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June 26, 2017 To the Editor

Applicant tracking systems add to hiring woes

Re: the editor's letter of the June 12 issue on the difficulty of finding qualified workers.

I agree with Isaac Stroe about companies bringing this on themselves, but have a different take based on my observations of the Maine job market. As a Maine-based career advisor since 2009 and a Maine job seeker twice since losing a good job in southern Maine in early 2002, I know that there are plenty of highly competent applicants in Maine. 

Part of the problem is that the application system is broken. Most companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS = the big black hole) to help with the large volume of resumes they receive every day, but by relying on a machine to screen people, the human element takes a back seat. If companies actually read the top 25% of resumes that never saw the light of day, I'm convinced that they'd find some great candidates. Ask several Maine professionals seeking employment, and I'm certain many others besides me can tell about times they weren't contacted by employers for jobs they applied for or for other opportunities within the company.

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