Half of the human resources team at a US-based tech company was laid off after a major flaw in the company’s applicant tracking system (ATS) was uncovered. The system had been automatically rejecting all job candidates, including internal staff, without any human review for several months.
The issue came to light when a tech lead, frustrated by ongoing hiring challenges, discovered the flaw after submitting his own modified resume, which was instantly rejected by the system. The tech lead became suspicious after the HR department struggled to hire suitable candidates for three months. Despite ongoing recruitment efforts, there was no progress in filling critical positions, with HR citing a lack of qualified applicants. Frustrated by the lack of results, the tech lead decided to investigate the process himself.
Using a pseudonym, he submitted a modified version of his resume and was rejected within seconds, confirming suspicions that the system was malfunctioning. Despite repeated follow-ups with HR about the lack of suitable candidates, no one in the department had noticed the ATS error.
The flaw had caused significant delays in the company’s hiring process, with HR blaming a lack of qualified applicants. After the tech lead presented his findings to senior management, immediate action was taken, resulting in the termination of half of the HR department.
The incident sparked widespread frustration, particularly among job seekers, who shared similar experiences of being rejected by automated recruitment systems. It also raised concerns about the over-reliance on technology in hiring processes, highlighting the potential for inefficiencies when human oversight is lacking.
