Two executive recruiters are warning job candidates that artificial intelligence used in applicant tracking systems (ATSs) can sift through and reject resumes, thereby knocking candidates out of their opportunity to successfully gain employment. To tackle this problem, candidates should develop strategies to improve their ATS experience.

The two HR executives—Matty Ferguson, staff recruiting manager at Washington, D.C.-based law firm Covington and Burling LLP, and Bruce Pernell, talent acquisition senior associate at PwC—shared their views during a webinar hosted by the Professional Studies graduate program at American University. 

Candidates can develop approaches that will cause the AI-driven ATS software to improve the chances of generating the results they want, Ferguson said.

One way to do this is for candidates to carefully read the job post and make sure their top skills and qualifications match the requirements in the job description. She also noted candidates should add keywords to their resumes.

“A good rule of thumb for all applications is to include some of those keywords [from the job description] so you are not immediately cut out of the hiring process,” Ferguson said.

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Pernell said another way candidates can find keywords is to read material posted on the company’s website and look at what its leaders say in their speeches and their public comments.