A growing number of job seekers are responding to the modern hiring process with a “spray and pray” strategy—submitting applications broadly and regardless of fit—in the hope that something breaks through. A recent survey found that nearly half of job seekers regularly apply this way, with many surmising that automated filters are likely screening them out before a human ever sees their materials. The prevalence of “ghost jobs,” limited employer feedback, and increased AI use on both sides makes for frustration, again on both sides.
Business Takeaway: Employers are sometimes complicit in creating some of the problems that later haunt them. Has introducing AI into the hiring process brought you better candidates and/or streamlined things? Conversely, if your hiring process is producing noise instead of useful information, you might consider revisiting whether your application requirements, screening tools, and communication practices are helping identify good candidates or simply pushing everyone further into automation and guesswork. Is it time to consider clearer job criteria, more realistic postings, and candidate communication in order to boost your efficiency in identifying credible applicants?