CATS Applicant Tracking System
CATS Applicant Tracking System was first introduced as an open source application. In 2007, the solution was released as a cloud-hosted version.
CATS helps the recruiting firms to manage their entire operations involved in a recruitment life cycle. CATS search engine combs through resumes and highlights keywords. Comprehensive reports can be exported directly to Excel, giving users visibility over the pipeline for a position. CATS is also customizable and can be integrated into any company’s website.
CATS pushes job postings automatically to well-known job boards, such as Indeed and Glassdoor. Imported resumes can be emailed into CATS with the Resume Inbox feature. Once resumes are submitted, CATS automatically parses through them and enters them in the company database.
Since each recruiter’s hiring method varies, CATS offers different add-ons for Outlook, Word and social media. Custom questionnaires are available to screen applicants early on and CATS provides templates for the email blast.
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Dashboard -
Candidate profile -
Activities -
Candidates -
Job orders -
Portal
Supported Operating System(s):
Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS, Linux, Web browser (OS agnostic), Windows 2000, Windows 8
88 Reviews of CATS Applicant Tracking System
Paige from InCadence
Specialty: Other Services
Employees number: 51-200 employees
September 2017
September 2017
Not the best out there.
Pros
It's cheaper than most ATS systems. The design is simple and customer service is prompt to respond.
Cons
Very difficult to use. Many steps for one simple action. Difficult to mass email from searches. Tracking status of candidates through interview process is not very detailed.
Tina from Platinum Choice Bancard
Specialty: Software / Technology
Employees number: 2-10 employees
August 2017
August 2017
Love this Product!!
We tried about 6 different ATS systems and were very frustrated. Finding SCATS was a lifesaver
Pros
Simple and easy to configure and set up to individual situations. The system integrates with everything we use including LinkedIn and other social media
Cons
Have not found anything that I truly dislike. As with all systems there is a learning curve and I am still getting used to functions after about 4 full days in.
Donna from clearAvenue, LLC
Specialty: Software / Technology
Employees number: 51-200 employees
July 2017
July 2017
Used CATS for about a year.
Overall does get the job done if the user have a good understanding of how to use the system for a decent price.
Pros
- Price is right.
- Good for mid to large sized company due to the multiple features it has to accommodate connecting with hiring managers.
- Have training tutorials and a customer service contact number.
- Customer service are very knowledgeable with the software.
- Connects with third party recruiting job posting websites.
Cons
- A new user would require training in order to utilize the software or benefit from the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Not as user friendly as desired.
- A challenging software to use because the visual diagrams or presentations are limited and is made up of mostly context. It is important the user is a visual learner. Having visual representations will help the user have a better understanding of the recruitment and or applicant flow chart statuses.
Jennifer from Distributed Solutions, Inc.
Specialty: Software / Technology
Employees number: 51-200 employees
July 2017
July 2017
Nice Product
Pros
I like that it is easy to use, that it has great integration abilities, as well as it's customization abilities.
Cons
I don't really have anything that I can think of. I like the product and think that it's got great potential.
Kristen from Whitesell Group
Specialty: Manufacturing
Employees number: 1,001-5,000 employees
June 2017
June 2017
Easy to use system, easy to work with staff
Pros
It is very easy to customize this product. The employees are great to work with. It is great for team collaboration.
Cons
Hiring managers have very limited access. No integration with LinkedIn although there is a Chrome add-in.
Tom from MicroSystems Automation Group
Specialty: Consulting
Employees number: 201-500 employees
June 2017
June 2017
Fits like a glove
The product is easy to use, cost effective and works for small to mid sized staffing or consulting firms.
Pros
Common sense layout - intuitive dashboards - easy to build pipelines. Bulk parsing is excellent as is the email integration.
Cons
Reporting is not at the level I need for my reporting requirements. Some basic reports are not easy (if at all) to create.
Coretta from Morneau Shepell
Specialty: Consulting
Employees number: 501-1,000 employees
May 2017
May 2017
Easy installation had everything that I needed to get started
Not at this time I am still getting used to the software
Pros
I can work the software on my own time. I appreciate the tutorials as well as the support from customer service.
Cons
There are many other items that I need and I feel like the pricing may cause me to want to go to another company because the packages don't seem to be all inclusive but everything seems to be a la catre
Steven from Talentsourcer
Specialty: Recruiting Agency
Employees number: 2-10 employees
May 2017
May 2017
Data Migration is made nearly imposible
Data transfer once you would like to switch to another provider is made imposible. The CSV file they provide is not sufficient.
Pros
Pricing is low which is attractive. depning on how you are funded, this might be the (only) reason for taking on this ATS.
Cons
We have used it for the first couple of years, but once we required smarter solutions around workflow management and candidate experience, it was very limited.
Worst side of ths ATS is that they do not provide an SQL data dump. The SCV dump they provide is scattered across multiple files , some being corrupt. They were not willing to solve this via a SQL dump. (which they can easily do)
Susan from CAPITOL SALES RECRUITING
Specialty: Staffing Agency
April 2016
April 2016
CATS Review
Likes Best
The search works well and able to track all conversations that happen through email in or outside the solution
Good with user defined fields. They were a really good, cheap solution 3 years ago but just didn't keep up with what was happening in industry.
Likes Least
1) very klunky to use, last major upgrade was 2 years ago and no plans for upgrade anytime soon
2) no major upgrades or releases in ovder 2 years, no plans to come out with a new release or upgrade
3) the dashboard is weak and their reports are weak, have to use excel spreadsheet behind catsone
4) customer support is poor; it could be there is a lack of training but a call/email to custome support is just a waste of time - don't bother,
6) definitely not worth the price anymore - Cura and PCRecruiter do much more functionality for much less
7) CATSOne doesn't keep up with social media integrations
Recommendations
We are looking at Cura and PCRecruiter. Support at both companies gets rave reviews form customers. Both systems have same functional as CATSONE PLUS MANY, MANY more features and functions to make recruiters more efficient. Both systems put out major releases several times a year as opposed to CATSONe who puts out a release every 2+ years. The search capability in both systems is now as good or better than CATSONE
Leah from Clientmind Recruiting
Specialty: Accounting / CPA
June 2015
June 2015
We LOVE CATS!
Likes Best
CATS is very clean and easy to understand. Compared to other ATS, well... there is no comparison. CATS is our go-to and we love it!
Likes Least
Hmm.. I wish there were more colors for different categories. Otherwise, I'm extremely happy with CATS.
Recommendations
Compare this to your current ATS. CATS is clean, easy to understand, user friendly, and they offer tons of online training. We were using another ATS before and it just doesn't compare at all. CATS is wonderful!
Rebecca from BVTI
Specialty: Other Services
June 2015
June 2015
Decent system, but needs work
Likes Best
The system adequately tracks applicants, and streamlines, our hiring/approval process.
Likes Least
Clumsy user interface, and lacks some data gathering features that we need to meet legal requirements. It is also not mobile-friendly which is becoming increasingly important as more people begin exclusively using mobile devices.
Recommendations
Review your company's needs carefully. However, because a subscription is relatively inexpensive, you could do a trial run to see if it meets your needs.
Kathryn from ProHealth Physicians, Inc.
Specialty: Healthcare / Medical
June 2015
June 2015
CATS Review
Likes Best
It is customizable and user friendly. We were able to customize the fields for candidate profiles.
Likes Least
It is a bit "clicky" at times. Other than that, it is easy to use and allows you upload candidate CVs and information so you don't have to manually enter the information.
Recommendations
Create a way to input CVs that are in a PDF so you do you have to manually input information.
Egon from Desert Recruiting Services Inc.
Specialty: Recruiting Agency
June 2015
June 2015
Kick Started my recruiting business!
Likes Best
Personable and knowledgable team supporting the product. Easy to use and wonderful customization which significantly reduces backend work for us. Excellent trigger email and template functionality. Outperforms client's enterprise systems and impresses them with the options and functionality.
Likes Least
Additional International free job site integrations.
Recommendations
Be 100% sure on your vendor selection as it is a nightmare to migrate to another platform.
Denise from Small World, Logistics Recruiting
Specialty: Recruiting Agency
June 2015
June 2015
Great software and easy to customize
Likes Best
Very easy to use, you are up and running immediately. It is a simple ATS which gets the job done without hours of guidebook set up, training and tutorials.
Likes Least
I have no complaints. Ultimately, I choose a different (more expensive) software because it ties in with our shared recruiting network.
Recommendations
If you are looking for a system that gets the job done without a bunch of bells and whistles which don't get the job done then I would recommend CATS. It's also one of the most affordable systems.
Dennis from NewGround
Specialty: Construction / Contracting
May 2015
May 2015
CATS ATS Review
Likes Best
It is not complicated with a myriad of bells and whistles. The Customer Service is absolutely outstanding. I generally receive a response and resolution within the same day.
Likes Least
Some times of the day it gets a bit slow. I believe it must have to do with traffic on the site.
Recommendations
Inquire about the speed. Some times of the day it gets a bit slow. I believe it must have to do with traffic on the site.
Ravi from eTouch SYstems Corp
Specialty: Consulting
May 2015
May 2015
We use CATS for tracking all our contract and FTE requirements
Likes Best
Easy to use
Easy for administration
Good pricing for the features offered
easy to integrate
Likes Least
Need better search capabilities
I would like to have better dashboards
I would like to see better capability for ad-hoc queries
Better user analytics
Recommendations
Looks for a combination of features and ease of use for your team and pricing. There are a lot of tools in the market but finding the right balance is not easy
Kelly from BridgePoint Technologies
Specialty: Software / Technology
May 2015
May 2015
Customization and Personable Staff
Likes Best
Working with CATS is great; they listen to your feedback and respond quickly when you need help
Likes Least
The internal search on CATS is not very functional; I'd love to search our database on a larger scale than they let happen.
Recommendations
The staff of CATS makes using it very worth it. They just released new updates and functions that are very user friendly.
Andreas from Antal International
Specialty: Recruiting Agency
May 2015
May 2015
Pretty good
Likes Best
Very good customer service, frequent new updates of features, easy integration with social media and posting services.
Likes Least
Search function could be an inch better, it is also an American system and if you are based in Europe localisation is sometime an issue.
Recommendations
It offers a lot of customization options. You need to think in advance how you want to structure your database, then it is great.
Nicole from Aritzia
Specialty: Retail
May 2015
May 2015
CATS is easy to use, but sometimes too simple
Likes Best
It's relatively easy to use and mostly intuitive in its functions. The support and live feedback chat is great. Also good that the filtering system has improved.
Likes Least
When applicants apply to a job order more than once or if I copy applicants over from another job order, the "date candidate was created/entered/last updated" doesn't necessarily change to reflect the most recent date. For example, if you mass select a group of candidates and use the "copy to another job order" function, if the candidate already exists in that job order, their "date candidate was entered" doesn't update, which means I have to remove them from the job order and re-add them to the job order to update the date.
Also, lately, there have been a lot of delays and errors when filtering job orders with a large pool of applicants. And filtering is taking longer than usual.
Recommendations
Use the live chat or call the support line when you have issues.
Cindy from Taller San Jose
Specialty: Non-Profit
May 2015
May 2015
CATS Overall
Likes Best
Easy candidate tracking, the ability to job postings via email.
Likes Least
The limited amount of emails, there should be an app, there should be someway to text from the site.
Recommendations
Try to learn as much as possible, to benefit from all functions.
Darryl from Leader Recruiting Inc.
March 2017
March 2017
Close to being great - needs more TLC
Ease-of-use
Usability
Functionality
Functionality
Product Quality
Quality
Value for Money
Value
Support
Clean, easy to learn, and customizable. Has a ton of potential, but lacks some basic logical small functions that should be simple to correct. My recruiters always ask me: "Are you sure these people worked in (third party) recruiting" before developing this system?" Allows for users to vote for changes, but takes a long time, if at all to make those changes. Simple things, like having to create two records for someone if they are a candidate versus a client, or having a Candidate's company associated to a company, even after manually typing that company name in, etc. Very good, but not a great system, but could be; which causes a little frustration, and makes one wonder where the company's focus is.
Pros
As per above.
Cons
As per above. The company's willingness/desire to make this product excellent.
December 2016
December 2016
CATSone is better than most for less. Email sync issue, and reports are innacurate
Ease-of-use
Usability
Functionality
Functionality
Product Quality
Quality
Value for Money
Value
Support
CATSone is a great product and we recommend for anyone needing a applicat tracking system. its customizable to an extent. Fields are linked so you can't mess up data. Its good if you use it for CRM. Reports are odd, and email sync feature works 50% of the time. (adding emails to contacts in CATS with matching records)
Pros
Easy interface, great application site wizard , and great job site , built in, , customization of fields with restrictions (so you don't mess it up) . Status, and custom status available. Map custom status's to 'mapped' status. No cloud storage fees for resumes, or files that get attached to applicant / candidate records. API is useful but not without faults. Good custom reports per user.
Google drive link, and online MS word linked. Live previews of images. Easy to read reports (there are some faults) Reporting is best thought of as a gauge and not an accurate thing.
All around a great system. I recommend it to anyone whom has this need. Easy to use with live chat support per user for how to use it. Great training seminars. Etc. Good for when you hire 1 to 1. 1 hired applicant to 1 location.
Email sync feature is great when it works. 50% of the time. It may be related to email host. I dunno.
Reports are good. There are many. If you need New Applicants per user.. then you have to manually enter. But still many reports.
Great price point. Beats many more expensive systems .. its has faults as your gonna read. But don't let that get you down. It's still worth it.
Cons
Hired applicants are 1 to 1. Hired Applicant can only work in 1 location. It's just not set up for 1 applicant in many locations. Non hired applicants can apply to multiple places, just not work in multiple locations.
Its rare you need to hire one person in multiple locations.
Via API you could achieve 1 to many locations via API and custom fields. But it's not gonna be easy.
NO reports for new applicants per user if you use Live Job Application site.
Reports new applicants per user only by manually enter each applicant.
Reports can be difficult to understand. There are no white papers on it, and only some customer service reps understand it fully.
Email sync feature works maybe 50% of the time. (email sync places copies of your email communication in the contact whom has matching email) Results may vary depending on email provider.
Limited API calls per user, per hour. Need more ? They won't sell you more. You have to keep adding users. 500 API calls per hour per user @ $99 per user a month. but at least there are API calls. Really funky though. Be prepared to be confused. but eh , that's API ..
Advice to Others
If you need something that is robust. Doesn't change much. Is a great price point, simple , easy to use. Great features.. can deal with 99% reporting accuracy, are not worried about syncing all emails with contact records, and like having live support for how to use it. Then this is for you.
If you need to hire 1 person to multiple companies, if you need email sync to work, If you need 100% accurate reporting, or If you want to use the live application site, and also need to know how many new applicants per user. Maybe pass on this.
Ann from International Search Consultants
Employees number: 11-50 employees
September 2016
September 2016
EXCELLENT customer service, they answer on the first ring!!
Ease-of-use
Usability
Functionality
Functionality
Product Quality
Quality
Value for Money
Value
Support
LOVE CATS, terrific applicant tracking system and EXCELLENT client support. We have invested in systems over the years but not being especially savvy with technical issues, have always run into roadblocks by not being able to utilize all the options and with limited customer support could never figure out how to implement half of what was offered...this is happily not the case with CATS.
Pros
LOVE the ease of use...even for someone like me who is not naturally adept at navigating my way through different systems, we have found that CATS is extremely user friendly, and on the occasions when we do need help, calling into their live US based customer support hotline and having nice, friendly people always eager and endlessly patient to help makes using CATS a no-brainer.
Cons
I honestly cannot think of any negatives...we have tried out multiple ATS and CATS is at the top of the list in terms of ease of use and customer support.
Advice to Others
Buy it!!
July 2016
July 2016
Training and Customer Support non existent
Ease-of-use
Usability
Functionality
Functionality
Product Quality
Quality
Value for Money
Value
Support
Not impressed, Much better systems out there for the price. Many resumes are not getting loaded correctly. Set up was a nightmare for transferring resumes. Could not get the pricing right in initial billing, etc. No real support or training at all.
Pros
There are many systems similar
Cons
Customer Support
Training and loading resume capabilities.
August 2015
August 2015
Consider chat / phone support non-existent.
Ease-of-use
Usability
Product Quality
Quality
Value for Money
Value
Support
We have had these company for over 3 years, and same story every time. They will help in how the system works , but if it's broke or start to function or report differently from month to month, they will shrug it off and say its supposed to be like this .
Also be aware then what is in reporting isn't quite true for reports. Its a mess. so don't rely on reports from them
Pros
Its cheap. Works well. Just don't trust reports. And if your ok with defensive limited tech support, then cats is for you.
Cons
Terrible consistency , terrible reports , and defensive tech support reps.
Mervin from Intermedia Group
June 2015
June 2015
Powerful, Simple to use, Ongoing Support and Enhancements
Ease-of-use
Usability
Product Quality
Quality
Support
CATS has been our applicant tracking system for some years now, and we continue to grow along with it. It's easy to use, we can handle hundreds of positions at a time, and thousands on candidates. The application is supported well and enhancements to the system are implemented frequently. Highly recommend it.
Mary
June 2015
June 2015
Super easy to use and implement
Ease-of-use
Usability
Product Quality
Quality
Value for Money
Value
Support
The way to go in the digital industry is cloud based platforms. If your not cloud based yet, keep an open mind and try this
Pros
Simple and easy to use. Basically its a "out of the box" solution that is user friendly and has a great interface. You are able to accept applications and forms for the applicants withing the online interface.
The ability to post job openings on free job board sites is an incentive for anyone using the software.
The software being cloud based means that i can access this from anywhere i want.
Customer service was excellent.
Cons
The way to go in the digital industry is cloud based platforms. If your not cloud based yet, keep an open mind and try this
John
June 2015
June 2015
“Great software. Top notch for recruitment”
Ease-of-use
Usability
Product Quality
Quality
Value for Money
Value
Support
This software met our needs in terms of internal recruitment.
Its hard to find software that does most things but this is quite good.
Pros
Pros:
- User friendly and clean interface
- Customization to fit your business needs
- Support team is very helpful and never lets down
- Great price and not expensive
- They offer a free trial for those who are new to it
- Powerful search too to filter out candidates
Cons
Cons:
- Limited international job sites to post ads
- Reporting features could be better
- Would like to see some kind of Portable access (via mobile or tablet)
Sean from Contractor Recruiting
June 2015
June 2015
#1 ATS Hands down
Ease-of-use
Usability
Product Quality
Quality
Support
Cats is super easy to use and has so many features that have made it much easier to fill positions and search candidates. Very very pleased
May 2015
May 2015
Full featured ATS, great value
Product Quality
Quality
The interface standard functionality is very robust but the best part is that it is also very customizable and the support team is very responsive particularly to requests to make things work in ways specific to my business processes (customization beyond the typical fields / workflow).
Pros
Robust functionality, very responsive, helpful, and knowledgable support team, leadership team focused on constant improvement and maintaining great value for cost. The product has been so customizable both with the obvious and with not so obvious tweaks that support has helped me implement that it works almost exactly to my whim. Love it!
Cons
More options for reporting on activity that I can custom build or integration with a reporting tool that could use any exported activity data
Karen
May 2015
May 2015
Customer support is always timely and helpful
Product Quality
Quality
Great software! we use it for recruiting in the restaurant/hospitality Industry and it saves us a lot of time. Very intuitive and easy to use. They offer some really nice features and add-ons.
Pros
Customer support is always timely and helpful.
Cons
sometimes it is slow
Ana
May 2015
May 2015
I Love CATS Software
Product Quality
Quality
CATS is very user friendly, totally customizable and they have great customer service.
Pros
user friendly, totally customizable and they have great customer service.
Cons
I would like to see more on the HR side.
Ana from GHG
May 2015
May 2015
I LOVE CATS Software
Ease-of-use
Usability
Product Quality
Quality
Support
Easy to use, great customization and wonderful customer service.
Dave
May 2015
May 2015
Excellent, easy to use ATS
Product Quality
Quality
in 25 yrs of recruiting CATS is by far the best ATS I have used. Favorite thing is that it doesn't get in my way or bog down my workflow.
Pros
Very powerful, time-saving features but still light and easy to use. You don't need to retrain yourself on how you go about your day. CATS supports what you're doing in an intuitive, non-obtrusive way.
Cons
Could still use better reporting, and mobile access is still a little clunky.
May 2015
May 2015
Easy to Use
Product Quality
Quality
We use CATS applicant tracking software to manage our talent acquisition processes. When we implemented in 2009, we had a paper/spreadsheet system in place. CATS streamlined all of this for us and brought sanity to the hiring process. We love the email triggers that can be set up to automatically be sent when certain actions are recorded in the system. This has saved many hours for us.
Pros
Easy to use software; fast technical support; comprehensive support website. When we had questions about functionality we were able to schedule a phone call with a technical support rep who walked us through the product, almost as a mini-custom user training session.
Cons
The location of some of the features is not intuitive (you have to hunt around for it).
Travis
May 2015
May 2015
Great product and really easy to implement and start using quickly.
Product Quality
Quality
I have been using Cats for several years. I was able to obtain my return of investment within 2 months. I would highly recommend a Demo.
Pros
Price and its ease of use
Cons
It could connect more with user group sites, like GitHub, etc.
Rythee from Washington Adventist University
May 2015
May 2015
Easy to Use
Ease-of-use
Usability
Product Quality
Quality
Support
Pros - Easy to use software; fast technical support; comprehensive support website. When we had questions about functionality we were able to schedule a phone call with a technical support rep who walked us through the product, almost as a mini-custom user training session.
Cons - The location of some of the features is not intuitive (you have to hunt around for it).
Travis from Hire Source
May 2015
May 2015
Great product and really easy to implement and start using quickly.
Ease-of-use
Usability
Product Quality
Quality
Support
I have been using Cats for several years. I was able to obtain my return of investment within 2 months. I would highly recommend a Demo.
Anna from TriStarr Staffing
May 2015
May 2015
Customizable ATS
Ease-of-use
Usability
Product Quality
Quality
Support
It is great to track history of user usage, keep track candidate flow.
May 2015
May 2015
Super Customizable
Product Quality
Quality
CATS is super customizable and the CATS staff are always friendly and available.
Pros
Customizable and easy to learn.
