This title may come as a surprise to a recruiter reading this post. After all an Applicant Tracking System is designed to do all of the heavy lifting for us, and to the casual user, the system appears to be completely configured when they log in. While all this is very true, I live in the world behind the curtain. A magical world of client settings, user privileges, automation management, form creation, communication templates and my favorite….integrations.
I am a technical consultant whose wizard-like powers are contained within my Admin tools. So I ask again, what can you do for your ATS? My answer to this question when I am asked is a simple one… I can do anything.
I can create custom workflows, unique org groups, user types of endless shapes and sizes all behind a complex matrix of privileges which make data viewable to some and locked down and impossible to retrieve for others. I have the ability to create libraries of questions and only present specific targeted questions to the select few that apply to a relevant job. I can develop logic to rate and stack candidates based on previous experience, education or responses to job specific questions. I can trigger communications to candidates, managers, stakeholders, third parties, even the recruiter that may be sleeping on the job while highly sought after talent anxiously waits to be viewed within an applicant folder. Better yet, I can send a highly qualified candidate directly to the recruiter’s inbox, or even the manager for that matter, there by bypassing the vast sea of applicants.
The fun doesn’t stop here. When we identify candidates we wish to move forward with, the real fun begins. Using the cloud and the speed of light I can auto-communicate to a pool of candidates, have candidates schedule their own interviews, simultaneously communicate to coordinators who handle logistics, notify the evaluation team and insure everyone is ready for the big day of interviews. After the interviews take place evaluation forms can be automated in the system, filled out in the cloud, attached to candidate profiles, and used to further rank the talent.
Now we have finalists for the job. We need more candidate information. This is no problem. Auto-communication takes place once again and reaches out to the candidate. The system generates forms and has the candidate fill out a more robust application. I want the good stuff now, EEO data, prior managers, GPA, salaries, bonuses and evaluations all of which can be automatically gathered at this stage.
Now comes the part I really love….INTEGRATIONS.
With a simple left click all the data is magically sent. A background authorization goes out to the candidate, and most of their information is somehow already on the form, the candidate has a Big Brother feeling and then recalls that they likely offered that information during their application. “Ok I will verify and consent to the Background”, they say quietly but excitedly in their head.
That is all my ATS needs, now with the same magic, all the information is sent to the Background check vendor and for good measure a communication is sent to the manager letting them know that all is going well with the new prospect.
In short order the background report is completed and clear.
Control Tower:
- Notify manager, recruiter, HR, payroll, and security.
- Automation- create offer, post to the candidate portal.
- Integrations-Send candidate data to Onboarding and build the new hire in the HRIS system.
I think you get the idea. With enough experience, patience and knowledge the possibilities with today’s Applicant Tracking Systems are endless. The only limitation thus far is we have yet to get the ATS to hand the new hire their business cards on the first day of work, but anything is possible.