In the digital age, businesses don't just need to hire fast; they need to hire the right people with the right skills. This is where the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) becomes a strategic solution. With its ability to efficiently manage candidate profiles, automate processes, and support online recruitment, ATS has helped thousands of HR professionals reduce manual workload.
In this article, we will explore how ATS works, considerations for its implementation, and a comparison of popular tools on the market, before discovering why Hire Central is considered the "powerful assistant" for modern HR.
What is ATS Software?
ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is software that helps businesses manage and automate the entire recruitment process, from job posting, managing and screening applications, tracking and evaluating interviews, to generating final reports. Thanks to ATS, recruiters can easily collect, store, categorize, and evaluate candidate profiles, thus quickly finding the right person and minimizing errors.
An ATS system typically integrates all steps from job posting, screening, interviewing, to tracking candidate progress. As a result, the recruitment process becomes seamless, scientific, and particularly effective for businesses with large-scale hiring needs.
Similarly, the Hire Central platform is also a software solution that helps businesses manage, screen, and evaluate candidates scientifically, completely replacing manual Excel and email processes.
The Role of ATS in Recruitment Management
A Jobscan survey highlighted the significant popularity and effectiveness of the Applicant Tracking System (ATS):
According to TestGorilla's 2024 skills-based hiring report:
- 99% of Fortune 500 companies are using ATS, including 70% of large companies and 20% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
- 75% of recruiters have adopted this system, and 94% affirm that ATS significantly improves the recruitment process.
- ATS can cut time spent on manual tasks by up to 70%, increase reporting speed by 70%, and save approximately 15% of recruitment time for the HR department.
So, what are the superior features that make ATS the top choice over traditional methods?
- Automation of Repetitive Tasks: ATS automatically evaluates candidate profiles, reduces errors, and helps quickly identify the most suitable candidates.
- Time and Cost Savings: Manual operations such as data entry, CV screening, and interview scheduling are automated, while optimizing the effectiveness of recruitment channels (website, social media, job portals).
- Centralized Data Management: ATS collects and synchronizes profiles from multiple channels into a single system, making candidate search and management fast and convenient.
- Improved Candidate Experience: Reduces complex procedures, provides timely feedback via email or chatbot, creating a more professional and friendly impression.
Comparison of ATS Recruitment Tools
The table below summarizes some popular ATS recruitment tools:
| Criteria | Hire Central | Oracle Taleo | Greenhouse | Base E-Hiring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implementation | On-site support during the first two weeks, user-friendly for non-tech-savvy HR | Complex, often requires an IT team for implementation | Long training time required | Fast, suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) |
| AI &Automation | AI ranks candidates by skills, certifications, and experience. Automated multi-channel interview scheduling (Email, Zalo, SMS, Slack). | Basic AI capabilities, but tailored for the US/European market, less optimized for Vietnam | Has AI features, but primarily designed for the international market | Automatically filters applications, but AI capabilities are limited |
| Talent Pool | Aggregates applications from multiple sources (job portals, LinkedIn, referrals, professional communities) into one place, with smart categorization. | Good management capabilities but with fragmented data, difficult to customize for local needs | Good pipeline management, but lacks optimization for multiple sources in Vietnam | Aggregates domestic applications, limited international sources |
| Report & Analytics | Visual funnel, measures conversion rates, detects bottlenecks. Includes market trend analysis (salaries, hot skills). | Strong reporting capabilities, but tailored for large global enterprises, lacks deep customization for Vietnam | Pipeline-based reporting, limited market data | Basic reporting, not yet in-depth |
| Ideal Customers | Vietnamese & Southeast Asian enterprises, especially in Tech, Finance, Retail, and MNCs | Global large enterprises with a dedicated IT team | International medium and large enterprises | Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam |
Tip: When comparing, prioritize the factor of "suitability for your scale and needs" rather than choosing a famous tool with unnecessary features.
See more:
- Trends in Using AI in Human Resource Recruitment for Businesses
- 5 AI Applications that Make Hiring Faster and More Effective
- The Future of the Recruitment Profession as AI Rises
- Applying AI in Recruitment: The Trend of the Labor Market
How the Applicant Tracking System Works
An ATS recruitment tool operates through an optimized 6-step process, helping HR managers transition from "manual management" to "smart automation":
3.1 Candidate Information Collection
ATS recruitment software acts as a "smart collector," automatically aggregating profiles from all sources:
- Easy Posting: With just one click, job postings can be published simultaneously on hundreds of job portals, recruitment websites, and social media.
- Automatic Profile Aggregation: Candidate profiles from multiple sources (job boards, LinkedIn, referrals, company website) are brought into a centralized database, minimizing loss or oversight.
- 24/7 Continuous Collection: No need for HR to monitor each source; ATS always operates in the background to ensure every potential candidate is recorded.
- Deep Integration: Modern ATS systems also connect directly with over 200+ job boards, providing a significant advantage for HR when expanding their candidate search reach.
Thanks to this collection step, HR no longer spends hours copying and pasting profiles from various places but immediately has all candidate data centralized and ready for the next screening step.
3.2 Candidate Information Storage
ATS creates a "talent treasure trove" with a smart database architecture:
Standard Storage Structure:
- Core Profile: Personal info, contact, visa status
- Experience Timeline: Work history verified by artificial intelligence
- Skill Matrix: Professional and soft skills with proficiency levels
- Evaluation History: Test results, interview notes
- Communication Log: All interactions with the candidate
Raw Profile → AI Analysis → Structured Data → Search Index → Fast Retrieval
Practical Benefit: The HR manager can search for "Java programmer with 3 years of experience in Ho Chi Minh City" and receive results in less than 2 seconds.
3.3 Candidate Information Analysis
The process involves using Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to transform unstructured profiles (PDF, Word) into organized data, including personal information, skills, experience, and education.
Technology Behind the System:
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Reads scanned profiles with 98% accuracy
- Natural Language Processing (NLP): Understands Vietnamese context ("5 years of experience" = experience level)
- Machine Learning (ML): Learns from HR manager feedback to improve accuracy
| Extracted information | Accuracy Rate | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Contact information | 99% | Less than 1 second |
| Work Experience | 95% | 2–3 seconds |
| Skills matching | 90% | 3–5 seconds |
| Education details | 97% | 1–2 seconds |
3.4 Candidate Evaluation and Ranking
The ATS scoring algorithm functions as a "recruitment brain" with 3 evaluation layers:
Layer 1 - Keyword Matching (40% Weight):
- Professional skills matching the job description
- Industry experience keywords
- Certificates and degrees
Layer 2 - Experience Relevance (35% Weight):
- Years of experience in a similar role
- Company size and industry background
- Leadership experience (if applicable)
Layer 3 - Culture and Soft Skills (25% Weight):
- Communication skills from the cover letter
- Career development model
- Educational background fit
Example: The Senior Marketing Manager position requires "Google Ads + 5 years of experience" → ATS will score highly those profiles with a Google Ads certificate + marketing experience of 5 years or more.
3.5 Interview Schedule Management
The smart scheduling tool eliminates 90% of back-and-forth emails.
Automation Features:
- Smart Time Slots: AI analyzes calendar patterns to suggest optimal times
- Multi-Time Zone Support: Automatically converts time for remote candidates
- Buffer Time Management: Automatically adds 15 minutes of preparation time between interviews
- No-Show Prediction: Suggests confirmation calls for high-risk candidates
Integrated Ecosystem:
- Google Calendar/Outlook Synchronization
- Automatic Zoom/Teams meeting link creation
- SMS/Zalo reminder integration
- Candidate self-scheduling portal
3.6 Recruitment Process Management
Transparent process information provides real-time tracking capability:
Recruitment Funnel Analysis:
| Steps | Convert Rate |
|---|---|
| Apply | 100% |
| Screen | 40% |
| Interview | 15% |
| Offer | 5% |
| Hired | 3% |
Key Metrics Tracked:
- Time-to-Hire: Time from job posting to offer acceptance
- Cost-per-Hire: Total recruiting costs divided by the number of hires
- Source Effectiveness: Which channel brings the best quality candidates
- Interviewer Performance: Accuracy of hiring decisions
Bottleneck Detection: ATS automatically alerts when a "stuck" stage occurs (e.g., over 50 profiles pending review for more than 5 days).
Ultimately, the recruitment process transforms from "intuitive art" into "data science," helping HR managers make hiring decisions 73% more accurately than traditional methods.
Considerations for Implementing ATS for Businesses
Before choosing recruitment software, businesses need to consider:
1. Scale & Needs
Small companies only need simple, low-cost ATS; large enterprises require a robust system with detailed access permissions and reporting.
2. System Integration
ATS should connect with email, CRM, and payroll to avoid manual data entry and synchronize HR processes.
3. Candidate Experience
Candidates must be able to easily submit profiles, track status, and receive transparent information. A good experience increases CV completion rates.
4. Pipeline Customization
Allows designing specific processes for each department/position, rather than applying a rigid template.
5. Reporting & Data
Beyond storage, ATS must provide insights: effective candidate sources, bottleneck stages, average time-to-hire, etc., for HR to improve strategy.
Hire Central – The Powerful AI Assistant for HR
Implementing an ATS recruitment tool is a crucial step in the HR department's digital transformation journey. Businesses need to choose a suitable solution that both meets candidate profile management needs and supports effective long-term recruitment strategy.
Among ATS recruitment tools, Hire Central stands out due to its design based on the real needs of businesses in Vietnam.
With the advent of Hire Central as a strategic assistant, HR can confidently build a professional and more effective online recruitment process. AI technology will help them save time, reduce costs, and enhance the candidate experience—thereby creating a sustainable competitive advantage.
Book a 15-minute Demo to explore in detail how the integrated ATS platform of Hire Central can fit into your business's recruitment operations.
