How to Pass Lever ATS Screening (2026)
Lever is popular among tech startups and SaaS companies. It uses NLP-based parsing and social profile enrichment, rewarding clear writing and quantified impact. Here are 5 specific tips that get resumes past Lever's automated screening — based on how the system actually parses and ranks candidates.
5,000+
Companies using it
Tech startups
Top industry
Natural language parsing
Primary ranking signal
Netflix
Known employer
Industries That Use Lever
Well-known companies using Lever: Netflix, Reddit, Carta, Duolingo, Figma.
How Lever Ranks Resumes
Understanding what Lever looks for is the first step to passing it. The system evaluates candidates on:
Natural language parsing
Social profile enrichment
Collaborative scoring
Tag-based candidate matching
5 Tips to Pass Lever Screening
Lever uses natural language processing — write bullets in plain English rather than heavy jargon. Clarity scores higher.
Include your LinkedIn URL — Lever automatically enriches your profile with LinkedIn data, adding context beyond the resume.
Lever's tagging system means recruiters search by skills tags. Use the exact skill terms from the job description.
Lever handles PDFs and Word documents well — either format parses correctly. Avoid image-based resumes.
Quantify outcomes in every bullet — Lever shows impact metrics prominently in the candidate view and recruiters filter on them.
Step-by-Step: Optimise for Lever
Read the job description keyword-by-keyword
Lever matches your resume against the job description. Highlight every skill, tool, and qualification mentioned and ensure each appears in your resume using the exact same phrasing.
Use the correct resume format
Submit a single-column PDF or Word document with standard section headers. Lever parsers fail on tables, columns, and non-standard formatting. Remove headers, footers, and sidebars with important text.
Add a dedicated Skills section
Lever parses a Skills section separately from experience bullets. List every relevant tool, technology, and certification here. Include the specific items from Lever's keyword features: Natural language parsing, Social profile enrichment, Collaborative scoring, Tag-based candidate matching.
Complete every application form field
Lever application forms include fields beyond the resume upload. Fill every field manually — work history, education, skills grids, and screening questions all contribute to your candidate score.
Run a free ATS scan before submitting
Use Hyrenora's free ATS checker to score your resume against the Lever job description. See missing keywords, formatting issues, and your match percentage before applying.
Common Questions — Lever ATS
How does Lever rank candidates?
Lever ranks candidates based on: Natural language parsing, Social profile enrichment, Collaborative scoring, Tag-based candidate matching. Lever is popular among tech startups and SaaS companies. It uses NLP-based parsing and social profile enrichment, rewarding clear writing and quantified impact. Candidates who mirror the exact language from job descriptions and complete all application fields score highest.
What resume format works best for Lever?
Single-column PDF or Word documents parse most reliably in Lever. Avoid multi-column layouts, tables, text boxes, headers/footers with important content, and image-based resumes. Standard section headers (Work Experience, Education, Skills) are required.
Which companies use Lever?
Lever is used by 5,000+ companies, including Netflix, Reddit, Carta, Duolingo, Figma. It is most common in the following industries: Tech startups, SaaS, Fintech.
How do I increase my ATS score for Lever applications?
To improve your Lever score: (1) mirror exact keyword phrases from the job description, (2) complete every field in the application form, (3) include a dedicated Skills section, (4) use standard date formats and section headers, and (5) run a free ATS scan on Hyrenora before submitting.
Does Lever use AI to screen resumes?
Lever uses natural language parsing as its primary ranking mechanism. Lever is popular among tech startups and SaaS companies. It uses NLP-based parsing and social profile enrichment, rewarding clear writing and quantified impact. The system scores candidates automatically before a recruiter reviews the application.
Check Your Resume Against Lever — Free
Paste your resume and the job description. Get your ATS match score, missing keywords, and formatting issues in 30 seconds.
Run free ATS checkNo sign-in required for one free scan