Bad ATS - Tell Your CIO to go get Stuffed!

Of course, we are not really going to say that to your CIO! We work in the corporate world too and know what a kamikaze mission looks like for the HR Department. But how do we say no to a CIO on their HR Systems Choices…..especially when its possibly not our choice of system or they’ve picked one of the most hated platforms on the planet. Yet they’ve pick for HR……

Navigating corporate dynamics, especially when you want to say no to a CIO regarding HR systems choice, is like walking a tightrope. It’s delicate, it’s precarious, but with the right balance, you might just make it to the other side unscathed and perhaps even with a few accolades. I’d like to look at how you can gracefully and effectively communicate your stance without burning too many bridges on your new ATS choice journey. Let’s first of all start with the main problems faced by the TA team and HRD.

As a HRD friend of mine recently said to me “It’s like the weekend and then comes Monday”. Meaning we use high tech in our personal life, all the time - and on the phone – and it works, then as a HR team come into work on Monday mornings - back to a clunky, poor operating system, that’s annoying to HR or TA – and quiet frankly doesn’t work, (even new installations). This causes everyone from HR to Hiring Managers and candidates alike so much frustration……It’s annoying, time consuming and stressful. The human cost of a poor HR system is huge. And far greater than just the excessive man hours spent on admin to operate a clunky system. Let’s call this Energy Time. Not the physical time but the energy it drains from our souls……

The energy time and good will lost can be huge. I’ve even known Recruiters leave TA teams and workplaces because of the poor ATS they have to work with.

With a new ATS - It’s often the TA team or HR who inherited more work – more fixes, more work arounds, more admin, poor line of sight, poor candidate experience and overall workload because of a bad ATS. The new system often really doesn’t save time or money as it should. Even if seen as a “free ATS” given away with a large enterprise system - frankly it just causes everyone stress.

Think on - given this drain in our Energy Time - how can we then give our best to hiring managers and candidates we are dealing with? We can’t provide calm and caring vibes, when our nerves are frayed by the infuriating system we have to work with daily. A bad ATS will mean the candidate experience is often poor too - when steam is coming out of our ears its really hard to be nice to be around.

The Rub between the CIO and HR

Here are some of the main reasons I think this happens and the challenges I see facing HR when it comes to getting their choice of ATS:

1.     The biggest issue is that HR teams are in need of several systems to operate several different functions of HR. Or they already have several systems in place and want to simplify. As they don’t want to end up with 37 different tools that don’t integrate.

2.     Organisations then naturally will try and get one HRMS, that does everything for them - including payroll and Recruitment (although I think this is folly – see later). So comes down to one system to do all (or keep best of breed).

3.     As someone who has worked in this space for years - one system (HRMS) will never do everything well – I’m sorry they just don’t. So, in reality a organisation may have to end up having three systems anyway – a HRMS, a Payroll System and an ATS for HR things to really work efficiently.

4.     Finance also have wants and needs too. Often wielding more power in the organisation (the CFO) above the HRD and wanting just one tool that integrates with everything including HR. They want reporting tool for Finance and showing headcount and payroll etc.

5.     So the IT Department or CIO go on the hunt looking for a mega Enterprise System, “one that does everything” so everyone can be happy, integrated and Finance can have just one set of reports.

6.     The problem with this approach is and I see this time and time again - HR (especially Recruitment) often end up with a Recruitment Tool (ATS – Applicant Tracking System) that doesn’t really work. The enterprise system is really for Finance or payroll. The ATS is a bolt on and clunky at best, often with gaps in functionality which means lots of manual work arounds or lots of time and money for one small box to be added, or customisation fix.

7.     HR are then told to “suck it up” as the new integrated system will have an ATS, and you can just use the free one! How different can an ATS be - right?? Err wrong…..

The Problems Caused by this enterprise approach is:

1.         Some ATS are really good. REALLY GOOD. Others less so. Often those that come “for free” as part of a mega enterprise system are well… not that good. Low functionality, clunky and actually take far more time, work, and effort for the HR team and Recruiters with work arounds, fixes, manual entry, paper based records, due to it's lack of functionality or hard to customise. These ATS are not intuitive and are frankly cost more in man hours than save. Are often stressful to operate and create far more work for HR teams and hiring managers. What’s the true cost of these systems - poor recruitment and a slow time to hire can mean empty seats or losing the perfect candidate?

2.         In a nutshell it’s a false economy to get a cheap or free ATS, within another system, with half the functionality. Recruiters have to work twice as hard. Candidates have a poor experience, and often there is no line of sight on certain functionality - such as job offers or onboarding. Pulling data and reporting can also be hard or non-existent.

3.         Ultimately, with a "built in" system you may lose more than you gain - key functionality. This can cost the business literally millions of dollars in unseen costs - opportunity costs or the down time for operations with vacancies. Lack of staff means poor customer experience. Think empty seats.

4.         It’s better to go best of breed and get the decent ATS in the first place. Custom built with the functionality you need, built solely for the purpose of Recruitment. Not a bolt to a system that’s originally built either to pay people or provide a finance report.

Top Tip – if your currently using a ticketing system like Service Now as a work around to do a part of your recruitment process - your ATS doesn’t work.

Anything like Induction, offer letters, or any key part of the recruitment process – that has to be tracked by a separate ticketing system is a sign that the ATS doesn’t have the functionality needed.

So How to get the ATS Systems you want?

1.         Understanding the Corporate Landscape

Know your facts before you even consider saying no, or going to the CIO - arm yourself with data and options first. Numbers and financial figures matter. Understand why the proposed or current ATS system might not be the best fit. Is it about functionality, compatibility, scalability, cost. Facts and figures are your best allies.

Cost out the manual time v your current system or preferred ATS option. This might be recruiter time and hiring manager time or candidate experience and brand (if you can put a figure on this). Because the new or alternative system lacks so much functionality. Plus consider the stress it will create and or the loss of good candidates, gaps in your workforce if your time to hire slows down. What’s the real cost of a cheap system?

Plus, link it back to corporate strategy e.g. about growth or talent attraction, efficiencies, sustainability, candidate experience etc. Best still speak to people who have gone that way before. Given up functionality for a “deal”. What did they loose? What did they gain? How much did this “cost them” in manual time or candidates.

2.         The Art of Communication

Timing is everything – so find the right moment. This isn’t a conversation to have in the lift or via a quick email. Schedule a meeting, allowing enough time for planning, a business case, ROI, cost benefit analysis, list out all the functionality you need – have a very comprehensive discussion. Make a case of what’s missing and what this will “cost” in terms of man hours, services, energy or stress.

3.         Presenting Your Case

Highlight the implications - detail how the wrong choice might affect HR operations, candidate experience, stress levels in TA and with Hiring Managers, employee satisfaction, and the bottom line in terms of costs. Use scenarios, examples and possibly even testimonials from others or similar organisations using the debunked system - to strengthen your case.

4.         Provide Alternative Solutions

Bring options to the table - saying no without offering alternatives is a dead end. Research and propose other alternative ATS systems that align more closely with your organisation’s needs and future direction. Argue the case why more functionality works not only for HR but for the organisation.

Plus, what you and the team (and hiring managers) are going to lose. Even if a new ATS is stand alone and not fully integrated with payroll or finance reporting – it’s not the end of the world. There will be work arounds (monthly or weekly downloads) that won’t cost a heap to give payroll and finance the information they need - but gets you get the wrong ATS its a killer for you and the team.

5.         Talk Strategy - Emphasize the Common Goal

We’re all in this together - remind the CIO that your ultimate goal is the same: to ensure the organisation thrives. The need to attract and hires the best talent in the marketplace. Recruitment is a strategic initiative. This isn’t about winning an argument but finding the best solution for hiring efficiency so you can compete in your industry or service your clients better.

6.         Navigating Resistance

Listen and acknowledge - be prepared for pushback from IT and the CIO - but listen attentively to their concerns and reasons for their choice. Acknowledge their perspective before reiterating your stance or seeking to clarify questions or get further evidence.

7.         Leveraging Support

Build your coalition - If possible, gather support from other departments or key stakeholders who share your perspective. There’s strength in numbers.

I’ve also known organisations where the Hiring Managers have been so stressed out by the poor ATS and hiring process, the CEO ordered a review of the systems. An ATS which is slow, clunky, and cumbersome is not just painful but causes stress. In a world where we are all struggling from burn out and Psychosocial factors are at the forefront of new legislation. HR needs to ensure we are not causing unnecessary stress.

We don’t want stress because of the system we just bought to make our lives easier! So always consider ease of use, process flow, bottle necks, pain points, functionality, efficiency, speed, candidate experience, your brand etc. as additional benefits far more than just the dollar cost of the system. The true ROI.

8.         The Follow-Up

Document and agree after your discussion. Send a follow-up report summarising the key points and agreed-upon actions. This keeps everyone informed, accountable, on track and ensures clarity on decisions made.

9.         Preparing for Pushback

Stay professional - not all IT outcomes will be favourable for HR. If the decision doesn’t go your way, maintain your professionalism. Focus on how you can support the implementation and mitigate potential issues.

10.       It’s a Marathon, not a Sprint

Long-term strategy is key. Remember, this is just one decision in the ongoing journey of your organisation’s strategy for Talent. Maintaining a good relationship with the CIO, as you’ll need to work together in the future on other tool purchases and integrations.

In Conclusion

Saying no to your CIO about HR systems choice is a challenging but not insurmountable task. It’s about presenting your case clearly, providing the numbers, working out the real dollar costs, ROI and alternative choices. Always keeping the organisation's best interest at heart. Numbers and financials matter. With careful preparation and effective communication, this will help you navigate an ATS situation, ensuring that both HR and IT align in their goals for the company's hiring success.

Good Luck

This is what we do! If you’d like some help choosing your next ATS, finding the funds or changing your current TA Model - we can help. We are often brought in to help undertake a recruitment audit. A review of the current recruitment processes, systems functionality or your tech stack choices. By examining the current state of affairs, workload costing, and managing the vendor pitches, We can map out the functionality need, gap analysis and write the business case and $$$ for change.  

If you’d like a confidential initial chat how we can help navigate the IT waters get in touch via our website or DM me on LinkedIn. Rachel Hill.