Top 3 complaints I hear about Applicant Tracking Systems

I spend a lot of time each day talking to HR and Recruitment folk (and generally anyone in charge of hiring for a business). Inevitably, at some point the conversation will turn to their experiences with Applicant Tracking Systems. Often, they’re talking about what they like about their current system, but I also hear about the things people find frustrating.

So in the spirit of “a problem shared is a problem halved” here are the top complaints I hear on a day to day basis:

It’s fugly: For me AND the candidate

This one crops up a lot, usually with some of the older / bigger systems in the market. If your job is recruiting and you’re going to be working in the ATS for most of your day, the last thing you want is to be looking at is something that looks like it was built out of iron. Grey, boring and generally just dull. The newer kids on the block — Lever, Workable and Smart Recruiters etc — all have a nicer design, and unless the big guys keep up its only a matter of time before they go the way of the dinosaurs.

Got the bloat: Too many features I don’t use

Yes there can be such a thing as too much. Some of the systems I hear about are so overloaded with features and functionality that it’s practically impossible to work out what to do. If you click the wrong button are all of your candidates going to get sent a decline email? Sometimes simple is best. The best ATS’s are clean, simple and focus on what they are there for.

Take a ticket and wait: Crappy candidate experience

This is number one, (yeah number 3 on this list but you know what I mean). The candidate experience is like pulling teeth. This is the biggest missed opportunity I see in the ATS market. Most of them make it a horrendous experience akin to filling out your taxes for the last five years and waiting in line to submit them, only not really knowing if they will ever come back to you about it. Having a bad experience is worse than having no experience at all. If you can make it a great experience from the outset (and continue it) then you’ll reap the rewards in the long run, with more referrals and candidates choosing you over your competitors.

Anyway this is what I’m hearing — what about you? Comment below and tell me what’s bugging you about your ATS and if you’ve found any work-arounds!