What is applicant tracking?

Applicant tracking involves using software to create and maintain a database of information to keep track of applicants for a company’s open positions. The software, in general, tracks all of your job openings and the job skills of each applicant. Applicant tracking software allows for the HR person in your office to search and cross-reference the entire database of applicants to match the best candidate to the appropriate job. Indeed, applicant tracking not only stores names and applications in a database, it provides a system of filing and reporting, allowing an employer to keep a record of each application, regardless of the job applied for or the hiring status. Moreover, applicant tracking software manages the steady stream of applicants that come into companies, whether or not there are openings. It also helps the HR person to plan and schedule interviews, and the software provides a place for notations after each phone call or interview. Among the many functions provided by applicant tracking software to assist in these task, the more common and important ones include: word processing, complete job descriptions for each position, resume scanning, scheduling capabilities, statistics and Equal Employment Opportunity reporting, pre-employment testing and tracking, job posting capabilities, and an automated notification system.