The number of job applications that any big or medium sized company receives is steadily growing everyday. And with so many people losing their jobs now, this number is sure to go up in the immediate future. A manual recruitment system, which had been in place till about 3 years ago, used to take care of the entire hiring process of new employees. However, this process was complex, time-consuming and involved a large amount of unnecessary expenditure of money. Manual hiring systems were even inaccurate at times and were more labor-intensive than necessary. In the face of these problems, the applicant tracking software made its first appearance in the market in 2006 as CATS (an open source model). The core objective of introducing these applicant tracking systems was the easy, organized and streamlined acquirement of the best and suitable talents that were available.
Recruitment tracking software products are customized tools, and can be ideally molded to the exact hiring requirements of a particular business. These software products are comprehensive, easy-to-use, and find great favor among HR managers as well. Effective tips for recruitment are also provided with these tracking tools often and they are of great help. Indeed, the applicant tracking software help companies become better recruiters, helping them spot the best candidates quicker and cheaper too. Follow-up action after scouting for suitable potential candidates is also made easy using these software systems.
Efficient storage, access and retrieval of candidate resumes and profile information are the single-most important feature of applicant tracking methods. Hence, it is also aptly termed as the applicant tracking database. Not only does the database software track the best available talents, it also comes with effective screening features too. This ensures that companies can find the most suitable candidates for the vacancies that they have. The database functions of the applicant tracking software are highlighted by the fact that they can store a large number of candidate profiles, and can retrieve such information (as and when required). Retrieval of candidate information is done through keyword usage at the search engine. The database also helps in short-listing suitable candidates, approving their applications and sending interview calls to them through an e-mail.
Different companies have different job openings at various times. Hence, potential candidates need to ensure that they express their interest in applying for the particular opening that is present at the moment. Such information needs to be provided in the resume as well, enhancing the chances of their being considered for recruitment. If applications are indeed made in this fashion, they can be ideally matched against the exact hiring requirements of the company, ensuring that the company is able to find the most suitable candidates and hire them. Thus, well-written resumes are the most important components of an application process, and their storage and timely retrieval is an extremely important task for the HR managers of companies.
Most job portals often present the best candidates to hiring managers, adopting this as their sole purpose. This however, is a rather short-sighted view, since the data and profile information of other potential candidates are lost in the process. E-recruitment processes, via Applicant Tracking Software products, fill this void of database management functions extremely effectively. They store all received resumes and contact information of job aspirants. When other vacancies come up, this data can be easily retrieved, screened and put up for consideration. No candidate information gets misplaced in the electronic system of tracking applications, making it the favorite recruitment mechanism of enterprises, executive employers and job aspirants alike.
The applicant tracking database considers the overall comprehensive picture of hiring new employees. While they can easily match candidate profiles to current vacancies, possible future needs for candidates are also taken care of. Databases help to retrieve information of job seekers as and when required, and these candidates can also be contacted quickly. And thus, it can help companies hire the right people, save a lot of time and significantly cuts down the related costs too.
Many companies have vacant positions that can be filled by candidates of slightly varying profiles. HR managers have a general idea of the desired candidate profiles, but finding the exact match may be an extremely difficult task. All they have in most cases is a list of desirable qualifications of potential candidates. The applicant tracking database comes in extremely handy in these cases, since they offer a range of choices. The recruiting staff can browse through the stored resumes of the applicants, before selecting one or more potential employee(s). In fact, resume databases can often help companies find and hire candidates who are even more qualified and suitable for the job at hand than they had initially hoped to recruit.
Keeping in mind the manifold benefits of the applicant tracking database, more and more companies are adopting this technique for their recruitment drives. While most of the large Fortune 500 business houses use this recruiting technique, it is popular among medium and small firms as well. Usage of the applicant tracking database indeed provides for smooth, quick, streamlined and cost-effective recruitment procedures for companies – much to the delight of HR managers.