The Ministry of Employment and Labor will implement the ‘SME Hiring Management Solution (ATS) Support Project’ from March 26, 2025, to support fair and efficient hiring by small and medium-sized enterprises. This project aims to assist SMEs in conducting structured recruitment processes in compliance with hiring-related regulations, even amidst manpower shortages, by facilitating digital transformation throughout the recruitment process.
ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is a service that automates the entire recruitment process, including job posting creation, application reception, document and interview scheduling, and candidate notifications, by utilizing digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). It is particularly effective in establishing a foundation for fair recruitment by allowing a pre-check for any violations of recruitment procedure laws.
This project targets SMEs wishing to newly introduce ATS, with the government supporting 80% of the service fee (up to 400,000 KRW) for one year. Participating companies can introduce the hiring management system with only a 20% self-payment. The support targets SMEs that first adopt paid services from platforms such as Saramin and Doodlin, which are selected through an open competition, and have no history of using these services within the last 12 months as of the application date.
Interested companies can apply online through the Korea Management Association’s website, and after applying, the service transitions automatically from a free trial period to a paid service. The Ministry of Employment and Labor also plans to conduct post-evaluations on companies that have implemented ATS to enhance the project’s effectiveness.
Hong Kyung-ui, Director of Youth Employment Policy, stated, “As social demands for fair recruitment grow, this initiative will provide practical help for SMEs with limited manpower and resources to operate transparent recruitment processes in compliance with regulations.”
The project will support a total of 4,000 SMEs, and it may close early if the budget is exhausted. The Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to expand the project to allow more companies to adopt ATS in the future.
