The hiring landscape has flipped. A few years ago, recruiting teams begged for more applicants to fill open roles. Today, they’re drowning in applications – many of them auto-generated or mass-produced using AI. Faced with this flood, hiring teams have shifted from a “more is better” mindset to a “quality over quantity” mandate. In short, recruiters now crave more qualified candidates, not just more applicants.
Recent data confirms this seismic change: AI tools like ChatGPT have doubled or tripled application volumes, recruiters report that 90% of those apps are “low-effort or spammy”, and nearly two-thirds of employers say unqualified applicants are their top challenge with job boards. The problem isn’t too few applicants. It’s too many bad ones.
The AI Resume Flood Is Real
I shared this with Sam Bylett on a recent podcast:
“I found a few years ago people would be coming to us on demos saying, ‘we need more people to apply.’ But now, because of AI, they’re overrun with applications—and they need more quality people.”
That shift is playing out everywhere. One engineering lead told The Washington Post he got 150 applications in seven minutes, most of them “AI sludge.” And in an iHire 2024 survey, 63.3% of employers said their top challenge was “too many unqualified applicants.” Only 6% complained about too many applicants overall.
Quality Over Quantity
Recruiters today are refocusing on what matters: candidate fit, not funnel width. “Quality of hire” has emerged as the number one priority metric, with 54% of TA pros calling it the top trend for the next five years.
Why It Matters More in Regulated Industries
Healthcare, finance, and other compliance-heavy industries are especially at risk. Your ATS might pass a resume that looks perfect, but hides fake credentials or misrepresents experience. With automated resumes, a weak applicant might slip through…and that’s not just a bad hire. It’s a liability.
Smart Strategies to Boost Quality
- Targeted, Inclusive Job Descriptions: Use tools like Ongig’s Text Analyzer to cut bias and corporate jargon. Clear, inclusive language attracts better fits and deters unqualified candidates.
- Pre-screening Questions & Skills Tests: Even a few yes/no gates or a brief task can weed out the “apply-all” crowd.
- Realistic Job Previews: Like Delta Air Lines, who added video previews to show the real job, glamorous and not. That helped cut mismatched applicants fast.
- Better Metrics: Shift your KPI from “number of applicants” to “qualified candidates per posting.”
- AI as a Filter (Not a Floodgate): Use recruiter-side AI to rank and score candidates, don’t just let it open the gates to spam.
How Ongig Clients Are Thriving
One healthcare client updated over 5,000 job descriptions to improve consistency, compliance, and inclusion. Another organization has fully automated its job posting process, publishing over 100,000 jobs each month without recruiter input. In one rollout, hiring managers reported a 100% increase in candidate quality after switching to more inclusive job descriptions.
And, Weddington Way saw 43.4% of applicants meet their bar after using video-based job descriptions. ReTargeter hired 3 A-players from just 38 applicants using our content strategy. An enterprise entertainment brand doubled candidate quality after optimizing its job descriptions with Ongig’s Text Analyzer.
The Mandate Is Clear
The next era of hiring is not about focusing on volume, it’s about precision. TA teams need tools and strategies that sort signal from noise. That starts with how you write your job postings, what content you share, and how you measure success.
Why I Wrote This
At Ongig, we’re helping companies respond to the AI-fueled resume flood with smarter, sharper content.
Request a demo to see how we help you go from “more applicants” to “more right ones.”
FAQs
How do I know if an applicant is AI-generated?
Look for overly formal tone, repetitive language, or vague, buzzword-filled content. Screening questions can help filter them quickly.
What’s a “qualified” candidate today?
Someone who meets your core requirements, applies with intent, and shows understanding of the role and culture.
Does this only affect tech?
Nope. It’s hitting every industry, especially ones with compliance standards—healthcare, finance, energy, you name it.
How can I get better candidates without more recruiter work?
Use tools that optimize content (like Ongig’s Text Analyzer) and add pre-screen filters. The right JD can do a lot of heavy lifting.
Can AI actually help here?
Yes, when used on the recruiter’s side—for screening, scoring, and writing better job descriptions. Just don’t use it to chase quantity.
Shout-Outs:
- “AI Is Flooding the Job Market With Low-Quality Applications” – The Washington Post
- “The Resume Is Dying—and AI Is Holding the Smoking Gun” – Ars Technica
- “The 2024 State of Online Recruiting Report” – iHire
- “AI & Applicant Quality: 2025 Hiring Trends” – Resume-Now
- “Quality of Hire: The Most Important Metric in Recruiting” – MyPeoplePerson
- “How ReTargeter Hired 3 A-Players in One Month” – Ongig Case Study
- “Video Job Descriptions Boost Qualified Candidates by 43%” – Weddington Way via Ongig
- “Inclusive Job Descriptions: How Language Impacts Quality” – Ongig Blog
