Applicant tracking system (ATS) rejected my resume: Is it true?

Spoiler: yes and no!

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Let’s discuss this together. As the job market — especially in tech — gets more competitive, I revisited one of the most talked-about (and feared) topics: the ATS, or Applicant Tracking System. Because, according to an urban legend, the ATS can automatically reject a resume and squash a candidate’s chances of getting a job.

Why do I care about this issue so much? Honestly, I’m tired of watching my friends panic whenever they hear, “Your resume won’t make it past the ATS.” These stories pop up so often. So, instead of answering every friend asking, I put my thoughts together.

Why should my voice be relevant?

As you know, I’m the founder of The Global Move. But, before that, I founded CV Compiler (read about it on TechCrunch), which later got acquired by Resume Worded. So, I’ve been working with resume parsing and machine learning since 2018.

This write-up is relevant because I relied on other specialists. To add a bit of extra tech expertise, I spoke with Oras Al-Kubaisi, a software engineer with over 25 years of experience and the founder of Resume Yay and Job Description AI. The conclusions you’ll read here resulted from our conversation.

Since we’re here… Besides reading this article, one good recommendation for dealing with ATS anxiety is to follow the fantastic Amy Miller, who worked for Google, Microsoft, and is now at Amazon. Amy started a YouTube channel explaining ATS and sharing practical tips for job seekers.

What is an ATS?

Simply put, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a tool companies use to manage job applications. It acts as a large database of candidates and includes features to help HR teams post jobs, track hiring progress, gather feedback, and manage recruiting-related tasks. ATS software also supports collaboration and allows managers, team leads, and other decision-makers to stay involved when picking profiles.

In short, it helps streamline the entire hiring process. When you upload your resume through a web app, you’re probably funneling it to an ATS.

An ATS is like a CRM, but for recruiters.

There are dozens of ATS solutions out there: Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, TalentHR, and so many others.

And there is NO one standard that works for all the ATS solutions. Referring again to the CRM world, if Salesforce has some feature, Zoho might have it, too. But the realization — or how the software engineers built it — might be entirely different.

It makes sense that companies go looking for ATS solutions. Employers move to ATS platforms that offer features like applicant tracking, candidate management, scheduling, and analytics in one place because it makes their hiring process simpler. As companies grow, they need ATS platforms that can handle more complex compliance and regulatory requirements. They might need, for example, to offboard an employee or to sign documents.

How or why they might choose one ATS over the other is entirely up to them. Maybe an HR manager already knows of a system. Perhaps they just Googled for a solution and one provider had done a fantastic SEO jobs. Many ATS satisfy most of the needs a company might have.

The ATS has some logic and criteria to it. HR managers can config it so that it scopes down to certain candidates only. I’ll talk about that soon enough.

Like a CRM, an ATS is a business tool with multiple criteria and various stakeholders, and its primary goal is not to auto-reject candidates. Yes, that’s entirely against what some myths claim about it.

How could auto-rejection work?

Some ATS platforms can assign a Matching Score to your application based on how well your resume aligns with the job description. This is typically a simple algorithm that checks for overlapping keywords, titles, and skills. If your score is too low, your resume might not be shown at the top of the list — or even shown at all — especially when recruiters are flooded with candidates. In some setups, employers can set a minimum score to automatically filter out resumes below that threshold. While that technically counts as auto-rejection, it’s not personal — it just means your resume didn’t hit the right buzzwords for that specific role.

Is it legal to automatically reject candidates?

That’s a fair question — and the answer is: not without oversight. While it’s technically possible to automate parts of the hiring process, recent legal frameworks in both Europe and the U.S. are putting strict guardrails around it.

The impossibly long-winded GDPR addresses automated decision-making, including automated candidate rejection, in Article 22. It grants individuals the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing, if those decisions produce legal effects or results that affect them. This means that fully automated rejection of candidates without human intervention is generally prohibited under the GDPR. This means employers must make sure that there are humans involved. If you read my recent post where I discussed how recruiters find their candidates, you’ll still realize that there’s always a human involved.

In the European Union, the EU AI Act (Article 10) classifies the use of AI in employment decisions, like hiring or rejecting candidates, as “high risk.”

(a) AI systems intended to be used for the recruitment or selection of natural persons, in particular to place targeted job advertisements, to analyse and filter job applications, and to evaluate candidates;

This means employers must meet strict requirements around transparency, data governance, and human oversight. In short, decisions that significantly impact people (like rejecting them for a job) can’t be left entirely to automated systems without human accountability. This is exactly what GDPR stipulates.

In the United States, New York City’s Local Law 144 (also known as NYC 144) went into effect to regulate Automated Employment Decision Tools (AEDTs). Under this law, employers using AI or algorithmic tools to evaluate candidates must conduct an annual bias audit, inform candidates ahead of time, and certify that the audit results are publicly available. The law aims to make certain that automated tools aren’t driving unfair or discriminatory decisions behind the scenes.

However, it currently applies only within New York City. Also, I can’t think of a single time I came across a biased audit. And, allegedly, companies should inform candidates that the audit is pending.

In California, proposed legislation wants to regulate the use of Automated Decision Systems (ADS, the cousin to the ATS) in employment. This means the legislation will require employers to carry out impact assessments designed to prevent discrimination. Very close to what NYC mandates.

Even if this legislation is not in full action or has no strict penalties, I’m pretty sure job seekers will have some sort of legal protection.

What could go wrong with parsing your resume?

Put simply, parsing is the process of making unstructured data in a resume into a structured format.

Resume parsers can parse data located inside a header, a footer, a text box, a table, or graphics, as well as the text located in table columns. And yes, it can also parse PDF files (both text files and image files), the latter using advanced OCR technology.

Based on an analysis of over 20,000 resumes submitted by CV Compiler users, only about 3% of tech resumes fail at the parsing stage. These resumes came in all shapes and formats — different structures, layouts, and content — yet most were parsed without issues.

Most parsing errors fall into just a few predictable categories:

• Wrong file format (like HTML or PowerPoint) – ~1.2%

• Too many images – ~1%

• Oversized files or server overloads – ~0.9%

So, the chances of your resume getting lost due to a parsing issue are pretty low. And as parsing technology evolves, these numbers are expected to shrink even further.

The clear message is that your resume will likely be parsed and divided into content groups (like work experience, contact details, education, etc.) in the ATS. You shouldn’t worry too much about this.

Let’s find out what could actually go wrong with your application.

Matching resumes and job descriptions

All this “ATS rejected my resume” buzz started from a few US-based providers, who sold you on matching your resume with the job descriptions so that they’d pass the ATS test. Subsequently, Forbes and all other media outlets started popularizing such gossip.

If resumes were rejected before LLMs existed, the technology should have been in place 7 or 8 years ago.

And, yes, it was. It’s pretty simple keyword matching between the resume and job description. That’s why all job seekers' tools try to put as many keywords as possible from the job description to your resume.

However, the perfect method of matching a resume with a vacancy has not yet been invented.

Simply because skills are present on a resume does not mean the applicant has mastered them, and vice versa. Besides, job descriptions are generally different from the actual job requirements. So, the possibility of making a mistake is genuine, and the potential cost is too high for the employer, so even recruiters prefer to check resumes manually.

It’s also not technically difficult to build software that compares keywords from the resume and job description by assigning some scores to them.

If you apply for a Java developer position, but have written everywhere that you’re a Software Engineer, that might lower your score. But still, adding Java 10+ times to increase your chances? That’s absurd.

Can ATS rank candidates according to the keywords found in resumes?

Yes! It’s not technically complex (once you have parsed all your work experience, education, and skills from the resume) provided HR can input those keywords from the job description. It also makes sense for some overwhelmed positions to sort them not only by the date of submitting a resume but also by some rank of relevance.

Here’s a look at how an ATS profiles some candidates based on whether their resumes say they’ve brought in more than a million dollars in revenue. This is actually a demo from an AI feature in Ashby, one of the most adopted ATS solutions.

When the video starts, you’ll notice how the ATS features hundreds of profiles. With one click, the recruiter then filters out applicants who comply with certain conditions, like having worked in B2B SaaS. In a few seconds, the recruiter has only seven profiles at hand.

Credits https://www.ashbyhq.com/ai

Are you sure you’re being auto-rejected? Because maybe you’re being deprioritized

I had a conversation with my friend recently. He was hiring a sales manager for his cybersecurity company on LinkedIn. Apart from the JD, he asks for 2 additional questions. The candidates should be located in his city (with a valid work permit) and have a valid driving license.

In a day, he received over 40 applicants. That's how LinkedIn forces you to overuse the EasyApply feature. They give you quick and immediate results, and if you want to keep getting candidates, you have to pay.

However, LinkedIn displayed only 12 candidates. It took him a while to see where the other 28 applicants were. LinkedIn deprioritized them based on answers to these two simple questions: “Where are you based?” and “Do you have a driving license?”

Only 12 applicants were in the same area and had a valid driving license. Obviously, my friend considered only these first applicants.

LinkedIn did not automatically reject these candidates. It’s not like LinkedIn decided there was a flaw with not having enough keywords like “cybersecurity” in these 28 applications that LinkedIn kept hidden.

So, yes, it’s possible for hiring managers to deprioritize your resume. Even if your resume scores high on an ATS, you could get sidelined. And this is not a rejection.

Regarding the ATS, yes, you might have a score that is higher or lower than that of other candidates.

This industry insight has brought about so many myths. There is an unfounded nonsense whereabouts you see posts on LinkedIn that say, “THIS RESUME TEMPLATE, AND THIS ONE EXACTLY, HAS AN ATS SCORE OF 95.” This is overspeculating and makes no sense. With over 100 ATS solutions out there, no scoring standards, and no single resume parsing technology, it’s nearly impossible to have a standard score for a resume in the ATS.

Keep in mind that many companies won’t provide you with a reason for refusal, especially in the early stages of the interviewing process or even before the interview. You will receive an automated rejection anyway if a recruiter reviews your resume and chooses to skip your candidacy.

It takes only one click for a recruiter in any modern ATS to click “Reject” and you will receive a standard email rejection. This might be treated by a lot job seekers as it was automatically rejected, because of this standard rejection template, or because it came back too quickly or during a Sunday morning (but I’ll get into that soon enough.)

Why it makes no sense to “pass” an ATS

One of the best resources I’ve read about the ATS (and this comes from a tech recruiter who’s used the ATS countless times) is The Tech Resume Inside Out, a 2020 book by Gergely Orosz. You’ve probably read about Gergely before. He’s the software developer who runs the Pragmatic Engineer blog. And, as such, he’s the author of the trimodal salaries theory, a new perspective on compensation in tech, on which many outlets have based their own research.

A lot has happened in tech since Gergely published the book in 2020 (Mass hiring! Layoffs! Lockdowns are lifted! Lockdowns are enforced once again! AI takes the world by storm!), but Gergely’s account about the ATS is still remarkably exact. To build on his arguments, he cites either his own impressions or research, or testimonials or facts from other tech recruiters, including the fantastic Amy Miller, whom I referenced earlier in this article.

One of the points he raises is that the chatter about the ATS rejecting resumes was fanned by non-specialized media who, in turn, got their claims from companies that actually sell a service to get resumes “past” an ATS. This is how some widespread myths, like the one claiming that 75% of resumes are never read by a human because a computer dismisses them before that, became established. And as Gergely suggests, and as you might already guess, this is nonsense.

Everyone gets into the ATS. The people who apply without a resume get into the ATS. The candidates identified directly by a sourcer are inserted into the ATS. As Amy Miller says: You can’t get past an ATS, because when you apply, you’re in the ATS.

Consequently, recruiters do check resumes. There’s a manual check, even if “ATS-bypassing” services claim there’s not. These manual checks might depend on Boolean strings to filter the candidates by basic qualifications. But it’s always a human who intervenes. Gergely cites HR consultant Christine Assaf, who remarks: “Your application was rejected by a human, not a computer.”

Gergely still talks about the importance of tailoring a resume to an ATS. If you examine the screen capture from the Ashby solution, you’ll see exactly how your customization could help you deal with some filters.

There are some additional filters outside a resume, called the pre-screening questions, that could be the reason you’re getting rejected.

Pre-screening questions

So we finally get to the possible reason for auto-rejections. Many modern ATS platforms allow for customizable pre-screening questions that recruiters can set up to filter applicants.

You might notice that after submitting your resume and contact details, you are shown some extra fields (some HR representatives called them the “knockout fields”). Those extra fields could get you into the next round of supervision or completely out of the equation. And yes, even your current location might be a criterion for not proceeding with your application.

Because if a company requires a driver's license, does not sponsor work visas for overseas candidates, wants you to be in the office a few days per week instead of working from Bali, well, it creates some guidelines. And if they stick with a specific salary range, need you to work on weekends or extra shifts due to emergencies? It’s also an additional set of rules.

And additionally, many jobs have some “no-go” rules. “We don’t hire candidates that …” (depending on the position). That’s an additional round of scrutiny.

All of these are pre-screening questions. Companies use them to sift through applications.

As a tech person, you’d probably agree that it’s much easier to put “If this field is true/false” on one of the fields on the select button, instead of making a comprehensive analysis of keywords taxonomies (groups) in your resume according to the job description.

That’s why you might receive the automated rejection a few minutes after you submit your application or early on Sunday morning.

So, allow me to explain my “Can the ATS reject my resume? Yes and No” statement that I presented at the beginning of this article.

Yes, your resume might be deprioritized and sometimes even rejected. It will most likely be based on some fields that you filled out, not on whether your resume fits the job description.

But, conversely, there is no need to be obsessed with reaching a 95 score in another ATS checker or adding all keywords inside your JD because one more tool says it’s a 90% fit.

Tips and tricks

Even when you comply with the basic resume hygiene, you still need to make a resume for a recruiter to review. In the 5, 10, or 15 seconds that will be reviewed, you need to strike a recruiter within the first seconds, not precisely by visuals, but by showing exactly that you’re a good fit for this job.

Let’s say you’re not based in a city where the actual job is, you require a work visa, or want to work remotely. In that case, the local candidates might be the first recruiters will look into.

However, if you’re number 26 on this list, that doesn’t mean your situation is awful and there’s nothing to do about it. It actually means your resume should be strong enough, clean, easy to read, and give recruiters a sense that you can get this job done, because if you’re an underdog, you need to especially impress them.

Basic “hygiene” suggestions

These are go-to tips you should start with.

• The fewer images, the better. A technically-perfect resume is still a plain text file, without images, diagrams, or graphics.

• Make sure your DOCX or PDF file isn’t locked.

• Keep an eye on the file size  —  it should be no bigger than 5 MB. Include only the most important information on your resume  — parsers and recruiters alike will appreciate it. For example, don’t add your pictures of your references to your resume, and rather create a separate file for it.

Resume content

These good ideas are just as crucial as keeping your resume clean.

Current location

Some jobs are remote in certain geographic areas. Adding your location (city/country) will increase your chance.

Work history

Some people might have worked remotely with companies from other countries. Adding where you worked from and stating it was remote will increase your chances, as it shows you have the correct setup, you have the proper admin work (registered company, you know how to invoice, you have a bank account where you can get paid, and so on).

Nationality

This might sound controversial, but some jobs require security clearance and cannot offer visa sponsorship. When applying for jobs in your own country, state your nationality. When applying for jobs where you have a valid working visa, mention your visa status.

Professional Summary

Some advice online emphasizes adapting your CV/resume to the job description. However, updating just the professional summary can go a long way.

Recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds skimming resumes, so give them a reason to stop at yours to read more. One way to do that is to highlight (bold) the keywords they seek.

If the job requires a PHP engineer with Laravel experience, mention both in bold in the first few lines of your resume. Focus on the requirements. If the job requires higher education, and you have it, highlight it in the summary.

Mention your availability

Some jobs require an immediate start, and showing that information will make it easy for recruiters to contact you first before checking with other candidates.

Avoid logos and images

If you list your social accounts, such as LinkedIn or GitHub, include the clickable URL as text instead of clickable images. CV parsers might not detect these links.

Also, add the county code to your phone number when applying for jobs abroad.

Resources to check

If you’re technically inclined or just curious about how ATS platforms work (LLMs can help you with code review), then you can explore their APIs to see how broad their functionality is. You could try to find features like applicant scoring, filtering, or automated rejection.

• Greenhouse ATS developer documentation — https://developers.greenhouse.io/harvest.html#introduction

• Workable API — https://developers.workable.com/

• The Smart Recruiters API platform — https://developers.smartrecruiters.com/docs/the-smartrecruiters-platform

• Lever API overview — https://hire.lever.co/developer/documentation

• Jobvite API — https://help.jobvite.com/hc/en-us/articles/8870636608925-Jobvite-API