A new hiring model for employers in 2026

Most hiring models still divide candidates into active (in an application) and passive (sitting in a database) - but current candidate behaviour no longer fits cleanly into either. They categorise candidates by who they are but they don’t yet account for AI influence or current economic anxiety and they treat applications as having equal levels of intent and motivation. None explain how intent forms, strengthens, or dissolves across a funnel.

Volume is no longer a proxy for quality

Radancy reported a 52% increase in applications from 2023-2024 with active candidates making on average 27 applications a week (StandOut CV). Put simply: the action of making an application now represents a very different level of intention for you as an employer.

An application today could mean:

• “I’m curious"
• “I’m anxious”
• “I’m maximising my chances
• “I want this role specifically”
• “I want to work in this company”
• “I didn’t know I applied for this”

Treating all applicants as equally motivated creates noise, and masks high potential candidates from employers. Instead, we need to understand what types of candidates are moving through our funnel - and which behaviours signal intent and readiness.

1. The Casual Candidate

Low curiosity · Low intent

Who they are
The Casual candidate applies because it’s easy, not because they’re especially interested or aligned to a role. Their behaviour is shaped by frictionless application flows, economic uncertainty, and AI-assisted applications. Applying is exploratory -sometimes habitual- rather than intentional.

Typical behaviours

• Applies quickly, often in bulk
• Minimal or no role research, may not even read the job ad
• Little engagement after submitting
• Rarely responds or progresses consistently
• Engages most with quick ‘apply’ options
• A small, purposeful friction step will filter these candidates out, or surface their true intent if it exists

Lindsey Zuloaga, Chief Data Scientist at HireVue, recently highlighted how extreme application volume is overwhelming hiring teams. When hiring for a senior data scientist role, her team received around 4,000 applications - roughly half of which did not meet the role requirements, including candidates from entirely unrelated professions. She described the result as “a huge amount of noise”.

What this signals

• Like many in 2025, they view applying as a numbers game
• Application action ≠ motivation
• Intent is harder to strengthen for these candidates

2. The Explorer

High curiosity · Emerging intent

Who they are
Explorers are engaged but undecided. They’re learning, comparing, and sense-checking fit. Their intent is forming, but fragile and traditional funnels often mistake them for drop-offs, when in reality they need clarity and time to align themselves.

Typical behaviours

• Browses roles, career pages, and employer content
• Revisits opportunities over time
• Likely to start but not complete applications, or withdraw later on
• Engages more with context than calls-to-action

The Emerging Talent team at British Airways were able to reduce application incompletions and withdrawals by 80% by funnelling candidates through a pre-application step, by taking the typically optional stage of researching, and making it mandatory to be able to access the application. The result? A 60% reduction in poor-fit applications, less noise and candidates who converted 3.8x more than comparable groups.

What this signals

• Intent is emerging but unconfirmed for these candidates
• Poor experiences or lack of clarity can stall or collapse intent
• A strong candidate experience can convert exploration into commitment
• Explorers need time – closing roles early can cut these candidates out unintentionally

3. The Optimiser

Low curiosity · High intent

Who they are
Optimisers are highly engaged with the process of applying for a job, but not always with the role. They use AI, templates and application ‘hacks’ to maximise chances but don’t tend to spend time researching specific roles or careers. Their applications look strong, but motivation can be situational rather than aligned to the role.

Typical behaviours

• Uses AI tools to tailor CVs and answers
• Applies across many roles
• Strong early performance in screening stages
• Motivation becomes harder to read later in the process

A 4Q24 Gartner survey of 3,290 job candidates found that four in 10 candidates(39%) said they used AI during the application process.  “It’s getting harder for employers to evaluate candidates’ true abilities, and in some cases, their identities. Employers are increasingly concerned about candidate fraud.” said Jamie Kohn, Senior Research Director, in the Gartner HR practice.
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What this signals

• Intent is performance-driven, not fit-driven
• Can progress far without deep alignment, a polished application is no longer a reliable indicator of commitment or fit - falsely inflating the pipeline
• Intent may weaken when more effort or reflection is required through application stages

4. The Purpose-Driven Candidate

High curiosity · High intent

Who they are
Purpose-driven candidates are motivated by meaning, values, and long-term alignment. They care deeply about finding an opportunity that matches their needs, supports their passions and values. Their intent strengthens through deeper understanding and authentic interactions with employers.

Typical behaviours

• Deep engagement with role and culture content
• Takes time before applying, needs to build trust
• Completes optional or reflective steps
• Will self-select out if misaligned

Our State of Candidate Experience study found that candidates are 2.15x more likely to be attracted to the culture, mission and ethics of a company, than salary and benefits. At the same time, candidates reported that first-hand experiences from current employees were their most trusted source when learning about a company.

What this signals

• Intent is internally motivated and resilient
• Strong predictor of retention and advocacy
• Responds positively to transparency and positive friction – your employer brand plays well here.
• Purpose-driven candidates lead with research – and so early closure may mean these candidates are cut out the pipeline unintentionally
• Watch out for negative Glassdoor & Reddit social commentary that might turn these candidates off – even if it’s historical

“This [extra step] is encouragingly thoughtful and fair to us as applicants. This task could feel like an extra task for applicants rather than plunging straight into your standard applications, but the fact it makes me think about the role, and my suitability to it, convinces me l will actually save time in later preparation and research. Or if for whatever reason l felt the role was not for me, it saves me an entire application!”

British Airways Candidate 2025