What Is An Applicant Tracking System

March 31, 2026

What is an ATS, or applicant tracking system?

Hiring today often involves reviewing dozens or even hundreds of applications for a single role. Managing this volume of candidates manually can quickly become difficult for recruiters and hiring managers. This is where an applicant tracking system becomes valuable.

So, what are applicant tracking systems? An applicant tracking system, commonly known as an ATS, is software that helps organisationsorganizations manage and organiseorganize the recruitment process in one central platform. It stores candidate applications, tracks applicants through different hiring stages and helps recruitment teams coordinate activities such as resume reviews, interview scheduling and communication with candidates.

At PageUp, we offer an AI-powered applicant tracking system designed to support modern recruitment teams throughout the entire hiring process. The platform brings together job postings, candidate applications and recruitment workflows in one environment so recruiters and hiring managers can manage hiring activities more effectively.

Why do organisationsorganizations use an ATS?

As recruitment becomes more digital and competitive, applicant tracking systems have become a critical tool for organisationsorganizations that want to maintain organisedorganized and efficient hiring processes.

With the PageUp applicant tracking system, organisationsorganizations can manage several important recruitment tasks, including:

Managing job postings across different job boards and hiring platforms
Organising candidate applications in one system
Allowing recruiters and hiring managers to review applicants efficiently
Clearly track progress through each stage of the hiring process
Maintaining structured records of recruitment activities

What does an applicant tracking system do?

At PageUp, our applicant tracking system is designed to support recruiters and hiring managers throughout the entire recruitment process. From creating job postings to managing interviews and final offers, the PageUp applicant tracking system helps organisationsorganizations organiseorganize recruitment activities and maintain visibility across every stage of hiring.

Below are some of the key functions supported within the PageUp platform.

1. Managing jobs

The recruitment process begins with creating and managing open roles. Within the PageUp applicant tracking system, recruiters can create job postings, track how many roles are currently open and monitor positions managed by different teams.

This helps recruitment teams maintain visibility across active hiring needs while ensuring that each job posting is properly tracked within the system.

2. Reviewing applications

Once a job posting is live, candidates begin submitting their applications. The PageUp applicant tracking system collects these applications and allows recruiters and hiring managers to review candidate profiles in one place.

Recruitment teams can quickly see how many applicants are available for review and which applications have been advanced to different stages or hiring managers. This structured approach makes it easier to manage large volumes of candidates.

3. Managing job advertisementsadvertizements

Recruitment often involves promoting job openings across different hiring channels. Within the PageUp applicant tracking system, recruiters can manage job advertisementsadvertizements and track which roles are currently being promoted. This helps organisationsorganizations keep job postings organisedorganized while maintaining visibility over where opportunities are being advertisedadvertized and your ROI.

4. Coordinating selection committees

Some roles require evaluation from a panel or selection committee. The PageUp applicant tracking system helps coordinate these reviews by allowing organisationsorganizations to identify roles that require panel assessment and manage feedback from multiple stakeholders. This ensures that hiring decisions involving committees remain organisedorganized and properly documented.

5. Scheduling interviews

Once candidates are shortlisted, interviews need to be scheduled and coordinated. The PageUp applicant tracking system allows recruitment teams to manage interview schedules and track upcoming interviews across roles. By organising interviews within the platform, recruiters and hiring managers can maintain a clear view of interview activity and candidate progress.

6. Managing offers and new hires

The final stage of the recruitment process involves extending offers to successful candidates. Within the PageUp applicant tracking system, recruitment teams can track offers awaiting approval and monitor candidates who have accepted offers and are preparing to join the organisationorganization.

By bringing these recruitment activities together in one system, the PageUp applicant tracking system helps organisationsorganizations manage the hiring process more efficiently while supporting better collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers.

How do applicant tracking systems work?

To understand how applicant tracking systems work, it helps to look at how different tools within the platform support the recruitment process. Here are some of the key ways the PageUp applicant tracking system supports the recruitment process.

Job site

The PageUp applicant tracking system also supports the candidate experience through a dedicated job site. This allows job seekers to search open roles and submit applications easily.

With a mobile-optimisedoptimized job site, organisationsorganizations can provide a strong first impression for candidates while reinforcing their employer brand during the application process.

Sourcing

Recruitment begins with finding the right candidates. The PageUp applicant tracking system allows organisationsorganizations to post jobs across multiple platforms and track where applicants are coming from.

Recruiters can monitor which sourcing channels are delivering strong candidates and identify opportunities to improve recruitment efficiency. By tracking sourcing performance, organisationsorganizations can focus their efforts on channels that produce the best results while reducing unnecessary hiring costs.

Analytics

Understanding recruitment performance is an important part of improving the hiring process and delivering hiring ROI With the PageUp applicant tracking system, recruitment teams can access analytics that show how hiring activity is progressing.

Recruiters can review key metrics such as time to fill, sourcing effectiveness and agency performance. These insights help organisationsorganizations refine their recruitment process and identify opportunities to improve hiring outcomes.

CRM

Building strong candidate pipelines is essential for organisationsorganizations that regularly hire for similar roles. The PageUp applicant tracking system includes CRM functionality that helps recruiters organiseorganize and engage potential candidates.

Recruiters can search candidate databases, apply tags and use AI-supported resume summarisationsummarization to quickly identify suitable candidates. This allows recruitment teams to reach out to qualified candidates and maintain relationships with talent over time.

Dashboards

Recruitment teams often need visibility across multiple roles and hiring activities. The PageUp applicant tracking system provides dashboards that help recruiters track recruitment progress and identify areas that need attention.

These dashboards allow organisationsorganizations to monitor hiring goals, recogniserecognize high-performing recruitment teams and respond to potential issues before they impact the hiring process.

Key benefits of using an ATS for employers

Managing recruitment manually can quickly become complex, especially when organisationsorganizations are handling multiple roles and large volumes of applications. An applicant tracking system helps employers organiseorganize recruitment activities.

These are some of the key benefits employers gain from using the PageUp applicant tracking system.

CentralisedCentralized recruitment management — One of the main advantages of using an ATS is having a single system to manage recruitment activities. Instead of juggling spreadsheets, emails and separate tools, the PageUp applicant tracking system stores job postings, candidate applications and hiring workflows in one platform.

Faster candidate screening — Recruitment teams often review a large number of applications for each role. The PageUp applicant tracking system helps recruiters organiseorganize candidate profiles so they can review applicants more efficiently. By structuring candidate data within the platform, recruiters and hiring managers can identify suitable candidates faster and move them through the recruitment process more quickly.

Improved collaboration with hiring managers — Hiring decisions often involve input from multiple stakeholders. The PageUp applicant tracking system allows recruiters and hiring managers to collaborate directly within the platform. Hiring managers can review applications, provide feedback and track candidate progress throughout the recruitment process. This helps teams stay aligned when evaluating candidates.

Better visibility into recruitment performance — Understanding how recruitment activities are performing is important for improving hiring outcomes. The PageUp applicant tracking system provides dashboards and analytics that allow organisationsorganizations to monitor key recruitment metrics. Recruitment teams can review data such as time to fill roles, sourcing performance and hiring activity across departments.

Stronger candidate pipelines — Many organisationsorganizations need to hire for similar roles repeatedly. The PageUp applicant tracking system helps recruiters maintain organisedorganized candidate pipelines so they can reconnect with potential candidates in the future. By maintaining candidate records and engagement history, recruiters can build stronger talent pools that support future hiring needs.

More consistent recruitment processes — A structured recruitment process helps organisationsorganizations evaluate candidates fairly and maintain consistency across roles. The PageUp applicant tracking system allows organisationsorganizations to define recruitment workflows that guide candidates through each stage of the hiring process.

Common ATS mistakes to avoid

An applicant tracking system can significantly improve how organisationsorganizations manage recruitment. However, the value of an ATS often depends on how effectively it is implemented and used by recruitment teams. Here are some common mistakes employers should avoid when using an applicant tracking system.

Treating the ATS as only a resume database

Some organisationsorganizations use their ATS simply as a place to store resumes. While storing candidate information is one function of the platform, PageUp applicant tracking system supports much more than that.

Recruitment teams can use PageUp to manage job postings, coordinate interviews, track the hiring process and collaborate with hiring managers. Using the full capabilities of the system helps organisationsorganizations manage recruitment more effectively.

Limited adoption across hiring teams

An ATS works best when both recruiters and hiring managers actively use the platform. If some teams rely on manual processes while others use the system, recruitment activities can become fragmented.

Encouraging consistent use of the PageUp applicant tracking system helps ensure that candidate feedback, interview notes and hiring decisions remain visible to everyone involved in the recruitment process.

Ignoring recruitment insights and analytics

Many organisationsorganizations focus heavily on managing applications but overlook the insights available within their ATS. Recruitment analytics can help employers understand how their hiring process is performing.

Overlooking the candidate experience

Recruitment technology should support both recruiters and candidates. If the application process is difficult or poorly structured, organisationsorganizations may lose strong candidates before the hiring process even begins.

Common questions about ATS

Applicant tracking systems are widely used across modern recruitment teams, yet many organisationsorganizations and job seekers still have questions about how these platforms work.

How do you choose the right applicant tracking system?

Choosing the right ATS depends on several factors such as the size of your organisationorganization, recruitment volume and the features your hiring teams require. Many employers evaluate aspects such as workflow flexibility, candidate management tools, reporting capabilities and integration with existing HR systems. If you are evaluating options, it can help to review a detailed guide on how to choose an ATS.

What should organisationsorganizations consider before implementing an ATS?

OrganisationsOrganizations should consider their recruitment workflows, stakeholder involvement and how hiring teams will adopt the system. Planning the implementation carefully can help ensure recruiters and hiring managers use the platform effectively. You can learn more about this in our guide on ATS implementation best practices.

Can applicant tracking systems read PDFs?

Most modern ATS platforms, including the PageUp applicant tracking system, allow resumes submitted as PDF documents to be uploaded and reviewed within the system. Recruiters can access these resumes as part of each candidate profile, allowing them to review applicant information during the evaluation process.

Do small businesses need an applicant tracking system?

While large organisationsorganizations often receive higher volumes of applications, smaller businesses can also benefit from using an ATS. The system helps teams organiseorganize candidate applications, manage the hiring process and maintain recruitment records in one platform.

What information does an ATS store?

An applicant tracking system typically stores candidate resumes, contact details, application responses and recruitment activity records. Recruiters and hiring managers can access this information to review applicants and track their progress through the recruitment process.

Can an ATS support recruitment reporting?

Yes. Many applicant tracking systems include reporting tools that allow organisationsorganizations to monitor recruitment activity. Employers can track hiring metrics, review sourcing performance and understand how their recruitment process is performing.