You spend hours perfecting your resume, making sure it outlines your skills and experience in the best possible light. After all, when it comes to job hunting, your resume is your most important tool.

But after all that work, you’re still not getting enough interviews, even for jobs you know you’re qualified for. Why not?

What you might not realize is that your resume usually doesn’t go to a human being after you submit it – it goes to a computer.

In fact, there’s a good chance a real person will never see your resume!

That’s because more and more employers are using applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes. 

What is an Application Tracking System (ATS)? 

It’s computer software designed to scan resumes for certain keywords and weed out the ones that don’t match the job description.

So if you want your resume to actually make it into the hands of a human being, you need to make sure it’s optimized for the ATS.

In this article, we’re going to teach you 8 things you need to know about applicant tracking systems, including what they are, how they work, and especially how you can “beat” them!

1 – What is an ATS?

The hiring process can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience for employers as well as job seekers.

To streamline the process, many companies have started using applicant tracking systems (ATS).

An ATS is a computer software program that manages the hiring process. It does this by collecting and sorting thousands of resumes. 

Hiring managers can then screen candidates using the ATS, as well as track their progress through the hiring process. By digitizing the hiring process in this way, an ATS saves employers time and money. 

2 – How Application Tracking System works

There are 4 basic steps to how an applicant tracking system works:

A job requisition enters into the ATS. This requisition includes information about the position, such as the job title, desired skills, and required experience.

The ATS then uses this information to create a profile for the ideal candidate.

As applicants submit their resumes, the ATS parses, sorts, and ranks them based on how well they match the profile.

Hiring managers then quickly identify the most qualified candidates and move them forward in the hiring process. 

For example, if a recruiter is hiring for an Administrative Assistant position and there are 500 resumes, their first step will probably be to search for “Administrative Assistant.” This isolates candidates that have done the exact job before. 

Anyone that doesn’t have that exact term in their resume is out of luck!

A search can contain multiple terms. For example, recruiters might perform a complex search that contains a combination of job titles and skills:

Administrative Assistant AND data entry AND payroll…

This means that if you can predict the resume keywords that recruiters will use in their search, you’ll greatly increase your chances of moving on in the hiring process. 

But you don’t have to guess which keywords to use. All you have to do is analyze the job description to find them. 

Safaa resume scanner automates this process by using AI technology to analyze your resume against the job description. It then provides you with a score that shows how well your resume matches the job description.

It also tells you exactly how to increase your score by adding those resume skills and keywords that are missing from your resume.

3 – What’s the difference between an ATS and a CRM?

When it comes to recruiting software, there are two main types of systems: 

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) Systems 

Let’s quickly look at each system.

ATS software is typically used during the hiring process, and includes features such as resume parsing, candidate screening, and assessment tools.

The downside to ATS software is that it only tracks job candidates that have already applied to your company. 

Top 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.”

CRM systems, on the other hand, are used during the recruitment process to target potential candidates who haven’t yet applied to your company.  

CRM features include email marketing, scheduling, and communication tools to build relationships with possible candidates.

Whereas ATS only give you data that candidates input themselves, CRMs allow you to input information that you discover about prospective talent. In other words, ATS are more reactive, while CRMs are more proactive. 

You don’t necessarily have to choose between the two systems. Many companies use both!

4 – Key features of an applicant tracking system

Applicant tracking systems make it easy for people to apply for a position on any device, without having to log in. This means that companies benefit from a larger pool of applicants.

Because there are so many applicants, companies use ATS software to automatically surface and highlight top candidates.

Some other key features of ATS software include:

• Resume parsing – This is the process of extracting data from resumes, such as contact information, work history, educational background, and skills. 
• Advanced search – This enables you to filter applications by specific keywords, job titles, skills, experience, education, and more. 
• Candidate sourcing – This allows you to actively search for, identify, and reach out to potential candidates for open positions.
• Multi-channel candidate sourcing – This lets you search for potential candidates using multiple channels, including job boards, social media, and employee referrals.
• In-built CRM software – Some ATS also feature CRM software to cover all your needs in one platform. 
• Email templates –  Most ATS offer email templates to ensure that all your correspondence with candidates is consistent and professional. 
• Advanced analytics and reporting –  This allows you to generate detailed reports on job seekers, hiring trends, and other data. 
• Various integrations – This means the ATS can connect with different types of software, such as email marketing software, accounting software, and CRM systems.
• Ability to schedule interviews – By automating interviews, you won’t have to waste time rescheduling, sending out reminders, or coordinating multiple calendars.
• Real-time collaboration -This allows people from different parts of the organization to get involved in the sourcing, screening, and decision-making regarding new hires.
• Automation based on certain events and conditions – This means your ATS will only be triggered to do something if a specific scenario occurs.

5 – How accurate is ATS software?

While it is true that ATS can save recruiters time and effort in the hiring process, the reality is that these systems are far from perfect. 

A study by Harvard Business Review revealed that 88 percent of recruiters felt that qualified candidates were ignored by an ATS because they “did not match the exact criteria established by the job description.” 

This suggests that ATS places too much emphasis on keywords and fails to take into account a candidate’s skills, experience, or qualifications. 

As a result, many qualified candidates are overlooked simply because their resumes don’t contain the right keywords!

6 – Who uses ATS?

Most large corporations use some form of applicant tracking systems. 

Safaa research found that over 98.8% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS while a Kelly OCG survey estimated that 66% of large companies and 35% of small organizations rely on recruitment software. And these numbers continue to grow.

If you’re applying to a large organization, you’ll most likely face an ATS. 

If you’re applying through any online form, you’re applying through an ATS. 

Even job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn have their own built-in ATS.

It’s clear that ATS is here to stay. That’s why it’s so important to use the right keywords and format your resume in a way that makes it easy for ATS software to read.

7 – Why employers use applicant tracking systems

When you think about it, today’s employers are faced with a daunting task when it comes to hiring new employees. 

This is because the internet has made it easy for job seekers to submit applications, so they submit a lot of them. Many of these applicants are unqualified and figured “it was worth a try.”

The result is that corporate recruiters now receive hundreds and sometimes even thousands of resumes for every job opening. This is why they need an ATS.

These automated systems simplify and speed up the hiring process, saving businesses time and money.

8 – The future of applicant tracking systems

There’s no question that artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world of recruitment. Already, AI-powered applicant tracking systems (ATS) are screening resumes, identifying potential candidates, and even conducting initial interviews. 

As AI continues to evolve, it’s likely that ATS software will become even more sophisticated. 

In the future, these systems are expected to be more fully integrated with social media platforms like LinkedIn. This will enable them to identify both active and passive candidates who are a good match for open positions. 

Additionally, AI-powered chatbots could be used to answer questions and provide information about the application process. 

Ultimately, AI is poised to transform the recruiting landscape in a number of ways, making the process faster, easier, and more efficient for everyone involved.

What is an ATS optimized resume?

There is no universal trick to “beating” 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.

Here’s our simplest advice for how to optimize your resume for an ATS:

• Carefully 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 description.
• Use both the long-form and acronym version of keywords (e.g. “Master of Business Administration (MBA)” or “Search Engine Optimization (SEO)”) for maximum searchability.
• Use a chronological or hybrid resume format (avoid the functional resume format).
• Use a traditional resume font like Helvetica, Garamond, or Georgia.
• Don’t use headers or footers as the information might get lost or cause a parsing error.
• Use standard resume section headings like “Work Experience” rather than being cute or clever (“Where I’ve Been”).
• Save your file as a .docx if possible.

Can applicant tracking systems reject your application without a human ever seeing it?

Applicant tracking systems themselves do not reject resumes. People do.

The purpose of an ATS is to identify resumes that best match the specific job requirements and qualifications. Resumes that do not meet the predetermined criteria set by the ATS may be ranked lower or filtered out.

However, the final decision on whether to reject or consider a candidate rests with the human decision-makers involved in the hiring process.

How can you tailor your resume and application to increase your chances of getting through an ATS?

When writing your resume, always try to mirror the job description. In other words, use the same language that the job description uses.

Are there any disadvantages or limitations of applicant tracking systems for job seekers?

One disadvantage is that candidates who haven’t tailored their resumes to include the right keywords may be overlooked, even if they possess the necessary skills and experience. In addition, resumes that have intricate designs, bright colors, fancy graphics, or non-standard fonts may not be parsed correctly by ATS, resulting in rejection.

Key takeaways

Let’s quickly sum up what we’ve learned:

• Employers receive hundreds of resumes for every job opening.
• An ATS is a computer software program that simplifies and speeds up the hiring process. 
• Over 98.8% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS while 66% of large companies and 35% of small organizations rely on them.
• As AI continues to evolve, it’s likely that ATS software will become even more sophisticated. 
• Recruiters often filter resumes by searching for key skills and titles.
• The problem with ATS is that qualified candidates are overlooked because their resumes don’t contain the right keywords.