Job market trapped in vicious cycle

Indeed CEO Hisayuki Idekoba says the hiring process is broken. Job openings have slowed while applicants competing for each role have climbed, leaving qualified workers applying to dozens or hundreds of jobs without hearing back.

“You got 1,000 applications, and you think all 1,000 people are not qualified? Something's wrong.”

Employers flooded with fake applications

Applicant pools are drowning in AI-generated resumes and scams involving fake candidates, including North Korean IT workers. This makes it nearly impossible for companies to identify legitimate applicants.

Both sides of hiring are unhappy

Greenhouse CEO Daniel Chait confirms this is the first time job seekers and employers have both felt frustrated. Applications per job jumped 111 percent between 2022 and 2025, while recruiter headcount fell 56 percent.

“This is the first time when really both sides have been unhappy.”

AI doom loop worsens everything

Job seekers use AI to write resumes and cover letters while employers use AI to filter applications. Everyone solving their own problem with AI actually makes the whole system worse, Chait says.

“We've called that the AI doom loop.”

Automation could help recruiters refocus

Indeed's Idekoba hopes AI will eventually automate all manual recruiter tasks, freeing them to build real connections with qualified candidates and verify that applicants are genuine people.

“AI should take on more of that work so recruiters can get back to building connections with the right match.”

Networking beats cold applications

Business professor Scott Galloway says internal advocates matter more than your resume. At Google, seventy percent of hires have someone inside the company vouching for them.

“Seventy percent of the time, the person they pick is someone who has an internal advocate.”

Build relationships, not just applications

Netskope CEO Sanjay Beri advises job seekers to focus on networking. Many desirable positions are never publicly posted, and relationships built over time often lead to opportunities.

“Sometimes those jobs you want, they're never published.”