For many growing teams, hiring starts off informally—shared inboxes, spreadsheets, maybe a few calendar links and email templates. But as your business scales, this patchwork of tools begins to show its cracks. Candidates slip through the cracks. Communication gets messy. And your team spends more time on admin than on attracting great talent.
That’s when the question arises: Do we need an ATS?
If you're starting to ask that, you're probably ready. This quick guide will walk you through when to make the move, what features matter most, and how to choose the right applicant tracking system (ATS) for your team’s next stage of growth.
Signs You’re Outgrowing Manual Hiring Processes
An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) isn’t just for enterprise companies. Many startups and mid-sized businesses invest in one earlier than you might think. Here are some telltale signs it’s time:
- You’re hiring more than a few roles at a time. Juggling multiple openings makes it harder to track candidates and maintain a consistent process.
- Your team is spending too much time on logistics. Scheduling interviews, chasing feedback, and manually updating spreadsheets shouldn’t be eating into strategic hiring time.
- Candidate experience is suffering. If you’re slow to respond, sending mixed messages, or losing track of follow-ups, your employer brand is at risk.
- You’re starting to track hiring metrics. Measuring time-to-hire, pipeline health, or source effectiveness is almost impossible without a central system.
If any of these feel familiar, it’s time to explore your ATS options.
What an ATS Actually Does (and Doesn’t Do)
At its core, an ATS helps you organize and streamline the recruitment process. An ATS:
- Centralizes candidate information so your team isn’t digging through emails or files
- Automates communication like interview scheduling, email templates, and feedback reminders
- Improves collaboration with role-based access, interviewer scorecards, and hiring workflows
- Tracks performance data like time-to-fill, source of hire, and candidate funnel conversion
But it’s not a silver bullet. An ATS won’t solve deeper issues like poor job descriptions, unclear hiring criteria, or a weak employer brand. An ATS should support your strategy—not replace it.
Must-Have Features for Your First ATS
Not all systems are created equal. You don’t need every bell and whistle—just the right ones. Focus on:
- Ease of Use: Find a system that feels intuitive from day one. Your team should be able to jump in and start using the main features without extensive training.
- Customizable Workflows: Your ATS should work the way you do, not the other way around. Make sure you can set up your own pipeline stages, create automated reminders, and adjust approval processes to match your company's style.
- Collaboration Tools: Hiring is a team sport, so your ATS needs to support that. A good ATS should make it easy to share feedback, discuss candidates in one place, and coordinate interviews.
- Integration with Existing Tools: Your ATS should play nicely with the tools you already use. Calendar syncing eliminates scheduling headaches, email integration keeps communication flowing, and job board connections save you from posting everywhere manually.
- Reporting and Insights: You don't need fancy analytics, but basic insights help you improve over time. Track how long roles take to fill, which job boards work best, and where candidates drop off in your process. The goal is actionable information, not overwhelming data.
- Candidate Experience Features: Remember, candidates are evaluating you too. Automated confirmations, branded career pages, and easy application flows matter when competing for top talent.
How to Evaluate and Choose the Right ATS
There are dozens of ATS platforms on the market, from lightweight startup-friendly options like Workable, Recruitee, and Ashby, to more robust enterprise systems like Greenhouse, Lever, and Bullhorn.
Here’s a quick framework to help you evaluate:
Step 1: Clarify Your Hiring Goals
Are you trying to increase speed? Improve collaboration? Create a more professional experience? Knowing what you’re solving for will help narrow your choices.
Step 2: Map Your Current Hiring Process
Before you adapt to new tech, get clear on how you’re hiring today. Map out stages, stakeholders, and key pain points. This ensures the system fits you, not the other way around.
Step 3: Set Your Budget and Timeline
Most platforms offer tiered pricing based on company size or job volume. Decide whether you need monthly flexibility or an annual contract, and be realistic about your rollout timeline.
Step 4: Shortlist and Demo
Don’t just watch a generic product tour. Ask vendors to walk you through specific use cases such as how your team will post a job, screen candidates, schedule interviews, and more.
Step 5: Get Feedback from Your Hiring Team
They’ll be the ones using the system. Bring them into the evaluation process early and prioritize tools that support cross-functional collaboration.
Wondering If It’s Time to Upgrade Your Tools?
Adding an ATS is a big step forward for any growing team, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. To help you pinpoint where to begin, take our Talent Acquisition Maturity Assessment. It’s designed to evaluate your current tech readiness and highlight the most impactful next steps.
