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We asked our Client Success Team to list their favorite features of the applicant tracking system (ATS).  There are so many tools we’ve added throughout the years due to technological advances and client feedback that it was hard to choose just one.  We decided to make this a three-part series to showcase our favorite system features.  Here’s part one:

Text Messaging

With a private, system-generated phone number,  hiring managers can communicate with talent on their mobile device (provided by opt-in during the apply process), and send interview invites to which they can accept or reject instantly.  Interview dates and times are based on calendar availability that is set up and managed by each system administrator within the ATS.  If necessary, system admins can assign confirmed interview times to other members of the hiring team and send reminders via text and email.

Onboarding

The onboarding portal was built by our development team to streamline the hiring process for our clients.   ATS users control the entire set up process and have the ability to send secure login links to recent hires; allowing them to view and complete important documentation prior to their first day.  Implementing an electronic onboarding process is safe, efficient, and helps manage vital employee data into one centralized portal.

Document Management: Store documents within specific files for easy access and management

Electronic Signature: All documents can be converted to include electronic signature capability so candidates can sign and complete documents easily.

Personalized Messaging: Send private messages only hiring managers can view

URL Links: Include links to specific pages that connect candidates to videos, blogs, or any other important information outside of the onboarding portal

Update information and EEO: The candidate has full access to his/hers files and can update their information at any time with the ability to change the status of their EEO.

KO Questions

KO (knock-out) questions are prescreening questions ATS system administrators set up to disposition candidates based on their responses.  KO questions are linked to a specific recruit flow that are set up, customized, and activated by the ATS user.  This is an awesome feature to assist recruiters in streamlining their review process and time-to-fill rates and comes standard with the ATS.  Take a look at the example below:

Question: “Are you able to commute to NYC?”

The answer “type” (chosen by the ATS system administrator) is a yes or no response in this case.

This question is activated as a knock out question and if the candidate answers, “no” they are automatically moved to the “candidate not qualified” flow, chosen by the ATS system administrator.

Stay tuned for part two when we highlight three more of our favorite features that all come standard with the ATS!

Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Steve Jobs all agree that the best career advice is to love what you do.  There are plenty of articles published online that state the opposite: money trumps passion.  However, according to Trump, Obama, and Jobs – all successful in their own right – loving what you do brings happiness, satisfaction, and success which will ultimately lead to the reward of money.

Read more

Looking for advice on how to shine during your next job interview?  We found an awesome video on Youtube by career strategist Linda Raynier who provides some valuable tips on how to answer the commonly asked question, “Tell me about yourself.”  

Main takeaways (including timestamps)

1. (1:35) Beginning with your first work experience, give a historic overview that includes the company name, job title, years within that role, and major responsibilities.
2. (2:52) Describe one major accomplishment you achieved within that role; i.e. a process you improved, an idea that saved money, or anything that resulted to a company benefit.
3. (4:12) Acknowledge what you understand about the role and what the company needs to fulfill their goals.
4. (5:22) Describe why you are the perfect fit for that role in a nutshell.

Paul Barnwell is a High School English teacher who wrote an article for The Atlantic titled, “My Students Don’t Know How To Hold a Conversation.”  Barnwell wrote about a class project testing his students’ ability to exchange ideas and hold conversations.  In the form of a podcast, students worked in small groups to study topics and discuss them in real time.  To Barnwell’s dismay, the students struggled to effectively carry out the task.

Even with plenty of practice, the task proved daunting to students. I watched trial runs of their podcasts frequently fall silent. Unless the student facilitator asked a question, most kids were unable to converse effectively. Instead of chiming in or following up on comments, they conducted rigid interviews. They shuffled papers and looked down at their hands. Some even reached for their phones—an automatic impulse and the last thing they should be doing.

Barnwell blames much of the students’ failure on addiction to technology and teachers overlooking an important fundamental:

…Conversational competence might be the single-most overlooked skill we fail to teach students.  Kids spend hours each day engaging with ideas and each other through screens – but rarely do they have an opportunity to hone their interpersonal communication skills.  Students’ reliance on screens for communication is detracting—and distracting—from their engagement in real-time talk.

Many students will exit high school and attend college while others will begin searching for jobs immediately.  If young people are rarely taught the importance of communication (in high school or university), how likely is it that they will be successful in job interviews?  Employers routinely ask questions to discover a candidate’s ability to address issues and handle difficult people.  They also pay close attention to nonverbal expressions, levels of confidence, articulation, and the candidate’s ability to listen.  These are qualities often built through practice and experience, yet if technology serves as a hindrance to learning these attributes, young people searching for a career are less likely to land the job they want and grow towards their true potential.  With instructors like Paul Barnwell highlighting the shift in how young people learn and think, teachers can begin focusing on exercises that strengthen communication, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills that are too often weakened by a tech-dominant society.

When students apply for colleges and jobs, they won’t conduct interviews through their smart phones. When they negotiate pay raises and discuss projects with employers, they should exude a thoughtful presence and demonstrate the ability to think on their feet (or at least without Google).

Read the full article here.

A new survey conducted by reThinkData revealed that a majority of applicant tracking system (ATS) vendors are beginning to focus on improving reports and analytics for 2017 (based on customer feedback).  For years, Pereless Systems has worked closely with our clients to build an ATS platform that delivers exactly what they need.  Reports and data tracking have always been key functionalities for our system to which our clients directly helped us customize and build.  Take a look at a running list of the most commonly used reports within our system:

Build Your Own Report – Custom build a report for any and all tracked fields at the candidate, job, recruiter, or EEO level.

Agency Summary – Returns a list of candidates that were sent through the ATS agency portal.
Job Approval – Provides real-time data of job(s) currently within approval status or that have already been approved.
Individual Approval Level – Export job approval history for free and unlimited recruit team members (learn more about recruit team members here).
Offer Approval – History of offer approvals from start to finish – pull data based on customized date ranges and custom fields.

Total Candidates/Jobs Summary – Current recruitflow status of candidates and/or jobs displayed by recruitflow.
Prescreening Question – Candidate responses to custom prescreening questions.
Daily Activity – Overview of active jobs and the number of candidates that applied during selected dates.
Conversion Rate – Status of candidates in a specific recruitflow based on the date they applied plus the percentage of applicants within a specific flow.

Resource Return On Investment (ROI) – Return on investment for each job posting resource.
Candidates/Jobs Activity (Logged history) – Activity and disposition history of candidates within each recruitflow.
Candidates/Jobs Activity (Current) – Current recruitflow status and other vital information of candidates/jobs by recruitflow.
Candidate Source – Track source of incoming candidates, where they heard about the position, and other helpful analytics.
Candidate Referral – Track candidates who were referred by employees.

EEO Applicant – Activity for EEO reporting purposes (internal and external).  Displays gender, ethnicity, and other related data reported by the candidate.
EEO-1 – Information for hired candidates in the standard required format for specified dates.
Custom EEO-1 – EEO information for all candidates in the standard required format for specified dates.

Job Status/Recruitment Activity – Track activity including job resource information, number of hires/openings to single application, and number of days a job has been open.
Cost Per Hire – Tracks new hire information including the costs recorded within the hired screen.
Time to Fill – Tracks activity ranging from job creation to hire – the job timeline or time to fill calculations for an individual job or group of jobs.

Pereless Systems – Candidate Report

Pereless Systems is unique because we customize our platform based on customer suggestions.  Innovation is our primary goal, and we are always updating our interface and modules to keep up to speed with modern technology.  Request a demo to learn more about what our system can do for you!

Employers on the verge of sending job offers to candidates want to be sure they make the right hiring decisions. Often times, employers will contact the applicant’s references to confirm qualifications in work, education, and other important aspects of their experience before making that final decision.  Pereless Systems applicant tracking system makes it easy and convenient for recruiters to connect with candidate references and manage their data with one platform. Here’s how it works:

1) Employers send an email to candidates with a secure login link and pass-code.  

2) Candidates then add, remove, and confirm their references personal information.

3) Candidates can then write a personalized message and send an email to their references requesting they review and confirm recommendations.

4) Once references receive the email, they have the ability to review, accept, or reject endorsements plus write custom responses which are sent and recorded into the applicant tracking system.  

This email method makes it easy for busy recruiters to gather the information they need quickly into one system while not having to worry about playing phone tag with busy references.  If you are in the market for an innovative applicant tracking system that does it all (without killing your budget) request a demo with us today!

Do you think it’s logical that applicant tracking system (ATS) vendors charge companies based on the total amount of employees they have versus how many users actually use the system? We don’t think so, which is why our clients save tons of money without sacrificing quality.   We charge clients per user and depending on the user level access they choose per user.  Best of all, we have a free and unlimited user option!

• Power users (Also known as system administrators, these are the “see all, do all” users of the ATS)
• Hiring Managers (Users with a restricted login portal who are assigned jobs, candidates, and other accessibility by power users)
• Recruit Team Members (Free and unlimited users that do not log in to the ATS but are sent emails to participate in the candidate review and hiring process)

We also make it easy for power users to activate or deactivate ATS users as needed and replace them with new users. For instance, let’s say you have a hiring manager who is going on maternity leave for 3 months. Instead of purchasing a new user seat for an additional fee, you can inactivate her license temporarily and replace her with another employee without cost. The absent employee’s activity is saved while the new user’s activity is completely separate and reportable. When your hiring manager returns, power users can reactivate her in a matter of seconds! Power users have full control of their team and the access they have to the ATS!

Want to learn more about pricing?  Let’s talk!

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Tired of playing phone tag with job candidates?  Switch up your strategy by using an applicant tracking system (ATS) to contact them via text message.  An estimated 77% of Americans own a smart device and use it to text twice as much as calling someone.  65% of them are using their mobile phone to search for jobs online.  Job recruiters tasked with reviewing applications and contacting candidates for interviews have a main goal of hiring the best talent in the shortest amount of time.  Making communication easy and convenient for both recruiters and candidates is an effective way to get things done quicker while creating a positive and innovative experience.  Using an applicant tracking software like Pereless Systems that is equipped with text messaging functionality will accomplish just that.

Mobile-friendly career pages and applications – The first step to capturing mobile-active candidates is to have an apply process that is compatible with their device.  1 in 10 millennials reported they would dump a company – or skip applying for jobs – if they lacked a mobile apply process.   Pereless Systems builds all career pages and applications mobile-responsive by default.   Make sure the ATS provider you’re currently using does the same.

Text message functionality – The Pereless platform is equipped with SMS text message functionality allowing hiring teams to contact candidates on their mobile device.  Use the ATS to instantly send a text using a generic phone number to introduce yourself to applicants, ask additional questions, and send interview invites.  All conversations are stored within the ATS and can be accessed at any time.

Pereless Systems text message functionality

Send interview invites based on schedule availability – One of the major benefits of an applicant tracking system is that you can create and manage schedules within the platform. Pereless System’s scheduling feature includes an innovative invite functionality that sends applicants text messages and emails with available dates and times for interviews based on your schedule.  Candidates can then accept or reject their choices and continue to connect with you via text message.  Have multiple team members involved in the interview process?  You can assign them to the confirmed interview date and send them reminders via text and email too!

Pereless Systems text message interview invite

 New Pereless clients get their first 5,000 text messages free!  

Contact us to learn more about our mobile functionality and innovative applicant tracking system.

Is your company career site optimized to its full potential? Even if you are not actively recruiting for positions, you can still passively recruit job candidates by adding a talent network portal to your site. Talent networks provide individuals interested in working for your company an easy way to submit their contact information, resume files, and skill portfolios for future consideration.

Applicants who wish to enter the talent network simply sign up using their email address or login credentials from sites like LinkedIn and GitHub to create an applicant profile detailing their qualifications and showcasing their experience. Once completed, their information is saved and sourced into an internal talent pool within an applicant tracking system (ATS) that can be easily accessed by hiring teams when needed. The ATS system will even trigger alerts to candidates within the talent network when positions aligning with their qualifications are made available.

Pereless Systems Talent Network Login Form

Candidates attracted to your company based on reputation are more likely to be qualified, compatible with company culture, and remain long-term employees if hired.   Providing them an open door to potentially become an employee is not only a smart employer branding strategy, but also provides recruiters an instant list of qualified and interested talent when they need to start filling jobs.  It is a win-win situation for both parties!

Check out Pereless Systems applicant tracking software and get the Talent Network portal included FREE!