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:
- Resume falsification is rising: 27% of applicants admit to lying on their applications to increase visibility.
- Industry-hopping is the norm: 71% are applying outside their industry, but only 24% successfully make the switch.
- Deliberate underemployment: 42% are applying for positions below their qualification level just to avoid unemployment.
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:
- 41% of job seekers have never secured an interview through quick-apply tools.
- Only 10% report consistent success using these features.
- 19% question the effectiveness of quick-apply, and thus avoid it altogether.
“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:
- Humanize the ATS process: Implement technology that maintains human touchpoints throughout the application workflow.
- Increase transparency: Create visibility into application status and provide consistent feedback to candidates.
- Leverage cross-industry expertise: Develop programs specifically designed to help the 71% of industry-switchers successfully transition.
- Rethink quick-apply strategies: Consider alternatives to standard quick-apply tools that have proven ineffective for job seekers.
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.
