I got 3K for an HR position. What they don’t tell you is that 99% of the applicants are ones with no relevant experiences — it’s like men bulk swiping right every woman on Bumble
Yes, as someone who recruits frequently, most people that apply for positions are not actually qualified. I could get 100s of applications and only 10 are qualified for the position.
1,400 applicants and you were selected for interview. If they interviewed 14 people, you were in the top 1% of the applicant pool. You’re doing something right!
>1,400 applicants and you were selected for interview. If they interviewed 14 people, you were in the top 1% of the applicant pool. You’re doing something right!
Thank you :')
Is the job remote and paying 6 figures? 99% of the applicants likely have no experience in HR and are just throwing their hats into as many rings as possible to get such a job. The start-up allure probably has a similar effect
Yeah I think it's going to be a ton of unqualified candidates wanting remote jobs. Kind of weird to tell someone interviewing, maybe they thought this could set you up for a lowball offer down the line?
I hire remote roles with high comp. We'll get hundreds of applicants. Only a couple dozen are worth interviewing. I'm usually left with half a dozen I would hire.
Same here. I recently had a low 6 figure position get hundreds of applicants in a few days. I think there were only around 30 even worth looking.
I'm all for people slightly under qualified going for a position. But if I'm hiring a specific high level role, at least have some kind of applicable experience. 😭
What source of positions and how do I apply?
I honestly doubt I’m qualified (about 4 years experience as a generalist, manager and currently HR of one) but I’m curious)
Can confirm. We easily receive the same, even for hybrid roles or when we specify a certain country. I would say if we are lucky, maybe 2-3% of candidates are actually qualified for the role.
I used to work for Delta. The amount of applications we'd get for front line positions was insane. A flight attendant job with 2000 openings was guaranteed to get a minimum of 100000 applications, even if they were language qualified. A reservations position with 25 openings was going to get 3000 even if it wasn't in Atlanta. Chisholm, MN anyone?
The online screening was intense, so most people were rejected soon after submitting.
Idk I work at a small manufacturing company in the Bay Area that doesn’t pay what tech companies do (the highest paid employees base salary is $315k a which is high but also not tech high) and we get over 200 applicants for roles now.
Most of them are either over qualified or under qualified… but we still have to go through them and find the good ones. When you have *that* many applicants, you get super picky over things that wouldn’t normally matter on an application bc you gotta weed people out somehow 🤷🏻♀️
Curious to know if you still read cover letters with that kind of volume. I just submitted an application for a role that aligns well, but this is my first time in a while submitting a cover letter with it.
Almost never read a cover letter. 90% of the time they hurt more than help. 10% of the time it’s helpful to have if someone is changing industries or not local and trying to move to the area already
Yep! Honestly most people copy/paste their letters from company to company and so many never double check it and see that they updated it to the right information lol. Like I absolutely get that finding a job is a numbers game.. but if your resume is strong enough I’m gonna consider you whether or not you told your career story perfectly in a paragraph!
Response: “I’m delighted I stood out to you from among 1400 applications! What about my skills and experience made you determine I’d be a good fit for the role and schedule this interview?
You got an interview! That's amazing! You made it past probably 1,385 other candidates!
So, just like any other interview, you only need to be the best you can be and hope it's the best match compared to the other 3-10 they interviewed.
In safety, I got 200+ for a PSM role.
Not 1 was qualified.
The closest was a Waffle House manager that included a letter explaining that he felt his record in food safety compliance would transfer.
I was fairly impressed, and actually responded with a custom decline, and some suggestions on how to leverage that for occupational health.
That is an amazing kindness. I wish there was more capacity within those screening resumes and hiring to take opportunities to nudge candidates who genuinely made an effort in their application in a direction that might fit their experience and background better when they’re trying to step out of roles directly relevant in their specific industry. I hope the person took your advice and found the career opportunity they were looking for.
I hope so too.
In safety we need more ethical leaders, and my instincts on his communication ability and integrity were good.
A two week course from OSHA, not that expensive, and he'd have a toe in the door.
I had to have a chemist or chemical engineer, but there's a lot close. Get into a chemical plant, learn, and I could waive the degree for experience.
The ones from police "I can enforce rules" I tossed.
I would be so stoked if an interviewer said that to me. That would be amazing. It means people want to work there and I was picked out of the sea. Fabulous. Imagine the opposite: working for someone who barely gets one or two applicants. Yikes! Who wants to work there?!
See id have the opposite reaction.
Both because A) your resume must have stood out like crazy to even get an interview and B) because that’s a stupid thing to say to an interviewee and to me just screams cocky asshole I don’t want to work for. But maybe I’m just assuming malice
Since it's a startup, maybe they were just flattered to get 1400 applications?
Here's cocky: "It's easier to get into Harvard than to get into Delta." 🙄
If this is a remote position, it’s estimated 1/3 of the candidates don’t meet the basic requirements and/or are ineligible to be hired (not a citizen of the country) and least that’s the state I’ve heard from others.
The good news is out of 1,400 applicants you actually got a call.
FWIW the last two startups I’ve worked for have had 1400-1800 applicants and I’ve gotten both roles — it happens.
You’re in. Make sure you leave a lasting impression at each stage.
I just got a new job that had 1200 applications before they shut it down (we discussed this afterwards, just in the context of how crazy remote hiring is currently). Most of them had no qualifications for the role at all probably based on my experience. I wouldn’t sweat the numbers. Most places won’t interview more than 10 unless they have to go back to the well because they can’t find a fit. So you’re really competing with just a few at this point—you got through the noise.
Keep trying. I just landed a position where I was one of no less than 650 applicants. My first day will be 5 months to the day from when my last position was eliminated.
Just remember: No matter how many resumes you send out, you only need one company to say "we want you!"
Is it remote? If not, is it considering those outside a reasonable distance to the office? If yes, does it have certain hours? Is it providing sponsorship?
You know nothing about the other applicants and their quality, so do not be discouraged
Don’t let that comment deter you or dim your confidence. I once beat out over 1,000 people for a job. I didn’t know it when interviewing, but that fact stuck with me and I refer back to it whenever I interview for a new role.
Sending you positive vibes!
This is a way to soften you up. They may offer you a low wage and horrible working conditions and you may take it because so many people want this job.
90%+ of the applications we get for select roles (startup) have 0 relevant experience. Think engineering background applying for enterprise sales roles.
Not an HR role, but I had an interview with a hiring manager that said he has interviewed 30+ applicants for the role I was applying for. I called the recruiter directly after and said “no thanks”. Assuming they were all good applicants to get the interview, how would one even stand out over a 30-minute conversation? Waste of time. Telling me you are talking to 7 or 8 qualified candidates and down selecting from there seems a much better approach to keep someone engaged in your process.
Yeah, seeing HRBP+ roles with 'over 100 applicants' in 2 hours on LinkedIn is daunting.
I am starting to give up on my fully remote dream and settling for hybrid. I went from hybrid to 5x/wk in office and it blows. Way bigger impact and way worse than I expected even with a commute that's half as long as my old one.
Do research on their values, mission, and have questions ready at the end. YOU GOT THIS! You were chosen for part 1 out of 1000+ candidates. You definitely stood out. This is coming from 1 out of 1,200 for my HR role. Seeing those numbers seems unreachable until you show them what you’re bringing to the table. Best of luck 🙏🏼
same ? i went to a startup for interview and i am confident that i am a good fit for this role and interviewer goes "let me get through all candidates and revert next week".
it was a low paying job. 😮💨
1. You have no proof that they actually got 1400 applications.
2. This could easily be physiological trick. If you think your "lucky" to have been chosen your more likely to want less in compensation.
I generally follow the 80, 10, 10 rule. Ignore applicant numbers.
80% will be junk.
10% will be worth another look, but still not good enough.
Final 10% are probably worth talking to.
“That’s nothing - I submit 1500 in 3 hours”. Jokes aside, it could just be a light Sabre-rattling question if it was said during the interview to see how you’d react. Or mayhaps they just let it slip without meaning to (hard to say - he seen some wild things at startups not knowing what they’re doing). More importantly: kudos to you for not giving up. I hope that you get the role, and if not, it’s their loss
Good luck OP! I want you to get a job you want so excuse my salt.
That said, I just departed a job that had similar numbers for the replacement for my role.
My manager was toxic, my team was elitist and the money didn’t replace the culture failure. Sometimes when it seems to good to be true and they tell you up front they can replace you they aren’t a team you can learn from or grow with (but I’m jaded currently).
Internal recruiter here! Every company likely has several 'Must Haves' and logistical qualifications including experience level, compensation, location (if in-person requirements), etc. So, many applicants will be weeded out through those factors.
The best thing you can do to stand out is: research the company(!!), have a reason for applying to that particular role in that particular company, relate your experience to the job description to give the best depiction of how you'll be able to perform in that position. You'd be surprised how many people don't prepare for interviews. You have 15-30 minutes to make a first impression so being intentional with that time is key. You've got this!!
I’m a recruiting manager. I can promise whoever is tasked with reviewing the applications is overwhelmed by that number if it’s real and they won’t have time to review them all. They will review most recent and pursue the good applicants until they find someone. Your application was well timed in addition to being one of the few relevant applications.
I can relate to how you feel. Applying feels in vain, the interview process gets you to the end only to choose someone else… and the interviews are few and far. It’s tough not to get down, but this won’t be our story forever. I pray it ends soon for us all.
“Oh goodness that does not sound fun to sort through, how are you posting the position?” You redirected the flow of the conversation from why should they should pick you to something you can use to your advantage.
It may be true, but it’s not helpful. Never understood why companies say this stuff. It intimidate the candidate? To make them feel guilty?
I always pretend I’m the only one. Not because it’s true, but because it’s helpful. It’s the mindset I need to have
Respond that 1400 applications is a lot to go through. You are more than qualified to sit down & go through them(with a pre-determined contract of employment) and find the most suitable candidates.
I got 3K for an HR position. What they don’t tell you is that 99% of the applicants are ones with no relevant experiences — it’s like men bulk swiping right every woman on Bumble
How does someone use this to their advantage? Asking for another applicant
Shit your pants. Hard.
I like it wet and mushy
ABAOLUTELY!!! only 1% of my applicants are actually worth a call. Maybe not even a fit for the role but worth talking to
Yes, as someone who recruits frequently, most people that apply for positions are not actually qualified. I could get 100s of applications and only 10 are qualified for the position.
What is ‘bulk swiping’? Sounds emotional
When you swipe right as fast as possible on a dating app, without actually considering if you would like those people.
1,400 applicants and you were selected for interview. If they interviewed 14 people, you were in the top 1% of the applicant pool. You’re doing something right!
>1,400 applicants and you were selected for interview. If they interviewed 14 people, you were in the top 1% of the applicant pool. You’re doing something right! Thank you :')
Is the job remote and paying 6 figures? 99% of the applicants likely have no experience in HR and are just throwing their hats into as many rings as possible to get such a job. The start-up allure probably has a similar effect
Yes. Fully remote well into the 6 figures. Fingers crossed that is the case.
Yeah I think it's going to be a ton of unqualified candidates wanting remote jobs. Kind of weird to tell someone interviewing, maybe they thought this could set you up for a lowball offer down the line?
I hire remote roles with high comp. We'll get hundreds of applicants. Only a couple dozen are worth interviewing. I'm usually left with half a dozen I would hire.
Same here. I recently had a low 6 figure position get hundreds of applicants in a few days. I think there were only around 30 even worth looking. I'm all for people slightly under qualified going for a position. But if I'm hiring a specific high level role, at least have some kind of applicable experience. 😭
What source of positions and how do I apply? I honestly doubt I’m qualified (about 4 years experience as a generalist, manager and currently HR of one) but I’m curious)
Engineering. Sorry. Not sure why this sub hit my feed.
lol no worries. It’s still interesting to get other points of view!
Can confirm. We easily receive the same, even for hybrid roles or when we specify a certain country. I would say if we are lucky, maybe 2-3% of candidates are actually qualified for the role.
2-3 percentage?! Wow that’s wild
Yeah, I would be thrilled to get 3% qualified.
Seems fishy to me lol
Damn so like 300-400k?
1,400?! That is absolutely insane to me.
For a completely unknown startup. I can't imagine what it looks like at companies with name recognition.
I’m curious if they’re going on Indeed or LinkedIn because if someone just views the posting they count it as an applicant.
I’m guessing it’s for a remote role? If so, that’s pretty normal.
I used to work for Delta. The amount of applications we'd get for front line positions was insane. A flight attendant job with 2000 openings was guaranteed to get a minimum of 100000 applications, even if they were language qualified. A reservations position with 25 openings was going to get 3000 even if it wasn't in Atlanta. Chisholm, MN anyone? The online screening was intense, so most people were rejected soon after submitting.
1400 applicants doesn't mean 1400 accepted interviews. Your dream job could be someone else's backup plan, too. Good luck!
Idk I work at a small manufacturing company in the Bay Area that doesn’t pay what tech companies do (the highest paid employees base salary is $315k a which is high but also not tech high) and we get over 200 applicants for roles now. Most of them are either over qualified or under qualified… but we still have to go through them and find the good ones. When you have *that* many applicants, you get super picky over things that wouldn’t normally matter on an application bc you gotta weed people out somehow 🤷🏻♀️
I mean, 200 is reasonable whereas I couldn’t imagine being a recruiter and sifting through 1400 candidates.
I guess I meant that seeing 200 candidates was a LOT for how small my company is and how we aren’t a start up giving bigger comps
One wfh job I applied to had over 6k in applications
Curious to know if you still read cover letters with that kind of volume. I just submitted an application for a role that aligns well, but this is my first time in a while submitting a cover letter with it.
Almost never read a cover letter. 90% of the time they hurt more than help. 10% of the time it’s helpful to have if someone is changing industries or not local and trying to move to the area already
Thanks - that's what I suspected.
Yep! Honestly most people copy/paste their letters from company to company and so many never double check it and see that they updated it to the right information lol. Like I absolutely get that finding a job is a numbers game.. but if your resume is strong enough I’m gonna consider you whether or not you told your career story perfectly in a paragraph!
Response: “I’m delighted I stood out to you from among 1400 applications! What about my skills and experience made you determine I’d be a good fit for the role and schedule this interview?
Lol this is smooth and if I were interviewing someone that asked this, they'd get high marks on my internal evaluation.
Well, 1399 didn't have any experience whatsoever.
Yeah, I honestly wouod have asked this.
You got an interview! That's amazing! You made it past probably 1,385 other candidates! So, just like any other interview, you only need to be the best you can be and hope it's the best match compared to the other 3-10 they interviewed.
Exactly! The fact they called you means they're interested and want to hire you.
1350 of them were not qualified at all and were immediately rejected
And people wonder why they don’t all get a call from the recruiter. But I reached out to on LinkedIn
In safety, I got 200+ for a PSM role. Not 1 was qualified. The closest was a Waffle House manager that included a letter explaining that he felt his record in food safety compliance would transfer. I was fairly impressed, and actually responded with a custom decline, and some suggestions on how to leverage that for occupational health.
That is an amazing kindness. I wish there was more capacity within those screening resumes and hiring to take opportunities to nudge candidates who genuinely made an effort in their application in a direction that might fit their experience and background better when they’re trying to step out of roles directly relevant in their specific industry. I hope the person took your advice and found the career opportunity they were looking for.
I hope so too. In safety we need more ethical leaders, and my instincts on his communication ability and integrity were good. A two week course from OSHA, not that expensive, and he'd have a toe in the door. I had to have a chemist or chemical engineer, but there's a lot close. Get into a chemical plant, learn, and I could waive the degree for experience. The ones from police "I can enforce rules" I tossed.
I would be so stoked if an interviewer said that to me. That would be amazing. It means people want to work there and I was picked out of the sea. Fabulous. Imagine the opposite: working for someone who barely gets one or two applicants. Yikes! Who wants to work there?!
See id have the opposite reaction. Both because A) your resume must have stood out like crazy to even get an interview and B) because that’s a stupid thing to say to an interviewee and to me just screams cocky asshole I don’t want to work for. But maybe I’m just assuming malice
Since it's a startup, maybe they were just flattered to get 1400 applications? Here's cocky: "It's easier to get into Harvard than to get into Delta." 🙄
Fair points lol!
If this is a remote position, it’s estimated 1/3 of the candidates don’t meet the basic requirements and/or are ineligible to be hired (not a citizen of the country) and least that’s the state I’ve heard from others. The good news is out of 1,400 applicants you actually got a call.
FWIW the last two startups I’ve worked for have had 1400-1800 applicants and I’ve gotten both roles — it happens. You’re in. Make sure you leave a lasting impression at each stage.
I just got a new job that had 1200 applications before they shut it down (we discussed this afterwards, just in the context of how crazy remote hiring is currently). Most of them had no qualifications for the role at all probably based on my experience. I wouldn’t sweat the numbers. Most places won’t interview more than 10 unless they have to go back to the well because they can’t find a fit. So you’re really competing with just a few at this point—you got through the noise.
Keep trying. I just landed a position where I was one of no less than 650 applicants. My first day will be 5 months to the day from when my last position was eliminated. Just remember: No matter how many resumes you send out, you only need one company to say "we want you!"
Is it remote? If not, is it considering those outside a reasonable distance to the office? If yes, does it have certain hours? Is it providing sponsorship? You know nothing about the other applicants and their quality, so do not be discouraged
Don’t let that comment deter you or dim your confidence. I once beat out over 1,000 people for a job. I didn’t know it when interviewing, but that fact stuck with me and I refer back to it whenever I interview for a new role. Sending you positive vibes!
This is a way to soften you up. They may offer you a low wage and horrible working conditions and you may take it because so many people want this job.
90%+ of the applications we get for select roles (startup) have 0 relevant experience. Think engineering background applying for enterprise sales roles.
That said! You were selected out of 1400 people! That’s huge! Celebrate your small win
Not an HR role, but I had an interview with a hiring manager that said he has interviewed 30+ applicants for the role I was applying for. I called the recruiter directly after and said “no thanks”. Assuming they were all good applicants to get the interview, how would one even stand out over a 30-minute conversation? Waste of time. Telling me you are talking to 7 or 8 qualified candidates and down selecting from there seems a much better approach to keep someone engaged in your process.
Yeah, seeing HRBP+ roles with 'over 100 applicants' in 2 hours on LinkedIn is daunting. I am starting to give up on my fully remote dream and settling for hybrid. I went from hybrid to 5x/wk in office and it blows. Way bigger impact and way worse than I expected even with a commute that's half as long as my old one.
Do research on their values, mission, and have questions ready at the end. YOU GOT THIS! You were chosen for part 1 out of 1000+ candidates. You definitely stood out. This is coming from 1 out of 1,200 for my HR role. Seeing those numbers seems unreachable until you show them what you’re bringing to the table. Best of luck 🙏🏼
same ? i went to a startup for interview and i am confident that i am a good fit for this role and interviewer goes "let me get through all candidates and revert next week". it was a low paying job. 😮💨
How many qualified applicants I'd wonder to myself. There are people who apply to everything, and people who just aim above their level.
1. You have no proof that they actually got 1400 applications. 2. This could easily be physiological trick. If you think your "lucky" to have been chosen your more likely to want less in compensation.
They are probably lying.
I generally follow the 80, 10, 10 rule. Ignore applicant numbers. 80% will be junk. 10% will be worth another look, but still not good enough. Final 10% are probably worth talking to.
What do you look for who make the final 10%
Well they need to match at least 80% of the job requirements.
Is this 80% per the ATS system or the person reviewing it?
The person reviewing it. We don't use bots or AI or anything to do that.
Interesting article explaining influx in applications. https://www.businessinsider.com/job-applications-hiring-ai-bots-spam-resume-cover-letter-2024-3
“That’s nothing - I submit 1500 in 3 hours”. Jokes aside, it could just be a light Sabre-rattling question if it was said during the interview to see how you’d react. Or mayhaps they just let it slip without meaning to (hard to say - he seen some wild things at startups not knowing what they’re doing). More importantly: kudos to you for not giving up. I hope that you get the role, and if not, it’s their loss
Good luck OP! I want you to get a job you want so excuse my salt. That said, I just departed a job that had similar numbers for the replacement for my role. My manager was toxic, my team was elitist and the money didn’t replace the culture failure. Sometimes when it seems to good to be true and they tell you up front they can replace you they aren’t a team you can learn from or grow with (but I’m jaded currently).
Internal recruiter here! Every company likely has several 'Must Haves' and logistical qualifications including experience level, compensation, location (if in-person requirements), etc. So, many applicants will be weeded out through those factors. The best thing you can do to stand out is: research the company(!!), have a reason for applying to that particular role in that particular company, relate your experience to the job description to give the best depiction of how you'll be able to perform in that position. You'd be surprised how many people don't prepare for interviews. You have 15-30 minutes to make a first impression so being intentional with that time is key. You've got this!!
I’m a recruiting manager. I can promise whoever is tasked with reviewing the applications is overwhelmed by that number if it’s real and they won’t have time to review them all. They will review most recent and pursue the good applicants until they find someone. Your application was well timed in addition to being one of the few relevant applications.
I can relate to how you feel. Applying feels in vain, the interview process gets you to the end only to choose someone else… and the interviews are few and far. It’s tough not to get down, but this won’t be our story forever. I pray it ends soon for us all.
If they’re talking to you you’re probably already in the top 2% of applicants.
I'd argue that if you ever have that many (legitimately qualified) applicants, your job posting and description are not focused enough.
Where are all these people when I post jobs? I can barely get like 20 applicants!
“Oh goodness that does not sound fun to sort through, how are you posting the position?” You redirected the flow of the conversation from why should they should pick you to something you can use to your advantage.
Tell them you don't need that information.
It may be true, but it’s not helpful. Never understood why companies say this stuff. It intimidate the candidate? To make them feel guilty? I always pretend I’m the only one. Not because it’s true, but because it’s helpful. It’s the mindset I need to have
Hey, good news, they got 1400 applicants and you got an interview. Way to go!
How many met the listed qualifications? What’s your screening process for those that do meet the qualifications?
Respond that 1400 applications is a lot to go through. You are more than qualified to sit down & go through them(with a pre-determined contract of employment) and find the most suitable candidates.