ATS Essentials: What Most Recruiters Get Wrong About Applicant Tracking Systems

Introduction to

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): A Beginner's Guide

After 8 years of placing PR talent at agencies like, I've seen the same pattern play out countless times. A hiring manager gets overwhelmed by CVs, misses excellent candidates in the shuffle, and ends up with mediocre hires while the best talent slips away. Sound familiar?

Here's the unfiltered truth: Most UK recruiters are utterly wasting their ATS systems – treating powerful hiring technology like it's nothing more than a fancy filing cabinet.

In my role advising top London agencies on talent acquisition, I've witnessed the dramatic difference between those who merely install an ATS and those who truly master it. The gap in hiring outcomes is staggering.

What Exactly Is an ATS?

At its core, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is recruitment software that manages your entire hiring process. But calling it just "recruitment software" is like calling a Ferrari just "transportation."

A properly implemented ATS will:

• Centralise all candidate data and communications
• Automate repetitive tasks like interview scheduling
• Filter applications based on customisable criteria
• Provide analytics on your hiring pipeline
• Create a searchable talent pool for future positions

Let's be clear: in 2023, running a recruitment function without a proper ATS is professional malpractice. The question isn't whether you need one – it's whether you're using it correctly.

The Real Cost of Getting ATS Wrong

The average UK in-house recruiter spends a disproportionate amount of their time on administrative tasks. That's not just inefficient – it's financially irresponsible.

Consider these numbers:

• The typical cost-per-hire in the UK PR industry ranges from £3,000-£8,000
• Manual application processing costs significantly more than automated processing
• Agencies using optimised ATS systems consistently report meaningful reductions in time-to-hire

Beyond the numbers, there's the invisible cost of losing top candidates to competitors with more responsive processes. In the London PR scene, where competition for top talent is fierce, even a 48-hour delay can mean missing out entirely.

Getting Started: Setting Up Your ATS For Success

Step 1: Define Your Requirements

Before diving into features and demos, get crystal clear on what you actually need:

• How many roles do you typically recruit for annually?
• What's your current hiring process (document each step)?
• Which steps consume the most time?
• What specific metrics do you need to track?
• Who needs access to the system and at what permission levels?

This assessment prevents the common mistake of over-purchasing features you'll never use – or worse, under-purchasing and hitting functionality walls six months in.

Step 2: Evaluating ATS Options

The UK recruitment software market is crowded, but several platforms stand out for PR and communications recruitment:

• Enterprise-level: Workday, Oracle Taleo, SAP SuccessFactors
• Mid-market: Greenhouse, Lever, Workable
• SME-focused: The OHub, BrightHR, PeopleHR

When comparing options, prioritise:

• User experience (for both recruiters and candidates)
• Integration capabilities with existing HR systems
• Customisation options for your specific workflow
• Reporting functionality
• Mobile accessibility
• Compliance with UK data protection regulations

Step 3: Implementation Planning

The implementation phase is where most ATS projects succeed or fail. Create a detailed rollout plan that includes:

• Data migration strategy (how to transfer existing candidate information)
• Configuration of workflow stages that match your actual process
• User training schedule (staggered by permission level)
• Template creation for communications
• Testing protocol before full launch

Optimising

Your ATS: Beyond the Basics

Creating Effective Job Descriptions

Your ATS is only as good as the data you feed it. Modern applicant tracking systems use semantic analysis to match candidates to roles, so your job descriptions need to be precise and keyword-optimised.

For PR roles specifically:

• Include both abbreviations and full terms (PR, Public Relations)
• Specify sector experience clearly (Consumer, Corporate, Healthcare, Tech)
• Detail software competencies explicitly (Cision, Meltwater, Hootsuite)
• Use standard job titles that candidates actually search for

The best job descriptions balance searchability with readability. The OHub's insights page offers excellent templates specifically designed for PR recruitment.

Building Custom Screening Questions

One of the most underutilised ATS features is custom screening questions. These act as your first-round interviewer, available 24/7. Effective screening questions for PR roles might include:

• "Describe a campaign you managed that achieved measurable results"
• "What media contacts do you have in the [specific sector]?"
• "Rate your proficiency with [specific software] on a scale of 1-5"

Align these questions with genuine knockout factors – not just nice-to-haves. Each question should have a clear scoring rubric to maintain objectivity.

Setting Up Automated Communications

Candidates judge your employer brand largely on communication quality. Set up triggered emails for:

• Application receipt confirmation (immediate)
• Status updates at key pipeline stages
• Interview scheduling and confirmation
• Feedback requests post-interview
• Rejection notices (never ghost candidates)

Personalisation is key – use merge fields to include candidate names and role details. For PR professionals especially, generic communications send a terrible signal about your brand awareness.

Leveraging ATS

Analytics for Strategic Hiring

Key Metrics to Track

The analytics component of your ATS can transform reactive hiring into strategic talent acquisition. Focus on these metrics:

• Time-to-hire (broken down by stage)
• Source effectiveness (which channels deliver quality candidates)
• Conversion rates at each pipeline stage
• Cost-per-hire by role and seniority
• Offer acceptance rates

For PR hiring specifically, track seasonality patterns. The industry has predictable talent flows (like post-award season movement) that smart recruiters plan around.

Creating Data-Driven Hiring Improvements

Use your ATS data to identify and fix process bottlenecks:

• If candidates drop off during application, your form is too long
• If time-to-schedule is excessive, implement self-scheduling
• If offer acceptance is low, your compensation benchmarking is off

The most sophisticated users of The OHub's platform review these metrics monthly and adjust their processes accordingly.

Common ATS

Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Pitfall #1:

Over-Reliance on Keyword Filtering

Many recruiters set overly rigid keyword filters that screen out qualified candidates. Instead:

• Use semantic matching rather than exact keyword requirements
• Review filter effectiveness regularly by sampling "rejected" applications
• Consider weighted scoring models instead of pass/fail filters

Pitfall #2:

Poor Candidate Experience

Your ATS is often a candidate's first interaction with your company. Common experience killers include:

• Lengthy application forms
• Lack of mobile optimisation
• No application status visibility
• Automated rejections without feedback

According to research by LinkedIn, 83% of candidates say a negative application experience changes their mind about a role they once liked.

Pitfall #3:

Inadequate Integration

Your ATS shouldn't exist in isolation. Essential integrations include:

• Calendar systems for interview scheduling
• Background checking services
• Onboarding platforms
• HRIS for seamless data transfer of new hires

When evaluating platforms like The OHub, their integration capabilities should be a primary consideration.

Beyond ATS:

The Future of Recruitment Technology

Forward-thinking PR agencies are already exploring how ATS systems work within a broader recruitment tech stack:

• Video interviewing platforms reduce time-to-hire for initial screening
• Skills assessment tools provide objective evaluation of capabilities
• Candidate relationship management (CRM) nurtures passive talent pools
• Predictive analytics identify which candidates are likely to succeed

The most advanced firms are implementing diversity-focused recruitment technology to eliminate bias and build more inclusive teams.

Making Your Business Case for ATS Investment

If you're struggling to secure budget for a proper ATS, frame the conversation around measurable ROI:

• Calculate current cost-per-hire and projected savings
• Quantify the hours spent on manual processes that could be automated
• Estimate the cost of bad hires due to rushed screening
• Project improvements in quality-of-hire through better matching

For PR agencies specifically, highlight the reputation damage of poor candidate experiences in a highly networked industry.

Next Steps: Your 30-Day ATS Implementation Plan

Ready to transform your recruitment process? Here's your action plan:

1. Audit your current process and identify key pain points
2. Research 3-5 ATS options appropriate for your organisation size
3. Request demos with realistic scenarios from your actual workflow
4. Create an implementation timeline with clear ownership
5. Develop a measurement framework to track success

The technology is only part of the equation – successful ATS implementation requires process change and user adoption. Invest time in proper setup and training, and the returns will be substantial.

If you're looking for a recruitment platform specifically designed for PR and communications roles, The OHub offers specialised features for the industry that generic ATS systems simply can't match.

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After placing hundreds of PR professionals in leading agencies, I've seen firsthand how transformative proper ATS implementation can be. The difference between mediocre and outstanding hiring outcomes rarely comes down to candidate quality – it's almost always about process efficiency and experience.

Start your ATS journey today. Your future hires (and your sanity) will thank you.

Oliver Martinez is a PR recruitment specialist who has placed talent at agencies including Edelman, Weber Shandwick and Ogilvy. He provides independent hiring consultation to London's leading communications firms.