The applicant tracking system isn’t the monster it's made out to be, and it doesn’t reject resume templates automatically. We regularly interview recruiters from North America and Europe to shape our AI resume builder. Only a small percentage of companies use AI to sort candidates, and in our latest 12 interviews this year, none auto-reject based on keywords or AI. Recruiters take pride in their work and often distrust AI, especially with legal concerns. To get more interviews, you need to stand out. Start with one of the standout templates below and use the AI features to improve your resume. And yes, for you to find this article, we have to call these ATS-friendly resume templates or ATS resume templates. Sorry!
The most used template by Enhancv users for the third year in a row. It fits a lot of information on a single page and is yet easy to read.
A modernized Harvard template featuring a stand-out design and a sophisticated feel. Compact enough to fit stand-out section like a tailored summary and a strengths section, yet features enough whitespace.
A beautiful template that highlights the strengths & uniqueness of the applicant in a dedicated column, while leaving most of the space for the employment history & education.
A stand-out design that looks professional, but also invites the recruiter to spend more time on the resume.
The structure and layout of this template are easy to follow ensuring your application will get more attention than the 20 other resumes waiting for the recruiter to check.
This design accentuates your header in a way that captures recruiters' attention, encouraging them to explore further. Versatile and adaptable, it's suitable for a broad range of industries.
This Enhancv template features our signature timeline design, effectively highlighting your career progression and development. It's an excellent choice for professionals at any stage, from entry to senior level, and is particularly well-suited for fields like operations, business, and logistics.
Designed to transform a typically lengthy 2 or 3-page resume into a concise, single-page document. The recruiters will thank you for saving their time.
Maximizes space to fit more than 90% template, offering an efficient yet comprehensive layout. If you have 15 years of experience or more and have had many different roles, this is a perfect fit for you.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) have long been painted as the bad guys in the hiring process, often blamed for rejecting excellent candidates. But the idea that “ATS rejects 70% of resumes” is nothing more than a myth. This figure dates back to a 2012 sales pitch from a now-defunct company, with no credible data to back it up. Let’s clear the air on ATS myths and look at why this outdated claim should be retired.
For starters, here’s what our small-scale ATS myth-busting study found:
In case you need even more hard-proof evidence for this, we’re sorry but this guide does not attempt to do that. There isn’t a single large-scale study to date comparing every single ATS and resume template out there. What we can do, is we will link out several articles from major publications or voices on LinkedIn, like these:
and, also link out to dozens of anonymous opinions on Reddit from recruiters who use ATS (not job applicants or resume writing service sellers).
Then, we’re going to get technical about why a resume might potentially not be fully parsed
The narrative that ATS automatically discards resumes due to formatting issues is simply inaccurate. While it’s true that ATS software varies from company to company, the idea that a resume is tossed aside solely because of formatting is misguided. Most systems are built to capture key information, not penalize creative layouts. ATS may struggle with parsing content embedded in graphics, but this doesn't mean all visuals are a problem. Moreover, things like font choice, color, and column usage have minimal impact on ATS functionality.
What matters more is the content—matching keywords, job titles, and dates that align with the job description. While you should be mindful of how your resume is structured, focusing solely on making it “ATS-friendly” overlooks the real goal: showcasing your qualifications to a human recruiter who will eventually review it.
One key issue found in the Harvard Business School’s “Hidden Workers” study was that most companies use ATS to filter resumes based on keywords and criteria, but not for automatic rejection. More often, ATS is used to rank candidates based on how closely they match the role’s requirements. While keywords play an important role, candidates are often screened out for other reasons, such as gaps in employment or failing to meet basic qualifications, not because of a missing keyword.
Knockout questions—such as those related to experience or specific skills—are another common culprit behind rejections. The claim that ATS is responsible for mass rejections overlooks the fact that many applicants simply don’t meet the required qualifications for the role.
Although ATS does the heavy lifting in the early stages, resumes ultimately reach human recruiters. Formatting plays a huge role in ensuring that once a recruiter opens a resume, the information is easy to digest. A visually appealing, well-organized resume makes it easier for recruiters to skim and quickly identify the candidate's qualifications. Neuroscience research shows that recruiters process resumes visually, scanning for patterns like the F-shaped reading pattern. A resume that is both ATS-friendly and human-friendly hits the sweet spot.
While content will always be king, formatting can still make or break first impressions. Good formatting helps communicate important information quickly, without overwhelming the reader. Graphics, when used purposefully, can enhance this communication.
ATS (Applicant Tracking System) parsers extract key information from resumes by following a series of steps. These steps help the system match candidate qualifications with job requirements efficiently.
Resume templates often include decorative elements to enhance visual appeal. Here's how these elements interact with ATS parsing:
When an ATS system converts a resume to plain text, decorative elements, such as background shapes or colors, are typically ignored. Well-designed templates, like those from Enhancv, ensure that these elements do not interfere with the document's core structure, allowing ATS systems to focus on the content.
If decorative elements are properly positioned and non-intrusive, they should not disrupt the parsing process. Modern resume designs are often optimized to ensure that the text flows correctly, and ATS parsers can identify sections without confusion. Enhancv resume templates, for example, are built with this in mind, ensuring readability both for humans and machines.
In some formats like PDFs or Word documents, decorative elements may introduce additional markup that the ATS has to interpret. However, well-structured templates minimize the impact of markup on the parsing process by clearly separating visuals from essential text. This ensures that headings, paragraphs, and bullet points are easily identifiable.
ATS systems prioritize reading the top text layer, typically ignoring decorative backgrounds or elements that sit behind the text. Most modern templates, including those used by Enhancv, carefully layer text and graphics to prevent interference, ensuring that parsers accurately read the content.
For scanned documents or image-based PDFs, OCR technology is used to convert images to text. Modern OCR is quite accurate, especially when the text contrast is high, such as black text on a white background. While some older systems may struggle with unusual backgrounds, most current ATS parsers handle this effectively, especially with well-formatted documents.
In summary, templates designed with ATS optimization in mind, such as those from Enhancv, are structured to minimize any negative effects that decorative elements might have on parsing. These templates provide both visual appeal and compatibility with modern ATS systems, ensuring that your resume stands out to both hiring managers and machines alike.
It’s time to stop overemphasizing the idea of “beating” the ATS and focus on what’s truly important—matching the job description, avoiding common pitfalls like employment gaps, and ensuring your resume is skimmable for human eyes. ATS doesn’t automatically reject candidates; it helps streamline the process by sorting through applications. But in the end, it’s your qualifications and how well they’re presented that will make the difference. Plus, a visually appealing resume will catch the eye of the recruiter from a pile of candidates.