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A high volume of unqualified candidates isn’t a new hiring problem, but it seems to be getting worse for many talent teams. A 2025 GoodTime survey found that 41% of recruiting leaders identify a lack of qualified candidates as a top bottleneck in their hiring process.
Let’s explore why this is happening — and what you can do about it.
Why you’re getting unqualified applicants
Understanding why unqualified candidates apply for your jobs is the first step to addressing the problem. It’s often assumed that people simply don’t read job descriptions carefully, but there can be many other causes.
Vague job descriptions
Poorly written job descriptions can attract the wrong candidates, cast too wide a net, or leave candidates feeling confused about their qualifications. This can make it challenging for candidates to accurately self-assess their fit, resulting in unqualified applicants.
AI-powered application tools
AI tools are helping job seekers apply to more positions faster than ever. While this technology can help qualified candidates find the right opportunities, it also enables less qualified applicants to submit more applications with minimal effort — increasing your volume of poor-fit resumes.
It’s no surprise that 58% of hiring managers are concerned about AI-generated applications.
Easy apply job boards
Job board easy apply buttons have made it effortless to apply to open roles — for better or for worse. Removing friction from the application process may help you attract skilled candidates with busy schedules, but it can also encourage unqualified candidates to apply. Job seekers can quickly submit applications without carefully considering their qualifications when applying takes 30 seconds instead of 30 minutes.
Weak employer branding
Inauthentic or unclear employer branding makes it challenging for job seekers to understand your company culture, values, or what makes your team unique. This can encourage to spray-and-pray application strategies where people apply to as many organizations as possible, hoping something sticks.
Weak employer branding also means candidates have to guess whether they’d fit your organization. This uncertainty can lead to candidates who aren’t a good culture add.
Poor job board distribution
Posting a specialized role on general job sites can mean you’ll reach job seekers who aren’t in your target field. Each platform has its own audience, and mismatched distribution leads to mismatched applicants.
The wrong job board can attract unqualified candidates who see an interesting job title or appealing page range, but don’t understand the actual requirements or company context.
Lack of screening tools
Some organizations lack robust screening tools in their hiring process — especially smaller businesses. Without additional early evaluations, like screening questions or skills assessments, unqualified candidates won’t be dissuaded from completing the application process.
Proven strategies to address a high volume of unqualified applicants
The most effective approach to reducing unqualified applicants combines several complementary strategies. Try layering multiple techniques to create a comprehensive filtering system rather than relying on a single solution.
Write crystal-clear job descriptions
An effective job description should help candidates self-select so you get the right applicants.
Start with a specific job title that accurately reflects the role and seniority level. Then kick off your job description with a job summary that clearly states what the person will do day-to-day, rather than just listing responsibilities.
Be explicit about required qualifications versus preferred qualifications. Required items should be non-negotiable skills or experiences that someone needs on day one. Preferred qualifications are nice-to-have extras that could make someone particularly attractive.
Leverage pre-screening questions and knockout questions
Modern applicant tracking systems allow you to create custom questions that can dissuade unqualified candidates from applying, or help you quickly identify them. Effective knockout questions might include willingness to relocate, specific software proficiency, or licensing requirements.
Design questions that require specific knowledge rather than yes/no responses. Instead of asking “Do you have marketing experience?” ask “Describe your experience managing Google Ads campaigns, including approximate monthly budgets you’ve managed.” This approach makes it harder for unqualified applicants to fake their way through.
Target niche job boards
Regularly evaluate your job boards for effectiveness. Consider reallocating budget If you’ve never hired a quality candidate from a particular site.
Industry-specific job boards can help you find high-quality candidates who are already working in your field. For example, a software company might find better developers on Stack Overflow Jobs than on general sites. Healthcare organizations may see better results from specialized medical job boards than broader platforms.
Showcase culture and employee value proposition
Help candidates self-select based on fit, not just qualifications. Candidates who wouldn’t thrive in your culture are less likely to apply when they understand your organization’s working style, values, and environment,
Create compelling content about what makes your company unique. This might include team photos, day in the life videos, testimonials from current team members, or specific perks and benefits. The goal is to paint a clear picture of what working at your company is actually like.
Use candidate scoring to focus on the most promising applicants first
Modern applicant tracking systems can automatically sort and rank applicants based on keywords, experience levels, education, or other criteria you define. This does’’t eliminate unqualified applicants entirely, but it helps ensure you see the best matches first.
Set up automated workflows that highlight applications meeting your key criteria while sorting others for later review. This approach lets you focus your prime recruiting time on candidates most likely to succeed while still maintaining a complete candidate pool.
Move your skills assessment earlier in the hiring process
Incorporate brief assessments into your initial screening process instead of waiting until the final interview rounds to test relevant skills.
This might involve a short writing sample for content roles, a basic coding challenge for engineers, or a mini case study for analytical positions. Early skills assessment helps you identify genuinely qualified candidates while deterring those who lack essential abilities.
Use other candidate sourcing channels
Diversifying your sourcing approach reduces your dependence on applicants while building relationships with potential candidates before you have urgent hiring needs.
The most effective sources for candidates are:
Leaning into employee development and internal mobility can significantly boost the strength of your talent pipeline, increase retention, and help you build an engaged team.
Turning away the wrong fit without hurting your brand
Rejecting unqualified applicants professionally is crucial for maintaining your company’s reputation and keeping the door open for future opportunities. The way you handle rejections can impact your employer brand and determine whether candidates recommend your company to qualified professionals in their network.
Create candidate-friendly rejection templates
Generic “we’ve decided to move forward with other candidates” messages frustrate job seekers and reflect poorly on your organization. Instead, acknowledge the time candidates invested in applying and provide brief, constructive feedback when possible.
Your rejection emails should thank candidates for their interest, briefly explain why they weren’t selected, and encourage them to apply for future roles that might be a better match.
Provide positive candidate experience throughout your process
Respond to applications promptly rather than leaving candidates wondering about their status, even for applicants you ultimately reject. Set clear expectations about your timeline and stick to them.
When you do conduct phone screenings or interviews with candidates who aren’t the right fit, focus on their strengths while explaining why the role isn’t a match. This approach helps maintain goodwill and positions your company as professional and respectful.
Consider offering brief feedback on how candidates could strengthen their qualifications for similar roles in the future. While you can’t provide detailed coaching to everyone, a sentence or two about skill development can leave a positive impression.
Keep in touch with candidates who might be qualified for other roles
Not every good candidate is right for every position, but someone who’s almost qualified for one role might be perfect for another opening six months later.
Create a talent pool of promising candidates who weren’t quite ready for current openings but showed potential. Tag these candidates in your ATS with notes about their strengths and what types of roles might suit them better. When similar positions open up, you’ll have a head start on finding qualified applicants.
This approach is particularly effective for companies with multiple departments or regular hiring needs. A candidate rejected for a senior finance role might be perfect for a junior position, or someone with great potential but limited experience might be ideal after gaining another year in their field.
Final thoughts on unqualified candidates
Managing unqualified applicants effectively requires a proactive approach that starts before you post your first job. You can dramatically improve your applicant quality while building a stronger employer brand when you create clarity that helps the right candidates find you. The most successful hiring processes make it easy for qualified candidates to shine while naturally filtering out poor fits.
Keep an eye on your recruiting metrics as you make changes. You want to be sure that you’re not losing qualified applicants in addition to dissuading unqualified applicants.
JobScore’s applicant tracking system can streamline many of these processes by automating candidate screening, scoring applicants, and helping you maintain consistent communication with all applicants. More effective candidate management features means you can focus less time on unqualified applicants and more time on finding your next great team member.
