For most of the last three years, the complaint about recruitment advertising was simple: not enough people applied. In autumn 2026 the complaint has changed. Many employers now receive more applications than they can read, yet still struggle to find the few people who are genuinely right for the role. The problem is no longer reach. It is relevance.

That shift changes what good recruitment advertising looks like. For UK employers, and for anyone hiring across Australia and international markets, the goal is not to attract the most applicants. It is to attract the right ones, and to help everyone else rule themselves out early.

More candidates, fewer roles

The UK market is busy on the candidate side and quiet on the vacancy side. Early estimates show UK vacancies fell to 702,000 in June to August 2026, the lowest level since February to April 2021 (Source: ONS Vacancies and jobs in the UK, September 2026). Job postings on Indeed were still 31% below early 2020 levels as of 18 September 2026 (Source: Indeed Hiring Lab, UK Labour Market Snapshot, September 2026).

At the same time, the availability of candidates continued to increase in September 2026, amid reports of redundancies and fewer job opportunities. The rise was sharp, although the slowest in three years, while permanent placements grew for a second month in a row (Source: KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs, October 2026).

Employers feel this directly. In the CIPD’s survey of more than 1,000 UK employers, 58% reported an increase in applications from unsuitable candidates over the last 12 months, compared with 33% who saw more suitable candidates. And 27% of organisations that tried to recruit said candidates made “excessive” use of generative AI in their applications (Source: CIPD Resourcing and talent planning report 2026, September 2026).

Australia shows a similar pattern. Employers who recently advertised received an average of 21.5 applicants per vacancy in the March quarter 2026, but only 5.2 of them were judged suitable (Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation Shortage Report, March quarter 2026).

Your advert is now a filter, not just a megaphone

When applying takes a few clicks, and an AI tool can tailor a CV in seconds, vague adverts get vague responses. If your ad could describe almost any employer, almost anyone will apply. That creates more screening work and more disappointed candidates, and it makes it harder to spot the strong applicants who are in there somewhere.

Company adverts still do the heavy lifting. Among UK employers that hired in the last 12 months, 73% sourced new employees through their own adverts, such as careers websites, job boards and social media (Source: CIPD Resourcing and talent planning report 2026, September 2026). That makes the quality of the advert itself one of the most important levers you control.

A good advert in this market does two jobs at once. It persuades the right person that this role is worth their time, and it gives everyone else a clear, respectful reason not to apply.

Be clear about pay

Pay is the most powerful filter you have. In the three months to June 2026, 58% of UK job postings on Indeed included pay information, below the 64% high seen in September 2024 (Source: Indeed Hiring Lab, 2026 Mid-Year UK Jobs and Hiring Trends Report, August 2026).

That may not stay optional for long. In its July 2026 consultation on equal pay, the UK government proposed “a requirement for all employers to publish pay information in job adverts”, covering England, Scotland and Wales (Source: GOV.UK, Equal pay and pay discrimination consultation, July 2026). Getting ahead of it now is easier than reworking every advert later.

Australian employers are seeing the benefit too. In a Robert Half survey of 500 Australian hiring managers, 91% of those who include salary information in job ads said it improves the quality of the applications they receive (Source: Robert Half Australia, August 2026).

Practical ways to attract fewer, better applicants

  • Lead with the job, not the company boilerplate. Say what the person will actually do in their first six months.
  • Separate the essentials from the nice-to-haves. Keep the essential list short and honest, so strong candidates who meet it are not put off.
  • Show the pay range and the working pattern, including how hybrid or flexible working really works in the team.
  • Be specific about who will not enjoy the role. A line on the pace, travel or level of autonomy helps the wrong people opt out.
  • Add one or two simple screening questions that match the essentials, rather than relying on CVs alone.
  • Write for the channel. A job board listing, a LinkedIn post and a careers page each need a different length and emphasis.
  • Measure quality, not volume. Track how many applicants reach interview and offer by channel, not just cost per application.

Conclusion

A busy candidate market is an opportunity, but only if your recruitment advertising is built to select as well as attract. The employers who will do best over the next year are the ones whose adverts are clear on the role, clear on pay and honest about fit. That means fewer applications to wade through, a better experience for candidates and more time spent with the people you actually want to hire.

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Want your recruitment advertising to bring you better applicants, not just more of them? Get in touch with RMG to talk about your job adverts, channels and talent attraction plans.