{"id":9800,"date":"2019-09-14T21:29:12","date_gmt":"2019-09-14T21:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/?p=9800"},"modified":"2020-06-30T03:46:39","modified_gmt":"2020-06-30T03:46:39","slug":"gmail-applicant-tracking-system-recruiting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/gmail-applicant-tracking-system-recruiting\/","title":{"rendered":"5 ways to use Gmail as an Applicant Tracking System for small business recruiting"},"content":{"rendered":"

For small businesses, finding perfect new employees is key to keeping your operation afloat. And it\u2019s a difficult enough task without becoming overwhelmed with an inbox full of applications. The good news is that keeping track of applications doesn\u2019t have to be complicated or expensive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the recruiting world, there are software solutions designed for this purpose, but they may not be the best choice for your business. A formal applicant tracking system (ATS) might not fit in your small business budget, for example, as most ATS solutions will run you <\/span>at least $100\/month<\/span><\/a>. And because most are designed for bigger businesses, they might not include the features you need.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, few of them are as customizable as a specialized small business needs. Even mighty Google, which launched its ATS, Hire, a year-and-a-half ago, found it difficult to provide employers with enough of what they needed. They threw in the towel and closed Hire in September 2019.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there\u2019s a cost-effective solution already at your fingertips that lets you avoid all of this. Thanks to its unique features, you can use Gmail as an applicant tracking system without paying a monthly service fee. Using Gmail as your ATS can save you a lot of the time, money, and headaches that come with recruiting new employees. Here are five tips for setting up Gmail to work as an applicant tracking system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip #1: Use a dedicated Gmail alias for applications<\/b><\/h3>\n

If your small business is super small, you probably use your email address for a lot of different purposes: to communicate with vendors, customers, subscribe to industry newsletters, and for online shopping. Adding a stream of incoming applicants to that mix can seem like a disaster in the making, but there\u2019s a simple solution. Using a unique email alias makes it possible to funnel incoming applications and control the flow of those emails, so they don\u2019t interfere with the rest of your business communications<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since Gmail offers unlimited email aliases, you can choose one alias for all incoming applications or a unique alias for each position. Here are some examples:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n