A complete guide to navigating the ATS during the hiring process

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs) are used by employers everywhere to filter candidates. While these are useful tools for hiring managers to get their jobs done faster, job seekers cannot stop feeling annoyed by them. This is because writing an ATS-friendly resume is not an easy task.

The first step to creating a resume is finding out whether your target company uses bots to scan job applications. According to research by Jobscan and Kelly OCG, 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATSs. Also, 66% of large companies employ ATS software, as well as 35% of small businesses. Therefore, it is safe to assume that most employers are using ATSs when you are creating a resume.

ATSs have gained somewhat of a notorious reputation in the job market. But these are useful digital tools that help recruiters with their workload. However, many applicants despise ATSs because they reject candidates based on killer questions, are extremely keyword-sensitive, and rate candidates automatically. Killer questions allow employers to weed out any candidates who are not eligible.

Let’s take a closer look at killer questions with an example. Consider that you are applying for the position of human resources manager at a firm in California. The employer wants to hire a candidate who has 5 years of experience and has earned the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification. In such a case, they will ask killer questions such as:

• Are you legally clear to work in the United States?
• Do you have a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification?
• Have you had 5 years of experience in human resources?

If you happen to give a negative answer to any of these questions, the ATS can reject your job application in an instant. Therefore, you need to get your answers right for the employer’s killer questions to get through the ATS.

ATSs are quite similar to search engines that you use to surf the internet. Basically, they store your job application data and provide data for the company database. Even if you get rejected by the ATS for the current job, the employer can bring up your application when they are looking for a candidate with similar qualifications in the future. This is why it is important to consider your searchability on databases when creating a resume.

Not all ATSs are built alike. There are some ATSs that can rate and rank candidates. The employer can decide how they want to configure the ATS. Depending on the settings the employer has used, they will see a ranked list of job applicants. For example, the candidates who gave all the right answers to the killer questions could be ranked first on the list. Or else, the ATS could rank the resumes that mention specific keywords toward the top of the list.

While ATSs are quite accurate, employers do not blindly rely on them to make the best decisions. Once the ATS ranks candidates, a hiring manager or recruiter will review the job applications to see whether the candidates match the job description and company culture. Some employers even review every single job application they receive, despite what the ATS shows.