What serves the employer well may not work for the prospective employee.

• According to a survey, 60% of candidates may give up on an application if it's too long or complicated.
• A cumbersome application process likely indicates the company's attitude towards its employees or overall culture.
• It is a dispiriting process as even seasoned applicants receive a response only 5% of the time.

From a hiring manager's perspective, applicant tracking systems are beneficial, especially with a higher volume of applicants for every open role.

ATS systems can collate the data from every applicant's resume and display it in a searchable spreadsheet. More advanced software can separate candidates without human oversight and present a sifted pool of priority applicants.

• Technology will continue to improve in ways to benefit both parties involved in the recruiting process.
• Advances in machine learning could enable the system to recognise and tag resumes with keyword synonyms or phrasing variations.
• For now, candidates can take some steps to avoid being ignored. Instead of applying for a hundred jobs with a template resume, the candidate should select their top 20 postings and then write thoughtful covering letters with warm, personalised introductions.