Recruitment has changed dramatically in the past few years. More candidates, more compliance, more pressure to hire fast and fairly. As a result, the applicant tracking system (ATS) has become the most vital part of the HR tech stack.
There’s no shortage of applicant tracking systems (ATS) out there. A quick Google search will give you hundreds of options, all claiming to help you hire better.
But here’s the truth: not all ATS platforms are created equal.
A lot of ATS platforms are clunky, outdated, or built for markets with very different challenges than South Africa. If your team is overwhelmed by high application volumes, struggling with compliance, or wasting hours on manual admin, then you don’t just need any ATS. You need an ATS that’s built to work for your business, your context, and your people.
Let’s break down what makes an ATS truly effective, and how to choose the right one.
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that manages the end-to-end recruitment process. Put simply, at its core, an ATS helps you manage the full recruitment journey. From job posting and CV screening, to candidate communication, interview scheduling, and hiring decisions, your ATS is with your team every step of the way.
In a fast-paced environment, a good ATS:
In a country like South Africa, where candidate volumes can be high and access to digital tools is uneven, your ATS needs to go beyond the basics.In other words: a great ATS doesn’t just track applications, it remodels your entire hiring process.
If your current ATS is slowing you down, you’re not alone. Before we talk about what to look for, let’s talk about what to avoid.
If your current system is:
…then it’s probably costing you more than it’s saving you. If any of these rings true, you’re probably dealing with tech that looks good on paper, but doesn’t deliver in practice.
Future-proofing your hiring memes recognising that a system that works in Silicon Valley won’t always suit Sandton, or Soweto. In complex or high-volume environments like South Africa, it is imperative that you look for these core capabilities:
In South Africa, job seekers often rely on smartphones and limited data. With this in mind, your hiring platform needs to be fast, accessible, and low-bandwidth friendly.
This means your ATS must:
If your candidate journey isn’t seamless on mobile, you’re losing talent at the first step. If your application process isn’t mobile-first, you’re excluding a huge portion of your talent pool.
Recruitment isn’t just about finding the right person. It’s also about doing it legally and fairly. From POPIA to Employment Equity, your ATS should help you stay compliant, not create extra admin.
Your ATS should:
A system that “just about works” in a US or EU context won’t cut it here. Many global ATS vendors don’t necessarily build with local realities in mind.
Choosing a system built for another market might get the job done on paper, but it won’t solve your real-world problems. To recruit effectively in South Africa, your tech stack has to reflect your workforce, your infrastructure, and your compliance needs.
The goal of an ATS isn’t to replace recruiters. It’s to give them more time to focus on the human side of hiring. This is particularly true, when you’re hiring at scale. Especially for frontline, retail, or high-turnover roles, every minute matters.The right ATS should reduce recruiter workload with:
This is where automation makes the real impact. Smart automation lets your team move faster, without cutting corners. By speeding up shortlisting, reducing manual tasks, and helping you scale confidently. This kind of automation means recruiters spend less time sifting, and more time engaging.
Your ATS should not be its own island, it should be the hub for all your recruitment tech. In high-volume environments, chatbots are changing the game. Even so, they only work if your ATS can integrate seamlessly.
With a fully integrated ecosystem:
When everything talks to each other, you reduce manual handovers, and hire with confidence.
No duplicate entries. No disconnected workflows. Just one smooth journey from first click to first day.
How long is it taking to hire? Which channels bring in your best candidates? Is your recruitment supporting your EE targets?
If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. Your ATS should provide real-time visibility into:
Good data turns recruiting from reactive to strategic. Having this data at your fingertips allows you to make decisions faster, and with confidence.
Before making a switch, here are a few critical questions to ask your potential ATS provider:
Don’t settle for a system that only ticks some of the boxes. A strong ATS should feel like an extension of your team. Supporting your strategy, simplifying your workflows, and growing with your business.
Because at the end of the day, you’re not just choosing software. You’re choosing how you hire.
Built specifically for South African employers, Neptune by Graylink is more than just an ATS. It’s a full-stack recruitment automation platform designed for speed, scale, and compliance.
Neptune offers:
Whether you’re recruiting 5 executives or 500 call centre agents, Neptune helps you make faster, fairer, more data-driven decisions - without the admin drag.
In today’s hiring landscape, your ATS is more than software. It’s the backbone of your employer brand, your hiring efficiency, and your compliance confidence.
Choosing the right system can radically transform your entire talent acquisition strategy. By saving time, reducing bias, and unlocking better hires at scale.
So if your current setup is holding you back, it might be time to upgrade.
Because when your ATS works, your hiring flows.