Only one third of recruiters get high-quality applications

According to a new study, only 30% of recruiters reported receiving high-quality applications for their latest hire.

Totaljobs’ study reveals that the quality of applications, hiring expectations and candidate behavior are changing.

Poor-quality applications are a major bottleneck in the business world, and they can be both time-consuming and costly. Nearly two thirds (63%) of recruiters said that they still manually review applications. They are often overwhelmed by hundreds of CVs or cover letters and find it difficult to search for outstanding candidates.

In the meantime, recruiters were rejecting qualified candidates due to unexplained employment gap. 30% of them preferred significant tenure in a previous employer, while 28% prioritized experience with top-tier employers.

Natalie Matalon is the chief people officer of Stepstone Group. She said, “There is a clear disconnect in hiring expectations and reality on the job market.” While recruiters are focused on finding the “perfect” candidate, they could inadvertently overlook good applicants because of rigid hiring criteria.

The hiring process should be more inclusive and skills-focused. This will ensure that businesses are not limiting the talent pool unnecessarily. Businesses should adopt a more inclusive, skills-based approach to hiring to avoid limiting the pool of talent unnecessarily.

Despite advances in recruitment technology 78% of recruiters still use CVs as the primary tool to evaluate applications. 58% also use application forms. Over half of recruiters (51%) asked for references and recommendations while 45% wanted a cover note.

The research shows that cover letters are becoming less relevant – 48% recruiters want them removed, and 26% of candidates don’t apply for jobs that require them.

Two thirds of applicants (67%) used AI to customize their applications. And 65% used it to create or refine cover letter.

Most recruiters (82%) agree that AI has improved the quality of applications (74% agree). However, 74% of recruiters also said that AI-generated application felt less authentic. This raises concerns as to whether AI-driven improvement will translate into better hiring.

Matalon added: “AI transforms the job application process by helping candidates polish their CVs and applications. AI can enhance presentation but it cannot replace human judgement.

Businesses must reconsider their hiring strategy as the competition for candidates is increasing. If you rely solely on the traditional screening methods, and strict criteria, then you could miss out on some exceptional talent. Businesses can improve the quality of applications by focusing on clear and concise job descriptions, streamlined processes and an integration of AI with human evaluation.

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