According to Jobscan, 99% of Fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking systems(ATS) to monitor their candidates. ATS does not allow candidates reasonable expression of their skills and backgrounds. Instead, current ATS systems filter out millions of candidates, many of whom are qualified, but do not meet the explicit requirements written to online applications by hiring managers. This creates a disturbing environment where candidates are forced to falsify their resumes or to continue the endless search for work. These systems prevent diverse and capable graduates from receiving jobs at countless companies, where their perspectives and skills propel the businesses bottom line.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion standards (DEI) have become hubris for corporations using ATS, who fail to regard candidates with diverse backgrounds from employment at their companies. Candidates eager to join top companies are given two choices when it comes to applying: (1) fraud their resumes to beat these systems, so they can receive interviews, or (2) mass-apply to companies, hoping that they can fulfill the unwritten requirements the ATS places on a position. Thus, ATS systems fail to assist human resources in identifying the best talent and meet inclusion standards by denying candidates the ability to communicate with a human about their relevant experiences.
One of the opportunities employers get from speaking to candidates in person or on video meetings is that they can assess the problem-solving prowess of candidates. ATS systems fail to visualize candidates, treating them as inhumane task solvers instead of assets to their potential teams. An outcome of the pandemic is that more workers are working in a remote environment. Oftentimes, whether the candidate is hired is an afterthought because they are rarely revealed to their team and management in this environment. Recently, Axios reported remote workers have been reporting record-high declines in job satisfaction, stating that they do not feel part of the mission, re-instating that workers are not treated as humans, but as data points.
ATS is trained on historical data that supports an unconscious bias, which automatically eliminates candidates who are willing and able to help businesses meet diversity standards and find people who will succeed on their teams. ATS systems are currently trained to seek only candidates from expensive elite universities and underappreciate candidates who work just as hard, but cannot afford to attend these school with prestigious price tags. To get by the blockages created from this training data, many candidates are forced to hide hidden keywords into the white spaces of their resumes that pass their resume through. Sadly, many universities do not provide this information from their career centers to the candidates who need it most. Most are not aware that this is happening!
Luckily, for hardworking candidates who are personable and have worked to build their network, they can bypass some of these hectic ATS standards with an employer or alumni referral. Students can receive these from professors which they have garnered close bonds with or former employers who can provide reference on their competencies and cohesiveness. While this may be difficult for students who do not have time due to self-supporting or funding their education, this suggestion may help those who work diligently to structure their time and career goals.
Candidates applying to technology jobs, however, are treated with more equity than workers in other industries because of the aptitude measurements and attachments required to apply to positions. For aspiring software engineers, when they apply, they are often given programming problems to solve, revealing their coding and problem-solving abilities. Students are given online assessment provided by companies like Revelo, to showcase these abilities that are recorded and sent to employers to assess candidates on proficiency, not pedigree. Students who are applying to design positions often submit their portfolios for team managers to review their work, which companies ask for to help find diamond-in-the-rough candidates. While this is not the norm for most companies, there are some industries that lead the way in terms of fulfilling DEI requirements through these measures. Other industries should adopt similar task/problem related screenings to help identify candidates with superb problem-solving skills and domain knowledge.
ATS systems are a major barrier to diversity, equity, and inclusion for job-seekers entering the workforce. They prevent qualified graduates from being considered for jobs, and they reinforce unconscious bias. Businesses would benefit from eliminating ATS systems, which could provide them with applicants who provide meaningful problem-solving skills to their mission. According to Forbes, many DEI programs fail because they reduce candidates to their backgrounds, instead of to their ability to fit within the culture of the organization.
Giving applicants the opportunity to reveal themselves through take home assessment and video interviews will identify candidates with superb problem-solving skills and domain knowledge. By working together to adjust the candidate screening process, businesses and job-seekers can overcome the challenges of ATS systems and create a more diverse and inclusive workforce.