How do you choose the best ATS for your hiring needs?

1 Define your goals

The first step to choosing the best ATS is to define your hiring goals and challenges. What are the main pain points you face when screening resumes? How many resumes do you typically receive and review per role? How do you measure the quality and diversity of your talent pool? How do you communicate and collaborate with your team and candidates? By answering these questions, you can identify the features and functions that are most important for your ATS.

2 Compare different options

The next step is to compare different ATS options and see how they match your goals and budget. There are many ATS providers in the market, each offering different levels of customization, integration, and support. You can use online reviews, demos, and free trials to evaluate the usability, performance, and reliability of each ATS. You can also ask for referrals and testimonials from other recruiters and hiring managers who use the same or similar ATS.

3 Check the compatibility

The third step is to check the compatibility of the ATS with your existing systems and processes. You want an ATS that can seamlessly integrate with your career site, job boards, social media platforms, email, calendar, and other tools that you use for hiring. You also want an ATS that can adapt to your workflow, branding, and compliance requirements. You should avoid an ATS that requires too much manual work, customization, or maintenance.

4 Test the functionality

The fourth step is to test the functionality and accuracy of the ATS. You want an ATS that can effectively parse, rank, and filter resumes based on your criteria and preferences. You also want an ATS that can provide you with useful insights and analytics on your hiring performance and outcomes. You should test the ATS with real resumes and scenarios, and see how it handles different formats, languages, keywords, and qualifications.

5 Get feedback and support

The final step is to get feedback and support from your team and candidates. You want an ATS that can enhance your candidate experience and employer brand, not damage it. You should ask for feedback from your team members and candidates on how they find the ATS, and what improvements they suggest. You should also look for an ATS that offers ongoing support, training, and updates, and that can respond to your queries and issues promptly and professionally.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?