Applicant Tracking Systems are being tested during this economic recession. There are two things causing this:
- More displaced jobseekers looking for work
- Technology’s impact on making it easy to apply for jobs online
Employers that do not have an ATS in place right now, probably wish they did. If you are an employer who has ‘real’ jobs, applicants are in abundance right now. Employers who used to see 10-20 qualified applicants per job req are now seeing 100-200. This increased volume tests the strength of any applicant tracking system.
Let me share a story from the last time we had a spike in application activity (post September 11):
Back in the late 1990s we were pioneering the online job board space. We encouraged all of our clients to register their own URL in the shape of CompanyJobs.com. We were building these out on the back-end of the job board technology we were working with at the time.
Now, in the late 1990s - it was a job seeker’s job market. The unemployment level was low and employers were struggling to meet their targeted applicant-to-hire ratios. So we were tasked with increasing that - and more importantly, increasing it with qualified applicants. And obviously, the Internet provided us the level of success our clients were looking for.
At this time, very few applicant tracking systems existed. In fact the only one really being used in Las Vegas was a DOS-based system that a buddy of mine built out for Arte Nathan when they were opening up the Bellagio. MGM-Mirage now owned the technology and it was in use with a few of their properties, but not very efficient. It was developed in DOS and really designed for single property use….. not the portfolio of casinos that MGM-Mirage was using it for. The level of sophistication that we have in an ATS today just did not exist then.
Our ad agency at the time was working with the majority of properties up and down the Strip. Boyd Gaming was one of the first properties to launch a network of employment related URLs with BoydJobs.com, SamsTownJobs.com, etc. Their applicant flow was tracking very nicely until September 11, 2001 hit. As all of the other cut their workforces, Boyd held steady and actually had jobs to offer.
Needless to say, jobseekers flocked to Boyd Gaming. Applicant flow almost became uncontrollable. And Boyd wished they had an applicant tracking system at the time.
Fast forward to today….nearly every casino on the Strip has an applicant tracking system. And we are facing more trying times than we did post 9-11. Applicant flow is higher than it has ever been. So how is your ATS holding up? I am interested to learn.
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