How to Choose an ATS: 8 Mistakes to Avoid - JobAffinity
Do you need an ATS for your recruitment? JobAffinity explains the 8 mistakes to avoid and how to properly choose your ATS.
Choosing an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is an essential step to structure your recruitment, save time, and offer a better candidate experience. But faced with the diversity of available software, many companies make the same mistakes when choosing.
Here are the 8 most common mistakes to avoid when selecting the right tool.
1. Focusing Only on Price
Choosing an ATS solely because it's cheaper is risky. An attractive price may hide a lack of features, support, or GDPR compliance. It's better to evaluate the value / usage / support ratio rather than price alone.
💡 A good ATS should generate a real return on investment.
2. Neglecting Ease of Use
An overly complex ATS discourages teams and ends up not being used. Ergonomics and smooth navigation are essential to ensure rapid adoption by all users (HR, managers, executives).
Before choosing, test the platform:
- Clear interface
- Few clicks for common actions
- Good readability on mobile and desktop
3. Forgetting Compatibility with Your Existing Tools
An ATS isolated from the rest of your HR environment (HRIS, CRM, payroll, messaging) creates duplicates and errors. Make sure it integrates easily with your current tools via API or standard connectors.
💡 Interoperability saves time and improves data reliability.
4. Not Involving Teams in the Selection
A common mistake: a choice made solely by management or IT. However, it's recruiters and managers who will use the tool daily.
Involve them in the testing and selection phase to choose software truly suited to their needs.
5. Underestimating the Importance of Customer Support
Good support makes all the difference. Some ATS vendors offer minimal or paid support, while others provide personalized and responsive assistance (chat, phone, email).
Effective support facilitates onboarding and quickly resolves problems.
6. Forgetting GDPR Compliance
An ATS manages sensitive personal data (resumes, cover letters, interviews). Non-compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation can expose your company to sanctions.
Verify:
- Data hosting in Europe
- Configurable retention periods
- Consent and automatic deletion tools
7. Ignoring Future Needs
Many companies choose an ATS suited to their current needs, but not to their future growth. Make sure the solution is scalable, with modules or licenses that can adapt to the evolution of your business.
💡 Favor a vendor capable of supporting your long-term development.
8. Not Measuring Real Added Value
An ATS is not just a sorting tool: it must improve your recruitment performance. Make sure it provides clear indicators (recruitment time, most effective sources, conversion rate) and exportable reports.
In Summary
| Common Mistake | Consequence | Best Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Choose by price | Unsuitable tool | Evaluate overall value |
| Ignore ergonomics | Difficult adoption | Test before buying |
| No integration | Scattered data | Check available APIs |
| Unilateral decision | User rejection | Involve HR teams |
| Weak support | Time losses | Verify service quality |
| GDPR non-compliance | Legal risks | Hosting and automatic deletion |
| Lack of scalability | Obsolete tool | Choose a modular ATS |
| No indicators | No steering | Analyze recruitment KPIs |
Why Choose JobAffinity?
JobAffinity is a French, intuitive, and comprehensive ATS designed to simplify recruitment:
- Automatic multi-posting of job offers
- Smart application sorting
- Smooth collaboration between recruiters and managers
- Complete and customizable reporting
- Native GDPR compliance
- Human and responsive customer support
👉 Request a free demo of JobAffinity
JobAffinity – User-friendly, intuitive, and GDPR-compliant ATS software.
