The best way to judge resume formatting software is to run your agency's own template against resumes your team actually sees, then time the work until you have a submission you'd send a client. A polished demo file won't tell you that. You want the candidate's facts left alone, your branding applied, a workflow recruiters will really use, and less time spent getting a file ready, including the review and the corrections.
This checklist is for staffing-agency owners, recruiting leaders, and operations teams comparing tools for the submissions you send again and again. It isn't for a jobseeker building a personal resume.
1. Bring a representative test pack
Bring files your team is allowed to share. Use redacted or synthetic examples when that's the right call.
You know the feeling. It's Friday afternoon, a client wants submissions before they log off, and the PDFs in the inbox look nothing like the tidy sample a vendor walked through on Tuesday.
- A straightforward Word resume.
- A PDF with a more complicated layout.
- A long resume with several roles, projects, or certifications.
- Your agency's approved submission template.
- A second client template, if accounts require different formats.
Include a difficult example, not just the cleanest document on the drive. If scanned PDFs are common in your workflow, ask whether the solution supports them, and test one.
Keep the originals next to you. You're checking what survives the change, not only whether the result looks attractive.
2. Test your template, not the vendor's preferred layout
Ask the provider to show how your existing template would be set up.
Watch the details that make a recruiter reopen the document: section order, bullet styles, spacing, logos, page breaks, and long employment histories. You know the one. The file looks finished, then a heading sits alone at the top of the next page, and someone has to open it again just to pull that line back up.
If clients require different formats, run the same candidate against two templates.
Ask who handles setup, and who handles later revisions. A branding change should have an understood process, an owner, and a cost.
iReformat supports bringing your existing resume template for setup. Your current client-facing format can be the starting point. You don't have to redesign it first.
3. Compare candidate facts line by line
Formatting and rewriting are different tasks. A cleaner document isn't an improvement if it changes what the candidate actually did.
- Employer names, job titles, and employment dates.
- Qualifications, licenses, and certifications.
- Skills, project details, and measurable achievements.
- Career gaps and overlapping positions.
- Contact details that should remain, or be removed under your submission rules.
If AI features rewrite paragraphs, or turn them into bullets, inspect those changes on their own. Nothing should imply experience or credentials the source doesn't support.
Decide which errors require rejection and which ones you can correct during review. A missing certification deserves more attention than an awkward page break.
4. Walk through the actual ATS workflow
"ATS compatible" can mean readable output, a manual upload, or an integration inside the recruiting system. Ask the provider to show you which one applies.
Start where your recruiter normally starts. Open the candidate, select the source document, apply the template, review the output, and put the approved version where the team needs it.
Count the manual downloads, uploads, and repeated edits. Confirm which version becomes the final client submission.
iReformat offers a Bullhorn integration. Its published CareStaff Partners case study describes using the tool within Bullhorn and through the web version. Your own configuration should still be demonstrated. An integration with one ATS doesn't establish the same workflow in another.
5. Measure approved-output time
Time the complete job, not just the automated processing. For each test file, record source preparation, processing, review, corrections, and saving the approved document. Note unresolved issues too.
Compare that total with your current manual process, using the same files and the same requirements.
CareStaff's case-study narrative reports saving 10-15 minutes per resume. That's a customer-reported result, not a guaranteed outcome for another agency. Your pilot should establish your own baseline.
6. Get a quote for your workflow
Ask for pricing based on monthly volume, team access, template requirements, and integration needs.
Clarify setup charges, template changes, usage allowances, overages, support, and cancellation terms. iReformat describes customized volume-based pricing with unlimited users. Request a quote that matches your requirements.
Calculate recovered time separately from cash savings. Freeing recruiter capacity doesn't automatically reduce payroll or generate placements.
Before you share live candidate data, review contractual terms, retention practices, access controls, and any documentation your organization requires. A successful formatting test isn't a security assessment.
When a simpler approach may be enough
An approved Word template may still be the right fit when submission volume is low and formatting rarely needs correction.
Automation is worth evaluating when repeated formatting, multiple client templates, or inconsistent output consumes meaningful team time. It doesn't replace candidate screening, factual review, or client-specific approval.
See how your own submissions would work
A useful demo should end with evidence: your template applied to representative files, corrections you can see, a clear workflow, and pricing tied to your agency.
Book an iReformat demo. Bring your current template, your typical monthly formatting volume, your ATS name, and a description of the documents that take your team the longest to prepare. Ask how to provide an authorized sample so the conversation stays on the way you actually submit candidates.