ATS — Applicant Tracking System
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software that receives, stores, and organizes applications from candidates. Swiss employers use an ATS to manage a hiring pipeline, filter CVs, schedule interviews, and keep records. You'll encounter it whenever you post a vacancy—whether you build one in-house or use a recruiting platform. Most SMEs use cloud-based ATS platforms rather than spreadsheets.
An ATS collects application data in a central database. It lets you tag candidates by stage (screening, interview, offer), search by skill or location, automate emails, and generate hiring reports. When you post a job on a website or link applications to an email address, you're using an ATS—even a basic one.
In Switzerland, an ATS touches Swiss labor law only lightly. However, the revised Federal Data Protection Act (revDSG) applies once you store personal data. You must tell candidates how their data will be used, how long you'll keep it, and who can access it. Candidates have a right to see what you hold about them.
When an ATS comes up
You need an ATS the moment you receive more than a handful of applications for a single role. Spreadsheets break down: you lose versions, miss follow-ups, and waste time hunting for that one CV from three weeks ago.
An ATS becomes critical if you hire regularly—even a small business hiring 2–3 people a year benefits from one. It also matters if you're subject to a Gesamtarbeitsvertrag (GAV) or collective agreement that requires proof of fair selection.
- Post vacancies directly on your website or a job board; applications land in one inbox
- Search and filter candidates by keywords, skills, education, or location across all past applications
- Schedule interviews, send automated rejection emails, and track offer stage without manual lists
- Store Arbeitszeugnis drafts and reference notes alongside each candidate's file
- Export hiring data to show you followed a fair selection process if questioned by a union or RAV/ORP/URC
- Comply with revDSG by documenting consent, retention periods, and access controls
Your obligations as an employer
You must tell candidates—at the point of application—that you are collecting and storing their personal data, and for how long. A privacy notice in the job posting, or a tick-box during application, satisfies this. Keep that notice brief and honest.
You must delete or anonymize candidate data within a reasonable timeframe after hiring or rejection. Most Swiss employers keep rejected applications for 6–12 months; there is no law requiring longer. Document your retention policy in writing.
- Publish a privacy statement before candidates apply (on your careers page or job board form)
- State who has access to the ATS inside your company (hiring manager, office manager, HR)
- Limit access: do not share an applicant's full file with colleagues who do not need it
- Never use an ATS to track protected characteristics (race, religion, union membership) even if the software allows it
- Use a Swiss or EU-based ATS provider where possible to avoid extra cross-border compliance risk
- Answer candidate requests for data export within 30 days if asked under revDSG Article 15
The most common mistake
Employers often forget to delete old applications. An ATS that holds rejected CVs for years beyond any hiring need becomes a liability: it wastes storage, creates confusion in interviews, and exposes you to a data subject access request you cannot answer cleanly.
Another frequent error is storing interview notes in the ATS without a clear retention rule. Notes that say 'seemed unmotivated' or reference a candidate's age, appearance, or accent can look discriminatory if ever disclosed. Keep notes factual and job-relevant; delete them after 12 months.
- Set a calendar reminder to purge old applications annually
- Write down your retention policy (e.g., 'reject pile deleted after 12 months; hired files archived for 7 years')
- Train anyone who uses the ATS not to record hunches, hearsay, or personal impressions
- If you hire through a recruiting agency, ask them what ATS they use and request proof of data deletion
- Check your ATS contract: does it say who deletes data, and when?
- Use role-based access in your ATS: give the office manager view rights, the CEO edit rights, and no one full admin unless necessary
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a fancy ATS, or can I use Google Forms or a spreadsheet?
- Google Forms or Airtable work for hiring 1–2 people a year. Once you have 10+ applications per role, you'll save time with a dedicated ATS. Most Swiss cloud ATS platforms (Personio, BambooHR, SAP SuccessFactors) offer a free tier for small teams.
- How long can I legally keep a rejected candidate's CV?
- Swiss law does not set a maximum. However, the revDSG says you should keep data only as long as necessary. Six to twelve months after rejection is standard; after that, delete it. Exception: if you tell a candidate 'we may contact you in future', you can keep their file longer—but still document this and purge it eventually.
- Can I use an ATS to filter out candidates based on age or language spoken at home?
- No. The Swiss Labor Code (ArG) forbids discrimination based on age, race, or other protected grounds. An ATS that auto-rejects based on age or citizenship violates this. You can filter by job-relevant skills (e.g., fluent German for a sales role in Zurich)—but not by identity traits.
General information for Swiss employers, not legal advice. Have a lawyer confirm anything with legal consequences.