ATS: the best way to improve the candidate experience

Who hasn't spent weeks waiting for a response after sending a resume or going to an interview? This phenomenon seems to be becoming even more widespread. Today, many candidates are dissatisfied with their recruitment process. Many complain about the same things, and when you listen to them, the same themes often recur: companies give them too little attention and time. Changing the candidate experience is a way to differentiate your company and improve its image. To achieve this, there's an essential tool: the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). 

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Candidate experience: a crucial factor in improving your company's visibility

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What is a candidate experience?

‍This refers to how a company is perceived by a candidate. The candidate experience begins when the candidate reads the job description and ends with the company's response (whether positive or negative). 

Candidate experience the ideas a candidate will have about the company throughout the entire recruitment process.

As asset .

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Recruitment: Key points of contact not to be overlooked

To give you a clearer idea of ​​what the candidate experience entails, here are some key points of the recruitment process to keep in mind:

• The advertisement : is it exhaustive? complete? legible? How do you distribute it? All these elements are important for the candidate.
• The interview : will it be via video conference? By phone? In person? In any case, it's an important point of communication. Perhaps the one that will best allow the candidate to get an idea of ​​your company.
• Post-interview follow-up : absolutely crucial! As we've seen, most companies don't take this step into account. However, it's essential to show the candidate that you're interested in their application.
• The communication phase : the period when you and your candidate exchange information on the phone to arrange an interview, for example.
• Feedback : collecting feedback at the end of the interview .

Paying close attention to image with candidates ! These are simple actions, but they will have a guaranteed effect.

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Frequent bad experiences that displease candidates

So might a candidate have a bad recruitment experience today? The causes are numerous, but simple to avoid.

Recruiters lack visibility into the status of their interviews .

While impersonal recruitment processes . In short, this results in low self-esteem and difficulty envisioning the future!

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Why focus on the recruitment process?

It your company's image . After the Covid crisis, in the era of "quiet quitting" and with a younger generation demanding improved working conditions, candidates are now much more selective.

Even negative feeling about a company , an interviewer…

In recruitment process , the impressions that the candidate will have and share with their network will have an effect on the image of the company.

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The ATS: a real asset to boost your candidates' experience!

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What is an ATS?

Admittedly, responding personally to each candidate would take a considerable amount of time for each company, but that is why ATS, applicant tracking software, is a real asset.

With feel supported ! An ATS also allows the recruiter to have a more transparent relationship with the candidate throughout the entire process.

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How to use your ATS

Several tools exist to optimize the use of an ATS . The software does indeed have several effective features.

‍Thanks to customized process dashboards, no candidate is overlooked. After each interview, you can easily and quickly record feedback on the candidate. The ATS also allows you to quickly see which candidates are awaiting a response. This will enable you to respond effectively to all candidates! 

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Why does an ATS help give candidates a good first impression?

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is truly the tool that makes all the difference in giving candidates a good first impression. It allows candidates to feel more supported. As we've seen, this is a detail that many companies overlook, yet it can make all the difference!

‍The candidate will also experience greater transparency in the process. A maximum of 1 to 2 days after each interview, the candidate will receive an email to track the progress of their application. 

At A positive candidate experience is key to standing out.

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Best practices to implement immediately

To improve the candidate experience today, here are some simple practices to implement:

• Make your job postings more attractive. Well-crafted, attractive, and well-written job postings will convey your company values. This will create a positive image of your company for potential clients. You will appear as an interesting company that offers its employees rewarding and engaging work. This is important.

• When you contact candidates on LinkedIn, APEC, Pôle Emploi or any other network - take care with your approach and personalize the opening of the messages you send to the candidate, according to their background.

• Be tactful when rejecting an application. You don't want the candidate to have a negative impression of the company. It's about acting carefully . Inform candidates if you are not going to select them.

• Stay in touch with the candidates you almost selected! It's a valuable asset for expanding your network . Those who are nearing the end of your selection process likely possess significant skills and qualifications. They may well be future employees. Don't lose sight of them!

• Be transparent. Transparency will save you time! Being transparent about your company values ​​and what you're looking for will allow you to recruit a candidate who meets your expectations and is genuinely interested in the position. Otherwise, you risk disappointing someone… which wouldn't be very profitable. 

• Prepare for the new candidate's arrival. Don't skimp on onboarding. Joining a new company , and many may worry about not fitting in. Preparing for this situation in advance is crucial. You can also introduce the new employee to the team on their first day: this will help them feel more comfortable.

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Managing rejection emails

Do respond to the candidate ! Rejection emails are crucial for leaving a positive impression on unsuccessful applicants. A well-executed rejection can even lead to new and promising candidates!

Don't hesitate the candidate concrete feedback . Use the notes recorded in the ATS to provide constructive feedback—explain what went wrong and offer suggestions for improvement. Avoid being too curt or vague in your response. The more specific you are about the reasons for rejecting the candidate, the more helpful your email will be.

This way, he ask him for feedback on the recruitment process by sending him a quick questionnaire to complete.

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Conclusion

Today, with these tools at their disposal, companies can no longer afford to neglect the candidate experience under the pretext of a time-consuming communication process! Indeed, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is simple and quick to implement, enabling effective and transparent communication that will appeal to your candidates and improve your company's image. In addition to the ATS, there are a few simple best practices that will also make a difference!  

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