Glossary
A plain-language definition from the Curriculo hiring glossary.
Applicant tracking is the daily practice of recording every applicant, their stage, and the next action, from application to hire or rejection.
Why it matters
Applicant tracking is the habit; an applicant tracking system is the software that supports it. You can track applicants in a spreadsheet, and many founders do for their first few hires. What matters is that each person has a clear status and an owner. When that slips, candidates wait for weeks, and the strong ones take other offers.
Good tracking also gives you a record. You can see why someone was rejected, who interviewed them, and how long each step took.
What good applicant tracking includes
- One record per candidate, with contact details, resume, and source.
- A current stage, such as Applied, Screened, Interviewing, Offer, or Closed.
- A named owner who is responsible for the next step.
- Notes and feedback stored with the candidate, not in private chats.
- A reply to every applicant, including a clear no.
A worked example
Say you track 60 applicants for a sales role in a sheet with columns for name, stage, owner, and last contact date. Sort by last contact date each Monday. Anyone untouched for more than five working days gets a reply or a decision that day. That one rule stops most candidates from going cold.
Common mistakes
- Tracking only the candidates you like and ignoring the rest.
- Letting several people own the same candidate, so nobody acts.
- Keeping interview feedback in email threads that others can't see.
- Never closing out rejected candidates, which hurts your reputation.
When a spreadsheet stops working, move to software. Start with what an applicant tracking system is, then read what an ATS does day to day and how applicant management works in practice.