More than 7,414 companies in the world use Lever ATS or LeverTRM to comb through thousands of resumes and streamline their recruitment process.

Your dream company might be one of them. So it is important that you understand how LeverTRM works.

In this guide, you will learn how Lever parses your resume and how you can optimize it and stand out.

What is Lever applicant tracking system?

With Lever, companies can source, hire, manage, and nurture job candidates in a unified and efficient platform.

Like its competitor Greenhouse, Lever came out of Silicon Valley in 2012. Compared to older ATS institutions like Taleo, LeverTRM offers a cleaner design and a more user-friendly interface for recruiters and applicants.

What companies use Lever ATS?

Lever ATS is used by various companies across different industries, including:

  1. Netflix
  2. Shopify
  3. Yelp
  4. Coursera
  5. Twitch
  6. Medium
  7. Headspace
  8. Upwork
  9. Ring
  10. Credit Karma
  11. Eventbrite
  12. Quora
  13. Rooster Teeth
  14. Jobscan
  15. KPMG
  16. Udemy
  17. Lyft
  18. Box
  19. Figma
  20. Nextdoor
  21. Spotify
  22. Talend
  23. Cirque du Soleil

Overview of how Lever ATS works

Here’s what happens when you submit an application to a company that uses Lever ATS:

Resume parsing

When you upload your resume into the software, it will pull out and extract “parseable” information from your resume into corresponding fields on your profile in Lever’s database. This includes your:

  • Name
  • Work history
  • Job title
  • Address
  • Email address
  • Contact number
  • LinkedIn profile
  • Organization or company you used to work for
  • Education
  • Skills
Sample of parsed resume in Lever ATS
This is what a recruiter’s screen will look like with Lever.

Screening candidates using fast resume review

Lever software’s fast resume review feature makes it easy for HR teams to quickly go through resumes and other critical candidate information.

This feature also allows recruiters to either move a candidate’s application forward, skip the application, or archive it for future hiring needs.

Using fast resume review in Lever ATS

Searching for candidates

Lever’s search features are simple and straightforward. 

A recruiter can filter through droves of applications through keyword searches. These keywords can be job titles, years of experience, skills, education, location, and other qualifications. 

Here’s what a keyword search looks like:

Lever ATS searching for candidates

How do you know what a recruiter will search for? Jobscan’s resume scanner uses AI technology to analyze job postings you are applying for and gives you a list of relevant and specific keywords recruiters want to see on your resume.

Check out our tool and increase your resume’s ability to get you a job interview!

scan your resume for applicant tracking systems resume optimization

7 things you should know about Lever ATS

Understanding how Lever recruiting works will help you be more strategic when writing your resume.

Here are 7 things you should know to help you with your job search.

1. Lever accepts different file types

Compared to other applicant tracking systems, Lever can parse different types of files, including:

  • Microsoft Word (including .docx)
  • Adobe PDF
  • Rich Text (RTF)
  • Corel WordPerfect
  • HTML
  • MS Office HTML
  • Open Office (ODF)

2. But it cannot parse images and other fancy stuff

As with all the other applicant tracking systems, Lever can’t parse images. If you put important information as an image file on your resume, Lever will not be able to extract that.

Although Lever can parse information inside columns and tables, the format can sometimes be affected. So it is best to keep your formatting simple and readable.

3. Lever’s search algorithm allows for keyword flexibility

Unlike the other ATS (e.g., LinkedIn Recruiter), LeverTRM’s search algorithm has a higher accuracy when it comes to keyword searches as it supports word stemming and pulls out keywords from any parseable content in your candidate profile, including:

  • Resumes
  • Notes from the talent teams
  • Feedback forms

For example:

When a recruiter searches for a candidate who can collaborate and types the exact word “collaborating” in the search bar, the software would pull up candidates whose profile mentions word stems, including:

  • Collaborating
  • Collaborate
  • Collaborated
  • Collaborative
Lever ATS keyword flexibility

4. But it doesn’t expand on abbreviations and acronyms

Although LeverTRM is smart enough to distinguish word stems, it cannot identify abbreviations.

Example 1: 

If you are a content writer and your resume mentions the word “SEO,” when a recruiter searches for Search Engine Optimization, your profile will not come up in the search results because you only mentioned the acronym. 

Example 2:

Screenshot of how Lever ATS can't expand acronyms and abbreviations

In this example, the recruiter is screening applicants based on a bachelor’s degree. Instead of spelling out Bachelor of Science, the recruiter typed in “BS.” 

As you can see on the search results, only those who used “B.S.” in their education section came up.

5. Lever doesn’t score your resume

Unlike other applicant tracking systems, Lever doesn’t:

  • Match your resume to the job description of the position you are applying for. 
  • Score your resume

6. But the recruiter does

When a recruiter looks at your profile and skims through your resume, he or she can say whether you’re a fit or not. 

Recruiters usually have certain skills and competencies they are looking for. LeverTRM allows them to give you a score that’s visible to the other human resources members who have access to Lever.

The goal, then, is for you to include keywords, skills, and measurable accomplishments that will position you as a top candidate. 

You can also mention soft skills relevant to the job to increase your chances of making a strong impression on the hiring team.

7. Therefore, keywords are still key!

If Lever doesn’t rank your resume based on how well it matches the job description, why bother adding keywords? 

Recruiters use keywords to filter through thousands of applications. These keywords are from the job description.

If your application doesn’t have these keywords, you won’t appear in the searches – which means recruiters won’t see your resume. 

Optimizing your resume for Lever ATS is still necessary!

If you don’t optimize your resume for Lever applicant tracking, no matter how qualified you are, your resume will not show up at the top of the search results. 

Worse? It will not appear in the search results at all. 

Tips for optimizing your resume for Lever ATS

Here are our tips on how you can optimize your resume not only for LeverTRM but for all the other ATS:

  1. Research the company you want to apply for and carefully read the job description.
  2. Tailor your resume to the job description.
  3. Use relevant industry-specific keywords.
  4. Include relevant achievements and metrics.
  5. Use simple formatting. 
  6. Utilize PDF or Microsoft Word formatting for maximum compatibility.
  7. Regularly update your resume.

Pro Tip: Not all ATS are like Lever!

This means that not all ATS offer keyword flexibility, and some ATS will score and rank your resume on how well it matches the job description. 

Our advice? Don’t take any chances. Optimize your resume, not only for Lever but also for the other ATS! To help you do this, consider using our free ATS resume templates.

Jobscan’s resume scanner can automatically detect which ATS the company you’re applying to uses. Most companies do, including 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Get more Lever tips using Jobscan’s ATS Tip feature!


Frequently asked questions

Is LeverTRM an ATS system?

Yes. It is an applicant tracking system that more than 5,000 companies use to streamline and simplify their hiring process and manage their people pipeline.

Does Lever ATS integrate with any other apps?

Yes. Lever listings include many apps that make the recruitment process simpler and faster. This includes Slack, LinkedIn, DocuSign, Microsoft Outlook, Oracle HCM, Indeed, and SAP.

Who are the main user groups of LeverTRM?

It is generally popular among small to enterprise-level businesses. The top industries using Lever for recruiting and applicant tracking are Tech, Machine Learning, and AI.

What are the features of Lever?

Here are some of LeverTRM’s features:
• Automation – LeverTRM automates all the critical aspects of recruitment to make the entire process simple, fast, and efficient.
• Lever hire – designed to manage the entire recruiting process, from requisition, sourcing, and background checks to hiring and onboarding.
• Lever nurture features – helps recruiters build long-lasting relationships with potential candidates, maintain communication channels, send email campaigns, manage the interview process and give interview feedback, send notifications, and engage with passive candidates.
• Lever analytics and data visualization – helps talent teams make strategic decisions to achieve hiring goals and get top talent.
• DEI – At its core, Lever’s features and initiatives promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Read more: iCIMS ATS: What Job Seekers Need to Know


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