Using recruiting software to break through the ‘apply anyway’ logjam

May 5th, 2023 | Industry News

Surveys and anecdotes both reveal that HR teams and recruitment consultants are being overwhelmed by applications from under-qualified candidates. It wouldn’t be so bad, if they weren’t also having to trawl through the same slush pile to find the well-qualified individuals who can actually do the job on offer.

In a recent survey of HR professionals, recruiters and hiring managers, three quarters of respondents said that the lack of qualified applicants was the biggest challenge they were facing in 2023.

Why is ‘apply anyway’ happening?

One reason is technology, which has made applying for jobs much easier – and AI is actually adding a layer of complexity and confusion to the process – as people put their CVs through software systems that pad and obfuscate their qualifications and experience. Another is the shortage in key skills like digital expertise, where only one in ten job applicants in the UK has the requisite skill base. The third reason is the slowness of recruiting, which means more people are putting more applications out into the ether while they wait to hear back from applications they made weeks ago.

How to cut through ‘apply anyway’ candidate piles

There are several stages to the process that simplifies and improves recruitment in the current climate:

• A better candidate experience – the best recruitment websites give qualified candidates a head
• start by allowing them to respond quickly to pre-screening questions, or to pull data from platforms like LinkedIn which can focus on key skills required to do the job. It also helps the high quality candidates to feel valued; automated responses keep them in the loop in their own time-frame, meaning they don’t become disenchanted by slowdowns in the process
• Better screening – using recruitment software, SAAS recruitment agencies can screen in several dimensions: skills, experience and organisational fit – without the risk of unconscious bias prejudicing the results.
• A good applicant tracking system, UK based, allows hirers to exchange information rapidly with clients/management, meaning that good candidates can be streamed faster through the system, preventing the loss of top talent through delays in the process.
• The best recruitment crm also learns as it goes, helping to simplify processes and systems as
  each new vacancy is filled.

As technology develops, other trends will influence the ‘apply anyway’ process, notably, phone based recruitment – as people who are already employed use their breaks to make rapidapplications via their mobile phones and virtual interviews, allowing online recruitment software to become the platform through which the entire recruitment process is handled, especially for home-based employees who may never actually visit their employer’s premises.