At some point in every career, we end up on the journey of finding our next job. It has always been challenging, but as your career progresses and technologies change, so do the challenges. Which can be daunting.
Long gone are the days of looking through the classified section of a newspaper, making copies of your resume, and mailing (yes with an envelope and stamp) your cover letter and resume to the address provided in the Help Wanted ad.
Remember being advised to drop by the office and hand the receptionist your resume to show you are willing to go the extra mile? Did you do it? I couldn’t summon the nerve.
Today’s technology and remote work have made job hunting and hiring both easier and harder. At the same time! Companies are overwhelmed by the number of resumes received for a single job, while job hunters wait endlessly for the call or email that never comes.
Whether you are in a job hunt voluntarily or involuntarily, there are aspects of the current hiring process to be aware of.
Applying for Jobs: Who Are The Gatekeepers
Today we use job boards and a company’s career page to apply for jobs instead of classified ads. When you press that [Apply] button to upload your resume or fill out an online application, most likely the information is entered into an “application tracking system”.
Application Tracking Systems (ATS): are software applications that parse and filter job applicants’ resumes and skill sets. An ATS can filter out candidates who don’t use the correct keywords or have the previous job titles determined to be ‘suitable’ for the next job. (This is a job seeker’s viewpoint.)
Application Tracking Systems (ATS): are software applications that parse and filter job applicants’ resumes and skill sets. An ATS can filter out candidates who don’t use the correct keywords or have the previous job titles determined to be ‘suitable’ for the next job. (This is a job seeker’s viewpoint.)
Conversely for employers, these systems provide efficiency and cost savings. It is so easy to apply for positions, a single corporate job posting can receive hundreds, even thousands of resumes, and for remote roles, the number may increase exponentially.
Configuring ATS is Everything
Corporate human resource teams will tell you that they are stretched thin, overwhelmed, and that ATS systems expedite the work of reviewing all incoming applications. Regardless of what the ATS salesperson says these systems require thoughtfully designed setups or things can go poorly for both the company and the applicants.
In fact, a recent Harvard Business Review Study, Hidden Workers Untapped Talent, blamed ‘inflexibly configured’ ATS for corporations missing out on talent pools.
A significant number of corporate leaders (88%), as the study reported, feel . . .
. . . qualified and highly-skilled candidates are vetted out of the process because they do not match the exact criteria established by the job description.
Like all software, garbage in – garbage out.
Corporate Recruiters (Somewhat easier than ATS)
If you pass the gauntlet of the ATS, your first indication will probably be an email from a corporate recruiter. These folks are the first human screeners who may or may not have the appropriate direction or experience to determine if you have the skills for the position. They may just be double-checking whether you are open to the position. Hopefully, they can give you an understanding of the process, timing, and company goals.
Unfortunately, they can also be as rigid as ATS with a list of ‘keywords’ to check off before passing your information to a hiring manager.
While it may not reduce your frustration if you don’t advance in the process, understand that it may not be you, but them. These initial screening processes can weigh heavy on your mind and shake your confidence. Hopefully, it is helpful to understand what might be happening.
Outside Recruiters (When You Are Courted)
There is nothing better than when an outside headhunter reaches out to you about an opportunity they think you can fill. (Okay, there are better things, like a job offer – but this is a close second.)
The opportunity is coming to you which is both flattering and can help expedite the process from your point of view.
What are your experiences with gatekeepers during job searches? Give us the good, bad and truly ugly.
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