What is an Applicant Tracking System?

What is an ATS?

An Applicant Tracking System is simply software that an employer uses to manage online recruitment. They are used by an overwhelming majority of large businesses, as well as many medium-sized ones, to support their handling of CVs, applicant information and the recruitment process. Job sites, such as Indeed and LinkedIn, also use them.

Why are ATS used?

Companies in the UK use applicant tracking systems to speed up the time it takes to recruit candidates and to store and retrieve information. Businesses can receive hundreds of applications for one vacancy, ranging from the eminently qualified to those just chancing their luck. The ATS can help them to narrow down a huge number of CVs very quickly, to create a shortlist of potential interviewees. 

What problems do ATS cause?

Although the benefits for recruiters are clear, the applicant tracking system does require the job seeker to put more consideration into their CV. For maximum readability and higher rankings, they require CVs which are conventionally structured, with the relevant keywords and sensible formatting. There are many different applicant tracking systems on the market, some better than others, so it's worth writing a CV that accommodates even the less modern systems. 

Can my CV be rejected by an ATS?

No, applicant tracking systems do not reject CVs. However, they can sometimes be used to rank CVs based on criteria set by the recruiter and the recruiter can choose whether to review every single CV or just those that the ATS has ranked highly. The recruiter can also use the ATS to perform keyword searches on CVs. That’s why it’s important to align your CV with the job description as closely as possible. 

If you feel that your CV has been rejected by an applicant tracking system, it may be due to your responses to the screening questions. If your online application involved responding to questions when you uploaded your CV, it may be your responses to these that caused the rejection. Recruiters can use screening questions to immediately disqualify applicants that don't meet their basic requirements - and these responses are also managed by the ATS. Otherwise, a human will almost certainly review your CV.

How can I beat the ATS?

The ATS isn't your enemy and you don't need to "beat" it - it's simply a recruitment tool. There are numerous applicant tracking systems available in the UK, every one different. A well-written CV should naturally be read accurately by the ATS, but often seemingly ideal candidates can fall through the gap. To avoid this, there are a few simple rules to bear in mind: 

How can I write an ATS-friendly CV?

To make sure that your carefully-prepared CV is read as you'd wish by an applicant tracking system, bear the following tips in mind:

Use conventional headers for each section

Each section of the CV should be clearly identifiable – Profile, Education or Qualifications, Career History and so on. These are the headings that the applicant tracking system will use to categorise the information on the CV, so don’t be tempted to go off-piste with About Me or What I Do style headers - or even headers that are the same font size and style as the rest of the document.

Linear format with no graphics is best 

Don’t use tables, text boxes or graphics – the format can be misread when the CV is scanned by older applicant tracking systems, so your carefully-constructed document could end up as nonsense. An applicant tracking system doesn’t care what your CV looks like visually. Your aim is for the CV to be scanned accurately by the ATS and still look professional to a human. Over-formatting and graphics won’t help you to achieve either aim. 

Use conventional job titles

The applicant tracking system is very interested in your job titles. It uses them to assess your level of seniority, as well as whether your experience could align with the vacancy. If your job title includes the word Manager, the ATS will categorise you as a manager. If your job title includes the word Sales, the ATS will categorise you as a salesperson. Therefore, if your job is similar to the one you’re applying for, but your job title doesn’t quite show that, you’ll need to get a bit creative. It’s fine to put an equivalent job title in brackets, after your official job title, to get round this – for example, your job title could read “Food Assistant (Waiter)”, if you’re applying for a job as a Waiter but your current job title is Food Assistant.

Write chronologically 

Write your CV in reverse chronological order. Functional, or skills-based, CVs are harder for applicant tracking systems to categorise.

Use keywords liberally 

Make sure you’re using job-specific wording. Ideally, collect a few examples of relevant job adverts and pick out common keywords. These will help you to choose the vocabulary you’ll use in your CV. For a retail job, for example, you may identify “sales” and “customer service” as keywords. Some words will benefit from repeating, as often an ATS will assess the frequency, as well as the presence, of words. Bear in mind, though, that it will still need to read naturally when a human sees it; therefore, excessive keyword stuffing is not recommended!

Beware headers and footers

Use headers and footers for page numbers or to repeat your name, but never for critical information – the ATS may not see it. 

Choose an appropriate file format

Save only in PDF or Word format – ideally Word, but follow the instructions given by the recruiter.

The secret to beating the ATS

There’s no great secret to ensuring that your CV ranks highly with an ATS and they don't exist to trick you or eliminate you. A well-considered CV that sells your skills and experience should automatically have the right words in the right structure. 

Ask for help

If you want to make sure that your carefully-crafted CV is ATS friendly, why not get a professional CV writer on your team? CV Shed is looking forward to helping you!