Have you tried to apply for a job found on a job board, only to find it no longer posted on the organization’s career site or closed to further applications? What is going on? Well, it is likely that the recruiting team from this employer is implementing what is known as rolling basis hiring.
What is a rolling basis application?
- Recruiters and hiring managers review applications as they are submitted, instead of waiting until after the application deadline. Qualifying applicants start moving forward in the recruiting/ interviewing process, even while the job posting is still open to other applicants.
- If numerous qualified candidates apply before the deadline, the position may close early.
Common reasons employers recruit on a rolling basis include:
- Timeliness: Reviewing applications as they are submitted helps the recruiting process move along more quickly.
- Rolling basis hiring is the norm: Established application deadlines make sense for campus hiring due to its similarity with other academic processes (scholarship application, etc.). Rolling basis hiring mimics the experienced hire process and is most familiar to internal staff managing the majority of hiring processes.
- Cluster interviewing: Reviewing applications on a rolling basis also enables recruiters to schedule interviews in batches, which can significantly simplify the interview scheduling process for recruiters, applicants, and interviewers.
- Large applicant pools unnecessary: Receiving hundreds of applications is simply overwhelming. Once recruiters find the qualified applicants they need, they will want to move the interviewing process forward to secure their ideal candidate.
- Enhancing a candidate’s experience: Rolling basis hiring allows hiring managers to provide timely feedback to applicants at every step of the application process.
How to strategically prepare for rolling basis recruiting:
- ABC – always be connecting: Start networking with alumni and current employees of target organizations well before you learn of a specific internship or full-time role.
- Be prepared: Work with CDO coaches to have quality application materials ready. Then modify as needed to address specific qualifications, job criteria, etc.
- Apply early: Even if a deadline is listed, applying early gives your application a greater chance of being reviewed – and you will never miss a deadline.
