Are Applicant Tracking Systems Worth it for SMBs?

When it comes to hiring for many small businesses, email and spreadsheets are still the way to go. That makes sense: those tools are familiar and easy to use for everyone. When you have a small HR department (or no official HR department at all) that isn’t used to receiving hundreds of applications a day, this process can seem manageable and even preferable to the complexity that an applicant tracking system (ATS) offers. Not only that, an ATS represents another cost that must be accounted for in a yearly budget. For these reasons, it’s understandable why some small businesses are reluctant to switch from their home-grown recruitment systems.

This presents the question: is an ATS worth it if you’re a small or mid-sized business? As with most things, it depends on your business’s needs and budget. Here are some of the advantages an ATS can offer a growing SMB.

One Integrated Solution

If your business is using a combination of programs to recruit candidates—emails, spreadsheets, and physical applications—candidate information can be easily lost, misplaced, or simply overlooked. Applicant tracking systems create one single recruitment environment, where applications, candidate contact info, and job descriptions are all accessed from one central program. Most ATSs can integrate with other solutions.

For example, InfoMart’s TalentASAP integrates with our background screening services,  meaning business owners can manage the entire recruitment process from job ad to pre-employment background check from one single program.

Experts in HR will tell you that the candidate experience matters now more than ever.

Better Candidate Experience

You don’t have to be a human resources expert to determine what candidates dislike about the jobhunting process. Today’s applicants dislike lengthy applications and being ‘ghosted’ by potential employers. Using an ATS can simplify an SMB’s application process and make it easier to give candidates the feedback they require. Experts in HR will tell you that the candidate experience matters now more than ever.

Respect is a two-way street. Today’s candidates would prefer to be told ‘No thank you’ rather than nothing at all. An ATS can make communication with applicants simple. Whether you’re offering a candidate a polite rejection or an interview, an ATS can create a better experience overall for your applicants.

Widen Your Talent Pool

The simplest trick to get more fish is to cast a wider net, and an ATS does just that. Applicant tracking systems enable employers to post to hundreds of job sites at once. This not only saves your HR personnel time, but grants your business access to potentially thousands of candidates that might not have otherwise seen your job post. While this may seem overwhelming at first, another benefit of an ATS is that it can make managing large pools of candidates simple. Resume-parsing technology, for example, helps bring more qualified applicants to the top of the list.

An ATS can also provide a valuable boost, keeping your job ads relevant and fresh for as long as your search lasts. This ensures that your business receives a steady influx of interested applicants and potential talent.

Hiring isn’t just about candidates selling their skills and experience to employers anymore.

Grow with Your Business

One of the greatest benefits an ATS offers is that it supports future business growth. Adopting an ATS for today can be a big win for tomorrow. Utilizing an ATS creates a more streamlined recruitment process that doesn’t overwhelm recruiters—meaning your HR department won’t be overwhelmed when your business inevitably begins to grow. A small business needs to hire new talent in order to expand. To do that, your SMB must maintain a strong employer brand.

That’s why an applicant tracking system’s configurable, branded career portals and screening capabilities are such an important value-add for any business. Hiring isn’t just about candidates selling their skills and experience to employers anymore. Job applicants know their value, and it’s important to create a scalable hiring process that establishes your SMB as an employer worth working for. Whether you have two employees or two hundred employees, a good ATS will take your business’s recruitment strategy to the next level.

When considering the full impact of implementing an ATS, it becomes clear that small businesses set themselves up for success when they choose to augment their recruitment strategy with HR tech. Applicant tracking systems are absolutely worth it for any growing business—from startups to mid-sized, every company can benefit from a streamlined hiring and screening process.

In addition to our on-demand screening portal, InfoMart designed TalentASAP, an applicant tracking system specifically for growing businesses. Check it out today!

About Tammy Cohen

Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record.

About InfoMart

InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.