How to handle an influx of applications now

There have been major shifts in the employment landscape due to COVID-19. Some industries are seeing high volume hiring and interest for roles that wouldn’t typically attract a lot of applicants. Others are facing high redundancies and a small pool of new roles.

It means that for many roles, application numbers are high.

So how can you handle an influx of applications in this environment? Here are four tactics that can contribute to a clear application management strategy, to help you handle the volume and use it to your advantage, now and in the future.

“Technology is always useful for taking sizeable applications down to manageable portions,” says recruitment expert, Adele Last.

Since COVID-19 hit, she’s used technology through a combination of off-the-shelf and customised tools to manage applications and place the right talent.

“A pre-determined list of criteria set up through a database is helpful to whittle down large numbers, but we still need to be able to see the human side of things and meet the talent,” she says.

That’s where recorded video interviewing technology steps in. “It’s the biggest gamechanger, and the closest to conducting a real-life interview. It saves so much time,” she adds. Her team uses a tool that allows them to record questions themselves or select from a library of actors. It is used as a precursor to a live video interview.

According to Wayne Fry, Senior Consultant at Hunter Campbell, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is critical for staying on top of high-volume recruitment.

“An ATS keeps all the paperwork in one place, but it also allows you to easily see which applicants are the best match for your positions,” he says.

Fry uses custom solutions for more complex recruitment processes. “For example, a senior role will require a greater focus on screening and interviewing, so a one-size-fits-all approach that works well for high-volume recruitment would not be appropriate,” he adds.

Last’s team has really been focussing on internal training to look at traditional approaches to recruitment differently, and with a greater diversity lens.

She believes that good recruitment is as much about what candidates could do in the future as what they have done in the past, and in recent times government has introduced some new recruitment policies that focus on growth potential. This includes special measures to balance teams based on certain diversity targets like gender and ethnicity.

“It’s about encouraging the right people to apply and structuring teams in the best ways,” she explains.

Fry says while technology greatly aides the recruitment process, it will never be a replacement for the human contact that is needed to conduct a thorough assessment around whether a candidate is the right fit.

In these times, it is about really streamlining processes, innovating strategies and forging connections to manage the high volume of applications.

“It is important to always know what you are looking for, be able to quickly identify skills on CVs, and get through the volume of applications quickly too,” he adds.

Organisations can use large volumes of applications to their advantage, especially when it comes to building talent pools for the future.

Last says it’s all about the process and trying to get as much information upfront as possible, without impacting too much on the candidate experience. “Speedy turnaround time is critical,” she advises.

For Hunter Campbell, talent pools are an effective way of keeping tabs on top candidates. “They give you a systematic way to manage and nurture new leads, and let you track which candidates end up applying. This gives you a simple way to calculate the return on investment,” Fry says.

He says the use of search and talent pools is becoming increasingly important – especially for specialist areas – because in his experience, despite the large number of applications to advertisements, nearly 90% of candidates placed at the moment are found through search and talent pools.

Keeping detailed information is key to building talent pools, Fry explains. "If you want to start building talent pools of previous applicants, it is important that interview notes, feedback and information around why candidates didn't get hired is easily available. This makes it easy for your team to decide who is relevant.”

"With all candidate information stored and reviewed electronically, we can now easily code candidates to ensure that future searches include those candidates with suitable backgrounds."

These methods can contribute to creating a clear application management strategy. Both Fry and Last agree that having a good strategy in place is key to managing high volumes, as it helps to create fairness, make processes more efficient, build relevant talent pools and guarantee quality candidates are placed in the right roles.

“Having a consistent approach means the candidate gets a positive and engaging experience as well,” Fry explains.

Managing an influx of applications can come with added pressure and considerations in this changed employment market. Leveraging technology, adopting new approaches and focusing on future talent pools can help you to work through the volume sooner, and turn it into an advantage in the long run.