How to Choose the Right ATS for Your Business (Step-by-Step)

With top talent in short supply and high demand across industries, hiring today is more competitive than ever. With limited time and talent, the recruiting teams are expected to hire and attract the top candidates.

That’s where Application Tracking System (ATS) has revolutionized the hiring processes by automating repetitive tasks, improving sourcing, and enhancing the candidate experience. What’s the result? Recruiters are not merely hiring anymore, but finding and securing the best talent.Without question, ATS improves hiring operations, but selecting the right software that aligns with the recruitment needs of your company is the ultimate game-changer.

Now comes the important question: how to choose an applicant tracking system that works best for your company? In this blog, we will help you choose the right ATS for your business in 9 easy steps.

Before we start our step-by-step guide, let us know more about Application Tracking Systems.

What is an Application Tracking System (ATS)?

An Application Tracking System (ATS) is a software that optimizes the recruiting and hiring process. The software is designed to streamline various operations of the hiking cycles in the following ways:

• Providing a centralized database.
• Automating manual tasks like resume parsing and interview scheduling.
• Enhancing the hiring process with candidate tracking.
• Optimiziting job postings and publishing them on multiple job boards.
• Providing key metrics to take data-driven decisions.

Why It Is Important to Invest in an ATS?

The fact that nearly 73% of organizations plan to invest in automation by 2025 underscores the growing impact of emerging technologies on hiring processes. One such software that has reformed the recruitment process is ATS. In the competitive market where recruiters struggle with traditional and inefficient hiring processes, investing in ATS is a smart move because of the following reasons:

• Faster Hiring Cycles
• Lower Cost per Hire
• Improved Quality of Hire
• Better Candidate Experience.
• Immediate Impact After the Hire
• Reliable Compliance and Security
• Data-Driven Continuous Improvement
• Scalable Process for Growth
• Efficient Hiring Process

Also Read: Why Use an Applicant Tracking System?

How to Choose an Applicant Tracking System?

Here is a comprehensive step-by-step guide to help you choose the right ATS to enhance your recruitment process.

Step 1: Identify the Gaps

Even the most efficient hiring pipelines have blind spots. The most important factor to consider when selecting the right ATS for your recruiting needs is to understand what challenges your existing hiring processes face.

Wondering if you need an ATS for your hiring process?

Here’s a quick way to find out - if your recruitment feels inefficient due to any of the following reasons, it might be time to consider one:

• Delayed hiring timelines are caused by manually performing repetitive tasks like resume screening.
• Inadequacy in hiring because of a lack of a centralized platform.
• Misaligned candidate fit.
• High-cost recruitment processes.
• Difficulty in attracting top talent because of the complex and unresponsive application forms.

Step 2: Define Your Needs

Once you have identified all the setbacks of your existing recruiting strategies, you can select the right ATS that meets your requirements. Based on your hiring requirements, you can set the goals you want to achieve by integrating ATS in your hiring process.

Some of the common goals with ATS include:

• Increased efficiency with automated tasks and reduced administrative burden.
• Faster hire-to-time with quicker recruitment cycles.
• Enhancing candidate quality by improving talent sourcing, centralized applicant information, and skill-based match of applicants facilitated by strategic algorithms.
• Data-driven insights by tracking key metrics like recruitment costs, source effectiveness, and time-to-hire.

Step 3: Evaluate the Factors for Choosing the Right ATS

If you're wondering what to look for in an applicant tracking system, here are some key factors to consider when selecting one to improve your hiring process:

• Hiring Needs
• Recruitment Volume
• Industry–specific Needs
• Budget
• Existing HR Systems

The ATS requirements for small-sized companies and large enterprises differ, making it another crucial factor when selecting the right ATS for your business.

Here is how to choose an applicant tracking system based on your company size:

ATS Requirements for Small-sized Companies

The ATS should be simple and easy to use, performing essential recruiting tasks without the hassle of complex processes. Affordable pricing and compatibility with small-screen devices are two other important features for the recruitment needs of small businesses.

Essential Features:

• Job Posting
• Basic reporting functionalities
• Candidate tracking
• Resume parsing

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ATS Requirements for Enterprise-Level Companies

Large-scale businesses generally have complex work processes, having high-volume and frequent hiring needs. The ATS for large enterprises must offer advanced automation and quality screening of multiple candidates.

Essential Features:

• AI-Dependent Candidate Matching
• Advanced Reporting and Analytics
• Compliance Matching
• Integration and Customization with Existing HR Systems

Step 4: Evaluate Key Features of ATS

ATS offers a range of key features to enhance the hiring process. By evaluating the key ATS features, you can select an ATS that fits the hiring requirements of your company. Here are some of the most important features of ATS:

• Job posting and distribution across multiple platforms.
• Candidate sourcing and screening with resume parsing, keyword matching, automated ranking, & candidate outreach.
• Candidate management with information like candidate’s information, resume, communications history, and feedback in a centraliuzed platform.
• Efficient workflow by automating various recruiting tasks, including interview scheduling, job posting, gathering feedback, etc.
• Robust analytics and reports provide key metrics to help make data-driven decisions.
• Compliance with regulatory laws and regulations specific to data privacy and security controls.
• Integration with other software and tools.
• Cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence and in-depth talent analysis.

Step 5: ATS Integration with Existing HR Tools and Software

If your company is already using an existing tool or software to streamline operations (like payroll and attendance management), choose an ATS that seamlessly integrates with it. ATS integration with existing HR tools is important for streamlining the hiring process and reducing manual work. With integrated systems, recruiters get more accurate data analytics, where data is consistent across all other platforms.

Important Note: It is important to inquire about the software implementation timeline, including steps, resources, and the timeline required for integrating ATS into your organization’s workflow.

Step 6: Align ATS Features With the Future Needs of Your Company

Before investing in any ATS, it is necessary to consider the long-term goals and plans. Let’s say, if your company wants to expand into new markets or increase the workforce size significantly in the future, it will impact ATS selection.

The ATS you choose should be scalable and adaptable to the growing needs of your recruitment. At URecruits, we ensure your organizations stay ahead in attracting the top talent with ATS. With ATS powered by URecruits, you can avoid unnecessary costly upgrades or replacements with our regular feature releases that ensure a consistent workflow for your long-term goals.

Step 7: Get a Demo Candidate Experience

The recruiting team and the candidates both interact with your ATS, making a demo of the software essential for any organization. With a demo, you can easily get insights into how well the ATS interacts with the candidates and integrates with your workflow.
Many platforms often offer a free trial to help recruiters check the compatibility of ATS with their company's needs and workflows. URecruits offers a free trial to assess and experience the product firsthand.

To avoid a poor candidate experience, here are some of the features to test in any ATS:

• The application process (including both desktop and small devices).
• Performance & efficiency for emailing, screening, interview scheduling, etc.
• Accuracy of ATS
• Candidate management
• Workflow automation
• Flexibility offered by the software
• Compliance with relevant data privacy regulations and security
• Optimum processing speed
• Storage Facilities

Step 8: Get Client Feedback

With reviews and testimonials from clients with recruitment challenges and requirements similar to your company. This way, you can get the performance of an ATS before investing in it, helping you make an informed decision.

To get genuine feedback, you can check the websites and social media platforms of the ATS software provider. Furthermore, once you have finalized your top options, you can get in touch with sales representatives to get case studies.

Step 9: Assess Support and Training Offered by the Provider

Software implementation in an organization’s workflow can be challenging. This calls for support and training provided by the provider to ensure a successful and seamless integration. It is important to assess support and training before you choose ATS as it helps with user adoption, efficiency, reduced support needs, and adaptability.

Final Thoughts: How to Choose an Applicant Tracking System

Choosing the right ATS can completely transform your hiring process, making it faster, smarter, and more efficient. By carefully evaluating your needs, comparing features, and testing the platform, you can find an ATS that truly fits your goals.

With the right system in place, your recruitment team won’t just hire faster—they’ll hire better. Ready to find the one that works for you? Try our services now with a free 30-day trial.

Check out more stories for the best recruitment tips.

FAQs

What is ATS in business?

Application Tracking System (ATS) is a software designed to manage and enhance the hiring needs of companies. With ATS different hiring tasks are streamlined by automating different hiring tasks like job posting, resume parsing, communication, and interview scheduling.

How to choose the right ATS?

To choose the right ATS, you have to consider factors like your hiring goals, company size, ATS features, budget, etc.

How much does ATS cost?

The pricing plans for different ATSs can vary. URecruits provides a comprehensive recruitment package at an affordable price with the following plans:

Basic: $99 per month (30 Days Free Trial)
Plus: $199 per month (30 Days Free Trial)
Pro: $299 per month (30 Days Free Trial)

Check our price plans now!

Can you get ATS for free?

Yes, you can find free plans offered by various ATS providers, but they come with limited features. Most ATS providers offer free trial versions to evaluate the software firsthand before committing to it. At URecruits, we offer a 30-day free trial that helps customers evaluate our robust recruitment solution.

Which ATS is best for small business expansion?

ATS offered by URecruits is one of the best choices for small businesses. We offer three price plans that small businesses can purchase based on their hiring needs.

Basic: $99 per month (30 Days Free Trial)
Plus: $199 per month (30 Days Free Trial)
Pro: $299 per month (30 Days Free Trial)

Check our price plans now!