AI has made job applications effortless, flooding recruiters with thousands of candidates. This is breaking the hiring process for everyone involved.
Good candidates can't stand out, and recruiters spend days filtering noise.
Many now want more friction to restore quality.
What happened
Recruiters are now seeking friction in job applications after AI tools flooded them with hundreds or even thousands of applications, many fake or clearly AI-generated. Vendr's former head of people saw applications jump from around 100 to over 1,000 per posting.
Why it matters
The volume of AI-generated applications has made it nearly impossible for good candidates to stand out, while companies spend hours filtering through unqualified submissions. Greenhouse's head of voice AI noted that what recruiters got was "2,000 applicants in 24 hours for a job" — a bad experience for everyone.
What to watch
LinkedIn says submissions per applicant are up 46 percent versus February 2020, and applications have risen 22 percent since ChatGPT launched. The platform is now rolling out a feature that informs underqualified applicants they likely aren't a good fit.
Ask the AI about this article →
The article describes a job market where the ease of applying has backfired. Post-pandemic openings peaked at 12.3 million in March 2022, then declined to around 7 million since mid-2024. Meanwhile, AI tools like JobAssist, Sonara, and Ladder's Apply4Me promise to submit "10x as many applications with less effort than one manual application." This combination has ballooned candidate pools.
Recruiters' response includes AI interviews and more friction. However, Tessa White, a former HR executive with 800,000 TikTok followers, argues these changes don't fix the root problem — the first round of applications has become essentially worthless. She believes AI cannot accurately judge someone's potential and that the whole process needs a massive overhaul.
The article suggests a shift toward referrals and internal hires as a way to bypass the application deluge. Andrew Stockwell, now job hunting himself, believes this favors people with existing connections and isn't conducive to a diverse workforce. He says companies are "missing out on fantastic talent."
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