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 .

Recruiter (Contract)

Rho · Salt Lake City

About Us

Rho is the modern banking platform built for startups. Open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books – all in one connected platform backed by real human support.

About the Role

We’re seeking a skilled Recruiter to supplement our hiring efforts. You'll own the full-cycle recruiting process for a number of roles, from sourcing and screening to closing top talent, ensuring a seamless candidate experience. This role will be 5 days/week in-office.

Why We're Hiring

As a lean and agile People Operations team, we are seeking additional support in sourcing to expand our candidate pipeline and hiring capabilities. We're looking for a Contract Recruiter who can bring expertise as an exceptional recruiting generalist—especially in technology, sales, and leadership roles across our US offices in New York, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco. Your work will be key to fueling our growth by building out top talent across the company.

Responsibilities & Duties:

  • Proactively source and engage high-quality candidates for operational roles in our Salt Lake City office, with an emphasis on niche areas such as fraud, compliance, and financial operations

  • Build and maintain a strong pipeline of passive and active candidates aligned with our hiring priorities

  • Partner closely with recruiters, hiring managers, and people ops to deeply understand hiring needs and align sourcing strategies

  • Use data and market insights to inform outreach strategies and improve sourcing effectiveness

  • Drive innovation in sourcing techniques, leveraging creative methods beyond traditional platforms

  • Maintain and update candidate records in our ATS and sourcing systems

Requirements:

  • Demonstrated success sourcing for hard-to-fill, niche positions in operational or risk/compliance functions

  • Deep familiarity with sourcing tools (LinkedIn Recruiter, Boolean search, Gem, etc.) and CRM/ATS systems

  • Detail-oriented, organized, and responsive with a strong sense of urgency

  • Self-motivated, independent, and resourceful—you take initiative and adapt in a fast-paced environment

  • A passion for talent and a deep belief in the value of a great candidate experience

Start Date: ASAP | Rate: up to $7.5k/mo

Diversity is a core value at Rho. We’re passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable environment for all those involved with our mission, including employees, contractors, candidates, customers, and vendors. We believe every member of the Rho community enriches our ability to provide a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the market, identify problems, and drive solutions that align with our mission. We welcome all qualified applications and support each of our Rho’ers with ongoing professional growth opportunities.

View full listing