For the first time since 2012, online job applications are losing ground as the dominant path to employment, according to new research from Glassdoor that analyzed 1.24 million interview reviews.
Online applications accounted for 66% of interviews in 2025, down from a peak of 76% in 2023. Job offers showed an even steeper decline, dropping from 73% to 60% over the same period. While online submissions still generate twice as many interviews as all other sources combined, according to the report, the reversal hints at a sea change in recruiting dynamics.
Harder to identify high-quality candidates
The decline coincides with artificial intelligence tools that seem to make it easier for candidates to craft polished applications. “As online applications become higher-quality and easier to submit, it becomes more difficult for recruiters to identify high-quality candidates,” the report states. “The size of the haystack they have to search through is larger, and it’s harder to distinguish the needle from the hay.”
Recruiters are compensating by doing more proactive sourcing. Recruiter-initiated outreach jumped 72% since 2023, climbing from 8.6% to 14.8% of interviews. That growth accounts for more than half the share that online applications lost.
Employee referrals, while representing around 8% of interviews, continue to punch above their weight. Referred candidates are 35% more likely to receive job offers than those starting with online applications, though their overall share has remained flat since 2020.
The data also shows that industry patterns vary significantly. Nonprofit, government and education sectors rely most heavily on online applications, with 78%-84% of interviews starting that way. Technology, manufacturing and construction lean harder on referrals and recruiter outreach, with tech showing the lowest reliance on online applications despite pioneering the format.
The data suggests successful hiring in 2026 requires a balanced, multi-channel approach rather than over-reliance on any single sourcing method.
HR tech people moves
WTW appointed Sheila Nordquist as health and benefits leader for North America, effective Jan. 12. Nordquist joined the company in 2013 and most recently served as Midwest H&B region leader, focusing on growth strategy development.
Global law firm Hogan Lovells appointed Paul Gilford as global chief information officer, effective Jan. 26, succeeding retiring Gareth Ash. Based in London, Gilford will lead technology transformation and AI strategy.
Pebl appointed Doug Pullman as chief marketing officer to lead global marketing strategy and brand positioning. Pullman joins as the AI-first global hiring platform accelerates adoption following its recent rebrand and enters its next growth phase.
InformData appointed Danny O’Toole as chief product and data officer and Reddy Shivampet as chief technology officer. The firm delivers real-time people data for background screening, risk management and compliance applications.
HR tech in the news, healthcare edition
Judi Health reported record growth with Capital Rx surpassing five million contracted employer lives and implementing two million new health plan lives this year. The company appointed Sara Bunn as its first chief HR officer following a $400 million funding round.
Health-E Commerce partnered with WEX to integrate FSA Store and HSA Store into WEX’s benefits portal. This enables the FSA/HSA reimbursement process to become a seamlessly integrated shopping experience that combats fragmentation and confusion for account holders.
eMed Population Health was named a Novocare Recognized Care Provider, delivering access to the newly FDA-approved Wegovy pill, the first oral GLP-1 medication for chronic weight management.
More HR tech in the news
Workforce management solution Legion Technologies released over 90 innovations extending AI capabilities, including a new generation of AI assistants that deliver autonomous workforce decision automation across forecasting, scheduling, time and attendance, and labor optimization.
Performance management platform Betterworks introduced NextGen, its next-generation performance enablement solution with over 400 customer-prioritized features. The AI-native platform is designed to keep performance enablement continuous, contextual and human-centered wherever work happens.
Salesforce announced general availability of the all-new Slackbot, a personal agent for work built into Slack. Available for Business+ and Enterprise+ customers at no additional cost, Slackbot uses company conversations and context to help people get answers and take action.
WTW partnered with Bettercomp to combine compensation advisory expertise with benchmarking software, integrating survey data with AI-driven analytics for informed pay decisions. Additionally, WTW launched Health Transparency Optimizer, a price analytics suite enabling employers to evaluate healthcare costs alongside quality and utilization.
More from HR Executive
LinkedIn’s new data reveals a talent crunch: Eighty percent of job seekers feel unprepared, and two-thirds of recruiters can’t find qualified candidates. The solution? Small AI pilots over big implementations, power users over tech experts and fixing specific friction points.
Compliance has become HR tech’s most fragmented puzzle. Aspect43’s new practitioner guide maps the chaos into four categories plus a maturity model. Also, the DOL’s chief innovation officer explains how to audit AI bias, ensure explainability and build trust rather than bottlenecks.
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