By Chase Kanter
Your organization is growing! The company’s competitive edge depends on hiring qualified teams of the best and brightest employees. Your list of new hires needed is growing fast. How can you attract candidates, screen them, and hire the best and brightest? As a recruiter, you need a practical yet simplified recruitment process. An Applicant Tracking System’s (ATS) primary benefit is providing your recruiters with the necessary tools. How can an ATS help recruiters meet their KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), support business objectives and hire the best teams possible? We explore using an ATS to assist recruiters in streamlining their hiring processes by finding suitable candidates using Tags and Pools.
ATS Overview
There are many ways to utilize the ATS to your advantage. The ATS is a database of information on applicants who have shown interest in your company. It is an excellent resource for sourcing candidates for new positions. You know you have a warm lead when you find qualified candidates within your ATS. This candidate has shown interest, and they have provided valuable information. This information has been automatically stored in a way that makes it searchable. Your job as a recruiter becomes much easier once your targeted candidate is familiar with the company and has already applied. The next step is to match the applicant to your open job requisition. It sounds easy, but how do you manage hundreds of applications and skill sets against your specific job requirements?
Set Tags to increase accurate ATS search results.
The best way for recruiters to keep track of candidates within the ATS is by using tags. Tags are a tool that allows you to make a note on a candidate’s profile easily. The most common tags are for specific skillsets, locations, and qualifications. These tags will vary by industry, job level, certifications and experience required. Recruiters can customize their tags to match their search needs and recruiting style. Once tagged, the tool allows recruiters to pull up all the candidates with that tag.
For example, suppose a Recruiter is trying to fill an Electrical Engineer role in Seattle. In that case, they can quickly pull up all their candidates with the “electrical engineer” tag, “Seattle” tag, or candidates having both tags. Tags can be as specific or vague as you’d like.
Here are five specific ways that candidate tags can be utilized in your ATS:
1. Resume screening:
When recruiters receive many resumes for a position, candidate tags can quickly filter and identify candidates with specific skills or qualifications relevant to the job opening.
2. Skill matching:
By tagging candidates with specific skills or years of experience, recruiters can easily match them with suitable job openings, ensuring a better fit between candidates and roles.
3. Candidate pipeline management:
Candidate tags help recruiters manage candidate pipelines for different job requirements. They can keep track of suitable candidates for future opportunities and quickly access their profiles when needed.
4. Collaboration and communication:
When multiple recruiters or hiring managers are involved, candidate tags provide a standardized way to communicate and share information about candidates.
5. Personalized communication:
With candidate tags, recruiters can send targeted messages to candidates based on their interests or preferences, enhancing the candidate experience.
Candidate Management in ATS Pools
Similar to tags, recruiters can also place candidates into pools in the ATS. Pools are a great way for the candidates to be separated into groups. For example, recruiters could use pools to track active candidates in the job market. Putting all active candidates into a pool quickly allows the recruiters to pull up candidates who need more immediate attention and review.
The ATS is a valuable tool for Recruiters to source and manage their current candidates or applicants. By utilizing tags and pools, recruiters will be able to use their new ATS as a true competitive edge.
About the Author
Chase Kanter is a Senior HCM Implementation Consultant who brings over 15 years of Human Resources, payroll, and HCM Consulting experience to the HRchitect team. He is an expert in implementing various human resource products, including Recruiting, Onboarding, Payroll, Core/HRIS, Compensation Management, Succession Planning, Career Development, Benefits and Learning Management. Chase also has a deep HR industry knowledge and the ability to recommend best practices to clients. Chase received his Bachelor of Arts, with a major in Business Administration, from Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska.
To learn more about Chase, check out his LinkedIn page here.
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