Background on Applicant Tracking Systems
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software used by many companies to help automate the applicant screening process from recruitment to hiring. It is designed to streamline the hiring process for employers, offering a central database for screening, evaluating applicants, scheduling interviews, and managing all aspects of the process.
How It Works
When an applicant applies to a job, the ATS collects the applicant's information into the database to be assessed. Most tracking systems are programmed to scan resumes for specific criteria— e.g. selected keywords, years of experience, skills, qualifications, location, and former employers– to classify candidates of interest. The system then scores and ranks the applicants based on this information, and only those with higher scores typically make it to the next round, which is getting the application into the hands of recruiters or hiring managers.
Many ATS programs are also used to locate potential recruits through social media platforms such as LinkedIn. After gathering an applicant's information, the ATS will typically store resumes to create a larger database to pool from, meaning when a job opens within the organization the hiring manager can filter through the database using keywords. For example, a manager looking to hire for an entry-level position may search by particular majors while one hiring for a nursing position may search based on certifications and years of experience.
Why This Matters
Understanding how companies use applicant tracking systems is important for best preparing resumes and other application material to make it through the initial screening process. Because the ATS is programmed to search for keywords and specific criteria, qualified candidates may slip through the cracks because they are missing specific words or phrases, or because their resumes are not formatted in a way that the program can understand. However, there are many strategies for optimizing applications in order to increase your chances of making it through the initial screening process and directly into the hands of hiring managers.
