# Best Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) - Page 23 *By [Grace Savides](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/grace-savides)* Applicant tracking systems (ATS) source, screen, and build pipelines to manage candidates for open positions. Recruiters, HR teams, and hiring managers use these tools to create and distribute job postings, parse resumes, schedule interviews, and manage documents like cover letters and references. In addition, an ATS also automates time-consuming manual tasks like scheduling interviews, communicating next steps, and sending alerts to candidates. An ATS also tracks and reports metrics like time-to-hire and cost-to-hire, enabling companies to optimize the return-on-investment (ROI) of recruiting software investments. To best secure top of funnel hiring, this recruiting software ties into greater recruiting features such as [job boards](https://www.g2.com/categories/job-board), [employee referral software](https://www.g2.com/categories/employee-referral), [recruitment marketing platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/recruitment-marketing), [video interviewing software](https://www.g2.com/categories/video-interviewing), [interview scheduling software](https://www.g2.com/categories/interview-scheduling), [onboarding software](https://www.g2.com/categories/onboarding-software), and [recruitment platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/recruitment-platforms). Some ATS may offer [candidate relationship management software](https://www.g2.com/categories/candidate-relationship-management) capabilities to help recruiters proactively discover and nurture potential candidates via email marketing, scheduling, and periodic communications. Recruitment professionals across industries use applicant tracking tools to extract a candidate’s educational background, skills, and work histories from a resume, enabling recruiters to find the most qualified candidates for their organization. These tools allow hiring teams to acquire and manage candidates from multiple sources, including social media, referrals, and job board websites. An ATS also ensures collaborative hiring, coordinates multiple calendars while scheduling interviews, and integrates with existing recruiting software to boost hiring process efficiency. To qualify for inclusion in the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) category, a product must: - Collect, sort, and screen resumes, parsing associated candidate information - Flag qualified candidates and match them with opportunities - Build talent pools within a customizable workflow - Enable communication between HR personnel, hiring managers, recruiters, and candidates - Track, analyze, and manage the candidate experience - Allow for interview feedback such as notes or scorecards and include or integrate with interview scheduling - Provide reporting and analytics on the effectiveness of the interview process, composition of the talent pool, or time-based metrics - Post jobs on relevant boards or integrate with job posting software ## How Many Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) Products Does G2 Track? **Total Products under this Category:** 434 ### Category Stats (May 2026) - **Average Rating**: 4.45/5 - **New Reviews This Quarter**: 644 - **Buyer Segments**: Mid-Market 54% │ Small-Business 32% │ Enterprise 14% - **Top Trending Product**: Journeyfront (+0.154) *Last updated: May 13, 2026* ## How Does G2 Rank Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) Products? **Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:** - 30 Analysts and Data Experts - 93,800+ Authentic Reviews - 434+ Products - Unbiased Rankings G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category. ## Top Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) at a Glance | # | Product | Rating | Best For | What Users Say | |---|---------|--------|----------|----------------| | 1 | [Greenhouse](https://www.g2.com/products/greenhouse/reviews) | 4.4/5.0 (3,829 reviews) | Structured recruiting pipelines | "[Makes talent acquisition seamless](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/greenhouse-review-11398296)" | | 2 | [Deel Hire](https://www.g2.com/products/deel-hire/reviews) | 4.8/5.0 (5,798 reviews) | Global hiring workflows | "[All Contracts in One Place with Easy Invoicing, Tax Forms, and Payment Tracking](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/deel-hire-review-12853950)" | | 3 | [BambooHR](https://www.g2.com/products/bamboohr/reviews) | 4.4/5.0 (4,795 reviews) | HR-connected applicant tracking | "[Clean, Intuitive HR Platform with Reliable Performance and Strong ROI](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/bamboohr-review-12888679)" | | 4 | [Rippling](https://www.g2.com/products/rippling/reviews) | 4.8/5.0 (11,260 reviews) | Hiring-to-HR automation | "[Organized and Efficient Platform for Hiring and Employee Management](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/rippling-review-12876145)" | | 5 | [Bullhorn](https://www.g2.com/products/bullhorn/reviews) | 4.2/5.0 (1,175 reviews) | Staffing recruitment workflows | "[Versatile Tool with Powerful Automations and Seamless Integrations](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/bullhorn-review-12097981)" | | 6 | [JobDiva](https://www.g2.com/products/jobdiva/reviews) | 4.7/5.0 (1,736 reviews) | Staffing enterprise recruiting | "[Organized Recruitment Process, Quick Sourcing with JobDiva](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/jobdiva-review-11911062)" | | 7 | [UKG Ready](https://www.g2.com/products/ukg-ready/reviews) | 4.4/5.0 (2,366 reviews) | Customizable HR hiring workflows | "[Intuitive, Fast, and Insightful—UKG Ready Delivers Real Workflow Efficiency](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/ukg-ready-review-12643555)" | | 8 | [Ceipal ATS](https://www.g2.com/products/ceipal-ats/reviews) | 4.7/5.0 (1,415 reviews) | Staffing talent acquisition | "[Powerful ATS with integration features](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/ceipal-ats-review-11494385)" | | 9 | [Workable](https://www.g2.com/products/workable/reviews) | 4.4/5.0 (684 reviews) | All-in-one hiring process | "[Nice solution with to quickly post a job across dozens of platforms at once](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/workable-review-12471453)" | | 10 | [Zoho Recruit](https://www.g2.com/products/zoho-recruit/reviews) | 4.4/5.0 (1,782 reviews) | Recruiter and agency ATS | "[Developer-Friendly Email Platform with Consistent Performance](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/zoho-recruit-review-12864918)" | ## Which Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) Is Best for Your Use Case? - **Leader:** [Greenhouse](https://www.g2.com/products/greenhouse/reviews) - **Highest Performer:** [Jarvi](https://www.g2.com/products/jarvi/reviews) - **Easiest to Use:** [Jarvi](https://www.g2.com/products/jarvi/reviews) - **Top Trending:** [Deel Hire](https://www.g2.com/products/deel-hire/reviews) - **Best Free Software:** [Zoho Recruit](https://www.g2.com/products/zoho-recruit/reviews) ## Which Type of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) Tools Are You Looking For? - [Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/applicant-tracking-systems-ats) *(current)* - [Recruitment Marketing Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/recruitment-marketing) - [Onboarding Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/onboarding-software) - [Recruitment Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/recruitment-platforms) --- **Sponsored** ### isolved isolved is a provider of human capital management (HCM) solutions that help organizations recruit, retain and elevate their workforce. 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[Visit website](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bad_program%5D=paid_promo&secure%5Bad_slot%5D=category_product_list&secure%5Bcategory_id%5D=789&secure%5Bmedium%5D=sponsored&secure%5Bprioritized%5D=false&secure%5Bproduct_id%5D=3416&secure%5Bresource_id%5D=789&secure%5Bresource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bsource_type%5D=category_page&secure%5Bsource_url%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.g2.com%2Fcategories%2Fapplicant-tracking-systems-ats%2Fsmall-business&secure%5Btoken%5D=5c8e92a81fae7a1eddc45c7040ef7232f34e98bc851e3a5ab02543d232723c4a&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.isolvedhcm.com%2Fplatform%2Fhr-and-payroll%2Fhuman-resources&secure%5Burl_type%5D=paid_promos) --- ## Buyer Guide: Key Questions for Choosing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) Software ### What do Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) do? I explain applicant tracking systems as tools that help businesses manage hiring from job posting through candidate selection and onboarding handoff. These systems bring applicant organization, recruiting pipelines, resume management, interview scheduling, candidate communication, and hiring visibility into one workflow. Instead of tracking candidates across inboxes, spreadsheets, and disconnected hiring steps, teams can keep recruiting organized and move applicants through the process more efficiently. ### Why do businesses use Applicant Tracking Systems? G2 reviewers often connect ATS adoption with scattered candidate information, manual hiring steps, slow communication, and difficulty tracking applicants across roles. I found that users value tools that make recruiting work more structured and easier to coordinate. Common benefits include: - Centralized candidate records and applications. - Easier job posting and applicant tracking. - Faster resume review and candidate search. - More organized interview scheduling. - Better collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers. - Automated workflows for repetitive recruiting tasks. - Reporting on pipeline activity and hiring progress. - Smoother onboarding handoffs after hiring decisions. ### Who uses Applicant Tracking Systems primarily? From the G2 reviewer patterns I evaluated, ATS users include both dedicated recruiting teams and business users involved in hiring. Primary users include: - **Recruiters and talent acquisition teams** who need to source applicants, manage pipelines, review resumes, and move candidates through hiring stages. - **HR managers and HR administrators** who need to configure workflows, maintain candidate records, support compliance, and coordinate hiring processes. - **Hiring managers** who need to review applicants, provide feedback, compare candidates, and make hiring decisions. - **Staffing and recruiting agencies** who need to manage high-volume roles, client submissions, candidate communication, and placement activity. - **Operations leaders at smaller businesses** who need a simple way to organize hiring without a large recruiting team. - **Interview coordinators** who need to schedule interviews, manage availability, send reminders, and keep the process moving. - **Executives** who need hiring visibility across open roles, pipeline health, recruiting progress, and team growth. - **Candidates** who need to submit applications, complete onboarding steps, and stay informed throughout the hiring process. ### What types of Applicant Tracking Systems should I consider? Based on G2 reviewer sentiment, buyers should compare: - **Core ATS platforms:** Reviewers value candidate tracking, resumes, job workflows, and hiring pipelines. - **Recruiting agency systems:** Users highlight search, candidate databases, communication, and client-facing workflows. - **HR suite ATS tools:** G2 feedback connects these with onboarding, payroll, employee records, and broader HR operations. - **AI-assisted recruiting tools:** Reviewers mention automation, candidate matching, summaries, and faster screening. - **Small-business hiring tools:** Users value ease of setup, simple posting, and clear workflows. - **Enterprise recruiting platforms:** Reviewers point to customization, integrations, compliance, reporting, and multi-team coordination. ### What are the core features to look for in Applicant Tracking Systems? From the G2 feedback I reviewed, the most important capabilities include: - Candidate profiles and application tracking across active roles and hiring stages. - Resume parsing, search, and filtering for faster candidate evaluation. - Job posting management across internal and external channels. - Interview scheduling with calendar integrations and structured coordination. - Email templates and communication tools for consistent candidate outreach. - Customizable pipeline stages and workflow configuration. - Collaboration tools that keep hiring teams aligned on feedback and decisions. - Reporting and dashboards that surface pipeline health and hiring activity. - Integrations with HR, calendar, email, job boards, and onboarding systems. - Automation for reminders, screening steps, and status updates. - Responsive support and implementation guidance for initial setup and ongoing use. ### What trends are shaping Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) right now? I found that users often highlight these ATS trends on G2: - **Automation and AI assistance** that reduces manual recruiting work. - **Connected workflows** that link ATS tools with HR systems, calendars, email, and job boards. - **Improved candidate communication** that keeps teams informed throughout the hiring process. - **Better reporting and pipeline visibility** that make hiring progress easier to track. - **Searchable candidate databases** that help recruiters find and reuse candidate information more efficiently. ### How should I choose an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)? For me, the strongest ATS is the kind that keeps hiring organized for recruiters while making participation simple for hiring teams. When ease of use, candidate visibility, automation, integrations, reporting, and dependable support come together, an ATS becomes a trusted system for moving candidates through the hiring process efficiently. --- ## What Is Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)? [Talent Acquisition Suites Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/talent-acquisition-suites) ## What Software Categories Are Similar to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)? - [Recruitment Marketing Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/recruitment-marketing) - [Onboarding Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/onboarding-software) - [Recruitment Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/recruitment-platforms) --- ## How Do You Choose the Right Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)? ### What You Should Know About Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) ### Applicant tracking systems (ATS) overview An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a type of [talent acquisition software](https://www.g2.com/categories/talent-acquisition-suites) that provides a centralized system for creating job postings, screening applicant resumes, storing candidate information, conducting interviews, and sharing offer letters. More advanced ATS software applications may feature various capabilities like interview scheduling, applicant database management, job board integrations, automated emails, hiring analytics, and reporting. Hiring agencies, talent outsourcing companies, and human resources (HR) teams use applicant tracking system software to automate traditionally manual recruitment tasks with [artificial intelligence](https://www.g2.com/articles/what-is-artificial-intelligence) and cloud technology. ATS systems sort candidate resumes with natural language processing (NLP) to find applicants with relevant experience and skills. Recruiters can use ATS tools to share interview status updates via email and text, meet Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines, track metrics like [time-to-hire](https://learn.g2.com/time-to-hire-metric), and enhance the overall candidate experience. Some [HRMS & HCM software](https://www.g2.com/categories/human-resource-management-systems) may feature built-in ATS functionality. However, stand-alone ATS applications are ideal for managing diverse talent pools, screening resumes, communicating with candidates, and optimizing the hiring process with rich analytics. ### Who uses applicant tracking systems? [Recruitment agencies](https://www.g2.com/categories/recruitment-agencies), enterprises, and small or medium-sized businesses (SMBs) use applicant tracking systems to weed out irrelevant resumes, find qualified candidates with desired skills, and communicate with them throughout the hiring process. ATS solutions serve the following business types:  - Startups - Enterprises - Recruitment agencies - Small and medium-sized businesses Types of recruitment and hiring professionals who use ATS include: - **HR managers:** Talent leaders of organizations of all sizes rely on applicant tracking solutions to enhance the talent pipeline with efficient [candidate sourcing](https://learn.g2.com/candidate-sourcing-techniques), meet target headcount goals, and optimize hiring costs. - **Corporate recruiters:** A corporate recruiter or talent acquisition specialist responsible for filling open positions uses an ATS platform to source and compare candidates, shorten interview cycles, and manage tasks across the recruiting funnel. - **Recruitment agency executives:** ATS systems are invaluable to recruitment executives, helping them source and hire candidates on behalf of an organization. They rely on ATS to store applicant data, view real-time pipeline progress, and share updates with hiring managers. - [**Diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI)**](https://www.g2.com/glossary/dei-definition) **officers:** ATS also aids DEI practitioners in visualizing and improving the presence of historically underrepresented and marginalized groups within the workforce. - **Executive search service providers:** Executive recruitment agencies filling senior-level positions within companies use ATS systems to attract and convert top talent. - **Campus recruiters:** On-campus and off-campus recruiters are responsible for sourcing and hiring college and university graduates. They use ATS software to manage talent databases and hire for open jobs at different companies. - **Freelance recruitment consultants:** Freelance recruiters also may use ATS tools to manage, analyze, and interview candidates for various positions across organizations. ### Types of applicant tracking systems Below are different industry-specific ATS platforms available in the applicant tracking system software market. - **Recruitment:** ATS solutions tailored for staffing agencies feature intelligent workflows to help them manage job postings and source candidates for multiple clients. These systems also feature email and SMS capabilities to help recruiters communicate with candidates. - **Government:** Central and local government agencies use public sector ATS solutions to maintain candidate anonymity and eliminate recruiting prejudice or bias. These systems also enable shared service team members to support hiring managers during recruitment. Government organizations rely on these systems to meet internal standards, measure [DEI](https://learn.g2.com/dei) progress, and comply with EEOC guidelines. Medical organizations and practices rely on [healthcare staffing services](https://www.g2.com/categories/healthcare-staffing-services) to review credentials, verify licenses, assess skills, and run background checks.  - **Hospitality:** Leisure and tourism sector players use custom applicant tracking solutions to post on job boards, boost hiring pipelines, pre-screen candidates, and onboard them. - **Education:** ATS platforms enable colleges and universities to create job templates, publish branded careers pages, maximize candidate pool, and boost screening efficiency. - **Retail:** In-house retail recruiting teams turn to these systems to submit job requisitions, source candidates from [job search sites](https://www.g2.com/categories/job-search-sites), and share real-time updates with applicants. - **Manufacturing:** Manufacturers run background checks, [manage payroll](https://www.g2.com/glossary/payroll-management-definition), screen tax credit eligibility, and hire applicants based on behavioral assessments and knowledge-based evaluations. - **Nonprofit:** Nonprofit organizations use cloud-based [candidate relationship management (CRM) tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/candidate-relationship-management) or ATS software to craft job ads, attract the right candidates, coordinate hiring across locations, and improve administrative efficiency. ### Benefits of applicant tracking systems Best-in-class applicant tracking systems are essential for hiring managers looking to: - **Automate tasks:** The application process involves various manual tasks such as getting stakeholder approvals, creating [job descriptions](https://learn.g2.com/how-to-write-a-job-description), posting on job boards, filtering resumes, scheduling interviews, and following up with candidates. ATS software enables hiring teams to automate these time-consuming administrative tasks with customizable and collaborative hiring workflows.  - **Create a single source of truth:** Tracking and managing the [talent pool](https://learn.g2.com/talent-pool) is challenging, especially with the volume of resumes recruiters receive from career sites and job boards. ATS makes it easier for them to centralize candidate information by department, talent source, hiring stage, and categories. Hiring managers can also use ATS to share candidate feedback with decision-makers. - **Digitize onboarding paperwork:** Time-consuming administrative paperwork prevents recruiters from focusing on strategic hiring and training existing employees. ATS applications save time with document e-verification, digital paperwork storage, and approvals.  - **Meet hiring compliance:** Organizations must adhere to hiring, payroll, and labor-related laws and regulations. For example, they combine ATS systems and [HR compliance software](https://www.g2.com/categories/hr-compliance) to comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) while sending notices and handling payments. Organizations hiring federal contractors and sub-contractors can meet Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) regulations with the right system. - **Collaborate with decision-makers:** Recruiters often collaborate with or pass information to hiring managers and decision-makers while closing open roles. An applicant tracking system eliminates this back-and-forth with a collaborative portal that lets recruiters tag others, send reminders, get real-time notifications, and schedule automated emails. This organized hiring process helps recruiters avoid communication gaps and collaborate with other teams. - **Track recruiting KPIs:** ATS systems also deliver useful recruitment metrics like time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, offer acceptance rate, quality of hire, and retention rate in a single analytics dashboard. The ease of accessing this data enables recruiters to monitor data, identify trends, set benchmarks, and optimize hiring strategy. ### Which is the best recruiting software with built-in ATS? - [Greenhouse](https://www.g2.com/products/greenhouse/reviews): Offers structured hiring workflows, customizable scorecards, and robust analytics, making it ideal for mid-to-large businesses seeking data-driven recruitment processes.​ - [Lever](https://www.g2.com/products/lever/reviews): Combines ATS and CRM functionalities, providing collaborative hiring features and advanced analytics to enhance candidate relationship management.​ - [iCIMS](https://www.g2.com/products/icims-formerly-icims-talent-cloud/reviews): Provides scalable recruitment solutions with AI-powered candidate matching and robust integration capabilities, suitable for large enterprises.​ - [Rippling](https://www.g2.com/products/rippling/reviews): While mainly known for HR and IT management, Rippling also offers a simple, growing ATS solution integrated with its HRIS. - [BambooHR](https://www.g2.com/products/bamboohr/reviews): Best known for HR management, BambooHR also features an easy-to-use ATS module for small to mid-sized businesses. ### Applicant tracking systems features The best-in-class software offer the following ATS features to help recruiters operate efficiently, streamline the hiring process, and offer a seamless experience to job seekers. - **Candidate sourcing** is crucial for creating a talent pool from LinkedIn, job boards, and career sites and storing and finding candidate information.  - **Application sorting** uses intelligent automation to filter the best candidates based on their resumes, skills, previous work experiences, and qualifications. - **Interview scheduling** eliminates manual scheduling tasks with calendar integration. Moreover, some ATS systems also provide interview kits and feedback forms to help interviewers prepare before the interview. - **Automated messaging** delivers customized messages to candidates at the end of each phase of the interview process. - **Automation workflows** allow talent teams to simplify and streamline manual processes like personalized candidate outreach, interview setup, candidate feedback collection, and meeting scheduling. - [**Onboarding tools**](https://www.g2.com/categories/onboarding) integrate with ATS to make it easy for hiring teams to welcome new recruits and provide them with training materials and other necessary information, such as employee benefits. - **Talent analytics** is essential for tracking overall recruiting progress and diversity hiring metrics. ### Applicant tracking systems pricing Applicant tracking system software pricing varies depending on business size, feature requirements, number of users, and industry. Below are the standard ATS pricing models. -  A **flat fee** is a fixed monthly or one-time fee that an ATS software provider charges to provide the user company with a license. It’s best for small or medium-sized organizations with a limited budget. Some ATS vendors may charge additional installation fees. - The **pay-per-employee model** charges organizations based on their hiring team size and doesn’t change with hiring frequency. This plan suits small businesses or enterprises with many hiring team members. Some ATS solution vendor companies may offer bulk discounts for more users.  - The **pay-per-recruiter payment model** considers the number of users who will actively use the ATS platform. Besides login credentials, they receive user privileges depending on their seniority in the organizations. This plan is suitable for organizations with seasoned hiring teams looking to control the total hiring cost. - The **pay-per-job model** requires an organization to pay for each open job role. A vendor won’t charge the company after the position has been filled. This ATS pricing model suits organizations that open new roles occasionally. Companies with many open positions may end up paying more with this model.  - **Subscription-based pricing** is the most common model. Depending on the pricing plan, businesses opting for this model pay a recurring monthly or annual fee to the vendor. It’s suitable for organizations hiring throughout the year. ### Which applicant tracking system is best for small businesses? - [Zoho Recruit](https://www.g2.com/products/zoho-recruit/reviews): Offers a comprehensive solution for in-house recruiters and staffing agencies, with resume parsing, customizable workflows, and reporting tools to streamline hiring. - [Jotform](https://www.g2.com/products/jotform/reviews): Offers a flexible, no-code form builder with robust e-signature and workflow automation features, making it easy for small businesses to collect applications, approvals, and contracts all in one place. - [JazzHR](https://www.g2.com/products/jazz-co/reviews): Delivers powerful, user-friendly recruiting software with features like customizable workflows, candidate assessments, and collaborative hiring tools, helping small businesses attract and hire the right talent efficiently. ### How to choose the best applicant tracking system Below is a step-by-step process buyers can follow while picking an ATS solution for their organizations. #### Planning stage The planning stage involves understanding organizational requirements and recruitment complexity, assessing integration needs, and estimating timelines. - **Understand company goals:** Organizations have different recruitment goals depending on their sizes. For example, a small business may want a user-friendly ATS for candidate sourcing. In contrast, an enterprise may wish to boost employer branding and tackle high-volume hiring recruitments. A solid understanding of company goals is crucial for choosing the right applicant tracking software. - **Evaluate recruitment complexity:** Finding the right candidate for a high-demand role can be challenging. Moreover, companies typically have custom workflows for each position they hire. Assessing the recruitment complexity for each position helps buyers find the most suitable ATS. - **Estimate timeline and resources:** Buyers must work with key stakeholders and decision-makers to estimate the budget and finalize the implementation timeline and other resources before looking for ATS solutions. - **List must-have functionalities:** This step requires buyers to understand their companies’ hiring process and create a list of recruiting capabilities that an ATS or the integrated system must have. Organizations may need different must-have functionalities, including job posting, interview scheduling, candidate information management, branded communications, and onboarding. - **Determine integration needs:** Organizations buying ATS systems may want to integrate their ATS with background check service providers, [human resources information system (HRIS)](https://www.g2.com/articles/what-is-hris), [payroll software](https://www.g2.com/categories/payroll), [single sign-on (SSO) solutions](https://www.g2.com/categories/single-sign-on-sso),[video interviewing applications](https://www.g2.com/categories/video-interviewing), and [time & attendance solutions](https://www.g2.com/categories/time-attendance). Knowing these integration requirements beforehand is critical for finding the right software. - **Set measurable goals:** Buyers must set intelligent goals for measuring the success of an ATS solution. Organizations typically establish goals around the time they save while sourcing candidates, reviewing resumes, scheduling, and conducting interviews. Businesses should also consider the overall cost per hire, the time required to fill each role, and hiring manager satisfaction. #### Research stage The software research stage involves exploring solutions with the must-have features and integration capabilities an organization needs to streamline recruitment. The aim is to create a list of solutions that meet organizational requirements. Buyers must consider the following factors while attending software demos and using free trials. - **Centralized tool:** Having a centralized ATS system is helpful for recruiters looking to post jobs, screen resumes, and manage candidate data, interviews, feedback, and onboarding from a single dashboard. They can also set up custom workflows and assign tasks to relevant decision-makers.  - **Team collaboration:** Best-in-class ATS solutions offer collaborative hiring features to enable different team members to meet the candidate during the multi-stage hiring process. This feature allows organizations to evaluate candidates holistically while providing them with a well-rounded experience.  - **User-friendly interface:** An intuitive user experience improves recruiters’ productivity and reduces the scope of errors with clear instructions. Buyers must consider purchasing user-friendly ATS solutions to minimize training time, boost user adoption, and enhance overall HR efficiency.  - **Custom report and analytics:** Purchasing an ATS system with reporting capabilities is essential for businesses to measure hiring metrics and make data-driven decisions. Without it, organizations can’t evaluate or improve recruitment efficiency and the time and cost they save. #### Consideration and selection stage This stage involves identifying ATS software systems with desired features and using free trials or demos to evaluate whether they fit into an organization’s existing [HR software](https://www.g2.com/categories/hr). Buyers can filter these solutions based on their budget, implementation timeline, and availability of vendor support. Buyers should consider choosing ATS vendors providing dedicated onboarding assistance, customer support, and data import or export capabilities. At the end of this stage, buyers will be ready to choose a vendor based on their interaction with the vendor and the features they offer. ### Software and services related to applicant tracking systems Below are software and services businesses of all sizes can use alongside applicant tracking systems. - [**Recruitment marketing platforms**](https://www.g2.com/categories/recruitment-marketing) enable internal recruiters to build and nurture talent pipelines with open job role distribution and promotion on social and job boards. Organizations can integrate these solutions with ATS systems and onboarding software. - [**Onboarding solutions**](https://www.g2.com/categories/onboarding) help recruiters automate onboarding, eliminate paperwork, and manage candidate communications. Hiring managers can also use these tools to manage documents and track new hire training progress. - [**Recruitment platforms**](https://www.g2.com/categories/recruitment-platforms) aid recruiters in managing the entire recruiting process, from candidate sourcing to onboarding. These tools feature built-in ATS, job posting distribution, resume management, and social recruiting functionalities. - [**Staffing agencies**](https://www.g2.com/categories/staffing-agencies) assist organizations across industries in promoting available job positions, screening job seekers based on skills, and forwarding selected candidates to employers for further interviews. - [**On-demand staffing services providers**](https://www.g2.com/categories/on-demand-staffing-services) or mobile marketplaces ease how businesses hire temporary or short-term workers with specialized skills. Job seekers create online profiles on these platforms to apply for job openings available. - [Recruitment agencies](https://www.g2.com/categories/recruitment-agencies), also known as headhunters, help organizations find qualified candidates for specific open positions. They make the first contact with candidates regardless of their employment status before sharing candidate profiles with the hiring company. ### Applicant tracking systems trends - [Predictive analytics](https://www.g2.com/articles/predictive-analytics) **continue shaping talent acquisition strategies.** ATS solutions with predictive analytics capabilities enable organizations to spot hiring process inefficiencies, reduce talent acquisition costs, and improve the ROI of recruiting software investments. These tools feature data visualization and trend identification capabilities to help businesses measure and improve time and cost per hire.  - **AI-enabled ATS systems have become essential for talent intelligence.** Innovative ATS solutions with [natural language processing (NLP)](https://www.g2.com/articles/natural-language-processing) capabilities allow organizations to minimize bias in candidate selection, automate job postings on job boards, screen resumes faster, identify top candidates, and answer applicant queries via chatbots. Some places around the world have instituted laws requiring such AI to be regularly audited or restricting their use due to discrimination concerns. Reviewed and Edited by [Jigmee Bhutia](https://in.linkedin.com/in/jigmeebhutia1408)