Applicant Tracking

A Must-Have in the Electronic Age

An applicant tracking system (ATS) in the electronic age is a must have. With resumes coming in via mail, email, fax, carrier pigeon, (long story) you need a good resume management system to keep track without creating unmanageable stacks of paper.

A good system should accept the various forms of resumes and job inquiries. It should also allow for the capture of contact info along with notes on phone or email interactions. A top end system would also include specific job tracking and a direct web portal where job seekers can apply directly through your company web site.

Why Track Applicants by Keeping Resumes?

There are 3 very good reasons.

1. The first reason is to save you money. If you search for positions and find a number of candidates but only have 1 position to fill, it would be wise to keep the contact info and resumes of these candidates close by and easily searchable.

2. For candidates that submit to you via electronic means, it is much better to collect them electronically than to gather them, print them out and file them away.

3. The last reason is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission . There are legal definitions of an applicant and requirements for many businesses to track these job seekers.

What is the Best Way to Track Resumes?

There are a number of solutions, some more complicated and more involved than others. Anything from a good old fashion file cabinet filled with paper, to a simple resume database , to a full service ATS solution.

The best solution for you depends on your budget, risk tolerance, and aversion to paper. Either way for historical and legal reasons, it is important to track who has applied and interviews at your company.

Return from Applicant Tracking to Recruiting Plan

Return from Applicant Tracking to Staffing and Recruiting