Understanding the difference between legacy and modern TA systems

4 mins, 13 secs read time

Are you ready for new talent acquisition (TA) technology? This is a common sentiment within the TA world. According to Aptitude Research, one in four enterprise companies are looking to replace their applicant tracking system (ATS) this year and 58% of companies are dissatisfied with their current provider.

But it’s a major leap from being dissatisfied to actually making a purchasing decision. How do you evaluate different providers and decide what’s best for your organization? Greenhouse recently partnered with Aptitude Research to produce the eBook “Moving from a Legacy ATS: When You Need a Modern Talent Acquisition system.” We’ll explore a few of the key findings on the difference between legacy and modern TA systems here.

What is a modern TA system?

If your organization is looking to transform talent acquisition practices, a modern TA system is more than a piece of technology – the right vendor can be a true partner and guide to adopting best practices. Here are some of the key differences between legacy and modern TA systems.

Reactive vs. proactive

With legacy TA technology, you’re likely to be focused on the immediate goals of filling open positions as quickly as possible. But with modern TA technology and the advanced reporting capabilities it offers, you can shift your focus to more proactive and strategic activities like improving efficiency, quality of hire and overall candidate experience.

Working outside the system vs. within in

Legacy TA technology tends to be clunky and cumbersome, so it’s not ideal for activities like outreach or building your employer brand. This often leads TA teams with legacy technology to work with external agencies. With modern TA tech, though, recruitment marketing and sourcing capabilities are built right into the product, so you can nurture and engage with talent before they apply by building talent pipelines and communication campaigns.

Unstructured vs. structured interviewing

When you’re using legacy TA technology, interviewers are often on their own when it comes to tracking or managing the interview process. There’s no easy way to record their observations or even what they covered during the interview. This can lead to a repetitive and inefficient interview experience for candidates. But with modern TA tech that supports structured interviewing, you can create interview kits and scorecards so interviewers know exactly what to ask – and how to assess candidates in an equitable manner.

You’ve decided you’re ready for modern TA tech: What’s next?

If you’ve been nodding along and you’re convinced that you’re ready to switch from legacy to modern TA tech, the big question is: What’s next?

It may seem daunting to have to transform talent acquisition systems. First, make sure you’ve gone through an internal needs analysis, made the case for the return on investment and secured buy-in from stakeholders. Not sure how to do all that? We walk you through each of these steps in this blog post.

But there are two additional steps to be aware of: implementation and adoption. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

Prepare for the implementation phase

Most companies are not prepared for implementation – regardless of how many times they may have purchased a solution. Implementation can require additional resources, time and money. And, too often, companies do not take the time to understand their own requirements before implementing a system. When evaluating different solution providers, be sure to ask questions like:

• Are implementation resources included in the cost?

• Is there an implementation support team who can help meet expectations, set goals and be available for customer support throughout the process?

• Does this provider offer educational materials to support their new customers? If so, what are they?
  

Set yourself up for a successful adoption

Of course, success is not just about getting set up initially – it also involves getting the new system adopted throughout your organization. Just as you evaluate providers on their approach to implementation, be sure to assess how they’ll help you with adoption. Here are a few questions to ask:

• What types of change management resources do you offer?

• What can we expect from your customer success team in terms of resources and relationships?

• How do you collect feedback from customers?

• Do you offer any type of customer community or events?

Choosing a new TA tech provider is a major decision. Remember: Dissatisfaction with your current system might be the initial push that gets you going, but there are many critical steps to take before you can officially make the switch. Once you do, though, you’ll be grateful you left the legacy system behind and ready to take a more proactive, strategic approach with your modern TA tech partner.

Are you interested in digging deeper into TA tech and better understanding your own needs? Download the eBook here.

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