Why ATS Implementation and Ongoing Support Is Key to Recruitment Success
Investing in or making the move to a new Applicant Tracking System is one of the most important decisions a talent acquisition team can make. The right system doesn’t just help streamline hiring; it transforms how organisations attract, engage, and retain top talent.
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But here’s the challenge: simply buying a new ATS doesn’t guarantee success. In fact, 60% of ATS implementation projects fail.
The reason? Many organisations treat the process as a technology roll out, rather than a business transformation. Without the right planning, support, and post-implementation care, a shiny new ATS tracking system can quickly turn into an underutilised tool that fails to deliver its full value.
In this blog, we explore:
- Why the ATS implementation process is crucial to ensure recruitment success.
- Why most ATS projects fail.
- How to prepare for the ATS implementation process.
- Implementation support vs post-go-live care.
- How to find out if the vendor provides good support during implementation and post-go-live.
Why is the ATS Implementation process a crucial part of achieving recruitment success?
The implementation stage is where recruitment transformation either takes off or breaks down. The way you roll out a new system directly impacts adoption, user satisfaction, and ultimately, recruitment success.
Successful organisations understand that ATS implementation is about more than just installing software. It requires:
- Careful preparation and requirements gathering
- Clear buy-in from stakeholders
- A focus on long-term outcomes rather than short-term features
- Change management and training to embed new ways of working
When done right, implementation lays the foundation for measurable improvements in efficiency, candidate experience, and strategic workforce planning.
Why do most ATS implementations fail?
More than half of ATS implementation projects fail. Yet most of the failures aren’t caused by bad technology alone; common failure patterns also include inadequate planning and requirements gathering, a lack of senior leadership support, underestimating the complexity of integration, along with poor change management and user adoption of the new applicant tracking software.
This causes a lack of preparation and opens the door for common pitfalls, such as:
- Main focus set on features instead of outcomes
- Underestimating the change management required
- Chosen solution- doesn’t support workflow requirements
- Failure to secure proper stakeholder buy-in
- Lack of a clear success measurement framework
How to prepare for implementing an ATS?
Preparing for ATS implementation ahead of time can help TAs achieve more from the process. Once you’re immersed in the project, it can be hard to find the time to raise questions and come up with any ideas that could help further personalise the system to your needs. Doing the groundwork before the start of the project will help you ensure you have longevity with the system.
Here are some steps to take when preparing for implementation:
- Note down your absolute base level requirements, to ensure the system can deliver on your most basic needs before diving into the vast selection of features.
- Ensure the system is future-proof. Take the time to speak with stakeholders on future business and growth plans to make sure the system has the capacity to support you in the strategic workforce planning years down the line.
- Review the supplier's future roadmap, familiarise yourself with what they’re working on now, and plan to work on in the future.
- Plan for return on investment beyond TA, look for added value and where additional teams and stakeholders can get some leverage on the system.
For more insights, watch our webinar on how to prepare for implementing an ATS. It shares tips and guidance to prepare for the process, straight from a Recruitment and Talent Acquisition Leader, as well as an RL 100 Member, Andy Long.
The different aspects of Implementation Support and Post-Go-Live Care
| Aspect: | Implementation Support | Post-Go-Live Care |
| Focus | Getting the ATS set up, configured, and aligned with business processes and needs. Receiving dedicated support from the vendor makes implementing a new ATS more seamless, as the customer typically has their own implementation manager to lean on. | Ensuring ongoing support of ATS users, continuous system optimisation, adoption, and long-term success, due to having a dedicated resource that helps solve any day-to-day questions that may occur with getting the most from the ATS. |
| Timeframe | During the initial roll out and go-live phase: The length of the implementation process highly depends on the configuration requirements and individual needs of the organisation. Define this at the start. | After go-live: Continuing through the system’s lifecycle. |
| Key activities | Data migration, integrations, workflow configuration, and training for initial users. | Troubleshooting, upgrades, reporting, optimisation, and user support. |
| Goal | A smooth, successful launch of the ATS that is fully configured to the business requirements, on time and within budget. | Sustained ROI, user adoption, system improvement and continuous ATS user support. |
| Stakeholders involved | Project managers, HR/TA leaders, IT, vendor consultants, talent acquisition leaders. | HR/TA teams, hiring managers, system admins, in-house recruiters, and any other stakeholders using the applicant tracking system. |
| Risks without it | Delayed launch, incorrect setup, frustrated users from day one, and a stressful process for involved stakeholders. | Declining adoption, missed features, poor candidate/hiring manager experience, and incorrect system use due to a lack of support. |
How to know if a vendor will provide good post-implementation support
The implementation journey doesn’t end at go-live. In fact, this is where strong vendor partnerships prove their value. Strong post-implementation care ensures:
- Continuous user adoption and engagement
- Smooth handling of updates and new features
- Ongoing alignment with your evolving recruitment strategy
- Maximisation of ROI across the organisation.
The most successful teams work with providers who deliver proactive, ongoing support, not just during roll out, but throughout the system’s lifecycle. To learn if the applicant tracking system vendor can provide such support, check if the vendor:
- Has a proven implementation methodology.
- Offers dedicated expert support throughout the process.
- Sets realistic timelines with defined milestones.
- Has a customer success focus beyond go-live.
- Is able to provide sufficient training and continuous education.
- Can display strong customer advocacy on review sites, like G2.
- Highlights real achievements through customer success stories and case studies.
The answers will reveal whether the provider sees themselves as just a software vendor or as a long-term strategic partner invested in your success.
Eploy prides itself on successful implementations to deliver a best of breed ATS, aligned to an organisation's long-term recruitment success…
…Here’s what customers say about implementing Eploy:
Responsive Team
‘‘As we are reaching the end of our implementation stage, I just wanted to provide feedback to you about how helpful Harriet has been during the process. We are not a huge company with an enormous project, and so I have been really impressed with how responsive she has been and how quickly our (always minor) changes have been actioned, especially in the last couple of weeks as I have been testing the product.
She has been a pleasure to work with and a great reflection on the company, who we are all very excited to be working with over the next few years, so just wanted to pass that on!’’
Cohesive Team
‘‘Eploy’s Emily has been a great support during the implementation project and has always been available when needed. It has truly been a pleasure to work with Emily during the entire implementation.
Rebecca was also very helpful as well during the build delivery, assisting to make sure that we had everything sorted to how we needed it.’’
Going the extra mile
‘’Glenn and Ryan from Eploy’s Training Academy are both very passionate in their deliveries, which really made the training very engaging and helped keep everyone upbeat throughout what could have been a very gruelling training piece, but it was really enjoyable. ‘’
ATS flexibility and seamless experience
‘‘I just wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you for all your support throughout the ATS reconfiguration. I personally really appreciate your patience, flexibility and ‘get it done’ attitude...
...Your willingness to roll up your sleeves in these final weeks has made a huge difference, and I particularly want to acknowledge the part you’ve played in ensuring a seamless go-live of both the ATS workflow changes and the new online test. Thanks again for everything!’’
Are you ready to unlock smarter hiring and join a happy ATS user community?
Download The Complete ATS Buyers Guide today and gain an in-depth overview of the ATS implementation process. This resource is perfect for TA teams who want to learn more about achieving measurable results from their implementation and post-go-live, revealing the 5 implementation phases, along with real-life success stories, showcasing not just what customers have achieved, but also the steps that led them there.
The guide also comes with a valuable ‘Implementation Success Checklist’, which acts as a sense check of the tasks that need to be completed before the implementation, during and at go-live.