The stages of the selection process

1. Application

After you’ve created a job advert – and double-checked it for any errors – it’s ready to be posted.
Candidates can now apply but the number of applications, the quality, and diversity of those who
do, can vary hugely.

Some of these factors are external and beyond your influence as HR; for example social factors such
as the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Depending on your country’s infection rates and legislation put
in place by the government regarding work, health and immigration, the pool of applicants may be
smaller than pre-pandemic. The field you work in HR for will impact as well. If you’re trying to recruit
nurses to a public hospital, when burnout is high, your HR department’s role will be more
challenging than a video games company seeking graduate developers, who can work remotely.

The number of applicants can range between zero and thousands, depending primarily on the size of
the company, the type of job and the industry, and on how successful your sourcing strategy and
employer brand are. Internal factors such as pay rates, opportunities for progression and benefits
like health insurance, have a considerable impact as well. Google, for example, receives around 3
million applications a year. This means that on average more than 400 people apply per job opening.

But the number and quality of applicants also depend on your job advert. The way a job ad is
written, meaning how informative, engaging and inclusive it is, directly impacts the people you
attract. All job adverts should use gender-neutral language and you should consider if higher
education is an absolute necessity for applicants.