HR 101

Seven Ways to Increase Job Applicant Flow

Pat Brothwell
Pat Brothwell
Applicant searching job boards for open positions

Job seekers can't apply to open positions at your organization if they don't know they exist. It's not enough anymore to simply post a job and expect the job applicants to come. Forward-thinking organizations know they have to not only optimize the job postings but find ways to promote them as well. It's a competitive job market for employers, so here are seven tips for ensuring qualified candidates find and apply to the job postings you create. 

Table of Contents

Seven Ways to Increase Job Applicant Flow

1. Write a Straightforward Job Title 

If your job title is lengthy and complicated, you can expect to see diminishing results from applicants. Conversely, if your title is too vague, or doesn’t adequately describe the position, then you can expect the same results. The title should be indicative of what the job is, and if there is a common title you can use for the position, then use it. And keep things standardized! "Marketing Rockstar" might seem cute or quirky, but "Marketing Manager" lets a candidate know whether they should apply or not. 

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2. Keep Your Description Concise But Informative

Good job descriptions meet the following criteria.

50% of job views on LinkedIn are on mobile devices. 

  • Concise: LinkedIn found that job posts with 150 words or less got candidates to apply 17.8% more frequently than job posts containing 450-600 words. Keeping things concise is also better for the modern candidate who may be using a mobile device for their search, and 50% of job views on LinkedIn are on mobile devices. 
  • Be direct: Candidates spend an average of 14-30 seconds on your job posting, which means you need to cover the essential aspects of the job as soon as possible. A study by The Ladders tracked job seekers’ eye movement—candidates spent the most time reading the top and skimming the information at the bottom. 
  • List a salary range: Include a salary range in your job posting. A joint Glassdoor/Harris poll found 67% of job seekers look for salary when deciding whether or not to apply. 

Copy of More Blog Stats (28)

If you want more information about how to optimize your job descriptions, check out Rethink What You Know About Job Postings.

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3. Use Keywords

Hundreds of millions of job searches are conducted each month through Google. While most reputable job boards do the work to ensure their postings are searchable in the major search engines, employers still have the most influence when it comes to ensuring your posting rises to the top of search engine results. This Monster.com article is an excellent guide to optimizing your job postings. 

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4. Utilize Multimedia

Infographics and videos will help your posting rise to the top of a search engine results page. It’s also a way to help your posting stand out. 

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5. Use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

An ATS is human resource software that helps companies organize and optimize the recruiting process by streamlining, automating, and strengthening hiring. An ATS allows businesses to create job postings, post jobs, manage (track!) candidates, and guide them through the hiring process. 

HiringThing is the developer of a private label applicant tracking system. Check out Ten Reasons All Businesses Can Benefit From Applicant Tracking Systems to learn about how an ATS can increase applicant flow. To learn how a private label applicant tracking system takes businesses ranging from franchises to SaaS companies to the next level, check out What is a Private Label Applicant Tracking System?

What is a Private Label ATS?

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6. Advertise on Social Media

Today's job candidates spend much of their search on social media. 

  • 79% of job applicants use social media in their job search.
  • 73% of millennials say they’ve found their last position through social media.
  • 84% of organizations are now using social media for recruitment efforts. 

The most important takeaway here is that if your organization is not utilizing social media, you should start. It’s not only where job seekers are looking for new roles, but it’s an excellent opportunity for you to demonstrate your employer brand. 

79% of job applicants use social media in their job search.

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7. Take Advantage of Referral Programs

Study after study has shown referrals to be one of the most reliable and cost-effective ways to find quality employees and HiringThing makes it easy to create your own referral program. 

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Related Resources

About HiringThing

HiringThing is a modern recruiting and employee onboarding platform as a service that creates seamless talent experiences. Our white label solutions and open API enable technology and service providers to offer hiring and onboarding to their clients. Approachable and adaptable, the platform empowers anyone, anywhere to build their dream team.