How job application software streamlines hiring for recruiters and applicants

Job application software streamlines hiring for recruiters

There’s nothing worse than logging in to individual sites one by one to post new roles. Or maintaining a spreadsheet and multiple communication trails at the same time. Without an applicant tracking system, these tasks take hours to complete and require a full team of recruiters. Below, we explore how recruiters can automate the hiring process and facilitate greater internal collaboration.

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Compare your company to where industry benchmarks are headed. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes employment projections by industry segment.

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Benefits of job application software

A job applicant tracking system, more commonly called an applicant tracking system, helps employers better manage their custom careers site, job applications, external job board postings and candidate information. By tracking applicants in a single platform, hiring teams can collaborate more easily, making better decisions.

People examining applicant profiles and statistics using applicant software

Do more with fewer resources

Job application software helps recruiters reduce time spent on individual candidate tasks from hours to minutes.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the time and resources needed with and without an ATS.

Manual Processes

With an ATS

Job posting

  • Log in to each individual job board and upload new job descriptions, one by one
  • Update your careers page, potentially with the help of web/IT staff
  • When the position is filled, coordinate posting removals
  • Post new roles to your careers page and all of your preferred job boards at the same time, with just a few clicks
  • Remove all filled job postings automatically

Job application tracking

  • Log in to each job board to check progress
  • Scan line by line in an applicant tracking spreadsheet to understand which applicants are in which stages
  • View all job board performance in a single dashboard
  • See all recent applicants in a single view, or explore each hiring stage to see which candidates are present

Candidate management

  • Draft, send, and respond to job applicant emails one by one
  • Manually update a spreadsheet with notes: when contact was made with applicants, next steps, and feedback for hiring managers
  • Simultaneously maintain email communications with applicants and hiring managers and then update the spreadsheet, again
  • Send applicants SMS and email communications directly from the platform
  • Applicant profiles are automatically updated with all communications, notes, and next steps
  • All hiring team members can view and add notes to applicant profiles, with changes saved immediately for all others to see

Manual Processes

Job posting:

  • Log in to each individual job board and upload new job descriptions, one by one.
  • Update your careers page, potentially with the help of web/IT staff.
  • When the position is filled, coordinate posting removals

Job application tracking:

  • Log in to each job board to check progress.
  • Scan line by line in an applicant tracking spreadsheet to understand which applicants are in which stages.

Candidate management:

  • Draft, send, and respond to job applicant emails one by one.
  • Manually update a spreadsheet with notes: when contact was made with applicants, next steps, and feedback for hiring managers.
  • Simultaneously maintain email communications with applicants and hiring managers and then update the spreadsheet, again.

With an ATS

Job posting:

  • Post new roles to your careers page and all of your preferred job boards at the same time, with just a few clicks.
  • Remove all filled job postings automatically.

Job application tracking:

  • View all job board performance in a single dashboard.
  • See all recent applicants in a single view, or explore each hiring stage to see which candidates are present.

Candidate management:

  • Send applicants SMS and email communications directly from the platform.
  • Applicant profiles are automatically updated with all communications, notes, and next steps.
  • All hiring team members can view and add notes to applicant profiles, with changes saved immediately for all others to see.
A group of ladies representing various jobs and ages

Individuals have been employed in an average of 12.4 jobs by the time they are 54. More than half of these jobs before the age of 25.

Automated applicant tracking and progression

Job application tracking systems streamline the recruiting process by advancing candidate profiles through hiring stages automatically. The system can provide real-time insights into the status of all candidates for every open position on a single dashboard. This frees up more of the recruiters’ time to spend engaging with candidates while staying on top of all open positions. 

Workflows can be automated throughout the hiring process by using skills test scores or interview evaluations to advance candidates meeting preset criteria. Automation eliminates manual processing by recruiters, sending instant updates to hiring managers and candidates for next steps.

Illustration depicting job applicant automated tracking and progression

Accurate job applicant and job posting information

Manual job application tracking can be time-consuming and pose risks to data integrity, including:

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Stale job postings left live after position has been filled 

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Missed communications with applicants 

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Lost or misunderstood hiring team feedback

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Overwrites or data loss in spreadsheets because of multiple users

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Multiple versions of the tracking spreadsheets across multiple users

An ATS creates a centralized profile for each job applicant that can be accessed by all team members. Data integrity is preserved by built-in failsafes while many users can add feedback, notes, flags and tags without worry.

The average corporate job opening receives 250 applications and yields 4 to 6 interviews. Is your process set up to find the best candidates quickly?

women racing against time to find the best candidates quickly

VidCruiter’s applicant tracking system

Streamline your recruiting with custom platform automation. Engage, evaluate, hire.

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Source, evaluate and track candidates with one powerful platform

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Stay connected with automated candidate communications

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Post to major job boards and your career page with one click

Learn more about VidCruiter’s applicant tracking software

Other helpful resources

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What are the different types of applicant tracking systems?

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ATS features – by company size and industry

Search

How a candidate tracking system helps manage talent sourcing

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What are the best applicant tracking systems for 2023?

Frequently asked questions

How does a job applicant tracking system work?

How does ATS work? It sorts through applications and creates a shortlist of candidate profiles for recruiters to review. Integration with hiring tools such as skills testing, interviewing, and reference checking, allows recruiters to manage the entire hiring process within the same platform.

Man looking at a computer monitor with an applicant profile
Man appearing through a laptop handing a job offer letter

What types of features are most common?

The most common ATS features center on automation. Automation can advance candidates and send them communications. It can also notify hiring managers of upcoming interviews and remind them to evaluate candidates within the platform.

What are the pros and cons of using an ATS?

What are the applicant tracking system’s pros and cons? Benefits include reduced time-to-hire and the automation of numerous administrative tasks. 

Pre-screening functionality within an ATS can create the risk of filtering out qualified candidates. However, HR teams can mitigate this risk by widening their filtering criteria to include a broader list of KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities.)

Recruiter racing with 25 seconds remaining on a clock
Man standing in front of a screen with an ats-friendly resume

How do I create an ATS-friendly resume?

To create an ATS-friendly resume, use simple formatting and common resume fonts such as Arial and Times New Roman. Try to avoid using images, tables, or columns, which are difficult for an applicant tracking system to translate into an applicant profile.