GLOSSARY
ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
An ATS is a candidate management software that centralizes, sorts and advances candidates through a recruitment process, from application to hire.
IN DEPTH
An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is a software solution used by companies, recruitment agencies and staffing firms to manage the entire recruitment process: application intake, CV parsing, scoring, interview scheduling, team collaboration, reporting. In 2026, modern ATS platforms (like Cobalt) are AI-first: they natively integrate semantic search, AI matching, automated document generation and autonomous AI agents. Legacy ATS (Bullhorn, Vincere) remain passive tracking tools. Typical pricing: €30-150/user/month.
Frequently asked questions
An ATS manages applications for specific jobs (from receipt to hire). A recruitment CRM manages long-term relationship with candidates (talent pool, nurturing, relationship scoring). Modern AI-first platforms (Cobalt) unify both.
For European staffing firm/agency: Cobalt (AI-first, €31-129/user). For US enterprise: Bullhorn, Greenhouse, Workday. For modern US agency: RecruiterFlow, Loxo. For SMBs: Workable, Zoho Recruit, Manatal.
€30-50/user/month for modern AI-first, $100-200+/user/month for legacy enterprise. Cobalt publishes prices: €31 (Starter), €79 (Pro), €129 (Business) per user/month.
Related terms
- Recruitment CRMA recruitment CRM centralizes the relationship with candidates (talent pool, history, scoring) and clients (missions, pipeline, renewal), unlike an ATS which focuses on application tracking.
- AI Matching (candidate-mission)AI matching uses machine learning models to evaluate a candidate's relevance to a mission by crossing skills, experience, availability and cultural fit. It replaces Boolean search.
- CV ParsingCV parsing automatically extracts information from a CV (contact, experiences, skills, education) to structure it in an ATS. Modern AI reaches >95% accuracy.
- Time-to-fillTime-to-fill measures days between a position opening and a candidate's placement. Median 2026: 45 days for an IT consultant. Top 10% staffing firms: 18 days.
- Semantic SourcingSemantic sourcing uses AI to understand natural language queries (e.g., "DevOps AWS 5 years Paris available March") and retrieve relevant candidates without Boolean search.
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