Applicant tracking systems are great for HR professionals and recruiters. There are disputes about their effectiveness because they target keywords rather than candidate skill. Even though most candidates don’t like their experience when a company uses an ATS, it greatly helps recruiters minimize the size of the talent pool without wasting precious time and energy… not to mention money. So where does your company stand? ATS has saved 20 percent of companies precious time during the hiring process. Over half of organizations have noticed the recruiting trends and plan to make some major HR technology purchases in the next 18 months.

1.     75% of large companies use ATSs to review and rank resumes before a recruiter sees them.

2.     Nearly 70% of resumes never see human eyes.

3.     76% of job seekers prefer to apply through a career site.

4.     It is estimated that online job board postings represent only 15%-20% of employment opportunities.

5.     The following job categories run the risk of automation in the next 20 years: telemarketers, 99%; accountants, 94%; real estate agents, 86%; airline pilots, 55%.

6.     Jobs with low risk of automation are clergy, 0.8%; dentists, 0.4%; recreational therapists, 0.2%.

7.     2% prefer online access for applicant tracking, while 1% preferred on site location.

8.     20% of companies experience a reduced hiring time.

9.     ATS thins the qualified candidate pool by 75%.

10.   57% of companies plan to make major new HR purchases in the next 18 months.

11.   A company with 8 employees can save $10,000 using an ATS.

12.   Companies receive an average of 250 applications per job opening.

13.   58% of applicants who have a poor candidate experience say it’s a result of irregular updates.

14.   40% of mobile candidates abandon the application process when the ATS is not mobile friendly.

15.   Only 5% of applicants rate their candidate experience as excellent.

16.   60% of mid-sized companies use an ATS.

17.   HR experts calculate the average hiring process costs about $3,500.

18.   Large companies such as Google receive up to 75,000 applications per week.

With large companies receiving thousands upon thousands of applications and resumes per week, it is essential they have a helping hand. The popularity of the ATS is growing, and not just for the large companies. Small and medium sized companies are looking to advance their HR departments as well. But with only 5% of candidates reporting a positive experience, there has to be a good combination of human and computer interaction. Automation is the current trend in HR and recruiting. How effectively do you use your Applicant Tracking System?

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