Implementing an applicant tracking system can feel huge and scary, especially if your organisation still relies on spreadsheets. Even more especially if you’ve never led a tech project before. But the ATS implementation process can be easier and faster than you think, with a robust process and the right support.
Keep reading for a walkthrough of the implementation process for Tribepad Gro, to get a taste of what launching your first serious ATS might look like.
Making the leap to applicant tracking software can feel like an enormous task, especially if you’re an SME recruiter. Even if you know it’s long-since time to upgrade from spreadsheets or your basic legacy software, finding time to implement an ATS can feel impossible.
Sure, it’s a nice idea. But you’re already getting home late every night because you’re buried under admin. Keeping pace with recruitment-as-normal is hard enough, without adding software implementation on top.
But there’s the problem. Because if you stick with your current set-up, nothing will change. And as the business scales, recruitment only gets harder. Pressure will keep growing to do more and more with less and less. It’s not sustainable.
The good news is, implementing an ATS is easier than you might think. Even if you’ve never implemented recruitment software before.
Keep reading and we’ll talk you through what to expect. So you can banish the spreadsheets once and for all. (In this article we’re looking at small businesses implementing their first serious piece of applicant tracking software).
Implementing an ATS: a process walkthrough
How long does implementing an ATS take?
The timeframe for implementing applicant tracking software depends on your chosen tech. Tribepad Gro implementation takes around 8 weeks, depending how much internal resource you can commit to the process.
Recruitment software that can do as much as Tribepad would usually take longer to set-up than this. But because Tribepad Gro is the out-of-the-box version of our enterprise recruitment software, it’s practically ready-to-go, with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Winner.
How much internal resource do we need to manage implementation?
In an ideal world, you’d have two people leading implementation internally. But most Tribepad Gro customers only have a small recruitment team – often a team of one. If that’s you, don’t panic. We’ll work through the process with you and can offer additional support where it’s needed, so you’ll be well looked after.
As part of implementing our ATS, we’ll give you a week-by-week breakdown of approximate timings, but you’re typically looking at around 1.5 days per week split across your implementation resource.
Our project delivery team have 3 decades’ combined experience helping teams like yours implement recruitment software, so we’ve got the process down to a fine art.
Although the ins and outs might differ slightly depending on your needs and constraints, here’s roughly what to expect if you become a Tribepad Gro customer.
The Tribepad Gro ATS implementation timeline:
The starting gun – a kick-off call
Implementing an ATS starts with a kick-off project call between your side and ours, to make sure we’re all on the same page before implementation begins. This call lasts about 60-minutes. We’ll:
- Make introductions
- Discuss your main objectives and success criteria
- Talk you through the implementation process
- Highlight possible constraints or roadblocks
- Book your weekly calls and agree training times
- Set a date for launch 🚀
Your applicant tracking system implementation project plan
The centre of the implementation universe is your bespoke project plan, which we’ll create for you using online project management software. You’ll get dedicated training on this to make sure you’re totally confident.
This is your A-Z applicant tracking system implementation plan. It:
- Tells you what needs to happen, when
- Advises how much time to commit each week
- Notifies you when action is needed
- Stores all training documentation and resources
- Tags project team in any questions for speedy replies
- Collects and tracks all project communication
Full-day online platform training (or 2 x half-days)
Here’s where we show you the nitty-gritty behind the curtain. This is relatable, easy training on the Tribepad Gro ATS that teaches you to confidently set-up each of the key components to your recruitment process, from onboarding to reporting.
This session will involve end-to-end training on how to set-up your processes, plus we’ll talk you through any must-have information you’ll need to collect your side. Like legal requirements, your branding, recruiter details, and your user types.
(If that’s confusing, don’t worry. We’ll talk you through it. User types refer to who can do what within the ATS – like recruiters adding jobs but managers only being able to shortlist.)
We’ll record this session so you’ve got it for reference over the coming weeks.
Ten steps to success: building your ATS
This is the main chunk of ATS implementation. Over the weeks two to five, you’ll be following our ‘Ten Steps to Success’ process, to get your ATS up and running. You’ll put all the stuff you learned in your training into practice, following the step-by-step process in your project plan.
We’ve got excellent training infrastructure throughout here, including:
- Video walkthroughs
- In-ATS user training pop-ups
- Comprehensive help guide
- Detailed Knowledge Hub
You’ll have plenty of support here, with weekly project calls throughout this stage. These are meant to be troubleshooting calls and progress reviews so ideally you’ll come to the call having already gotten stuck into this week’s tasks. Then we’ll help you with any problem areas, resolve any issues, and chat about what’s coming up next week.
The practice run
By week seven, you’ll have completed Ten Steps to Success and your ATS should now be set-up with your end-to-end recruitment process.
Now we’ll run through that together as if you were live, so we can check your process works like you’re imagining and troubleshoot any final issues. We’re nearly there!
Online ‘Train the trainer’ training
Once your applicant tracking software is ready to go, we’ll run an online training session to make sure you’re totally confident navigating everything.
You’ll have met our training manager Sally during one of your project calls. She’ll be fully up-to-speed on your process, so this session will be a full end-to-end run-through of your recruitment process using Tribepad Gro. (Yes, recorded!)
The idea here is that you’re then confident to upskill anyone else from your side who’ll use your ATS, like other recruiters or managers. (Or if you prefer to pull people from your wider team into the session, that’s fine too)
Go-live 🚀
… and you’re off, woohoo!
We’ll conduct final go-live checks, then make your ATS public so you can receive live applications from candidates. And now’s when you can take a well-deserved breather.
Project hypercare
You’ll still have plenty of support once your ATS is live. You’ll have calls with our project delivery team for two more weeks, so we can make sure you’re confident and getting the most from the platform.
Ongoing support
Your ATS provider shouldn’t disappear once you’ve launched. Tribepad Gro is exceptionally easy to use, so you probably won’t need much support unless you’re making big changes as you’re scaling, restructuring, or rebranding. But we’re there if you do.
You can access our support portal any time, with response times depending on urgency but starting from under 30-minutes. (When you submit a support request, we prioritise so we can resolve serious problems first.)
Tribepad Gro customers can also have ad-hoc support from our Account Management and Customer Success teams, if you need an extra helping hand.
ATS implementation is more manageable than you think
It might be painfully obvious that you need new recruitment software, but taking a step back and implementing an applicant tracking system can feel impossible. You’re buried under mountains of admin; there already aren’t enough hours in the day.
But that’s exactly why you need better recruitment software.
Yes, there’s an element of needing to step back before you can power forward. Any software implementation does take time, energy and focus.
But hopefully walking you through our ATS implementation timeline has helped show how manageable implementation can be, with the right project plan and the right partners.
If fears around implementation have been holding you back, maybe it’s time to take the plunge? Your future self will thank you… 😎
Tribepad Gro is ready-built, ready-to-go recruitment software for growing teams. With all the fundamental features you need to recruit well as you scale, Tribepad Gro makes it easier and faster to find, hire, and onboard the best people.
Ready to take your recruitment to the next level? Book a demo.
