As the new school year begins, parents buy children an exhausting list of supplies: the entirely-unnecessary extravagance of a 120-pack of Crayola crayons, a couple (or 12) notebooks, 50 pencils…you get the point. The kids “need” all of these things. Then at the end of the school year, you discover you are left with 100 unused crayons in the box, 12 notebooks with the first 10 pages of each used, and more pencils than you could ever possibly need. What was the purpose of buying all these oh-so-essential school supplies? Now take a look at your recruiting software.

Get Your Money’s Worth

Do you ever feel the same sense of frustration, as if you or your company has wasted precious resources? If your response is yes, it is possible you are not using your ATS correctly. It is imperative with these systems that you invest in a solution that fits your company’s size, of course—no one needs 120 crayons when 20 would work just as well. There are so many other ways this software is commonly misused, but fortunately, just as many ways to make the most of it.

How Do You Use Your Recruiting Software?

A common complaint about recruiting software is that it doesn’t produce quality candidates. If you have had similar thoughts, stop and consider: is it possible you’re just not using it correctly? Here are 5 dos and don’ts to help you better utilize your ATS:

1. Do track recruiting metrics!
In a 2012 survey by Sendouts, 83% of the recruiting and staffing professionals said that metrics help them to excel at work. This should be incentive enough to use your software and follow suit!

2. Don’t use your ATS as a resume warehouse!
Maybe you have virtual mountains of resumes stacked up in your system, but your recruiting software does so much more than store resumes. Take advantage of your system’s tools and automate your recruiting workflow. It will save you time and increase your productivity!

3. Do build your brand!
Use your ATS to nurture relationships with your clients and candidates. Send emails through your database, keeping candidates up to date about job listings and opportunities in their field. They will appreciate your considerate actions. If used well, your recruiting software will also help you find the most exemplary candidates. By continuously presenting your clients with these stellar applicants, you will earn their respect and give your company name a little more clout.

4. Don’t miss out on training opportunities!
If you don’t know what your ATS is capable of, you can’t make the most of it. Take advantage of services offered by your provider and don’t hesitate to contact customer support. You are only wasting time and money by misusing the system.

5. Do turn references into candidates!
You have a database full of resumes, right? Well if you need more clients and more qualified candidates for a position, you can always do what Dennis Borders of Gecko Hospitality did. He sent one mail merge to his 12,000 candidates and in one day he had 81 new prospective clients. With his recruiting software, he is also able to turn a candidate’s reference into a new candidate with one click. Because these references likely have the qualifications you desire, they are ideal. Using your ATS for this in particular can create rich opportunities for you.

Keep these dos and don’ts in mind next time you want to complain about your recruiting software. Although, if you follow this list, there (hopefully, fingers crossed!) won’t be a next time. Once you find the right system, you can explore all the tools, learn how to use them, and perform at your best!

Originally posted at Sendouts.