Do Ats Bots Read Down the Middle
"75% of all Applications are Discarded by ATS Software"
"Well-nigh companies have thousands of resumes sitting in a database that they've never looked at. In fact, 75 per centum are never seen by a real person."
"You tin can't put hyperlinks in your CV or information technology will be rejected by the ATS"
"You have to BEAT THE BOTS!"
"Just upload your CV in word format"
These are merely some of the bizarre claims y'all will confront when doing 'research' on Applicant Tracking Systems.... or ATS for short.
Try googling Applicant Tracking Systems and you lot are met with an array of sensationalist headlines like "How to get your CV by the robots". The same goes for unscrupulous 'CV Writers' and 'Career Coaches' who vow to write yous an ATS compliant CV and become you by the bots.
Information technology seems I can't have a chat with prospective clients nowadays without being asked 'can you brand my CV ATS compliant?' or 'Will my CV become past those systems that recruiters utilise?'
Why do I intendance then much? Because job seekers are being misled. There are and so many more important things for job seekers to concern themselves with than ATS.
How do I know this? Having worked in recruitment for over 17 years, in both Agency and In-House capacity, having used upward of 14 ATS and being part three of ATS implementations, I felt myself pretty qualified to comment.
However, what I found is that I was one voice in a sea of misinformation.
I needed to practice my own enquiry. I wanted to speak to the people who use these systems twenty-four hour period in 24-hour interval out, to sympathise how they utilize these systems and what their systems tin or can't do.
But first. Permit'due south not assume everyone knows what an ATS is.
Quite simply, an Applicant Tracking Organization is simply what it says on the tin. It helps recruiters track their applicants.
Think of it equally a digital filing cabinet.
Candidates come up into the system (eg. via job adverts), they get screened/assessed, then rejected or moved on to the side by side stage. All communications tend to come via the organisation and you are ultimately left with one candidate y'all are looking to offering the task to.
This example is simplistic, but non uncommon by any means. Some ATS do assess candidates based on keywords, some practice aid recruiters screen and prioritise the most (allegedly) suitable candidates.
Then... at present we're all clear on what an ATS is, dorsum to my research...
I knew from my own experience that the figures thrown about maxim that '75% of CVs are rejected without a recruiter seeing them' was false. I also knew from experience that I had non used a arrangement that screened CVs for me, I ever screened them myself. But, I wanted further proof and to put an finish to these myths that are spread.
And so, I reached out to a broad range of Recruiters, from all functions; some Agency, some In-House, some Hr Managers from across the Uk, US, Europe, Middle East and Asia to get accurate data to share with chore seekers, and I received over 200 responses.
So - let's get started!
The survey was sent to a range of recruiters from dissimilar backgrounds and industries across the globe (mainly United kingdom, US, Commonwealth of australia, Dubai).
See Below;
Having worked in both agency and In-House recruitment and knowing the unlike ways of working, I felt it important to embrace both at varying levels. Agencies are more than probable to use bespoke systems (you would still course them as an ATS) and In-House teams tend to use 'out of the box' solutions.
As you can come across. There are loads of unlike ATS options that companies have to cull from! As much equally they are all there to do the aforementioned thing, in that location are always going to be nuances to how they work, how they are used and what they are capable of.
So allow'due south go to the nitty gritty, and a straightforward one to start.
A common belief is that you HAVE TO upload your CV in Give-and-take and that PDF is risky.
Every bit you can see, this is not true with 98% allowing both, and i% each merely assuasive Word and just assuasive PDF!
My advice - become for a PDF where possible. They await slicker and proceed their shape and construction so much better. Word documents tin open differently on dissimilar devices - PDF won't!
Side by side up....
There is general advice to not overdo information technology with graphics and tables as it can mean your document gets rejected as it is unable to be read.
Information technology has never happened to a system I have used, only 4% come across this happen with their organisation.
The best thing to practise? Edge on the side of circumspection and keep it a elementary document.
NB - I regret non having a comments section for the survey takers on this question as it is not clear which of these is the potential banana skin! In my experience, graphs would be the ane to stay abroad from. Font size and tables have always been fine.
Now to Auto-Rejection...
Retrieve the pop quote '75% of CVs are rejected without the recruiter seeing them'
This was 1 of the fundamental questions I wanted to inquire to quash the myth that "75% of CVs don't brand it past the bots / get rejected without the recruiter seeing them"
This clearly proves this statement untrue. Emphatically so.
This is the office where you relieve the link to this survey and then you lot can post it in the comments to anyone who starts to spew this '75%' nonsense.
THE RECRUITERS HAVE SPOKEN!
If you lot are getting rejected instantly, or without the recruiter seeing the CV, it is likely to be due to Killer Questions.
These are yes and no questions you will answer as office of the application procedure. Eg. Do y'all have the right to piece of work in Land 10, Practise y'all have a drivers license (if the job requires driving of class)
I didn't terminate there of grade. This notion that the CV has to be stuffed with keywords for the ATS bots ever interested me.
Ii related questions in a row here....
Some ATS have the ability to 'score' your CV and give information technology a % lucifer to the task advert/description/keywords added by the recruiter.
Only 2% of recruiters utilize this function. Yous do not need to go through a task advert and cram in equally many keywords as possible to get past the 'Bots'.
It is very unlikely your CV is getting rejected because of the lack of keywords (every bit much as people trying to turn a profit from your insecurity might tell yous it is).
Don't get me incorrect, Keywords are very important, but FOR THE HUMAN READING YOUR CV!! If the advert is talking about SEO, PPC and Digital Marketing in the job advert, so of class, they want to run across these specialisms on your CV.
NB - some ATS tin can act as a database and hold your details on file, keywords can be searchable inside this, so you could exist plant downwardly the road for a position after your awarding.
Are Keywords important?
VERDICT - Yeah (just not for getting past the bots)
And then let'southward recap....
"75% of all Applications are Discarded by ATS Software" Simulated, I can't tell you how untrue this is.....
"Most companies have thousands of resumes sitting in a database that they've never looked at. In fact, 75 percent are never seen by a existent person." False
"You can't put hyperlinks in your CV or it volition exist rejected by the ATS" Perhaps some truth.... chances are slim this is why y'all are getting rejected.
"You have to Beat out THE BOTS!" No, worry nearly the humans.....
"Simply upload your CV in word format" I'd become for PDF personally
So, in that location yous have it. From the equus caballus'due south mouths if yous like. Recruiters worldwide accept put to bed some of the misinformation around ATS.
I would like to sincerely thank everyone who took part in this survey. Even if it helps one job seeker, it has been worth the hours put into collating this!
I'll be at the back of the room, with a large glass of wine at the bar, answering whatsoever questions later on...... or just pop them below.
Cheers,
Russell | The Job Search Coach
PS - looking for help in your job search. Send me a bulletin, let's have a chat.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/truth-applicant-tracking-systems-ats-russell-ayles
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