Applicant Management & ATS Software Comparison

What is Applicant Management?

Applicant Management is a sub-area of recruiting. It includes all methods, tools, and processes to manage and control the application process. Professional applicant management not only increases the efficiency of the application process, but also leads to an improved external perception of the company. To professionalize applicant management, special applicant management software is used. This is also known under the synonyms E-Recruiting software and Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

What is an Applicant Management System?

An Applicant Management System is a recruiting software that allows a significantly more efficient design of personnel recruitment than would be the case with a conventional or manual procedure. Appropriate tools ideally support the management of the entire recruitment process - from the organization of the career page to the planning of interviews. The systems help recruiters to significantly reduce the time spent reading resumes and the general screening of potential employees. Documents are collected, sorted, and organized - and partially automated. All information about candidates is located in a central database that is easily accessible for all responsible. In this way, talent pools can be quickly developed and monitored. Applicant tracking software is also referred to as Recruiting Software, Recruitment Software, Recruiting Management Software, or Application Management Software. But the same intention always lies behind it.

Known providers of applicant management systems:

• talentstorm
• Softgarden
• onlyfy one
• Personio
• Greenhouse
• Recruitee
• BITE
• SAP Success Factors
• Lever

The best applicant management software compared 2021

But how do you find the best recruiting software for applicant management? This is not so simple. Due to the large number of providers, the software differs greatly in terms of pricing and functional scope. Which Applicant Tracking System is suitable for your company therefore depends on the size of your company, your budget and the functions you require. A detailed comparison of applicant management systems is therefore essential for you. On OMR Reviews you can use the experiences and reviews of users from the OMR community to weigh up which software offers everything you need and decide based on that.

This is what distinguishes the best applicant management tools:

• Viewing, (automated) collection and sorting of application documents of all kinds and further information about candidates in the recruitment software
• Creation, further development, and management of talent pools and personnel files within a custom workflow in the recruiting tool
• Efficient communication between departments, recruiters and applicants
• Legal security such as GDPR compliance in data collection in the HR software
• Possibilities for individualizing the application processes
• Quick familiarization and easy operation due to high user-friendliness
• Free, reliable and fast support and service
• Cloud solution enables seamless and cross-departmental collaboration

What exactly are the advantages of applicant management tools?

As already indicated at the beginning, applicant management tools offer some advantages for your HR management. You can find out exactly what these advantages are in the following.

• Talent Pools: The (automated) development of talent pools and talent pipelines with qualified candidates allows the recruitment team to reduce staffing times and cost per hire. In this way, the people who may be hired in the future can be kept warm in a targeted and efficient manner. In this way, the recruitment process or its organization does not start from scratch every time a new request arrives.
• Cross-departmental processes: The Applicant Tracking Software is primarily used by HR professionals. However, appropriate solutions often also offer the opportunity to involve department heads and other employees from other areas of the company directly in the recruitment process. This allows for employee recommendations, which repeatedly prove to be very prolific, as well as direct feedback on the candidates from the departments in which they are to work later.
• Social Media: Social media is becoming increasingly important in recruiting. Today, potential employees are actually increasingly looking for suitable positions in corresponding channels. In many industries, it is already part of the applicant's expectation to be able to identify suitable positions there. This of course means additional potential for companies. Software for applicant management often offers the possibility to organize social media recruiting as well.
• Recruitment and Onboarding: The use of an Applicant Tracking Tool is not only about optimizing the recruitment process, it also offers advantages beyond that. In this way, it helps to create fast, efficient processes in the application process, among other things, to ensure that new employees have a good feeling right from the start in the company. Numerous studies prove that the HR department – especially in the case of sought-after specialists - should make a particularly good impression on new employees in the first 90 days, otherwise the risk of problems with the commitment of these employees increases considerably.
• Analytics: Employers should not only optimally organize their recruitment process through the use of intelligent applicant management tools, but also understand it in a sustainable way. Such applications offer the opportunity to collect numerous data that make the recruiting team even more effective. Among other things, the productivity of HR professionals, the cost per hire, the efforts per candidate for different job boards and other paid media can be recognized, as well as other key metrics.
• Cloud-based solution: Not a few HR professionals still work exclusively with an on-premise solution. The virtually numerous advantages of a cloud architecture are not used. In some cases, such on-site installed programs are very useful – they offer advantages in terms of data protection – the cloud should always be considered, however. Because here, long-term costs and administrative efforts are generally lower and fast access times or smooth workflows are guaranteed – and that from anywhere.
• Customized fixed workflows: Modern Applicant Tracking Software allows HR professionals to build a fixed recruitment process tailored to the needs of the company. Unique workflows for processing applications, screening applicants, maintaining employer branding content, collecting feedback, etc. can lead to very efficient recruiting. This is particularly relevant if the operation combines different talent pools - for example software engineers and truck drivers - which usually always require their very own workflows in recruiting.

What should be particularly paid attention to when purchasing HR software for applicant management?

Applicant management software usually comes with an enormous number of functionalities. This of course does not make it easier to get a sufficient overview on the already large market and finally to find the perfect tool for your own needs. Therefore, we have put together some central factors below that you should pay attention to in your choice.

Business requirements

Capturing the business requirements of the company or transferring them to the choice of Applicant Tracking Software is essential in order to find the perfect system. The market offers the right solution for almost every type of company. Some providers have different packages for different requirements and wallets in their program. In such an important thing as recruiting, no compromises should be made. Corresponding processes are almost always laborious, so it is absolutely necessary to ensure that the Applicant Tracking Software can also make them really more efficient, especially in their own corporate context. And in the end, no company can afford today not to attract the best applicants. The fully simplified management of recruiting and the optimal addressing of the best applicants based on your own corporate requirements should therefore be possible with the tool of choice. But simply choosing a solution that can “do everything” is not recommended. Because this probably incorporates a number of functions that are not needed at all. In turn, this can lead to usability limitations and again give the recruiting process efficiency losses. In addition, such a purchase is wasted money - because very powerful programs are of course also more expensive.

Communication and cooperation optimization

One of the main advantages of using recruiting software is that the entire recruitment team can collaborate on the platform. Ideally, everyone involved in the recruitment process has access to the right information at the right time. In this way, all those involved are always up to date and can prepare precisely for to-dos. The corresponding workflows are optimally individually adjustable. Furthermore, it is often sensible to give other departments - especially these, in which the potential employees should finally work - also access to the processes to receive direct feedback on the applicants. A good Applicant Tracking System makes it easy for all process participants to access the software and communicate with each other if necessary – also across departments.

Social media recruitment

As a rule, HR professionals have to include social media in their employee search. Top talents, everyone is looking for to occupy open positions, are now increasingly found in social media - they search there for company information, places, and network themselves. Hence, companies should also be present there in a sufficient manner. So, it is important to ensure that the applicant management system of choice supports social recruiting as best as possible. This applies not only to the administration of job ads and the subsequent organization of the candidates, but also in terms of tracking or data collection.

Uncomplicated integration

Depending on the size of the company, it may make sense to use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) together with some other tools. In general, companies have the need to connect their website with the ATS so that they can directly source applicants from there. In the case of larger corporations, the applicant management software may need to work with a personnel information system or other management programs. Therefore, before deciding on an ATS, it should definitely be clarified whether the correct interfaces are available.

Task and workflow automation

The automation of tasks is generally a central expectation of an Applicant Tracking Software. A good system can help to exclude unnecessary delays and obstacles from the recruitment workflow, for example by automatically playing reminders and notifications to comply with various requirements. In addition, some programs take over the applicant organization largely without the HR professionals being involved. For example, it is possible to have unsuitable candidates immediately filtered out by the system.

Data migration

When migrating to a new applicant management tool, companies - if digitalized recruiting has been carried out beforehand - have to transfer their applicant database including digital personnel files and switch over. An Applicant Tracking System should enable users to import corresponding information without much effort. Furthermore, it is sometimes important to be able to easily include data and files outside the system, such as direct emails and the information there. Thus, if applications arrive outside the software once – you won’t have to organize things differently on multiple ways.

Monitoring

Applicant Management Software gives companies access to various recruitment channels and lets you manage corresponding processes. Ideally, the system also offers specific analytics tools for these processes. Applicant Tracking Software not only makes it easier for all participants to store, organize, and access important information at any time, but also provides insights into candidate qualities, adoption of the individual channels and ads there, and much more through KPIs. If such helpers are not directly integrated, they should at least be connectable via an interface. This information and the organized process based on it can help the company to develop or implement a targeted recruitment and hiring strategy. Under continuous monitoring and related adjustments, processes become increasingly efficient. Accordingly, not only does the quality of the entire recruiting improve, but also the cost per hire can be reduced. In the end, there is a better, faster, and cheaper recruitment process.

What does an Applicant Management System cost?

The cost of HR software in the area of ​​applicant management varies from provider to provider. So there are both free and paid applicant management tools. In addition, all manufacturers offer free trial versions of their HR software.

Paid Applicant Management or Recruiting Software

The price of paid applicant management programs is usually between 20 and 500 euros per month. The large price difference arises from the fact that the range of functions in the various HR software differs greatly. Some recruiting software also offer their own applicant exchanges or considerable support.

Providers of paid applicant management tools

• talentstorm – Prices from 19 Euros per month
• Softgarden – Price on request
• onlyfy one – Prices from 60 Euros per month
• SAP Success Factors – Prices from 2.50€ per module and user per month
• Greenhouse – Price on request
• Recruitee – Prices from 166€ per month for annual payment
• BITE – Price on request
• Lever – Price on request
• perview ATS – Price on request
• perbit – from 344 Euros per month
• Concludis – Price on request
• BreezyHR – 143 Dollars per month
• Jobvite – Price on request
• Workable – Prices from 99 Dollars per job per month
• Bullhorn ATS & CRM – Price on request
• Cornerstone OnDemand – Price on request
• iCIMS Talent Cloud – Price on request
• SmartRecruiters – Price on request
• ZOHO Recruit - from 20.84 Euro per month for annual payment

We strive to keep the prices current and therefore frequently check their timeliness. However, this may differ from the actual cost of the Applicant Management Software. You can find reviews of these applicant management tools on the respective product page.

Free Applicant Management Software

Free applicant management software is more the exception than the rule. alternatively, for small companies and startups, it makes sense to fall back on software such as Excel or Google Sheets to document applications and application procedures of candidates. The recruiting software listed below for applicant management are mostly free versions of the software with limited functions.

• Breezy HR
• ZOHO Recruit
• h1 Recruiting