Guide · Applicant Tracking System

What Is an Applicant Tracking System?

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that helps recruiters collect, organise and move candidates through hiring. Here’s how it works, what to look for, and how Beagler does it differently.

How an applicant tracking system works

An applicant tracking system centralises every candidate and job application in one place. Instead of digging through inboxes and spreadsheets, recruiters see each candidate’s stage — applied, screening, interview, offer, hired — and move them through a visual pipeline.

Modern systems do more than store resumes. They parse a CV into a structured profile, suggest skills, schedule interviews, and keep the whole team aligned on who’s doing what. The best ones connect hiring to the rest of the business — clients, invoicing and reporting.

Beagler is an applicant tracking system that does exactly that, and adds a recruitment CRM, invoicing and payroll so agencies don’t need a separate tool for each job.

What to look for in an ATS

The capabilities that actually move time-to-hire.

Visual pipeline

Drag candidates through clear stages so nothing stalls or gets forgotten.

Resume parsing

Turn a CV into a complete, searchable profile automatically.

AI matching

Get the best-fit candidates surfaced for each role instead of searching manually.

Collaboration

Notes, tasks and shared visibility so the whole team stays aligned.

Scheduling

Book interviews and sync them to Google or Outlook with reminders.

Reporting

Track placements, time-to-hire and revenue without exporting to a spreadsheet.

Pricing

Affordable Pricing for
Every Recruiter

Simple, transparent pricing built for every recruiter. No hidden fees, no surprises. Just powerful features to help you grow.

MonthlyYearly2 months free
$10/ month per user
  • Unlimited Job Postings
  • Unlimited Candidate Uploads
  • Full Invoicing Features
  • Payroll & Expenses Features
  • Calendar Syncing
  • Full platform access
  • Role-based permissions
  • Team collaboration
  • Activity tracking & audit logs
  • Share Calendar & Tasks
30-Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
Cancel Anytime

Applicant tracking systems — common questions

What does an applicant tracking system do?

It collects job applications, parses resumes into structured profiles, and helps recruiters move candidates through hiring stages — sourcing, screening, interviewing and offers — while keeping the whole team aligned in one place.

Who uses an ATS?

Recruitment agencies, staffing firms and in-house talent teams use an ATS to manage candidates at scale. Beagler is designed for small and growing agencies as well as in-house recruiters.

What’s the difference between an ATS and a recruitment CRM?

An ATS manages candidates and applications; a recruitment CRM manages clients and relationships. Beagler combines both, plus invoicing and payroll, in a single platform.

Does an ATS use AI?

Increasingly, yes. Beagler’s AI parses resumes, suggests skill tags and smart-matches candidates to roles to reduce manual data entry and speed up shortlisting.

How much does an ATS cost?

Pricing varies widely — from free-but-limited tools to enterprise systems with quote-based pricing. Beagler is a flat $10 per user per month with everything included, and a 30-day free trial.

Start building a smarter, more
scalable business today

Join the recruiters running their entire desk on Beagler. Start your free trial in minutes, no credit card required.