Straight Talk on Applicant Tracking Systems

Straight Talk on Applicant Tracking Systems
Do’s & Don’ts for Effective Selection & Operations

Kyle Lagunas – Principal Analyst & Founder - @kylelagunas
An analyst specializing in talent acquisition, Kyle keeps tabs on key practices
in sourcing, recruiting, assessing, hiring and retention strategies and
technologies. Through primary research and deep analysis, he keeps today's
business leaders in touch with important conversations and emerging trends in
the rapidly changing world of talent.
2
Straight Talk on ATS /presenter

About Us
Lighthouse Research & Advisory is a modern analyst firm building a standard of excellence in talent acquisition.
Compelling research and actionable insights for recruiters, hiring managers, and business leaders, we navigate the rapidly
changing tides of human capital management in order to support today’s talent advisors.
Straight Talk on ATS /about us

4
Approachable. We’re professionally curious, purveyors of the land. We value work that is
relevant for our target audience in talent acquisition, but also meaningful to technology
leaders and enterprise HR executives as well.
Credible. We’ve come down from the Ivory Tower to focus on vetting research — from
benchmark data to industry perspective — with in-the-trenches recruiting leaders and global
talent executives alike.
Agile. We value free thinking, timely execution, and quality work. Our analysts focus on
quality research that doesn’t take six months to deliver. At Lighthouse, we want to provide
value for our clients every day, not once a year.
Our Values
Straight Talk on ATS /about us
4

Agenda
Here’s a breakdown of what we’ll be discussing today
Applicant Tracking 101
What is an ATS and what does it do?
Introduction
The state of hiring in the US
ATS Functionality
What features and functionality does
the standard ATS offer?
5
Straight Talk on ATS /agenda
5

On Employer Brand
What is employer brand and why does
it matter?
Building a Business Case
What can I expect and how should I
approach this?
Tackling Candidate Experience
What role does technology play in
candidate experience?
Best-in-Class ATS
What distinguishes one system from
another?
Pros & Cons
What are some common benefits and
misconceptions?
6
6

Mobile Recruiting
What it is, what it isn’t
Resources for Selection
Common pricing models and RFP topics
Open Dialogue
Questions & Answers
7

8

9
83 % of recruiters
describe current
market as candidate-‐
driven
The average US
company takes 25
working days to fill a
vacant role – a 13 year
high.
Companies with over
5,000 employees take
58 working days to fill
a role!
Top 10% of candidates
are often gone from the
marketplace within 10
days.
Small / Mid-Size
Businesses do 90% of
the hiring in the US,
but many still rely on
email and spreadsheets
Cloud-based, SaaS
delivery models have
made ATSs more
affordable for SMBs
Lay of the Land
The current state of hiring in the US
Straight Talk on ATS /intro

10
Quality of Hire
39%
Quality of Hire is consistently rated the
most valuable performance metric for
talent acquisition
Time to Hire
57 days
From application to offer acceptance,
candidates are spending an average of 57
days in the hiring process.
The Disconnect in Hiring
In search of the perfect hire.

11
52% of Candidates
had previous
relationship with
prospective employer
<46% inform
candidates what to
expect next
91% made no contact
beyond the automated
acknowledgement of
application receipt.
32% reported that they
received no
information to help
them prepare for
interviews
61% of candidates
were never asked to
provide feedback on
their screening or
interview experience
50% of recruiters found
the hiring managers
in their company to be
average or below
average in their hiring
capabilities overall
Candidate Experience by the Numbers
Findings from The Talent Board’s most recent research

What, exactly, is an ATS?
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is the core system recruiting teams use to streamline, automation, and manage the application, recruitment,
interview and sometimes onboarding processes. The principal functions of an ATS are to provide:
1
A central location and database
for a company's recruitment
efforts
2
Tracking of recruiting
information for EEO and
OFCCP/AAP compliance
3
Lightweight recruiting
analytics and reporting
capabilities.

13
Ok, but what does an ATS do?
Not only is the ATS the system of record for applicants, it also offers basic functionality required to
automate, streamline, and manage sourcing, assessment, and hiring workflows. Features often include:
Job requisition creation and management
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galley of type and scramble
Job posting creation and broadcasting
Assessment and interview coordination
Reporting and analytics
Candidate relationship management (CRM)
Career site management
Candidate sourcing and tracking
Application processing and resume parsing
Straight Talk on ATS /ATS 101

14
Automating, pre-assigned &
default approval process
Hiring Manager access &
accountability
Tracking where requisition is
in approval process
Direct posting of job upon final
approval
Qualifiers to sort/rate
candidates
Job Postings via
aggregators, distributers and
export feeds (XML, RSS)
Approvals/Requisition Routing
Place your subheading here.

15Candidate Management
Workflow Configuration
• Salary grade
• Divisions
• Location
• Job Level
• Evergreen
Built-In Integrations
• Attached to job profiles
• Associated to candidate
status/trigger
• Storing of data
Automation of
• Referral tracking
• Assessments
• Notifications
• Routing to Managers
• Rejections
Offer Management
• Administration
• Quick approvals
• Internal
• Candidate
• Records
New Hire Onboarding
• Integration with HRIS
• Digital Signatures
• Documents
• Pre-populated W4/I9
Reporting & Analytics
• Recruiter Scorecards
• Hiring Manager
Scorecards
• OFCCP / AAP / EEO
• Diversity

16
Built-in publishing
tools
• Paid for boards
• Aggregators (Free)
• Social Networks
Job Feeds (push
vs. pull)
• XML
• RSS
Increased exposure,
better targeting
• More candidates
• Better candidates
• Lower cost
Search Engine
Optimization
• More organic traffic
• Better targeting
Channel
Performance
• Data on best
performing source
Job Postings

17
Semantic search
Search your existing database using simple
keywords
Automated job matching
Find potential matches before you post a job
Saved search
Save search results for GFE / AAP Compliance
Custom fields
Built-in search operators not cutting it? Set your
own!
Candidate Search
Single, searchable database

WOTC Tax Credits
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (pronounced Whot-C) is a Federal tax credit available to employers for hiring individuals from 9
target groups* who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. WOTC joins other workforce programs that
incentivize workplace diversity and facilitate access to good jobs for American workers.
• Unemployed Veterans (including disabled veterans)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Recipients Food Stamp (SNAP)
• Recipients Designated Community Residents (living in Empowerment Zones or Rural
Renewal Counties)
• Vocational Rehabilitation Referred Individuals
• Ex-Felons
• Supplemental Security Income Recipients
• Summer Youth Employees (living in Empowerment Zones)
18

19
Before we move on…
Key Takeaways from ATS 101
An ATS Can Help
Core functionality that an
ATS provides lightens tha
administrative burden,
and allows you to focus
on what you do best
The ATS Defined
The core system desiged
to streamline, automate,
and manage talent
acquisition.
Core Capabilities
An ATS can do a lot of
things - Requisition
management, job posting
distribution, even
candidate relationship
management.
Hiring is Hard
We’re recruiting in a
candidate-driving hiring
climate,, and we need to
step our game up.

20
1
Simplify Recruiter
Workload,
Improve Time to Fill
2
Reduce
administrative and
personnel costs.
3
Improve overall
quality of hire.
4
Alleviate compliance
concerns.
Meet diversity
objectives
Pros: Benefits of an ATS
Straight Talk on ATS /pros & cons

21
Length of
Application
Technical
Issues
Bad candidate
experience
Resume “black
hole”
Application
Volume
Screen out
qualified
candidates
Cons: Some drawbacks associated with bad ATS
Straight Talk on ATS /pros & cons

22
Best-In-Class Applicant Tracking
What do the best systems have to offer?
Mobile recruiting capabilities
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Integration capabilities
Robust Candidate Relationship Management
Advanced reporting & analytics
Job posting distribution & aggregation
Employee referral management
Advanced candidate search
Straight Talk on ATS /best-in-class

23
#1 - Taleo
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#2 – IBM Kenexa
standard
#4 - iCIMS
standard
#3 - Jobvite
standard
The Most Popular ATS
There’s more to success in ATS than popularity… but it’s worth nothing.

321
Greenhouse
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SmartRecruiters
printing and
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24
Newer systems worth your consideration

25
The Business Case for an ATS
Things to consider, resources to tap into
Building the Business Case
for an ATS
A guide by iCIMS
While cloud-based SaaS delivery models are making it easier
for SMBs to afford an ATS, the best ones aren’t free. Here’s a
great template developed by iCIMS – available for free
online!
Straight Talk on ATS /business case

Executive Summary
Customize your business case
As our company grows it is increasingly important to streamline processes while supporting the organization with the best talent.
Currently, [Your Company’s] recruiting processes are labor intensive, manual, and unstructured. Statistically, inefficiencies like
these increase recruitment costs and decrease overall company profitability. In order to improve on recruitment efficiency, this
presentation proposes the use of an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to:
• Increase Recruitment Productivity
• Standardize Recruitment Processes
• Improve Recruitment and Hiring Compliance
• Facilitate Access to a Larger, More Qualified Candidate Pool
26
In the pages that follow, a careful analysis of the problem and proposed
solution are covered including quantitative and qualitative return on
investment from financial, technical, operational, and strategic perspectives.
Based on the many quantitative and qualitative benefits associated with the
use of recruitment technology, it is recommended that [Your Company]
implement an Applicant Tracking System and supporting technology for job
distribution.

27
Financial
• Extended Time-to-Fill
• Prolonged Absence of
Revenue-Generating
Staff Member
• Temporary Staffing
Costs
• Overtime for Workers
“Filling in the Gap”
• Overtaxed Staff
Resulting in Decreased
Morale
Operational
• Time-Consuming,
Manual, Disparate
Processes
• Resume Review
and Screening
• Applicant and
Recruiter Workflow
• Manual Tracking
(Candidate Flow,
EEO, OFCCP, Etc.)
Strategic
• Insufficient Number
of High-Quality
Applicants
• Good Candidates
May be Overlooked
• Quality Candidates
May Not be Able to
Find Our Job
Listings Amid
Competitors’ Noise
Technical
• Inability to Generate
Reports
• Measure
Productivity
• Identify Areas for
Improvement
• Monitor ROI of
Recruitment Dollars
Spent
The Business Problem

Proposal & Objectives
This presentation serves to propose the implementation of recruitment technology as a means of realizing financial,
strategic, technical, and operational return on investment.
Proposal: Implement the following
technologies:
•Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
•Automated Job Board Posting
•Social Media Recruitment Software
Objectives: Realize Financial, Strategic, Technical,
and Operational ROI:
• Improve Recruitment Productivity
• Reduce Time and Cost-to-Fill
• Expand and Improve Quality of Applicant Pool
• Achieve and/or Maintain Compliance (EEO, OFCCP,
Etc.)
28

29
Financial
• Reducing Time-to-Fill
Improves Revenue
• Reducing Time-to-Fill
Improves Employee
Morale, Customer
Satisfaction, and
• Competitive
Advantage
Operational
• 25% Reduction in
Time-to-Fill and 30%
Reduction in Cost-to-
Fill
• EEOC Recommends
Recruitment
Standardization to
Reduce the Risk of
Discrimination in
Hiring
Strategic
• 85% of Job Seekers
Rely on Career
Portals
• Career Portals and
Facebook are the
Two Most Important
Places for Talent and
Employers to Meet
• 73% of Companies
Successfully Hired
Using Social Media
Technical
• Reporting can Increase
Shareholder Value by
10 – 20%
• Organizations Using
Workforce Analytics
have 8% Higher Sales
Growth and 58%
Higher Sales Per
Employee
An ATS Can Change Problems to Opportunities

30
ATS Return on Investment Summary
Operational
• Standardized
Processes
• Process
Automation
• Advanced
Reporting for
• Continuous
Improvement
Strategic
• Improved
Compliance
• Access to Larger
Candidate Pool
& Higher-Quality Hires
• Improved Candidate
Experience
• Increased
Employment Brand
Recognition
Technical
• Single Database
with Unlimited
• Data Storage
• Easy Integrations
• Web-based
Solution Requires
No Internal IT
• Upgrades &
Training Included
at No Additional
Cost
Financial
• Increased
Productivity
• Elimination of
Manual Processes
• Time to Focus on
Projects that
Improve
Profitability (e.g.
Retention)

31
• Recruitment Technology Benefits
• Significant Return on Investment in All Areas of the Company
• Significantly Higher Productivity
• Faster Time-to-Fill
• Improved Compliance
• Standardized, Automated Process
• Better Candidate Experience
• Higher Quality Candidates
From a technical perspective the barriers to entry are low as web-based software
will eliminate the costs associated with internal IT and training /software updates
are included at no additional cost by some vendors.
Based on these findings, it is recommended that [The Company] move forward
with implementing an Applicant Tracking System as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Implementing an Applicant Tracking System and associated job distribution will provide the company many benefits. These are:

32
What are the
company’s top
business imperatives?
How do we manage
this process today?
Does it make sense?
How do we want HR to
operate, now and in
the future, to deliver
on the organization’s
top business
imperatives?
What redundancies do
we have in processes
and policies today?
What new
capabilities are
required to enable
the new way of
operating?
How might a process
or related policies be
streamlined?
What to discuss internally before vendor discussions take place

33
What roles do we
want managers and
employees to play in
managing their parts
of HR processes?
What harmonization
of policies will create
efficiency?
Which stakeholders do
we need to engage
early to understand
key priorities?
What steps, perhaps
done manually today,
can be eliminated and
what are the “people”
repercussions?
Who will be most
impacted by changes
in each process and
how will we minimize
business disruption
for these
stakeholders?
What are the existing
integrations with our
HRIS or ERP system?
What to discuss internally before vendor discussions take place

34
Can this ATS help me
find & identify quality
candidates?
Can you provide a
customer reference
from a hiring manager
user of your platform?
How can I track my
cost per hire?
What are the three
things you were
hoping you wouldn’t
need to show me?
How do you define
hiring success?
What’s the average
implementation time?
Questions for vendors

35
Before we move on…
Key Takeaways from Building a Business Case
Do You Homework
Show executives you
have the business’s best
interest at heart – build a
full-fledged business case.
Speak Their Language
ROI, ROI, ROI – talk
about what benefits others
have realized after
implementing an ATS.
Ask an Expert
Don’t go it alone – there
are plenty of people out
there willing and able to
help get you answers you
need.
Address Business Problems
Business cases aren’t an
opportunity to complain
about how hard your job
is – talk business!

Tackling Candidate Experience
Employers and job seekers aren’t always on the same page about what candidate experience means. For employers, it’s about simplicity
and overall experience. For job seekers, it’s all about responsiveness and communication throughout the process.
36
Straight Talk on ATS /candidate experience

37
Flexibility
2/5Nearly 2 in 5 say it was
important to be able to
come back later to finish
applying for a job
Unfinished
3/53 in 5 jobseekers who have
begun a job application did
not finish it because there
were too many steps – or it
was too complex.
Consider This: Candidates Need Not Apply

38
WORK
2015
Consider this: Candidates Need Not Apply

39Candidate’s most common frustrations
83% - No response from
application
67% - waiting to hear
from recruiter / expect
phone call
57% - Resume “Black
Hole”
49% of candidates say
they’ve given up on
online applications out
of frustration
42% - Being regularly rejected
41% - Application takes up too
much time
36% - Don’t know how long
the application process will
take.

40
WORK
2015
Consider this: Candidates Need Not Apply
36%
12%
12%
19%
22%
30%
30%
None of these
Go skydiving with no training
Get a root canal
Spend a day on line at the DMV
Speak in front of 100 strangers
Go on a blind date
Do all my holiday shopping
on Christmas Eve
What would you rather do than fill out an online job application?

41
Yes
9%
No
91%
You must have mobile apply capability
Straight Talk on ATS /mobile
CareerBuilder asked employers if they believe they are losing out on talented applicants by not having
a mobile process.

42
Always
6%
Never
65%
You must have mobile apply capability
Straight Talk on ATS /mobile
However, when CareerBuilder asked job seekers how often they’d return to a job on their desktop after
trying to apply via mobile…..
Sometimes
29%

43
Key Takeaways & Resources
What to remember, where to go
Hiring is Hard
We’re recruiting in a candidate-driving hiring climate,,
and we need to step our game up.
An ATS can help
Core functionality that an ATS provides lightens tha
administrative burden, and allows you to focus on what
you do best
Do Your Homework
Show executives you have the business’s best interest at
heart – build a full-fledged business case.
Speak Their Language
ROI, ROI, ROI – talk about what benefits others have
realized after implementing an ATS.
Ask an Expert
Don’t go it alone – there are plenty of people out there
willing and able to help get you answers you need.
The ATS defined
The core system desiged to streamline, automate, and
manage talent acquisition.
Address Business Problems
Business cases aren’t an opportunity to complain about
how hard your job is – talk business!
Core capabilities
An ATS can do a lot of things - Requisition
management, job posting distribution, even candidate
relationship management.
Straight Talk on ATS /resources

44
Question & Answers
Straight Talk on Applicant
Tracking Systems
Open Dialogue
Straight Talk on ATS /open dialogue

Contact Us
w.
t.
e.
lhra.io
@kylelagunas
kyle.lagunas@lhra.io
#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas

Straight Talk on Applicant Tracking Systems

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