An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) can make recruitment easier and more efficient for users on both sides of the equation. Customization can help to further improve the user experience in many different ways. Knowing where to start and exactly what to do to customize the dashboards can be a challenge, however.
The following tips may help you to get a start on your ATS customization. The list is not comprehensive, but may help to get over the initial overwhelm after the system has been selected and the implementation process has begun.
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Consider Your Branding Carefully
An ATS solution should be customized so that candidates recognize the colors, font, logos, and general character of the company when they come across it. Take time to play with these options until you are proud of the way that it looks and really feel that it represents your company well.
If there are several different brands operating under one parent company, it may make sense to make the ATS dashboards match each brand, rather than making one customized to the parent company. As such, it may also make sense to customize dashboards for each department if the departments are very different. Consider the various options before committing to changes.
Set Up Automatic Alerts and Responses
Setting up an ATS system so that the hiring managers receive an email or alert on their mobile phones when a candidate applies can help to speed up the hiring process. You may wish to set up the system to send out an automatic response each time someone applies, as well.
There may be additional alerts that can be set up as each candidate moves through the hiring process. If you decide not to hire someone, it may also be possible to set the system up to send out a courtesy email letting the candidate know that they have not been selected for the position. This can allow the candidate to move on with their job search and save your HR professionals time from answering dead-end inquiries.
Customize Your ATS Workflow to Match Your Actual Workflow
Your ATS workflow will be inefficient if it’s set up differently than your actual workflow. Take the time to make sure that the candidate profile is moving through the software in exactly the order that the candidate is moving through the application, interview, and other processes. Utilize the system as an aid, though; don’t get caught up in relying solely on the system for recruitment needs.
Make Statuses and Stages Easy to Identify
As candidates move through the hiring process, they fall into different stages in the process and may be identifiable with different statuses based on their “hire-ability.” Candidate databases can be organized so that it is possible to see at a glance where candidates stand. You may wish to use different colors, icons, or charts to make it easy to view candidate profile databases for the greatest effectiveness.
Provide Just the Right Amount of Access
If different people within your organization are involved in hiring, it may help to limit access to just what is needed by each person or position.
Having too much available can add unnecessary complexity. Not being able to access needed information or functionality may cause frustrations, on the other hand. Figuring out the right amount of permission may take trial and error, but will likely improve your hiring processes.
Customizing your ATS can help you to make it your own and make it work better for your organization. Taking the time to do it right can increase the ROI on your new system and boost its value to your company.
