A candidate management system, also known as an applicant tracking system (ATS), is a software solution designed to assist with recruitment. Candidate management systems can be helpful in attracting, communicating with, and managing applicants throughout the hiring cycle. They can help HR professionals and hiring staff elevate hiring standards and keep data more organized.
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Sourcing and Attracting Candidates
Candidate management systems can be used to create job advertisements and descriptions, providing examples and insights to make the posts as accurate and effective as possible. Once advertisements and descriptions have been created, systems can be used to post them on applicable job boards, social sites, and other relevant places to attract industry talent. Job advertisements and descriptions can be saved so that they can be used when needed with just a few clicks.
In addition to simplifying the sourcing process, candidate management systems can help companies figure out which sources were the most effective in drawing top talent. Surveys and analytics can help HR and hiring staff to determine which sources attract high quality talent, which sources produce the least new employee turnover, and other pertinent, actionable insights.
Resume Review
Reviewing resumes can be very time consuming. Reviewers may form unconscious biases towards certain candidates or overlook top resumes simply because they are tired. Candidate management systems help to avoid these pitfalls by comparing resumes based on set criteria and highlighting the ones that indicate a good match for the open position.
Candidate Database
Candidate databases are sometimes referred to as candidate management systems within ATS software. This is because the candidate database dashboard is often the base of operations for hiring within the system. All candidates are listed, often with expandable profiles that will disclose qualifications, credentials, and any recruitment steps that have been completed thus far.
Candidate databases help to keep all hiring team members on the same page and keep the recruitment process flowing smoothly. If candidates are dropped from the recruitment process or moved on to employee status, they can be removed from the database.
Managing Communications
Some candidate management systems make it easy to communicate with candidates using a messaging feature. This communication can then be attached to candidate profiles and considered among the other factors when hiring decisions are made. Being able to easily communicate with a candidate, having all of their information readily accessible within the same dashboard, can also foster a deeper relationship with candidates and improve the candidate experience.
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Interviewing Candidates
The interview stage is often considered the most important phase of the hiring process. Candidate management systems may offer guidance through this process, such as sample questions or even a ranking system to score candidates’ answers and compare them. Additionally, some candidate management systems offer interview tools right through the platform, such as video interviewing.
Onboarding New Employees
After hiring decisions have been made, candidate management systems can sometimes be used to onboard new employees and export information over to other types of human resources software. This can speed up the hiring process and mitigate errors that might have been made when translating information from one system to another, or from paper into a database.
Allowing candidates to use candidate management software to upload their own forms and fill in new hire information can empower your new employees and make them feel trusted, while also saving your HR personnel time.
If you would like to implement a candidate management system into your company but don’t know where to start, check out some of the ATS software vendors that we work with. If you would like some assistance from professionals in selecting a system, visit our software match page to get started.
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