If you spend even a little time on career-focused social media, you’ll see posts like these...
“I was auto-rejected by the ATS”
“I can make your resume ATS-compliant for $399.00”
“If I could just get past the ATS, then I’d get an interview.”
The applicant tracking system (ATS) has a reputation as a gatekeeper that unfairly blocks job seekers. In reality, most of what people share online about applicant tracking software is misleading, oversimplified or flat-out false.
For a simple definition, ATS stands for "applicant tracking system," and it's basically a digital filing cabinet and database for online job applications, their various components and the complicated process of filtering candidates that often number in the hundreds.
There are a lot of misunderstandings about what a modern ATS can and can’t do. If you're asking "okay, what is an ATS, really?" Read on. I'm going to clarify how the recruitment process works when an ATS is involved.
How does an ATS work?
When you are a job seeker, online job applications can seem bewildering, intimidating and irritating. But if you work as a recruiter or a talent acquisition specialist, you'll get very familiar with the applicant tracking systems most job postings lead to.
Here's how the process works.
Step one: Job posting and distribution
Let's say a company needs to fill a position for a senior data analyst. Their recruiter writes the job description, includes the required skills and enters the compensation range.
With one click, she distributes the listing to the company career page and multiple job boards, including LinkedIn®, Glassdoor® and Indeed®.
Step two: Resume screening and ranking
After five days, hundreds of resumes have been submitted for the senior data analyst position.
The ATS parses each one, pulling data like education level, certifications and years of experience. Candidates are scored against the job requirements using the recruiter's predefined keywords.
This resume screening process ranks applicants so she can focus on those who meet the criteria she prioritizes.
Step three: Scheduling interviews
The recruiter selects 12 top candidates from the group who scored 85% or higher match to her job description. Using the ATS’s built-in interview scheduling feature, she sends branded emails inviting them to choose a time using a link to her calendar.
As candidates respond, her calendar updates automatically, improving candidate communication and efficiency.
Step four: Collecting and consolidating feedback
After interviews are complete, the recruiter and hiring managers enter their evaluations of each candidate directly into the ATS.
The system immediately calculates average scores and highlights the strongest applicants (those who got the best evaluations on average from every interviewer). This feedback loop allows the hiring team to make data-informed decisions quickly.
Step five: Extending offers and onboarding
The recruiter then uses the ATS, again, to send digital offer letters to three candidates.
The system automatically populates the applicant’s name, salary and start date, and includes a PDF for e-signature. Once returned, the signed documents are forwarded to the company's onboarding platform.
Step six: Integrations for retention and compliance
Behind the scenes, the ATS also triggers background checks through an integrated vendor and enrolls new hires in compliance training via the learning management system. It also schedules 30, 60 and 90-day check-ins to support retention goals.
This is just one example of how a company can use an ATS, but it gives you a picture of just how many aspects of the hiring process the tool can handle.
ATS misconceptions are everywhere
Some of the frustrating trends in job seeking and hiring in the last decade have given the ATS a bad reputation. But much of what people complain about in applicant tracking systems actually come down to decisions hiring teams make.
Here are a few of the popular ATS myths out there.
Myth 1: Applicant tracking systems reject job applications
Many job seekers believe that an applicant tracking system is a robot that scans for keywords and rejects resumes before a human ever sees it. In reality, it's a database tool. The effectiveness or mismanagement of an ATS all comes down to the people who use it.
Contrary to popular belief, applicant tracking systems don’t reject candidates on their own. Recruiters use the ATS to sort, filter and prioritize resumes—but it’s the human making the decision about who to contact or move forward.
The ATS highlights the most-qualified candidates, but it doesn’t discard anyone. A recruiter may still review resumes lower on the list, especially if the top candidates aren’t available.
ATS applicant tracking systems exist because of the large volumes of candidates applying to jobs these days. They also include tools like job board integration, candidate engagement and candidate tracking that can save recruiters a ton of time and headaches.
While it’s true that applicant tracking systems play a big role in today’s hiring efforts, they are not the final decision-makers.
Myth 2: Resumes have to use the exact job title and keywords
Anyone who's been looking for a job in the past decade understands that many job titles can fit the same basic role. Employers often don't use the same words for the job postings they are looking to fill. And this applies even more so for a job opening in another region or industry than the one you are currently in.
Don't worry, the hiring team knows this.
Applicant tracking software is built to recognize synonyms and related terms. A candidate with experience as a sales trainer, for example, won’t be disqualified just because the job title listed was “sales enablement specialist.”
Recruiters are far more focused on skills, education and experience than a word-for-word match in job titles.
Myth 3: ATS systems are designed to eliminate as many candidates as possible
The purpose of an ATS is to make the hiring process more efficient, not to unfairly eliminate applicants.
The system filters job applicants based on criteria the recruiter sets, such as minimum years of experience or required certifications. Candidates who don’t meet these benchmarks may be ranked lower, but they’re not automatically removed.
The goal is to help hiring teams focus their time on the most qualified candidates, not to just reduce the applicant pool.
An applicant tracking system collects resumes and job application materials in one place so hiring managers and recruiters can keep track of candidates throughout the recruitment process. If you've been part of this process, you already know—there's a ton of documentation involved in every single job application.
Myth 4: An ATS makes it harder to get a job interview
If you are a job applicant, it can really feel like the ATS and the world of online job applications is impossible. The process of filling out an online job application, repeating so many boxes of information and waiting for weeks to hear absolutely nothing from the company is so commonplace that people have named the phenomenon the ' black hole.'1
You might also feel like this is pretty much the fault of the ATS. Weren't things easier in the good old days of paper applications?
The problem here isn't the ATS though—it's the change in accessibility to each job application.
Before the internet, applying for a job meant printing your resume on high-quality paper and delivering it in person to the HR department or hiring manager. Submitting a resume required time, effort, and even expense, and you had to be physically able to go to the employer's office to submit it.
As you can imagine, companies typically received fewer applications.
Once online applications became the norm, that changed. With the ability to apply 24/7 from home, companies began receiving hundreds of resumes for a single job posting. Recruiters and talent acquisition teams needed a more efficient way to manage the overwhelming volume.
Today, many organizations use ATS platforms to support complex hiring workflows, streamline decision-making and stay organized throughout the recruiting process, the hiring process and the onboarding process.
Myth 5: Only plain text resumes work in ATS
People still often believe that you have to submit your resume as a plain text file. This myth is outdated.
A modern ATS can parse most resumes formatted in Microsoft Word®, even if they include styling like bold headers or bullet points. These tools can utilize technology like dynamic job descriptions, AI and more.
That doesn't mean you will definitely be dealing with the best applicant tracking system when you apply for a position. Potential candidates can still run into software with poor user interfaces and more. But many of the quirks that drive people crazy are on the candidate side of an ATS.
Myth 6: Applicant tracking systems are all the same
Many job seekers worry about making their resume “ATS compliant,” but the best strategy is to focus on content and clarity. Applicant tracking systems will focus on ranking candidates by relevant experience and skills, not creative formatting or catchy headlines.
While some organizations choose to build their own applicant tracking system, most rely on established software platforms.
Applicant tracking systems cost something, of course, ranging from lower end options to much more elaborate or user-friendly options. It depends on the size of the organization, hiring complexity and overall needs.
Example types of applicant tracking systems
Here’s an example of some popular applicant tracking systems and their differences.
Greenhouse®
- Pros: Best-in-class interview coordination, strong analytics and a wide partner ecosystem
- Cons: Higher entry cost, steep learning curve for non-technical teams
- Best fit: Mid-market to large, tech-forward companies with complex hiring processes
Lever®
- Pros: Strong CRM-style candidate nurturing, intuitive interface, faster time-to-hire
- Cons: Less robust reporting than Greenhouse, some advanced features require add-ons
- Best fit: Small to medium-sized businesses and growing enterprises focused on relationship-building
Workday®
- Pros: Full HCM suite with built-in ATS, global compliance tools and mobile-friendly UX
- Cons: Premium pricing, long implementation time, complex functionality
- Best fit: Large, global enterprises needing end-to-end human capital management
Tips for submitting your resume through an ATS
Since you often don't know the specifics of which system your prospective employer is using, there are some good best practices to follow when submitting a resume through an ATS.
1. Add a "professional summary" section showing how you match job requirements
Start by aligning your resume with the job description. Include a professional summary that clearly shows how your experience matches the listed requirements.
2. Use standard section headers
Sometimes job applicants try to stand out by writing quirky section headers in their resume. The average recruiter or hiring manager would prefer you didn't. And the same is true for an ATS.
Just write sections like “Education,” “Work History” and “Professional Profile” instead of creative titles like “My Epic Journey” or “Snapshot of a PM.”
3. Use a simple font
This is good resume advice in general, but it also applies to the ATS process. Keep your resume formatting simple. Stick to professional fonts like Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman. Use no more than two to three typefaces for consistency, and avoid decorative fonts that may be hard to read or process.
4. Use numbers to quantify your work
Quantifying your achievements is one of the best ways to stand out during resume screening. It helps recruiters and career site systems alike identify real impact. Remember, recruiters are reading tons of these. Buzzwords tend to blur together.
Consider these two approaches...
Resume with vague language
- Team leadership skills
- Problem-solver
- Creative thinker
Resume with quantified achievements
- Led a cross-functional team of 12 to complete a $500K product launch project two weeks ahead of schedule and 15% under budget
- Mentored five junior associates, resulting in a 40% improvement in team productivity and two promotions within six months
The difference is clear. The second resume communicates specific outcomes, numbers and timeframes that give hiring managers something measurable to work with. These kinds of details help your resume rise to the top—whether it’s being read by a person or processed by an ATS.
Focus on meeting qualifications, not on “beating” the ATS
An applicant tracking system is a tool, not a judge.
It’s not a wall between job seekers and hiring managers. It exists to help employers streamline recruitment and manage the hiring process more efficiently.
Applicants don’t need to fear the ATS or pay for tricks to “beat” the system. Instead, focus on applying for roles that truly align with your background, and submit a resume that clearly communicates your value.
Focus on measurable achievements and alignment with the job description. That’s how you stand out as one of the most qualified candidates. Remember, recruiters are always looking for top talent--the ATS is simply a tool to help them find it.
Sometimes, to really make a change in your career and find the kind of job you want, you need to level up in your experience or your education. The experience piece can be tough. Afterall, how can you gain more experience in your field if you're stuck in the job-search loop?
(One option many people don't consider to gain more experience is through volunteering. Find out more about that at Benefits of Volunteering: 9 Ways Helping Others Also Helps You.)
You can do something about the education piece of your resume, however. If there's a degree or a credential you need for the kind of job you want—why not go for it?
Check out I Want to Go Back to School But … [Insert Reason Here]. Maybe it's a better time than you think to start something new.
LinkedIn® is a registered trademark of LinkedIn Corporation
Glassdoor® is a registered trademark of Glassdoor LLC
Indeed® is a registered trademark of Indeed, Inc.
Microsoft® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation
Greenhouse® is a registered trademark of Greenhouse Software, Inc.
Lever® is a registered trademark of Lever, Inc.
Workday® is a registered trademark of Workday, Inc.
1Casey Pontrelli, Overcoming Pitfalls in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), April 8, 2024, Talroo. https://www.talroo.com/blog/ats-challenges/
