What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) & how it Works for Recruiters?

Big corporations & Multi-nationals use computer algorithms to screen & shortlist candidates for interviews. Corporations such as Deloitte & BCG receive more than 2,00,000 fresh management graduate applications every year.

Applicant Tracking System rejects around 75% of applications before they reach the human eye. So how do you figure out the basis on which algorithms evaluate your application?

Receiving voluminous applications is a serious practical challenge for companies. If a multinational like Deloitte engages 10 employees working 10 to 12 hours a day including weekends, it will take around 10 to 12 months to screen such vast pool of applications. So how do companies tackle this? They let the applications pass through computer algorithms that shortlist candidates based on certain defined criteria. No wonder why around 3/4th of applications gets rejected before reaching any humans for further screening.

Such system looks for some specific keywords that meets the employer criteria. Let us find out how beneficial it is for the candidate:

1. Ideally, a candidate should study the language used by the corporations in the job advertisement. If application mentions FS for Financial Service, do use the FS in your resume. This essentially means generic resume will not pass through the first step.
2. Job seekers should make sure that resume & LinkedIn profile are in sync with each other, since the potential employers browse through LinkedIn to check candidate’s qualifications & experience.
3. Job seekers should strive to make 2 to 3 different resume accommodating different set of keywords.

Passing ATS is not the only tech evaluation. Some corporations also let candidates pass through Artificial Intelligence powered video interaction, which evaluate them based on their body language, facial expression & language patterns. Artificial intelligence modeled interview may also help in overcoming biases related to traditional interview techniques such as interviewer favoring a particular candidate.

Such technological based screening may also lead to flat race where job seekers would be quick enough to learn the trick of the trade & populate their resume with relevant keywords. Accordingly, algorithm shall adapt itself to avoid such discrimination.

The best job seekers can do is to focus on customising their resume to meet the application requirement so that they clear the first hurdle & articulate their success stories & value creation they did for their previous employers cleanly to the interviewer during the human interaction.

In order, to get your resume structured to meet particular job requirements & pass through such computer based evaluation, feel free to sign up with us