Applicant tracking systems

Choose an applicant tracking system (ATS) by following an application from submission to decision. Check whether the proposed setup keeps the right application, hiring actions, candidate messages and feedback together, and whether each person can access only what their role requires.

Define the hiring work

Map where applications arrive, who screens them, who arranges interviews, who records feedback and who tells candidates the outcome. Include a person who applies for two jobs, someone who withdraws and a hiring manager who changes during recruitment.

For each step, identify the expected record and its owner. A stage labelled Interview shows where an application sits; it does not establish that an invitation was sent, feedback was submitted or a decision was made. Ask suppliers to show those actions separately.

Record what a supplier shows, what needs configuration and what remains unverified.

Compare the proposed products

Workable documents a shared pipeline for all jobs or multiple pipelines mapped to a common reporting pipeline. Its candidate profile is where users review a candidate's CV and application details and take actions such as adding comments, sending emails, inviting candidates for interviews or moving them to the next stage. That makes it useful to examine when job types need different steps but the employer still wants comparable reporting.

Workable says changes to the reporting pipeline impact all pipelines, so confirm how pipeline settings will be governed. Confirm the quoted features and who can change pipeline settings.

Greenhouse Recruiting organises an interview plan into stages and interviews, with interview kits described as part of the plan's aggregated aspects for consistent candidate evaluation. Each stage contains one or more interviews, and plans start with Application Review and end with Offer by default. Creating a custom stage name requires a Job Admin with the user-specific permission.

Stage transition rules automate actions when candidates are moved to a new stage, such as sending a candidate email; Greenhouse documents these rules for Core, Plus and Pro tiers, subject to permissions and setup. Confirm the proposed subscription and job configuration.

Give suppliers the same hiring cases. Compare the records and decisions each proposed configuration produces, the work needed to maintain it and any gaps in the quote. Confirm Australian availability and contract terms directly with the supplier.

Check how much workflow structure is practical

Ask whether the proposed workflow can represent the hiring cases mapped earlier and still produce comparable reporting. Keep the selection test at that level; detailed pipeline comparison belongs in the supporting article on that subtopic.

Ask suppliers to demonstrate how the system would connect with the tools your recruitment process relies on, how implementation and any required data transfer would be handled, and what training and ongoing support are included. Have representative users try common tasks, and ask for a clear breakdown of costs, including any costs for required integrations or services. Record what is included in the proposal and what remains unconfirmed.

Check candidate information and access

Ask what the application form collects, when additional information is requested and how applicant records are retained or removed.

The organisation's privacy adviser should assess how the employee records exemption applies to the organisation's actual records and data flows.

Check access beyond the main candidate screen. Interview kits, messages, reports, downloads and integrations may expose information to different people. Include an internal applicant and a former hiring team member in the access review. If a required restriction cannot be shown, keep it as an open selection requirement.

Shortlist only configurations where the supplier has demonstrated the required records, permissions and candidate messages. Record manual steps, their owners and every feature or integration the supplier has yet to confirm.

Check what applicant information the system collects

For an organisation covered by the Australian Privacy Principles, check whether each requested field is reasonably necessary for its functions or activities. The OAIC says APP 3 also requires personal information to be collected by lawful and fair means. It must generally be collected from the individual concerned, unless that is unreasonable or impracticable.

Treat sensitive information as a separate selection check. Under the OAIC's APP 3 guidance, an APP entity may collect sensitive information only when the relevant necessity conditions are met and the individual consents, unless an exception applies. Ask the supplier to demonstrate how the proposed form and process handle any such collection.