Ever since job applicants and recruiters started using applicant tracking systems, recruiters have had to come up with more automated and advanced ways of finding and tracking qualified applicants. Recruiting software that has applicant tracking built into it is a key step toward avoiding mistakes in your organization’s hiring processes, but today’s recruiting software must start much sooner in the hiring process.
Learn More About the Candidates
There are many examples of how the ATS needs to do more. Applicant tracking systems may allow you to learn more about the candidates applying for job openings at your organization. However, the addition of natural language processing capabilities including artificial intelligence software built into the applicant tracking system can help analyze the candidate’s personality, communication style and other soft skills. According to Randy Block, “…a psychological profile using some form of AI as a screen…” could be part of the intangibles assessed by the software.”
Decrease the Cost of Hiring
There are both time costs and monetary costs associated with hiring. Best-of- breed software for recruiting helps rank qualified candidates using machine learning. Over time, these algorithms will “learn” and get smarter based on your qualifications for the candidate. According to Caroline Stokes, founder of The Emotionally Intelligent Recruiter, “When machine learning soon becomes a part of a recruiter’s toolkit, the search process will be fast and the execution throughout will be heavily reliant on emotionally and analytically intelligent recruiters with superior communication abilities.”
Avoid Selection Bias
This new breed of intelligent recruiting software will also help your organization to avoid implicit bias when screening and sourcing candidates. Selection bias is choosing non-random data, or in this case, job applications and resumes. When there is selection bias, candidates may not have their applications considered because of a specific attribute, such as where they live or a different- sounding name. Systems like Jobvite include technology to help flag this built-in bias, which means that the pool of resumes the software pulls for you to look at will be less distorted in the direction of a particular group or type of candidate.
Focus Your Time on Worthy Candidates
According to the Wall Street Journal, the ease of applying for a job through applicant tracking systems has a huge impact on conversion rates. What this means is that you need to shorten the apply process as much as possible – enabling candidates to apply for a job opening with just a few clicks. This could mean that some people apply for just about every job they see, whether or not they are qualified to do the work. Ed Struzik explains that more than 90 percent of large companies use tracking systems for applicants, and it’s hard to find a Fortune 500 company that doesn’t use one. An applicant tracking system like Jobvite Hire is able to winnow out unqualified people at multiple steps throughout the recruitment process. It could reject people without the required degree or licensure, those lacking enough work experience or anyone who doesn’t have the specifically required skills. The ATS identifies applicants with the right combination of skills and years of experience, filtering them into a manageable amount of resumes that are worth spending your time reading.
