AI Has Made Applying for Jobs Too Easy — And Recruiters Want Friction Back
AI tools have made job applications so simple that employers are now flooded with thousands of submissions, prompting many recruiters to say they actually want more friction in the process.
Recruiting professionals say the hiring process has become fundamentally broken, as artificial intelligence tools have made applying for jobs nearly as easy as online shopping. Andrew Stockwell, former head of people at software-buying company Vendr, recalls reviewing up to 100 applications per listing just a few years ago. Over the past year, that number has often exceeded a thousand, with a significant share being fake or AI-generated submissions that are difficult to tell apart.
Ophir Samson, head of voice AI at recruiting platform Greenhouse, says that a year ago recruiters wanted to make applying as seamless as possible. The result: some companies received 2,000 applicants within 24 hours for a single role. Now, Samson says, many recruiters are asking for the opposite — deliberate friction to help filter out serious candidates.
Fewer Openings, More Applications
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, job openings peaked at a record 12.3 million in March 2022 before declining, and have hovered around 7 million since mid-2024. At the same time, AI tools — including services like JobAssist and Sonara — let candidates submit far more applications with far less effort, sometimes ten times as many as a manual process would allow. LinkedIn reports that submissions per applicant have risen 46 percent since February 2020, and 22 percent since the launch of ChatGPT. The platform has begun adding limits to curb automated and low-quality applications.
Former HR executive Tessa White argues the situation is unsustainable, blaming recruiters' long push for speed and convenience at the expense of quality. Many companies are now turning to AI for early-round interviews to separate serious applicants from the rest, though White is skeptical this addresses the deeper problem with how candidates are evaluated.
The flood of applications has also pushed companies to rely more heavily on referrals and internal hires — a shift Stockwell warns favors candidates who resemble existing staff, undermining workforce diversity. Stockwell himself has been job hunting since February and estimates that online applications rarely lead anywhere without a personal connection.
