ATS/Background Check Integrations: The Next Big Trend in Recruiting Tech?

According to HireRight's 2016 Employment Screening Benchmark Report, 34 percent of HR departments strive for a more efficient candidate experience. That number may not be terribly high, but it's still a good trend to see: The more efficient the hiring process is, the better an employer will be at wooing candidates.

In the effort to make hiring processes go more smoothly, some think that integrations between applicant tracking systems (ATSs) and background-checking software may be the next big thing in human resources. HireRight is already making moves in that direction by connecting its background-checking and drug-testing solutions to Workday's recruiting solution.

Employers Are Sourcing Global Talent – Which Brings Plenty of Challenges

Now that global unemployment rates are down, companies must be very creative in finding the right talent to fill open positions. As the global labor force ages and highly experienced employees begin retiring in large numbers, more and more employers are looking for ways to attract highly skilled candidates, especially in the fields of technology, pharmaceuticals, and consulting.

Moreover, because such talent is scarce, many companies have taken to hunting globally, rather than only sourcing locally. Mary O'Loughlin, vice president of global customer experience at HireRight, warns that screening candidates with global experience can be quite challenging.

"These candidates tend to have complex backgrounds and work histories that need to be verified, and HR professionals are under pressure to verify all candidates quickly and thoroughly," O'Loughlin says. "Those hiring new candidates encounter an increased number of new road blocks in international social, legal, and cultural laws and regulations, and to navigate them they need to approach the verification process with emerging tools meant to ease this process."

ATS/background check integrations solve many of the challenges associated with screening global talent, making for a quicker, more positive hiring experience overall. These integrations can lead to faster hiring processes, fewer phone calls and emails between candidates and decision-makers, and improved candidate experiences on desktop and mobile devices.

HR managers also reap benefits, including consolidation, efficiency, and true integration through the cloud to other parts of the HR workflow; comprehensive data sets relevant to the candidate and position; and predictive analytics based on top-performing employees to help in future strategic hiring decisions.

While ATS and background integrations have been around for years, an increasing number of global companies of all sizes are recognizing how these integrations can improve the candidate experience and lead to better hires.

"These integrations also improve future screening processes because they are cloud-based – they will continue to adapt to new technologies and integrate with systems companies already have in place, giving companies the flexibility to assimilate to new tech as it becomes available," says O'Loughlin. "Candidates represent the future of any organization. Ensuring you hire the best talent quickly and that the candidate has a positive opinion of their experience during the hiring process makes for a great first impression."