Spring Cleaning your ATS Systems

Jonathan Kidder

2 years ago

Recruiters often overlook the potential leads within their company’s ATS systems, but now is a good time to review these systems for old applicants, as many companies are experiencing layoffs and hiring freezes. It’s an ideal time to create a future prospecting talent pipeline for 2023.

It is important to review applicants in an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) because it allows the organization to efficiently and effectively evaluate candidates based on their qualifications and experience, as well as identify potential candidates that may be a good fit for the open position. Additionally, it allows the organization to keep track of the progress of the hiring process and communication with candidates, and ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. It also provides data that can be used to analyze and improve the hiring process over time.

You Probably Already Have Great Leads

As many as 75% of qualified job applicants are rejected by ATSs due to spurious reasons like incorrect resume formatting. (Source: Forbes)

Funny enough a recent study concluded that the perfect resume got rejected in an ATS system. In a test, one company created a perfect resume for an ideal candidate for a clinical scientist role, it scored a mere 43% relevance because the ATS it was submitted to misread it. (Source: Bersin & Associates)

You are sitting on a gold mine of potential!

It’s good to note that not all the data in your ATS is useful. Many applicant tracking systems will have inaccurate or outdated information, which isn’t that valuable. Even top candidates from the past may no longer be relevant due to changes in their experience or qualifications. It’s a good idea to regularly review and update your ATS, especially for resumes that are more than two years old, to ensure you have the most accurate and current information for your current and future hiring needs. Thus, it’s important to consider doing a spring cleaning of sorts on your ATS system!

Reviewing Older Applications

Regularly engaging with past applicants and requesting updated resumes is a smart strategy to maintain a pool of qualified candidates. Even those who may not have had the right qualifications initially should be reached out to, as they may have since gained the necessary skills and experience. This approach can help identify potential candidates who were seeking similar roles in the past but may now be well-suited for your current or future hiring needs.

Creating a Talent Pipeline

The first step will be review your older reqs for applications that you might have missed. Open up a req and mark potential leads into a new project. Once you’ve gathered a new list of applicants consider creating an email campaign.

Note: When reviewing your past roles that are more than two years old, it’s important to focus on candidates who were interviewed but not hired. However, their resumes may not be useful due to the passage of time, so it’s best not to spend time reviewing them.

Choosing the Right Email Campaign Tool

Many applicant tracking systems (ATS) are not optimized for effective messaging and outreach. While some may have better capabilities in this area than others, it may be more efficient to use a separate tool specifically designed for this purpose. There are various email tracking and automation platforms, such as Sourcewhale, Gem, Seekout, and others that can help streamline your outreach efforts and improve your results. These tools are designed for cold sales outreach and are effective to use in recruiting.

Extract your leads and upload them into an email automation tool. Finally, craft an introduction email and state the reason for why you want to stay connected to them. This might be the first time individuals have been contacted and might be it refreshing to actually get with another human!

Note: Give them the option to unsubscribe. Tools will help assist with this action.

Final Thoughts

Your company’s past applicants can be a valuable asset and a competitive advantage, yet many companies fail to take advantage of this resource. While it may seem difficult to do so, it doesn’t have to be overly complex or costly. By investing time upfront in creating a strategic and well-designed program, the costs will decrease in the long run while the return on investment will increase. This is a valuable gold mine that could be leveraged for your company’s future hiring goals.

Check out Trish Wyderka’s SourceCon presentation on this topic here:

Trish Wyderka – TalentNet – Take On Me – Your Forgotten Database – Nov 12, 2021.pptx

HackerRank Tool Talk Review

What Should a Recruiter Do After Getting Laid off?

An Impending Recession Looms over Recruiters Minds

Author
Recent Posts

Follow me