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  • The Top 3 Applicant Tracking Systems

    The Top 3 Applicant Tracking Systems

    An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment needs. An ATS can be implemented or accessed online on an enterprise or small business level, depending on the needs of the company and there is also free and open source ATS software available. 

    When you apply for a job online, your resume isn’t typically going directly to a recruiter or hiring manager. It’s first being processed by an ATS. Whether that human recruiter ever sees your resume could depend on how well your resume is optimized for ATS algorithms.

    Why employers use applicant tracking systems

    Top employers hire for several jobs at a time and receive hundreds of resumes for any given opening. Because applying for a job online is easier than ever, many of these applicants are unqualified and figured “it was worth a try.”

    Applicant tracking systems keep all these resumes in one place, helping recruiters and hiring managers stay organized as well as EEOC compliant. In theory, these systems also save time by automatically surfacing and highlighting top candidates. In reality, ATS do help hiring professionals narrow their applicant pool, but top candidates slip through the cracks.

    Most large corporations utilize applicant tracking systems. Jobscan research found that 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS while a Kelly OCG survey estimated 66% of large companies and 35% of small organizations rely on recruitment software. If you’re applying to a large organization, chances are you’ll face an ATS. If you’re applying through any online form, you’re applying through an ATS. Even job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn have their own built in ATS.

    Viewing Applications

    Some recruiters still choose to glance at every job application that comes through their applicant tracking system. In this case, most take a quick glance at the applicant’s past highlights, job titles, and companies. They can make a determination about whether they want to learn more in about 6 seconds. It’s important to make sure your top skills and qualifications are easily identifiable.

    Automatic Rankings

    Some applicant tracking systems can automatically compare your resume to the job description. For example, Taleo calls this feature “Req Rank,” which ranks each applicant based on how well their resume scores based on the job description. A common way recruiters filter resumes in an applicant tracking system is by searching for key skills and titles. For example, if a recruiter is hiring for an Administrative Assistant position out of 400 resumes, their first step will probably be a search for “Administrative Assistant.” This will isolate candidates that have done the exact job before. Anyone that doesn’t have that exact term in their resume is out of luck. A search can contain multiple terms. For example, they might perform a complex search that contains a combination of titles and skills important for the job:

    Administrative Assistant AND data entry AND payroll …

    Candidates who can predict the correct resume keywords will have the greatest chance of being included in recruiter search results. The best way figure out which skills and keywords to include is by analyzing the job description. Jobs can automates this process by analyzing your resume against the job description to show the top skills and keywords missing from your resume.

    Our Top 3
    #3. Homebase

    Homebase makes hourly work easier for the whole team. With free online tools and mobile apps for managers and employees, Homebase eliminates the paperwork and headaches of scheduling, payroll, hiring and team communication. Start saving 4+ hours every week by visiting joinhomebase.com. Used by over 100,000 businesses of all sizes across the US.

    #2. BambooHR

    BambooHR offers easy, integrated applicant tracking (ATS) as part of our award-winning cloud-based HR platform. Onboarding tools, e-signatures, time-off tracking, performance management, plus easy reporting and a convenient mobile app set you free to do great work. Released from the data management spiral, HR professionals become more effective, more efficient, and more human. Visit bamboohr.com or give us a call to see a demo and start a free trial.

    #1. Breezy HR

    The most highly rated ATS on Capterra, Breezy streamlines your entire hiring process; giving you more time to connect with candidates by automating tasks like advertising on 40+ job boards, screening, interview scheduling & follow-ups. We include all the tools your team needs to hire more efficiently, from referrals & sourcing tools for LinkedIn and dozens of others to custom scorecards & interview guides. With Breezy, you’ll be making better, hiring decisions in less time. It’s GDPR compliant.

    If you own a business and found this article helpful, you might like our article about the top cloud services of 2018.


  • No Degree? Great Jobs that are Right for You

    No Degree? Great Jobs that are Right for You

    Not everyone gets to, or wants to, go to college. After all, it’s expensive and time consuming, and you’ve got bills to pay and a life to live. That’s not a problem! College isn’t for everyone. However, now you’re looking for a good job to make ends meet. What kind of good jobs are available for someone without a degree? Let’s find out.

    Great Jobs for People without a College Degree

    Truck Driver

    If you don’t mind the open road and long trips across country, there’s a lot of money to be made as a trucker. Once you have a commercial trucking license, you’re a hot commodity. This kind of job isn’t for everyone, but it will ensure a great deal of financial security.

    Staying up for long hours, driving to new places and having a flexible schedule are all part of the job. If you don’t have a problem being away from home for days at a time, you could make a great trucker. Companies are always hiring, and the average pay is around $50,000 per year. That’s not bad for a job that doesn’t require a degree.

    Hotel Management

    Getting in on the ground floor of a hotel isn’t terribly difficult, and doesn’t require a degree. However, it might require you work some pretty crazy hours. Most hotels tend to start people, especially front desk staff, as overnight workers.

    If you go in with an open mind, work hard and keep your nose to the grindstone, you could find yourself promoted rapidly. Hotels are always looking for good people, so the cream will rise to the top. Management could provide some great opportunities, including benefits like medical insurance and paid time off.

    Web Development

    People with a knack for coding and design are naturally drawn to computer-based professions. As it turns out, you don’t need a college degree to be a contractor in the field. Contractors can set their own hours and their own rates. Staying competitive isn’t a matter of education, just a matter of skill.

    If you’re good with computers and can design great websites, you could have a future as a web developer. Keep in mind, however, that most developers work as contractors, not employees. This means you’ll have to cover your own health insurance and pay your own half of Social Security come tax time.

    However, this is a great opportunity for those with the right skills.


  • Is Networking on LinkedIn the Path to a New Job?

    Is Networking on LinkedIn the Path to a New Job?

    LinkedIn is a social platform, much like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, but it has a distinct edge over those platforms for job-seekers. While Facebook and the like are inherently casual and mostly for wasting time (sorry, Facebook) LinkedIn could help you score a new job.

    No, seriously! LinkedIn is a professional networking app that allows you to make connections and make your name known amongst professionals in your field. If you’re not using LinkedIn to expand your professional network, you’re missing out on a huge help to your career prospects.

    LinkedIn and Job Prospects

    What is It?

    LinkedIn is, at its core, a professional-minded social networking app. The stated purpose of the site is to help connect professionals. You can upload your resume, work history and connections and make yourself more well-known in your field.

    Unlike Facebook and Twitter, profiles on LinkedIn are professional first. Recruiters and employers often first look to a candidate’s LinkedIn profile to see how the candidate stacks up. It’s a quick way to pull someone’s work history and resume without having to go through the formal hiring procedures.

    Networking

    If you’re a freelancer or someone looking to break into a field, then the networking offered by LinkedIn is a huge boon. Hiring managers and recruiters often set apart time of their day to browse LinkedIn connections. By increasing your network’s size, you make it that much more likely that hiring managers can see you in their normal scouting.

    You can’t predict just how big of a role networking could play in your job-hunting process. Just because you know someone, you might get an inside track on a job you didn’t even know existed. If you’re gunning for a competitive position, the benefit of knowing someone in the field can be impossible to pass up.

    Job Listings

    Another big part of LinkedIn is the job listing section. If you’re actively hunting for a job, you can make managing your LinkedIn a full-time job! There are always new listings going live on this tab, so you can rest assured that you’ll find new opportunities on the site every day. In fact, many people get messages about open positions if they simply maintain their LinkedIn.

    If you’ve become recently unemployed, LinkedIn can be a huge boon to your job search. It puts you in the loop regarding what jobs are open in your field and gives you a structure to searching for your next career. The listings can be sorted based on pay, field and requirements.

    This allows you to stay up-to-date on just what options are available to you. If you’re keeping tabs on your LinkedIn profile, then you make it that much more likely you find the work you’re looking for. It almost acts like a headhunter agency that doesn’t take a cut of your pay when it finds you a job!

    In the Know

    Another huge aspect of LinkedIn is the active job article section. The articles can keep you in the loop on various industry trends, changes in the company or companies you’re interested in getting work in and showing you what behaviors led to various CEOs and execs getting ahead. It helps to know what got the people at the top to their positions and just how they keep their position in their field. After all, knowing is half the battle!

    Personal Brand

    LinkedIn is also important in managing ones own personal brand. If you apply for a job and the employer looks up your LinkedIn profile, it can help solidify your professional legitimacy. If people who know you have endorsed your skills and put their name behind you, it makes you that much more desirable than the candidates who don’t have such guarantees.

    There are numerous skills you can list on your profile, such as Photoshop or Microsoft Excel. Some people list skills like “sales experience,” “customer service experience,” or “writing talent.” Any of these types of skills can be endorsed by your LinkedIn connections, including your prior managers and coworkers.

    Is LinkedIn Right for You?

    So, you’re looking for a better job and you don’t know where to start to get yourself a leg up. Well, maybe it’s time to download LinkedIn and get your profile up. It’s not that hard to list your skills connect with your coworkers and former managers, and get validation on your personal skills.

    When you’re competing for positions in highly sought-after fields, every little bit helps. Put yourself in a winning position by getting a LinkedIn account.


  • How LinkedIn Can Help You Find a New Job

    How LinkedIn Can Help You Find a New Job

    There’s no way to sugarcoat it: trying to find a new job is really, really difficult. It’s hard to even know where to begin. Who’s hiring? Who has good benefits and a good work environment? If you’re not using some kind of job board or have a ton of connections, you’re running in blind.

    That’s where LinkedIn comes in. More than just being a simple job board site, LinkedIn is the best social media app for meeting professional connections. After all, it’s much easier to get ahead in a crowded job market when you know the right people. Here’s how to have LinkedIn work for you.

    LinkedIn

    Take it Seriously

    LinkedIn might be a social networking site, but you should take it seriously. It’s not quite the same as Facebook or Instagram. It’s an opportunity to present yourself in a professional and well-curated way for potential employers and colleagues.

    As such, you should make sure you present your best self on LinkedIn. Make sure your pictures aren’t ones of you and your buddies hanging loose and partying. Make sure you’re well-dressed and well-groomed in your pictures!

    Use it Often

    Make sure to use LinkedIn often. Even if you’re employed and like your job, it’s good to have connections that you cultivate. If you only use the app when you’re looking for a new job, you’ll be out of luck. It’s not enough just to run to it in an emergency: you need to keep up to date!

    By using the app often, you ensure that you’ve got a presence online that potential employers and professional connections can see. This is essentially an ad for yourself as an employee. Take pride in it, and make sure everyone knows just how good of an employee you are.

    Resume

    Make sure you keep a well-formatted, up-to-date copy of your resume easily accessible on your LinkedIn. You never know when a recruiter or hiring manager might come along and see your profile. If they do, you want to make sure your info is all up-to-date and accurate!

    There’s no reason to potentially miss out on a great job just because you’ve got some goofy typos on your resume. Make sure you keep everything connected to your business page tight and well-formatted. This is an easy step to take that will take you only a few minutes, so don’t put it off!

    If you’re looking to make lasting businesses connections, LinkedIn is where it’s at. Get your profile active and looking great today.