Ever felt like you're spending too much time simply sourcing candidates? Or even more time handling the influx of applications manually than interviewing and hiring qualified candidates?
It's daunting, we get it. But you're not alone.
According to a recent survey by JobSync and TalentBoard, 61% of recruiters still spend 6+ hours every week on manual tasks. That's a significant chunk of time that could be better spent evaluating candidates and making strategic hiring decisions.
Undoubtedly, an ATS can significantly help recruiters automate redundant manual tasks. At the same time, a recruitment tracker template can also streamline your recruitment process.
In this article, we'll explore the benefits of using recruitment tracker templates and dive into five of the best free templates available.
What is an applicant tracker template?
An applicant tracker template is a pre-built framework (typically an Excel spreadsheet) designed to help you organize and track all aspects of your recruitment process.
These templates also act as centralized databases for managing candidates' resumes, contact information, interview schedules, and overall application progress.
Using a recruitment tracker template can help you record everything related to hiring in one place, resulting in better transparency and organization.
These templates typically include sections for:
- Candidate name
- Contact information
- Job applied for
- Application source (e.g., job board, referral)
- Resume received (Yes/No)
- Interview scheduled (Yes/No)
- Interview feedback
- Application status (e.g., applied, interview scheduled, rejected, hired)
Is a recruitment tracker template really necessary?
Yes and no.
If you are not using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), then using a recruitment tracker Excel template can help you create a systematic approach to solving many of your recruitment challenges.
For example,
- Streamlined Candidate Management: With a growing pile of resumes, it's easy for things to get lost. Templates keep everything organized and ensure you never miss a follow-up with a qualified candidate
- Efficient Candidate Evaluation: Evaluating candidates side-by-side becomes challenging when applications are scattered across emails and folders. Templates provide a structured format for easy comparison
- Collaborative Hiring Process: Without a centralized system, communication with hiring managers about candidate progress can become confusing and inefficient. Templates keep everyone on the same page
While recruitment tracker templates offer a great starting point, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) provides even more advanced features.
For example, as an all-in-one ATS tool for hypergrowth companies, Kula's ATS helps in:
- Automating tasks like resume parsing and candidate pool creation
- Building targeted talent pools for future openings
- Personalized outreach campaigns to passive candidates
- Having a centralized platform to manage the entire recruitment process, from initial outreach to offer creation
In short, Kula’s ATS eliminates typical recruitment challenges by streamlining offer creation, approval workflows, and tracking, ensuring a smooth experience for new hires.
However, implementing an ATS might not be feasible for everyone, especially for smaller companies or those with less frequent hiring needs.
5 ready-to-use recruitment tracker Excel templates
Here are five action-oriented recruitment tracker templates you can start using right away:
1. Simple recruiting tracker template [for efficient interview scheduling]
This is a basic template for anyone who wants a straightforward way to track applicants and schedule interviews.
This template typically includes:
- Candidate name
- Contact information
- Job applied for (can be a dropdown menu with open vacancies listed)
- Application source (e.g., job board, referral)
- Resume received (Yes/No)
- Interview scheduled (Yes/No)
- Interview feedback
- Application status (e.g., applied, interview Scheduled, rejected, hired)
Pros:
- Easy to use and makes it accessible to anyone, regardless of technical expertise
- Keeps basic information organized so no scattered notes or emails
- Efficient for scheduling and managing interviews
Cons:
- Lacks features for advanced tracking or data analysis
Best suited for:
- Small businesses or startups with limited recruitment needs
- Recruiters managing a small number of open positions
- Individuals or teams hiring for a single project
Download the simple applicant tracking template here.
2. Recruitment tracking with applicant flow visualization [2 sheets]
This template takes things a step further by adding a visual dashboard to the basic tracker we discussed above. This dashboard provides key insights into your recruitment process, helping identify potential bottlenecks.
In the dashboard (or second sheet), you can add the following visuals:
- A pie/column chart showing how many applicants are in each stage (e.g., applied, interview scheduled, rejected, hired)
- A bar chart visualizing the volume of applicants for each open position
- A bar chart indicating candidates in each stage of the hiring process
The dashboard or chart will be updated based on the changes you make to the tracker.
Pros:
- Provides a clear visual representation of your recruitment pipeline, aiding in identifying areas for improvement
- Helps you easily spot bottlenecks and optimize your process for efficiency
- Perfect for data-driven decisions regarding sourcing strategies and interview scheduling
Cons:
- Requires continuous updates to the dashboard to maintain its accuracy and effectiveness
- Setting up and managing the dashboard might require more technical knowledge compared to simple trackers
Best suited for:
- Organizations that handle a moderate volume of applicants
- Recruiters who want a quick visual overview of their recruitment pipeline
- Teams looking to identify areas for improvement in their recruitment strategy
You can download this template here.
3. Job-specific recruitment tracker
This template comes with a one-size-fits-all approach. It allows you to create a customized tracking sheet for every position you advertise. This enables you to capture and track information highly relevant to the specific skills and experience required for the role.
- You can add sections for skills, certifications, or any other criteria crucial for the specific job opening
- Focus on the most relevant qualifications, streamlining your assessment process
- Highlight candidates who meet pre-defined criteria, making it easier to identify strong contenders
- Quickly prioritize candidates based on their suitability for the specific role
Pros:
- Focuses on the most relevant skills for the job, leading to better hiring decisions
- Conditional formatting allows for quick identification of qualified candidates, saving time during the screening process
- Helps minimize unconscious bias in candidate selection
- Great for targeted communication with candidates based on their qualifications
Cons:
- Requires additional time and effort to set up the tracker for each new job opening
- May require ongoing adjustments as the job requirements or recruitment process evolves
- For low-volume recruitment with straightforward positions, this template might be more elaborate than necessary
Best suited for:
- Companies that recruit for a variety of positions with unique skill sets
- Recruiters overseeing many concurrent positions with varying requirements
- Teams that prioritize a data-driven approach to candidate selection based on specific skill sets
This is an entirely customizable tracker. You can also hook it up with a dashboard, as we discussed in the application flow visualization tracker, for more “at-a-glance” insights. You can download the job-specific recruitment tracker template here.
4. Applicant tracker template [with interview scoring system]
Finding the right candidate requires a thorough evaluation process. The applicant tracker with an interview scoring system simplifies this process by introducing a structured approach.
This is how it works:
First, it allows you to define key criteria for the role (e.g., technical skills, communication) and assign them weights based on their importance.
Interviewers can then assess each candidate against these criteria, providing scores. The template automatically calculates a total score, offering a data-driven perspective to complement interview feedback.
Pros:
- Pre-defined criteria minimize subjective impressions during interviews
- Saves time and ensures consistency across interviewers
- Scores provide a basis for comparing candidates and prioritizing top performers
- Helps in feedback discussions with candidates as well as the internal team about strengths and areas for improvement
Cons:
- Defining criteria and weights requires initial planning
- Interviewer training can help minimize scoring variations
- Scores should complement, not replace, a holistic candidate evaluation
Best suited for:
- Organizations with clear selection criteria and a structured interview process
- Consistent evaluations when multiple interviewers are involved
- Ideal for teams that value objective data alongside qualitative interview feedback
Here’s a downloadable version of the tracker, which you can customize further.
5. Recruitment management tracker
If you are handling a high volume of applications and applicants, then this recruitment data tool template might work for you. It's an upgrade from the basic tracking templates we discussed above and is more advanced. Using this template, you can analyze trends, identify areas for improvement, and optimize your recruitment process.
- You can even refine your candidate pool based on specific criteria (skills, experience, application source) to find the perfect fit faster
- Integrate with email marketing tools to speed up and improve communication with candidates
- And generate insightful reports to track key metrics like time-to-hire and source effectiveness
Pros:
- Make informed hiring decisions based on real-time data, not guesswork
- Streamline your process by identifying bottlenecks and optimizing workflows
- Automated communication keeps applicants informed, leading to better engagement
- Analyze trends to identify the most effective sourcing channels and focus your recruiting efforts
Cons:
- Setting up and utilizing the full potential of this tool might require some technical expertise
- Integrating with existing systems may require additional configuration
- Data hygiene is crucial for reliable reports and insights
Ideal for:
- Perfect for businesses with large applicant pools and complex recruitment processes
- HR teams that prioritize data-driven decision-making and recruitment optimization
- Businesses with staff equipped with the technical skills to manage and utilize the tool effectively
This type of recruitment tracker can be created based on your hiring needs and the technical expertise available.
How can Kula help with your recruitment efforts?
Hiring the right candidate for your organization is an important yet challenging task. These recruitment tracker templates can help you make your recruitment process more organized and efficient.
However, they still don't eliminate the manual work. This is why you need an ATS to supercharge your workflow.
Kula's ATS automates these processes, allowing you to scale your recruitment efforts from A to Z effortlessly. With Kula, you can:
- Gain a holistic view of your hiring process with detailed dashboards and filterable analytics on sourcing, pipeline, hiring plans, and more
- Track every step of the hiring journey with historical and current candidate pipeline analytics
- Monitor hiring plan progress, lead times, and on-time start rates
- Generate on-demand and scheduled reports tailored to your needs
Automating every step of recruiting has never been this easy. With automated interview reminders, review notifications, and task assignments, you can keep everyone on the same page.
Want to scale recruitment and hire smarter, faster, and more efficiently? Try out Kula for free today!
