Are you losing track of candidates, reporting is complicated and recruitment is slowed down by administration? Maybe it's time for a new ATS system. In this guide we will explain step by step how to choose a recruitment system (ATS) and what criteria are worth following.
What are you interested in?
- Summary for the busy: what to look for when choosing an ATS system
- What is an ATS system and why is it key to recruitment today
- Before you start choosing an ATS system
- How to choose an ATS system step by step
- Key criteria for selecting an ATS system
- How to recognize the best ATS system for your company
- Try the modern ATS Datacruit in practice
Summary for the busy: what to look for when choosing an ATS system
How to choose an ATS system? Focus on whether it addresses your specific recruitment needs, makes recruitment more efficient and allows you to work with data clearly in one place. The right recruitment software must be user-friendly for HR and managers, offer integrations with other tools and support secure handling of personal data. Modern ATS software should also use AI for faster and more accurate candidate selection.
What is an ATS system and why is it key to recruitment today
ATS system (Applicant Tracking System) is a recruitment system that helps companies manage the entire recruitment process digitally and clearly in one place. It allows you to collect and sort CVs, communicate with candidates, involve hiring managers and monitor the status of individual recruitment processes without chaos in emails and scattered spreadsheets. Modern ATS software also connects job boards, career pages and other HR tools, so you have all candidate data centralized and under control.
For companies that want to hire efficiently , grow and at the same time comply with legal requirements (e.g. GDPR), an ATS is a key tool today. It helps reduce administration, speed up recruitment and improve the candidate experience and team collaboration.
TIP: Are you interested in more detail about what an ATS system is, how it works and why companies today for their recruitment need it? Read our article What is an ATS and why you need one for your recruitment.
Before you start choosing an ATS system
Before you start choosing an ATS system, clarify what the new recruitment software should actually change . Choosing an ATS should not be about a list of features, but about solving specific problems and supporting your recruitment process. If at the beginning you set your expectations correctly , you will significantly increase the chance that the selected ATS system will be beneficial in the long term.
Before you start comparing individual ATS systems, identify what is not working in your recruitment today and answer, for example, these questions:
- What specific problems are we addressing in recruitment today?
- Where are we losing the most time – administration, communication, reporting?
- Who will use the ATS system (HR, recruiters, hiring managers, management)?
- What recruitment volume are we dealing with now and what do we plan for the future?
- Do we mainly need automation, a better overview, AI, integrations or analytics?
The more specific you are, the easier the subsequent selection of an ATS and comparison of individual solutions will be.
TIP: Do you want to speed up recruitment, reduce administration and have all candidate data clearly in one place? With the modern ATS system Datacruit you can automate routine tasks, collaborate better with managers and make decisions based on data.
How to choose an ATS system step by step
Choosing an ATS system should be a controlled process , not a quick decision based on price or a recommendation from an acquaintance. If you want ATS software to really help you streamline recruitment, proceed systematically and involve all key users.
- Get the right people involved in choosing an ATS – the ATS system will be used by HR, recruiters and hiring managers, so they should be part of the decision. Only then will you choose a recruitment system that will really work in practice.
- Define must-have vs. nice-to-have functions – Clarify what your ATS software cannot do without (e.g. automation, integrations, reporting) and what is just a bonus. This step will significantly simplify the comparison of individual ATS systems.
- Prepare a clear brief for ATS vendors – Don't look for “the best ATS system”, but for a solution that meets your goals. The vendor should be able to show how their ATS will support your specific recruitment process.
Key criteria for selecting an ATS system
When choosing an ATS system it's easy to get overwhelmed by the number of features and marketing promises. Instead of looking for “the best ATS system” focus on how well the given ATS software fits into your recruitment process and the daily work of the team. What matters is not the number of features but their real benefit .
User-friendliness
One of the most important criteria is user-friendliness. An ATS must be intuitive not only for HR , but also for hiring managers . If working in the system is complicated or unclear, the team will avoid it and the recruitment system will not fulfil its potential. Therefore, test how easy it is to create a position, move a candidate in the workflow or share feedback.
Recruitment automation
A modern ATS system should save time – automate emails, interview scheduling, work with responses from job boards or management of GDPR consents. If you are interested in more about, how automation in HR can actually save time and reduce costs , then have a look at our article .
Integration with other tools
A quality applicant tracking system should connect job boards , LinkedIn , career pages and other HR tools into a single environment. Thanks to this you get a unified overview of candidates and recruitment sources without the need to manually transcribe data.
TIP: Do you work a lot on LinkedIn? Datacruit ATS , offers a unique LinkedIn plugin that makes your work on this platform easier.
Reporting and working with data
An ATS system should make it possible to track important metrics, such as time-to-hire, the effectiveness of sources or recruitment performance. Clear reporting helps management make decisions based on data , not impressions. Data often decide whether an ATS is just recruitment software or a strategic tool for the company. For example . Datacruit ATS offers sophisticated reports , which allow you to track recruitment metrics in real time.
Artificial intelligence as a recruitment assistant
Modern ATS systems use artificial intelligence (AI) to read and analyse CVs, automatically match candidates (matching), generate job adverts or summarize interview notes. If you are interested in specific benefits of AI in HR , check out the article 7 Key Benefits of AI in HR or read more about AI in recruitment .
TIP: The Datacruit ATS system uses its own AI features developed specifically for recruitment needs. Discover how recruiters AI saves time, makes selection more accurate and removes routine administration.
Security and GDPR
A recruitment system works with sensitive personal data , so it should allow consent management, access control and secure data storage. Security and data protection, vendor stability and quality of support are just as important as the functions themselves.
Scalability and price
When choosing an ATS system think not only about current needs , but also about future growth of the company . A small company needs a different recruitment system and a different one for an organisation with dozens of open positions per month. Consider the total cost of ATS software and its ability to grow along with your recruitment.
TIP: If you are looking for an ATS system that combines automation, AI, advanced reporting, data security and a flexible workflow, check out the overview of 8 reasons to choose Datacruit recruitment software and check whether this ATS system meets your expectations.
How to recognize the best ATS system for your company
There is no single best ATS system for all companies. The best ATS is the one that matches your recruitment process , team size and planned growth . If recruitment speed is key for you, watch the level of automation and AI features. If you are dealing with collaboration in the team, focus on the clarity of workflow and the involvement of hiring managers. And if you need to manage recruitment strategically, reporting and working with data will be decisive.
Also consider whether you are choosing an ATS for an internal HR team or for a staffing agency – each type of recruitment has different priorities. The right recruitment system should fit into your workflow, be naturally used by the team and bring long-term time savings and higher recruitment efficiency.
TIP: The modern ATS system Datacruit is designed for both internal HR teams and staffing agencies . See what options it offers to different types of organizations .
Ask for a demo or trial version
When choosing an ATS always verify how the system works in practice – ideally during a demo or trial version. Observe whether working in the ATS is intuitive, whether it fits into your recruitment process and whether the team understands its benefit. A recruitment system should be a tool that makes work easier, not another administrative burden.
Try the modern ATS Datacruit in practice
If you are looking for a modern ATS system , which combines automation , its own AI features , advanced reporting and intuitive control, Datacruit allows you to try it in real recruitment. You can arrange a non-binding consultation or use a 30-day demo version and verify how the ATS system works directly in your environment.
