Finding a new job is harder than ever - experts explain why so many applications fail
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HR professionals say nearly three applications in every four don’t have the required criteria for the role. You might be thinking of finding a new job in 2025; if so, gear up for a change of approach to how you landed your last one. That seems to be the prevailing opinion heading into the new year, with data emerging that not only are thousands keen to change jobs - but also that it’s getting harder to even get a response from companies, let alone land the job.
Research from LinkedIn suggests that despite almost two in every three UK professionals being keen to get a new job, a massive 61 per cent, over half of them believe it has become harder to find new roles and say they are frustrated by a process which has increasingly meant applying more and hearing back less - even after undergoing interviews. This comes on the back of a recent release of the fastest-growing jobs in the UK, which put artificial intelligence engineers and home health aides top of the pile.
Across all industries though, the issue seems to be not just the availability of jobs, but the chances of hearing back about them, with even 80 per cent of HR professionals agreeing that it has become harder to find a new dream role. As such, the mass-apply approach might not be the right one for those wanting change, with LinkedIn saying the “strategy isn’t effective” and change in mindset, as much as process, is needed.
Furthermore, and perhaps adding to the frustrations on both sides of the hiring divide, over a fifth (23 per cent) of HR professionals reported that nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of applications meet all the criteria specified in the job posting.
