How an applicant tracking system works, step by step

How an Applicant Tracking System Works: Step-by-Step Hiring Workflow | eJobsite

Workflow guide · ATS

An applicant tracking system (ATS) automates the online application and resume-tracking process — making it simple to review resumes, respond to candidates, move them through selection rounds, and pick the best person for the job. This guide walks through the entire workflow inside the eJobsite ATS, screen by screen.

Applicant tracking system list of applicants with ID, name, round, status, and rating
The List of Applicants — the heart of the ATS workflow

At its core, an ATS replaces the spreadsheet-and-inbox chaos of hiring with one organised pipeline. Every applicant gets an auto-generated Applicant ID the moment they apply, then moves through clearly defined rounds and statuses until they’re hired or passed over — with the whole history kept in one place.

The magic of an ATS isn’t any single feature. It’s that nothing — and no one — falls through the cracks.

Capabilities

What employers can do with the ATS

Everything needed to run hiring end to end, from one control panel.

Track every applicant in one place
Automate the selection process
Inform job seekers about their status
Generate reports about applicants
Know the selection status of any candidate
Check the applicant profile
Compare two resumes side by side
Check resume match versus the job
Rate candidates across selection rounds
Run screening, interview & final selection

The pipeline

Six selection rounds, fully tracked

Move each candidate through as many rounds as the role needs — every step is recorded.

01

Screening

02

Telephone

03

Interview

04

Skill check

05

Background check

06

Reference check

Status at a glance

Five applicant statuses

Each candidate’s state is always clear. The system records the round, the previous status, the current status, and the date it changed.

NewJust applied — not yet processed.
ProcessActively moving through a selection round.
Completed (Waiting)Round done, awaiting the next decision.
Completed (Rejected)Not moving forward.
Completed (Select)Chosen — ready for an offer.

The walkthrough

The applicant tracking workflow

From the moment a candidate applies to the moment they join — every screen in order.

1

Open the employer control panel

Log into the employer control panel and click Active Jobs to see your live postings and the applicants attached to each.

Employer control panel in the applicant tracking system
2

View applications

Click View Applications on a job to open the List of Applicants — showing applicant ID, candidate name, applied date, round/status, rating, and actions. Every job seeker is assigned an auto-generated Applicant ID when they apply.

List of active jobs with view applications menu
3

Review the resume

Open View Resume to see the full candidate profile, then add private comments (visible only to the employer) and rate the applicant to inform the next round.

View resume screen showing applicant profile
4

Move through selection rounds

Edit the selection round based on your interaction with the candidate, then click Change Status and update — New, Process, Completed (Waiting), Completed (Rejected), or Completed (Select).

Edit selection round screen with status options
5

Track selection history & contact candidates

View the full Selection History of every interaction, and use the contact form to reach a candidate for clarification or feedback at any stage.

View selection history of an applicant
6

Select the candidate & send an offer

When someone’s right, mark them Selected. View the list of selected applicants, send an offer letter, and export an Excel report — then update whether each candidate has joined or declined.

Send offer letter to selected candidate

Built-in prioritisation

Resume Match Detail

Inside tracking, the ATS checks each applicant against the job and ranks them — so you know who to look at first.

Resume Match Detail measures applicant-versus-job compatibility, ranking each candidate using job criteria such as location, industry, experience, and job type. It turns a stack of applications into an ordered shortlist.

Resume match detail ranking applicant against job criteria
Resume Match Detail — applicant-vs-job compatibility

See the whole funnel

Reports & dashboards

The ATS turns all that activity into reports that give employers a live dashboard of applicant status.

Reports generated by the applicant tracking system
ReportWhat it shows
Applicant pipelineA dashboard of every applicant’s stage across the whole hiring funnel.
Round-wise reportsCounts and status per round: screening, telephone, interview, skill, background, reference.
Applicant round/statusNew, In Process, Rejected, and Approved status per applicant.
Date-wise applied applicantsApplications grouped by the date they were received.
Outcome reportsSelected, Joined, and Declined candidates.

Answers

Frequently asked questions

What is an applicant tracking system (ATS)?
An ATS automates the online job application and resume tracking process. It simplifies reviewing and responding to resumes and helps employers select the best applicant by tracking each candidate, automating selection, informing job seekers of their status, and generating reports.
What can an employer do with the ATS?
Track applicants, automate selection, inform job seekers of status, generate reports, check applicant profiles, compare two resumes, check resume match versus the job, rate candidates across rounds, and run screening, interview, and final selection.
What selection rounds does the ATS support?
Screening, telephone, interview, skill check, background check, and reference check rounds — each tracked with its own status for every applicant.
What applicant statuses are available?
New, Process, Completed (Waiting), Completed (Rejected), and Completed (Select). The system records the round, previous status, current status, and the date the record was inserted.
How does the ATS show resume match?
Resume Match Detail checks applicant-versus-job compatibility and ranks the applicant using job criteria such as location, industry, experience, and job type, so recruiters can prioritise the best fits.
Can I send offer letters from the ATS?
Yes. From the list of selected applicants you can send an offer letter, create an Excel report, and then update whether each candidate has joined or declined.
What reports does the ATS generate?
An applicant pipeline dashboard plus round-wise reports, applicant round/status reports, and date-wise applied-applicant reports — covering every round and the selected, joined, and declined outcomes.
Is the ATS included with the job board software?
Yes. The ATS is built into eJobsite job board software — a one-time payment from $600 with no monthly fees — so applicant tracking comes as part of the platform you own.

See the ATS workflow in action

Walk through the employer control panel, selection rounds, resume match, and reports in the live demo — or talk to us about putting the ATS to work for your hiring.

ATS included · One-time payment from $600 · info@ejobsitesoftware.com · +91 98103 36906