TheATSGuy Review

How to Approach a Partnership with an ATS Vendor

Every so often I get asked by companies or individuals what I feel is the best way to approach a partnership with an applicant tracking system (ATS) vendor. This typically revolves around the introduction of a new technical integration the company has to offer. While it is important to note every potential partnership is different, I believe there are some factors that can maximize the partnership potential. Again, these factors might differ from ATS vendor to ATS vender depending on the type of value or technology, however, I believe that following can increase the chance for a successful first impression:

(I will be referring to the company seeking a partnership as “company”)

Value
The company should have clear vision to share with the ATS vendor in regards to the value (including value to ATS vendor’s clients) that will be delivered by the partnership. This is important for many reasons, but usually the most important is the fact that ATS vendors’ roadmaps are already in place and active development will stretch anywhere from 1-12 months out. If there is high enough value to the ATS vendor, the partnership will then be placed in the queue and be matched up against other opportunities. Most valuable opportunities will almost always win. This is where the company might have to be patient because the sense of urgency between them and the ATS vendor are most likely are not aligned.

Integration
This next point is more directly tied to the technical aspects: What is involved with the integration? It is important to understand how easy or difficult it will be to get the two solutions working together. While integrations have become increasingly easier over the years, the company will most likely need to be much more flexible than the ATS vendor. I’m sure there is a chart out there that can better depict this, but here are my thoughts as it relates to value and technical integration:

• The more value for the ATS vendor, the more likely they will be flexible, faster, and easier to work with.
• The less value (yet the ATS vendor still wants to more forward) the more the company’s solution better be “plug-n-play.”
• No value no integration.

It is always best to find where the believed “sweet spot” is between value and integration. This reinforces the importance of the first point by ensuring the value proposition is optimized.

Deliverables
The following points cover what is needed by the company if the technology or service is “new” to the ATS vendor/industry:

• Have documentation ready that highlights the partnership.
• Have a demonstration prepared. Either beta, live or model based works as long as it’s conceptual and ties the integration to value.
• Have market numbers ready and how the partnership could potentially help the ATS vendor capture X% market share, grow revenue by Y, etc.
• If the partnership is based on a shared revenue model, the company needs to have some sort of revenue expectation outlined. If there are no set expectations, the ATS vendor might assume there is little to no value.

Approach
The company should have a plan for approaching each ATS vendor. The company needs to find the markets each ATS vendor serves and their market share. Many of the features that are found in ATSs have become a commodity. If the company has something truly unique, they should be prepared for the “Would you do an exclusive deal?” question. If they don’t plan on exclusive deals, they might want to create a lineup of ATS vendors listed from least-to-most potential based on revenue or market penetration expectations. (NOTE: Use the suggestion with caution)The company could then start contacting the least potential ATS vendors to practice and refine their partnership approach, and then work their way up the list.

These are only a few of my thoughts, and each one certainly doesn’t apply to all situations. Some of the best partnerships can start with a simple phone call or on the back of a napkin at a networking event.

Best of luck!!!

Jake Stupak

www.TheATSGuy.com

www.JobDigTracker.com

www.TheATSGuide.com

Request for Applicant Tracking System Research

I found the following post on Craigslist in several locations: http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/etc/1234727293.html. It reads as follows:

“Do you use an Applicant Tracking System (Research Study)? (Greater Chicago)

I am conducting usability research for an applicant tracking system. If you work in the HR field and use one of these, I would like to invite you to take part in a 45-60 minute usability session. The interview can be completed on-line if you wish ($75 incentive). Appointments are available Thursday and Friday, June 25-26.

Please respond with the name of the tracking system you use, the number of employees in the company or organization you work for, and where I can reach you.
•Location: Greater Chicago
•Compensation: $75 for a single, 45 - 60 interview. Can be completed on web.
•Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
•Please, no phone calls about this job!
•Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.”

I thought this was a very interest method to drum up participants for ATS research. I hope that the findings are shared!

Best of luck!

Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com
www.TheATSGuide.com

Software Buyer Resources

I’ve covered several topics in my posts that were aimed towards helping decision makers select the right applicant tracking system. Each of these posts, with a bit of modification, could really be applied to any sort of solution. The purpose of software after all is to simplify processes, reduce costs/time, and align objectives with overall organizational goals. I have never seen a vendor that promised their solution would drain your money and cause you headaches, however, I see this all of the time. This is the very reason that guides, reviews, white papers, and suggestions exist.

In an effort to select the right solutions, you most likely will start with a quick search online. As part of your search you might have come across a company named Capterra. This is a great site that focuses on listing a large number of available solutions specific to industries, size and a large amount of other types of filters. However, one aspect of the site that you might have missed was the Software Buyer Resources page. This page contains some excellent information that can help you with selecting the right solutions, and this can certainly applies to applicant tracking systems. If you are currently in the market, or will be in the future, I suggest reviewing this page to expand your understanding of different considerations.

Best of luck!!!
Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com
www.TheATSGuide.com

Help with Global Applicant Tracking Systems Stats

It has been a long time since I've had a new post. The truth is that I've been swamped. I'm experiencing a massive influx in ATS activities. One of the biggest questions I've been asked in the last few weeks revolves around the number of companies using applicant tracking systems. While I have a solid understanding about market segments in the US, I would like to gain further insight of applicant tracking systems used on a global scale. From this information, I would like to do some "fun stats" on candidates served, reductions in time- to-hire, cost savings, paper reductions, etc. I welcome the participation of any others and plan on sharing what I find. While I know this might take some time, I'm really looking forward to digging in. If you have any information you would like to share, I would greatly appreciate it.

Best regards,
Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com
www.TheATSGuide.com

Applicant Tracking System Vendor List

I thought that I would keep this post nice and simple. For anybody interested in viewing my latest list of applicant tracking system vendors, it is now available at www.TheATSGuide.com. There are currently over 140 vendors listed, and it continues to grow. Please feel free to comment on any systems that I may have missed.

Best of luck!!!
Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

The ATS Guy Interview with Bill Vick

Several weeks ago I was contacted by Bill Vick from XtremeRecruiting.tv to do an interview covering the latest in applicant tracking system (ATS). It was a very nice surprise and compliment, yet I did get a bit nervous. To help ease my nerves, my wife told me to just have fun like Recruiting Animal did in his interview. While I didn’t really take the Animal’s approach, I still had a great time. Bill just posted the interview today. Here is the link: http://www.xtremerecruiting.tv/jake-stupak-ats-product-specialist.

Thanks Bill!

For anyone that hasn’t heard of XtremeRecruiting.tv, it’s really the only site of its kind that focuses on “the changing face of the recruitment business.” It features numerous interviews from Social Media experts to CEOs of large recruiting tech companies. I highly recommend the site for anyone that hasn’t had an opportunity to visit it.

Best of luck!!!
Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

Build Your Own Applicant Tracking System

There are lots of folks out there that simply like to build things themselves. This can easily be seen with home improvement and is backed up with the success of “How to” books and the DIY network. The same is true for software.

A few weeks ago, I was browsing around the internet for some applicant tracking system (ATS) information and came across a video entitled “Build Your Own n-Tier Applicant Tracking System (ATS) in 10 Minutes.” The video was created by Gregg Dourgarian, another ATS Guy or Talent Management Guy that is just a few miles from me here in Minneapolis.

While the actual end product doesn’t compare to other polished solutions, I still thought it was a neat approach to building your own.

Best of luck!!!

Jake Stupak

www.TheATSGuy.com

www.JobDigTracker.com

Applicant Tracking System Guides

There are a number of different applicant tracking system (ATS) guides available to help both HR professionals and recruiters narrow down on the vast amount of solutions. These guides typically come from separate angles ranging from ATS vendors steering clients towards their solutions to 3^rd party sources with a large amount of ATS experience.

While I have created, reviewed, and purchased many of these guides, I haven’t found one all-inclusive guide that covers all of the features, benefits, and components of an ATS to ultimately find the perfect alignment. So with that being said, I thought I would share some of my favorites:

• Considerations for ATS Selection (okay…of course I’m a bit biased on this one)
  
• Personified’s Applicant Tracking System Guide 2008 – This guide reviews ATSs from 25 different vendors in an unbiased view. This guide goes for $350. This is a great guide if you are a larger company, however, smaller companies might not be able to afford most of the systems.
  
• Personified’s Staffing Front Office Guide 2008 – This guide reviews ATSs for staffing companies from 15 different vendors in an unbiased view. This also goes for $350, however, I haven’t had an opportunity to review this guide yet.
  *Please note that the Personified mentions a form which actually isn’t there, so you will need to use their contact page if you would like a copy.
  
• Sharkstrike’s Applicant Tracking System Requirements Analysis – This guide is more of a bullet point checklist of considerations when looking at an ATS. I’m pretty sure that I’ve actually seen this entire guide in RFPs a few times. The guide goes for $74.99.
  
• swatrecruiting’s ATS Self-Evaluation Questionnaire – This is a pretty neat comparison guide that you fill out when evaluating different ATSs. While you won’t find it on swatrecruiting’s site, it is available on Sendout’s website.

While this is only small list of guides, please comment on other guides out there that you feel others might find helpful.

Best of luck!!!

Jake Stupak

www.TheATSGuy.com

www.JobDigTracker.com

Possible New Candidate Feature for Applicant Tracking Systems

Anyone reviewing applicant tracking systems (ATS) knows there are plenty of features and functions designed to deliver the core benefits of reducing costs, increasing efficiency and placing quality candidates. The other side of the ATS that sometimes takes the backseat during considerations revolves around the benefits for the candidates. The following is a shortlist of some of these features:

ATS Candidate Features

• Searchable job listings
• Send job information to a friend
• Signup to receive new opportunity notifications
• Online applications
• Automated emails

These features actually translate into great benefits for recruiters including high candidate satisfaction. However, I recently ran across a solution that could take candidate satisfaction to another level. It is EmployPrep by HRinmotion. Here is the idea behind it according to their site:

“EmployPrep is the only "white-label" career training software as a service (SaaS) for the staffing and recruitment industry’s candidates.

Your candidates gain a competitive edge through professional online career training – covering everything from resume writing to advanced interview skills. And all they need is a computer with Internet access.

The online career training tool is fully customizable, easy to set up, and showcases your staffing and recruitment company’s name, logo and colors, etc. right on your website.”

As a one time job hunter myself, and talking with several friends currently looking for one, this could certainly be a positive refresher to help build confidence to continue to the next step and help polish techniques for other opportunities. The concept in general could certainly be a nice value add-on for an ATS in regards to the Applicant Portals/Career Centers.

Best of luck!!!
Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

Most Requested Reason for Applicant Tracking System Newcomers

Since the beginning of the year, I have spoke with an increasingly large number of applicant tracking system (ATS) newcomers. While one might expect the main reason for the influx to be reducing costs in general, there is a very specific goal almost all have in common. They wanted to manage the large number of candidates applying for positions. Of course this can easily be correlated with the current unemployment rate at 8.5%. One HR professional from a smaller organization said she had over 900 candidates apply for a position in just a few days, and she was relying on files, folders and Excel. She chalked up as a big challenge and started investigating ATSs.

As an advocate for ATSs, I can tell you at least a dozen benefits per feature. However, I thought that I would turn it around and quickly give the top five features these individuals found most valuable:

• Applicant Portal with Online Applications
• Candidate / Job Order Matching Technology
• Searchable / Filterable Candidate Pool
• Source Tracking
• Candidate Ranking

Best of luck!!!
Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Q&A

It has been a long time since I’ve posted anything on my blog. In absences of my posts on TheATSGuy.com, many of my readers have been sending me questions directly, which I’m absolutely thrilled about. I thought that it might be helpful to introduce a Q&A section to my blog where I answer all of these questions and make them available to others. I will only using the questions and not private information such as names, emails, or companies. With that being said, please feel free to send me any applicant tracking system (ATS) questions that you might have.

Below is the first related post for an ATS Q&A. I’ve posted the questions exactly how I’ve received them. The questions stem from the reader considering signing up for several ATS trials.

Question
When I fill out these forms and am contacted by one the ATS companies, how does the job posting functionality work in the trial period?

Will I actually be able to post jobs to my company career site during the trial period or is everything is a demo environment and not in real life?

Answer
It really depends how involved of a trial is it. Most trials are simple a "testing ground" to see how the application is going to work. An ATS trial, mainly the Career Center/Applicant Portal, typically will not be implemented on your site. However, depending on how you want to test the system (remember you are the boss), you may work with the vendor to implement it on your site. I would have a few bogus positions and candidates ready to go to start the trial. Please keep in mind your Career Center/Applicant Portal piece should also be created, however, it most like will have limited functionality or basic configuration options.

Question
Am I working with system default job titles or can I have my company job titles loaded in the trial period?

Answer
You should be able to use your company job titles in 99% of ATS trials.

Question
I guess all in all, I am trying to understand how much of this is evaluating a demo site instance of the ATS versus evaluating the ATS as applied to my company dynamics?

Answer

Good question. The first aspect is to address your current situation and then identify any challenges and business objectives you believe an ATS would help you solve and/or improve. Once you have these aspects identified, it should be easier to see if there is a fit for the ATS. Also, you should be willing to work with an ATS vendor as they will most likely have several good suggestions for improvement that you may not have considered. Second, the demo is really just trying to find a solution that works the way you need it to while balancing a good ROI.

Again, if you have any questions in regards this post or ATSs in general, please feel free to contact me.

Best of luck!!!

Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

Question: How Many More Resumes?

In the last several months, there have been a huge number of layoffs. Lots of very talented, experienced, and motivated folks have unfortunately been affected. Earlier this week, I read an article written by GL Hoffman on US News entitled When HR is Bad PR. The article highlights the efforts that should be made to reply to candidates. The article made think - “How many more resumes are recruiters and HR professionals receiving because of the recent layoffs?”

This is where I would like some participation and comments from you. How many more resumes have you noticed? I’m just looking for a general sense and not an accurate percentage or count…though it is great if you know this number and are willing to share. However, sticking with the general sense, I’m just looking for something like “a bunch more” or “about the same.” It would also be nice to know perhaps your location and industry.

Answering the resume question above should be very easy for anyone with an applicant tracking system (ATS). If you currently don’t have an ATS, now would be a terrific time to consider implementing a solution to organize additional candidates while quickly identify the strongest ones. I would be happy to discuss it with you more if you are interested in learning.

Thank you in advance for anyone that shares information.

Best of luck!!!

Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

Tip of the Week – Prove Your Performance

There is no shortage of reports available in applicant tracking systems (ATS) to help you with your everyday tasks. They allow you to quickly find candidates, set timeframes and plan for future efforts. However, the reporting capabilities are also a powerful tool to prove your performance.

For this weeks tip, try developing a report or a list of reports which highlight your performance over the past few quarters or years. Assuming you have a positive performance report, these can be very helpful during a review and great if you ask for a raise.

Best of luck!
Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

Competition to All ATS Vendors

The number of applicant tracking system (ATS) vendors has steadily grown over the past several years and continues to grow today. In what I believe to be one of the fiercest competitive arenas in software, vendors are evolving their solutions and offerings in an attempt to standout from the rest of the pack. Company reputation, price and feature sets are the main components vendors struggle to balance in an attempt to become profitable. However, there are challenging forms of competition outside the realm of ATS vendors battling it out between solutions. These forms revolve around users not having a “true” ATS and using other methods for the hiring or recruiting process. This forces vendors to find the best method to educate users on the value of implementing an ATS. The following highlights three alternative methods.

Propriety Database
The propriety database is one of the oldest software methods for organizing candidates. It can be develop completely from scratch using development tools and backends such as SQL, or with wizard type database builders such as MS Access or FileMaker Pro. Either method offers users a custom designed solution that fits their needs for organizing candidate information...at first. However, automation is rarely built-in and work processes can become inefficient by the need to revolve around the system as complexity grows.

CRM
Just like there are a number of ATSs available, there are a large number of CRMs. A CRM offers the ability to easily manage customers and contacts. In many cases, the systems work so well that users attempt to modify components to use it as an ATS. Unlike the propriety database, there can be some level of automation, but usually just enough to record email and phone transactions. The important reporting, linking, tracking, etc components are left out which offers the true value of an ATS.

Manual Paper Process
I would be willing to bet that all HR professionals and recruiters at one point or another have used some sort of paper process for talent acquisition. It is obviously the oldest method of organizing the hiring and recruiting process, but certainly not the most efficient. Paper organization is prone to higher levels of mistakes and lost candidates. However, the amount of professionals still using this process is what keeps new ATS vendors entering the market and maintains the tough competition.

Applicant Tracking System Tip of the Week – Subscribe to Your RSS Feed

Almost all applicant tracking solutions (ATS) offer a candidate based career portal. This allows candidates to browse through current positions at your company. One of the best components for attracting candidates back to your career portal is with the RSS feed. It is designed to allow visitors to receive information automatically about future positions as they become available.

This week’s tip is to try subscribing to the RSS feed. By doing so you will be able to:

1. Ensure the functionality is correctly working and in a timely manner.

2. Receive the same information as your potential candidates. This is important for checking accuracy of position information and being able to quickly relate to the format if a candidate contacts you with a question or issue.

The same tip applies if your career portal has the ability to email candidates when a new position opens. In the end, it is about attracting quality candidates back to your career portal while ensuring a smooth and positive experience.

Best of luck!!!
Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

Free Applicant Tracking System White Paper

I have recently written a white paper called “Considerations for ATS Selection” that was sponsored by JobDig Tracker. The paper covers many aspects for users that are just discovering applicant tracking systems (ATS) and what benefits can be gained by using specific features. I believe folks will find it insightful and helpful for ATS selection. I invite any questions or comments on the paper. Click below to download it for free...enjoy!

Click here to download.

Best of luck!!!
Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

Applicant Tracking System Vendors

I ran across a listing of applicant tracking system (ATS) vendors the other day when I was reading the Recruiting Nevada blog. I was a bit disappointed to see that JobDig Tracker didn't make the list, so I created my own list. Some are listed by product name while others by company name. I encourage everyone to comment if I have missed some.

Changing Applicant Tracking System Vendors

Many of the popular applicant tracking system (ATS) vendors continue to strengthen their client retention rates. Hirebridge currently boasts a better than 98% retention rate. However, there are a number of users looking to switch to a different ATS for a variety of reasons. Below are highlights of the biggest factors I’ve found for changing to a different ATS.

Price
The pricing of ATSs has become one of the largest areas of competition for vendors. Many web based (SaaS model) ATS vendors offer a $100-200 per-user per-month model for their subscriptions. New ATS vendors entering the market with similar features and functions are offering subscriptions at a lower price. The following is a list of newer ATSs that are offered at a lower cost:
JobDig Tracker - $179 a month for unlimited users
Catch the Best - Basic plan is $29 per-user per-month
Simplicant - Basic plan is $49 per-user per-month
Akken - Entire offering is $49 per-user per-month

Features
There are a lot of new features and functions released in each ATS through in-house development, acquisitions and partnerships. All are designed to simply the complexity of the hiring process, yet differentiate the solution enough to breakout of the pack of competitors. This usually last for just a few weeks or months until the competition catches up. However, for some users, the new features and functions can pose a great enough value to cause them to switch.

Support
The support available to users is very important for the day-to-day success and impact on an organization. If the proper support isn’t available in the beginning, it is likely the solution adoption will fail during either the install, implementation or incorporation phase. This will lead users to abandon the ATS all together, or look for a vendor with top rated support. The same is also true if the support dwindles over the continued use of the solution.

Integrated Systems
As large systems continue to evolve, they are starting to include ATS functionality. For example, ADP is offering an ATS component that easily ties together with the rest of the system. This allows for a higher level of automation, which allows users to eliminate a duplicate or unneeded system.

Free Usage ATS Trial

Last week I posted an article about maximizing an applicant tracking system’s (ATS) 30 day trial. While the post was specifically intended for a time limited trial, I want to extend the post to include topics regarding a different form of ATS test drive offered by vendors. This offer revolves around a completely free model of usage.

The word “free” has reigned champion as the number one attention getter for quite some time. I almost always review offers that land within my general or current interests. Most of the time, I do end up a bit disappointed about the offer or the context of which it was delivered. The following are some additional considerations to think about before using a free usage trial.

Feature Limits
In most cases, ATS vendors offer two trial choices:

1. Time limited trial (i.e. 30 Day Trial)

2. Free usage trial (i.e. Limited number features such as amount of posted positions, users, storage space, etc but the ATS can be used for an unlimited amount of time)

It is important that you know exactly what you are going to get (or not get) with a free usage trial. Many of the features and functions you are depending on might not be available in the free version.

Be Ready for the Up-Sell
The free usage model is simply another marketing tool to increase sales. The ATS vendor usually has a wider range of features available. The different features can then be grouped and offered as different packages such as Basic, Advance or Professional. As the level of features increase, so does the price. Just remember, rarely does anyone give anything away without expecting something in return. In this case, you are trading the free usage by becoming a long term lead.

Lower Priority Support
When you signup for a free usage trial, your account is usually setup within a few minutes. This allows you to quickly dive into the ATS. However, be aware of the support you get with the free usage trial. In most cases, your support issues will be placed lower than paying customers.

Ask for More Features
If you have researched an ATS that has a free usage trial, but you want to test an additional feature, simply asked for it. Most of the time, the vendor can enable the feature on your account with just a few clicks. As a trade off, you will probably now have a limited time trial, but at least you get to evaluate the ATS based on your requirements.

The list of considerations above certainly doesn’t apply to all ATS or other application vendors offering a free usage trial. I have used the free version of ZOHO CRM, and it is one of the greatest free applications I have ever used. The value in a free usage trial varies for person to person and company to company.

The following is just a sample list of ATS vendors that offer a free usage trial.

CATS
JobScore
Standout Jobs
Catch the Best
Simplicant – The also offer an incredibility long 90 day free trial for their subscription based versions.


Best of luck!!!
Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

ATS Tip of the Week - Client Experience Test

While working throughout the day within your applicant tracking systems (ATS), it can be easy to take for granted the amount of transparent automation that is occurring. The ATS automates posting requisitions, sending emails, generating schedules, etc. Each part of the automation makes your hiring processes more manageable and efficient. In fact, a good ATS can some times make you forget about one of it biggest values, which is attracting and hiring quality candidates.

For many, the ATS offers the first impression of their company. This week’s tip is to go through the experience of a candidate by applying for one of your company’s positions. You may want to generate a fictional position for this exercise.

Try to put yourself into the candidate mindset, and go to your career portal and apply for a position. This will help you relate with your candidates if they happen to contact you with an issues or questions about the application process. You can also try and make a couple mistakes to see how your ATS handles errors. Be sure to take notes. This can help you later address potential career portal branding/design issues, ease of use problems, etc. Also, review the automated email that gets sent to you as a candidate. Depending on your ATS, try taking it a step further by advancing yourself through the workflow of being hired. Review all of the automated scheduling appointments and emails you receive. Lastly, clean up your newly created candidate and position so your ATS reports don’t get skewed.

This process can help you identify areas of your hiring process that might benefit from a small change. However, if any changes are made, I would suggest going through the steps again. By doing so, you help ensure a better first impression that can attract quality candidates.

Best of luck!!!

Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

Maximize the ATS 30 Day Trial

You have been searching for the right applicant tracking system (ATS) and have narrowed the search down to a few selections. Now what? Some folks simply select a ATS based on documentation and demonstrations, while the others go for free 30 day trials. The trials are offered by many ATS vendors, and it is my opinion that everyone searching for an ATS can benefit from a trial. However, it is important to maximize your trial experience to ensure the ATS is a fit for you and your organization.

So how do you properly take advantage of a trial? One of the best ways is to develop an evaluation plan before the trial starts. This will help you fairly review the ATS and make the most out of the trial. Below are several highlights from a larger planning guide I’ve created over the past 12 years of trial experiences.

Start Right Away
Start the trial right away and be ready with the evaluation plan. It sounds simple enough, but many folks start trials right away with no plan and then try to cram an entire evaluation in the last week or day. Even worse, the trial is many times abandoned because of a poor start.

Plan Time and Stay Committed
Make time each day to work with the trial and stay committed to the schedule. This will balance the amount of time needed for a fair evaluation and with your other daily responsibilities. Similar to a poor start, the evaluation of the trial can many times be crammed at the end or abandoned because poor time management and commitment.

Set Expectations then Benchmarks
It is important to the set your expectations of the ATS. Your expectations should include functionality, features, etc. Once you have them set, make sure to develop benchmarks. These will help you in the future if you need to compare different solutions.

Get Others Involved
It is one thing to have the responsibility for selecting an ATS just for you, but it is quite different for an entire organization. There probably is no doubt that you are now the resident expert on the ATSs. However, it is important to share what you have learned with other stakeholders. Help them understand how the ATS will align with the goals of the organization by providing them with hands-on use or provide them with a demonstration. Then seek their input for any questions or concerns.

Plan for Multiple Trials
When you get to the point of the trial, you have probably already spent a lot of time researching ATSs. Instead of just a single trial, have several lined up. Why? The biggest reason is that the trial might prove the ATS is not a match for you needs. Then you are back to the drawing board. Keep your expectations, goals and benchmarks consistent by having a few trials lined up.

Ask for More Time
Ask for more time if you run into a snag or if you just need more time. An understanding vendor knows that more time is some times needed. I’ve never had a vendor tell me I could not get more time.

Ask for a Trial
Have you ever found a perfect ATS you wanted to evaluate, but found there was no trial upfront? Simply ask and you shall…usually…receive. This is especially true with a web based (SaaS) ATS. Many vendors don’t advertise their solution as having a trial, but most of them will offer it up as you go through their sales process.

Create Summary Report
Be sure to develop a summary report after your trial ends. This can greatly help if you are asked to present your finding to others or if you have to compare ATSs. The summary can also be a great reference tool for suggesting the ATS to other professionals.

I believe that if you follow just a couple of these suggestions, you will be on your way to a better evaluation of an ATS through a trial. Remember that your decision will have a long term affect on your everyday work practice and organization’s success.

Here are some ATSs offering trials:

- JobDig Tracker http://www.jobdigtracker.com
- Taleo http://www.taleo.com/
- Navicus http://www.navicus.com
- HRMDirect http://www.hrmdirect.com
- Hirebridge http://www.hirebridge.com
- Akken http://www.akken.com

Best of luck!!!

Jake Stupak
www.TheATSGuy.com
www.JobDigTracker.com

The Ability to Stay Transparent

One of my favorite daily activities is reading discussion boards about applicant tracking systems. At times, I like to offer my experience in specific situations where folks are seeking recommendations about an ATS. Many times I find there are several vendors clearly highlighting only their solutions. I feel they’re not being transparent enough for the good of the discussion and ultimately the good of the person requesting the advice. While I too am an ATS vendor, I try and take an approach that offers insightful questions to help them consider what their expectations might be. Many of the times I do offer my ATS as a recommendation, but I also offer ATSs which I think might align with their goals. I like to think of it as the Progressive Insurance approach. By providing folks with the topics to consider, they’re being empowered with a little bit more information to make their own informed decision.

Jake Stupak

www.TheATSGuy.com