Another Reason Job Ads And ATS Search Criteria Are Very Different

Most candidates are under the misunderstanding that the criteria in job ads are the same ones used to search and screen candidates in resume databases (AKA Applicant Tracking Systems).

So job seekers use the job description to customize their resumes, hoping it will get them past ATS screening more often. And those same job seekers end up being frustrated when it doesn't work very often.

That's because the criteria in job ads aren't the same criteria used in ATS search/screening. Here's another reason why:

The Job Descriptions In Ads Are Legal Documents Published To Protect The Employer:?Job descriptions in ads on job boards, company career pages and LinkedIn are almost always written by HR and Legal departments, not the hiring manager. They are general, broad and standardized descriptions of a general class of openings, intended to protect the employer against lawsuits and government oversight.

But hiring managers have specific problems and needs, and need to hire candidates with the best chance of solving those problems quickly and inexpensively. So they look for those candidates using different and more specific criteria than the job description. Usually hiring managers communicate this checklist to recruiting after the job has been published and candidates begin to apply. Recruiters use this as the "real" search criteria, used to search/screen resumes through the ATS, and ignore the published job description criteria ... because it doesn't reflect the real needs of the individual hiring manager.

This allows employers to cast a wide net, encourage more job seekers to apply, helping them meet EEOC resume and interview (compliance interview) requirements, especially for the majority of employers who just "go through the motions" of showing compliance. The cold hard truth is that only a small percentage of employers make hiring decisions based on DEI considerations, with the large majority do only as much as they are legally required to do. A broad generic job description makes it more difficult for employees or unsuccessful applicants to sue, and more difficult for government agencies to justify audits of employer hiring practices.

You can often tell by carefully reading job ads that could describe many types of similar jobs, because they lack the specific detail that an individual hiring manager would look for.?Other times you can tell is when you get feedback for not getting interviews, not advancing, not getting offers, being told that you didn't meet a specific criteria ... that was never in the job ad. It wasn't in the job ad's criteria, because the criterial listed in the job ad were different than the criteria used in the search.

I'm going to repeat this, so you can wrap your heads around this:?The real criteria used to search/screen candidates are different than the criteria published in a job ad.

So using the job ad to customize your resume doesn't help you in ATS resume searches or resume screening done by recruiters. It's not enough to get you interviews very often, and it's causing you to lose opportunities when you are qualified every day.

You're flying blind when you use the criteria in job ads to customize your resume. You need to do more to get through Applicant Tracking Systems.

But there's a solution to this common job search problem - Let me show you.

I help people solve the most difficult job search problems, including job search acceleration, getting past ATSs, ageism, remote positions, product/job function/career/industry/ geographic change, unemployment, "bouncy" recent career path, job search turnaround, seeking raise/promotion, industry in decline/consolidation, long term gaps, family leave, or other of the most challenging job search issues.

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