Essentials to Consider When Transitioning to a New ATS

Transitioning to a new applicant tracking system (ATS) can feel like a big step for recruiters. But working with outdated tech is how inefficiencies in workflow become baked in. Delaying the inevitable is more than likely already having a negative impact on operations and this could mean you are missing out on potential top hires in the talent pipeline.

Switching to a new ATS is a big decision. We get it! But there are so many positive reasons to take the leap and get it done. The great news is that transitioning can be seamless with the right provider. 

So, let’s allay any fears you have about transitioning to a new ATS and show you how it can be a positive part of your growth journey.

The Tech Transitioning Conundrum

For many recruiters, it’s not a case of whether to transition to a more sophisticated ATS; it’s more a case of how and when. Transitioning to new tech is notoriously tricky, so it’s no wonder many recruiting firms kick the can down the road.

The mere thought of migrating data and bedding in a new system, along with the hours of staff training and potential downtime, creates understandable barriers. Yet dither and delay add to staff stress, drag growth and put a recruitment firm behind its competitors.

Taking the leap to a new ATS is much less intimidating if you have a clear vision of what a smooth transition can look like.

Here are some ways you can prepare the ground.

Choosing the Right ATS

First on your list will be choosing the right software. Moving to cloud-based software is sensible and will save you money and hassle in the short and long term.

Then you’ll need to draw up a wish list of features and research ATS products on the market. Demos will help you to understand ease of use and what each software solution offers. During this process, you’ll also get some insight into how responsive providers are to your queries. Finally, consider your challenges, bottlenecks and how your existing ATS limits you.

Once you’ve found your perfect ATS, there are a few more things to put in place and get your head around.

Point of Contact

There will be a fair few people involved in your ATS software implementation. Therefore, an absolute must-have is to have a single point of contact on both sides of the implementation team.

Appoint a single person to manage the project in your team. The person you choose doesn’t necessarily need to be technically minded, but they will need good communication, organizational, planning and monitoring skills to keep the implementation process on track. A savvy project manager is what you need.

In addition, make sure you are working with an ATS software company that can provide you with a dedicated implementation manager. This should be something you consider when choosing the best ATS.

Tracker’s Client Support Team is on call to assist whenever and wherever possible. Support staff are also based in your region. Whether in the UK, EU or North America, Tracker has a local team to hold your hand throughout migration, consulting, and configuration. We dedicate an Account Manager to each client to ensure continuity.

“The best thing about Tracker to me is our rep. She is super-efficient and seriously makes us feel like we are her ONLY customers!! She is always there for us instantly and is super smart!” – Nikki, Anon Staffing and Recruiting Company

Unique Needs and Customization

Customizability is critical when transitioning to a new ATS. Being crystal clear about your company’s unique needs and fully realizing why you are dissatisfied with your old ATS will go a long way when it comes to implementation. Map out the missing pieces, challenges and bottlenecks and talk regularly to staff to uncover what frustrates them about their workflows.

Review the list of things you drew up when determining what you wanted from a new ATS. Your research looking at demos probably uncovered some things about your current system you didn’t even realize were a problem or missing.

Step back and conduct a SWOT analysis to determine your business’s strengths and weaknesses. Then, as well as focusing on the detail, the right ATS may help to solve some of your high-level challenges.

Most importantly, it helps enormously to work with an ATS provider that is fully responsive to understanding your business’s distinct challenges, like Tracker.

“Moving from another ATS to TrackerRMS was a tough call and a very difficult business decision, but we made the right choice. From day one, the TrackerRMS account team have had regular meetings to review and understand our way of working. I lost count of the things that the TrackerRMS team have done for us.” – Stuart White, Provide Consulting

“Tracker support is top-notch, and their development team is receptive and responsive in creating custom solutions for our unique processes.” – Customer review left on software advice.com

Data Cleaning and Migration

Cleaning up data before any system migration is imperative. It’s critical your new ATS provider works closely with you to oversee data migration, so fields in your old system are mapped out appropriately.

Data migration will involve:

• Planning – before migration, you will need to evaluate data for stability
• Communication – brief key stakeholders
• Preparing the landscape – establish robust data quality rules and project goals and build a plan for shutting down legacy systems
• Preparing the data – determine what data to move and clean up the quality of that data before the move
• Testing – work with your provider to test the migration
• Executing – once it has been demonstrated that the test has complied with requirements and that the data being moved is viable for business use, the migration is good to go!
• Decommissioning – shut down and dispose of your old ATS system

A lot of software providers outsource data migration. You’ll be pleased to learn that Tracker doesn’t. We offer a white glove data migration, which means we’re hand-holding every step of the way while collecting records and putting them into your new Tracker ATS. We ensure every field is labelled just how you want it and that all data and candidate information go precisely where you need it.

Your success in data migration is critical for you to ensure operations are up and running from the word go.

Support and Troubleshooting

Access to support and help with troubleshooting is critical when transitioning to new software.

Any organizational change can be unsettling for staff, so keeping employees in the loop when implementing new ATS software is imperative.

“What’s most helpful about Tracker is the people themselves. Anytime that we have a concern or potential situation that needs to be worked through, it is so easy to access support and get the guidance we need to be able to complete our projects.” – Zach S. Anon small business (0-50 employees)

“Most impressive is the always accessible TrackerRMS team that is always available and eager to assist in troubleshooting or answering questions.” – Anon Tracker client

Ease of Use and Training

Underutilization is one of the most significant issues for staff when transitioning to new tech. Without adequate training, there is a danger of unfulfilled potential, with employees only engaging minimally with the new tools.

So, when choosing an ATS, be sure to check out the ease of use, training and support. Tracker’s goal is to help recruiters be more successful. That’s why our training and support are second to none.

And let’s not forget; our software came into being because our founder couldn’t find a solution that was both easy to use and solved the myriad of modern-day challenges recruitment teams face. User-friendliness has always been high on our agenda. We’ve made it a priority to ensure your staff get maximum benefits from your new ATS from day one.

“The transition was faultless thanks to the support received from our Account Manager and the various online tutorials available.” – Laura M, Senior Recruitment Consultant

“FAQs, orientation videos, and support via the account management and success teams make learning the functionality easier than most systems.” – First-time ATS admin, Experienced CRM User

“I was very productive within the first day of using Tracker. It was very easy to integrate with our business processes too.” – Sarah, New England Legal Search

Find Out More About Transitioning to a New ATS With Tracker

We hear you! We understand the ATS transitioning pain points really well. In fact, transition management and customer success are just as important to us as our product!

With Tracker, your ATS transition is in the safest of hands. Every step of the way, our knowledgeable implementation team are on hand to guide you. We’ll minimize disruption, help you migrate data seamlessly and optimize your knowledge of Tracker so you get maximum benefits from day one.

Read some of our amazing testimonials or speak to one of our fabulous team, and you’ll instantly discover that devotion to customer success is part of our DNA. Get in touch. We’d love to hear about your challenges and help you grow.

“Our company transitioned from another ATS/CRM system and Tracker made the transition seamless and guided us every step of the way.” – Jessica, Office Manager