Welcome to the first edition of Recruitment Algorithm, a breakdown of how modern hiring really works behind the scenes
Let’s get into it.
When you apply to a job, your resume doesn’t go to a recruiter.
It goes to a parser.
The parser tries to extract:
titles
dates
skills
locations
achievements
seniority signals
If the structure is broken, incomplete, or unreadable, the resume drops in ranking instantly — no matter how strong the candidate is.
The brutal truth:
Most resumes fail not because of lack of talent, but because they fail machine-readability.
This is the part no one tells job seekers.
2. A Real Example (Identifying the Failure Points)
Here’s a breakdown I ran this week using the same scoring system agencies use:
PDF was image-based → text couldn’t be extracted
Work history had no dates → seniority score dropped
Skills were in a graphic → the model ignored them
Bullet points had no metrics → impact score dropped
The candidate was excellent.
The resume was invisible.
3. Today’s Insight (What the System Rewards)
The algorithm rewards clarity, not beauty.
You get higher scores when your resume shows:
clean formatting
measurable achievements
clear progression
aligned skills
consistent dates
readable text (no screenshots, no Canva exports gone wrong)
If the system can read you, the recruiter will too.
4. Founder’s Note (Why I Built a Resume Grader)
After building high-volume automation systems for staffing agencies, I saw two things:
Recruiters are drowning in resumes.
Candidates are being filtered out unfairly because of formatting issues.
So I built a grading engine that reads a resume the way agency systems do:
scores it
compares it to the job description
highlights strengths
flags weaknesses
returns a clear, honest report
It doesn’t sugarcoat.
It shows what the hiring system actually sees.
5. Practical Fixes (Do These 3 Things This Week)
Here are three small changes that dramatically improve your score:
1. Add metrics.
Replace vague bullets with outcomes:
“Improved process efficiency by 18%…”
2. Standardize your dates.
Use MMM YYYY – Present throughout.
3. Move your skills to a simple list.
Avoid icons, bars, charts, and graphics.
These three alone boost readability more than any design trick.
6. Behind the Build (How the Grader Works)
The grading engine evaluates:
title relevance
skill match
seniority
outcomes
formatting clarity
location fit
Then it applies weighted scoring to produce:
overall score
match category (Green/Yellow/Red)
what helped
what hurt
recommendations
rewritten bullets
All generated in seconds.
This is the system agencies quietly rely on — now available to job seekers too.
7. Want Your Resume Scored? (Reader Action)
If you want a free personalized resume score, I am giving you access to the same system agencies use to grade candidates before any recruiter sees them.
Upload your resume and your JD which you want to be evaluated for here:
It’ll run it through the same grading logic recruiters use and send you:
your score
a breakdown
the top changes that improve visibility
rewritten bullets for improvements
No templates.
No generic advice.
Just a clear, data-backed assessment.
Closing Thought
In hiring, visibility is everything.
If the system can’t understand your resume, your talent doesn’t matter.
Your job is to make the machine see you.
My job is to show you how.
See you in the next issue.
— Wasim