Time to hire is an important metric to consider when looking at the efficiency and quality of your hiring pipeline. A long, drawn-out hiring process means it can take months to fill roles that you need to be filled now. This can hinder growth, delay ongoing projects, and even burn out team members who have to take on additional work in the meantime. 

But, even if you have everything under control, a slow hiring process can cause you to miss out on top talent. We talked about how this is a shortcoming of the FIFO process, but a slow time to hire can lead to missed opportunities regardless of your hiring process. If your first contact with a top-tier candidate happens when they’re already three interviews in with another company, it’s going to be a lot harder to hire them. Reducing your time to hire helps your team, increases your chances of attracting top talent, and puts less burden on your hiring team.

How Dover’s applicant tracking system (ATS) can streamline the hiring process

We’ve talked a lot about how manual processes can be inefficient and how important time to hire is, but what’s the better solution? An applicant tracking system, or ATS, can significantly streamline your hiring process and give startups the tools they need to recruit top talent.

The one downside of ATS is that they are often expensive, but Dover’s is completely free. Here are some of the best features Dover offers to help you reduce time to hire and save hours in your resume sorting process.

1. Sort hundreds of applications by best match

Sorting through thousands of applications can significantly slow down the hiring process, and you might miss out on top candidates if you don’t have the time to manually look through each one. Dover’s ATS can make things much easier by sorting applications based on best match. This brings candidates to the top of the pile who best fit the parameters you set for the job.

Of course, you can still review every resume if you choose, but this helps you focus on the most relevant candidates. This speeds up the hiring process and lets you get some great prospects started in the interview process. 

2. Add unique filters that matter to your company

Every startup has unique needs they want to prioritize when hiring. Dover’s ATS allows you to create unique filters to reflect what you want most out of candidates, refining our algorithm and making it more specific to your company. This way, you filter candidates according to the metrics that matter most. For example, if you’re filling a software engineering position you might prioritize candidates who have experience in a certain programming language. Some other filters you might use include:

• Personas - Targeting candidates who fit specific persona profiles, such as "software engineer" or "sales" or "data analyst."

• Location - If you need in-person candidates or are filling a hybrid role, you can filter candidates by location.

• Company Size - Focus on finding candidates who are used to working in startups and smaller companies, so they have an understanding of the pace and style of the work environment from the beginning.

• Years of experience - You can quickly find candidates that have the years of experience your company wants in the role and filter out candidates who don't have the desired years of work.

• Seniority Level - Finding candidates at the right career stage, whether entry-level, mid-level, or senior.

These filters help refine the candidate pool, making it much easier for startups to identify the best matches quickly. 

3. Track all candidates from application to offer

Applicant tracking systems like Dover’s also allow you to manage candidates throughout the hiring pipeline. You can track their journey from application to offer, ensuring no candidate falls through the cracks. These tracking features allow you to do things like:

• Schedule Interviews - Easily set up and manage interviews. Ensure candidates are contacted quickly, so they can move on to the next step in the process without delay.

• Communicate with Candidates - Keep candidates informed about their status and next steps, providing a positive candidate experience.

• Collaborate with Team Members - Share notes and feedback with other team members to make informed hiring decisions.

4. Save time and money 

Dover’s ATS can save you significant time in the hiring process. Automating repetitive tasks like resume sorting and interview scheduling will free up your hiring team to find the best candidates and get them on your team. An effective hiring pipeline also means more great hires, which means less turnover.

All of this also helps to save money, as your teams can be more productive and the roles that need to be filled are filled. Plus, Dover’s ATS is free, so you don’t have to find room in your budget to reap the benefits.