Why an Automated Applicant Tracking System Might Be Just What You Need

While many parts of a business can benefit from automation, perhaps no area is better suited for it than hiring. After all, for hiring processes to be effective and equitable, hiring professionals need to be able to categorize, track, and store data on candidates — all of which automation does.

Online applicant tracking systems, specifically those that make use of automation, can be powerful tools for hiring. They can save significant time and money and can reduce the risk of data-entry errors. Not only that, but when coupled with testing software, an automated system can help sift through thousands of applicants to find the cream of the crop. For small and medium-sized businesses, an applicant tracking system can enable HR teams to hire quickly and efficiently — which can make a big difference when trying to secure top talent.

Since the disruption of COVID-19, the benefits of automated HR systems have only become clearer. Essential businesses have had to go on hiring sprees to keep up with demand, making the need for efficient, effective hiring practices more urgent than ever. Other companies, meanwhile, were forced to pivot in order to survive, which meant filling new roles with top talent in a short time. Still, others have had to figure out how to sort through a deluge of applicants suddenly looking for work in hard-hit industries.

All of these situations would only be aided by automation, yet many businesses are still hiring and onboarding the old-fashioned way. To figure out why — and whether automating the hiring process is the right thing for your business — we’ll look at why there might be a reluctance to adopt new processes and how overcoming that reluctance can transform a business for the better.

Why implementing an applicant tracking system is a worthwhile investment

According to a survey from Randstad, less than half of recruiters are using modern solutions such as software, chatbots, and VR onboarding platforms. Managers say these tools aren’t effective and believe nothing can beat face-to-face interviews when trying to hire the right candidate.

However, this reluctance stems from a few key misconceptions. For one, automating HR functions doesn’t mean removing the human element from hiring. Companies like NEOGOV that specialize in HR software solutions design their products to support HR teams, not replace them. Instead of choosing one or the other, companies should work to find the sweet spot between new technologies and old-fashioned but dependable techniques. This will depend partly on the industry and partly on the comfort level of the candidates themselves. What’s important to realize, however, is that automated tracking systems are built to support HR, not disrupt it.

As for the effectiveness of these tools, it depends on how they’re implemented. If a business is solely relying on its own data to inform algorithms, then it may not be getting the full picture. This could lead to high-quality candidates getting left out of the mix or could create a situation in which certain demographics are left out of the candidate pool entirely. If an algorithm is designed by people with similar backgrounds, meanwhile, there’s a risk that it will reflect the implicit biases of its creators.

All that said, the solution isn’t to avoid automation technology. Instead, it’s to carefully research the options before committing to one platform and to broaden the scope of the data informing how that automation runs. A pool of diverse data combined with heavily vetted algorithms can often do more for talent recruitment and equal employment efforts than any human can accomplish alone.

At TestGenius, we’ve seen how effective an automated tracking system can be, especially when integrated with our pre-employment testing suite. Integration allows data to be shared from one program to another, removing the need to input anything manually and reducing the likelihood of errors. Further, because the pandemic has transformed how hiring is done, cloud-based automated solutions that don’t require any sort of in-person proctor offer a safer, more efficient option.

A fully integrated cloud testing system can result in a more accurate blueprint of an ideal candidate. It can use a company’s employment history to discover factors that mark a successful hire and factor in surveys of in-house subject-matter experts to shape the skills crucial to job success, all targeted to specific positions within an organization. This alone can make a huge difference in hiring and retaining employees.

Automating your hiring process with reliable software providers will almost certainly benefit your company. More than that, HR solutions that can integrate with TestGenius software specifically will make hiring more efficient and increase the likelihood of finding the best candidates and adding them to your team.

Can TestGenius integrate with your applicant tracking system? Send us a message, and we can provide you with your options.