Here Are 5 Crucial Things Recruiters Must Know Before Buying An Applicant Tracking System!
You might already have an ATS that you’re looking to replace or maybe you’re looking to buy your first system.
It’s 2021 and if you’re reading this, you’re probably looking for a new applicant tracking system. With dozens of systems to choose from, choosing the right ATS/CRM for your business is a daunting task! Don’t worry though, You have me here to help you.
We’ve shortlisted a few questions you can ask yourself to help you decide.
Let’s Get Started!
1. What Is My Budget & What Is The “Real” Price Of An Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
An ATS can cost anywhere from $25 to $250 per user/per month. It’s essential to know your budget before you actually being your research. You should be ready to spend anywhere from 1%-3% of your recruiters' salary on their Recruitment CRM. Basically, if you pay your recruiters $3000 per month expect to spend between $30-$90 on their CRM software.
Buying the perfect ATS will help you fill more positions and get more clients! This is something you want, an ATS that is not a liability but an asset that adds long-term value to your business. This happens all the time, you buy something only to realize that half of the things you need are not available in the software you bought.
Now, let’s talk about the REAL costs of implementing a new ATS/CRM system apart from the yearly subscription fee.
a. Data Migration Fees — The cost of getting your current data & CV’s into your new system.
b. Customer Support — Is this free or do you have to pay for someone to talk to you?
c. On-boarding Charges — Some companies force you to pay them to teach you how to use their software.
d. Software Implementation Charges — You might have to pay to customize the software for your business
e. Customer Support — Is this free or do you have to pay for someone to talk to you?
Make sure you discuss this with the ATS provider before you make the purchase.
2. What Are The Features Of An ATS?
Once you are done thinking about money. You should start thinking about the features you need. This can change greatly depending on the size of your organization.
If you’re an independent recruiter features like resume parsing, an in-built email client & invoice management are all you need. Make sure you use some email verification services before you start your email campaign.
Now, if you run a recruitment agency with 5–15 recruiters, The things you need change. You’ll need reports & analytics, to help you track how each of your employees is performing. Reporting is necessary because it helps you track KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). KPIs are important & often are the main ingredient for the success of your recruitment agency.
We’ve again shortlisted a few other key features you might want to think about below:
1. Applicant Tracking System, obviously!
2. Customer Relationship Management
3. Boolean Search
4. Invoice Management
5. Resume Parser
6. Email Client
7. Jobs Management
8. Integrations (G Suite, Zoho, Outlook)
9. Reports & Dashboard
10. Team Management
11. Customizations
12. Jobs Page
13. Request Updated Resume
14. Hiring Pipeline
15. Sales Pipeline
16. Authencity
(If your ATS can do all of this, you’re going to stay ahead of the game.)
3. What Is The Right Time To Set Up Or Get Started?
Getting a new ATS is not rocket science. You should be able to buy & set up your system on your own in a few hours. Implementing an ATS includes 3 steps:
1) Customizing Your System
2) Importing Data
3) Inviting Your Teammates
Unfortunately, not all ATS systems are easy to implement. Some are hard and ATS providers will charge you a fortune for this while some are super easy & don’t cost a dime. Always consider the time to implement while making your final decision.
Also, keep in mind, Data Migration may take a day or two depending on the amount of data you have.
4. How Will The ATS Help You Find The Right Applicants?
Your ATS can help you find the right candidates from your database with a quick boolean search or even let you source new candidates from LinkedIn and social media.
An ATS with powerful Social Recruiting tools will go a long way in helping you make more placements.
5. How Is The Customer Support? How Quickly Can I Talk To A Human?
This is important, who will save you when you are in trouble? The Customer Support Team! You should be upfront and ask about customer support. Because let's be honest, you’ll always have some questions that a human can answer a lot quicker than going through pages of documentation.
Hint — Judge their customer support while you are trying the product for free. If they suck, It’s not going to get any better.
Software Directory — Software directories like this might come in handy.
P.S — If you are looking for an ATS, You can try out our Applicant Tracking System. Just head on to our website and ask us for a demo or signup for the free trial! https://recruitcrm.io
Originally published at https://www.recruitcrm.io.
