The Invisible Application: Tech Is Creating a Disconnect Between Recruiters and Job Seekers
Nearly six in 10 job seekers feel that less than a quarter of their applications are reviewed by actual recruiters, according to a new report from MyPerfectResume. More than three in 10 believe less than 10% of their applications are human-reviewed, and only 19% think over half of their applications reach human eyes.
The report, the result of a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. job seekers, highlights how this worry of applications falling into an “ATS black hole” is shaping candidate behavior.
How applicants are fighting invisibility
Job seekers are resorting to desperate measures to help them stand out in a predominantly digital hiring landscape:
For staffing agencies, these trends present both challenges and opportunities. The prevalence of resume falsification means increased verification work, while the industry-hopping trend signals an opportunity to help candidates successfully navigate career transitions.
Quick-apply tools falling short
Despite their popularity, quick-apply features like LinkedIn’s “Easy Apply” are failing to deliver results for candidates:
“The rise of ATS and quick-apply features were supposed to make job searching easier, but applicants are feeling more disconnected and less confident that their efforts are being seen,” says Jasmine Escalera, career expert at MyPerfectResume.?
Staffing agencies relying heavily on these tools may be missing quality candidates who are avoiding quick-apply methods.
Strengthening candidate relationships
By addressing these candidate concerns directly, staffing agencies can differentiate themselves in a market where job seekers increasingly feel invisible and ignored:
As automation continues transforming the hiring process, these findings suggest that the most successful staffing agencies will be those that use technology to enhance rather than replace human connections. Staffing leaders who acknowledge and address candidate perceptions of being overlooked by ATS systems can build stronger talent relationships while improving the quality and integrity of their candidate pools.