Let’s face it—hiring takes time. A lot of it. Between manually reviewing CVs, coordinating with hiring managers, writing job ads, chasing feedback, and sending emails to candidates, it can feel like your entire week gets swallowed by admin.
The good news? It doesn’t have to be that way.
With the right applicant tracking system (ATS), your HR team could save 10+ hours every single week—and that’s just the beginning. At HRLocker, we’ve seen firsthand how the right tools can transform a slow, manual hiring process into a streamlined, strategic machine.
In this article, we’ll show you exactly how an ATS delivers that time-saving magic—and why your team shouldn’t go another hiring cycle without one.
Where Does All the Time Go in Recruitment?
Before we talk about saving time, it’s worth looking at where it’s currently being spent. Here are just a few of the common time drains your team probably faces:
- Manually posting jobs to multiple boards and company pages
- Filtering hundreds of CVs by eye
- Coordinating interview availability with busy hiring managers
- Following up with candidates at different stages of the funnel
- Updating spreadsheets and internal notes to track progress
- Reporting on hiring metrics and status updates
Individually, these tasks might only take a few minutes. But when multiplied across multiple roles, applicants, and decision-makers, they eat into your week—fast.
How an ATS Saves Time at Every Step
Now let’s explore how a powerful, intuitive ATS like HRLocker’s can claw back those precious hours.
1. Automated job posting
No more copying and pasting job ads into five different sites. Our ATS lets you:
- Post to multiple job boards - including LinkedIn and Indeed - in one click
- Auto-publish roles to your careers page
- Use templates to speed up job description creation
⏱️ Time saved: 1–2 hours per role
2. Smart CV parsing and candidate filtering
Instead of skimming CVs line by line, our system automatically:
- Parses resumes for relevant skills and experience
- Flags top candidates based on your criteria
- Organises applicants by status and stage
⏱️ Time saved: 2–3 hours per week (more for high-volume hiring)
3. Streamlined interview scheduling
Coordinating calendars is a classic recruitment headache. With an ATS, you can:
- Let candidates book their own interview slots based on real-time availability
- Sync calendars across your HR and hiring teams
- Auto-send interview invites and reminders
⏱️ Time saved: 2+ hours per week
4. Built-in communication tools
Keep all candidate emails, notes, and updates in one place. With our ATS, you can:
- Send templated or personalised messages quickly
- Set up automated rejection or progression emails
- Reduce inbox clutter and avoid duplicate effort
⏱️ Time saved: 1–2 hours per week
5. Centralised feedback and decision-making
Gone are the days of scattered feedback and missed messages. Our platform:
- Lets managers score and comment on candidates directly
- Sends prompts for pending decisions
- Keeps hiring pipelines visible and actionable
⏱️ Time saved: 1 hour per role
6. Instant hiring reports and analytics
Creating reports manually? That’s history. Our ATS lets you:
- Generate real-time hiring metrics instantly
- Track source effectiveness, time-to-hire, and drop-off points
- Share progress updates with stakeholders at a glance
⏱️ Time saved: 1 hour per report
The Hidden Bonus: Better Candidate Experience
Beyond the time savings for your team, an ATS helps you deliver a faster, smoother experience for your candidates too. Faster response times, clearer communication, and better coordination all translate into a stronger employer brand.
And let’s be honest—happy candidates are more likely to become great employees.
Who Gains the Most from an ATS?
Whether you’re a lean startup hiring for a handful of roles or a scaling company managing dozens of open positions, you’ll see the benefits. In fact, the smaller your HR team, the more of an impact an ATS can make.
Even if you’re not hiring constantly, having an ATS in place means you’re always ready to move quickly when the right candidate shows up.
Why Choose HRLocker?
At HRLocker, we’ve built our ATS with real HR teams in mind. You get:
- Easy setup and onboarding
- Customisable workflows to fit your hiring style
- Integration with your broader HRLocker system
- GDPR-compliant candidate data management
We don’t just help you post jobs—we help you build a better hiring engine.
➡️ Explore HRLocker’s Applicant Tracking System
Final Thought: Save Time, Hire Better
Time is one of your team’s most valuable resources—and recruitment shouldn’t consume more of it than necessary. With the right ATS, you free up your team to focus on what really matters: engaging the best talent and building a great workplace.
Want to see the difference for yourself? Book a demo of HRLocker’s ATS today
