30 Best Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) of 2024: Reviewed & Compared
10 Best Applicant Tracking Systems Shortlist
Here’s my shortlist of the 10 best applicant tracking systems out of the 30 ATS tools I reviewed:
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Are you looking for a new applicant tracking system (ATS)? Finding the best fit for your needs can be both challenging and time-consuming. Even more so, when you're already buried under piles of job applications and candidate information, with no extra time to spare. As a former recruiting assistant, I completely sympathize with your situation.
A new ATS can help you source, track, and organize your candidates to make your hiring process more efficient. Plus, many systems now offer automation tools and AI-enhanced features to help you compare candidates and fill roles faster. The tricky part is finding the best fit for your needs, but that's exactly what this article aims to do.
In this article, I'll share my insights on the top applicant tracking systems based on my personal recruiting experience dealing with hundreds of candidate applications. I'll help you save time and simplify your selection process so you can find the best ATS for your recruitment needs.
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Best Applicant Tracking Systems: Pricing Comparison Chart
This ATS comparison chart summarizes pricing details for my top applicant tracking systems to help you find the best software for your budget and business needs.
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Workable Recruiting | From $149/month, with up to 20 seats | Website |
| Pinpoint | Pricing upon request | Website |
| BambooHR | From $6.19/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| ClearCompany | Pricing upon request | Website |
| Tracker | Pricing upon request | Website |
| Manatal | From $15/user/month | Website |
| Gem | Pricing upon request | Website |
| VIVAHR | From $89/month | Website |
| Recruit CRM | From $84/user/month | Website |
| JazzHR | From $75/month | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareHow to Choose an Applicant Tracking System
Applicant tracking systems can solve many different challenges and improve numerous workflows. To help you figure out which applicant tracking system software best fits your needs, you need to pinpoint your key users and document their specific challenges first.
As you work through your own unique ATS software selection process, keep the following points in mind:
- What problem are you trying to solve - Start by identifying the ATS feature gap you're trying to fill to clarify the features and functionality the recruiting software needs to provide.
- Who will need to use it - To evaluate cost and requirements, consider who will use the software and how many user licenses you'll need. You'll need to evaluate if it'll just be your talent acquisition specialists, or your entire HR department that will require access. Once that's clear, it's also useful to rank the needs of your different users to identify key priorities for your ATS power users, managers, and future candidates, to ensure they're all met.
- What other tools it needs to work with - Clarify what tools you're replacing, what tools are staying, and the tools you'll need to integrate with, such as HR management systems or onboarding software. You'll need to decide if the tools should integrate together, or alternatively, if you can replace multiple tools with one consolidated recruiting ATS platform.
- What outcomes are important - Consider the capabilities you want to gain or improve, and how you will measure success. For example, an outcome could be the ability to automate repetitive parts of your recruiting process or screen candidates faster. You could compare ATS features until you’re blue in the face, but if you aren’t thinking about the outcomes you want to drive, you could waste a lot of valuable time.
- How it would work within your organization - Consider the software selection alongside your workflows and delivery methodology. Evaluate what's working well, and the areas that are causing issues that need to be addressed.
Remember every business is different — don’t assume that a system will work for your organization just because it's a popular ATS.
Best Applicant Tracking System Reviews
Below are my detailed reviews of each applicant tracking system that made it into my top 10 list, including notes on why I picked them. Each review offers a detailed look at the key features, pros & cons, integrations, and ideal use cases for each ATS system to help you find the best option for you.
Workable is a recruitment software designed to simplify the hiring process for businesses of all sizes. Their ATS tool offers features that cover every aspect of recruitment, from posting jobs to tracking applicants and managing interviews.
Why I picked Workable: One of the reasons Workable stands out is its ease of use. The platform’s intuitive design ensures that even those with minimal technical expertise can navigate and utilize its features. Additionally, Workable’s robust job posting capabilities allow users to distribute job listings across hundreds of job boards and social media channels with a few clicks, attracting a diverse range of applicants.
Workable also has a comprehensive ATS that helps the recruitment process by organizing applications in a centralized dashboard, where recruiters can easily track candidate progress and status. Advanced features like resume parsing, candidate scoring, and automated workflows reduce administrative burdens and help recruiters focus on engaging with the most promising candidates
Workable Standout Features & Integrations:
Standout features include collaborative hiring tools for better team communication and shared evaluations, customizable templates for job descriptions and emails, and reporting and analytics tools for actionable insights into recruitment metrics. Furthermore, Workable includes an integrated video interview feature, allowing for more flexible and remote-friendly hiring processes.
Integrations include LinkedIn, Indeed, Google Calendar, Slack, Microsoft Outlook, Zapier, BambooHR, Greenhouse, Zoom, Asana, Trello, DocuSign, G Suite, Office 365, Monster, Facebook, Twitter, and Glassdoor.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Reports and analytics for the recruitment process
- Automation features for recruitment tasks
- Easy to navigate, intuitive user interface
Cons:
- Initial setup can be complex, especially with data migration
- Some limits to customization
Pinpoint
Best applicant tracking system for in-house talent acquisition and people teams
Pinpoint's ATS software is designed for internal talent acquisition and people teams rather than recruitment agencies.
Why I picked Pinpoint: Pinpoint is extremely powerful yet easy-to-use with an intuitive design and straightforward user experience. Recruiters and hiring managers can be onboarded and get up and running quickly, with additional customer support always available from their customer success team.
Pinpoint has core ATS and talent CRM features such as job board multiposting and social media advertising, unlimited customizable workflows, automation, interview scheduling, and employee onboarding. Data protection and security features include single sign-on, two-factor authentication, and tools to help manage compliance with local regulations like the GDPR/CCPA.
Pinpoint Standout Features & Integrations:
Standout features that make Pinpoint unique include blind screening to help reduce unconscious bias, candidate scorecards for gathering fast and objective hiring manager feedback, and a suite of reporting tools including a custom report builder. They also offer access for an unlimited number of users, since their software isn't priced per user, leading to a greater ROI for large-scale in-house recruiting teams.
Integrations are available natively with hundreds of other platforms, including ADP, BambooHR, Canditech, Certn, CodeSubmit, DocuSign, JotForm, Google Meet, Gusto, Microsoft Teams, Namely, Rippling, Sage People, SAP, UKG Pro, Workday, Zoom, and many others. In addition, their Zapier integration supports integration with over 3,000 other tools.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Powerful automation and careful design for ease-of-use
- Focus on employer brand and candidate experience
- Exceptional customer success and support
Cons:
- Some features only available in the Enterprise tier
- Not suitable for most recruitment agencies due to lack of client management features
BambooHR
Best for auto-populated offer letters and insightful applicant analytics
BambooHR is a well-known HR solution that offers core HR modules designed for small and medium businesses. Their software includes modules for hiring and onboarding, time off and benefits, HR data and reporting, and employee experience.
Why I picked BambooHR: Efficiency and speed are two core elements of BambooHR’s applicant tracking system, which includes time-saving features like sending multiple email template responses at once, and branded digital offer letters that auto-populate candidate and job details. To improve the candidate experience, electronic signatures also make it fast and easy to accept a new position.
Automated reminders also ensure hiring managers communicate with applicants in a timely fashion, ensuring they feel acknowledged and informed throughout the hiring process.
BambooHR Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include automated emails, automated disqualifying questions, detailed candidate records, candidate keyword search, email and offer letter templates, connections with job boards, job pipelines, talent pools, and a full-feature mobile app so you can stay in touch with candidates from anywhere.
To help with your overall recruitment process, BambooHR also includes a useful birds-eye-view of applicant information. Their Applicant Sources Report parses out your candidate data to show you where your applicants are coming from, helping you focus your resources on what’s working the best, or address any shortcomings directly.
In addition, their Applicant Funnel Report digs deeper into your recruitment timeline to pinpoint the slower portions of your process so you can look at ways to speed up those steps.
Integrations are available 60+ common HR software solutions including job posting boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter, as well as social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Offer letters with e-signature signing capabilities
- User-friendly interface, including on mobile apps
- ATS is connected to onboarding tools for hired candidates
Cons:
- Not a recruiting-first system
- Limited customization options
Best ATS system for time-saving automations and mobile recruiting
ClearCompany is an easy-to-use applicant tracking system (ATS) that has empowered thousands of companies to attract, screen, and hire better talent. You'll also unlock tools to engage your team and use strategic insights to keep recruiting competitive.
Why I picked ClearCompany: I appreciate the many time-saving automations their platform includes, such as interview scheduling workflows, and the ability to expedite the candidate communications process via automated emails or pre-built text recruiting campaigns. When combined, these features can help hiring teams accelerate their hiring process and identify top talent faster.
ClearCompany is best for companies based in the U.S. and Canada.
ClearCompany Standout Features & Integrations:
Standout features for ClearCompany include their mobile-friendly interview packages, and their Advanced ClearText suite that meets candidates where their are (on their mobile devices) by offering ClearText and Text-to-Apply features for candidates, as well as bulk texting and text recruiting templates for your talent acquisition specialists. Plus, their pre-built recruiting report templates track all the key data points you'd expect (candidate demographics, pipeline sources, time to hire, etc.), saving you from having to set your reports up from scratch.
Other key features include candidate sourcing, automated screening, candidate grading, text & video interview scheduling, EEO/OFCCP compliance reporting, numerous integrations to help you post jobs, AI-assisted job descriptions, and an additional full-service background-checking option that's available as an add-on.
Integrations are available natively with 100+ programs for assessment tests, background checks, calendars, job postings, payroll and benefits, and SSO.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Automatic candidate screening and grading saves lots of time
- Recruiting tools link to other modules to support easy employee onboarding
- Lots of integrations to help with skill testing
Cons:
- No free trial available
- Information on plan features and prices is not readily available
Tracker
Best ATS + CRM + automation platform for recruitment and staffing agencies
Tracker is a recruitment and staffing software that acts as a combined ATS and CRM (candidate and/or client relationship management) system. The tool is designed to help staffing and recruiting firms manage and optimize their candidate, client, marketing, and operational processes.
Why I picked Tracker: I selected Tracker because of its dual purpose as an ATS and CRM system, plus several unique features that make it a great choice for any organization with a heavy customer relations focus. This includes their back office functions that help with client onboarding, assignment management, and accounting, as well as their integrated vendor management system (VMS) that helps teams proactively source talent 24/7 thanks to their rules-based parsing engine and auto-match technology.
Tracker Standout Features and Integrations
One standout feature that can save a lot of time is their AI-based candidate ranking feature. This feature uses machine learning to monitor candidate engagement and combines these details with existing candidate data already in Tracker from previous applications. By combining these data sources, their AI agent helps to rank candidates and present the best fits for your open positions using this proprietary ranking methodology.
Other key features worth noting include tools for sourcing candidates, nurturing and matching applicants, 1-way and 2-way video interviewing, a built-in team TrackerChat app, and a full-featured mobile app, plus tools for marketing vacant positions. You can also set up custom candidate portals, dashboards, workflows, and reports easily thanks to their user-friendly interface. Plus, Tracker also offers tools like resume parsing to remove resume formatting and help eliminate manual data entry.
Integrations include a wide variety of job boards, as well as third-party tools like Outlook, Gmail, Google Chrome, LinkedIn, Office 365, and QuickBooks through their RESTFul API. You can also connect Tracker to 30+ other software solutions using their Zapier API integration.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Highly regarded local support and success team
- Ability to customize views, fields, workflows, and more
- Intuitive, easy-to-use interface
Cons:
- No built-in payroll, but integration with QuickBooks and others
- No background check integration
Manatal
Best ATS for social media recruitment, candidate sourcing, and AI tools
Manatal is a leading applicant tracking and recruitment software solution that uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and other unique and innovative features. The software helps in streamlining all recruitment operations from sourcing to onboarding, and is currently used by organizations in over 90 countries worldwide.
Why I picked Manatal: Their interface is both practical and intuitive, and as a result, little to no training is required and teams can quickly start leveraging its tools. Manatal also includes a complete CRM (customer relationship management) system and an easy-to-use, customizable career page builder so users can start showcasing openings.
Manatal Standout Features & Integrations:
The platform includes all the standard ATS features you'd expect, such as daily recruitment processing, drag-and-drop pipelines, compliance tools (i.e., GDPR, CCPA, & PDPA), a full analytics suite, a skill bank, candidate and job history, activities management, collaboration tools, a placement management system, and all main functions that relate to applicant information and employee records.
More innovative features include things like powerful search functions, AI-based recommendations, candidate scoring, and social media recruitment (LinkedIn, Facebook, GitHub, and more). These features have proven extremely valuable in streamlining activities like candidate sourcing and screening, as well as in helping leverage large existing candidate databases.
Integrations are available through Manatal's open API and include platforms like LinkedIn, Gmail, Outlook, Mailchimp, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Built-in CRM tools
- AI-based recommendation of candidates and social media recruitment
- Intuitive user interface
Cons:
- No payroll management system
- No free plan available
Gem is an AI-powered recruiting platform designed to assist talent acquisition teams in managing their hiring processes more efficiently. It consolidates various recruiting tools into a single solution, providing a comprehensive view of candidate interactions from a wide range of platforms.
Why I picked Gem: Gem stands out with its powerful integration capabilities and user-centric design. It integrates with existing systems, allowing for a unified view of the entire recruitment pipeline. This integration extends to platforms like LinkedIn and email, making it easier to track candidate interactions and communications.
Additionally, Gem offers automated outreach and follow-ups, reducing the time and effort required to engage with potential candidates. Its full-funnel analytics provide deep insights into the recruitment process, helping teams identify bottlenecks and improve their hiring strategies.
Pinpoint Standout Features & Integrations:
Standout features include branded email campaigns, which allow companies to create personalized and professional communications with candidates. It also offers diversity recruiting tools that help companies build more inclusive pipelines by tracking and promoting diversity metrics. Additionally, Gem provides comprehensive candidate sourcing analytics.
Integrations include LinkedIn, Greenhouse, Lever, SmartRecruiters, Jobvite, Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Taleo, Ashby, BambooHR, and iCIMS.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Automated follow-up sequences
- Detailed tracking of the recruitment pipeline
Cons:
- Limited flexibility with insights
- Emails sent from Gem can sometimes end up in spam folders
VIVAHR is an all-in-one applicant tracking system that's designed to make the whole recruitment process a lot easier. You can use it to help you manage your job postings, sift through resumes, and keep track of applicants.
Why I picked VIVAHR: I included VIVAHR in this ATS list because it's got all the features you need without being overly complicated or expensive. It's also very flexible, so you can adapt it to different hiring workflows as needed. You can use automations to post to 50+ job boards at once, share job openings over social media, create custom pipelines, and communicate with candidates through text messages.
VIVAHR Standout Features and Integrations
One standout feature I really love about VIVAHR is its collaborative hiring tools. You can involve your whole team in the hiring process, which can really help to ensure you're making the right decisions. It also has a great candidate ranking system, which makes it easy to see at a glance who your top applicants are, while also eliminating any unconscious biases.
Other key features include resume parsing, tools for collecting employee referrals, and the ability to send digital offers to top-tier candidates, which can be signed with e-signatures. VIVAHR also supports bulk actions, which can save high-volume hiring teams even more time.
Integrations are available with over 860 apps, including CRM systems like Twilio, Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive, and with work operating systems like Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365. It also integrates with numerous job boards, including LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter, which allows you to post jobs to multiple platforms with just a few clicks.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Suitable for small businesses or enterprise organizations with multiple locations
- Numerous software integrations available
- Well-suited for hiring trade services, hospitality, and healthcare workers
Cons:
- Could use more job board integrations compared to other systems
- Starter package has limited features
Best ATS + CRM solution for professional recruiting firms and enterprise level orgs
Recruit CRM is an applicant tracking system and customer relationship management (CRM) tool designed to automate and manage all the touchpoints in your recruiting process.
Why I picked Recruit CRM: Recruit CRM is particularly beneficial for staffing agencies and talent recruitment services due to its built-in tools for stakeholder feedback on applicants and its effort-to-revenue ratio report dashboards for each of your clients. Their software's ability to generate customized client invoices for placed candidates also helps recruiting agencies stay organized, track unpaid bills, and monitor revenue generation easily. Within their ATS, there's also a helpful assignee tag so your team knows who is working on what.
Recruit CRM Standout Features & Integrations:
One standout feature worth highlighting is the CRM side of their platform, which is geared towards the clients you're recruiting for, not the candidates themselves. Their CRM gives you a place to save notes regarding your clients, set up automatic email campaigns, generate and track invoices, and create customizable sales pipelines to help you bring in more clients.
Other key features within their ATS module include the ability to source candidates directly from LinkedIn, excellent hiring pipeline visualization and organization tools, and the capability for candidates to update their own user profiles. It also offers email and calendar integration to make interview scheduling easier, and a Kanban board to manage the steps associated with sourcing and hiring, like interviewing and background checks.
Integrations are available with over 5,000 apps like Asana, Google Workspace, HubSpot, Slack, and Typeform by connecting a paid Zapier account to their system. This vast range of integrations allows you to do everything in one place, saving you a ton of time. They also have a REST API to support additional integrations as well.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Includes powerful AI features like resume parsing, email sequencing and candidate matching
- Huge list of third-party app integrations (over 5,000 via Zapier)
- Includes Boolean and radius searches to capture more candidates
- Includes a powerful Chrome sourcing extension
Cons:
- Custom branding locked to highest paid plan
- No freemium plan
JazzHR is a robust applicant tracking system (ATS) designed to simplify and enhance the hiring process for small and medium-sized businesses.
Why I picked JazzHR: One of the key strengths of JazzHR is its advanced applicant tracking capabilities. The ATS platform provides customizable workflows that allow users to tailor the hiring process to their specific needs. With features like automated resume parsing and candidate ranking, recruiters can quickly identify top candidates and move them through the hiring pipeline.
Additionally, JazzHR's intuitive dashboard offers real-time visibility into the status of each candidate, making it simple to track progress and ensure no applicant falls through the cracks. The platform integrates with popular calendar applications, enabling efficient scheduling and reducing back-and-forth communication. Automated email templates and reminders also ensure that both candidates and interviewers are kept in the loop.
JazzHR Standout Features & Integrations:
Standout features include eSignature capabilities, allowing for the seamless handling of offer letters and other important documents. JazzHR also provides powerful reporting and analytics tools, giving recruiters actionable insights into their hiring processes and performance. The ATS platform even supports compliance with various hiring regulations.
Integrations include LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, Google Calendar, Outlook, ADP, BambooHR, Namely, ZipRecruiter, Monster, Checkr, and DocuSign.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Robust candidate management features
- Allows for a high degree of customization to fit unique business needs
- Automated reminders and notifications
Cons:
- Some users find the user interface outdated
- Reporting features could be improved
Other Applicant Tracking Systems
Here are a few more recruitment ATS tools that didn’t make the top 10 applicant tracking systems list:
- Rippling
ATS system for its automation features
- Zoho Recruit
Applicant tracking system for staffing agencies
- PCRecruiter
Applicant tracking system for detailed recruitment analytics
- Unnanu Hire
Free applicant tracking system for small businesses
- Bullhorn
Applicant tracking system for time-saving automations and integrations
- Freshteam
Applicant tracking system for growing businesses
- Recruitee
Applicant tracking system for automated notifications and syndicated job posting
- Eddy
Applicant tracking system for small, local businesses
- Recooty
ATS software for resume parsing
- TalentReef
ATS for recruiting, hiring, and onboarding candidates
- SAP SuccessFactors
Applicant tracking system for data analytics and reporting
- Oracle Taleo
For large enterprises
- iCIMS Talent Cloud
For advertising job postings
- JobAdder
For 3rd party integration options
- Avionté
ATS for staffing agencies, including payroll & billing
- GoHire
For industry-specific customizations to help businesses scale
- monday.com
For creating customized workflows to visualize your recruiting pipeline
- Teamtailor
For end-to-end recruitment management
- Greenhouse
ATS for recruiters sourcing large numbers of qualified candidates
- Mitratech Trakstar
Applicant tracking system for collaborative hiring tools
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Selection Criteria for Applicant Tracking Systems
Selecting the right applicant tracking system involves carefully evaluating how well the software will meet your specific needs to help you improve your candidate selection process. My approach to choosing the best applicant tracking software is based on my personal experience managing candidate applications and extensive research into how these software systems address the needs, pain points, and goals of recruiters and hiring teams in real, day-to-day scenarios.
Core ATS Functionalities (25% of total score): For an applicant tracking system to land a place in my initial list, it needed to fulfill the following basic functionalities:
- Job posting tools to help you advertise positions across multiple platforms
- A customizable dashboard where you can track job applications for each open position
- Tools to streamline communication with candidates through automated emails and notifications
- Candidate screening tools, including side-by-side comparisons, skill-based comparisons, and resume screening to speed up candidate selection
- Interview scheduling tools to automate the booking process
- Collaboration tools to make it easier for internal teams to discuss hiring decisions as a group
Additional Standout Features (25% of total score): To help me hone in on the best applicant tracking software on the market, I also took note of any unique features, including:
- AI-driven analytics tools that offer deeper insights into the recruitment process
- Innovative candidate engagement tools like video interviewing or AI-driven chatbots for pre-screening
- Enhanced mobile applications or dedicated ATS apps that provide a full range of ATS functionalities for recruiters communicating with candidates on the go
Ease of Use (10% of total score): To evaluate the usability of each applicant tracking system, I considered the following:
- An intuitive user interface that minimizes the learning curve
- Clear and logical menu structures that lend quick access to essential features
- Visual recruiting pipelines, color-coding, or visual status flags that make it easy to digest information at a glance
- Drag-and-drop functionalities for ease of scheduling interviews and organizing candidate profiles
- Role-based access controls that are straightforward to configure
Customer Onboarding and Customer Support (10% of total score): To get a sense of each software provider's customer onboarding process and the level of customer support each vendor offered, I considered the following factors:
- Quick setup processes with clear guidelines for new users
- Comprehensive training materials such as videos, templates, and interactive product tours
- Data migration support for transferring existing candidate information into the new system
- Availability of customer support during the onboarding phase to address any issues
- The availability of multiple support channels, including email, phone, and chat
- The existence of a self-service knowledge base or other self-help resources to speed up troubleshooting
- The overall quality, responsiveness, and helpfulness of the support team during customer onboarding and post-purchase, as inferred from customer reviews
- Regular updates regarding new features of system-wide changes
Value for Price (10% of total score): To gauge the value of each software, I considered the following factors:
- The availability of free trials or demos to test the software before purchasing
- Transparent pricing models that clearly explain which features are included at each level, without hidden fees
- Tiered pricing plans that cater to different business sizes, from small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) up to enterprise-level organizations
- Comparable pricing to other applicant tracking system examples
Integration capability (10% of total score): Evaluating the integration capabilities of applicant tracking systems (ATS) is crucial for understanding their usability and functionality. Here are the factors I considered:
- Advanced integration capabilities with social media for a broader reach in sourcing candidates
- Seamless integration with internal HR tools such as HR Information Systems (HRIS), payroll systems, and onboarding platforms that are essential for efficient HR operations
- The system's ability to connect with external resources like recruiting platforms and job boards to enhance the recruiting reach and efficiency
- Assessing integration with advanced tools such as assessment platforms and video interviewing capabilities, which are critical for a comprehensive evaluation of applicants
- Whether the ATS system offers direct, first-party integrations or relies on third-party APIs, with a preference for systems that provide more reliable, easy, and smooth direct integration options
- A high score is given to systems that offer a wide range of robust integration options that improve overall system usability and performance
Customer Reviews (10% of total score): Evaluating customer reviews is the final element of my selection process, which helps me understand how well a product performs in the hands of real users. Here are the factors I considered:
- Whether a product has consistently high ratings across multiple review platforms, indicating a broad level of user satisfaction
- Specific praises, criticisms, or trends in customer feedback that indicate the software's strengths or areas for improvement
- Whether customer feedback specifically mentions issues with ease of use, customer support responsiveness, or lacking features
- Testimonials that highlight specific features that users found beneficial for their recruitment needs
By using this assessment framework, I was able to identify applicant tracking systems that go beyond basic requirements to offer additional value through unique features, intuitive usability, smooth onboarding, effective support, and overall value for price.
Trends in Applicant Tracking Systems for 2024
The race for top talent is fast-paced, and recruitment software is evolving just as quickly. Here are several key trends shaping applicant tracking systems to meet the needs of modern recruiters.
Most Important Evolving Features
- AI-driven Screening & Skill Matching: Managing large volumes of applications efficiently is a major challenge for recruiters. AI integration into ATS software is streamlining this process by using machine learning to quickly scan resumes and identify candidates with the best skill matches for your job requirements. This significantly speeds up screening and adopts a skills-first approach, reducing potential hiring biases. AI also helps automate tasks like writing job descriptions and creating email templates, cutting down time-to-hire.
If this resonates with you, check out our best AI recruiting software for some cherry-picked options. - Hiring Bias Reduction Tools: As diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) continue to grow in importance, many ATS tools are adding features to reduce unconscious bias. These tools can anonymize applications by removing personal details like names, gender, age, and ethnicity, allowing recruiters to focus solely on skills and qualifications, fostering a more equitable hiring process.
Want to learn more? Explore tips for identifying and tackling bias in hiring. - Mobile Accessibility & Optimization: With mobile usage on the rise, ATS systems are increasingly optimized for mobile recruiting. According to Appcast's 2022 Recruitment Marketing Benchmark Report, 67% of job applications are now completed on mobile devices. Key mobile-friendly features include:
- Mobile-friendly job applications
- Career pages with SMS alerts or notifications for new postings
- Applications via text
- Texting candidates directly from your ATS
- Dedicated mobile ATS apps to speed up recruiting from anywhere
Unique and Unusual Functionality
- Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Integrations: Some ATS companies are experimenting with VR and AR for immersive job previews and interviews, offering a novel way to engage candidates and provide a realistic job preview.
- Blockchain for Candidate Verification: The use of blockchain technology for verifying candidate credentials and work history is emerging as a novel application, ensuring authenticity and transparency in the recruitment process.
To stay competitive, invest in an ATS that embraces these trends. By leveraging AI for better talent discovery, promoting unbiased hiring, and optimizing for mobile, you can improve your time-to-hire and enhance the candidate experience.
What are Applicant Tracking Systems?
Applicant tracking systems are a type of HR software that helps you organize all aspects of your recruiting process, from sourcing candidates to comparing their skill sets side-by-side and advancing them through the hiring process. They're designed for professional recruiters and in-house talent acquisition specialists.
Applicant tracking systems can optimize your hiring process, making it more efficient by automating key tasks such as resume parsing, skill matching, and interview scheduling. These features will make your hiring team more efficient by reducing manual work and improving your time-to-hire. Applicant tracking systems can also improve the quality of your hires and support better data-driven decision-making due to their advanced filtering and screening capabilities.
Features of Applicant Tracking Systems
Finding the right candidate for each role is a complex process that involves multiple stages from posting job openings to scheduling interviews. An applicant tracking system can help you efficiently track, screen, and engage with candidates throughout the hiring process and automate your workflows to save you time.
To help you find the best ATS system for you, here are the most important ATS features to look for:
- Resume Parsing: This feature automatically extracts information from resumes, saving time, ensuring candidate information is entered into your ATS accurately, and allowing for quicker candidate assessments.
- Talent Pools & Pipelines: A talent pool is a feature that lets you build a roster of potential candidates for each position, or future positions. The related talent pipeline is a visualization feature that shows you where each candidate is within the recruitment process. Key phases include screening, interview, background check, references, offer, etc.
- Customizable Automations & Workflows: The best ATS allow you to set up workflow automations to take care of menial tasks like sending out interview reminders, following up on references, or sending bulk rejection emails.
- Candidate Screening Tools: This refers to incorporated ATS tools to assess candidates on specific skills using exams, questionnaires, skill assessments, or other ranking tools. This helps to compare qualified candidates side-by-side before deciding who should advance.
- Job Posting & Distribution: This refers to tools that automatically post job openings to multiple job boards and social media platforms, increasing the visibility of your job postings, and attracting a larger and more diverse candidate pool.
- Analytics & Reporting Tools: Built-in data analytics can help you gain deeper insights into your hiring process so you can make better data-driven decisions to improve hiring strategies, understand where the best candidates are coming from, and identify bottlenecks in your recruitment process.
- Mobile Accessibility: This is an important feature because 89% of job seekers use their mobile devices to apply for jobs. Top ATS systems offer mobile accessibility through a mobile-friendly interface or a dedicated mobile app to increase the speed and convenience of communications, ensuring that the recruitment process keeps moving forward, even on the go.
- Candidate Relationship Management: CRM features ensure a positive candidate experience by keeping candidates consistently engaged and updated on their progress, which is crucial for attracting top talent and enhancing your employer brand.
- Collaboration Tools: To make team-based hiring easier, applicant tracking systems include collaboration tools such as comments, tags, and feedback tools. This fosters a collaborative hiring environment, ensuring that multiple perspectives are considered during the decision-making process.
- Software Integrations: The best ATS software should offer integrations with human resources information systems (HRIS), email providers, and digital calendars, improving productivity and transparency for team-based hiring.
Selecting an ATS with these features can dramatically improve your recruitment process, making it more efficient, effective, and candidate-friendly. By focusing on these key aspects, you can ensure that your ATS not only helps manage candidate data efficiently but also uncovers the best talent fit for each role, ultimately contributing to the success and growth of your organization.
Benefits of Applicant Tracking Systems
Depending on the size of your hiring volume, you're likely dealing with a handful of positions that you’re scouting for simultaneously, all with distinct candidate skills and requirements. On top of that, you have candidates submitting their applications around the clock, vying for your attention and time.
Without the right tools, juggling all that information can be overwhelming. Here are the key benefits of using an applicant tracking system:
- Improved Recruitment Efficiency: Since an ATS automates the screening and sorting of resumes, it significantly reduces the time HR staff need to spend on manual tasks. This allows recruiters to focus more on engaging with qualified candidates, thereby speeding up the hiring process.
- Enhanced Candidate Experience: By streamlining the application process and providing timely communication, an ATS helps create a positive experience for applicants and a favorable brand perception among potential new employees.
- Increased Quality of Hires: With advanced filtering and matching algorithms, an ATS can help identify the most suitable candidates based on the job requirements and organizational fit. This leads to a higher quality of hires, directly impacting your company's success.
- Improved Scalability: An ATS allows organizations to easily scale their recruitment efforts up or down based on their current needs without compromising the quality of the hiring process. This adaptability is crucial for businesses experiencing rapid growth or seasonal fluctuations in hiring.
- Data-Driven Insights: By offering detailed analytics on various aspects of the recruitment process, an ATS enables organizations to make better data-driven decisions. Insights on performance metrics and hiring trends can help in refining recruitment strategies and improving future outcomes.
By automating routine tasks, improving candidate engagement, ensuring scalability, and providing valuable insights, the best ATS platforms not only save time and resources but also empower more informed hiring decisions.
Costs & Pricing for Applicant Tracking Systems
ATS platforms typically offer a range of plans to suit different organizational sizes and hiring needs, from free versions designed for small businesses or startups to more comprehensive, feature-rich packages for large enterprises. Understanding these options will help you select a plan that aligns with your recruitment goals, budget, and the scale of your hiring operations.
In general, applicant tracking systems tend to cost between $10 to $100 per user, per month, though some systems do operate on a flat fee model instead. Some systems do include a one-time set-up fee too. However, most recruiting software providers are happy to offer you a free demo or free trial so you can get a first-hand feel for their ATS system before signing up.
Pricing & Plan Comparison Table for Applicant Tracking Systems
| Plan Type | Average Per User Fee | Average Flat Fee | Common Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Basic job posting, limited candidate tracking, email notifications, and simple reporting |
| Basic | $10 to $20 per user, per month | $50 - $100/month | Enhanced job posting on multiple platforms, resume parsing, basic CRM, email integration, and basic analytics |
| Professional | $50 to $100 per user, per month | $200 - $500/month | Advanced CRM features, bulk email sending, advanced analytics, integration with HR systems, and customizable workflows |
| Enterprise | Custom Pricing | Custom Pricing | Full suite of features including AI-driven analytics, dedicated support, enhanced security, and unlimited job postings |
Note that the free option typically offers a taste of the system's capabilities, making it ideal for very small businesses or those in the initial stages of scaling their operations.
When considering an ATS platform, it's important to assess not just the current size of your recruitment team but also anticipate future growth. This approach ensures that the selected plan not only meets your current needs but is also scalable to adapt to your organization's evolving requirements.
If your hiring needs are minimal, you may be able to start with a free or basic plan initially. However, there are many reasons why you may want to opt for a more advanced plan, including:
- Increased Hiring Volume: If your company experiences a surge in job openings, a more advanced plan can efficiently handle the higher volume of applicants and streamline the recruitment process.
- Enhanced Candidate Experience: Upgrading allows you to offer a more user-friendly application process, reducing candidate drop-off rates and improving your employer brand.
- Advanced Analytics: If you need deeper insights into your recruitment metrics, advanced plans provide robust analytics tools to track and optimize your hiring strategies.
- Employer Branding: To help you stand out in a competitive job market, advanced plans often include features that enhance your company's visibility and attractiveness to top talent.
- Integration Capabilities: Basic plans often lack integration abilities, so you'll need to scale up to unlock this feature. Advanced plans generally offer seamless integration with other HR tools and systems, allowing for a unified workflow.
Ultimately, it's important to secure a plan that offers the features you require to satisfy your current needs and solve your challenges without exceeding your budget.
New & Noteworthy Product Updates
Below, I've summarized the most recent release notes and product updates for my top ATS recommendations. Discover what’s now possible through new feature releases, improvements, and updates for web, desktop, and mobile apps. Learn what’s new, if it’s hot—or not, and why it matters for recruiting.
September 2024: ATS Software Updates
ClearCompany Update Notes
On September 23, 2024, ClearCompany introduced ClearInsights, an AI-powered analytics suite designed to help HR professionals manage talent data using natural language processing. The suite includes features such as customizable live dashboards, actionable insights, and easy-to-share data visualizations.
This update simplifies complex HR analytics, helping teams make data-driven decisions quickly and efficiently. By eliminating the need for manual data analysis, this new feature significantly reduces time spent on reporting, offering real-time insights across the entire talent lifecycle.
By transforming talent data into clear, easily accessible insights, ClearInsights makes it easier for HR teams to align data with strategic decisions. Its real-time analytics enable faster responses to talent management challenges, improving overall HR efficiency and enhancing collaboration across the organization.
Verdict: Hot! This new feature boosts efficiency and helps align HR strategies with data-driven decisions across the organization, including the hiring process.
Manatal Update Notes
On September 17, 2024, Manatal announced an improvement to its integration with Zapier, adding the ability to trigger actions based on changes to a candidate's match stage within the recruitment pipeline. This enhancement allows recruiters to set up automated workflows, such as sending notifications or updating databases, whenever a candidate moves from one stage to another.
This update adds significant flexibility and automation to the hiring process by reducing manual tasks and ensuring timely follow-ups. Users can tailor these triggers to specific hiring stages, streamlining communication and process management.
This new feature saves time by automating repetitive tasks, enhancing recruitment efficiency, and enabling teams to focus on more strategic activities. It integrates into existing workflows, boosts overall productivity, and ensures smoother recruitment operations.
Verdict: Hot! Automating these steps saves time, reduces errors, and ensures smoother communication and process management for recruiters.
Pinpoint Update Notes
On September 16, 2024, Pinpoint introduced a new feature to improve compliance and consistency across job postings. A company-wide posting statement is now automatically added to all job descriptions synced with job boards, ensuring uniform messaging such as disclaimers and equal opportunity notices.
This update can be managed via the Company Profile page under the Data Protection tab, making it easier to ensure all job listings meet corporate standards.
For users, this ensures that vital information is shared consistently, reducing manual errors and supporting a smoother recruitment process across all roles.
Verdict: Hot! This new disclaimer function helps improve recruiting at scale, especially for enterprise organizations with many open roles.
Greenhouse Update Notes
In September 2024, Greenhouse introduces several new features to improve scheduling, candidate management, and integration with external platforms. These include a new "working hours" feature for interviewers, improved visibility of candidate responses to interviews, and an "all interviews" table that collates and sorts candidate applications by date and multi-select functionalities.
Collectively, these updates optimize frequent workflows for recruiting teams. With more flexibility in interview scheduling, candidate response tracking, and improved job template management, users can better organize recruitment tasks and reduce administrative overhead.
These updates are practical improvements to everyday recruiting operations that help teams stay aligned on interview schedules and candidate progress more efficiently. The increased customization options for job boards and branded candidate pages also contribute to a smoother hiring experience.
Verdict: Warm. Collectively, these new additions are all useful features, but they also aren't groundbreaking additions either.
August 2024: ATS Software Updates
BambooHR Update Notes
On August 12, 2024, BambooHR introduced three significant updates to its applicant tracking system to further streamline the hiring process. These updates focus on job creation and editing, providing more automation and control.
The first update introduces disqualifying questions, allowing recruiters to automatically disqualify candidates based on their responses to custom yes/no questions. Next, the job pipeline feature visualizes the stages of the hiring process, while automated emails can now be triggered when candidates move between statuses.
Verdict: Hot! These updates improve efficiency, reduce manual tasks, and create a better user and candidate experience.
Workable Update Notes
On August 6, 2024, Workable released new rating scales to their candidate evaluation tool. In addition to their previously existing Thumbs Up/Down scale, Workable users can now choose a 5-star scale or 10-point scale as well. These visual flags were designed to help recruiters spot top talent from within their candidate stack quickly and easily.
At the same time, Workable also introduced a separate new field that allows teams to track why a candidate was disqualified, including an option to block unsuitable candidates from applying to future roles too. Users have the option to make the disqualification field required, at their own discretion.
Verdict: Warm? These are useful new features, but they also aren't groundbreaking additions either.
Frequently Asked Questions About Applicant Tracking Systems
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions you may have about applicant tracking software and how it works:
How do applicant tracking systems work?
Applicant tracking systems manage the process of filling a job opening by aggregating job seeker data from third-party sources (like LinkedIn, Indeed, or Yello). They also incorporate advanced tools to help you categorize candidate information to uncover the best candidates in the mix.
Simply put, an ATS system works by fulfilling relevant recruiting process needs. It might include features such as a recruitment CRM, talent acquisition, human resource management, talent management, metric-based recruiting, candidate experience, and predictive analytics. This type of software is often described more generically as recruiting software, talent acquisition software or an application tracking system.
Once your candidates are in your system, the ATS will include tools to advance candidates through each phase of the recruiting process for every vacant position. These phases often include:
- candidate sourcing
- candidate screening
- skill assessments or pre-employment testing
- interview scheduling
- reference checking
- distributing offer letters, and
- onboarding.
Applicant tracking software may encompass all or just a few of the following processes: job posting, resume parsing and collection, qualification analysis, employee referral programs, interview scheduling, and CRM (candidate relationship management). More advanced systems can even link your new hires directly into your orientation and onboarding software platform too. Either way, the main goal of an ATS is to give you an intelligent framework to keep your candidate data tracked and organized.
Are there different types of recruitment ATS software I should consider?
Yes, there are! And luckily for you, we’ve already done a lot of the research for you. To help you find the best applicant tracking system for you, here are some link that cover other types of ATS and recruiting software you should also consider, and why:
- Applicant tracking systems for small businesses might be a better fit for you if you’re recruiting on a smaller scale or working within a tight budget. The top applicant tracking systems in this were specially selected with SMBs (small to medium businesses) in mind.
- Diversity recruiting software is another type of recruiting tool that helps you source job applicants from a more diverse pool of candidates. This type of recruiting software is an excellent choice if you’re looking to develop more inclusive hiring practices and improve your diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) metrics.
- Recruitment marketing software is another subset to consider if you’re hiring for open positions in a very competitive industry. These recruiting platforms include robust tools to help you promote your open jobs far and wide, including through social media, popular talent networks, and career sites. These systems include extra bells and whistles to help you entice candidates to apply, including rich job descriptions and tools to highlight your company culture.
- Staffing software for staffing & recruiting is also a good list to browse over if you’re looking for software suggestions for a recruitment agency or hiring firm. These user-friendly systems are purpose-built to handle high-volume recruiting and staffing at the enterprise-level scale.
Why use an applicant tracking system?
Beyond the benefits listed above, one of the main reasons why you can consider using an ATS is to create consistency in your process. You can establish clear workflows for how candidates will move through the recruitment and hiring process, and track each one in the same way. This helps reduce human error and unconscious bias in your recruiting process.
Additionally, creating those clear workflows helps alleviate your recruiting team’s workload. Everyone will be following the same process, and the software’s automation features will reduce the manual work needed. For example, the software may be able to scan applications and notify recruiters when qualified candidates enter the pipeline. It can also handle your interview scheduling, and send consistent, automated communications out to candidates as they move through the process.
How do ATS platforms handle data privacy and security?
Applicant tracking systems prioritize data privacy and security by adhering to international standards such as GDPR in the EU, and using encryption methods for data transmission and storage. They also conduct regular security audits and compliance checks to safeguard data integrity, and offer role-based access controls to ensure that sensitive candidate information is only accessible to authorized personnel.
This article offers more details into data management best practices if you’re interested in learning more.
How customizable are ATS solutions for different industries?
ATS solutions are designed to be flexible, making them simple to cater to various industries. They allow customization in job postings, workflows, communication templates, and reporting metrics to meet specific industry needs. This adaptability ensures that whether a company operates in tech, healthcare, retail, or any other sector, the ATS can be tailored to streamline its unique recruitment processes and improve overall hiring efficiency.
If you’re looking for a specific industry, take a closer look at our in-depth reviews of Manatal, Greenhouse, or Tracker may be a good fit.
What kind of customer support do ATS providers offer?
Customer support offered by ATS providers typically includes a range of services such as 24/7 live chat, email support, dedicated account managers, and an extensive online knowledge base. Many providers also offer onboarding assistance, training sessions, and webinars to help businesses maximize the use of the system. This comprehensive support ensures that users can efficiently resolve issues and optimize their recruitment processes.
For more detailed insights into ATS platforms, I recommend contacting specific providers for a personalized quote that’s tailored to your specific needs.
How can an ATS improve recruitment CRM?
An ATS improves recruitment CRM by streamlining candidate management, automating workflows, and enhancing communication. It centralizes candidate data, tracks interactions, and nurtures relationships, ensuring recruiters can efficiently engage with top talent.
By integrating with other recruitment CRM tools, an ATS helps build stronger relationships through personalized outreach, faster follow-ups, and better talent pipeline management. This results in a more organized, responsive, and data-driven recruitment process, improving the candidate experience and employer branding.
Other Software Reviews
As you can see, there are a lot of options to consider when it comes to the best ATS systems to source candidates for your open positions. And, the fact that 98.9% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS is also a strong indication of just how important these software systems are.
However, your journey doesn't have to stop here. If you're looking for a different type of application tracking system or specialty recruiting software, please take a look at these other lists too:
- Cloud Recruitment Software for Hiring Teams
- Enterprise Recruitment Software for High Volume Hiring
- Recruitment Automating Software for Hiring
- Recruiting Database Software for Hiring Teams
- Recruitment Software for Small Businesses
- Recruiting Agency Software for Recruitment Firms
- Video Interviewing Software for Virtual Interviews
- Background Check Software
Other Recruiting Resources
We also have loads of other resources to help you dive deeper into this topic, beyond just software. Here's a selection of our articles covering hiring best practices, written by industry experts:
- How to Approach Hiring & Recruitment When You Don't Have HR, a podcast with Joel Peterson, from Arbutus Search Group
- Recruitment Budgeting: Everything You Need to Know + Example
- Recruitment Marketing: What it is and 10 Effective Tactics
- The Key to Focused, Engaging Interviews (+ Template)
- Candidate Sourcing Tips To Help You Find The Best Talent
Stay in Touch
I hope this article got you one step closer to finding the best application tracking system for your business. Before you go, make sure to subscribe to our People Managing People newsletter too. You'll stay up-to-date on all our latest articles, podcasts, tool recommendations, and best practices related to talent acquisition and management.