Online applications remain the main way job seekers secure interviews and job offers, but recruiter sourcing has risen sharply since 2023, according to data released Jan. 12 by Glassdoor.
Even in an era of artificial intelligence, online applications led to 2 times as many interviews and 1.5 times as many job offers compared to all other sources — referrals, recruiters and in-person applications, among others — combined, Glassdoor said.
Dominance of the online application has dropped somewhat, however. Recruiter-sourced applicants have increased 72% from 2023, according to the report, though that is only an increase from 8.6% to 14.8%.
Referrals, meanwhile, led to 7.9% of interviews and 10.2% of job offers — though interviews out of a referral were 35% more likely to result in a job offer, pointing to the power of a good referral. But employer referral programs historically struggle with complexity and proper communication, experts previously told HR Dive.
To fix that, employers may need to focus on clarity, shifting the rewards or generally re-examining the employment value proposition, experts said.
Recruiters, on the other hand, face a separate set of problems — notably, that online applications have removed enough friction that it is more difficult to identify good candidates in a bigger pool of options, Glassdoor said. In answer, many have focused on sourcing candidates on their own.
Recruiters are also turning to AI tools to sort through candidates amid higher pressure to fill roles, LinkedIn said, particularly as demand for specific skills increases.
