Every year, Software Advice speaks to thousands of buyers in the market for applicant tracking systems (ATSs). We analyzed a random selection of 385 interactions with small-business buyers over the past year-to-date to discover what they’re looking for in new software, and compared this with the data from our 2013 report.

1. Software Advice BuyerView
Applicant Tracking Report
Insight into today’s small-business software buyer

2. Every year, Software Advice speaks to thousands of buyers in the market for
applicant tracking systems (ATSs). We analyzed a random selection of 385
interactions with small-business buyers over the past year-to-date to discover
what they’re looking for in new software, and compared this with the data from
our 2013 report. Our key findings include:
• The percentage of buyers using manual methods to track applicants has
decreased since 2013.
• As compared to 2013, more buyers are seeking new ATS software in 2014 to
support company growth.
• Forty percent of buyers want to purchase an ATS with the ability to
automatically post jobs to social media and job boards.
Abstract

3. Prospective Buyers’ Current Methods: 2013 vs. 2014
The percentage of buyers relying on manual methods decreased slightly from
2013, when 67 percent of buyers reported using this tactic.
Manual methods
Commercial ATS
Proprietary ATS
Other
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
2013 2014
Percent of sample

4. Top Reasons for ATS Software Purchase
The need to increase efficiency and organization was still the top reason buyers
provided for purchasing a new ATS.
Efficiency/organization
Company growth
Current missing features
Consolidate systems
Current is cumbersome
Modernize
Current is expensive
Other
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
2013 2014
Percent of sample

5. Job board/careers page posting
Searchable database
Reporting
Candidate tracking
Note-taking
Resume parsing
Social media posting
Email integration/automation
Compliance tracking
Software integration
0% 25% 50% 75%
Top-Requested ATS Software Features, 2014
Percent of sample
For small-business buyers, the ability to automatically post open positions to job
boards and their company careers page was the number-one requested feature.

6. Integration Preferences, 2014
82 percent of buyers noted they were looking for an assortment of applications in
addition to an ATS, but that these applications did not need to be part of a package.
82%
1%
17%
Best-of-breed
Integrated suite only
Multiple products OK

7. Personnel tracking/benefits admin
Performance reviews
On-boarding
Payroll
Time & attendance
Goal tracking
Succession planning
Learning management
0% 10% 20% 30%
Top-Requested Applications Supplementing ATS, 2014
Percent of sample
In addition to an ATS, almost one-fourth of buyers were looking for personnel
tracking and benefits administration software.

8. Prospective Buyer Size by Annual Revenue, 2014
In 2014, 50 percent of the businesses we spoke to that were seeking new ATS
software represented organizations with $6 to $25 million in annual revenue.
10%
19%
50%
15%
6%
Less than $1 million
$1-5 million
$6-25 million
$26-50 million
$51-100 million

9. Prospective Buyer Size by Number of Employees, 2014
When it came to the number of workers employed by these organizations, we found
that 76 percent of buyers employed 500 or fewer employees.
2%
8%
14%
18%
24%
20%
14%
1-50
51-100
101-250
251-500
501-1,000
1,001-2,500
2,501-5,000
5,001-10,000

10. Software/technology
Manufacturing
Healthcare/medical
Non-profit
Construction/contracting
Other services
Education
Consulting
Banking
Advertising
0% 10% 20% 30%
Prospective Buyers by Segment, 2014
Percent of sample
Finally, software/technology and manufacturing were the top two industry
segments from which buyers came to us in search of a new ATS.

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12. Software Advice is a trusted resource for software buyers. The company's website,
www.softwareadvice.com, provides detailed reviews, comparisons and research to
help organizations choose the right software. Meanwhile, the company’s team of
software analysts provide free telephone consultations to help each software buyer
identify systems that best fit their needs. In the process, Software Advice connects
software buyers and sellers, generating high-quality opportunities for software
vendors.
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