Is your slow and unorganized hiring process coming in between you and your recruitment goals?
If so, it’s time to consider recruitment tracking, a process by which recruiters can dive deep into their hiring process and find ways to improve and streamline their workflow.
What is recruitment tracking?
Recruitment tracking is all about creating a robust recruitment tech stack that can automate and speed up your hiring process.
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are the most widely used tool for recruitment tracking.
With an ATS, recruiters can collect, and screen resumes, schedule interviews, send job offers, follow up with candidates, enhance the client and candidate experience, and so much more.
You’ll be surprised to know that a whopping 94% of recruiters say that using an applicant tracking system has positively impacted their hiring process.
With an effective recruitment tracking system for your hiring team, recruiters can–
- Easily find the ideal candidate for open positions.
- Save money and time without compromising the quality of new hires.
- Improve the overall recruitment process.
In short, recruitment tracking is the key to simplifying the process of attracting top talent, turning them into potential candidates, and hiring them as clients’ employees.
How applicant tracking systems work to benefit recruitment tracking
1. Candidate tracking & sourcing
Tracking and sourcing candidates are the most crucial yet challenging parts of hiring. But thanks to an applicant tracking software, it’s no longer a hassle for HR professionals.
From posting job descriptions on multiple channels in just a few clicks to drawing relevant candidates from their database, recruiters hinge on applicant tracking systems to automate sourcing.
With its powerful resume parsing engine series of “knockout questions,” a recruitment tracking software ensures that only the right candidate is hired.
It also allows recruiters to rank candidates based on their qualifications, experience, and even employee referrals while making notes alongside.
Once the application process is complete, recruiters can track candidate profiles at each hiring stage. Even if the candidate is rejected, they stay in your recruiting database for future job opportunities.
2. Client management
Undoubtedly, a recruitment tracking system is excellent for candidate management, but it is equally beneficial for managing clients.
Here are a few ways how a recruiting software helps recruiters manage clients better:
- Besides saving clients’ personal information, a recruitment software allows you to add and manage multiple contacts for a particular client.
- The system makes real-time communication between you and your client more transparent.
- Recruiters can create notes, call reminders, share feedback, and automate communication, keeping all stakeholders in the loop.
- Helps manage payment and create professional invoices.
- Share qualified resumes with clients in a single click.
- The best ATS providers have a client self-service portal that allows clients to see candidates’ statuses, search matching profiles, and assign them roles independently.
3. Recruitment automation
The best part of investing in a recruitment tracking system is the ability to automate hiring stages, providing the best experience for clients, candidates, and recruiters.
Modern recruitment software majorly automates these (but is not limited to) tasks:
- Candidate sourcing: This step involves identifying the open positions, automated job postings, automatic application form generation, integrating the application page into the candidate database, and employer brand management.
- Candidate management: The recruitment tracking system can achieve everything from storing candidates’ information in the central database to scheduling and screening applicants’ information. These steps help build a platform to provide a better experience to the candidate.
- Pre-screening formalities: When an opening is posted on various sites, many resumes flood in, but only some job candidates are of high quality. This is where a recruitment tracking system parses the resumes and cover letters based on specific keywords required to qualify for the job.
- Screening: This step involves shortlisting resumes and conducting assessments to screen candidates. Applicant tracking systems can store the test results and shortlist one’s that score more than the average set. It also helps maintain collaboration between the HR team and the shortlisted candidate.
- Job offering: Recruitment tracking systems can automatically generate and send job offer letters to shortlisted candidates. It can also collect the signed documentation back from the candidates, storing them in the central database.
- Analysis: The best part of recruiting software is that it provides a detailed analysis at every stage of recruitment. It helps recruiters identify the low points in their recruitment process and make data-driven hiring decisions.
4. Centralized recruitment workflow
The right ATS makes collaborative hiring much more streamlined by making all your favorite recruiting tools available under one roof. This way, you don’t have to keep multiple tabs and windows open in the background!
A centralized recruitment workflow expedites the hiring process by consolidating relevant candidate data and communication so recruiters can access all the information in one place.
Also, you can share this dataset with your hiring managers and team members quickly and securely to ensure that every member is on the same page.
5. Improved candidate & client experience
Since recruitment tracking systems help recruiters save time, the client and candidate experience is also significantly enhanced.
It gives the power of decision-making for tasks like interview scheduling to the candidates and enables clients to tag along at each hiring phase.
Since a recruitment software allows clients to view listings, interview feedback, and manage all other coordination online, recruiters do not have to rely on unnecessary emails, spreadsheets, notes, and appointments.
Integrating your ATS with messaging platforms allows you to interact with their clients and candidates 24/7, improving overall candidate retention.
An ATS’s ability to solve basic queries, show the application status, send out reminders, etc., improves your response rate and allows you to do more in less time.
Clearly, recruitment tracking is a win-win situation for all stakeholders!
6. Cost & time saving
One of the significant advantages of using a recruitment tracking system is the reduction of time and money spent on less value-added tasks.
Here’s how:
- Recruitment tracking systems allow you to post job advertisements on multiple channels with a single sign-in.
- Quick parsing of bulk resumes, which especially benefits during high-volume recruiting.
- Automates pre-assessment tests for applicants and ranks them based on their performance, so you don’t waste time on unqualified candidates.
- Automatically schedules interviews with candidates and updates your and your client’s calendars accordingly.
All these features allow recruiters to cut costs and focus on the more crucial aspects of recruiting rather than time-consuming, repetitive tasks.
5 signs you need a recruitment tracking system
With 99% of Fortune 500 companies and 75% of hiring professionals using applicant tracking systems, there’s a reason why this tool is the spotlight of HR technology!
To ensure that you don’t end up with hiring regrets, here are five alarming signs that your organization desperately needs a recruitment tracking system.
1. Your recruitment process looks overwhelming
Are you still using spreadsheets to track never-ending recruiting data? Spending hours posting openings on job boards, only to lose track of candidates and clients?
If this is what your recruitment process looks like, it clearly indicates that it’s time to invest in an applicant tracking system!
A robust ATS streamlines the process by bringing together candidate tracking and shortlisting, scheduling interviews, and automated communication and feedback for effective collaboration with your hiring team.
2. You’re losing track of your talent pool
Coming across the ideal candidate but not being able to hire them for role misfit is pretty frustrating. But at least we can get back to them later for a relevant position, right?
An effective hiring process should focus on filling new positions and creating a competent talent pipeline filled with passive candidates for future opportunities.
An applicant tracking system ensures that you have a complete record of every candidate who has applied to any of your roles. Advanced ATS options even allow you to tag promising candidates for easy retrieval when a more relevant position becomes available.
3. You lack data points to make informed decisions
Talent acquisition teams are often asked to update critical data points like hiring trends and a suitable budget for a role, mainly to chalk out a favorable hiring plan.
But with an organized database, identifying these key data points can be a breeze.
While some third-party websites and tools can help you, an ATS can highlight this data anytime.
You might not always be able to reduce these numbers, but having access to this data can help recruitment firms budget effectively and make informed hiring decisions.
4. You don’t get recognized enough for your efforts
Assessing the effectiveness of your hiring efforts can be difficult without any data to work with. On top of this, hiring can be unpredictable, leading to a loss of valuable resources.
But an applicant tracking system can help overcome this challenge by storing and providing predictive data on your hiring process.
It can track where your most qualified candidates come from and how long it takes to make a successful hire. These hiring reports can help improve your hiring process, bagging your recognition.
5. You are struggling to build your desired career website
A compelling careers page is crucial for attracting top talent and building your employer brand. But only some companies have the resources to create and maintain one.
But why should that deprive you of building the ideal career website for your organization? It doesn’t have to remain a far-fetched dream anymore!
Today, applicant tracking systems solve this problem by providing easy-to-use online templates without coding.
This allows you to keep your page up to date with current job openings and gives prospects a sense of what it’s like to work at your company. To make your page even more attractive, you can use photos and videos of your office and team to give candidates an accurate picture of the work environment.
Must-have recruitment tracking features for agency recruiters
With so many candidates flooding in, it’s essential to have a reliable cloud-based recruitment software to expedite your talent search. But without the right ATS features for your hiring needs, you’ll have a system unfit for your workflow.
So here are some must-have features that every agency recruiter should look for in an applicant tracking system.
1. Resume parsing
A resume parsing feature automatically extracts and sorts essential information from a candidate’s resume, making it easier to collect and organize candidate data.
Resume parsers substantially reduce the manual effort and time recruiters put into candidate screening. With an ATS, the entire process is automated!
2. Integrations
An ATS that integrates with popular job boards, social media, and email platforms can help recruiters to reach a wider audience and streamline their recruitment process.
Software integrations are critical to a user-friendly software.
The right integrations create a mutual ecosystem for navigating relevant information and optimizing a productive workflow.
3. Boolean search
Boolean search allows recruiters to use advanced search operators to quickly find the most relevant candidates, saving time and effort.
In an oversaturated job market with underqualified applicants, a tool that sources top talent in just a click comes in handy.
4. Recruitment tracking reports
A good ATS should provide detailed reports on the recruitment process, including the number of resumes received, the number of interviews conducted, and the number of hires made.
The core feature that makes an ATS a recruiter’s best friend is its ability to track every piece of recruiting information through artificial intelligence and its algorithms.
With recruitment tracking reports, hiring teams can quickly identify their bottlenecks and successes, allowing them to improve their processes accordingly.
5. Communication & collaboration
Automated communication allows recruiters to share and collaborate with their teams and clients. Recruiters and hiring managers can easily add comments and feedback on candidates, keeping everyone on the same page.
Recruiters can save email templates onto their recruitment software, so they don’t have to craft new messages for each client or candidate manually. Whether it’s a notification, an email, or a quick reminder, just let your ATS automate the process!
6. Mobile-friendly
In today’s world, having mobile-friendly ATS is necessary as 58% of job-seekers seek open positions through mobile.
Especially with the popularization of remote work, using a tool that caters to the spontaneous needs of recruiters can serve the purpose of flexibility and a faster recruitment process.
7. Automated workflows
Automation is the essence of an ATS, making it such a hit for easing recruiters’ lives to a considerable extent.
An ATS can automate repetitive tasks such as sending emails, scheduling interviews, and more, freeing up more time for them to focus on other recruitment tasks.
With these features in place, agency recruiters can streamline their recruitment process and find the best candidates for their clients more efficiently.
Top 3 recruitment tracking metrics to boost hiring performance
One of the best ways to create an objective and data-driven approach to hiring is by leveraging key recruitment tracking metrics.
Recruiters don’t realize that their database is a treasury full of recruiting metrics that can be the key to success. So the next time you sit down to devise a new recruiting strategy, take a look into these key recruitment tracking metrics.
1. Cost per hire: This metric helps measure the costs associated with filling an open position. It is based on the total recruiting costs invested in finding and hiring candidates. You can calculate the total cost per hire by taking the costs spent on recruiting for your open roles (e.g., recruiter fees, advertisements, etc.) and dividing that by the number of hires made from those efforts.
2. Offer acceptance rate: Your offer acceptance rate indicates how many candidates go on to accept the final job offer. This metric is also a great measure of your recruitment team’s performance. A high offer-to-acceptance ratio shows a good match between the role requirements and the selected candidates’ expectations. Recruiters can measure this by dividing the number of offers accepted by the number of offers extended to candidates.
3. Time to hire: This crucial hiring metric measures the time it takes for a candidate to complete the entire hiring process, from the application stage to the final onboarding. Understand this metric indicates how fast or slow your hiring process is.
Tips for job seekers on optimizing resumes for recruitment tracking
You’ll be surprised to know that 70% of CVs are not even physically seen by employers. So if you’ve ever submitted a CV to an employer within the past decade, it has probably passed through an applicant tracking system.
The goal is to craft an ATS-friendly resume that impresses a human hiring manager. When your resume is ATS-friendly, the chances of your resume being seen by employers significantly improve.
Luckily, getting past an ATS is much easier than you’d think. So to help you frame the best and most ATS-friendly resume that’ll sail right through, here are some tips for job seekers to follow!
1. Use keywords
Recruitment tracking systems often use keywords to search resumes, so ensure your resume includes relevant keywords related to the job you’re applying for.
Just read the job description if you’re wondering which keywords to use. Look for role-specific terms that are repeated multiple times. The more prevalent a specific keyword is, the more it should be emphasized within your resume.
You’ll find an abundance of the most popular and useful keywords for resume optimization through the internet. Search for and incorporate industry-specific jargon, skills, and qualifications that align with the job description and general criteria for the role.
Ensure that the keywords are relevant and not stuffed in the resume if getting flagged as spam is not a part of your to-do list.
2. Keep your resume clean & simple
A cluttered resume can be difficult for recruitment tracking systems to process, so keep it clean and well-organized.
Stick to a simple format and use clear, easy-to-read fonts. Keep your resume concise, avoiding any unnecessary information. Highlight the key data that you want the recruiters to notice but in a rather subtle than loud way.
Make sure your resume is visually appealing, but avoid using graphics and tables as an ATS will simply not recognize these elements.
3. Tailor your resume
Make sure your resume is tailored to the specific job you’re applying for. Beating around the bush is a big no-no if you want to make a mark.
Highlight relevant skills and experience that match the job requirements. Make sure to mention specific accomplishments, projects, or responsibilities that align with the job role. Put forth every information that makes you a valuable fit for the opening.
Tailoring your resume for each job you apply for will increase your chances of passing the filters of ATS and getting noticed.
4. Correct formatting
Most resumes are discarded from the software because of improper formatting. For example, complex titles, headers, and footers lead to a poorly structured resume.
Your safest option is to stick to standard headings instead of eye-catching sections or headers like “What Motivates Me” or “Where I’ve Been,” which the ATS won’t pick up.
Job applicants often make the mistake of including key details in headers and footers.
25% of applicants have contact information buried in headers, causing them to go unnoticed by employers. Instead, avoid adding headers altogether, as the information can get lost or cause parsing errors.
5. Use bullet points
Bullet points make it easier for recruitment tracking systems to read and process your resume. Who wants to read paragraphs of text anyway?
They also make your resume more visually appealing and easy to skim, making recruiters read it.
Use bullet points to list your work experience, skills, and education. Make sure that the bullet points are specific and quantifiable.
6. Include updated contact information
Make sure your contact information is included at the top of your resume and is up-to-date. Imagine putting in a mail you don’t use anymore and never knowing how much a hiring manager wanted to hire you!
Include your full name, email address, phone number, and LinkedIn profile. Make sure the contact information is easy to find for the human resources team.
7. Use the right file format
Not all file types are compatible with an ATS. In fact, 43% of resumes submitted are sent in incompatible file types. In this case, your best bet is to submit your CV in a DOC or DOCX file format.
While PDFs are excellent at preserving file data, they’re not always ATS compatible. So always upload an additional DOC version if you’re submitting a PDF file. But as a general rule of thumb, check for a provided list of acceptable file formats before uploading.
By following these tips, you can increase your chances of getting noticed by recruitment tracking systems and recruiters, bringing you a few steps closer to landing your dream job. Always keep your resume up to date and tailor it to the job you’re applying for.
Why recruiters love Recruit CRM for recruitment tracking
Trusted by recruitment agencies across 100+ countries, Recruit CRM’s intelligent reports feature is one of the most loved features among our clients.
We’ve been recognized as the highest-rated software in the recruitment software category on Capterra and the #1 recruiting software for staffing agencies on Software Advice!
Our ATS + CRM has a handy dashboard and reports to make number crunching easier. With Recruit CRM, you can quickly scan key recruitment tracking metrics in one place.
With our Kanban view, users can get a simplified visual overview of their recruitment operations, revenue pipeline, individual recruiter performance reports, and more.
We understand how overwhelming recruitment tracking can be, so our recruitment software solution automatically curates reports and sends reminders, allowing you to focus on the essentials.
Users can create deal stages, customize fields, and track the metrics for any job, company, or associated contacts.
Have a chat with our customer support team and learn how recruitment agencies worldwide are boosting their business performance with the help of our intelligent reports.
FAQs
1. How does an ATS enhance recruitment tracking by automating candidate communication and engagement?
An applicant tracking system plays a crucial role in recruitment tracking by automating candidate communication. It allows recruiters to set up automated email responses, ensuring candidates receive timely updates throughout the hiring process. Additionally, many ATS platforms offer communication tools for personalized interactions, such as interview scheduling and follow-up messages. This automation not only improves efficiency but also enhances the overall candidate experience, as it keeps candidates informed and engaged at every stage of their journey.
2. What is the role of automation in recruitment tracking through an ATS, and how it improves overall efficiency?
Automation is at the core of an ATS’s functionality, significantly enhancing the efficiency of recruitment tracking. From the initial resume screening stage, where the system filters and ranks candidates based on predefined criteria, to the automation of administrative tasks like interview scheduling and sending rejection emails, an ATS streamlines the hiring process. This not only saves valuable time but also reduces errors and ensures a consistent candidate experience. By automating these repetitive tasks, recruiters can allocate more time to strategic activities, such as interviewing and building relationships with candidates and hiring managers, ultimately improving the overall effectiveness of recruitment tracking.
3. How does recruitment tracking with an ATS contribute to data privacy compliance and secure candidate data management?
Recruitment tracking with an ATS is crucial for ensuring data privacy compliance. The system securely stores candidate information, safeguarding it from unauthorized access. ATS platforms often include features for managing consent, allowing candidates to provide explicit permission for data processing, which is essential for complying with regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). Furthermore, these systems facilitate data retention policies, automatically deleting candidate information when it’s no longer necessary for hiring purposes. This not only ensures compliance but also promotes responsible data management practices within the organization. In essence, an ATS acts as a guardian for candidate data, guaranteeing that recruitment tracking remains compliant with data privacy laws.
4. How can an ATS assist in creating and maintaining a talent pool and help long-term recruitment-tracking efforts?
An ATS is a valuable tool for building and managing a talent pool, which can significantly benefit long-term recruitment tracking efforts. When candidates apply for a position but are not selected, their information is stored in the system’s database. Recruiters can easily access this pool of potential candidates when new job openings arise. The ATS allows recruiters to categorize candidates based on skills, experience, and interests, making it simple to search for specific profiles when relevant opportunities become available. Moreover, an ATS can automate communication with candidates in the talent pool, notifying them of suitable job openings and encouraging them to reapply. This proactive approach keeps the pool active and engaged, ensuring a continuous source of talent for the organization’s recruitment tracking efforts.
