What is an ATS (Applicant Tracking System)

As the name suggests it's a software used by recruiters globally to screen and track candidates throughout the recruiting and hiring process. It enables recruiters to set key parameters (keywords, skills, qualifications and more) for the role and filter candidates based on how closely their CVs and responses to knockout questions align with those criteria.

If you've often heard to tailor your CV and answers for each job application according to the job description, the ATS is the reason why. No matter how good you might be for the job, if you do not optimise your CV to the JD of the role you're likely to not get past the screening stage.

How do you optimise your CV for an ATS / How do you create an ATS friendly CV?

Three crucial steps:

1. First ensure your CV has a clean and straight forward formatting. No images or graphics.

2. Ensure there is consistent font size used, with each section having a clear heading.

3. Follow that with incorporating keywords from the job description for the role you’re applying for. This involves changing your leading words for each bullet point with the relevant keywords from the JD and anywhere else in your content.

You might ask do i actually need to do care about the ATS?

The answer is: Yes, you do. Why?

Nearly 99% of all Fortune 500 companies use ATS platforms on a regular basis.

• 70% of large companies currently use an ATS.

• 20% of small and mid-sized businesses currently use an ATS.

• 75% of recruiters use an ATS or another tech-driven recruiting tool to review applicants and strengthen the overall candidate experience.

• 94% of recruiters agree that their ATS has had a positive impact on their organization’s hiring processes.

So you get the picture, using an ATS for recruitment has become an industry standard and the use of the technology is just going to increase with the prevalence of AI being incorporated into the tech.