Podcast

41

min

May 20, 2024

Erika Ekstam

Application Tracking Systems

Listen now on

Introduction

  • Guest: Erika Ekstam, Head of People and Culture at OneLab
  • Host: Samuli Salonen, representing TalentBee
  • Focus: Talent acquisition and ATS (Applicant Tracking System) in SaaS companies

Erika’s Background and OneLab’s Mission

  • Erika’s journey in HR and talent acquisition
  • OneLab’s focus on digital and preventive healthcare
    • Key Challenge: Identifying hidden health risks for employees
    • Solution: Offering third-party health checks to address both physical and psychological health issues

Importance of Health and Wellbeing

  • Rising importance of mental and physical wellbeing, especially among younger employees
  • Personal experiences with health coaches and mental health support

Introduction to ATS

  • Definition and role of ATS in recruitment
  • Shift in recruitment focus from applications to headhunting

When to Invest in an ATS

  • Considerations for implementing an ATS:
    • Hiring volume and difficulty of filling positions
    • Future growth and efficiency needs

ATS and Candidate Experience

  • Impact of ATS on candidate experience
    • Preference for easy application processes (e.g., LinkedIn profiles)
  • Balancing applications and headhunting in recruitment strategies

Utilizing ATS Effectively

  • Integrations with job boards and other features
  • Benefits of AI in ATS:
    • Efficiency in initial stages of recruitment
    • Reducing biases in candidate selection
    • Enhancing candidate experience through AI-assisted interactions

Challenges with ATS

  • Ensuring hiring managers use the ATS effectively
    • Conducting training sessions
    • Making ATS intuitive and user-friendly
    • Using ATS for all candidate communications

AI and Recruitment

  • Potential of AI to assist but not replace human recruiters
  • Enhancing objectivity and reducing biases in recruitment
  • Use cases for AI in screening and matching candidates

Building Talent Pipelines

  • Importance of proactive recruitment strategies
  • Building and maintaining a pipeline of potential candidates

Data and Analytics in ATS

  • Key metrics to track:
    • Time to fill: Predictive measure for future hiring needs
    • Source of candidates: ROI on recruitment channels
    • Retention and performance data: Linking sources to long-term success

Integrations and Future Trends

  • Importance of ATS integrations with other HR systems
  • Future developments in ATS functionalities

Top 5 Key Learnings

  1. Proactive Health Measures: Implementing third-party health checks can identify hidden health issues, improving overall employee wellbeing and productivity.
  2. Early ATS Implementation: Even small companies should consider an ATS if they anticipate growth or hard-to-fill positions, as it streamlines the recruitment process.
  3. AI in Recruitment: While AI can enhance efficiency and reduce biases in the initial stages of recruitment, human judgment remains crucial in the final hiring decisions.
  4. Effective ATS Usage: Regular training and involving hiring managers in the ATS can ensure better adoption and efficient recruitment processes.
  5. Data-Driven Decisions: Tracking metrics like time to fill, candidate source effectiveness, and retention rates can provide valuable insights for improving recruitment strategies.

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