How Companies Leverage the ATS in Their Recruitment Process
Companies leverage Application Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen large volumes of candidates as a critical component of their recruitment strategies. This information helps recruiters quickly identify applicants that best match the job requirements posted. By setting specific criteria such as keywords, skills, previous job titles, or educational qualifications, companies can ensure that only the most relevant applications are shortlisted for review. The initial screening phase helps to significantly reduce the volume of applications that recruiters need to manually review, focusing their efforts on candidates who are more likely to be a good fit for the role. For example, there are typically 200+ candidates for a role that you see posted. If there are that many candidates, the ATS will filter it down to 20 or less candidates for the recruiter to review.
In addition, companies use ATS to rank candidates according to their suitability for the position. This ranking is based on a combination of years of relevant experience, candidate’s location relative to the job, and asking if the candidate has a non-compete or proper visa authorization. Companies can also use this tool to fulfill their diversity and inclusion efforts. An ATS can be programmed to ignore names, ages, and genders, which can ultimately help neutralize bias during the screening process. Automating the ranking process, the ATS not only speeds up the screening process but also introduces a level of objectivity, minimizing biases that might arise from manually reviewing applications.
Moreover, companies can utilize the collaborative features of an ATS to improve decision-making during the recruitment process. The system is a centralized platform where hiring teams can access candidate profiles, share feedback, and make notes about interviews or assessments. The ATS also communicates with their candidates by having automated responses to acknowledge receipt of applications and keeping candidates informed about their status in the hiring process.
How Companies Use the ATS for Analytic Purposes
When hundreds of applicants apply for a job from various recruiting platforms, the employer can collect this data to refine their recruitment strategies. Companies can make informed decisions revolving around recruiting by analyzing the effectiveness of different recruitment channels, the time taken to fill positions, and the success rate of hires. For example, suppose data reveals that many jobseekers are being driven from a particular job board. In that case, the company may allocate more of its recruiting efforts to that platform. Similarly, analyzing candidate feedback collected through the surveys can help establish visibility on areas of improvement in the recruitment process. The continuous loop of feedback and improvement, driven by ATS analytics, helps companies stay competitive in attracting top-tier candidates by ensuring recruitment processes are as candidate-friendly as possible.
How to Bypass the ATS to Have an Actual Human Review Your Application
To have the highest chance to bypass the ATS, you need to tailor your resume to the job description the company has posted. If they are looking for a specific skill set, you would want to showcase how you used that skill set on your resume so that the ATS can rank your resume with the highest score possible so a recruiter can review your resume. Use CraftResume to help you quickly tailor your resume and experiences to the job you are applying for. In addition, you want to refrain from using tables and complex formatting on your resume, as some ATSs will have trouble reading resumes with tables and graphics. Use CraftResumes's templates as a clean, simple layout with standard sections such as Work Experience, Education, and Skills.