  {"id":6654,"date":"2022-07-08T14:12:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T04:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/blog\/what-is-an-applicant-tracking-system\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T01:34:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T01:34:13","slug":"what-is-an-applicant-tracking-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/blog\/what-is-an-applicant-tracking-system\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)? A Complete UK Guide for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull blog-template-header has-neutral-100-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--16)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><div style=\"--bb--crumb-gap:.4em;\" class=\"blog-template-breadcrumb wp-block-employmentherocom2025-breadcrumb-block\"><nav role=\"navigation\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"breadcrumb\"><ol class=\"breadcrumb-items\"><li class=\"breadcrumb-item breadcrumb-item--current breadcrumb-item--home\"><span class=\"breadcrumb-item-name\">Home<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><script 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A Complete UK Guide for 2026<\/h1><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group blog-template-meta-row is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-employmentherocom2025-custom-post-date has-sm-font-size\">\n    <span>Last Updated<\/span>&nbsp;<time datetime=\"2026-03-31T01:34:13+00:00\">Mar 31, 2026<\/time>\n<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sm-font-size\" style=\"border-left-color:var(--wp--preset--color--neutral-700);border-left-width:1px;padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--2)\"><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull blog-image-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized blog-template-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/what-is-an-applicant-tracking-system-ats-candidate-review-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"A hiring manager using a laptop to review a candidate's video interview and transcript, illustrating what an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) looks like in action.\" class=\"wp-image-49308\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:864px;height:561px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/what-is-an-applicant-tracking-system-ats-candidate-review-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/what-is-an-applicant-tracking-system-ats-candidate-review-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/what-is-an-applicant-tracking-system-ats-candidate-review-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/what-is-an-applicant-tracking-system-ats-candidate-review-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/what-is-an-applicant-tracking-system-ats-candidate-review-440x248.webp 440w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/what-is-an-applicant-tracking-system-ats-candidate-review.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:66px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:30%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group sticky-side-panel is-vertical is-content-justification-stretch is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-11 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex wp-container-2 is-position-sticky\">\n<p class=\"has-lg-font-size\" style=\"border-bottom-color:var(--wp--preset--color--neutral-200);border-bottom-width:0.1rem;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--4);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--4)\"><strong>Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"content-single-table-content\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:70%\">\n<div id=\"content-wrapper\" class=\"wp-block-group content-wrapper has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--4)\">\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">An <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/products\/applicant-tracking-system\/\">applicant tracking system (ATS)<\/a> is software that manages every stage of the recruitment process, from posting a job ad to making a hire, in one centralised platform. For UK businesses working off CV spreadsheets, scattered interview notes and manually drafted offer letters, an ATS is the difference between a hiring process that works and one that loses you candidates before you even meet them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UK employers are under more pressure than ever. The median time to hire in the UK is 40 days, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/resources\/article\/united-kingdom-benchmark-recruiting-metrics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according to SmartRecruiters&#8217; analysis<\/a> of 8.9 million UK job applications. Meanwhile, 91爆料&#8217;s own research found that 6 in 10 UK workers say the hiring process actively discourages them from looking for a new role \u2014 talent staying put not because they&#8217;re happy, but because moving jobs is too painful. That&#8217;s before factoring in GDPR obligations, right-to-work compliance requirements and the growing expectation from candidates for a professional, responsive experience throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, we cover everything UK HR managers and business owners need to know about ATS software: what it is, how it works, what to look for when choosing one and the UK-specific compliance considerations that most guides skip over entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does ATS stand for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. In HR and recruitment, &#8220;ATS&#8221;, &#8220;ATS software&#8221; and &#8220;applicant tracking system&#8221; are used interchangeably. Some platforms are also called candidate management systems or talent acquisition software. Same category, same core function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The definition is simple: an ATS tracks applicants through a structured recruitment pipeline, from initial application to hire. <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/products\/\">The best systems<\/a> carry that through to onboarding too, so there&#8217;s no gap between offer accepted and employment contract signed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does an applicant tracking system work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A modern ATS handles the full recruitment cycle in a series of connected steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Job creation and posting: <\/strong>You write the job description inside the ATS and publish it to multiple job boards in one submission. Reed, Totaljobs, CV-Library, Indeed, LinkedIn, all at once, rather than logging into each platform separately and starting from scratch.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Application capture: <\/strong>Every CV and application that comes in from any job board feeds directly into the ATS. Your whole pipeline is in one place from the moment applications open.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CV parsing and screening:<\/strong> The ATS reads each CV automatically, extracting skills, qualifications and work history into a structured format. <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/products\/recruitment-agent\/\">More advanced systems use AI <\/a>to score and rank candidates based on how well they match the specific role.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pipeline management: <\/strong>Shortlisted candidates move through defined stages: application review, phone screen, first interview, second interview, offer. Everyone on your hiring team sees exactly where each candidate sits, in real time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Collaboration and feedback:<\/strong> Interview notes, scores and hiring decisions are logged against each candidate profile, not scattered across inboxes. No more chasing hiring managers for feedback at the end of a process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Offer and onboarding:<\/strong> Once you&#8217;re ready to hire, a good ATS (or integrated hiring platform) generates the employment contract automatically and triggers the onboarding workflow, including tax forms, policy sign-offs and right-to-work document collection.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Every action is tracked and auditable. That matters for efficiency, but also for compliance, which is something we&#8217;ll come back to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key features of an applicant tracking system<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every ATS is built the same way. Here are the features that matter most for UK businesses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Multi-job board posting. <\/strong>One-click publishing to the major UK job boards is the baseline. Direct integrations with Reed, Totaljobs, CV-Library, Indeed and LinkedIn are non-negotiable for most UK hiring teams.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CV parsing. <\/strong>Automatically extracts structured data from CVs so you&#8217;re not entering candidate information by hand. Quality varies significantly between platforms, test it with real CVs before committing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>AI candidate screening and matching.<\/strong> Modern ATS software goes well beyond keyword matching. AI-powered tools like <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/products\/recruitment-agent\/\">91爆料\u2019s Recruitment Agent <\/a>generate ranked shortlists based on skills, experience and role fit, surfacing the best candidates without a manual read-through of every application.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customisable hiring pipelines. <\/strong>Different roles need different processes. A strong ATS lets you build the pipeline that fits each position, whether that&#8217;s two rounds or five.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Collaborative hiring tools. <\/strong>Shared candidate profiles, interview scorecards and comment threads mean your hiring panel always has the context they need. No more forwarding PDF CVs around the office.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Automated candidate communications. <\/strong>Application acknowledgements, rejection emails, interview invites and calendar links sent automatically. Candidate experience goes up; admin time goes down.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Contract generation. <\/strong>The ability to generate and send an employment contract the moment an offer is accepted is one of the most underrated features in this category. In a competitive talent market, every hour between verbal offer and signed contract is a risk.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>GDPR-compliant data management.<\/strong> For UK employers, built-in data retention policies, candidate consent capture and deletion workflows aren&#8217;t optional extras. They&#8217;re a legal requirement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reporting and analytics. <\/strong>Time-to-hire, source-of-hire, offer acceptance rate, pipeline conversion by stage. These numbers show you exactly where your process is strong and where candidates are dropping out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits of using an ATS for UK businesses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The business case comes down to three areas: time, quality and compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Time to hire<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Manual hiring is slow. Posting to one job board at a time, reading every application by hand, tracking follow-ups in a spreadsheet, sharing feedback over email \u2014 each step adds hours that compound across a full hiring cycle. An ATS cuts the admin out of every stage. 91爆料 customers routinely report getting from job post to signed offer in a fraction of the time compared to their previous process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quality of hire<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you&#8217;re working from one centralised pipeline with consistent scoring and structured feedback, hiring decisions are sharper. You&#8217;re comparing candidates on the same criteria every time, not whoever happened to be on top of a shared inbox. AI-assisted screening also surfaces strong candidates who might get missed in a volume-heavy manual review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Candidate experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>UK candidates don&#8217;t wait around and the data is stark. In 91爆料&#8217;s survey of 1,000 UK workers, 44% cited long delays between interviews or decisions as one of the worst parts of being in the hiring process, 42% reported being ghosted after interviewing and 8 in 10 had applied for a job and heard nothing back at all. An ATS keeps things moving and ensures every candidate hears back at every stage \u2014 even if the answer is no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cost per hire<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Fewer hours of HR and hiring manager time per role, less reliance on external recruiters for roles you could fill directly and better pipeline conversion all reduce cost per hire over time. For SMEs where every headcount decision carries weight, that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Audit readiness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Every action, every decision, every communication is logged against a candidate profile. If you face an employment tribunal, a discrimination complaint, or a GDPR audit, you have a complete and searchable record of how the process was conducted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ATS software and UK compliance: what HR teams need to know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most ATS guides focus entirely on features and skip this section. For UK employers, that&#8217;s a mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">UK GDPR and candidate data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Under UK GDPR, candidate data is personal data. You need a lawful basis for processing it, a clear privacy notice at the point of application and a defined retention period after which the data is deleted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In practice, your ATS needs to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Capture explicit candidate consent at the point of application.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Give candidates a mechanism to request deletion of their data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Apply configurable data retention periods so candidate records are purged automatically after an agreed timeframe (typically 6 to 12 months for unsuccessful applicants).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Log all data processing actions for audit purposes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If your current process runs on spreadsheets and email, you almost certainly have a compliance gap here. An ATS with proper data management tools closes it cleanly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Right-to-work checks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>UK employers have a legal obligation to verify that every new employee has <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/resources\/right-to-work-checks-guide\/\">the right to work in the UK<\/a> before their start date. Civil penalties for non-compliance can reach \u00a320,000 per illegal worker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An ATS that integrates with your onboarding flow should prompt right-to-work document collection as a named step in the process, store copies of verified documents securely and log the date and outcome of each check. Some platforms also integrate with digital identity verification services, enabling fully online checks for most UK nationals and those with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Equality Act and AI screening<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your ATS should support fair, consistent hiring decisions. Structured interview scorecards, standardised evaluation criteria and blind screening options all help demonstrate that candidates were assessed on their merits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re evaluating an AI-powered ATS, ask vendors directly about how their models are trained and what steps they take to reduce algorithmic bias. Under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/guidance\/equality-act-2010-guidance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Equality Act 2010<\/a>, an employer can&#8217;t rely on &#8220;the tool did it&#8221; as a defence if a hiring decision results in discriminatory outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to look for when choosing an ATS in the UK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a practical checklist for UK employers who are at the evaluation stage of choosing an ATS. Double check if the ATS you\u2019re looking at has the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-checkmark\">\n<li><strong>UK job board integrations.<\/strong> Direct connections to Reed, Totaljobs, CV-Library, Indeed and LinkedIn should all be confirmed before you sign anything.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>GDPR compliance tools.<\/strong> Data retention settings, consent capture, deletion workflows and full audit logs need to be built in and configurable. Ask to see them in a demo, not just on a features list.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Right-to-work check support.<\/strong> Confirm this is part of the onboarding flow, not an afterthought that requires a separate manual process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Integration with your <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/products\/\"><strong>HR and payroll system<\/strong><\/a><strong>. <\/strong>If your ATS and HR platform don&#8217;t connect, you&#8217;re creating a data re-entry problem at exactly the point where speed matters most. 91爆料&#8217;s ATS sits inside the same platform as the HR and payroll software, so a hired candidate moves directly into onboarding with no duplicate data entry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pricing model. <\/strong>Most platforms charge per user, per job, or per hire. Understand the full cost at your typical hiring volume, not just the headline subscription price.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>UK-based support.<\/strong> Check the support hours, available channels and review sites like G2 and Capterra specifically for comments on support quality from UK users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ease of adoption.<\/strong> A feature-rich ATS that your hiring managers won&#8217;t use is worse than a simple one they adopt from day one. Prioritise usability, especially if HR is a small team wearing multiple hats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is an ATS right for small UK businesses?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, if you&#8217;re filling more than a handful of roles a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ATS software used to be enterprise territory. High licence costs, complex implementations and dedicated IT requirements put it out of reach for most SMEs. That&#8217;s no longer the case. Cloud-based platforms have dropped the price significantly and the best tools are genuinely straightforward to set up without a technical team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a 20-person business hiring four or five roles a year, an ATS saves several hours of admin per hire and reduces the risk of a disorganised process costing you a strong candidate. For a 100-person business with a constant hiring pipeline, its core infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The question isn&#8217;t whether you can afford an ATS. It&#8217;s whether you can afford the compounded cost \u2014 in admin time, in dropped candidates and in compliance exposure \u2014 of not having one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">See 91爆料&#8217;s Recruitment Agent in action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most ATS platforms manage your pipeline. 91爆料&#8217;s Recruitment Agent goes further: it screens candidates for you. Using AI-generated video interviews, structured scoring rubrics and 24\/7 asynchronous interviews, it lets you assess 100 candidates in the time it used to take to phone-screen one \u2014 with less bias and more consistency throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the best part? It sits inside the same platform as your ATS, HR and payroll software, so a shortlisted candidate moves straight through to offer and onboarding without anyone re-entering data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-2 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--6);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--6)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-link is-style-link--3\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-btn-brand-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/products\/recruitment-agent\/\"><strong>See how the Recruitment Agent works \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-3 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--5);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--5)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-link is-style-link--4\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-btn-brand-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/request-a-demo\/\"><strong>Book a demo<\/strong> <strong>\u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-employmentherocom2025-faq eh-faq eh-faq__bg-light\"><div class=\"eh-faq__container\"><div class=\"eh-faq__header\"><h2 class=\"eh-faq__title\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><p class=\"eh-faq__subtitle\"><\/p><\/div><div class=\"eh-faq__content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-employmentherocom2025-simple-accordion eh-simple-accordion\"><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"accordion-1774871419843\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__checkbox\"\/><label for=\"accordion-1774871419843\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__header\"><h3 class=\"eh-simple-accordion__title\">What is an applicant tracking system (ATS)?<\/h3><span class=\"eh-simple-accordion__icon\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.3966 3.60341C10.3966 2.71788 11.1145 2 12 2C12.8855 2 13.6034 2.71788 13.6034 3.60341V10.3966H20.3966C21.2822 10.3966 22 11.1145 22 12C22 12.8856 21.2822 13.6034 20.3966 13.6034H13.6034V20.3966C13.6034 21.2822 12.8855 22 12 22C11.1145 22 10.3966 21.2822 10.3966 20.3966V13.6034H3.6034C2.71786 13.6034 2 12.8856 2 12C2 11.1145 2.71786 10.3966 3.6034 10.3966H10.3966V3.60341Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/label><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__content\"><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__inner\">\n<p>An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that manages the end-to-end recruitment process for employers. It handles job posting across multiple job boards, CV collection and parsing, candidate pipeline management, interview scheduling, offer management and onboarding. The purpose is to replace manual, spreadsheet-based hiring with an automated, centralised workflow that gives every person involved in the process full visibility.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-employmentherocom2025-simple-accordion eh-simple-accordion\"><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"accordion-1774871419851\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__checkbox\"\/><label for=\"accordion-1774871419851\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__header\"><h3 class=\"eh-simple-accordion__title\">What does ATS stand for in HR?<\/h3><span class=\"eh-simple-accordion__icon\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.3966 3.60341C10.3966 2.71788 11.1145 2 12 2C12.8855 2 13.6034 2.71788 13.6034 3.60341V10.3966H20.3966C21.2822 10.3966 22 11.1145 22 12C22 12.8856 21.2822 13.6034 20.3966 13.6034H13.6034V20.3966C13.6034 21.2822 12.8855 22 12 22C11.1145 22 10.3966 21.2822 10.3966 20.3966V13.6034H3.6034C2.71786 13.6034 2 12.8856 2 12C2 11.1145 2.71786 10.3966 3.6034 10.3966H10.3966V3.60341Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/label><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__content\"><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__inner\">\n<p>ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. In HR, it refers to the software category used to manage job applications and move candidates through a structured recruitment pipeline. It&#8217;s sometimes also called recruitment software, a candidate management system, or a talent acquisition platform.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-employmentherocom2025-simple-accordion eh-simple-accordion\"><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"accordion-1774871476508\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__checkbox\"\/><label for=\"accordion-1774871476508\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__header\"><h3 class=\"eh-simple-accordion__title\">How does an ATS screen CVs?<\/h3><span class=\"eh-simple-accordion__icon\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.3966 3.60341C10.3966 2.71788 11.1145 2 12 2C12.8855 2 13.6034 2.71788 13.6034 3.60341V10.3966H20.3966C21.2822 10.3966 22 11.1145 22 12C22 12.8856 21.2822 13.6034 20.3966 13.6034H13.6034V20.3966C13.6034 21.2822 12.8855 22 12 22C11.1145 22 10.3966 21.2822 10.3966 20.3966V13.6034H3.6034C2.71786 13.6034 2 12.8856 2 12C2 11.1145 2.71786 10.3966 3.6034 10.3966H10.3966V3.60341Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/label><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__content\"><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__inner\">\n<p>Most ATS platforms combine keyword matching with AI-based scoring to assess CVs. The system parses the text from each application, identifies relevant skills and experience, then scores or ranks candidates against the job criteria. Modern AI-powered tools go further, generating ranked shortlists and flagging best-fit candidates without requiring a manual read-through of every CV.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-employmentherocom2025-simple-accordion eh-simple-accordion\"><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"accordion-1774871485797\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__checkbox\"\/><label for=\"accordion-1774871485797\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__header\"><h3 class=\"eh-simple-accordion__title\">Is an ATS compliant with UK GDPR?<\/h3><span class=\"eh-simple-accordion__icon\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.3966 3.60341C10.3966 2.71788 11.1145 2 12 2C12.8855 2 13.6034 2.71788 13.6034 3.60341V10.3966H20.3966C21.2822 10.3966 22 11.1145 22 12C22 12.8856 21.2822 13.6034 20.3966 13.6034H13.6034V20.3966C13.6034 21.2822 12.8855 22 12 22C11.1145 22 10.3966 21.2822 10.3966 20.3966V13.6034H3.6034C2.71786 13.6034 2 12.8856 2 12C2 11.1145 2.71786 10.3966 3.6034 10.3966H10.3966V3.60341Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/label><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__content\"><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__inner\">\n<p>A well-built ATS includes GDPR compliance features: consent capture, configurable data retention periods, candidate deletion request workflows and audit logs. That said, GDPR compliance sits with the employer, not the software vendor. You need to confirm that the ATS you choose has the right tools built in and that you&#8217;ve configured them correctly for your organisation&#8217;s data policies.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-employmentherocom2025-simple-accordion eh-simple-accordion\"><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"accordion-1774871493974\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__checkbox\"\/><label for=\"accordion-1774871493974\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__header\"><h3 class=\"eh-simple-accordion__title\">Does an ATS handle right-to-work checks in the UK?<\/h3><span class=\"eh-simple-accordion__icon\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.3966 3.60341C10.3966 2.71788 11.1145 2 12 2C12.8855 2 13.6034 2.71788 13.6034 3.60341V10.3966H20.3966C21.2822 10.3966 22 11.1145 22 12C22 12.8856 21.2822 13.6034 20.3966 13.6034H13.6034V20.3966C13.6034 21.2822 12.8855 22 12 22C11.1145 22 10.3966 21.2822 10.3966 20.3966V13.6034H3.6034C2.71786 13.6034 2 12.8856 2 12C2 11.1145 2.71786 10.3966 3.6034 10.3966H10.3966V3.60341Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/label><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__content\"><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__inner\">\n<p>Some ATS platforms include right-to-work check support as part of the onboarding workflow, including document storage and check logging. Others don&#8217;t. Given that UK employers face civil penalties of up to \u00a320,000 per illegal worker for non-compliance, this is worth confirming with any vendor before you buy.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-employmentherocom2025-simple-accordion eh-simple-accordion\"><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"accordion-1774871501658\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__checkbox\"\/><label for=\"accordion-1774871501658\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__header\"><h3 class=\"eh-simple-accordion__title\">What&#8217;s the difference between an ATS and an HRIS?<\/h3><span class=\"eh-simple-accordion__icon\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.3966 3.60341C10.3966 2.71788 11.1145 2 12 2C12.8855 2 13.6034 2.71788 13.6034 3.60341V10.3966H20.3966C21.2822 10.3966 22 11.1145 22 12C22 12.8856 21.2822 13.6034 20.3966 13.6034H13.6034V20.3966C13.6034 21.2822 12.8855 22 12 22C11.1145 22 10.3966 21.2822 10.3966 20.3966V13.6034H3.6034C2.71786 13.6034 2 12.8856 2 12C2 11.1145 2.71786 10.3966 3.6034 10.3966H10.3966V3.60341Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/label><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__content\"><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__inner\">\n<p>An ATS manages the recruitment process, from job posting through to hire. An HRIS (Human Resources Information System) manages the employment relationship after someone joins: contracts, payroll, leave, performance management and so on. Platforms like 91爆料 combine both in a single system, so a new hire moves from the ATS directly into the HRIS with no manual data transfer.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-employmentherocom2025-simple-accordion eh-simple-accordion\"><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"accordion-1774871508487\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__checkbox\"\/><label for=\"accordion-1774871508487\" class=\"eh-simple-accordion__header\"><h3 class=\"eh-simple-accordion__title\">How do I choose the right ATS for my UK business?<\/h3><span class=\"eh-simple-accordion__icon\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.3966 3.60341C10.3966 2.71788 11.1145 2 12 2C12.8855 2 13.6034 2.71788 13.6034 3.60341V10.3966H20.3966C21.2822 10.3966 22 11.1145 22 12C22 12.8856 21.2822 13.6034 20.3966 13.6034H13.6034V20.3966C13.6034 21.2822 12.8855 22 12 22C11.1145 22 10.3966 21.2822 10.3966 20.3966V13.6034H3.6034C2.71786 13.6034 2 12.8856 2 12C2 11.1145 2.71786 10.3966 3.6034 10.3966H10.3966V3.60341Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/label><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__content\"><div class=\"eh-simple-accordion__inner\">\n<p>Focus on these criteria: direct integrations with UK job boards, GDPR compliance tools, right-to-work check support, connection to your existing HR and payroll system, total cost at your hiring volume and UK-based customer support. For SMEs, prioritise ease of use. A system with 200 features that your team uses inconsistently will give you worse data and worse outcomes than a simpler tool that actually gets used.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\n    \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n    \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"What is an applicant tracking system (ATS)?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"<p>An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that manages the end-to-end recruitment process for employers. It handles job posting across multiple job boards, CV collection and parsing, candidate pipeline management, interview scheduling, offer management and onboarding. The purpose is to replace manual, spreadsheet-based hiring with an automated, centralised workflow that gives every person involved in the process full visibility.<\/p>\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"What does ATS stand for in HR?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"<p>ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. In HR, it refers to the software category used to manage job applications and move candidates through a structured recruitment pipeline. It's sometimes also called recruitment software, a candidate management system, or a talent acquisition platform.<\/p>\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"How does an ATS screen CVs?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"<p>Most ATS platforms combine keyword matching with AI-based scoring to assess CVs. The system parses the text from each application, identifies relevant skills and experience, then scores or ranks candidates against the job criteria. Modern AI-powered tools go further, generating ranked shortlists and flagging best-fit candidates without requiring a manual read-through of every CV.<\/p>\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Is an ATS compliant with UK GDPR?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"<p>A well-built ATS includes GDPR compliance features: consent capture, configurable data retention periods, candidate deletion request workflows and audit logs. That said, GDPR compliance sits with the employer, not the software vendor. You need to confirm that the ATS you choose has the right tools built in and that you've configured them correctly for your organisation's data policies.<\/p>\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Does an ATS handle right-to-work checks in the UK?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"<p>Some ATS platforms include right-to-work check support as part of the onboarding workflow, including document storage and check logging. Others don't. Given that UK employers face civil penalties of up to \\u00a320,000 per illegal worker for non-compliance, this is worth confirming with any vendor before you buy.<\/p>\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"What's the difference between an ATS and an HRIS?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"<p>An ATS manages the recruitment process, from job posting through to hire. An HRIS (Human Resources Information System) manages the employment relationship after someone joins: contracts, payroll, leave, performance management and so on. Platforms like 91爆料 combine both in a single system, so a new hire moves from the ATS directly into the HRIS with no manual data transfer.<\/p>\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"How do I choose the right ATS for my UK business?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"<p>Focus on these criteria: direct integrations with UK job boards, GDPR compliance tools, right-to-work check support, connection to your existing HR and payroll system, total cost at your hiring volume and UK-based customer support. For SMEs, prioritise ease of use. A system with 200 features that your team uses inconsistently will give you worse data and worse outcomes than a simpler tool that actually gets used.<\/p>\"\n            }\n        }\n    ]\n}<\/script>\n\n\n<style>\n#content-wrapper a,\n#content-wrapper p,\n#content-wrapper ol,\n#content-wrapper ul {\n  font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--paragraph-2-m) !important;\n}\n\n.content-wrapper li > ul li {padding-bottom:0.75rem!important;}\n.content-wrapper li:last-child > ul li {padding-bottom:0!important;}\n.eh-faq__container {flex-direction:column!important;}\n@media screen and (min-width: 1441px) {\n\u00a0.eh-faq__content {\n\u00a0max-width: 904px!important;\n\u00a0min-width: 715px!important;\n\u00a0}\n}\n.eh-faq {padding:0px 0px 24px 0px!important;}\n<\/style>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-13 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Resources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-link-arrow is-style-link-arrow--5\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-btn-brand-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/businesses\/\">View all<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-query blog-3-col-query-loop is-layout-flow wp-block-query-is-layout-flow\"><ul class=\"columns-3 alignfull wp-block-post-template is-layout-grid wp-container-core-post-template-is-layout-1 wp-block-post-template-is-layout-grid\"><li class=\"wp-block-post post-52660 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-uncategorised resource-type-blog topic-business-basics\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border-color has-neutral-100-border-color has-white-background-color has-background is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-16 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-width:1px;min-height:100%\"><figure style=\"aspect-ratio:auto; padding-bottom:0;padding-top:0;margin-bottom:0;\" class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/blog\/pay-transparency-smes\/\" target=\"_self\"  ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/colleagues-collaborating-on-laptop-in-office-lounge.webp\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"The UK&#8217;s pay transparency plans need to work for small businesses too\" style=\"width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:fill;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/colleagues-collaborating-on-laptop-in-office-lounge.webp 1600w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/colleagues-collaborating-on-laptop-in-office-lounge-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/colleagues-collaborating-on-laptop-in-office-lounge-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/colleagues-collaborating-on-laptop-in-office-lounge-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/colleagues-collaborating-on-laptop-in-office-lounge-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/colleagues-collaborating-on-laptop-in-office-lounge-440x248.webp 440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-15 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-14 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\" class=\"taxonomy-resource-type eh-resource-type wp-block-post-terms\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-post-terms-icon\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"icon-blog\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/David_Holland.jpg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/resources\/blog\/\" rel=\"tag\">Blogs<\/a><\/div>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/blog\/pay-transparency-smes\/\" target=\"_self\" >The UK&#8217;s pay transparency plans need to work for small businesses too<\/a><\/h3>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt has-text-color has-contrast-2-color has-small-font-size wp-container-content-2\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">The UK&#8217;s pay transparency plans could force salary disclosure in every job advert across England, Wales and Scotland. Learn what&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<a style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600;\" class=\"wp-elements-9dfcbcb7662772ecb2d671e8976a6c51 wp-block-read-more has-text-color has-violet-500-color\" href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/blog\/pay-transparency-smes\/\" target=\"_self\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">: The UK&#8217;s pay transparency plans need to work for small businesses too<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/blog\/pay-transparency-smes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"group-block-link\"><\/a>\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-52535 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-uncategorized resource-type-blog\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border-color has-neutral-100-border-color has-white-background-color has-background is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-19 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-width:1px;min-height:100%\"><figure style=\"aspect-ratio:auto; padding-bottom:0;padding-top:0;margin-bottom:0;\" class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/blog\/employer-of-record-pricing\/\" target=\"_self\"  ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/unnamed-1.webp\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Employer of Record Pricing: How Much Does an EOR Cost in 2026?\u00a0\" style=\"width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:fill;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/unnamed-1.webp 1600w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/unnamed-1-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/unnamed-1-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/unnamed-1-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/unnamed-1-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/unnamed-1-440x248.webp 440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-18 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-17 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\" class=\"taxonomy-resource-type eh-resource-type wp-block-post-terms\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-post-terms-icon\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"icon-blog\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/David_Holland.jpg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/resources\/blog\/\" rel=\"tag\">Blogs<\/a><\/div>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/blog\/employer-of-record-pricing\/\" target=\"_self\" >Employer of Record Pricing: How Much Does an EOR Cost in 2026?\u00a0<\/a><\/h3>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt has-text-color has-contrast-2-color has-small-font-size wp-container-content-4\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Wondering what an EOR actually costs in 2026? 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Explore the key pros and cons of Employer of Record services, and find out if it&#8217;s&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<a style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600;\" class=\"wp-elements-9dfcbcb7662772ecb2d671e8976a6c51 wp-block-read-more has-text-color has-violet-500-color\" href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/blog\/employer-of-record-pros-and-cons\/\" target=\"_self\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">: The Pros and Cons of Using an Employer of Record (EOR)<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/blog\/employer-of-record-pros-and-cons\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"group-block-link\"><\/a>\n<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover what an applicant tracking system (ATS) is, how it works and why UK SMEs are using ATS software to hire faster and stay compliant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":49308,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_visual_mode":"business","_lite_auth_enabled":false,"_lite_auth_trigger_method":"scroll","_lite_auth_scroll_percent":25,"_lite_auth_click_element_query":"","exclude_from_algolia":false,"reading_time":"9 min read","display_reading_time":false,"download_content_type":"file","download_file":"","download_url":"","download_cta_label":"","homepage_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[258],"resource-type":[157],"topic":[110],"learn_topic":[],"industry":[65,57,55,66,72,35,76,41,77,58,43,67,46,69,40,59,73,70,45,54,47,49,51,68,52,50,64,44,42,53,48,74,75,56,71],"audience":[],"business-size":[],"product-tag":[],"funnel-stage":[],"region":[],"pain-point":[],"persona":[],"content_type":[],"post_features":[],"class_list":["post-6654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-location-page","resource-type-blog","topic-people-and-culture","industry-agriculture","industry-automotive","industry-business-consulting","industry-childcare","industry-colleges-and-sporting-clubs","industry-construction","industry-consumer-services","industry-customer-service","industry-early-education","industry-ecommerce","industry-education","industry-entertainment","industry-finance","industry-financial-services","industry-franchises","industry-health-and-fitness","industry-health-services","industry-healthcare","industry-hospitality","industry-it-and-technology","industry-legal","industry-logistics-manufacturing","industry-media-communications","industry-not-for-profit","industry-professional-services","industry-public-relations","industry-real-estate","industry-real-estate-and-strata-management","industry-recruitment","industry-retail","industry-stem","industry-technology","industry-utilities-public-services","industry-veterinary-services","industry-youth-services"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6654"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49857,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6654\/revisions\/49857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-type?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"learn_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/learn_topic?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"audience","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/audience?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"business-size","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/business-size?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"product-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product-tag?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"funnel-stage","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/funnel-stage?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"pain-point","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pain-point?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_type?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"post_features","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_features?post=6654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}