Be honest. A few years ago, could you have imagined a time when you would be complaining about too many applicants? Back in pre-Covid days, when numbers were thin on the ground, “too many” was every TA leader’s dream. And tracking application volume was a good way to know how well your employer brand campaign was working.
But times have changed. Now we’re hearing from clients who are overwhelmed by the sheer number of applications and the time it takes to wade through them to find the right person.
The culprit is of course, AI. Churning out tailored CVs while the person behind them is off watching The Traitors. And can we blame them?
They’ve been ghosted more times than your mate Greg on Tinder. They’ve crafted bespoke CVs and cover letters to be met with automated “thanks but no thanks”. No wonder they’re trying to game the system.
Hard truth: High candidate volume isn’t a sign of desirability anymore – if anything, it’s a red flag.
Where employers are getting it wrong
So far, the knee-jerk reaction has been to fight AI with more AI, which has only made things messier – just look at the recent Workday lawsuit. Now we’re stuck in a surreal little loop, where AI is busy filtering through AI applications to see whether the humans on either side might be a decent match. (All a bit Black Mirror, isn’t it?)
Trouble is, when an employer does eventually get back to a strong applicant, it’s only then that the candidate begins digging into the company – the Glassdoor reviews, career site and social media posts – often to find that it’s completely unsuitable. So they don’t respond, or drop off somewhere in the process.
Where does employer brand come in?
If your employer brand isn’t visible, distinctive or trustworthy during the hiring journey, you’ll almost certainly see more candidates ghosting, lower levels of engagement and poor cultural fits when hires are made. And the rigmarole of sorting through applications? An expensive way to waste everyone’s time.
If you’d like to see more of the right applications, and less of the AI rubbish, here are three ways you can make a start.
How to get better quality applications
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Add some smart friction
- Throw in two or three purpose driven screening questions as part of the application. Things like: “What drew you to this role?” and “What part of our values/mission resonated with you the most?”. These are hard to fake at scale without the AI needing a helping hand, but not intimidating enough to put off engaged people.
- Introduce a soft gate to your company info. Ask applicants to complete a short task (relevant to the role) after submitting their CV. Then send them a pack with all the good stuff: role details, benefits, company culture, and so on.
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Build employer brand awareness
- Run brand awareness campaigns that showcase who you are, what you do and why talented people should care.
- Take ownership of your presence on platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor and Indeed – tidy up the reviews, refresh your branding and showcase your latest work.
- Update job ads with a “Why work with us?” or values section – ideally linking out to content that brings your culture to life.
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Stop tracking volume
- This helps you spot where good candidates are coming from – and where you’re wasting effort. Volume means nothing without quality. Filter by campaign, creative, and source to get a clearer picture.
- A high withdrawal rate tells you that candidates had initial interest but lost it somewhere along the journey. Was it your process, your content or your culture fit? Knowing where they leave helps you fix what’s broken.
- Not all traffic is equal. Filter everything by source (job board, social ad, careers site), campaign, and even creative execution. Which ones are sending people who get hired? Which are inflating your application count with nothing to show for it?
Let’s face it – AI isn’t going anywhere. But neither are the humans. And with a few small tweaks, you can start tipping the balance back in favour of real people, real talent, and a hiring process that doesn’t make everyone quietly despair.
Want more high-quality applications?
