Is the job market broken or am I doing something wrong?

It's a bit of both. However, there are some things within your control...

Take a quick trawl through Reddit, Instagram or Facebook this week, and you'll spot a recurring theme.

"The job market is broken."

Depending on how far you're willing to go down the social rabbit hole, there's a consensus that if you're on the market, you've no hope of finding a job.  

If you're willing to read through the adverse commentary, ATS systems are apparently screening people out before anyone sees an application. Automated software has permanently replaced recruiters reading and rejecting resumes. And nobody gets a reply still.

Occasionally, somebody will ask if they're doing something wrong. It's a fair question. Most of the time, it only welcomes a further pile-on of conclusions that the whole shebang is up in flames and nobody has the water to put it out.  

That's just one side of the equation. What about the employers who still recite the parables of talent shortages? 

 

Is Australia's job market broken?

If it was, more than 200,000 jobs wouldn't be advertised every month. Total employment wouldn't have grown by 15,700 to 14,826,700 people in September 2026. Australia's unemployment rate wouldn't sit at 4.7%, as of 3rd November 2026. 

However, those stats only tell us the state of the employment market. They don't tell us anything about how effective the hiring process is. And that's what an increasing number of people are trying to question. 

Is the hiring process broken? 

We need to look at things objectively, starting with the two moving parts in the equation. 

1. The people doing the hiring
2. The people being hired 

Are the people doing the hiring doing it wrong? Are the people applying to jobs doing it wrong? To be fair, it's a blend of yes and yes. But not everybody is.

Plenty of people are still finding jobs. Plenty of employers are still finding good people. To those candidates who've given up hope and to those employers who still believe the right people aren't out there, I'd offer these three recommendations each. 

Employers: Three ways to improve your hiring process 

This isn't meant to be an exhaustive list. Instead, if I could pick the three biggest areas of the hiring process that need fixing first, it'd be these. 

1. Keep candidates in the loop

While it pains me to write something so plainly obvious, this is the biggest gripe most candidates have about a company's hiring process. The number of ads, conversations and signals we get about AI every day, and we still haven't figured out a way to automate responses to candidates yet, is staggering.

Simple updates at each stage of the hiring process give off the signal that you're an organised, thoughtful, and caring brand. The type of place somebody would like to work.

The responses are simple to write. Explain where the candidate is up to. Let candidates know when decisions are delayed. Let them know when they can expect to hear next. Imagine you're looking for work, and then write something you'd want to receive from an employer.

And if somebody's not the right fit, tell them. ASAP. Not-so-good news needs to be delivered fast. 

Once you're happy with the messages, you can automate them if you wish. 

 

2. Stop looking for the perfect candidate

I hate to be the one to explain this....they don't exist. They never have. If we can't be realistic when it comes to finding somebody for a job, what signal does that send to somebody reading one of our job ads? 

Be realistic about what the job requires. Take out the nice-to-haves. It's wasted advertising space. Separate essential skills from those that can be learned. Don't advertise for five years' experience because that's what the JD says. Challenge it. If somebody with three years and the right capabilities can do the job, go with that.

Finally, swap out lists of duties, responsibilities and needs with what's in the job for the candidate. People only read what interests them. Sometimes that's a job ad. 

3. Make decisions while good people are available

Now's a good time to reverse engineer your hiring process. Get everyone involved in the hiring decision aligned before you think about advertising. Keep interviews relevant, agree on a reasonable timeframe and stick to it. Hard. No exceptions.

Good candidates won't hang around when they're on other employer's radars. If you spend weeks deciding what you want, they'll have already decided what they want.

Probably a company that doesn't take weeks to make a decision. 

Candidates: Three ways to improve your job search

If you're looking for work (or a new job) and need the luck of the drawer, here's what I'd recommend fixing first.

 

1. Stop sending the same CV everywhere

My heart always sinks when I receive a resume from somebody, and they've not tailored it to the job they're applying for.  I get it. There are bills to pay, and they need to work.

There's also the 'quick apply' option that many job boards and LinkedIn have introduced, that are responsible for an influx of irrelevant and unsuitable applications. Employers want to know if somebody is suitable for a role. If they have to spend several minutes trying to work it out for themselves, they've already moved on to the next resume. 

Understand the job you're applying for. Make your relevant experience, skills and achievements easy to find. 

2. Give employers a reason to consider you

Don't just list your previous responsibilities. Explain what you've achieved, problems you've solved and the value you've brought to previous employers. Understanding what you've achieved takes considerable thought and time to arrive at something that can be measured.

But that's what hiring managers are looking for when they pick up your resume. If they can picture what you've achieved, there's a good chance you're being invited to an interview.  

Try adding some achievements to your resume. You'll be one of the 10% who have. 

3. Treat the interview as two-way opportunity

A job interview is not an interrogation. It's not a one-way conversation where the employer gets to ride their high horse for an hour and talk down to people.  That's not how they work. 

Instead, interviews are a great opportunity to find out more about the company, the job, and its people. Be ready to explain why you're interested and what you can bring. Remember the achievements in number 2, above? They're always good to talk about. 

Prepare for your interview. Take a pad and pen, and a handful of questions based on what you want to know more about 

Yes, employers are assessing you, and you're assessing them, too. Don't forget that. And don't forget that first impressions count at a job interview. That applies to both sides. 

Final thought: The hiring process is far from broken

As employers, we have a responsibility to make the hiring process better. We shouldn't shy away from that. As candidates, there are things we can do differently, sometimes better, even when the process itself feels frustrating.

If there's one thing I've said for the last two decades in recruitment, it's this: We should be building a hiring process around the people we want to hire. 

Until then, the broken hiring process fallout will continue.

I hope this article has given you something to think about and try. If it has, please share it with somebody who might also find it helpful.

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