Applicant tracking system for small business: demo questions and scorecard
Use this scorecard to compare any applicant tracking systems on your shortlist side by side. It turns a sales demo into a hands-on test with your own fictional job and CVs, so you choose on evidence rather than feature lists.
How to use the scorecard
- Pick one real role you hire for often, and write its must-have and nice-to-have requirements before any demo.
- Prepare three to five fictional CVs, including one strong match, one partial match and one in your second language.
- Ask each provider to run the same steps live, then score each criterion from 0 (missing) to 3 (works without workarounds).
- Multiply each score by the weight your team chose and compare totals. Treat any 0 on a must-have criterion as a deal-breaker, whatever the total.
Scorecard criteria and demo questions
Data privacy and access
Suggested weight: High
Ask the provider to show
Two staff roles opening the same candidate: which fields and CV files does each see, and is your data separated from other companies?
Language support
Suggested weight: High if you hire in two languages
Ask the provider to show
The full application and review flow in each language, on a phone, including right-to-left text where relevant.
CV screening and explanations
Suggested weight: Medium
Ask the provider to show
Your fictional CVs scored against your job, with the reasons behind each score and what happens when a must-have skill is missing.
Careers page and applicant experience
Suggested weight: Medium
Ask the provider to show
Publishing a job, applying as a candidate, and how the applicant later checks their status.
Setup and account control
Suggested weight: Medium
Ask the provider to show
Who creates accounts, how you remove a leaver, and how long it takes to get your first job live.
Cost and dependence on paid add-ons
Suggested weight: Depends on budget
Ask the provider to show
Which features need extra paid services or AI keys, and what still works without them.
Leaving the system
Suggested weight: Low to medium
Ask the provider to show
How you would get your candidate records and files out if you stopped using it.
Where MINI ATS stands on these criteria
Established: isolated company workspaces with role and field permissions and private CV files; English and Arabic screens with right-to-left layout; local CV parsing and job-specific scoring that works without AI keys, with explanations and manual review for missing must-haves; company careers pages with private applicant tracking; and accounts provisioned by the platform owner, with company administrators managing staff. Score cost, setup time and data exit for MINI ATS during your own pilot, as you would for any provider.
Tips for a fair comparison
- Use only fictional candidates in trials so no real applicant data leaves your control.
- Have the person who will use the system daily do the scoring, not only the buyer.
- Write down workarounds a provider suggests; each one is a cost your team pays later.
Next step
Ready to score MINI ATS? Request an account and run the scorecard with your fictional job and CVs.