Jobs now attracting an average of 46 applicants in crowded Aussie market

With a typical job now attracting 50 applicants, competition is fierce. Here’s how job seekers can get the edge over their rivals.

Aussie job hunters are competing against as many as 45 others for the same role, prompting warnings that some workers might be better off staying put rather than changing employers.

Exclusive research reveals the number of people vying for jobs has increased by as much as 73 per cent since last year, as a growing candidate pool seek out a shrinking number of jobs.

Companies using in-house recruitment methods now receive 46 applications for every advertised role. This is almost 20 more than at the same time last year and more than three times that received in 2022, according to new data from recruitment platform JobAdder.

Professional recruitment agencies are also being bombarded with resumes – receiving almost 38 applicants for a single role, compared to about 27 last year and just 14 in 2022.

“Recruiters are no longer struggling to find candidates – they’re inundated with them,’’ says JobAdder chief executive Martin Herbst.

The number of people vying for jobs has increased by 73 per cent annually.

Stay or go?

Candidate competition is highest in the science and technology sector, followed by health care and community services, research from Employment Hero suggests.

In the construction and retail, hospitality and tourism sectors, there are still enough roles to absorb job seeker demand, the latest Employment Hero jobs report shows.

Herbst expects competition to increase further throughout the coming year, urging workers to carefully consider whether to enter the jobs market or stay in their role.

“If you’re getting frustrated (trying to secure new employment) then maybe you should just stay put where you are right now and power on in your current job,’’ he says.

Leadership expert Louise Gilbert, author of Make Work Work For You, says workers must find ways to get ahead in their career, despite the changing market.

“That might mean moving organisations, it might mean staying put and finding a new role (in your current company) or it might mean staying in the same role (with the same company) and doing (your work) in a different way,’’ she says.

Banking professional Amber Cossart-Walsh has applied for more than 250 jobs.

‘Playing hide-and-seek’

Amber Cossart-Walsh has applied for more than 250 jobs in the past three months but is yet to proceed to the interview stage.

The banking professional recently relocated to Australia from the Middle East and hoped her global experience in HR transformation and project leadership would set her apart from other candidates. But she admits it’s been tough.

“Sometimes, I receive responses indicating that the role has been filled or, due to restructuring, it is no longer required,’’ Cossart-Walsh says.

“Other times, I get system-generated rejection emails within minutes of applying, suggesting that my resume hasn’t truly been reviewed.

“It feels a bit like being stuck in the world’s longest game of hide-and-seek – and apparently, my perfect job is an expert hider.

“But I’m staying positive and determined to find that elusive role. Hopefully, it’s not hiding too far away.’’

Standing out in the crowd

Being seen as “more than just a piece of paper’’ is key to candidates standing out amid increased competition for roles, Gilbert says.

She recommends job seekers try to meet with hiring managers before sending in their resume, noting some prospective candidates have deliberately orchestrated “bumping into (a recruiter), just to have that opportunity to talk’’.

When it comes to preparing for interview, she says many recruiters now provide a list of questions to candidates who ask for them.

“Try and get as much information upfront as possible, to understand what (the company) is looking for (in a candidate),’’ Gilbert says.

Workplace expert Michelle Gibbings says preparing questions to ask the interviewer is also important.

“Ask about the working environment or what’s the first thing you would be working on or what would show you’re delivering in this role,’’ Gibbings says.

“Recruiters will ask, ‘Do you have questions for us?’ and if you say no, that raises a bit of a question mark because it shows you haven’t thought about the role very deeply.’’

Phoning or writing a thank you after the interview ensures candidates remain top of mind for hiring managers and provides feedback for future job applications, Gibbings says.

Be proactive

Even those not looking for new employment should build strong relationships with recruiters in their sector, Gibbings says.

“You often hear (workers say), ‘I don’t return recruiter phone calls because I’m not interested in changing roles’. But you should always take that phone call,’’ she says.

“You might not be interested in the role but you might know someone that is so you can help the recruiter and they will remember that.

“Talking to recruiters means you’re in their database so when you want to actually change roles, you can ask for their help.’’

JOB COMPETITION

Recruitment agencies –

July 2024: 37.8 applications per job

July 2023: 26.8 applications per job

July 2022: 13.9 applications per job

In-house recruitment –

July 2024: 46.3 applications per job

July 2023: 26.7 applications per job

July 2022: 15.2 applications per job

Source: JobAdder