Ageism Increases With Lack Of Applicant Tracking System Training

The majority of current job postings across industries are utilizing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to help companies find qualified candidates to interview for available roles. Unfortunately, the systems are widely used by hiring managers and HR professionals, but very little training on the systems is widely available. This is leading to many systems being set up too rigidly, for example with too many filters that auto-fail candidates from the candidate pool or a candidate grading scale that disproportionately impacts older candidates.

Often, if you see a role posted over and over again there is a strong chance that the posting is auto-failing so many applicants that the company is sharing the posting again to increase the qualified candidate pool before they begin the interview process.

Why ATS training is important

Many ATS systems score resumes based on exact matches between job posting language and applicant resumes. If the person writing the posting doesn’t understand SEO-like keyword variation (synonyms, industry terms, acronyms), qualified candidates may be screened out simply because they use different terminology.

When too many skills or experiences are marked as “required” rather than “preferred,” the ATS may auto-discard anyone missing a single one, even if they’d be a strong fit.

Some ATS platforms allow recruiters to set thresholds, for example, “less than 10 years of experience.” If that filter is applied, candidates above that threshold may be auto-discarded without ever seeing that restriction listed in the posting. Recruiters can also add “years of experience” as a screening question. Sometimes it’s configured with hidden max/min cutoffs.

Recruiters can set Boolean search filters (AND/OR/NOT) in ways that shrink the pool too aggressively, rejecting otherwise viable resumes.

Sometimes hiring managers copy-paste requirements from older postings or idealized role descriptions. These may not reflect the skills actually needed for day-one success, but the ATS treats them as strict gates.

How lack of ATS training impacts candidates and companies

Talent loss: Good candidates never reach a recruiter’s desk.

Diversity issues: Rigid filters can disproportionately filter out those with long careers with job titles that are no longer standard, people with non-linear paths across multiple job roles, or those from underrepresented groups who may not use the “required” phrasing.

Longer hiring cycles: Over-filtering can shrink the applicant pool so much that the company has trouble filling roles.

Best practices for ATS use

Write postings in plain, inclusive language with awareness of synonyms.

Keep the “required” list short and truly essential. Move other skills to “nice to have” or “preferred.”

Periodically audit ATS filters and discarded applications to check if strong candidates are being lost, or if the ATS is inclusive.

Train recruiters and hiring managers in keyword strategy and ATS mechanics, similar to SEO training.