is actually building a database of qualified candidates that can be used to fill future positions. This cuts down recruiting time when new positions come open.
4. Hiring time is reduced. Because applicant tracking utilizes automation, the most qualified candidates are presented to recruiters more quickly. This facilitates faster interviews and an overall reduction in the time it takes to hire.
5. ATS centralization improves communication. Because applicant tracking systems are built in a cloud environment, everything is centralized. This facilitates better communication between recruiters, candidates, management, etc.

Let's Talk about TalentFocus

The entire BenefitMall team is extremely proud of the recently launched TalentFocus product now available to our clients. TalentFocus combines a specifically chosen set of tools that streamlines recruitment and onboarding to make for highly efficient and productive hiring. One of those tools is our applicant tracking system.

Applicant tracking is just one of the tools your client should put in their toolbox to become a more well-rounded company, which is why BenefitMall incorporated it into TalentFoucs. It can reduce your client’s hiring time by 90% or more while simultaneously saving them thousands of dollars in recruiting, hiring, and onboarding. If they would like to know more, we invite you to contact us and inquire about TalentFocus.

If they’re not quite ready for TalentFocus, perhaps their company is in need of reliable payroll and benefits administration services. We have that covered too. As a leader in the payroll sector, we can create a solution to meet your needs.