In-class activity

Explore the ATS data

Use visualizations to explore applications and hiring at a company.

  1. Open the ATS dataset on Canvas in Tableau.
  2. Choose a topic below, or propose your own.
  3. Create charts, look for patterns, and use what you find to ask new questions.
  4. Be ready to share an interesting finding, the chart that supports it, and a follow-up question.

Choose a direction

These questions are starting points. You will come up with more questions in the EDA process

Applicant characteristics and hiring outcomes

  • What patterns connect applicants’ backgrounds with hiring outcomes?
  • How does the applicant mix change across hiring stages?
  • How do experience, education, referrals, and fit relate to one another?
  • Which patterns invite further investigation?

Jobs and business units

  • How do applicant pools differ across jobs or business units?
  • Where is application volume concentrated?
  • How do hiring patterns vary across parts of the company?
  • Which jobs or units stand out, and in what ways?

Recruiting over time

  • How does application activity change over time?
  • Are there recurring patterns, sudden shifts, or unusual periods?
  • Does the mix of applicants or jobs change over time?
  • Do time patterns differ across business units or applicant groups?

ATS data dictionary

Each row is one application. An applicant can submit multiple applications.
FieldDefinition / values
application_idUnique application identifier.
applicant_idUnique applicant identifier; an applicant can have multiple applications.
app_dateDate of the application.
job_idUnique job identifier.
biz_unitBusiness unit of the job.
genderApplicant gender: male, female.
raceApplicant race: white, black, asian, hispanic.
yrs_expYears of experience at the time of application.
highest_degreebachelors, masters, doctorate, diploma, n/a.
field_of_studytechnical, business, law, other.
school_ranktop10, 11–20, 21–50, 51–100, 101–200, unranked.
school_regionRegion of the applicant’s school.
referralReferral from a current employee: 0 = no, 1 = yes.
job_resume_fitResume skills’ fit to the job description: 0 = no fit, 1 = perfect fit.
callbackReceived a callback for this application: 0 = no, 1 = yes.
interviewReceived an interview for this application: 0 = no, 1 = yes.
offerReceived an offer for this application: 0 = no, 1 = yes.
hiredHired for this application: 0 = no, 1 = yes.