2 steps to take before opening the resume floodgates

Is there such a thing as too many applicants?

I recently discussed this with Pete Radloff, a seasoned recruiter who’s shaped teams at Amazon and is now a senior recruiter at Datadog, a rapidly scaling tech company with over 6,000 employees.

Pete highlighted that talent acquisition teams today are increasingly overwhelmed by the flood of applications — driven partly by AI-powered mass-apply tools. The sheer volume can leave recruiters drowning in resumes, even when technology is helping to shoulder some of the burden.

“Recruiters need to intentionally block time each day to manage resume filtering,” Pete advises. “AI is incredible for quickly surfacing the best fits, so why not fully leverage it?”

But even before the first resume arrives, Pete stresses two proactive steps to manage the influx effectively.

Step 1: Rethink your job descriptions

"Are your job descriptions compelling and specific — or just safe, generic bullet points that could apply to any role?" Pete asks.

Instead of crafting job descriptions that blend in, clearly articulate the exact skills and backgrounds your ideal candidate needs. Doing so might mean fewer total applicants, but it significantly boosts their relevance and quality.

Pete frames it this way: "Before hundreds of candidates storm your inbox, make sure the 'for-sale' sign on your house clearly describes who you're really looking to attract."

Step 2: Take your preparation and communication to the next level

Mismanaged expectations don't just lead to disappointed candidates — they create negative experiences that can impact your brand. Pete emphasizes being transparent about your hiring timeline. If it will take two weeks to respond, automate a notification to let candidates know. If it will take six weeks, clearly state that, too.

“There’s no excuse for failing to respond to every candidate,” Pete insists. Clear, automated communication preserves your employer brand and ensures you're building a talent pipeline for future roles.

Pete practices what he preaches. Recently, he needed to fill a role quickly, so he searched his database of past applicants. Among several promising candidates, he found one who had applied 18 months earlier. Pete reached out, the candidate was still interested, and the hire was made swiftly.

Remember, among those 1,000 applications you're handling today are candidates who might be perfect for roles that emerge 3, 6, or even 12 months down the road. Properly tagging and categorizing these candidates can make your next hiring cycle easier and more successful.

Prepare your team for the influx of applications

For more on inbound management and preparing for the many resumes that arrive with each job posting, stay tuned for our 1-on-1 conversation with the head of talent acquisition at CoreCivic.