Acquiring the right talent for the job application is essential to getting quality work done. These days, the pool of skilled talent is large and frequently replenished with even smarter and better-skilled professionals. Therefore, the problem of scarce human resources is no longer a concern. However, it has been replaced with a new issue. That is, pinpointing exactly who you need from 10s and 1000s of suitable-looking candidates. Since candidate hiring and onboarding are expensive affairs for businesses. Precision is key to saving time and costs. That’s where applicant tracking software plays an important role.
What is Applicant Tracking Software?
Online applicant tracking system solutions are feature-rich software that act like a digital hiring manager for you. These applications automate the entire candidate hiring process, keeping you posted on the application status in real-time until you have finalized an applicant. Advanced ATS software solutions also provide a resume archiving feature, just in case you want to save some applications for future needs.
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How Applicant Tracking Software Works
First, what you have to do is configure a few knockout questions, such as, Will you relocate, into the applicant tracking system software. The tool will automatically scan these questions and accept or reject candidates based on the answers they provide. Once it has shortlisted the reliable candidates at this stage, it will rescan the resumes for specific keywords, which it accurately interprets to be skills and qualifications, which then fill the spaces in its database. This reduces half of the resume-reading work of the recruiter, as all they have to do now is search for these keywords and then finalize the right hire for the job.
What are the Key Functionalities of an Applicant Tracking System?
Now we know how an applicant tracking system software works. However, for a better understanding, let’s break down its key features.
1. Automatic Resume Scanning
ATS software saves you a lot of time by automatically scanning resumes and scraping useful information into the database. It’s just like a recruiter will highlight certain requirements with a highlighter. However, the tool will do this process for 100+ resumes within seconds using a little bit of logic and AI, saving you valuable hours.
2. Collaborative Interface
This feature of the applicant tracking software allows two or more recruiters to access the interface simultaneously from their devices. This is useful in case multiple people need to further decide who is eligible.
3. Customizable Workflows
The best online application tracking system software also provides you with the option to customize each stage of the interview as a workflow, and even track its status in real-time. For example, by default, there are 5 stages of the hiring process in general. However, with the right ATS tool, you can add or remove workflows according to your onboarding policies.
4. Interview Scheduling
Usually, when hiring for a vacancy in your organization, you would call to schedule or reschedule interviews. That’s a lot of work. However, the right applicant tracking software will automatically do it for you. Rescheduling interviews with such software is also very easy. Usually, it just takes a click of a button.
5. DEI Tools
That’s diversity, equity, and inclusivity for you. The DEI feature, for example, hides a candidate’s name, age, gender, and nationality from the recruiter. This ensures that they hire based on skills and qualifications, and not biased opinions and stereotypes.
6. Data Collection & Reporting
The ATS software collects useful data from resumes. However, what most people don’t know is that if you configure it so, it will also search for eligible candidates online from sources such as social media platforms and listings.
7. Security & Compliance
Keeping crucial and confidential information, such as the candidate’s phone number, email, selection status, and job description, secure is mandatory. Plus, the ATS software solutions are also industry-compliant.
What are the Advantages of Implementing an Applicant Tracking System?
Implementing applicant tracking software benefits both you and the candidates applying for your vacancy:
1. Brings Candidate Data Together
As we mentioned before, the right ATS solution reads and clusters useful candidate information into its database, saving you more time for crucial work.
2. Task Optimization
There are numerous tasks involved in hiring any candidate. Usually, the funnel will be complex. However, the ATS tool acts as a moderator by doing most of the work and streamlining tasks. Moreover, we thought that we would let you know that another way to optimize work is to use the right project management software.
3. Communication Improvement
Implementing the right ATS software also improves communication with candidates. Especially if you are a global business, hiring people from abroad. The software will provide all the tools you need to easily converse with the applicants and make the right choice.
4. Increased Transparency
From a candidate’s perspective, using the right applicant tracking software will ensure that nothing is hidden from you. You will get all information, including what’s expected from you and any other terms and conditions, right on the application page, which the applicant would otherwise have found out later.
5. Improved Role-Matching
Using the right ATS app, you can easily match your skills to the right vacancy. This ensures that neither your nor the recruiter’s time is wasted.
6. Anywhere Accessibility
This is the best part about the online applicant tracking system software. Both the interviewer and the interviewee can access the application and its status from anywhere and at any time using the mobile version, which is another time-saving functionality.
How to Choose the Best Applicant Tracking Software for Your Business in 2026?
Since there are so many paid and free applicant tracking systems available in the market, choosing the right one according to your business requirements is overwhelming:
1. Identify Your Requirements
The first question is, Why do you need the applicant tracking software? Ensure to shortlist these requirements first.
- Your need objectives
- Your recruitment strengths, which the tool will amplify, and weaknesses that it will eliminate via automation.
- Your implementation timeline
- The number of team members who will use the tool.
- The ATS tool must also blend well with the other apps you use.
- Your candidates’ preferences
2. Shortlist Application Tracking System Solutions
Once your requirements are down, shortlist the top 10 online applicant tracking system software solutions as the one we made for you. This is what you need to consider about the software.
- Key features
- User experience
- Price and budget
- Customer service
- Compliance and security
- Integration capabilities
3. Avail of Free Demos & Trials
First, you need to test the ATS tool for yourself before implementation. We recommend availing of the applicant tracking system’s free demo or trial first. Be sure to test out every software from your shortlist first.
4. Pilot Implementation
Before the full implementation, you need to implement the said software in pilot mode. What we mean here is to roll out the tool across a few teams and departments to identify what actually works for you.
Top 10 Applicant Tracking Software in 2026
Here are the top 10 applicant tracking software solutions for your business in 2026.
- DeskTrack
- Lever
- Jobvite
- JazzHR
- BambooHR
- Zoho Recruit
- Bullhorn
- Recruitee
- Comeet
- Loxo
1. DeskTrack
DeskTrack is more than your average applicant tracking software. It’s the best all-in-one and scalable productivity monitoring, employee monitoring, project management, HR, and time tracking software. However, when it comes to applicant tracking, you get a real-time dashboard to track candidates. Plus, you can even archive resumes for later use.
2. Lever
Lever combines applicant tracking and customer relationship management into a single platform for medium-sized businesses. Overall, this one helps you shortlist the top candidates from a large pool.
3. Jobvite
Jobvite combines ATS, CRM, and HR management into a single platform, suitable for large businesses with complex hiring structures, such as yours.
4. JazzHR
Another blend of CRM and ATS on our list is JazzHR. However, this platform is only suited for small businesses or NGOs, having a simple hiring process.
Read Also: Workforce Management Tools: A Complete Guide & Top 5 Options
5. BambooHR
If you are a medium-sized business looking for recruitment and HR management features on a single platform, then go for BambooHR. This ATS and onboarding software solution is ideal for fulfilling all your hiring needs.
6. Zoho Recruit
If you are a small business looking for an affordable yet cost-effective applicant tracking system software, then Zoho Recruit is the one for you. However, the software’s design is low quality.
7. Bullhorn
Another ATS and CRM software on our list is Bullhorn. However, it’s only suitable for staffing agencies and dedicated recruitment teams.
8. Recruitee
Recruitee is known for highly customizable recruitment workflows, collaborative tools, and integrations for a team-focused experience. However, if you plan to implement it, be prepared to lose candidate data when transferring it to another system.
9. Comeet
If you are an SME looking for an ATS software solution with highly collaborative features, then we recommend you choose Comeet. However, according to our experience testing it, this one is better-suited as a pipeline visualization software.
10. Loxo
We recommend this talent acquisition software to agencies, recruiters, and other hiring operators. What we like about it is that it provides you with AI-powered sourcing for ensuring the best candidate-to-vacancy fit.
Align Expectations & Efficiency With DeskTrack
So, we presume that you have hired a suitable candidate for your vacancy. However, what’s next? How will you know whether your decision was right or how much RoI you will get? That’s where DeskTrack comes in. You can monitor employee activity, streamline workflows, and boost efficiency in real-time while preventing insider threats with the all-in-one employee monitoring software with screenshot tracking. Try now and realize why businesses across 100+ nations prefer to implement it for boosting employee productivity.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q. What is Applicant Tracking System Software?
Ans. Online applicant tracking system solutions are feature-rich software that act like a digital hiring manager for you. These applications automate the entire candidate hiring process, keeping you posted on the application status in real-time until you have finalized an applicant.
Q. Can ATS Read Scanned Documents?
Ans. Yes, not only do applicant tracking software solutions scan resumes, but they can also read scanned documents, because they are in PDF.
Q. Can ATS Read Invisible Text?
Ans. Yes, ATS tools can also read whited-out text, ensuring 100% transparency for the employer. For example, if a candidate hides certain failures in the resume to get hired, your ATS tool will detect this lie by scanning invisible text.
Q. What are the Features of an Applicant Tracking System?
Ans. These are the 7 key features of applicant tracking systems.
- Automatic Resume Scanning
- Collaborative Interface
- Customizable Workflows
- Interview Scheduling
- DEI Tools
- Data Collection & Reporting
- Security & Compliance
Q. How to Choose the Best Applicant Tracking Software for Your Business?
Ans. Use these steps.
- Identify Your Requirements
- Shortlist Application Tracking System Solutions
- Avail of Free Demos & Trials
- Pilot Implementation
Q. Which is the Best ATS Software?
Ans. These are the top 10 applicant tracking software for 2026.
- DeskTrack
- Lever
- Jobvite
- JazzHR
- BambooHR
- Zoho Recruit
- Bullhorn
- Recruitee
- Comeet
- Loxo
Thank you, so much for sharing a useful info.
Nice blog very informative and thanks for sharing