10 Steps to Build a B2B Lead List of Companies Without an ATS

 What if your next customers aren’t just hiring - but doing it manually?

That’s the reality for many growing businesses not using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) - and they’re everywhere.

If you’re selling a recruiting tool, talent platform, or lightweight ATS, these companies aren’t just a good fit. They’re your ultimate target. But here’s the problem: Most sales teams miss them completely.

Why? They blanket-email HR heads, guessing who might be interested - when the smarter move is to laser-focus on companies that are actively hiring and still managing it without an ATS. That’s where the real pain is. 

These businesses aren’t ignoring hiring technology because they don’t need it - they’re overwhelmed, scaling fast, and stuck in spreadsheets or outdated systems. Which makes them the perfect buyer - if you know how to find them.

That’s your opportunity and it starts with working with the right data provider to build a B2B lead list specifically filtered to companies without ATS systems.

And we’re not talking about other generic contact information. We’re talking about actionable sales intelligence-driven B2B data that flags the companies with hiring momentum, without an ATS, and pinpoints the exact people you should reach out to. With a well-researched, accurate list, your outreach will be more focused, leading to higher conversion rates.

A research shows, “79% of B2B marketers are already using AI, with 53% planning to increase its use for campaign effectiveness. AI tools help identify high-intent prospects, automate lead qualification, and personalize outreach at scale.” Leveraging this kind of AI-powered insight is what transforms a list from passive to proactive.

Here’s how to do it - with the help of a smart B2B data provider:

10 steps to build a sales-ready lead list of companies not using ATS (with the right data provider):

1. Embrace AI-Powered Data Enrichment

Before you reach out to anyone, you need clarity on who’s actually hiring - and how they’re managing it. Top data providers use GenAI-driven hiring signal analysis to scan thousands of job boards, careers pages, and social posts in real time.

This AI doesn’t just tell you that a company is hiring - it shows you how. Are they listing jobs manually on their website? Are they posting on third-party boards without integrating with an ATS? 

These nuanced details help data providers surface leads who are in motion but underserved - companies that clearly need a better way to hire, but haven’t made the switch yet.

2. Harness Human-Verified and Quality-Guaranteed Contact Lists

You’re not just looking for companies not using ATS - you’re looking for people with decision-making power, budget authority, or day-to-day hiring responsibilities. That’s why the best providers combine machine accuracy with human verification to deliver clean, up-to-date, bounce-free contact details.

You’ll know exactly who to contact: their current role, reporting structure, email, phone number, and often even their recent activity or focus area. And if any of the info is outdated or inaccurate? They’ll replace it, no questions asked.

3. Implement Laser-Focused Segmentation

Instead of buying a one-size-fits-all list of “HR contacts,” modern data providers help you zoom in with utmost relevance. You can segment by:

• Company size (e.g., 50–500 employees, where ATS needs spike)

• Revenue band

• Hiring velocity

• Industry (like logistics, healthcare, education - where ATS adoption is often delayed)

• Growth triggers like funding rounds or recent headcount surges

This level of segmentation ensures every company on your list isn’t just a possibility - they’re a qualified, high-intent match for your offering.

4. Identify Companies Missing ATS Signals

This is where your targeting goes from good to absolute best. It’s easy to find who’s using an ATS. But what you really want is the opposite - a clear absence of ATS infrastructure.

Actionable sales intelligence platforms with access to technographic data can scan a company’s digital footprint and backend code to detect whether ATS tools are present.

If they’re not? You’ve got a likely candidate still managing hiring manually. That’s your in.

5. Uncover Decision-Makers Based on Hiring Maturity

In companies without an ATS, hiring isn’t always owned by a Head of Talent. It might fall to the founder, the COO, or a stretched HR generalist. The right data provider goes beyond titles to understand how hiring is structured inside the business.

They look at company size, team org charts, and hiring complexity to surface the most relevant point of contact - the person who feels the pain of tracking applications in a spreadsheet or coordinating interviews over 17 email threads. This insight helps you skip the gatekeepers and speak directly to those who need your solution most.

6. Enrich Each Contact with Behavioral Hiring Context

Knowing someone’s name and email is a start. But what makes your outreach engaging is context.

Smart data providers enrich every contact with behavioral signals - like recent job posts, open roles, and even LinkedIn activity around hiring struggles or team expansion. Some even flag if the company is aggressively scaling in a particular department, like engineering or operations.

So now, instead of a cold email, you’re reaching out with:

“Hi XYZ, I noticed your team’s hiring 6 new sales reps this quarter and currently listing roles manually on your careers page…”

Suddenly, you’re not pitching - you’re solving their problem.

7. Prioritize Leads with Intent-Based Scoring

Some companies match your ICP perfectly - but aren’t hiring right now. Others might be hiring many people, and struggling without an ATS.

The difference? Intent.

Leading data providers score your leads based on their hiring urgency, frequency, absence of ATS, and presence of decision-makers. So your sales team can focus on the right opportunities in the right order, instead of treating every contact as equal.

8. Integrate Seamlessly into Sales and CRM Workflows

Data is only useful if it’s updated and actionable. That’s why top-tier data providers don’t just hand over a spreadsheet of the companies not using ATS - they integrate your lead lists directly into your CRM or sales engagement platforms.

This means you can instantly act on the data: launch a campaign, assign to a representative, personalize your messaging, and track responses - all without juggling tabs or copy-pasting between platforms. This makes the entire prospecting process seamless, scalable, and gets your campaigns off the ground faster.

9. Keep Your Lead Data Fresh and Dynamic

When it comes to hiring decisions, companies that’s ATS-free today could be a closed deal - or a lost one - in 60 days.

That’s why your data provider should refresh your lead list continuously. They track changes in hiring activity, tech adoption, leadership shifts, and even funding news - so your targeting stays current and your timing stays sharp.

10. Turn Lead Generation Into a Recurring Motion

Your sales motion should be a continuously updating system - not a “one-and-done” campaign.

The top data providers offer ongoing lead list building as a service, delivering fresh leads periodically, refining filters, and adapting based on your campaign performance. You’re not just buying a list of companies who are not using ATS - rather you’re building a lead engine that evolves with your pipeline. In the end, this turns your outreach from reactive to proactive, offering relevant conversations at scale.

So, are you ready to sell into hiring pain that’s already there?

Your best customers aren’t those casually browsing ATS options - they’re the ones stuck in hiring chaos, trying to grow, and feeling the cracks in their current process. With a purpose-built, intelligently segmented, and always-fresh lead list from the right data partner, you don’t need to hope your message lands - you can be certain it hits the mark.

If you’re done chasing cold leads and ready to focus on companies who actually are ATS-free - this is where you start.

CLICK HERE to explore this further with BizKonnect.