Receiving a large number of applications from qualified candidates is, naturally, a desired scenario for any employer. When faced with a large number of strong applicants, it's important to have an effective strategy for selecting the best candidates for your position. Maybe there's something you could have done earlier in the process to separate the wheat from the chaff? Here are some tips for managing an abundance of strong applicants:

1. Effective filtering through application systems:

"Many applicants do not read the job advertisement thoroughly enough and are encouraged to apply for things outside their area of expertise." - Sebastian Næss Langaas

Use a digital application system to filter applications based on key qualifications such as education, experience, and skills. Consider using a scoring system or ranking scale to evaluate the suitability of applicants. Here, the right application system can do much of the work for you, and applicants will immediately see if they are qualified or not.

Before posting the job, it's important to define clear job requirements and qualifications. This will help attract relevant applicants and reduce the number of applications from less qualified candidates. A trick here could be to include mandatory yes/no questions in the application process to ensure that applicants read and understand the requirements thoroughly.

2. Prioritizing important qualifications:

When you have a large number of applicants, it can be challenging to thoroughly assess each application. Therefore, it's important to prioritize the most important qualifications and experiences needed for the position. This will help you focus on the most relevant applications. Let the digital application system filter out the applications that score highest on the most relevant criteria.

3. Case studies:

If after the first round of application filtering you are left with many applicants, it may be wise to ask applicants to perform a case study before the next interview. This will give you the opportunity to assess applicants' ability to solve problems and perform tasks relevant to the position. At the same time, it will help reduce the number of applicants who are not sufficiently interested or qualified for the position.

4. Open communication:

It is important to maintain open and clear communication with all applicants throughout the recruitment process. Provide regular updates on the status of their application and be transparent and honest about expectations for the further process. If you receive a large number of applications, it may be beneficial to create a standardized rejection notice that can be sent to all applicants who do not proceed in the process, to avoid confusion and unnecessary inquiries. This can also save applicants a lot of waiting and frustration.

Handling an abundance of qualified applicants can be a challenging but also a positive experience for employers. By implementing a structured selection process, defining clear job requirements and qualifications, prioritizing important qualifications, using written tests or case exercises, and maintaining open communication with applicants, employers can effectively identify the best candidates for a position.

In other words, these few steps can make the selection process much easier—not only for the employer but also for the applicant.