Role of ATS in UK recruitment
Recruitment software in the UK today is becoming more commonplace. Among these ingenious software solutions are ATS or Applicant Tracking Systems, which are designed to automate the recruitment process for the recruiter. There is growing recognition that, particularly in larger organisations, it is becoming increasingly difficult for recruiters to complete the recruitment process effectively without an ATS. For an ATS to prove effective for recruiters, certain attributes are essential.
- Proficient CV parsing is an essential attribute of an ATS as this is the first step in assessing candidate suitability for a given role. This aspect of the technology must provide options for the recruiters which allow them to specify what they are on the lookout for when viewing candidate CVs; one of the major elements being keywords. This is essential for capturing and processing data easily and efficiently. A good parser should digest the CV and output it into a searchable format, so that relevant candidates can be identified more quickly.
- Flexibility, particularly in terms of a solution’s ability to integrate with other systems and services, should be considered an important attribute. When considering the potentially wide-ranging requirements for recruitment software in the UK, it is not difficult to imagine that the needs of a company are likely to evolve. Therefore, it is important for an ATS to be sufficiently flexible that it can easily integrate with additional services that may become a requirement. Even better is an ATS with a selection of pre-integrated services which will meet a wide variety of needs, further helping to make the recruitment process simpler to manage.
Continuing on the theme of flexibility is the ease of access to the ATS. An ATS will be far more effective if it is accessible across a range of devices and locations. So, being fully mobile responsive and available via the cloud rather than as on-premise software could be seen as a significant advantage. This is known as the SaaS model, or Software as a Service, which is where software is made available on a subscription basis via an online service.
- Versatility, particularly in terms of customizability, is another attribute that should not be underestimated as each business and each recruitment campaign is different. This also needs to be made easy to do, so the recruiter can focus on what they do best rather than on complex processes. The ability to easily customise the database, choose how the data is represented, or automate repetitive tasks can make a difference to the effectiveness of the ATS in any given use case.
So what is effective recruitment software in the UK?
This amounts to the ability to utilise, customise and extend the functionality of an ATS in such a way that it facilitates the needs of the recruiter. This also means enabling the efficient information gathering, parsing and visualisation of data in such a way that enables an effective recruitment process.
