What Is Broken in Hiring Today?

Hiring feels broken for a reason — let’s find a better way to match people with the right jobs.

If you’ve ever applied for a job and heard nothing back - or tried hiring and felt overwhelmed by bad fits - you’re not alone. Both job seekers and hiring teams are frustrated, and for good reason. The hiring system isn’t just flawed - it’s outdated. And it’s failing the very people it’s supposed to serve.

What’s Not Working

• Outdated resumes don’t show potential
  A static list of jobs and schools doesn’t reflect who you are, what you can do, or how you might grow in a new role.
  
  

• Automated systems reject good candidates
  Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are built to scan for keywords - not talent. Great people slip through the cracks every day.
  
  

• Long hiring processes that burn people out
  When applying takes 45 minutes and interviews drag on for weeks, candidates check out. Top talent won't wait around.
  
  

• Too much focus on “experience” over skills
  Requiring X years in a role often ignores whether someone can actually do the job. Skills and potential should matter more than titles.

The Candidate Experience Is Broken

• Lack of transparency
  Many job postings don’t share salary ranges, timelines, or even what the job really entails.
  
  

• No feedback, lots of ghosting
  Candidates put time and effort into applying - and often get silence in return. It’s demoralizing and disrespectful.
  
  

• Inequitable access to opportunities
  Many hiring systems favor those with traditional credentials, leaving out skilled candidates from non-linear paths or underrepresented backgrounds.

Hiring Managers Struggle Too

• Too many unqualified applicants
  Without good filters, hiring managers get flooded with resumes that don’t match the role.

  
  

• It’s hard to assess fit from a resume
  Culture fit, communication, adaptability - none of that shows up in bullet points.
  
  

• Slow processes cost top talent
  Great candidates move fast. If your hiring doesn’t, you’ll lose them.

What Needs to Change

• Skills-first hiring
  Focus on what people can do, not just where they’ve been. Prioritize portfolios, projects, and assessments over buzzwords.
  
  

• Faster, more human-centered applications
  Streamline the process. Respect people’s time. Make it feel like a conversation, not a test.
  
  

• Smarter tools focused on match and fit
  Move beyond keyword-matching. Use platforms that understand availability, interests, and working style - not just job titles.

WorkOnward’s Point of View:

At WorkOnward, we believe hiring should reflect real people. That’s why we focus on:

• Dynamic profiles, not static resumes
  
  

• Candidate availability, so employers know who’s ready now
  
  

• Local-first hiring, because proximity still matters in many roles

We’re building tools that make hiring feel less like a black hole - and more like a real opportunity for connection.

Final Thought:

Hiring isn’t broken because people are lazy or unqualified - it’s broken because the system hasn’t evolved. It’s time to rethink how we match talent to opportunity, and bring humanity back into hiring.