For decades, recruiters and hiring managers have relied on job boards to broadcast vacancies and expect suitable candidates to roll in. But today, simply posting a role on a board no longer delivers the results it used to. Candidates, especially the new generation, expect more than an application link. Before they accept the job, they expect connection, respect, clarity and a human-to-human exchange. And let's face it, every traditional method hits its use by date at some point. With AI changing the workforce landscape, there is no better time to stand out by creating a space where candidates want to work.
Here’s why the era of passive job board posting is fading, and what smart recruiters need to be doing instead.
The old “post and wait” recruitment strategy no longer matches the behaviour of today’s top professionals. This isn’t to say that job ads or career-page listings are no longer relevant. In fact, XeopleRecruit enables recruiters to create branded job boards that seamlessly integrate with your website and ATS, but they’re simply not enough on their own. Today’s candidates approach the hiring process differently: they see it as a two-way evaluation.
Job seekers want to assess whether a company is truly worth their time before committing, and they value genuine human connection with employers or recruiters throughout the process. Many top candidates are already employed and not actively looking for new roles.
In fact, Australia’s job market recently recorded a 4.2% decline in online job postings (seasonally adjusted), with drops across all major occupation groups. Professionals are seeing the steepest fall. The decrease was consistent across all skill levels, states, and territories. According to PWC, nearly half (49%) of job seekers working in high-demand fields like technology say they’ve turned down an offer because of a bad experience during the hiring process.
In short: posting a job is only step one. What matters next is how you engage the candidate; how you treat their time, respond to their questions, share your values, and invite them into a dialogue.
The rise of AI and automation has not only changed how recruiters and hiring managers manage their workflow, but also how candidates perceive the hiring process. Many job seekers worry about being screened out by algorithms or losing the personal touch that used to define recruitment. The traditional hiring process which was about a simple application, interviewing, and a final email has evolved, but not always for the better. Today, most candidates struggle to even make it past the ATS (Applicant Tracking System). While a few proactive candidates find creative ways to reach employers directly, the reality is that most applications never get reviewed beyond the automated system.
That’s why job descriptions and employer presence matter more than ever. As a recruiter or employer, posting an ad on your careers page shouldn’t be the only strategy. Offer alternative ways to apply, and use your social platforms to promote your brand and hiring efforts. Present yourself not as a distant authority, but as a team looking for a teammate: approachable, authentic, and human.
When your process feels mechanical, impersonal, or opaque, you risk alienating the very talent you wish to attract. That’s why a great candidate journey, which centres human connection, is now not just nice-to-have, it’s table-stakes.
Building relationships between recruiter and candidate means: transparency about role and expectations, recognising each candidate’s skill-set and ambitions, and creating an ongoing connection beyond the application. From a recruiter’s perspective, it’s clear that with hundreds of applications pouring in for a single role, it’s nearly impossible to build a personal connection with every candidate. But when you’re reaching out to a passive candidate especially for a senior or strategic role, taking the extra step can make all the difference:
a) Schedule a conversation, invite them for coffee or lunch, and show genuine interest in their story.
b) Explain why they were chosen, highlight the value you see in their skills, and make the interaction personal. Even if they don’t accept the role, they’ll remember the experience and more importantly, they’ll remember you.
c) When recruiting a fresher, move beyond generic outreach and engage with each shortlisted candidate thoughtfully. Acknowledge their experience, highlight what makes them stand out, and show genuine interest in their potential fit.
d) Close the loop: Many candidates drop out because they hear nothing. Research shows 60% abandon mid-application due to complexity or silence.
At Xeople, our platform is built to boost recruiter efficiency without sacrificing the human connection. Through our integration with Entire OnHire, you can easily sync data, search for talent, push jobs to the member app, and share personnel details, all directly from XeopleRecruit. This means you can manage your existing workforce smoothly while continuing to attract new talent and nurture candidate relationships. XeopleRecruit also includes a personalised recruiter dashboard that puts the most important details front and centre, helping you stay focused without feeling overwhelmed by day-to-day operations.
Posting is the first step followed by connecting and caring, being the most important. We have solutions that cater to your needs from sourcing the best candidates to storing your network from past and present candidates. Find out more about XeopleRecruit that is built for your permanent placements, as well as Entire OnHire that helps casual recruiters manage their workforce.
In a market where job boards remain a useful starting point, the companies that succeed are those that treat candidates like potential future colleagues. If you’re ready to move beyond posting jobs and start building real-world relationships with candidates, we’d love to show how Xeople can help you focus on what truly matters, contact us to discuss more.