Recruiting and hiring talent is an essential process for most companies. Technology has increasingly been incorporated into human resource practices, and the global recruitment software market is projected to reach $3.85 billion by 2028, according to a report by SkyQuest Technology Consulting.

Talent recruiters face numerous challenges in their work, including time wasted on manual processes with unnecessary steps, quality candidate sourcing and acquisition, lack of cohesiveness among recruitment teams, and mistakes due to human error. The recruitment industry can overcome these challenges with applicant tracking system software. 

Applicant Tracking Systems

The applicant tracking system (ATS) has become a cornerstone of human resources (HR) technology. ATS software streamlines recruiting by automating key processes and allowing them to be more consistent and regulation-compliant. In addition to providing a system for managing documents, the ATS has become more of an integration platform, serving as a focal point for critical HR services. 

The ATS integrates components such as candidate sourcing, collaboration tools, and workflow management as it tracks all candidate-related activity through recruiting, hiring, and onboarding. It automates and streamlines workflows, enables real-time collaboration among hiring teams, and makes finding and connecting with candidates a more effective process. These benefits save time, money, and resources. 

Software proprietors could capitalize on the needs of the HR and recruitment industry and its challenges by building ATS software with the help of an experienced software development company. 

ATS and HR Software Suite Integrations

ATS software could be integrated with an HR software suite to create an optimal all-in-one solution. There are four main components in an ideal HR software suite: 

• Human Resource Management System (HRMS): Organizations use HRMS software applications to manage internal HR functions ranging from employee data management to recruitment, training, and benefits. 
• Human Resource Information System (HRIS): An interactive system dedicated to processing and storing detailed employee information and HR-related procedures and policies. It’s built on organizational design and employee data management.
• Human Capital Management (HCM): Software and processes dedicated to people resource management. HCM has a specific focus on enabling an organization to provide specific capabilities in the acquisition, management, and optimization of the workforce. 
• Time Management System (TMS): Software for scheduling and tracking time worked by employees and teams. It’s useful for attendance management, billing, payroll, and strategic productivity. 

Top ATS Software Components

Advanced Resume Parsing

Resume parsing is a valuable ATS software feature that provides automated resume analysis to gather and organize the most essential data for recruiters. An advanced resume parsing tool powered by AI technology such as machine learning would use a scoring system to quickly identify quality candidates quickly. 

A resume parser finds and extracts key segments of a resume or cover letter based on job requirements. These segments include degrees/certifications, past work experience, and relevant skills. The software can be tailored to focus on specific information per organizational requirements. 

This ATS feature can be seamlessly integrated into an HR software suite, particularly the HRMS software, for core HR tracking and reporting of candidate resume data. 

Advanced Recruiting Analytics and Reports

Advanced analytics and reports give organizations a detailed picture of their recruiting efforts through customized reports that help identify process bottlenecks and calculate key metrics such as time-to-hire.

An ATS software component with such capabilities could be used to analyze substantial sets of data, present predictive insights into critical areas of the recruiting process, and help HR teams make more effective decisions promptly. 

Advanced recruiting analytics and report generation features would leverage AI technology and include custom interactive dashboards for streamlined access to generated reports. These advanced features can be programmed and integrated into HRMS software to support strategic outputs and predictive analytics. 

Software proprietors looking to build software that incorporates such advanced technological components and seamlessly integrate them with HR software could most effectively do so with the services of a software development company that is adept with such technologies. 

Background Screening 

Background screening is a crucial part of the hiring process, as it safeguards against critical hiring mistakes. Background screening technology is used to vet candidates and verify their stated background information.

The background screening process tends to involve multiple working components. So, an effective solution would be an FCRA-compliant background screening feature that incorporates custom capabilities such as complete criminal record checks, ID verification, consumer history, motor vehicle reports, and credit checks. 

As a feature incorporated into ATS software, background screening can be integrated into a full HR software suite, particularly HRIS software, which stores detailed information and enables essential HR procedures. 

Regulatory compliance is of the utmost importance in background screening. Therefore, software systems that incorporate this technology should be programmed by experienced software development companies that comply with regulatory standards such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). 

Collaborative Hiring 

An emerging trend in recruitment, collaborative hiring brings a team effort and decentralizes the hiring process. Collaborative techniques are most prominent during the interview phase, when recruiters, managers, and team members meet with the job candidate during different stages. 

ATS software can enable streamlined real-time communication between staff members for tasks such as application and resume review, interviews and evaluations, and assigning tasks to the collaborative hiring team.  

Collaborative hiring tools make it easy to share documents between team members and save a substantial amount of time, compared to a more manual approach via email. Open communication between team members brings transparency to the recruitment process, allowing for more effective decision-making. 

A collaborative hiring feature could be used with the HRMS and HRIS systems to support task delegation, hiring procedures, onboarding, and feedback collection. 

Workflow Management

A customized workflow helps streamline the recruiting process, making workflow management a crucial feature for an HR software solution. Every organization has its own guidelines for talent sourcing, screening, and interviewing, thus presenting a greater need for differentiation in its HR processes. 

ATS software with custom workflow-building capabilities would enable HR managers and administrators to create their own process of steps and actions to ensure a more cohesive team effort, improved efficiency, fewer mistakes, and improved communication with applicants in the form of automated notifications. 

A workflow management feature could also include triggered workflows created on the occurrence of specific events such as the creation of a new position or the addition of a new candidate. The workflow management feature could integrate with an HR software suite and support HRMS, HRIS, and HCM functions since it would connect tasks related to each area.  

HR Data Exchange Standards

In HR, data is stored, exchanged, shared, and used daily, often between different systems. This data exchange is made more accessible with interfaces, which connect systems to facilitate data exchanges. Interface specifications allow the receiving system to know what data it is receiving and recognize the content.

Common methods, functions, and terminology comprise specialized HR standards for data exchanges. Pre-determined data standards allow recurring elements to be described consistently, presenting a reusable interface and saving time for developers.

HR data exchange standards, such as those developed and promoted by the HR Open Standards Consortium, help IT leadership with effortless integration with internal and external systems or vendors. The standards also help reduce development time and the costs for implementation and maintenance. 

Dependable ATS Software Development and Integration

Software has become a substantial part of the recruiting and hiring process. Most companies use applicant tracking software to find and connect with talent before going through the hiring and onboarding process. ATS software adds substantial value when integrated with an HR software suite to create an all-in-one solution.

The HR and recruitment industry has been weighed down by manual processes, errors, and a lack of cohesiveness among hiring teams. Companies have lacked the right tools for optimal screening and acquisition due to a low proportion of effective software solutions in the face of a changing workforce landscape. 

To fulfill these evolving needs, a software proprietor should hire an experienced software development company. That type of company would be able to build and integrate all forms of HR software by using up-to-date technologies and HR data exchange standards.  

A dependable software development company can also build HR software solutions that are in full compliance with recruitment and hiring regulatory standards such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

Author Bio:

William Dawsey – Vice President of Sales for Finance and Payments

William Dawsey is Vice President of Sales for Finance and Payments Technologies at Chetu, a global provider of world-class custom software development solutions. William has nearly a decade of experience in the financial technology space and has helped numerous brands and institutions develop and integrate the latest in POS and FinTech solutions. William Dawsey facilitates programmers with expertise in utilizing cloud-based, web, and mobile solutions for financial service modules such as payment gateways and POS software, accounting & tax preparation software, plus banking and finance service modules.