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Using the Power of Your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to Pre-qualify Your Applicant Pool

November 3, 2015

By Russ Vickstrom, Director of HR (Retd), Worcester State University

In the days before online Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), responses to recruitments came by postal mail or email with all application materials like resume/CV, cover letter, list of references and in the case of faculty, statements of teaching philosophy, letters of recommendation, research summary and sample publications from peer reviewed journals. Certainly a laborious task to acknowledge, manage, file and review. If only there had been a way to separate the qualified applicants from the rest of the pool and then request only those to send all required documents needed for reviewers to make effective decisions on whom to include for further review.

Fast forward to today’s electronic communication and paperless systems such as automated Applicant Tracking Systems – we no longer need the reams of paper and manual processes that come with handling the influx of applications documents. However, we still have the constraints related to reviewing what at times amount to huge applicant pools filled with potentially unqualified candidates. We expect our reviewers to separate these unqualified candidates from those who meet our minimum qualifications. Is this the best use of their time? Wouldn’t it be more effective for HR and reviewers if only those candidates deemed qualified were invited to forward supporting documentation such as letters of recommendation, teaching philosophies and research publications?

Hirezon’s Interview Exchange Applicant Tracking System designed for Higher Education anticipated this need and has included a series of qualifying questions called COREquisites (Comprehensive Occupational Requirements Evaluator) that help to separate those who meet minimum qualifications from those that do not. This is a series of up to ten questions which are designed to be answered as either “yes” or “no” and can be coded as “required” or not. If someone answers “yes” to all of the required questions, they are deemed “qualified” and can be invited to forward additional documentation in support of their application.

If any of the required questions are answered “no”, they are then marked with “not qualified”. This does not mean that they should not be reviewed or considered. It simply acts as a suggestion to the reviewer that additional documentation may not be needed at this time from those not qualified candidates.

Although the Interview Exchange ATS supports multiple attachments from all applicants whether they are qualified or not qualified, Search Committee’s may take advantage of using COREquisites feature to collect multiple documents only from qualified applicants.

View details about Hirezon’s HR software solutions for higher education:

TESTIMONIALS

Interview Exchange is a Talent Management Solution that genuinely solves problems. Organizing applicant pools using electronic folders is an intuitive and logical way to see what is going on with an applicant pool at a glance. Our Hiring Committee loves the COREquisites, email alerts, Outlook invitations and so many other functions of the system.

Western Kentucky University

Franklin & Marshall College’s Human Resources department has been using Interview Exchange since 2007, and we are quite satisfied with this product. It has enhanced our office’s efficiency and eliminated routine clerical work and data entry; the training provided and technical support have been great; and both hiring managers and applicants are easily able to use the system.

Franklin & Marshall College

Interview Exchange has been a welcomed improvement from our previous application processes. It has saved us a great amount of paper and has added to our efficiency. The ability to mass update applicants on the status of a position has been a great benefit by saving time and decreasing phone call inquiries from applicants. Our search committees are truly enjoying the user-friendly nature of the system as well…

Oakton Community College

At Greenfield Community College, we recognize technology is a powerful tool for change, innovation, and opportunity. But technology also can be very expensive.
In using the services of Interview Exchange, GCC satisfied both needs: technology and affordability.
With Interview Exchange, we have moved forward to bring into play a system that allowed us to streamline our hiring process and select the best possible candidates in a very effective and convenient way.

Greenfield Community College

The training provided by the Interview Exchange staff to get going with our on-line application system was tremendous and they continue to support us in a most accommodating manner.
The supervisors, hiring managers, and search committees also really like being able to access all applicants for the appropriate job posting from their computers, whether on campus or off campus.
It is a great product and we are extremely pleased with the Interview Exchange staff and the performance of the software.

Central College

Interview Exchange has made a significant positive impact on the search process at the University at Albany.
Our search committees are excited about the ability to now receive all resumes electronically, thus the “paperless search.” This conforms to the University’s “Go Green Initiative,” to reduce and eventually eliminate unnecessary paperwork…

SUNY – Albany

By implementing this system it has made our recruiting process more efficient, eliminating paper, and hiring excellent candidates.
It is a user friendly system that offers many features. No more worrying about resumes getting lost in the mail or via e-mail. The system tracks everything and screens candidates so that you can review your top candidates first.
We are very pleased with the system and look forward to using all the features.

Sacred Heart University

Interview Exchange has allowed Salve Regina University to move from an over burdensome full paper recruitment process, to a smooth, user friendly online system.
We are very pleased with the software’s capabilities and tech support. Our hiring managers are very pleased with the ease of use of the product and many applicants comment on how easy and efficient the system is to use.

Salve Regina University

The training and technical support have been outstanding and the ease of use has been noted by both hiring officials and applicants.
Thanks to Interview Exchange, AUC recruiting has become a nearly 100% paperless effort and the hours previously spent doing mundane clerical work are now being put to much better use.