An applicant tracking system (ATS) is the backbone of an efficient hiring process, helping teams stay organized, move quickly on top talent, and gain valuable insights about their recruiting workflows. To get the most out of your ATS, it should be tailored to your organization’s unique needs. Below, we walk you through configuring your instance of Gem ATS.
(Already using an ATS? If you’re migrating from another system, reach out to Gem Support at support@gem.com for assistance with data migration to ensure a smooth transition.)
Configuring your ATS
Every company’s hiring strategy is different, shaped by its departments, its sourcing channels, and its candidate journey. Customizing your ATS to reflect your organization’s process is key. To get started, select your profile name in the bottom-left corner of your Gem instance, then Admin settings and then the Gem ATS tab. This is where you will set up everything you need for your Gem ATS instance.
Departments
Departments provide clarity on where each role fits within your company’s functional areas. Every job you create will be assigned to a department, helping you stay organized and efficient — and with the added benefit of actionable departmental metrics as you begin hiring. Plus, your job board will automatically sort openings by department, helping candidates easily navigate and find relevant roles.
You should create at least one department for your jobs. To do so, go to the Jobs tab, expand the Departments section, then select + Add department in the top-right corner. Once you’ve given the department a name, select Save.
To edit the name of an existing department, select the three-dot (ellipsis) icon to the right of the department you wish to rename. Edit the name and select Save. You can also create a sub-department from this menu (e.g., if your Product Marketing team is part of Marketing), or archive the department to hide it from view. Archived departments cannot be selected when adding a job to your Job board.
Sources
Tracking sources in your ATS helps you identify the most effective recruiting channels, allowing you to optimize your strategy and measure the ROI of your efforts. Gem ATS comes with several default sources pre-configured:
- Company career site.
- Gem Sequence.
- Github.
- Indeed.
- Internal candidate.
- LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn Basic Jobs.
- Referral.
While these default sources can’t be edited or removed, you can disable them if they’re not relevant to your hiring process. You can also add additional sources to capture other candidate channels.
To add a source, navigate into the Applications section, then Sources, and select the + New source button in the top-right corner. Enter a name for the source, then use the dropdown menu to choose the category the source belongs to. When both fields are filled, select Save.
To edit a custom source, expand the Sources section, locate the source you wish to modify, and select the pencil icon next to it. From there, you can adjust the name or category as needed.
To enable or disable a source, simply toggle the Enabled slider for that source. Disabled sources cannot be selected when adding a candidate to a job.
Locations
Locations allow you to specify the geographical area of a job, including the city, country, state or region — and even different office names to distinguish locations within the same city. Each job you create in Gem ATS will be associated with one or more locations, which will be displayed on your Job board.
To add a location, go to the Jobs section, then Locations, and select the + Add location button in the top-right corner. As you search for cities by name, Gem will auto-fill the appropriate country and region (you can also enter them manually). Optionally, you can add an office name. Select Save when complete.
Note: If your company is 100% remote, you must create a location in the state where your company is incorporated and check the Remote box. Alternatively, you can name the location Remote for better organization, but a state or region must still be assigned.
You can edit locations in Gem ATS the same way you edit departments: locate the desired location, select the ellipsis icon next to it, make the necessary changes, and select Save. From the same ellipsis menu, you can also create sub-locations and archive locations to hide them from view.
Rejection and dropout reasons
Tracking rejection and dropout reasons is essential for refining your recruitment strategies and enhancing the candidate experience. By systematically capturing and analyzing this data, you can identify patterns, address potential issues, and reduce unnecessary candidate drop-offs, leading to a more efficient and effective hiring process. As with sources, Gem ATS comes with a set of pre-configured rejection and drop-off reasons:
Rejected reasons:
- Duplicate.
- Lacking qualifications.
- Moved to another role.
- Not a cultural fit.
- Role cancelled.
- Role filled.
- Other.
Dropped out reasons:
- Accepted another offer.
- Compensation.
- Timing.
- Unresponsive.
- Wasn’t interested.
- Other.
While these default reasons can’t be edited or removed, you can disable them if they’re not relevant to your hiring process. You can also add additional reasons to capture other candidate and hiring team feedback.
To supplement your list, go to the Application section, then Rejection and dropout reasons, and select + Add rejection reason. Enter a name for the reason, then use the dropdown menu to choose the reason type (either Dropped out or Rejected). When both fields are filled, select Save.
To enable or disable a rejection reason, simply toggle the Enabled slider for that reason. Disabled reasons cannot be selected when dispositioning a candidate.
Job close reasons
A job close reason is the specific rationale recorded when a job opening is closed or taken offline. This could occur for a variety of reasons — the position gets filled, the role is put on hold, or the job is removed entirely due to budget constraints. Tracking job close reasons allows organizations to capture structured metadata about the fate of their job openings, providing insights into hiring processes and aiding in strategic decision-making.
Gem ATS comes with three pre-configured job close reasons:
- Cancelled.
- Filled.
- On hold.
While the default reasons can’t be modified, deleted, or hidden, you can disable those that don’t align with your hiring process. Additionally, you can create new job close reasons to capture specific outcomes of your job postings, providing more detailed insights into your recruitment process.
To create a new job close reason, go to the Jobs section, then Job close reasons, and select + Add job close reason, fill in the name of the reason, and select Save. To enable or disable a job close reason, simply toggle the Enabled slider for that reason. Disabled reasons cannot be selected when dispositioning a candidate.
Notifications
Sending timely reminders to interviewers not only ensures preparedness and reduces no-shows; it also reinforces the importance of their role in the hiring process. Encouraging interviewers to promptly submit scorecards promotes a culture of accountability and streamlines the recruitment process, leading to more efficient and effective hiring decisions (read: faster, better hires).
In the Notifications section, you have the option to:
- Send reminder emails to interviewers before the interview.
- Send reminder emails about scorecard submission after the interview.
These notifications are enabled by default. If you or your team prefer not to receive them, simply uncheck the corresponding box.
Integrations
Gem ATS integrates with various platforms to streamline your hiring workflow. During your initial setup, be sure to connect the tools you already use. Below, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for integrating with:
- JobTarget
- Checkr
- Sterling
- Docusign
- CodeSignal
➡️ Next, you’ll configure your job board in Gem ATS!
Have any issues or questions on this topic? Please feel free to contact your dedicated Gem Customer Success Manager directly or our Support team at support@gem.com.
- Configuring your ATS
- Departments
- Sources
- Locations
- Rejection and dropout reasons
- Job close reasons
- Notifications
- Integrations