Applicant Tracking Users Beware

While applicant tracking has become a mainstay for many companies’ HR departments, users should beware of systems that don’t work properly.

Nicheboards.com, the world’s largest alliance of employment Web sites, recently conducted a study that found many applicant tracking systems don’t accurately record what job boards are sending candidates to their clients. This means companies that rely on applicant sourcing reports often have inaccurate information when making online recruiting decisions.

Many of Nicheboards’ clients find applicants through ATS, which are designed to help screen candidates and track their progress through the hiring process. ATS also can record information about hiring trends, including where the best employees come from.

“The only effective way to track the source of hires is through ‘tracking tags,'” the study notes. ” The least effective way is by giving each candidate a complex tree of choices to indicate where they heard about the opportunity.”

Some ATS use drop-down menus that ask as candidate how they found the job opening, some list a few Web sites used by clients and others take job seekers through a variety of pages and menus to determine how they found the job.

“The more menus and choices, the more likely the candidate will either lose patience, not find what they’re looking for, or simply select ‘corporate site’ or ‘from a friend,'” the study adds.

Nicheboards.com was founded in 2001. The company markets the services of 11 job boards, each one targeting a specific industry or profession. Nicheboard has a combined audience of 3 million visitors, making the group a leader in the recruitment industry.