What are Some Free Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software Options?
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Applicant tracking software has a wide range of capabilities that can benefit companies. Even many free software systems can help increase the range of candidates you reach, scale hiring practices, and make the hiring process more efficient for human resource managers or recruiters. With everything streamlined in one place, job descriptions can become more accurate and attract the most qualified candidates for the role.
Matchr’s List of 3 Free ATS Software Recommendations
Matchr works with some great free ATS software companies. We’ve created a list of some software options to consider when choosing the best applicant system for your business.
1 Breezy HR
Breezy HR stands out as a modern hiring and applicant tracking system, offering a free Bootstrap plan that supports one active job and one user.
The free plan includes unlimited candidates, multiple languages, customer support, a drag-and-drop interface, video interviewing, and a Chrome extension. Integrating seamlessly with small and midsize business HR software systems like BambooHR, ADP Workforce Now, and Paylocity, Breezy HR ensures easy transitions for new hires into the HR system of your choice. While the free plan has limitations, it provides an excellent entry point for small businesses with a forever-free option and reasonable paid plans starting at $189 per month.
2 Recruit CRM
Recruit CRM, a cloud-based ATS, offers a fully functional free plan supporting 50 candidates, 50 contacts and companies, four open jobs, and email templates.
Tailored for both sales and recruitment, Recruit CRM stands out with its powerful AI resume parser, kanban view, email triggers, and advanced Boolean search capabilities. Widely used in over 80 countries, it receives high ratings globally and integrates seamlessly with preferred business software through Zapier. The pricing model, based on users and features, offers flexibility, with plans starting at $85 per user per month for US customers.
3 Zoho Recruit
Zoho Recruit is an all-encompassing online applicant tracking system that manages the entire recruitment process.
Its free plan caters to one recruiter and one active job, providing essential features such as resume management, email templates, interview scheduling, and candidate feedback. Zoho Recruit’s paid plans start from $25 per user per month, offering advanced functionalities for businesses of all sizes. With features like resume parsing, interview scheduling, and customizable email templates, Zoho Recruit ensures a streamlined recruitment process.
Features Typically Found in Free ATS Solutions
ATS systems have numerous features for hiring teams to choose from. They can automate candidate emails and notifications, help recruiters create job descriptions, and organize high amounts of resume data. All of these features maintain efficient and organized hiring practices.
Resume Storage
HR management teams often have a lot on their plate, and organizing employee compensation is one of them. With free payroll software information on each employee’s compensation package will be neatly organized in one place.
Basic Job Posting
To get the best candidates, you need to have job postings on different platforms to maximize the potential of your reach. Applicant tracking systems can help develop and automate job postings on popular sites such as Indeed, Glassdoor, and more.
Candidate Management
Keeping track of candidates and segmenting them can be time-consuming, especially if you need to review hundreds of resumes. Free ATS software can segment those candidates so hiring managers can assess who they will move forward through the interview process.
Communication Templates
Templates for reaching out to schedule an interview with a candidate, or needing to email out a job rejection notification is easier with applicant tracking software. The technology can create communication templates for multiple hiring process scenarios to save time on recruitment and reduce time spent on screening candidates.
Candidate Emails and Notifications
Alongside communication templates, ATS software can automate candidate emails and notifications. This technology drastically reduces the tedious work of hiring managers if they need to send hundreds of emails. Instead, they can speed up the process and reduce errors as they send necessary application updates to professionals.
User Access Control
If there are multiple employees who plan to be involved in filling a new role, user access controls can be granted to other managers on the team. This allows specific people to have access to the candidate data, hiring process timeline, and more.
Advantages of Using Free ATS Software
Free ATS software can be a great tool for companies who don’t have the employee resources to outsource their staffing needs. It can save teams the unnecessary expenses often present with hiring new employees and find the right fit, faster.
Candidate Engagement
Candidates often report higher engagement with applicant tracking software because they are kept in the loop throughout the whole process. A common complaint for many job seekers is that they are often left in the dark about the status of their candidacy due to constraints on a hiring manager’s schedule. ATS helps hiring managers keep applicants informed in a timely manner.
Hiring Compliance
It’s essential for organizations to stay compliant with legal hiring standards. If a state requires a demographic survey to be filled in the application, ATS software can ensure that those details are included and in order. As the gatekeeper for hiring managers, stakeholders and investors can be confident with future business hiring decisions.
Accelerates the Hiring Process
It’s essential to have a secure place to store employee information. Free payroll software can help keep this compensation data safe in one place, so the details regarding deposits or taxes don’t end up in the wrong hands.
Potential Disadvantages of Free ATS Solutions
Free applicant tracking systems have many advantages. However, it’s important to understand that sometimes with efficiency it will be harder to track nuances in someone’s resume that a human could detect. There could be great candidates who are discarded if their resume does not match the keywords in the system.
Learning Curve
All software platforms have a learning curve. It requires staff time and energy to understand new technologies and their processes, and more time to integrate it with your current hiring system. If you use free ATS software, you must take this into account.
Elimination of Qualified Candidates
ATS systems can be great at tracking keywords and finding good resumes, quickly. However, even if a candidate has great experience, if they haven’t used enough keywords for their industry their resume may not even make it in the hiring manager’s hands. This means the quality of the candidates may end up being reduced by accident.
Technical Difficulties
Let’s face it, sometimes technology can get glitchy. ATS software could accidentally send a rejection email to someone by accident and cause confusion. Luckily, instances like this are rare. However, like any software tool, there is room for human error in the programming details.
Tips for Selecting the Right Free ATS Software
Here are the top tips to consider when selecting the right free ATS software for you or your company.
Tip #1: Assess the Needs of Your Business
Depending on the size of your company, the hiring needs across each department may differ. Assess where your company stands and if you foresee a large amount of staff growth in the future.
Tip #2: Understand Applicant Tracking Integrations
If your company uses a lot of outside tools and technology for business needs such as Zoom, you will want to make sure each of those tools is capable of integrating with the ATS software system of your choice. Depending on a platform’s integration capabilities, it could alter how efficient the platform ends up being in tracking applications.
Tip #3: Research Free ATS Software Reviews
Some applicant tracking software systems have more features than others. This is why it’s important to read the reviews for each program you are considering to be sure they will be the right fit for your hiring team.
Tip #4: Try a Software Demo
If you’ve decided which software you like best, before signing up see if they have a software demo. This can be helpful to see how the software actually works in real-time, so your organization will have no hesitations.
Tip #5: Evaluate Applicant Tracking Software Security
Security is important to consider when keeping track of many different resumes and applicant contact information. You’ll want to understand if the software is secure enough to protect your company against cyber attacks.