Applicant Tracking Systems Frustrations

When applying for jobs online, whether through a job board or company website, you are entering information into an applicant tracking system (ATS).

These programs were supposed to make it easier for recruiters to find qualified candidates by reading and organizing resumes. For job seekers, they were supposed to make submitting applications simpler. Instead, they removed humans – recruiters and applicants – from the recruitment process and created a monster.

Even worse, according to recruiterbox, “Nearly 70% of resumes never see human eyes” and “ATS thins the qualified candidate pool by 75%.” If these stats are true, many qualified people are disqualified before they even start. Could ATSs have anything to do with the 7 million unemployed people and the 6 million job openings?

Applicant Tracking Systems Frustrations

Here are more reasons why applicant tracking systems frustrate job seekers:

1. After uploading your resume into the system you still may have to enter information manually.

2. Some systems require you to enter your social security number. Why? This is only an application.

3. Sometimes you can’t move forward without entering salary information. I’d rather not get kicked out of the process at this stage or be low-balled because of what I used to earn.

4. Some ATSs are so hard to navigate that people give up before completing applications. This may be by design.

5. You can enter titles or keywords for the types of positions you’re seeking. The programs will return results that may have nothing to do with the types of positions you’re seeking. For example, when I type “Learning & Delivery Specialist”, I get tons of results with “specialist” in them but very few with “learning” or “delivery”.

For example, when I type “Learning & Delivery Specialist”, I get tons of results with “specialist” in them but very few with “learning” or “delivery”.

6. ATSs will start sending you information about companies and positions that you check out because of curiosity or clicked on by accident.

7. If your resume does get into the system, you can be eliminated from consideration if you don’t use the exact words in the job posting.

I was not considered for a human resources communications position because my degree was not in journalism, communications or marketing, which was one of the requirements specified on the job posting. I have a degree in HR but because it wasn’t one of the three listed above, I was out.

8. Applications are now being accompanied by pre-employment questions to determine if job seekers meet position requirements. If you say no to any of them, you’re done. And there isn’t an extra box where you can explain how your skills transfer to the position for which you’re applying.

For example, I had to complete a questionnaire for a position in an industry which I’d never worked. I had performed many of the functions in my previous roles. Because I had not done them in that specific industry, I did not progress to the next step in the process.

Advice from Hiring Managers

Here are tips from hiring managers on how to reduce this frustration:

1. Do not make job boards your only job search tool. Networking is the main way people get jobs. Ask your LinkedIn connections for introductions.

2. Hiring managers use keywords to find applicants. Remember, research the keywords for your industry and position, and put them in your resume to improve your chances of being found in these systems.

3.Try to connect with the hiring manager for the position you’re seeking; do not go through HR.

This sums up my frustration with applicant tracking systems.  Check out the other articles in the Frustrated Job Seekers Series: Cover Letter Frustration and Top 3 Resume Frustrations.

What About You?

What are some of your frustrations with applicant tracking systems? Do you have tips on how to reduce these frustrations? Let us know in the comment box below.

 

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