What is a recruitment algorithm or ATS system?
Hiring algorithms or ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) systems are a type of technology that is based on artificial intelligence to filter profiles and select those that are most aligned with vacancies. But they are not all the same, nor is there a single CV that can be attractive to a software robot.
Juan Gabriel Gomila, executive director of the programming firm Frogames, points out that each algorithm is a reflection of what the employing company is looking for, since they are previously programmed so that they can track the profiles they need.
Their job is to analyze the content that each candidate shares in their CV. It classifies and compares it with other sites on the web, be it the social networks of the person who applies for a job or even the online pages of his previous jobs and the schools where he was. “These algorithms cross information and remove 99% of the profiles that are not suitable for a certain position,” he points out.
Before applying for a position, adds Roberto Ventura, founding partner of the consulting firm Neos RH, it is appropriate for the person to know the employing company, what type of positions they usually offer and what profiles make up their current workforce. This gives a parameter of how the company moves and what it is looking for in talent. If you tend to hire engineers, if you value diversity in work teams, if you enhance stability and work experience. “The algorithm is going to select a CV that responds to those trends,” he says.
How to beat the algorithm
Ventura receives more than 100 CVs for each vacancy it publishes. In his 18 years of experience, he has seen everything from documents that exceed three pages and that include the name and address of the elementary school the applicant attended, to selfies informal to accompany …
In this regard, he advises not to forget that the CV is useful to make a good first impression. It is a bridge to get an interview with the recruiter and that is where the applicant can give more details and communicate why he wants and is suitable to fill the position offered.
Nonsense or stuffing information is irrelevant to the algorithm. There is also no filter-proof CV, says Silva, but there is one that captures the algorithm’s attention as long as the content is well structured, includes the correct information, and can demonstrate experience.
The CV, he points out, must contain keywords, according to the candidate’s experience or that are aligned to the type of position he wants. If it is a Java Developer position, then you will have to use words related to that work, without being repetitive, since the algorithm rules out the abuse of keywords in a document.