An applicant tracking system (ATS) is the software recruiters use to manage candidates through the hiring process - capturing applications, tracking where each candidate sits in the pipeline, and storing interview feedback and decisions.
What it means
An ATS gives recruiters and hiring managers a shared view of every open vacancy and its candidates, and it is usually the source of the data behind recruiting metrics like time-to-hire and the recruitment funnel.
Where it fits in
The ATS hands off to HR and payroll systems once a candidate accepts an offer - the candidate's data, captured during recruiting, becomes the starting point for the new hire's onboarding record.
Key rules
- ATS = applicant tracking system, managing candidates through the pipeline.
- Tracks every candidate's stage, feedback and decisions for a vacancy.
- The usual source of recruiting metrics like time-to-hire.
- Hands candidate data off to onboarding once an offer is accepted.
