How NOT to be an Applicant Tracking System (my experience)

One of the main problems for many recruiters is: not having enough time for high added value activities because they are too busy with routine activities.

In such situations a recruiting software can make a difference, freeing up time by automating some phases of the recruiting process. To achieve this, however, recruitment software must have some specific features, otherwise, it may further complicate the operation.

For the benefit of all the recruiters who are looking for a method or a tool to simplify their work, we would like to share a brief experience of an HR Consultant (Alessandra Zucca) who has been able to test numerous recruitment software platforms in her professional experience, before finally choosing In-recruiting.
We believe that her (dis) adventures can provide useful indicators on how not to be an Applicant Tracking System.
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There are so many Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). In my professional career, I have used many of them because they were part of the company for which I was recruiting. Each system has positive features and features that can be improved, but there are some elements for me, that just isn’t acceptable. For the next ATS that I use, let’s say I have some hopes!

Wish No. 1: #makeitflexible

Let’s say, for example, that your predecessor has created their “own” highly-rated candidate jargon in the ATS activation phase. What do you do if your ATS is not flexible in customising your status when you want to change it? If you cannot make changes or if you need a paperback request for editing you’re already in trouble. So, the first wish is: I want a flexible Applicant Tracking System.

Wish No. 2 #oneclick

Let’s say that you’ve been able to tailor your recruiting stream to your desires (or you’ve learned to recognise your predecessor’s jargon). You now have to reassign candidates already seen by others on your project. But if I make five clicks for each candidate, how can I finish my job tonight? The number of clicks on some ATS can be infinite for any operation. And we come to wish number two: I want a simple Applicant Tracking System.

Wish No. 3 #helpmetoshare

Let’s talk about ads. If the creation of ads is part of the ATS, few have realised that integrating with the company’s social pages and possibly with some adverts may make a difference. If I have to post my link to 300 different ad slots, how do I recover the time needed to do just log in to all sites? Third wish: I want an Applicant Tracking System that lets me do everything in just a few clicks.

Wish No. 4 #fullintegration

This is the most complex thing. I happened to have a business site with a Work with us page linked to an email box. Yes, an email box. When I asked to integrate an ATS behind that page they looked at me like a Martian: “nobody knows how to do it,” “we do not have a programmer” and “we can’t edit the site” were some of the answers. Final wish: I want an Applicant Tracking System that can be easily integrated with other systems.
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The In-recruiting team had these four wishes clearly in mind while designing the latest version of the recruitment software to make it even more intuitive, flexible, powerful, and easily integrated with other third-party systems.

We believe that the best way to understand the difference between In-recruiting and other systems is to  test it (for free!) for 14 days.