Why are Applicant Tracking Systems so important?
Why are Applicant Tracking Systems so important?
As you most likely already know, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software application that is used by recruiters to identify suitable candidates for a specific job role and to more efficiently manage a company’s recruitment efforts. There are many different systems, some better than others – some now even enhanced or powered by AI. Indeed, recruiters are increasingly using AI, and filtering down a large stack of possible candidates to a smaller and more manageable number for a human to evaluate – all the while taking into account the requirements of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) - is definitely the most significant use so far.
So how does this work? Well, when a company needs to fill a vacancy, information on that role is entered into the system and every time a candidate applies, their CV is uploaded and parsed through this ATS. The system then manages each candidate electronically, issuing notification alerts, sending out automated messages informing them of whether they were successful or not and enabling the human recruiter to then access the successful ones. Basically, it lessens the workload of the recruiter by automating key processes and reducing the number of CVs that they have to read!
An ATS also acts as a candidate database - storing all the CVs that are parsed through it, recording the candidates’ information and keeping this on record so that they can potentially be contacted for suitable roles in the future.
As to why they are so important, quite simply, if you don’t get past the gatekeeper that is the ATS, your CV won’t be shortlisted and you won’t be invited to interview! So having an understanding of how an ATS fits into the recruitment process is a definite advantage.
How to get past an ATS and through to the human recruiter
When applying for a specific job role, it is important to understand that the primary functions of an ATS are to:
1. Parse all text out of the CV that is uploaded into it
2. Index that text within the ATS database
3. Search that text according to keywords / phrases
4. Rank candidates for suitability based on those keywords / phrases
It is also vital to realise that those keywords / phrases that the ATS searches for, and ranks, are determined by the human recruiter who will ultimately get to read your CV. For each different job role that a company is recruiting for, they can configure their ATS to search for specific keywords / phrases.
Whilst it may sound relatively straightforward, more than any other recruitment related hot topic, there is so much misinformation out there with regards to ATS that it is so hard for candidates to know what the truth is. There are many companies out there claiming that they can guarantee to write you a CV that will get you past every ATS - but unless they know exactly which ATS a recruiter is using, and how that recruiter has configured it, that is pretty much an impossibility!
So, I can hear you asking, if that is the case, how can you possibly help me to ATS-proof my CV? Whilst I cannot guarantee that I can help you to get that all-important interview, I can share with you my top tips for maximising your chances of success when a recruiter is using an ATS:
1. Quite often, if a recruiter’s online application process uses an ATS, the website will actually tell you that. Somewhere on the screen, you may see an indicator that a particular ATS is being used. If that is the case, you can do a quick online search to find out as much as you can about that particular ATS. However - don’t forget that the ATS can, and almost definitely will, be configured by a human recruiter in ways that cannot be predicted!
2. Read the job ad, job description and person specification carefully - and then read them again! Within those vital resources lie the keywords / phrases that the ATS will hopefully be configured to look out for.
************** Online word cloud generators can be really helpful in identifying the keywords that you are looking for. Try copying and pasting the details of the job into one of these to create a word cloud which will show the most frequently used words in larger text. As a general rule, the larger the text, the more important the word is to the recruiter! *************
3. Include those keywords in your own CV - more than once if possible and always in context. What do I mean by that? I mean that ultimately your CV will be read by a human! So whilst just dumping a list of random keywords into your CV may, possibly, fool an ATS, you must still incorporate those keywords intelligently. Make sure you provide evidence of when you have utilised that particular skill / demonstrated that particular area of expertise etc so that those keywords make sense for the human on the other side!
***************** Some candidates have tried to trick an ATS into thinking that they are perfect for the job by “hiding” keywords in the CV in white font! Invisible to the human eye but supposedly visible to the ATS! I’m afraid that won’t work! As ATS have evolved, they have inevitably got smarter and you risk being rejected immediately if this kind of keyword stuffing is picked up. And if the ATS doesn’t get you, some recruiters have also caught onto this and will be on the lookout too! *****************
4. Submit your CV in either the latest Word filetype i.e. .docx or as a PDF for the best chance of success. Some ATS will also read older Word file types (.doc) and even some other file formats but I would recommend you play it safe and stick with these mainstream file types.
Formatting a CV for ATS purposes
Remember that “misinformation” I mentioned earlier? So much of this relates to the formatting of a CV and what an ATS can / cannot parse! You will see many resources claiming that you shouldn’t use colours, tables, graphs, text boxes, icons, italics, border lines, columns etc. etc. etc. Literally the list goes on and on of the things that you shouldn’t include in your CV if you are going to get past an ATS.
I am here to try to set the record straight about ATS by underlining one simple fact:
All text content within your CV can be parsed, indexed and searched by an ATS as long as you haven’t written it in some bizarre, alien script or submitted your CV in some crazy file format
So let’s look at some of those formatting options I just mentioned and eliminate some of the myths surrounding them:
Colour, bold & italics: Most ATS do not just read in black and white! Some variation in the colour and style of the text in the CV is absolutely fine - it can even help to emphasise key points when it reaches the human recruiter!
Tables & text boxes: Whilst it is true that some ATS may merge or mangle text that is included in tables or text boxes etc, this doesn’t mean it is not ‘parsable’ so you can certainly use them to keep the CV neat, tidy and well organised
Graphs & charts: Representing key information in a graph or chart can really stand out! Just remember when it comes to the ATS, never use these in place of important text as it will not be searchable
Symbols & icons: Drawing the human recruiter’s eye to crucial information such as achievements etc using symbols and icons is a great trick so still do this - the ATS will just strip them out, but they will leave the important text behind
Common sense applies to the art of CV writing too! Whilst presentation is vital, the content is what will ultimately get you the job! So whatever you decide to do with the formatting of the CV, don’t ever let that detract from the all important content.
A bit more about keywords
Keywords are not necessarily single words - they can also be phrases. They are typically based on industry terms that relate specifically to the job role that is being applied for. Generally speaking, an ATS operates on a default set of words and/or will be fed relevant words and phrases by the recruiter.
Keywords can fall into various different categories depending on exactly what the recruiter is looking for, and they can therefore be industry specific or more general. They will help the recruiter to determine your characteristics based on verbs or adjectives, your specific experience based on keywords like job titles and qualifications as well as your technical skills.
Let’s look at an example. If someone has a degree in marketing management, and they are looking for general marketing executive or marketing assistant roles, the degree title and those job titles could be keywords / phrases. They may have acquired particular expertise in digital marketing or B2B marketing, making these potentially important keywords in their CV.
It is worth noting that spelling matters - and not just for obvious reasons! When including keywords, you want to make sure that you are mirroring the exact words / phrases used by the recruiter. For example, “B2B”, “Business-to-Business” or “Business to Business” and “manage teams” versus “team management”. You need to include the same phrasing used by the recruiter in your application.
Generative AI chatbots
I may have lost you with this sub-heading but all this really means is ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude, etc. Recruiters use them to their advantage in various ways, including to help them shortlist. But the purpose of this section is to warn you to be very careful if you’re using them yourself when writing either your CV or your cover letter. Most people realise that these tools, whilst useful in various ways, are a long way away from being able to write compelling marketing copy anything as well as a human can. I do see plenty of attempts by people to write their own CVs entirely with ChatGTP, etc. nonetheless – especially, for some reason, recent graduates. Whilst I will say that these chatbots can be very useful in preparing a first draft of the content you need, it is really important not to just leave it there. Edit, write and rewrite the results yourself if you really want to stand out from the crowd and not just sound like a robot. Also, of course, be very careful as to what information you feed into the chatbot in the first place. Do give it as much information as you can if you want it to do you justice.
You need to bear in mind that more and more recruiters are using AI-based software to filter out CVs and cover letters where use of AI is detected. It’s a constant and evolving battle, though. Whilst AI-detection tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated in identifying patterns of AI-generated text, the generative AI chatbots become better and better at writing like a human!
There are many reasons recruiters don’t like AI-generated documents. As one Financial Times headline put it, “Jobhunters flood recruiters with AI-generated CVs”. Their survey revealed that nearly half of job-seekers have used such tools to one degree or another when writing their CVs and cover letters. For a while in 2023 and 2024, job-hunters could get away with having their CVs and cover letters entirely written by AI – but this is definitely not recommended now. Yes, you can make some use of these tools when you start writing up your CV – but use them to support your own efforts, rather than replace them.
Final thoughts
Anyone who suggests that it is easy to “game” a wide array of ATS should be listened to with extreme caution. Without doubt the most important consideration is whether or not you are suitable for the role that you are targeting and whether you can use the relevant keywords, terms and phrases in your CV to demonstrate that.
I cannot emphasise enough that your CV will ultimately be read by a human. We are not quite at the point where the entire recruitment and selection process is managed by machines... yet! So when you write your CV, you are looking to achieve the perfect balance between what the ATS is programmed to look out for and how easy this is for the human recruiter to then read and understand.
As the use of AI and machine learning increases, however, more defined ATS standards will inevitably emerge. And no doubt I will need to update this article to reflect this. But, for now, my goal is to help you to see the wood for the trees when it comes to the complex topic of Applicant Tracking Systems.
