Hiring is a daunting task. When confronted with hundreds or even thousands of job applications, the process becomes even more challenging. Dealing with a large volume of applications is always a challenge. You will be required to go through hundreds of resumes and make numerous screening calls, making the process intensely laborious, time-consuming, and costly. The experience can be strenuous and non-appealing, even for the most experienced HR teams. Fortunately, there are methods that you can use to handle a large volume of applications in an efficient, effective, and stress-free manner.

1. Make use of the right technology

In the cases of large volume applications, recruitment software can be incredibly resourceful. Even if you do not have access to the most sophisticated system, you can still use the basic recruitment software because they can make sifting through the numerous CVs much easier.

If your applicants send their CVS into your emails, it’s easy to overlook a few. But with recruitment software, the application is logged in an applicant tracking system. Through the system, you can sort all incoming applicants and mark them into individual pots either as” Shortlisted,” Rejected,” or “To be Reviewed,” which allows you to stay on top of the application.

If you choose to purchase a robust applicant tracking system, you will enjoy better features such as the generation of automated emails to applicants. As you accept or reject candidates, an email is triggered to the candidate informing them of where they stand.

2. Target the right people through your job adverts

The thing is that getting a large volume of applications is not always equal to the quality of the applicants being high. If you realize that the larger number of your applicants is irrelevant, you need to take steps to improve your candidates’ quality. The best way to do this is by focusing on your recruitment advertising regime. It’s best to use n advertising that delivers superb quality rather than to get thousands of responses with only one ideal candidate. The first thing is that you have to give clear information on a potential candidate’s requirements and roles.

3. Outsource the task of filtering CVs

If the vacancy you are looking to fill is receiving an extensive response, it can be quite frustrating if you find that the larger number of the candidates is not suitable for the role. It could be that they do not pose the basic criteria that you need in candidates, or maybe they may not live within a reasonable locality of where the vacancy is based. If you find that going through every single CV to be time-consuming, you should think about outsourcing the task. Numerous professional advertising agencies extend CV filtering services as part of their advertising packages. They filter through incoming applications and offer the clients the ultimate list of qualified candidates for internal assessment.

4. Close the posting of the vacancy early if deemed necessary

After receiving a large volume of responses within a short time, letting the vacancy remain open is not fair to the applicants or the hiring team that has to sift through the CVS. Once you realise that the applicants are at the optimum level, it’s best to pull down the shutters. It’s also best to ensure that the application period is not too long to prevent many applicants. However, you should exercise caution before closing the posting early and should only be done if the quality has been identified.

Conclusion

By implementing some of these large-volume application practices, you will be able to select higher quality candidates for your vacancy. It will also help keep the connection between you and the applicants at the optimum levels. By leveraging these strategies, you can sail through the time consuming and expensive endeavor effortlessly.