While introducing a new applicant tracking system (ATS) to your business is no doubt an exciting time, it can also present many challenges.
One of the most common issues we hear from HR and recruitment teams is actually getting other people within their business to use the technology they’ve implemented, particularly hiring managers.
Whether your hiring managers are resistant to process changes, aren’t tech-savvy or think they lack the time to learn something new, it’s important to communicate the benefits of technology so they are more likely to understand why you are implementing a new ATS.
Recruitment is truly a team effort and collaboration between your HR department and hiring managers is key. As such, you should aim to bridge the gap between all parties by providing hiring managers with the tools to get involved in the recruitment process as early as possible.
Here are four reasons why you should use an applicant tracking system and why you should aim to get your hiring managers on board with the software:
1. It makes the hiring process faster
Nothing de-rails a hiring strategy quite like a slow recruitment process. Lengthy recruitment processes are frustrating for businesses, who are losing money every day a position is vacant, and candidates, who are waiting for their application to be progressed.
If hiring managers aren’t using your ATS regularly, there will likely be a hold-up in candidates being assessed, which can add weeks to the recruitment process. On the other hand, if your hiring managers are confident in using the software, they will be more likely to use it regularly. This means that they will be more efficient when reviewing incoming applications, setting up interviews and responding to candidates, which makes the recruitment process faster for everyone involved.
Engaging hiring managers with your ATS will help to reduce your time-to-hire and increase the chances of successfully employing your first-choice candidate rather than risk them being snapped up by a competitor.
2. It will improve the quality of your hires
If hiring managers are involved in the recruitment process from the beginning, it’s likely you’ll hire a candidate who is a better match for the job. Hiring managers will have the best understanding of the ideal fit for their team so it’s important that they’re involved in creating job adverts and shortlisting candidates.
Recruitment technology makes it easier for hiring managers to get stuck in from an early stage. They can raise job requisitions within the software and view candidate applications as they are submitted, rather than having to wait for the HR team to send them over manually. Application information is all available at a glance, giving hiring managers complete visibility of all candidates without overwhelming them with dozens of emails.
3. It will make internal processes easier to follow
Hiring managers bypassing set recruitment processes is a common frustration for HR departments; however, if your recruitment processes aren’t simple to follow, it’s understandable why people choose not to adhere to them.
Using technology can simplify processes and make them much easier to follow. For example, raising job requisitions can be completed by simply submitting a form in an ATS and hiring managers can track the progress of their requisition through to approval stage, rather than having to chase other stakeholders for a response.
By ensuring that hiring managers are fully engaged with your ATS and know how to use the system, it increases your chance of your hiring managers following the processes set out by your team.
4. Technology promotes more collaborative hiring between teams
In recruitment, collaboration is key. When HR and recruitment teams work closely with hiring managers and other departments within your business, it promotes a culture of transparency and encourages a diverse range of opinions about candidates to ensure there’s no unconscious bias.
An ATS allows you to easily collaborate with other members of your team, whether that’s by sharing feedback on applications or assigning new employee set-up tasks to be completed by other members of your team prior to your new hire’s first day on the job.
Are you looking for ways to engage your hiring managers with your ATS? Download Webrecruit’s free eBook, How to Engage Your Hiring Managers With Recruitment Technology.
