There’s an interesting contradiction happening in hiring right now.
It has never been easier for people to apply for jobs. Yet many employers are finding that actually hiring the right person hasn’t become easier at all.
In fact, the gap between the two may be getting wider.
The data backs that up. LinkedIn reported this year that the number of U.S. applicants per open role has doubled since spring 2022. At the same time, 66% of recruiters say finding qualified talent has become more difficult.
So how can both things be true?
Because more applicants don’t necessarily mean more qualified candidates.
And that distinction matters.
Applying for a job and being open to one are two very different things
Some of the strongest candidates we speak with aren’t actively looking for a job.
They’re working. They’re performing well. They may be reasonably happy where they are.
But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t consider the right opportunity.
Maybe it offers more leadership responsibility. Better long-term growth. A stronger culture. More interesting work. Better compensation. Or simply an opportunity they didn’t know existed until someone reached out and told them about it.
Those people aren’t necessarily checking job boards every morning.
And they certainly aren’t applying to every position that looks remotely interesting.
That creates an important blind spot for employers.
If your recruiting strategy begins and ends with posting a job and reviewing whoever applies, you’re allowing the candidates who happen to be looking—and happen to see your posting—to determine your talent pool.
A true search works the other way around.
You determine who the strongest potential candidates are—and then you go find them.
The goal shouldn’t be more résumés
This is something I’ve believed throughout my career in recruiting.
A successful search isn’t measured by how many résumés we can put in front of a client.
It’s measured by whether we can identify the right person.
That requires much more than posting an opening.
It means understanding what success in the position actually looks like. Which qualifications are truly non-negotiable? Which can be learned? What kind of person will thrive in the company? And perhaps most importantly: Why would someone successful somewhere else consider leaving to join you?
Then the real recruiting begins.
We research the market. Identify people whose backgrounds align. Approach candidates directly. Start conversations. Learn what might motivate someone to make a move. Qualify for the things a résumé alone can’t tell us. And continually recalibrate the search based on what we’re learning.
Sometimes the person who ultimately gets hired never would have applied on their own.
That’s the part of recruiting most employers never see.
AI is creating more noise—and better tools
AI has made it dramatically easier for candidates to discover positions, tailor résumés, and submit applications.
It has also given recruiters and employers powerful new ways to research and identify talent.
Both can be good things.
But technology hasn’t eliminated the need for judgment. If anything, it has made judgment more important.
When hundreds of people can apply quickly, the challenge shifts from “How do we get applicants?” to “How do we identify the right people?”
The best recruiting today combines technology with something decidedly human: curiosity, judgment, relationships, and conversation.
AI can help us find someone.
It still takes a person to understand why that individual might be the right fit—and why they might actually want to listen.
Before you post your next important opening…
Ask yourself a different question.
Instead of:
“How do we get more people to apply?”
Try:
“Who would we want to hire if we could reach anyone?”
Those two questions can lead to very different recruiting strategies—and very different hires.
After nearly three decades in recruiting, I’ve learned that some of the best candidates don’t arrive in an applicant inbox.
Sometimes, you have to go find them.
Need help finding someone your job posting isn’t reaching?
Insight Recruitment has been helping companies identify, engage, and hire hard-to-find talent since 1998. If you have an important position to fill—or one that’s proving harder than expected—let’s talk.
