An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software used by employers and recruitment agencies to publish vacancies, receive applications, store candidate profiles, and manage the hiring pipeline from first contact to signed offer. It centralises CVs, correspondence, assessment outcomes, and interview notes in a structured workflow.
In the Dutch market, common platforms include Recruitee, Homerun, Bullhorn, Teamtailor, Workday, and SuccessFactors. An ATS typically integrates with a careers page, job boards, LinkedIn, email, and sometimes assessment or reference-checking tools. For agencies, it also supports client accounts, submittals, and placement reporting.
Because an ATS stores significant personal data, Dutch employers must configure it in line with the AVG. That includes a clear lawful basis for processing, role-based access control, retention rules (typically four weeks after rejection, or up to one year with candidate consent), and data-processing agreements with the vendor and any sub-processors.