During my travels, I talk to many corporate recruiters. It seems one topic most are passionate about is the like or dislike of the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) they use. I have even attended a talent acquisition networking event where the presenter used this topic as an icebreaker (“The ATS you currently use – thumbs up or thumbs down?”). The interesting aspect of asking that question was there were voters on both sides of the discussion that used the same ATS! That got me wondering if there weren’t other issues causing the pain. There are many articles written on the problem with applicant tracking systems (Like Here. Or Here.) but what if the problem with your ATS isn’t the ATS? Over this series of quick-read articles, I explore other underlying problems which may limit the effectiveness of your ATS and the productivity of the recruiting function overall. If your ATS doesn’t work the way you want, read on for three factors that may be at issue.

Issue 1- Castles built on sand

Coldplay defined this issue perfectly with their hit song “Viva la Vida” and these lyrics:

And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

One common issue leading to user dissatisfaction is that the ATS (“castle”) is aligned to an undefined (let’s call this one “salt”) or underdefined (“sand”) recruiting process. The best ATS in the world won’t function to the needs of the company if it is aligned to a faulty process. It may still be possible to recruit and hire candidates but there are landmines which can create inefficiencies now or in the future. Just like creating a report based on bad data produces a bad report, an ATS won’t be used to its fullest capabilities if a company has an undefined (or not clearly defined) recruiting process. ATS can be sophisticated systems doing many different functions but, fundamentally, they do what they say – Track Applicants. Track where? Track to what? ATS systems are aligned to a company’s recruiting process. As a prospect becomes an applicant, then candidate, then hire, the ATS documents this movement providing helpful services along the way. If a company doesn’t have a clearly defined process, the ATS can magnify those issues causing frustration for candidates, recruiters, and hiring managers.

If this is an issue at your company, there is a solution. Take the time to make sure your company has documented the recruiting process. Identify sub-processes, exceptions, and variations (i.e., for production jobs a company may require an aptitude test prior to interviews while other functions do not). Also understand if there are nuances depending on department, geography, etc. It doesn’t have to be the most sophisticated but the more detail the better. Work with stakeholders to ensure everything is documented accurately and reflects the recruiting activity of the entire organization. Years ago, I had a manager that often used the expression, “Plan the work, work the plan”. With your recruiting process defined, (and depending on how your company is organized) you can work with operations, recruiting stakeholders, and/or the support team at the ATS vendor to ensure the ATS is aligned. They will help make any adjustments necessary to allow your ATS to work the plan!

Next week, I’ll continue this conversation to discuss a second common underlying problem – “discombobulated modulation”. In the meantime, I’m interested in your thoughts. Share your experiences by commenting on this article, share with your network to get further insights, or feel free to reach out to me directly with any comment/questions.

Eddie Stewart has over 20 years of recruiting experience, working in both large and small corporate environments. He currently owns and operates ES Talent Solutions, a consulting firm focused on strategic recruiting consulting.

Need help identifying what needs to be fixed or want an outside view of the health of your recruiting function? Contact Eddie (estewart@ESTalentSolutions.com) at ESTS to learn more about corporate recruiting assessments and how they may improve your organization.