What is an ATS?

An Applicant Tracking System or ATS is a software application that helps companies manage their recruitment process. It offers a central mechanism for storing and tracking job applications allowing companies to collect, sort and rank the job applications that they receive.

Why do companies use an ATS?

Companies these days receive thousands of applications, if not more, for each job they post. While it may be ideal to review each resume, it's not practically possible. To tackle this efficiently, companies use an ATS to manage the applications they receive. You may have encountered several ATS systems while applying for jobs, such as Greenhouse, Workday, and SmartRecruiters.

Apart from collecting and sorting resumes, an ATS can also host job listings and integrate with CRM (Candidate Relationship Management) systems. This integration helps store candidate details for future use and facilitates communication with candidates through scheduled emails.

What Does an ATS Actually Do?

An ATS mainly filters out candidates based on certain keywords set by the hiring manager, while hiring for a particular role companies would want to interview candidate who fit the bill i.e those with certain skills or experiences listed on the resume. An ATS does the heavy lifting of looking for these keywords and provides a shortlist of candidates who can possibly be interviewed for the job.

1. Keyword Filtering: The ATS screens resumes for specific keywords set by the hiring manager, typically related to skills, qualifications, or experiences relevant to the job.

2. Application Sorting: It organizes and ranks applications based on predetermined criteria to move them to the next stage which is usually a human review of the candidates.

3. Candidate Communication: Many ATS platforms integrate with Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) systems to facilitate communication with applicants.

4. Job Posting: ATS often includes features for creating and distributing job listings across various platforms.

What can you as a candidate do?

Applying for jobs can feel like navigating a maze, especially when it comes to getting your resume past the dreaded Applicant Tracking System. As a job seeker, one of the most important things you need to do is create an ATS-friendly resume.

Tip: Checkout this blog for tips on how you can create a resume that will help you get past the ATS.

We recommend avoiding graphics and keeping your resume plain and simple. One mistake candidates make is stuffing their resume with keywords, hoping to pass the ATS. While this may seem smart, it can backfire, especially when human reviewers examine the resume.

Increase your chances of getting past the ATS

One of the best strategies to get past the ATS and land interviews is to customize your resume according to the job description. We understand that this can be a time-consuming and tedious process. To help candidates customize their resumes quickly, we built Zeke. Give it a try and apply to jobs with customized resumes and cover letters!