The Applicant Tracking System Problem Every Hiring Manager Faces

Most hiring managers assume their applicant tracking system software (ATS) is doing the heavy lifting. It posts jobs, filters resumes, and ranks candidates. The whole thing looks efficient. It feels like you’re making smart, data-driven decisions.

But you’re not. In reality, you’re just automating the same old, flawed hiring process.

Your applicant tracking system is excellent at one thing: moving resumes through a process. It’s terrible at predicting who will actually succeed. It can’t measure empathy. It can’t assess emotional regulation. It can’t identify who will connect with clients or who might fall apart in a crisis.

This is the problem every hiring manager faces. And it’s costing you far more than you realize.

Understanding What an Applicant Tracking System Is

An applicant tracking system is software that manages the hiring process. It posts jobs, collects applications, screens resumes, and ranks candidates based on keywords and requirements you set.

It’s efficient. It works at scale. It saves time.

But that’s also its limitation. Your ATS only looks at what’s on a candidate’s resume. It doesn’t see who they are as people. It can’t measure emotional intelligence, empathy, resilience, or how someone handles a crisis.

That’s a big problem when it comes to hiring for behavioral health. A master’s degree and a license won’t tell you if someone can actually build strong therapeutic relationships.

Studies show that turnover rates in behavioral health facilities average around 30% a year. That means nearly one out of every three staff members leaves each year.

Your applicant tracking system software is built for speed. It’s all about volume—not quality.

The Behavioral Health Hiring Problem Your ATS Can’t Solve

Behavioral health organizations need something different from their hiring process than other industries.

Your counselors are there for clients during their toughest moments. Your therapists need real emotional intelligence. Your crisis workers have to stay calm when things get intense. Everyone on your team needs to connect with people who’ve been through a lot—and earn their trust.

But your applicant tracking system can’t measure any of that. It just can’t. A resume doesn’t show empathy. A cover letter won’t tell you who can keep their cool. Even years of experience can’t predict who’ll stick with it when things get tough.

That’s where we come in. Care Predictor helps you measure what your ATS can’t. After your system screens for credentials, we assess candidates for the behavioral traits that actually predict success in behavioral health.

Best Applicant Tracking Systems Need More Than Resume Screening

When you look up the best applicant tracking systems, you’ll see dozens of options. They all promise speed, efficiency, and better hires.

Most really do save you time. But few actually improve your outcomes.

Why? Because just screening resumes isn’t enough. ATS systems work best with assessment tools that measure behavioral fit. They combine what your ATS finds with insights from behavioral assessments.

Here’s what that looks like in practice. Your applicant tracking system narrows down 150 resumes to 10 qualified candidates. Those 10 take an assessment that measures empathy, emotional regulation, ability to handle crisis, and fit with your treatment philosophy.

Now you’re not just seeing who has the right credentials. You’re seeing who will actually thrive in your specific role.

The candidates who pass both screenings are your true top picks. You hire with confidence, and early turnover drops because you’re bringing in people genuinely suited to the work.

The Cost of Relying Only on Your Applicant Tracking System

Hiring the wrong person is expensive. Really expensive.

According to research published in PubMed, replacing a staff member can cost anywhere from 93% to 200% of their yearly salary.

Why is the cost so high? Think of everything that adds up—recruiting, hiring, training, and lost productivity while they figure out the role.

But the real damage goes deeper. When a clinician burns out, their coworkers have to pick up the slack. Staff get stretched thin, everyone feels exhausted, and soon, more people start thinking about leaving.

Morale drops. New hires walk into a team that’s already worn out—and they don’t stick around, either.

It becomes a cycle. Suddenly, you’re spending hundreds of thousands on turnover, all because your applicant tracking system picked someone who only looked good on paper.

This is preventable. You don’t need to toss your ATS—you just need to add assessments that measure what a resume can’t.

Using Your Applicant Tracking System Smarter

Here’s how your current process goes: post the job, collect resumes, screen for keywords, do interviews, and make a decision.

A smarter process adds one key step: post the job, collect resumes, screen for keywords, give a behavioral assessment, then interview and hire.

That assessment step is where we come in. Our Pre-Hire Assessments fit right into your existing workflow. After your initial screening, candidates take a quick assessment that measures the traits you actually care about.

Now you’ve got insights your ATS just can’t give you. You can make better choices—and hire people who will actually stick around and succeed.

Adding this one step can completely change your hiring results.

The Real Solution to Your Hiring Problem

Your applicant tracking system isn’t broken. It’s doing what it was built to do. Screen resumes fast. Rank candidates by qualifications.

The problem is that qualifications alone don’t predict success in behavioral health work.

The best organizations combine what their applicant tracking system does best with behavioral assessments that measure fit. The result is lower turnover, stronger teams, and better patient outcomes.

Ready to stop missing good candidates? Contact us today to learn how we can transform your hiring process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is an assessment different from my applicant tracking system?

Your applicant tracking system sorts resumes and ranks candidates based on keywords and qualifications. Assessments, on the other hand, measure things like empathy, emotional regulation, and whether someone’s really a good fit for your role. When you use both, you get the full picture.

Can we use assessments with our current applicant tracking system?

Absolutely. Assessments fit right into your current process. After your ATS screens candidates, the qualified ones take an evaluation—no need to replace the system you already have.

How do assessments reduce turnover?

Assessments help you spot candidates who have the traits needed for long-term success and resilience. That means you’re hiring people who are truly right for the work, not just those who look good on paper.

Do we need to change our interview process?

No. Assessment results simply guide your interviews. You’ll know what to focus on and which questions to ask, so your interviews become more targeted and effective.

What if we like a candidate, but your assessment rates them lower?

Trust the data. Assessments pick up on traits that actually predict things like turnover and job performance. If a candidate scores lower on things like emotional regulation or empathy, there’s a higher risk they’ll burn out—even if their credentials look great.