Best ATS Checker Review

ATS is short for Applicant Tracking System, and is a software program used by companies of all sizes to manage their recruiting process. It is designed to automate many of the tasks associated with hiring, such as resume screening, interview scheduling, and basic candidate onboarding.

The primary purpose of an ATS is to filter through resumes and cover letters in search of specific keywords and phrases that match the job description requirements. It does this by scanning documents for certain keywords and phrases and scoring candidates based on how well they match the job posting, usually on a 1-100% scale. We at Bridged informally call these "match points." The ATS then ranks the candidates by their match points from resumes and cover letters, with the best-matched candidates appearing at the top of the recruiter's lists.

Sound shady? There aren't many great alternatives. Since the explosion of career sites like Linkedin and Indeed, combined with the remote nature of many jobs encouraging candidates from all over the world, applicant numbers to jobs have absolutely skyrocketed. It's not uncommon for a single role at a well-known company to get more than 400 applicants. We'll talk more about this later. The ATS was created to help companies cope with the high volume of applicants they receive and make sure the most "relevant" candidates get contacted first. Relevant candidates are those with the highest match points in relation to the job description.

Using an ATS saves companies loads of time, and allows them to easily identify candidates without using too much man-power. Unfortunately for you, that means it can be somewhat difficult to land an interview unless you have a high amount of job-matching points. This is where ATS checkers come in!

To illustrate our point of just *exactly* how picky ATS systems can be, check out these tidbits we pulled from using Jobscan. We aggregated the top ATS programs for your viewing pleasure, which includes Greenhouse, Lever, Workday, SmartRecruiter and Taleo.

Greenhouse ATS for Candidates

• Greenhouse does not recognize abbreviations, even common ones. As a user, you'll have to match exactly what's in the job description. For example, Greenhouse will not recognize MBA if the listing requests "Masters of Business Administration," and vice versa.
• Greenhouse does not recognize different verb tenses-- for example, if you put "Ran an optimization program" when the job description said "Experience running optimization programs," it will not count towards your match percentage.
• This is a weird one: Greenhouse uses frequency of words in your resume to determine how skilled you are at each concept. So if you have "product management" 5 times for a product manager job, Greenhouse will rank you as a better match than someone with the same experience and only 2 versions of the words.
• Greenhouse is definitely for more tech-focused and smaller (often referred to as "high growth") companies. Some companies you may know using Greenhouse ATS include Venmo, Brooklinen, Coinbase and Compass.

Lever ATS for Candidates

• Lever cannot handle complicated resume formatting, including both tables and columns. If you're applying to a company using Lever, make sure to just use a plan text PDF.
• Lever is one of the only ATS systems that has trouble with PDFs. They recommend using a .docx to make sure the system can understand your bullets accurately.
• Lever also does not recognize abbreviations, so same rules apply. To Lever, MBA will not get you match points if the job description requires a "Masters in Business Administration."
• Lever is one of the only big-company ATS systems that CAN recognize tenses on verbs and *some* skill variations. We wouldn't recommend risking it though.
• Level is another tech-focused ATS with larger company users including Netflix, Quora, Lyft and Eventbrite.

Workday ATS for Candidates

• It's estimated Workday also cannot handle verb tenses OR plural words! So plan accordingly.
• Other than that, not a lot known about this one. Be vigilant, and work to match the description as closely as possible.
• Larger brands use Workday as their ATS, including Disney, Sephora (LVMH), AT&T and Walmart.

SmartRecruiter ATS for Candidates

• SmartRecruiter also does not recognize different verb tenses, abbreviations, or acronyms for skills and match keywords. To get match points, you must match whatever is directly whatever is in the job description.
• For example: if a SmartRecruiter job listing is looking for an SEO analyst with experience managing campaign budgets in Google Adwords, you will get 0 (!!) match points if your resume says "SEO Analytics Professional with Deep Campaign Budgeting Experience in Google Ads." Crazy, we know.
• Larger brands also use SmartRecruiter, though they have a tech tint. Some brands you may know: Etsy, McDonald's, Visa and Shopify.

Taleo ATS for Candidates

• Taleo only recognizes exact keywords. If a skill is an acronym (like PMP, CSM, etc), the system will only pick up on whatever is in the job description. For example, if the job description says "product management professional," you will not get through using terms like "product management."
• Taleo also does not recognize abbreviations, even common ones. As a user, you'll have to match exactly what's in the job description. For example, Taleo will not recognize MBA if the listing requests "Masters of Business Administration," and vice versa.
• Taleo does not recognize tenses of verbs. To get flagged, use exactly what's in the job description.
• Some very popular brands use Taleo, including Starbucks, Toyota, Best Buy and Mariott.

WHEW, that was a lot!! Enter the ATS Checker. ATS Checkers put some of the power back in candidates hands by offering a tool that scans resumes and job listings. They identify what ATS the your desired company uses, and calls out your specific match rate. 75% is the desired match, but anecdotally companies only really look for 80%+ matches. It's likely if your resume is lower than that, no one will ever see it!

To help you understand *just* how quirky these systems can be, we've compiled some of the most popular systems and some weird aspects of using them.

When choosing an ATS checker, consider the following features:

• Keyword optimization: Ensures your resume includes relevant keywords from job descriptions.
• Formatting checks: Verifies that your resume format is ATS-friendly.
• Match scoring: Provides a score indicating how well your resume matches a specific job listing.
• Suggestions and tips: Offers actionable advice to enhance your resume.

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Huntr is a versatile tool that offers a super comprehensive suite for job seekers, including both resume optimization and job application tracking.

Overview & Key Features

• AI-powered resume builder
• Job description comparison
• Keyword extraction and match scoring
• Job application tracker
• Browser extension for job saving and autofill

Pricing

Free plan available that allows for unlimited base resumes. There is also a paid plan (pro) that is $40/month. With the market being the way it is, we'd recommend paying for the quarter. If you can swing it, it's $90 for 3 months ($30/month), which is on par with Jobscan's pricing structure.

Learn More about Huntr Here.

Now you know how much I love Jobscan. I even gave it its own review when I used it to get a new job last year. Jobscan is probably the most tried-and-true ATS checker, but its a little pricy! Read on to learn more.

Overview & Key Features

• Detailed keyword analysis
• Customizable resume templates
• Job description comparison
• Real-time feedback

Pricing

Free plan available that allows for 5 resume scans a month. For me, this wasn't enough so I paid for the quarter. If you want to do more than 5 scans, you can pay $50 on a month to month basis, or $90/quarter for 3 months. I did the $90, and it was all I needed!

Learn More about Jobscan Here.

Resume Worded is also one of the more robust ATS checkers that users really like.

Overview & Key Features

• ATS resume analysis
• LinkedIn optimization
• Bullet point suggestions
• Competency check

Pricing

There's also a free plan here for basic scanning. However, the pricing is basically on par with the others. Monthly it's $50, quarterly (paid at once) is $100. We don't recommend paying for the year-- manifest it! 

Learn More about Resume Worded Here.

We're going to be honest-- using an ATS checker can absolutely transform your job search, but they're all very similar. ATS Checkers help by making your resume more likely to pass through ATS filters and reach hiring managers. Try these out, let us know, and good luck with your job search!