8 Things You Need To Know About Applicant Tracking Systems

8 Things You Need To Know About Applicant Tracking Systems8 Things You Need To Know About Applicant Tracking SystemsWhat do you know about applicant tracking ordnungsprinzips?If you think the first obstacle to getting a job interview is a recruiters judgment, youre not seeing the whole picture. 98% of Fortune 500 companies and a growing number of small and mid-sized businesses filter resumes through an applicant tracking system (ATS) before someone takes a look if they ever do.Learn how ATS work, what they do to your resume, and how to beat ATS so that your resume gets seen by the human decision makers who schedule job interviews.1. What are applicant tracking systems?Applicant tracking system software provides recruiting and hiring tools for companies. Among other functions, these systems collect and sort thousands of resumes.Read full article What is an applicant tracking system?When you apply for a job online, your resume isnt typically going directly to a recruiter or hiring mana ger. Its first being processed by an ATS. Whether that human recruiter ever sees your resume could depend on how well your resume is optimized for ATS algorithms.2. Why employers use applicant tracking systemsTop employers hire for several jobs at a time and receive hundreds of resumes for any given opening. Because applying for a job online is easier than ever, many of these applicants are unqualified and figured it was worth a try.Applicant tracking systems keep all these resumes in one place, helping recruiters and hiring managers stay organized as well as EEOC compliant. In theory, these systems also save time by automatically surfacing and highlighting top candidates. In reality, ATS do help hiring professionals narrow their applicant pool, but top candidates slip through the cracks.CATSone ATS applicants3. Applicant tracking systems are everywherefruchtwein large corporations utilize applicant tracking systems. Jobscan research found that 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATSwh ile aKelly OCG survey estimated 66% of large companies and 35% of small organizations rely on recruitment software.There are dozens of different ATS, each with their own features, strengths, weaknesses, and quirks. Here are just a few of the top ATSTaleoWorkdaySuccessFactorsGreenhouseBrassringiCIMSJobviteLeverSmartRecruitersJazzHRCATSBambooHRIf youre applying to a large organization, chances are youll face an ATS. If youre applying through any online form, youre applying through an ATS. Even job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn have their own built in ATS.4. How applicant tracking systems workApplicant tracking systems collect and store resumes in a database for hiring professionals to access. Resumes may also be stored long after the original job you applied for is filled.Corporate recruiters or hiring managers can then search and sort through the resumes in a number of ways, depending on the system theyre using.Viewing ApplicationsSome recruiters mucksmuschenstill choose to glance a t every job application that comes through their applicant tracking system. In this case, most take a quick glance at the applicants past highlights, job titles, and companies. They can make a determination about whether they want to learn more in about 6 seconds. Its important to make sure your top skills and qualifications are easily identifiable.Automatic RankingsSome applicant tracking systems can automatically compare your resume to the job description. For example, Taleo calls this feature Req Rank, which ranks each applicant based on how well their resume scores based on the job description.Candidates ranked based on job requisition match in Taleo.Instead of reviewing each and every application, the recruiter can focus squarely on candidates the ATS has identified as a great match.With Jobscan, you can see how well your resume skills match up with the job description. Get your match report.Keyword SearchesA common way recruiters filter resumes in an applicant tracking system is by searching for key skills and titles.For example, if a recruiter is hiring for an Administrative Assistant position out of 400 resumes, their first step will probably be a search for Administrative Assistant. This will isolate candidates that have done the exact job before. Anyone that doesnt have that exact term in their resume is out of luck.A search can contain multiple terms. For example, they might perform a complex search that contains a combination of titles and skills important for the jobAdministrative Assistant AND data entry AND payroll Candidates who can predict the correct resume keywords will have the greatest chance of being included in recruiter search results. The best way figure out which skills and keywords to include is by analyzing the job description.Jobscanautomates this process by analyzing your resume against the job description to show the top skills and keywords missing from your resume.Hard skills comparison in Jobscan. Click to see full example.5. R esume formatting matters in applicant tracking systemsWhen you upload your resume into an applicant tracking system, the recruiter wont necessarily view the file. Some ATS parse the document into a digital profile to make things uniform and searchable.This causes big problems for job seekers.Many ATS parsing algorithms are outdated and unintelligent, causing your resume information to get distorted or lost. This means vital keywords or details might not be imported. Imagine your most important qualification slipping through the cracksModern ATS are starting to get away from this practice, but some popular systems like iCIMS (used by Amazon, General Mills, Comcast) still do it. In order to create an ATS-friendly resume that is parsable by these outdated systems, be sure to keep section headings simple, use consistent formatting for your work history and dates, avoid tables, and use a .docx or .pdf file format.6. How to beat applicant tracking systemsThere is no universal trick to bea ting applicant tracking systems. Getting past an ATS and landing a job interview requires a well-written resume that is mindful of ATS algorithms as well as the people pushing the buttons.Heres our simplest advice for how to beat ATSCarefully tailor your resume to the job description every single time you apply. Optimize for ATS search and ranking algorithms by matching your resume keywords to the job descriptionUse both the long-form and acronym version of keywords (e.g. Master of Business Administration (MBA) or Search Engine Optimization (SEO)) for maximum searchabilityUse a chronological or hybrid resume format (avoid the functional resume format)Dont use tables or columns as they often cause major parsing errorsUse a traditional resume font like Helvetica, Garamond, or GeorgiaDont use headers or footers as the information might get lost or cause a parsing errorUse standard resume section headings like Work Experience rather than being cute or clever (Where Ive Been)Save your fi le as a .docx if possible7. Dont cheat or over-optimize for applicant tracking systemsOptimizing your keywords and formatting for applicant tracking systems is not the same as cheating the system.In theory, you can trick ATS algorithms by stuffing your resume with keywords. Some do this by secretly adding additional keywords to their resumes using invisible white text or by unnaturally overusing keywords.Full article Are You Guilty of Resume Keyword Stuffing?These tricks might help you get a better initial score in the ATS, but theyre unlikely to fool recruiters. Instead of getting yourself blacklisted from the company,focus on crafting the best resume possible based on your actual skillset.8. Applicant tracking systems are here to stayDuring the Great Recession, employers were flooded with applications and wanted features that discouraged and filtered out unqualified candidates. This resulted in many of the bloated application processes and indiscriminate filters found in ATS today . Unfortunately, improving unemployment rates wont mark the end of ATS.While outdated systems are still in use at some large companies, we are seeing new ATS being developed for the modern age. As employers fight for the best talent, candidate experience is becoming more of a priority. Automation and ranking systems arent going away theyre just becoming more technical as recruiting software begins leveraging AI.An ATS-optimized resume is the first step to getting past the bots and face to face with an actual person.Jobscan tests and researches common ATS to help job seekers avoid the traps of these systems, from the outdated to the cutting edge.