Job Searches, Technology

Back In The Race: Machines Are Now Deciding Whether You Deserve A Job Interview

Many job applicants will find it tough to get past résumé-filtering software now being used by employers, according to columnist Shannon Achimalbe.

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Every once in a while, I find interesting job openings on Linkedin, Monster, Indeed or another online job site. But these days, I cannot just call a recruiter, tell her about my interest in the position and then send her my résumé. Job searching to an extent has been automated.

The in-house recruiters of many large companies use résumé-filtering software known as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Each résumé is scanned for relevant keywords and work experience. Those that the ATS deems most relevant are sent to a human recruiter for a second review and possibly an interview.

I have had mostly bad experiences with ATS. Some ATS software I encountered only recognized certain schools and employers (usually competitor firms or the government). If the school or firm is not on the list, then I had to select “Other” or “Not in list.” So a lot of times, my ATS-adjusted résumé has lost its employability appeal. It usually ended up looking like this:

SHANNON ACHIMALBE
ANYTOWN, USA

EDUCATION

SCHOOL ATTENDED:   NOT IN LIST
DEGREE: UNDERGRADUATE
MAJOR: OTHER

SCHOOL ATTENDED:   NOT IN LIST
DEGREE: LAW

SCHOOL ATTENDED:    NOT IN LIST
DEGREE: OTHER

WORK EXPERIENCE

EMPLOYER 1 (CURRENT): OTHER

EMPLOYER 2 (PREVIOUS): OTHER

EMPLOYER 3 (PREVIOUS): OTHER

Also, most ATS software is not very user-friendly. For example, some years ago, I wanted to apply for three unrelated positions in the same company. For our purposes, let’s say they were 1) compliance manager; 2) legal analyst; and 3) sales executive. But the ATS program the company used allowed me to upload only one résumé and cover letter on my account. I should note that the ATS software the company used is one of the most popular but is also one of the most reviled by job seekers for being tedious, inefficient, and frustrating.

I had two options in this situation. One was to create an extremely long and detailed résumé to cover the qualifications for all three positions. The lengthiness and wordiness may end up confusing the ATS and the human recruiter. Or I could create a separate account for each position, allowing me to create three separate cover letters and three separate résumés. But I would have to create and keep track of three separate email addresses in order to track the separate accounts.

I tried both methods and neither got me a single interview.

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There are many complaints about ATS software and most of them obviously come from job seekers. They say that it is typically user-unfriendly, cumbersome, and confusing, which will result in many good candidates making simple, unintentional errors that will disqualify them from jobs. Some people don’t even bother to apply for jobs if they see that company is using ATS software to screen candidates.

Another complaint about ATS is that it does not consider or puts less emphasis on “soft skills” or skills relating to human interaction. It also does not take into account a candidate’s work ethic, enthusiasm, past career progression, potential for growth, and loyalty. This is particularly troubling, considering that law practice is a service-based profession where you have to work with people almost every day.

Recruiters and employers defend the use ATS software because they claim it is the only way to efficiently sort through the hundreds, if not thousands, of résumés they receive. ATS software has been especially useful during recessions when people from various backgrounds, many who have been fired or laid off, applied for jobs requiring specific skill sets.

Is it possible to manipulate ATS programs? There are numerous articles on the internet that claim to know how to game most ATS selection algorithms and get your résumé in front of a human recruiter. The most common trick is to copy as many of the relevant keywords onto the résumé as possible. Of course, this is not really a trick for those who have the exact experience the employer wants. But it is a trick for those have less than perfect credentials. They will have to finesse their résumé to include the keywords without lying about their lack of experience. This creates two problems. First, if every other applicant is using this keyword trick, then it will be harder to stand out anyway. Also, assuming your résumé manages to get you a phone call from a recruiter or a supervisor, you will likely be questioned in detail about your experience, which may lead to an awkward conversation.

Lawyers in particular tend to be more careful than others when it comes to gaming ATS software. First, lawyers can be disciplined for being dishonest on a résumé so they tend to be conservative about what they write and avoid or minimize exaggerations. Second, some young lawyers might find it morally repugnant to resort to “gaming the system” when they themselves have been fooled by gamed employment statistics from their law schools.

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I personally don’t like ATS software, but I have to accept that I will have to deal with it during my job search. After all, if I use Yelp to choose restaurants, I shouldn’t be complaining. My question is, if ATS is so effective, why bother having human recruiters? Hiring partners can cut out the middleman by using ATS themselves to choose their future hires.

Listen, and understand. The applicant tracking system is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop rejecting applicants. Ever. Until it finds the purple squirrel.

For most job applicants, it will be hard to get past the ATS. If you find it frustrating, it is because it is designed to accommodate the employer, not the job applicant. As someone put it, ATS prefers those who have had perfect lives. The rest of us will have to rely on a personal referral.

At this time, I want to take this opportunity to announce the creation of my Twitter account: @shanonachimalbe. I will be using it to have 140 character conversations with people who make hiring decisions. Hope to get some good insights. Or at the very least, I can troll some recruiters.

Shannon Achimalbe was a former solo practitioner for five years before deciding to sell out and get back on the corporate ladder. Shannon can be reached by email at sachimalbe@excite.com and via Twitter: @ShanonAchimalbe.

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