ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System — software that companies use for applicant management. Large corporations and many medium-sized businesses use them to manage hundreds to thousands of applications, automatically sort them, and pre-filter candidates. The EU AI Act classifies certain ATS applications as high-risk when they substantially influence employment decisions — many companies must make their systems transparent. In Germany, AGG Section 1 protects against discriminatory algorithms. Practically, this means for you: your CV must be machine-readable (no table layout, no embedded graphics as text), and the keywords from the job posting must be included. Not all companies use ATS — startups and SMEs often do not.
Sources & Data
Want to know how well your CV matches your target role?
Should I tailor my CV individually for each position?
Why should I avoid table layouts in my CV?
What does ATS-optimised mean and do I need to pay attention to it?
What is the difference between ATS and human screening?
What is a CV score and how is it calculated?