Remember the “war for talent”? The headlines, the panic, the premium salaries? Well, according to the recent KPMG report, we’ve taken a sharp turn. Talent supply is up. Candidate availability is at its highest level in years. But that doesn’t mean hiring has become any easier.
In fact, it might be harder.
If you’ve posted a job recently—on LinkedIn, a job board, or even your own careers site—you’ve probably been hit with hundreds of applications. Sounds like a dream, right?
Not quite.
Thanks to job losses, AI tools, and the dreaded “Quick Apply” button, it’s now easier than ever for candidates to apply to jobs—often without reading the job ad, checking the salary, or even knowing what the company does. Many candidates are simply thinking: “If they call me, then I’ll decide if I’m interested.”
As recruiters, we’ve all heard the hiring manager frustrations:
- “They didn’t even know they applied!”
- “They want double our budget.”
- “They thought it was fully remote!”
- “They ghosted after the first call.”
And here’s the real kicker—this surge in candidate numbers doesn’t necessarily mean more qualified applicants. You still have to separate the serious from the curious, the genuinely qualified from the cleverly packaged, and the culture-fit from the CV-fiction writers.
For in-house teams with dedicated recruiters, slick CRMs, workforce planning strategies and clearly mapped candidate journeys, it’s a manageable—though still challenging—task.
But for everyone else?
If you’re:
- A lone HR manager
- A hiring manager juggling recruitment alongside your actual job
- Or someone who’s been handed recruitment “to save on agency fees” (cough)
…you’re probably pulling your hair out.
You don’t have time to:
- Review 200+ applications
- Spot fake experience or dodgy qualifications
- Verify right to work status
- Chase candidates only to find they’ve accepted something else
- Restart the process when your shortlisted candidate disappears
What started as a novelty—“Ooh, look how many people applied!”—quickly becomes a productivity killer. Wasted hours. Stalled projects. Frustrated teams. And, ironically, a bad candidate experience.
So what’s the answer?
Despite the flood of applicants, we still have a talent shortage—at least when it comes to engaged, qualified candidates who stick the course and thrive in your business.
This blog series will share an expert recruiter’s practical tips for handling high volumes of applications effectively—without sacrificing quality, experience, or your sanity.
We’ll cover:
- How to set up simple, scalable application screening
- Tools (yes, free ones) that help you sort signal from noise
- How to quickly spot red flags and hidden gems
- Communication tricks to boost engagement and reduce ghosting
- When to automate, and when to be human
- Why candidate experience still matters—especially when you’re swamped
- And how to make your hiring process work without a recruitment team
Because getting the right people in the door shouldn’t feel impossible.
