Overview of Applicant Tracking Systems for SMBs

July 11, 2013 at 7:26 AM by Vivek Reddy

Screen Shot 2013-07-09 at 2.46.22 PM

This is the first of a two-part post providing an overview of applicant tracking systems. We encourage you to try out each of these services to see which works best for your needs.

More and more recruiters today are turning towards complex Applicant Tracking Systems to compare, evaluate, and approach potential candidates. Perhaps the proliferation of these tools is both a blessing and a curse, but here at Entelo we’ve evaluated a whole host of these products and broken them down according to several key categories. Read on to see how today’s front-running ATSs stack up.

Jobvite

Jobvite EnteloJobvite features a trifecta of tools for recruiters-- Jobvite Hire, Refer, and Engage. Geared towards social recruiting, Jobvite allows employees to recommend talent within their own network, includes an array of automation options--such as the posting of job listings-- and allows recruiters to streamline the interview scheduling process by syncing with the user’s calendar. Jobvite users can also post their openings to over 4,000 job boards. Additionally, Jobvite has been scaling to meet the needs of larger companies as well as a number of larger tech companies who currently use Jobvite for their ATS.

Pros:

  • Emphasizes sharing of position information via Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
  • Simple candidate experience
  • Many filtering options
  • Implements Google Analytics for back-end reporting
  • Partnered with Actuate, a tool to provide comprehensive data visualizations
  • Compatible with Mac, PC, and Tablets

Cons:

  • Less concerned with organization, optimization of workflow
  • No CRM
  • Additional fee for Jobvite Engage
  • Additional fee for configuration

 

 


 

Greenhouse

Greenhouse offers recruiters, sourcers, and hiring managers one place for keeping track of candidates coming in through the talent funnel. This comprehensive ATS powers a more efficient, streamlined interview and hiring process, giving teams a single, easy-to-use platform for a candidate's profile, portfolio, resume, and notes on the candidate's interview. Interview scorecards also allow the team to take notes on a candidate and rank their skills based on the open position's requirements.  

Pros:

  • One toolbox to track referrals, social media campaigns, in-person events, job boards, prospecting, external agencies
  • Interview Kit to guide process from start to decision making
  • Provides analytics on candidate funnel volume, quality of candidates, and A/B testing on job ad engagement

Cons:

  • Requires manual import of candidate professional details and contact information
  • No CRM, sourcing platform 
Entelo partnered up with Greenhouse to solve this problem. We now integrate with the tool, giving you a two-way track between your sourcing and ATS solutions!

 

 

Bullhorn 

Bullhorn EnteloUsed by both staffing agencies and corporations alike, Bullhorn features competitive pricing, full customization, and lends itself well to social sharing. Integration with Insight Squared, Outlook, and many Google Apps means the user can seamlessly implement Bullhorn into their workflow. Although currently limited to Windows and Internet Explorer, increased compatibility is on the horizon.

Pros:

  • Fully customizable
  • Simple, organized modules
  • "Matching candidate" search allows users to find similar candidates
  • Custom reporting and analytics
  • Web-based, no installation necessary
  • Developed CRM system

Cons:

  • Only compatible with Windows, Internet Explorer
  • Limited support for an additional fee
  • Geared more towards staffing agencies than Enterprises

 

 

Avature

Avature-CRM-logoWhile the interface can be somewhat clunky, the candidate-friendly Avature provides a simple ATS with some solid CRM functionality. Although the tool does not explicitly emphasize social sharing, it does include a handy feature which enables candidates to apply directly from Facebook. Avature boasts a considerable degree of integration from a variety of both free and paid sources such as CareerBuilder and Monster. In addition, this tool includes a toolbar widget which parses data directly from a webpage into the ATS.

Pros:

  • Fully customizable workflow stages and dashboard
  • Differing pricing options for hiring managers vs. recruiters
  • Works on all devices
  • Fully web-based

Cons:

  • No email integration
  • Filters implementation takes time and has limited options
  • Mainly useful for external database searching
  • Busy, cluttered layout

JobScore

jobscore_logoWorking under the assumption that employee referrals are the best way to sign top-talent, JobScore focuses on disseminating job postings through your employees and out into their networks through integration with social media and email contacts. A variety of pricing options make JobScore amenable to any size team, however there are additional fees for support and extra job board postings. Where JobScore really shines is in it’s reporting options, which include pipeline reports to aid organization, status reports to keep tabs on candidates, source reports to track spending, and flow reports to identify bottlenecks in the recruitment process.

Pros:

  • Variety of pricing options
  • Simple candidate experience
  • Compatible with any device
  • Completely web-based

Cons:

  • No CRM functionality
  • Integration limited to Google Calendar
  • Adding notes can be time-consuming

The Resumator

resumator_logoNext on our list is The Resumator, a sleek but simple tool which encourages discussion and collaboration amongst your team in the recruiting process. The Resumator’s flexible pricing options make it ideal for small to medium-sized businesses, although you’ll have to spring for the Pro plan to get any reporting or analytic tools. The clean interface makes it perfectly translatable across all devices, which ties in nicely with the tools’ social media integration. Candidates can apply directly from either Facebook or LinkedIn, and jobs can easily be tweeted or direct messaged out through Twitter.

Pros:

  • No hidden or termination fees
  • Intuitive commenting/notetaking tools foster discussion amongst your team
  • Simple but comprehensive social media integration
  • CRM feature keeps track of external companies, contacts

Cons:

  • Primarily for SMBs
  • Neglects passive candidates
  • Limited reporting/analytics
  • Email support during standard work hours only

 

Smart Recruiters

SmartRecuiters EnteloLastly, let’s take a look at the easily-navigable SmartRecruiters, a tool whose applicant managing, job posting, and pricing features endear it more towards enterprises. The early appeal in SmartRecruiters is in it’s initial cost (nothing), however to parse in external candidates, post to job boards, or get some useful support, you’ll have to whip out the company credit card. The basic interface is ideal for candidates, as it allows them to easily apply from the main site, CareerSite pages, Facebook, or the mobile app. Customization within SmartRecruiters can still improve as well as tailoring of your career page.

Pros:

  • Easily translatable across devices
  • Good candidate experience
  • One-click job posting to hundreds of boards

Cons:

  • Limited support for unpaid packages
  • Limited customization
  • No CRM

 

 

Again, this is merely our opinion from observing the various services but we do strongly encourage you to check them out yourselves to see what's the best fit for your organization. In the next post, we'll cover applicant tracking systems for larger enterprises. What are your experiences with the above ATSs? Leave a comment below!

entelo greenhouse

comments