HRIS vs ATS: What Is the Difference?

The short answer

An applicant tracking system takes a job from posting to offer. It keeps your applicants, résumés, messages and interview notes in one list, so nobody falls through the cracks.

An HRIS takes over when someone says yes. It keeps their forms, job details, time off, benefits and files, and it usually gives the employee a way to see their own information.

The line between them is blurry. Plenty of products do some of both, so read past the label.

HRIS vs ATS, side by side

When an ATS may be all you need

If hiring is your only headache, an ATS can be a good fit. That might look like this:

• You hire often, and applicants get lost in email and texts.
• Your payroll company's plan already covers your employee records and time off.
• You have only a few long-term employees and very little paperwork after the hire.

If you're still working out whether you even need that, read spreadsheet vs software first.

When you need an HRIS

Your pain has moved past hiring if you see these:

• You chase new hires for forms, and you're not sure what's still missing.
• Employee files are spread across folders, email and a filing cabinet.
• Time off is tracked in someone's head.
• Benefits enrollment is a stack of forms once a year.
• Employees come to you for things they could look up themselves.

The gap most small businesses fall into

Here is where two separate systems tend to hurt. The moment you hire someone, their name, address, job and start date already exist in your hiring tool. Then someone types them again into the HR system, and again for payroll.

The first days also fall between the cracks. The hiring tool considers its job done, the HR system hasn't started, and nobody is checking whether the new hire is settling in. Those are the days when people decide whether to stay.

One system or two?

Two good tools can work well if they connect. One system is simpler if it does what you need. Ask these questions either way:

1. Does a hire's information carry over, or does someone retype it?
2. What will both cost together? Check per-employee and per-user fees at your size.
3. Who owns the first 90 days? Is anything keeping an eye on new hires?
4. How many logins will your managers and employees need?

Where HRGP fits

HRGP is an HRIS with applicant tracking built in, for small businesses. Applicant tracking is one part of it, not the whole thing.

You track applicants, use interview guides and text people in the same place where you run onboarding and keep employee records. Then First 90 Days check-ins pick up where most hiring tools stop. Onboarding is for US businesses.

See HRGP as an HRIS or compare your options.

Common questions about HRIS and ATS