ATS Software for Startups
An applicant tracking system, or ATS, is software that is used by employers, hiring managers and recruiting professionals to track candidates throughout the talent evaluation and acquisition process.
ATS solutions come in many different shapes and sizes. They can be equipped with the most basic of functions like a simple database for all job applicants, for example, or they can deliver a full-service recruitment suite of various features, such as integrated video interview tools or employee onboarding and training tools, to help streamline candidate workflows and optimize the entire recruiting and hiring process. The main purpose of an applicant tracking system is to help businesses and organizations of any size to attract, screen, nurture, manage and evaluate job applicants and candidates. It serves as a comprehensive tool for hiring managers and teams, guiding them through the recruitment process from beginning to end.
There are many different types of ATS solutions, ranging from simple standalone ATS to a fully integrated HR software with ATS functionality. Just like most ATS solutions, an applicant tracking system for startups primarily handles specific tasks in the hiring process, such as posting job openings to different job boards and career sites, screening applications and résumés for potential matches and storing applicant and candidate information. It is designed to make sure that all those tasks are dealt with in the most efficient and convenient way possible for everyone involved, even the candidates who want to post their résumés on career pages of companies, with the hope that they’ll get a call or an interview.
Zoho Recruit is a versatile ATS solution that is be great for startups. It offers a Free Forever plan that provides multiple staffing basics features, including 1 active job, candidate management, email management, and interview scheduling.
For any business that’s just starting, finding the best talent and the right people for every available role or position is crucial to their success. As a startup business grows, its demands and requirements will often scale to match its growth. This is where a good recruiting software or applicant tracking system will prove its value, especially when it comes to managing the candidates and the recruiting process in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.
The increasing availability of the internet and the continued blurring lines when it comes to international remote hiring have generated a couple of key factors that every business or organization has to consider, regardless of their size or industry. First, startups and small businesses can and should use ATS to help automate every key aspect of their hiring process so that they will have more time to focus on the growth and development of their company, i.e. hire better talent faster. Second, human resources and recruiting professionals need ATS technology to better manage and screen candidates from the beginning of the recruitment process all the way to the end.
The right applicant tracking system can help maximize your efficiency as an employer or recruiter. If you’re running a startup, an ATS solution that is designed to cater to small businesses and startups can help you organize and optimize your hiring process by eliminating all repetitive manual tasks through proper automation. This approach will ultimately reduce your time to hire, which is what all this is all about. Getting into applicant tracking systems can initially seem like an added unnecessary cost. But if you believe that hiring top talent is important to your business, then finding the right applicant tracking system for startups should be a worthy investment.
ATS solutions for startups may vary in cost, functionality and efficiency, depending on the product and the vendor. Some ATS software vendors cater only to medium and large businesses, as their applicant tracking system is primarily designed as a full-service suite with lots of added features and capabilities that most small businesses and startups won’t probably use in their current status or situation. But there are standalone ATS solutions that are geared towards smaller businesses and startups with basic demands and needs when it comes to hiring personnel.
It’s worth mentioning that not all startups need ATS or recruiting software. You need to consider your hiring projection for the upcoming quarters. Are you planning on adding new roles or positions to your company? Are you finding that some of your personnel are wearing two or more hats when dealing with tasks or projects? Do you have a need to grow your talent database? These are just a few things you need to consider to help you determine whether or not you really need an applicant tracking system.
If your business is growing fast and the need to hire more people faster becomes apparent, if your recruiting team involves more than one individual, then you need to start considering getting an online ATS for startups. One of the key functions of an ATS solution is talent sourcing tools, i.e. having the ability to find the right talent and attract them to your company. You want an applicant tracking system that is more than just a simple database for job applications and résumés.
There are ATS solutions that are geared towards small businesses and startups that have the capability to help you actually get the candidates you need. You should look for ATS that can facilitate talent acquisition through Chrome extensions. This will enable you to source a variety of databases full of candidates that you can evaluate and analyze. An applicant tracking system for startups and small businesses may also be equipped with outreach tools that empower your hiring team to create better candidate experiences and sequences in an effort to engage the right talent through multiple communication channels such as SMS messaging and email.
Good candidate relationship management or CRM is also an important function that you need to look for in your ATS solution, especially if you’re a fast-growing startup business. Specifically, you need an ATS solution that allows you to figure out how to monitor or keep tabs on your talent pools, especially the more passive candidates and generally speaking the entire job seeker market. A good ATS with CRM functionality will allow you to set reminders to automatically ping or contact candidates later on via email or text. It will also help you and your hiring team to nurture talent pools and rediscover previous candidates that may now be a good fit for an open position in your organization.
ATS solutions are the perfect tools for fast-growing startups and recruiting teams that need to collaborate to find the right talent for their organization. An applicant tracking system for startups doesn’t have to be overly convoluted with tons of features that a small business or startup won’t probably need until way further down the road. However, it is good to have a simple ATS solution that has the ability to scale with your business. Its functions and capabilities should grow with you, as your hiring demands and requirements grow.
As a startup, you don’t need to jump the gun by immediately buying a full-service recruiting software or applicant tracking system. One of the best things about most top-tier ATS solutions is that they cater to small businesses and startups just as well as they facilitate the complex and unique needs of large businesses and organizations through integration and scalability. For instance, if you want advanced data analytics and reporting in your ATS and your current subscription doesn’t offer that capability, some vendors will offer them through integration or by upgrading your subscription to a higher tier.
If you’re a startup, there’s a good chance that you might be subscribed to a free or basic subscription package. So, you’re really not spending that much on your ATS. If your business is growing fast and you’re finding it necessary to hire new talent to fill open positions, then you should be able to afford a paid plan that has the functions that you currently need, such as advanced data analytics and reporting tools.
Opting for free and open-source ATS is also a common move for a lot of startups and small businesses, because of the low initial cost. If you or someone in your organization is well versed in software programming or coding, then you should be able to take full advantage of an open-source ATS and customize it to suit your candidate workflows and other recruiting needs. Conversely, if your organization has no experience with coding, an open-source ATS can still be useful, you just have to find one that is already equipped with the features and tools that you need, although maintaining it can be a challenge and you will have to rely on the open-source community for future updates.
An applicant tracking system for startups doesn’t have to be overly complicated or bloated with all kinds of features and tools. It does, however, have to be highly scalable, flexible, easy to use and affordable, not to mention it should be equipped with the core essentials for managing and streamlining the recruiting process of any startup or small business.
A good ATS solution will allow you to post jobs on various job boards and career websites. It lets you gather or source job applications and candidates from different sources and provides you with the ability to automatically screen and analyze résumés so you’ll end up with candidates who are most qualified for the position you’re trying to fill. Good applicant tracking systems should also allow seamless integration with third-party systems, especially when it comes to startups and quickly developing small businesses with an increasing need to hire more top talent faster.
