Is Your Legacy ATS Hurting Your Firm?

Rise of the ATS

When the ATS emerged in the 1990s, it seemed to be the solution to every recruitment problem. These digital systems collected and stored data from both online and physical applications. The ATS allowed recruiters to sort and filter candidates. They also began to provide basic candidate screening. The ATS gave recruiters a manageable set of candidates to choose from before looking at applicants.

Yet, the ATS has its flaws. For one, it is still difficult for teams to collaborate. Most ATSs don't allow recruiters to share candidate profiles or notes. Some of them replace one type of busy work with another: inputting data from applications into the system. Recruiters who once spent all day filing applications spend the same time shifting data from one set of boxes into another. If this sounds like you, it might be time to ditch your legacy ATS and move on to the next stage of candidate recruitment.

The CRM

Twenty years ago, CRM meant "customer relationship management." CRM referred to services that tracked customers' ratings of a company's performance. As online job applications became the norm, companies began to consider candidates as customers. Like customers, candidates have experiences to be curated and optimized. After all, candidates don't learn about vacancies from the classifieds and hand the recruiter a resume in person. It's much easier to find jobs through job boards and social media, but applying can be complicated. Most candidates have quit the application process out of frustration, confident that another dream job is just down their feed. This is why companies have started worrying about candidate relationship management.

CRM software makes recruiters' lives more manageable than an ATS despite its focus on candidates. A significant advantage is that a CRM can parse a resume, cutting down on the manual data entry your legacy ATS requires. Finally, the CRM automates alerts and messages within a team. This makes it easier for team members to share applications.

The most significant difference between the ATS and the CRM is their focus. CRMs don't view candidates through the lens of their application to a single job. Instead, candidates are considered holistically. CRMs nurture your relationship with candidates. The new systems create a talent pool that you can return to, even once you've filled a particular position.

How Loxo can help

Loxo is an AI recruiting tool with cutting-edge CRM software that makes it easier for your company to find, track, and engage top talent. Unlike legacy ATSs, Loxo cuts down on busy work and gives you data on every aspect of the recruitment process. It also makes collaboration and documentation a breeze. For more information on how Loxo can work for your company, visit our website today or request a demo here!