One of the biggest complaints from candidates who encounter an ATS on their job search is the application process. Most complain that your applications are too long, that there’s too much information required, that they have to fill in the same information that was already uploaded in their resumes, or that they can’t upload their resumes or CVs, or that their information was lost during the process, or that the application doesn’t work on their mobile device.
The list is near endless and the frustration that ensues often causes applicants to give up and go look elsewhere for employment.
When a job seeker discovers a unique opportunity with your company and they get excited by the prospective offer, that enthusiasm is quickly dashed by the experience of applying.
And while these candidates are flustered by your application process, the issues with your process is difficult for you to remedy.
That’s because your ATS doesn’t make it easy to customize the application. It’s outdated technology, for one. It hasn’t been upgraded in more than a decade because a decade ago it served its purpose with precision. And also there was no mobile applicant.
But as things are wont to change, the old tech can’t keep up with today’s expectations and it really should be thrown on the wood pile.
However, that is not a practical solution.
But Here’s One That Is
The goal of your application is to facilitate the speed at which you qualify hires and fill reqs. But your ATS makes that challenging and it costs too much to replace, so what do you do?
You eliminate all of those frustrations candidates currently have by finding a cost-effective overlay that integrates with your ATS and facilitates the apply process.
An overlay can integrate your consumer brand into its architecture and integrate seamlessly with your ATS so there is no loss of info that you would normally collect.
Nothing changes for your recruiters, but everything changes for your applicants.
This overlay is out there and here are the things that it should include:
1. It should require little setup time in the background so there is no disturbance in your recruiting.
2. It should provide a smooth transition from your job description. A candidate should not recognize that old ATS format.
3. It should be accessible from multiple devices – phones, tablets, and desktops. It makes it more enjoyable for the applicant if your whole career site has a responsive design, but if the applicant comes from a site like Indeed, which is mobile, your application will be as well.
4. It should break up the application into multiple screens that save once each is completed, so it doesn’t appear as one long form. This actually makes completing the application easier.
5. It should provide secure applicant accounts that can store information to be used on multiple applications, like personal information, education and work history, and documents that are automatically prefilled on each subsequent application.
6. It should provide multiple options for document uploads. Users on mobile devices don’t always have a resume stored on their device. By allowing uploads from several online storage sites, like Dropbox and Google Drive, applicants always have access.
7. The apply process should include a cross-device experience. Because the application sections are saved upon completion so an applicant who starts the process on a phone can stop and finish later on a desktop or another device.
8. It should also collect the same data that your ATS collects without missing a beat. Because it’s an overlay, there is no data loss.
So There It Is
There are several options out there in the overlay industry. But you want to make sure you have all your bases covered by your selection.
We offer the exact overlay described above. And it fits the budget of any sized company, whether you are a small business with a handful of open requisitions or a large enterprise that sees hundreds of applications daily.
The biggest benefit here is, well, for one, you don’t have to replace your ATS to catch up to today’s technology, but the experience you provide to applicants will make you seem like a tech savvy organization who is up on today’s standards.
That alone is enough to make you seem like the employer of choice for someone who was already excited about an opportunity they found searching your jobs.
Contact us if you’d like to learn more.
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