An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that companies use for human resource management, recruitment, and hiring. A variety of features are available with various applicant tracking systems, but they are all designed to help hiring companies organize and navigate a large number of applicants.
Job seekers searching online are searching for answers after submitting countless job applications. Hiring companies’ application collection software is standing between them and a corporate recruiter and keeping them from getting a job interview. Job seekers have a hard time getting their resumes in front of decision-makers when using these applicant tracking systems.
Applicant tracking systems are used to track applicants.
In order to assist with the recruitment and hiring process, corporations use applicant tracking systems. Each offers a different combination of features, but they are primarily used to collect, organize, and filter applications for hiring companies.
Employers interact with an applicant tracking system (ATS) when job applicants submit their resumes and applications online.
Applicant tracking systems: why do companies use them?
It is relatively easy for candidates to apply for jobs online, creating a challenge for hiring companies. Especially for larger companies that need to fill multiple positions simultaneously, this solution can make a great deal of difference.
ATS provides features like CRM-style tools to streamline hiring pipelines, communication with candidates, job posting distribution, and proof of government compliance for things like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
What are the problems with applicant tracking systems for job seekers?
Incorporating search, filter, and ranking capabilities into an applicant profiling system makes it possible for recruiters to extract the information from an applicant’s resume automatically. In order to quickly identify top candidates, we must quickly eliminate anyone who is under-qualified, make the applicant pool smaller, and eliminate anyone who is under-qualified.
Job seekers should be aware that most applicant tracking systems lack sophistication and cannot search and filter candidates reliably. Because their resume has formatting issues or does not contain the right search keywords, some highly qualified applicants are incorrectly excluded from the applicant pool.
Most hiring professionals have limited time and resources, so this is a necessary tradeoff. Optimizing a resume for an applicant tracking system is essential to get notice.
Tracking applicant information be use by employers for several reasons.
The top employers hire for several positions at once and receive hundreds of resumes for each job opening. Many of these applicants are unqualified and decided “it was worth a shot” because applying online is easier than ever.
All these resumes can store in an applicant tracking system, which helps recruiters and hiring managers to stay organized as well as comply with EEOC regulations. Theoretically, these systems also save time since they scan the surface and highlight the best candidates automatically. However, demo ats do help to hire managers to narrow their applicant pool, but top candidates still slip through the cracks.
Applications for viewing
Although some recruiters still glance at every job application they receive through their applicant tracking system, others don’t. Typically, most employers glance at a candidate’s past job highlights, titles, and employers. In about 6 seconds, the learner can determine if he or she wants to learn more. It’s important to let people know what your top skills and qualifications are.
rankings are generate automatically.
Your resume can automatically compare to the job description in some applicant tracking systems. Taleo calls this feature “Req Rank,” which ranks applicants according to how well their resumes match up with job descriptions.
Searches using keywords
One of the most common ways recruiters filter resumes in an applicant tracking system is to look for key skills and titles.
If a recruiter is searching for an administrative assistant out of 400 resumes, their first step would be to search for “administrative assistant.” This will isolate candidates with experience in doing the exact job. You can’t get the job if your resume doesn’t contain that exact term.
Multiple terms can use in a search. They could, for example, conduct a search that includes both titles and skills relevant to the job:
When it comes to applicant tracking systems, resume formatting matters
Recruiters may not view your resume when you upload it to an applicant tracking system. To make things uniform and searchable, some ATS parse the document into a digital profile.
For job seekers, this is a big problem.
There are many ATS parsing algorithms that are out of date and unintelligent, resulting in distorted or lost resume information. If this is the case, vital keywords or details may be missed. Think about your most valuable qualification slipping through your fingers!
