We, at ATS are users of recruitment software and, over they years, have had feedback from applicants, who have used application tracking systems to apply for various positions. Some have lamented about the inherent difficulties they have faced when sending their resumes through these systems, in the hope that it will somehow get to the top of the pile and/or noticed by the HR manager. A recent post by Lynda Spiegel for The Wall Street Journal titled “How Job Seekers Can Get Around Flaws in Hiring Software” might be the antidote that some job seekers need when navigating through the algorithmic world of recruitment software. She writes in part;

“Job hunting may be the one of the few instances where technology doesn’t improve our lives. That’s because most companies use Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software to parse the resumes they receive. This helps recruiters by simplifying the task of assessing resumes. But research indicates that the ATS rejects a startling 75% of resumes because of formatting, insufficient use of relevant keywords and other criteria that have nothing to do with candidate qualifications.”

In a tight job market, a 75% rejection rate will not be a comfort to many job seekers. However, Lynda Spiegel article provides some helpful tips, that might help combat the rejection rate. These tips include:

• “Job seekers should avoid fancy resume formats because interpreting lines and boxes can flummox ATS software. A contemporary sans serif font and a pop of color for the headings is all that’s needed for the document to be ATS-friendly and still visually attractive for a human recruiter, if it gets that far.”
• “Despite what many job seekers have heard, they shouldn’t upload a PDF resume; while ATS is getting better at reading PDFs, they don’t always process them well.”
• “Job seekers should keep headings simple, such as Summary of Qualifications, Experience, Education, Achievements.”

When using any software, whether it’s time and attendance, ERP, HR, payroll and or in this case, recruitment software, companies should ensure that their vendors, tailor the solution to suit their business requirements. For example, if the recruitment software is configured in accordance, to the type of candidates that a company is looking for, perhaps the rejection rates will decrease. In the end, however, it will require some initiative on the part of the job seeker to make sure their resume get noticed.