What is an ATS and How to Choose the Best Applicant Tracking System

What ATS stands for

ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System — a type of software designed to help employers manage the recruitment process from start to finish. An ATS centralises job postings, candidate applications, hiring stages, and communication in a single platform.

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History and evolution of ATS

Applicant Tracking Systems have evolved from simple databases in the 1990s to AI-powered platforms that predict hiring outcomes. Understanding this evolution helps set the right expectations when evaluating modern ATS solutions.

• 1990s — early digital candidate databases. Companies began replacing paper-based CV archives with simple databases. These first-generation systems were limited to storing candidate information and basic keyword search. They offered no automation, no integrations, and no analytics.
• Early 2000s — online systems and multiposting. The rise of the internet brought web-based ATS platforms. Recruiters gained the ability to post jobs to online job boards and collect applications electronically. The first SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions appeared, eliminating the need to install software on company servers.
• 2010–2020 — cloud, automation, and integrations. ATS platforms moved to cloud infrastructure, enabling rapid deployment and access from anywhere. Advanced features emerged: automated candidate communication, CV parsing, calendar and email integrations, and comprehensive recruitment analytics and reporting.
• 2020 onwards — artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. The latest generation of ATS platforms leverages AI for candidate-to-job matching, automated application scoring, and even predictive analytics (e.g., estimating the probability that a candidate will accept an offer). According to the Fosway Group 2025 report, 67% of organisations plan to change their ATS within the next two years, primarily to gain access to AI-powered features.

Modern ATS platforms like Element combine the best of each generation: simplicity and ease of use, cloud-based speed, advanced automation, and AI-powered candidate matching — even from image-based CVs.

The global ATS market is projected to reach USD 3.78 billion by 2031 (from USD 2.65 billion in 2026), growing at a 7.36% CAGR. The primary growth driver is demand for recruitment automation and AI-powered hiring tools.
— Mordor Intelligence, Applicant Tracking System Market — Size & Share Analysis 2026–2031

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What does an ATS do

An ATS is used primarily to manage every stage of the recruitment lifecycle — from publishing job ads and collecting applications to evaluating candidates, managing hiring stages, and ensuring compliance with data regulations such as GDPR.

The scale of ATS adoption is remarkable: 99% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS to manage their recruitment (source: Jobscan). This is because modern recruitment generates volumes of data and candidate interactions that are impossible to handle efficiently with spreadsheets or email alone.

An Applicant Tracking System typically handles:

• Posting jobs to multiple boards simultaneously (multiposting)
• Collecting and parsing candidate applications and CVs
• Tracking candidates through configurable hiring stages
• Facilitating evaluation and collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers
• Automating communication with candidates
• Generating recruitment reports and analytics
• Managing candidate data in compliance with GDPR and other regulations

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How does an ATS work

An ATS works as the central engine of the recruitment process. It automates the flow of candidates through hiring stages, from the moment they apply to the final hiring decision.

Organisations that implement an ATS see a 42–60% reduction in time-to-hire on average (source: G2 & Tracker RMS). This acceleration comes from eliminating manual tasks: recruiters no longer need to copy-paste data between spreadsheets, manually track application statuses, or send individual status updates to every candidate.

Here is how an ATS typically works, step by step:

• Job creation: the recruiter builds a job description, defines hiring stages, sets targets (number of vacancies, deadline), and assigns team members.
• Candidate sourcing: the ATS publishes job ads to multiple job boards (multiposting) and provides application forms and direct links. Some systems also support X-ray search across LinkedIn, GitHub, and other platforms.
• Application processing: incoming CVs are automatically parsed, candidate profiles are created, and applications are assigned to the correct hiring stage.
• Screening and evaluation: recruiters and hiring managers review profiles, add ratings and notes, and move candidates between stages using a visual pipeline (often a Kanban board).
• Communication: the ATS automates candidate notifications, interview scheduling reminders, and status updates — improving candidate experience at scale.
• Reporting: the system generates real-time reports on time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, source effectiveness, stage conversion rates, and team productivity.
• Compliance: candidate consents, data retention, and audit logs are managed automatically, ensuring GDPR compliance throughout the process.

Most modern ATS platforms are cloud-based (SaaS), meaning they require no server infrastructure or local installation — just an internet connection and a browser.

Typical recruitment process in an ATS — 8 steps

A recruitment process managed through an ATS follows 8 key steps, from project creation to post-hire analysis. Here is the typical flow:

1. Create the recruitment project — the recruiter builds a job description in the ATS, defines hiring stages, assigns participants (hiring managers, evaluators), and configures access permissions.
2. Publish the job ad (multiposting) — the ATS auto-generates a job ad from the description and publishes it simultaneously across multiple job boards (e.g., Indeed, LinkedIn, local boards). One click, multiple sources.
3. Collect applications — candidates apply through online forms. The ATS automatically creates candidate profiles, parses CV content, and assigns each candidate to the correct project based on the application link.
4. Initial screening — the ATS scores application question responses, applies knock-out criteria, and ranks candidates by fit. The recruiter receives a sorted shortlist ready for review.
5. Evaluate candidates — recruiters and hiring managers review profiles, add notes and recommendations, and the ATS enables searching across CVs, notes, and application responses.
6. Manage stages and communication — candidates move through stages (e.g., phone screen → interview → offer). At each transition, the ATS automatically sends personalised notifications, maintaining candidate experience at scale.
7. Decision and hire — the selected candidate is moved to the "Hired" stage. The ATS records rejection reasons for all other candidates, feeding future analytics and building the talent pool.
8. Reporting and analysis — after the process closes, the ATS generates reports: time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, source effectiveness, stage conversion rates. This data drives optimisation of future recruitment.

Every one of these steps is fully supported by Element ATS — from multiposting and automated communication to scoring and advanced reporting.

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ATS vs CRM — what is the difference?

An ATS and a recruitment CRM serve different but complementary purposes. Understanding the difference helps organisations choose the right tools — or decide whether they need both.

An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) manages active recruitment processes. It tracks candidates who have applied for specific positions, moves them through hiring stages, and produces recruitment reports. The ATS is transactional: it focuses on filling current vacancies as quickly and efficiently as possible.

A CRM (Candidate Relationship Management) system focuses on passive candidates and long-term talent relationships. It helps recruiters build talent pools, nurture candidates who are not actively applying, and maintain engagement over time — so that when a new position opens, there is already a warm pipeline of qualified people.

Key differences at a glance:

• Scope: ATS = active hiring pipeline; CRM = long-term talent pool
• Candidate type: ATS = applicants; CRM = passive candidates and leads
• Main users: ATS = recruiters and hiring managers; CRM = sourcers and talent acquisition teams
• Who benefits most: ATS = every employer; CRM = recruitment agencies and high-volume corporate TA teams

Many organisations — especially recruitment agencies — integrate an ATS with a CRM, creating a unified workflow from the first contact with a passive candidate all the way through to placement.

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ATS vs HRM — what is the difference?

An ATS handles recruitment — from posting a job to making a hire. An HRM (Human Resource Management) system manages employees after they have been hired — from onboarding through payroll to offboarding. These are two distinct tools that complement each other in the HR ecosystem. Here is a comparison:

Many organisations use both an ATS (for recruitment) and an HRM (for employee management) simultaneously. These systems can be integrated — for example, once a candidate is hired in the ATS, their data is automatically transferred to the HRM. Element ATS provides API and integrations that enable this connection with popular HRM systems.

93% of recruiters use an ATS daily. This puts applicant tracking systems among the most-used HR tools — alongside communication platforms and payroll systems.
— RecruitCRM, ATS Usage Report 2025

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Key benefits of using an ATS

An ATS delivers measurable improvements across the entire recruitment lifecycle. Below are the five most important areas where an Applicant Tracking System makes a difference:

Increased recruitment efficiency

An ATS automates the most time-consuming parts of recruitment: publishing job ads, parsing CVs, screening candidates, managing stages, and sending status updates. 86% of recruiters confirm that their recruitment processes became significantly faster after implementing an ATS (source: SelectSoftware Reviews). Organisations typically see a 42–60% reduction in time-to-hire (source: G2 & Tracker RMS).

With an ATS, a recruiter can manage more open positions simultaneously without sacrificing quality — because the system handles repetitive administrative tasks automatically.

Better candidate experience

A modern ATS enables fast, consistent, and professional communication with every candidate — regardless of scale. Automated acknowledgements, stage-change notifications, and interview scheduling ensure that candidates are never left in the dark.

Better candidate experience directly strengthens the employer brand, which in turn attracts higher-quality applicants and reduces recruitment costs in the long run.

Better data and insights

An ATS collects structured data at every stage of the recruitment process. This enables reporting on key metrics — time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, source effectiveness, stage conversion rates, recruiter productivity — that would be extremely difficult or impossible to track manually.

Data-driven recruitment decisions replace guesswork and intuition, allowing teams to continuously optimise their processes and budgets.

GDPR and data compliance

Handling candidate data without a proper system creates significant compliance risk. An ATS automates consent collection, data retention enforcement, consent renewal reminders, and data deletion or anonymisation — ensuring compliance with GDPR and other international data regulations.

The system also provides audit logs and access controls, making it straightforward to demonstrate compliance during audits.

Cost savings

The cost of a bad hire can reach 30–50% of the employee's annual salary (source: SHRM). An ATS helps prevent this by enabling more structured and data-driven hiring decisions.

Organisations using an ATS see a 20–30% reduction in cost-per-hire (source: Bersin by Deloitte), driven by: fewer agency fees, more efficient use of job boards, faster hiring cycles, reduced administrative overhead, and better-matched hires that result in lower turnover.

"Since we implemented an ATS, our average time-to-close a position has been cut in half. We used to drown in spreadsheets and emails — now everything is in one place and we can focus on candidate conversations instead of administration."
— HR Manager, tech company, 200+ employees

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How to convince management to invest in an ATS

The strongest argument for an ATS is measurable ROI. Here are the key data points and talking points that help build a compelling business case:

• Cost of a bad hire: 30–50% of the employee's annual salary (source: SHRM). An ATS provides structured evaluation and better data, reducing the risk of costly mis-hires.
• Time-to-hire reduction: 42–60% on average (source: G2 & Tracker RMS). Faster hiring means less lost productivity from unfilled positions.
• Cost-per-hire reduction: 20–30% (source: Bersin by Deloitte). An ATS reduces reliance on recruitment agencies and maximises the effectiveness of job boards.
• Recruiter productivity: 86% of recruiters report significant acceleration after ATS implementation (source: SelectSoftware Reviews). Each recruiter can handle more open positions.
• Industry adoption: 99% of Fortune 500 companies already use an ATS (source: Jobscan). Not having one puts your organisation at a competitive disadvantage.
• Compliance risk: manual data handling creates GDPR exposure. An ATS automates consent management, data retention, and audit trails — reducing legal risk.

Frame the conversation around total cost of recruitment (not just the ATS subscription fee) and compare the cost of the status quo — longer time-to-hire, higher agency spend, compliance risk, poor candidate experience — against the investment in an ATS.

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How to choose the best ATS

The best ATS is one that mirrors your recruitment workflows and delivers measurable improvements. Before comparing systems, map your current process and identify the biggest pain points and bottlenecks. Then evaluate ATS solutions against a structured feature checklist:

Beyond features, evaluate: ease of use (will your team actually adopt it?), vendor support responsiveness, pricing model (per user, per job, flat rate), and real customer references from companies of similar size and industry.

"When choosing an ATS, I checked three things above all: whether data migration would be included, whether the system automates GDPR, and whether reporting would give me real data for board-level conversations. Element met all three criteria — and turned out to be the simplest to implement."
— Recruitment Lead, e-commerce company, 500+ employees

Choosing an ATS by company size

An ATS should grow with your company — so the most important selection criterion is not organisation size, but flexibility and scalability. Whether you run 5 or 500 recruitment projects per year, you need a system that mirrors your processes and can be expanded as the company evolves. Here are typical requirements at each growth stage.

Small businesses and startups (up to 50 employees)

Small companies recruit less often, but each hire carries significant weight — a bad hire in a small team is especially costly. Key needs include:

• Fast deployment — the system must be operational from day one, without weeks of configuration.
• Low barrier to entry — an intuitive interface with no IT training required.
• GDPR automation — even with a few hires per year, compliance obligations are the same as for a corporation.
• Multiposting — a limited advertising budget means every job ad must reach the right audience.

Element ATS works well for small businesses: deployment takes days, and pricing starts at €25/user per month — with no hidden costs and no long-term contracts.

Mid-sized companies (50–250 employees)

Mid-sized companies typically have a dedicated HR team and run dozens of recruitment projects per year. New challenges emerge at this stage:

• Collaboration with hiring managers — the system must support project sharing, ratings, and comments from stakeholders outside HR.
• Reporting — management expects metrics: time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, source effectiveness.
• Candidate database — with a growing number of processes, a well-maintained talent pool starts delivering real savings on future hires.
• Integrations — syncing with calendar, email, and HR/payroll systems saves time and reduces errors.

Element ATS addresses these needs without requiring premium tier upgrades — all features are available in every plan, eliminating unpredictable costs when scaling.

Large enterprises and corporations (250+ employees)

Large organisations manage dozens or hundreds of concurrent recruitment projects, often across multiple locations. Key requirements include:

• Scalability and performance — the system must handle thousands of candidates and dozens of users without performance degradation.
• Advanced permissions — different roles (recruiter, hiring manager, HRBP, executive) require different data visibility and action permissions.
• Enterprise API and integrations — connections to HRM, payroll, SSO (Single Sign-On), BI tools, and internal systems.
• Data migration — switching from another ATS requires secure transfer of recruitment history, candidate database, and reports.
• Employer branding — advanced career pages, customised application forms, and a consistent employer brand across all candidate touchpoints.

Element ATS serves clients from startups to organisations with hundreds of concurrent recruitment projects. The cloud-based (SaaS) architecture enables scaling without infrastructure investment, and the full feature set is available from day one — regardless of company size.

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How an ATS supports recruitment

A modern ATS supports and partially automates the most important activities in the recruitment lifecycle. Below is a detailed look at each area:

Building a recruitment process

An ATS enables recruiters to structure each hiring project from the ground up: define the job description, set targets (number of vacancies, deadlines), create custom hiring stages, and assign team members with appropriate access levels.

Job description

Every recruitment project should start with a clear job description — position name, location, responsibilities, requirements, and terms. An ATS stores the job description centrally, so all stakeholders have access to it. A good ATS can also use the job description to:

• Automatically match existing candidates in the database to the new position
• Enable fast project search by position name, location, or other criteria
• Generate recruitment reports filtered by position type or department
• Auto-generate job ad content based on the description, ready for multiposting

Recruitment targets

A good ATS allows recruiters to define and track recruitment targets — typically the number of hires needed and the time-to-hire deadline. Accurate tracking of these targets is essential for measuring recruitment effectiveness and identifying bottlenecks.

Recruitment stages

The recruitment lifecycle consists of stages, and an ATS should allow for fully customisable stage configuration. When evaluating an ATS, verify that it supports:

• Any number of stages with custom names
• Flexible stage ordering
• Designating which stage receives new applications
• Marking the employment stage (which does not have to be the last one)
• Saving stage templates for reuse across similar projects

Participants and project sharing

Each recruitment process involves multiple participants — recruiters, hiring managers, external evaluators. An ATS should allow you to:

• Add any number of participants to each project
• Define roles and access levels per participant
• Restrict visibility to specific stages (e.g., a hiring manager only sees the interview stage)
• Monitor participant activity and facilitate collaboration

Sourcing candidates

An ATS helps acquire candidates through two primary channels: job ads (active candidates) and direct search (passive candidates).

Job ads and multiposting

Multiposting allows a recruiter to create a job ad once in the ATS and publish it simultaneously on multiple job boards and the company's career page. The ATS automatically tracks which candidates applied through which source, enabling accurate measurement of source effectiveness. This data helps optimise recruitment advertising spend.

How an ATS integrates with job boards

The way an ATS connects with job boards directly affects candidate experience and application collection efficiency. There are three common integration models:

• Multiposting with application link (most common) — the ATS publishes the job ad on the board, and when a candidate clicks "Apply", they are redirected to the ATS-hosted application form. This model gives the employer full control over the form — screening questions, scoring, GDPR compliance — and is used by the vast majority of ATS platforms, including Element.
• Embedded form (closed model) — the ATS form is embedded directly within the job board and looks like a native form. The candidate sees no redirection. This model is rare and typically limited to proprietary partnerships (e.g., a job board's own ATS).
• Manual posting with link — the recruiter publishes the ad manually on the job board and pastes an ATS-generated application link. This requires no technical integration but is slower and does not support automatic source tracking.

For most employers, multiposting with an application link is the optimal model — it combines publication automation with full form control and precise source reporting. Regardless of the job board, every application flows into a single ATS, eliminating data silos and manual copy-pasting.

Sourcing passive candidates

Some ATS platforms include search tools (often called X-ray search) that help recruiters find passive candidates on LinkedIn, GitHub, StackOverflow, and other professional networks — without requiring paid accounts on those platforms. This reduces the need for expensive recruiter licenses and keeps the entire sourcing workflow within the ATS.

Application forms and links

An ATS provides customisable application forms that candidates fill out when applying. These forms can include screening questions tailored to each position. The ATS also generates unique application links for different sources, enabling precise tracking of candidate origins.

What the application process looks like from the candidate's perspective

When a candidate clicks "Apply" on a job ad, they are directed to an application form hosted by the employer's ATS. Here is what the process typically looks like:

1. The candidate finds a job ad — on a job board (e.g., Indeed, LinkedIn), social media, or the employer's career page.
2. Clicks "Apply" — the button redirects to the ATS application form. Depending on the integration model, the candidate may see a brief redirection notice or the form may be embedded within the job board.
3. Fills out the form — provides personal details, uploads a CV and other documents, grants data processing consent (GDPR), and answers screening questions if configured by the employer.
4. Receives confirmation — immediately after submitting, the candidate should receive an automated acknowledgement (email or on-screen message) confirming that their application was received.
5. Receives status updates — as recruitment progresses, the ATS automatically notifies the candidate of status changes: interview invitation, stage progression, or decision. This automation eliminates "information black holes" where candidates hear nothing for weeks.

From the candidate's perspective, a good ATS is invisible — the process is fast, simple, and professional. The candidate does not need to know which system the employer uses. What matters is form usability, response speed, and clear communication at every stage. These elements build positive candidate experience, which strengthens the employer brand and increases the number of quality applications.

Evaluation and selection

An ATS facilitates candidate evaluation through structured ratings, notes, and comparison tools. Hiring managers can review candidate profiles, leave feedback, and make decisions — all within the system. This creates a documented, consistent evaluation process that reduces bias and improves hiring quality.

Communication

An ATS centralises all candidate communication — email templates, automated notifications, status updates, and interview scheduling. This ensures every candidate receives timely, consistent communication, regardless of how many open positions the team is managing.

Reporting

Recruitment reporting in an ATS replaces manual spreadsheets with real-time, automated reports. Key metrics include time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, source effectiveness, stage conversion rates, and individual recruiter productivity. These reports enable management to make data-driven decisions about recruitment budgets, team capacity, and process improvements.

Candidate database management

An ATS maintains a searchable database of all candidates who have ever applied or been sourced. This talent pool becomes increasingly valuable over time — recruiters can search it by skills, experience, location, or tags to find qualified candidates for new positions without spending on external sourcing.

Personal data protection

Managing candidate data in compliance with GDPR and other regulations is a core function of any modern ATS. The system automates consent management, enforces retention policies, provides audit trails, and enables data subject access requests — reducing the legal and administrative burden on HR teams.

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ATS implementation and deployment

Implementing an ATS is a structured process, but modern cloud-based systems make it significantly faster and simpler than traditional on-premise software.

Most ATS platforms today operate in the SaaS (Software as a Service) model. This means there is no server infrastructure to set up, no software to install on individual devices, and updates are delivered automatically by the vendor. All you need is an internet connection and a web browser.

A typical ATS implementation involves the following steps:

• Process configuration: define your hiring stages, user roles, permissions, email templates, and evaluation criteria within the system
• Data import: transfer existing candidate data, active projects, job ad templates, and any other relevant records into the new system
• Integrations: connect the ATS with job boards, calendar, email, and any existing HR or payroll systems
• User training: ensure that recruiters, hiring managers, and administrators know how to use the system effectively
• Go-live and support: launch the system, redirect application links, and establish a support channel with the vendor

The timeline depends on your organisation's complexity — a small team can be up and running in days, while a large enterprise with extensive data migration needs may take a few weeks.

Cloud ATS (SaaS) vs On-Premises — which model to choose?

The vast majority of modern ATS platforms are offered as SaaS (Software as a Service) — a browser-based application with no installation required. The On-Premises model, which requires installation on your own servers, is increasingly rare and mostly used by organisations with very specific security requirements (e.g., government, defence).

Key differences between the two models:

• SaaS (cloud) — fast deployment (days instead of weeks), no infrastructure costs, automatic updates, access from any device and location, easy scalability. Data is stored on the vendor's servers, secured according to industry standards (encryption, backups, ISO certifications). This is the model used by Element ATS.
• On-Premises (self-hosted) — full control over data and infrastructure, but higher upfront costs (hardware, licences, IT administration), longer deployment, and responsibility for maintaining and updating the system falls on your organisation.

For the vast majority of companies — from startups to enterprises — the SaaS model is the better choice: faster deployment, lower total cost of ownership, and no IT infrastructure burden. All you need is a web browser.

ATS vs Spreadsheets — why you should switch to a recruitment system

Many employers start managing recruitment with spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets). It is a natural starting point — free and familiar. The problem emerges as the company grows: more processes, more candidates, more people involved in hiring.

Key limitations of recruiting with spreadsheets:

• No automation — every action (posting a job, sending a message, moving a candidate between stages) is manual, time-consuming, and error-prone.
• No GDPR compliance — a spreadsheet does not manage consents, does not enforce data retention, and does not automate data deletion. In the event of a regulatory audit, the absence of a proper data management system creates real financial risk.
• No reporting — you cannot automatically measure time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, or source effectiveness. Budget decisions are made without data.
• No team collaboration — managing access, roles, and permissions is impractical. Hiring managers have no convenient candidate view, and communication happens outside the spreadsheet (email, chat).
• No audit trail — who changed a candidate's status? When was a message sent? Spreadsheets have no activity logs, making both daily work and potential audits significantly harder.

Switching from spreadsheets to an ATS does not have to be expensive. Element ATS starts at €25/user per month, and implementation takes just a few days. Considering that the cost of a bad hire is 30–50% of the employee's annual salary (source: SHRM), the investment pays for itself after the first successfully closed recruitment. Read reviews from companies using Element to see how teams measure ROI in practice.

Challenges of implementing an ATS

Implementing an ATS is not just installing a tool — it is changing the way the entire recruitment team works. Even the best system will not deliver results if the organisation does not prepare for a few common challenges.

• Training the team — recruiters and hiring managers need to learn the new tool. The simpler and more intuitive the system, the shorter the adoption period. Research shows that insufficient training is one of the main reasons for low ATS feature utilisation.
• Integration with existing tools — the ATS should work with email, calendar, HR/payroll systems, and job boards. Before implementation, map your current tool ecosystem and verify that the new ATS offers the right integrations or API.
• Implementation cost and ROI — beyond the subscription fee, account for configuration time, data migration, and training. A good ATS pays for itself quickly: it reduces time-to-hire by 42–60% (source: G2 & Tracker RMS) and lowers cost-per-hire.
• Change management — moving from spreadsheets, email, or another system requires changing habits. Engaging HR team leaders early in the selection process ensures the implementation is seen as an improvement, not an additional burden.

Element ATS minimises these challenges through an intuitive interface, fast deployment (days, not weeks), full data migration support, and free configuration assistance.

Common mistakes when implementing an ATS

Avoiding these mistakes significantly increases your chances of a successful implementation and a fast return on investment.

1. No needs analysis — implementing an ATS without first defining the problems you need to solve (e.g., "time-to-hire is too long", "no source data", "GDPR compliance gaps") leads to choosing a system that does not fit the organisation.
2. Over-engineered solution from day one — selecting a system with hundreds of features when the team will only use 20% generates unnecessary cost and frustration. Choose a system that covers key needs and allows you to grow.
3. Insufficient team training — simply creating user accounts is not enough. Without proper training, recruiters revert to old methods (spreadsheets, email), and the ATS becomes a "dead" tool.
4. No integration with other HR systems — an ATS disconnected from email, calendar, and payroll forces manual data re-entry, negating the benefits of automation.
5. Excluding hiring managers — if line managers do not use the ATS (e.g., do not rate candidates, do not add comments), the decision-making process stays outside the system and loses transparency.

When choosing an ATS vendor, verify that they provide support at each of these stages — from needs analysis and configuration through training to ongoing post-implementation assistance.

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Working with an ATS day-to-day

Once implemented, an ATS becomes the central workspace for the entire recruitment team. Here is what a typical daily workflow looks like:

• Dashboard overview: the recruiter starts the day by reviewing the dashboard — new applications, pending tasks, upcoming interviews, and process deadlines at a glance.
• Reviewing new applications: incoming applications are automatically parsed and sorted into the correct projects and stages. The recruiter reviews candidate profiles, adds ratings or notes, and moves qualified candidates to the next stage.
• Managing the pipeline: using the Kanban or pipeline view, the recruiter drags candidates between stages, assigns tasks to hiring managers, and tracks progress across all active projects simultaneously.
• Communication: the ATS sends automated emails (acknowledgements, rejections, interview invitations) based on stage changes. Recruiters can also send personalised messages directly from the candidate profile.
• Collaboration with hiring managers: hiring managers receive notifications when candidates reach their review stage, leave evaluations, and approve or reject candidates — all within the ATS, without email threads or spreadsheets.
• Reporting: at the end of the week or month, the recruiter generates reports on key metrics — time-to-hire, source effectiveness, stage conversion rates — to identify what is working and what needs improvement.

The key advantage of working within an ATS is that all recruitment data, communication, and decisions are captured in one system — creating a complete, auditable record of every hiring process.

65% of HR professionals rank candidate experience as the most important factor when choosing recruitment tools. An ATS that automates communication and maintains consistent contact with candidates directly improves the quality of their experience throughout the hiring process.
— HR.com, Future of Recruitment Technologies 2025–26

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Changing and migrating your ATS

Switching to a new ATS is a strategic decision that requires careful planning, but it does not have to be disruptive. According to Fosway Group, 67% of organisations plan to change their ATS within the next two years — often because their current system no longer meets their needs in terms of usability, integrations, or compliance features.

A well-planned ATS migration typically involves these steps:

• Data inventory and mapping: identify all data that needs to be transferred — candidate profiles, recruitment projects, tags, notes, documents, consent records — and map it to the new system's structure.
• Migration method: the ATS vendor should support data transfer via a migration script or API. A good vendor provides this as part of the onboarding process.
• Test migration: run a trial migration with a subset of data to verify accuracy, completeness, and data integrity before committing to the full transfer.
• Application link cutover: plan the switch-over of live application links and career page integrations to ensure no applications are lost during the transition.
• Timeline and parallel running: define a clear go-live date and, if necessary, run both systems in parallel for a brief period to ensure continuity.

The most important factor in a successful ATS migration is choosing a vendor that actively supports the process — providing migration tools, dedicated support, and a clear project timeline.

Data migration — what gets transferred

A typical ATS data migration includes:

• Candidate profiles (personal data, contact information, CVs, notes)
• Recruitment projects and their current stages
• Tags, labels, and candidate categorisation
• GDPR consent records and retention dates
• Communication history (if supported by the source system's export)
• Job ad templates and configuration settings

Not all data may be transferable — this depends on what the previous system can export. A thorough data inventory at the beginning of the project prevents surprises later.

"Migration from our previous system to Element took less than two weeks. The Element team prepared a migration script, we tested it on sample data, and then transferred over 15,000 candidate profiles without losing a single record. It was the smoothest IT project in our company."
— Head of People & Culture, manufacturing company, 800+ employees