When I first started in recruiting (about 10 years ago), we tracked resumes with folders, then we started using an Excel spreadsheet, and then a homegrown Access database. It wasn’t until a few years ago that we first implemented an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). How times have changed! Nowadays, if you are a job seeker, you will encounter an ATS in some shape or form during your job search process. As a matter of fact, all Fortune 500 companies use an ATS, which means there is a good chance that your resume will never be viewed by a human being but will go directly into a giant database. And this is why most candidates don’t get calls from recruiters.

Like most innovations, ATS does a great job streamlining the recruiting process and making it more efficient; but also like all technologies that promote efficiency, it does so at the cost of human interaction. Recruiting is an industry that requires a certain level of human interaction. After all, candidates are not made of numbers and achievements and responsibilities. Interactions (whether formal interviews or casual conversations) are required to ensure the fit between the candidate and the job. There is a reason that the lack of cultural fit often causes employees to leave a firm and unfortunately the recruiters’ heavy reliance on an ATS is contributing to this problem.

So let’s take a closer look at ATSes. An ATS is basically a database that stores resumes and other application materials. Basically it is safe to assume that whatever information you provide when filling out the job application will be kept in the ATS. People who have access to this information are usually recruiters and sometimes the hiring managers. When there is a job opening, recruiters search ATS for candidates who are good matches. Because it is all about keyword matches, the system heavily favors those candidates who include enough and the right buzz words in their resumes. For example, if the position is a Business Development role, the search results will show all the candidates who have included the phrase “business development” in their resumes. If the phrase shows up multiple times in a resume, the ATS automatically ranks it higher than other resumes. If you do not have this phrase in your resume, then the ATS will never pull your data, regardless of your other experiences.

Now if we live in a perfect world where a resume truly reflects a person’s experience, then an ATS would truly be every recruiter’s best friend. However we all know that resumes can be and often are embellished (they shouldn’t be, but we all know they are a marketing piece). The candidates who include the most buzz words are rewarded while candidates who do not are punished. This situation is even worse for candidates who want to switch careers from say engineering to business development. They may have all the drive and passion and transferable skills, but because they have never done business development, they will be overlooked for these jobs. The seemingly simple solution to the problem is to include as many buzz words as possible and you can learn how to do so here: http://blog.resumebear.com/changing-careers/keywords-in-your-resume-lead-to-interviews/. However, adding more buzzwords to resumes creates a new problem because eventually every resume will have so many buzz words that it will be hard to decipher who is really a qualified candidate.

I believe the true solution lies with the recruiters. Instead of relying on keyword searches, we should actively read all the resumes that are submitted for a certain job opening. While there may be a lot of resumes to read, you will find candidates who are very qualified for the role. In addition to looking for buzz words, recruiters should pay closer attention to the person’s accomplishments and responsibilities, which are usually much longer than just a few buzz words. In fact, I believe the more buzz words a candidate uses, the less experience he/she has. A truly good candidate does not need buzz words to impress the recruiters. When we are not sure about a person’s experience, then we should just pick up the phone and ask. People appreciate feedback, especially candid interactions. Getting someone on the phone for a quick call can help us understand his/her background and fit much more quickly.

I hope this provides some more insight into what ATS, “Black box”, is and does. Should it and will it go away? Well, since companies have spent thousands of dollars building and maintaining them, they are probably here to stay. However recruiters should certainly make sure that human interaction in the recruitment process is not entirely lost. It will benefit everyone in the long run.