Hiring and have 100’s of Applications You Can’t Use? You’re Not Alone.
112 Applications. 3 Shortlisted. 0 Hires.
A few weeks ago, one of our clients ran a recruitment campaign to hire a Senior Tech Position.
They wrote the ad, paid for the posting, promoted it internally, and waited.
And sure enough, the applications came flooding in.
112 applications, to be exact.
But here’s where it gets tricky.
After hours of screening, sorting, and reviewing, only 3 applicants made it to the shortlist.
From there:
Two weren’t quite the right fit at interview The third declined the offer
That’s a lot of time, energy, and cost — with nothing to show for it.
And unfortunately, it’s not an uncommon story.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
We see this all the time:
Hiring managers spend days managing job postings, filtering through candidates, booking interviews, chasing feedback, and preparing offers – only to come up empty-handed.
It’s exhausting. And demoralising. Especially when you’re juggling business-as-usual responsibilities alongside hiring.
But the reality is: more applications ≠ better outcomes.
In fact, high volume can actually slow down the process – burying the best people under a mountain of unsuitable CVs.
Here’s Something You Might Not Know…
Unless you spend more than $ 900 on a Seek ad, it won’t be sent to all matching candidate inboxes.
That’s right – those alerts candidates get when a job matches their profile?
You don’t automatically get that exposure with a standard listing.
If your budget is under that threshold, your advert only reaches people who are actively job hunting — the ones refreshing Seek daily, often applying for everything in sight.
That means you’re missing out on a huge portion of the market – the passive candidates who might not be actively looking, but would consider a move for the right opportunity.
In other words, you’re not playing with the full deck. And in this market, that matters.
Reference: https://talent.seek.com.au/products/jobads#chooseRightAd
Enter: Sense Recruitment
We help clients navigate these challenges every day.
Our job is to take the pressure off your team, save you time, and get you better outcomes.
Whether you’re trying to fill a gap quickly or making a strategic hire, we offer flexible, smart recruitment options that work with the realities of today’s hiring market.
Here’s how:
Shortlist-only support – No upfront cost. You only pay if you hire someone we introduce.
Fixed-fee recruitment – Know your costs upfront, with rates that make sense for business support, corporate and specialist roles.
Candidate Search – We have a variety of internal tools to help us reach the passive candidates that could be the best option for your role.
Trusted contractor network – Need cover fast? We can connect you with experienced, reference-checked professionals who can start immediately.
Why It Works
We don’t just post jobs and hope for the best.
We tap into our networks, reach passive candidates, and do the work that most hiring teams don’t have time to do – screening, reference checks, expectation setting, and pre-interview assessments – as well as our team being an extension of your brand selling all the reasons they should consider the role and your company.
By the time someone lands in your inbox, they’re already vetted.
No time wasted. No awkward surprises. Just real people who are ready and right for the role.
Let’s Not Sugarcoat It
The job market is tough right now.
Some roles attract hundreds of applicants. Others struggle to attract any.
Budgets are tight, teams are lean, and expectations are high.
But the solution isn’t doing more of the same.
It’s doing things differently.
If your last campaign fell flat, or your internal team is stretched too thin, we’re here to help.
Because at the end of the day — 112 applications mean nothing if the right person’s not in there.
Let’s cut through the noise.
Let’s get the right people in the right seats.
Let’s make hiring simpler again.
If you’re ready for a smarter way to hire (even with limited budget), hit us up for a coffee and free consult.
We’re not about the transaction. Our relationships across WA have been built over 18 years – one trusted match at a time.
Contact us at jobs@senserecruitment.com.au or call +61 8 9481 8111.
Happy Hiring,
The Sense Recruitment Team
