Applicant Screening using ATS Software When it comes to the talent hiring process, the contemporary era is experiencing what is known as the ‘downfall of the resume.’ A resume tells a job applicant’s story; however, it is a very generic story, often written to create an image the applicant thinks is favorable and will land them the job. Hiring teams may shortlist the wrong candidate, dismiss the right one, or worse, remain clueless as to whether or not an applicant fits the bill. Sourcing quality candidates means diving deeper. Using an Applicant Tracking System or ATS software, employers can have the power of vetting applicants without ever needing to do the tedious sifting.
How does the ATS Software Help with the Applicant Screening Process? Perhaps the greatest struggle employers face with their hiring is the screening part. Ironically, it is also one of the most critical steps in bagging the most qualified candidates. However, their struggle is justified in light of the volume of applications, making it a challenge to scrupulously go through every one of them. The process becomes monotonous after a certain time and inevitably leads to some compromise. Thankfully, an ATS software has effective answers for this problem - pre-screening questions. These prescreening questions are asked at the time a candidate submits their resume. This is a useful tool as these questions filter out the ineligible candidates even before the sifting starts. As such, the pre-screen feature of every Advanced ATS software generally includes four types of questions – 1. Knockout Questions – These are the most crucial and the most basic kinds of questions, such as the applicant's eligibility to work in the employer's country, their certifications, previous work experience, etc. If an applicant fails to meet the requirements, they are automatically knocked out of the hiring pipeline. 2. Drop-Down Questions – These questions include a drop-down menu with several answers for the applicants to choose from. These questions may consist of the desired salary range, the applicant's experience in the field, etc. Unlike open text boxes, these drop-down questions work better in giving precise answers to a particular question. 3. Open Text Boxes – Certain questions need highly personalized answers. Hence, they cannot be condensed to even drop-down lists; questions such as why a candidate wishes to apply in that company or why they chose that particular career field are some examples. Such questions can be answered via open text boxes. 4. Check Boxes – Now, these are useful in case a question can have multiple answers. For instance, if a company wants to know the different types of accounting tools a candidate has experience with, they can use checkbox questions.
Using this useful pre-screener feature, hiring teams do not have to waste hours (let alone days) in sifting through the resumes of unqualified candidates; they can procure information that may be relevant to the role but likely to be unmentioned in the resume, and ultimately, bring home the best of the lot.