Key Takeaways

  • 75% of U.S. employers use automated applicant tracking systems to screen resumes before a human reviews them (Harvard Business School & Accenture, 2021)
  • The most common ATS failures are missing keywords, incompatible formatting, and incorrect file types
  • ResumeGeni scores your resume across 8 parsing layers — modeled on the same steps enterprise ATS platforms like Workday, Greenhouse, and Taleo use to evaluate candidates

How ATS Resume Scoring Works

Applicant tracking systems parse your resume into structured data — extracting your name, contact info, work history, skills, and education — then score how well that data matches the job requirements. Many ATS rejections happen because the parser couldn't extract critical fields, not because the candidate wasn't qualified.

LayerWhat It ChecksWhy It Matters
Document extractionFile format, encoding, readabilityCorrupted or image-only PDFs fail immediately
Layout analysisTables, columns, headers, footersMulti-column layouts break field extraction
Section detectionExperience, education, skills headingsNon-standard headings cause sections to be missed
Field mappingName, email, phone, dates, titlesMissing contact info is a common cause of immediate rejection
Keyword matchingJob-specific terms, skills, certificationsKeyword overlap affects recruiter search visibility and ATS scoring
Chronology checkDate ordering, gap detectionReverse-chronological order is expected by most ATS
QuantificationMetrics, numbers, measurable outcomesQuantified achievements help human reviewers and some scoring models
Confidence scoringOverall parse quality and completenessLow-confidence parses get deprioritized in results

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ResumeGeni free?
Yes. ResumeGeni is currently in beta — ATS analysis, scoring, and initial improvement suggestions are free with no signup required. Full guidance and saved reports may require a free account.
What file formats are supported?
PDF, DOCX, DOC, TXT, RTF, ODT, and Apple Pages. PDF and DOCX are recommended for best ATS compatibility.
How is the ATS score calculated?
Your resume is processed through an 8-layer parsing pipeline that extracts structured data the same way enterprise ATS platforms do. The score reflects how completely and accurately your resume can be parsed, plus how well your content matches common ATS ranking criteria.
Can ATS read PDF resumes?
Yes, but not all PDFs are equal. Text-based PDFs parse well. Image-only PDFs (scanned documents) and PDFs with complex tables or multi-column layouts often fail ATS parsing. Our analyzer will flag these issues.
How do I improve my ATS score?
Focus on three areas: use a clean single-column format, include keywords from the job description naturally in your experience bullets, and ensure all sections (contact, experience, education, skills) use standard headings.

ATS Guides & Resources

Built by engineers with 12 years of experience building enterprise hiring technology at ZipRecruiter. Last updated .

Area Manager

Chewy · Phoenix, AZ

Job Description:

Our Opportunity:

Chewy is hiring an Area Manager for our Phoenix, AZ. Fulfillment Center! This individual will lead all aspects of the direction of hourly associates in the accurate receiving, and storage shipping of product. Responsible for meeting and exceeding established productivity, labor and quality objectives. We believe there is excellence in all we do and accept nothing less! You'll be successful in this role because you're passionate about supporting your team and recognize their effort and achievements.

What you'll do:

  • Handle the fast pace associated with day-to-day operations in a fast-paced E-Commerce distribution environment and uphold a positive, motivating leadership presence

  • Ensure that standards are established and followed

  • Work actively with associates to ensure success

  • Lead accurate unloading and put away of containers in timely basis to ensure containers are returned without additional charges and 100% accurate

  • Ensure that accurate orientation and training occurs for hourly associates and verify standards are understood and adhered to

  • Observe employee activities and offer assessments and encouraging acknowledgement on safety, quality of work, metrics, and demeanor

  • Handle employee questions, concerns, and follow up with the intent to maintain a positive work environment and earn trust

  • Drive standards through the day by motivating, guiding, and holding Team Associates accountable to known standards and positive reinforcement of the appropriate behavior

  • Actively develop and promote open lines of communication to maintain and develop positive employee relations, encourage employee involvement in the process, and recognize employees for their accomplishment and ideas

  • Complete required documentation for tracking attendance, efficiency, behavior, and safety

  • Be able to investigate within a process and drive process improvements through associate feedback, analyzing data, and up channeling changes to acquire departmental goals

What you'll need:

  • Associate Degree - Bachelors’ degree preferred

  • 2-4 years’ supervisory experience preferably in a warehouse or distribution center environment

  • Excellent interpersonal expertise, oral and written communication skills, and strong attention to detail

  • Intermediate skills in working on computers – Microsoft office package and time keeping software solutions

  • Ability to work flexible schedule to include nights and weekends if business require it

  • Position may require travel

  • Bonus: Bilingual in Spanish

Chewy is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, citizenship, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, veteran status, as well as any other legally-protected characteristic. If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law, and you need an accommodation during the application process or to perform these job requirements, or if you need a religious accommodation, please contact [email protected].

To access Chewy's California CPRA Job Applicant Privacy Policy, please click here.