Don’t Be Fooled by a Big CV Response: Why Quality Beats Quantity in Recruitment

A high-volume CV response can be a warning sign, one that employers overlook far too often. At Poolhall Recruitment, we see it all the time: job adverts that are too general, too broad, or too open-ended end up attracting everyone… except the right people.

And here’s the truth most businesses don’t hear enough:

It’s not the number of CVs that matters - it’s the quality, relevance, and suitability of the candidates behind them.

Let’s break down why.

1. A Broad Job Advert Attracts the Wrong Crowd

When a job advert isn’t specific enough, it casts far too wide a net. Candidates skim-read a couple of bullet points and think, “I could do that.” Before you know it, you’re sifting through:

• People without the required experience

• Career changers hoping to “give it a go”

• CVs generated by one-click mass applications

• Applicants nowhere near the salary, location, or skill level

It’s overwhelming and it slows everything down.

Being clear and precise in the advert saves you hours down the line and attracts people who genuinely fit.

2. The Illusion of Choice Slows Hiring Down

Big response = big workload. What looks like choice quickly becomes:

• Decision fatigue

• Slower response times

• Missed top candidates

• Hiring delays

• Reduced quality of shortlists

When your advert pulls in hundreds of CVs, the real challenge becomes filtering the noise, and that’s where many businesses grind to a halt.

3. Filtering CVs Properly Takes Time… Lots of Time

This is the part most companies underestimate.

Reading, assessing, scoring, sorting, rejecting and shortlisting CVs is a skill and it’s time-consuming when done correctly.

At Poolhall Recruitment, CV sifting is one of the biggest parts of our service. And it’s a step that dramatically improves hiring outcomes. We don’t skim. We don’t rush. We don’t push “good enough.” Instead, we analyse skills, experience, and achievements to match candidates to culture and role specifics ensuring only the strongest, most relevant CVs reach you

It’s slow recruitment done well, it saves you time, money and headaches.

4. A Smaller, Stronger Shortlist Is Always Better

Five spot-on CVs will always outperform fifty irrelevant ones. A tight, accurate shortlist means:

• Faster hiring

• Better interviews

• Higher quality candidates

• More confident decisions

• Lower turnover

• A more precise match to the role and team

  
  

5. The Right Recruitment Partner Filters for You

Just because a vacancy gets a big response doesn’t mean the campaign is working.

A good recruitment partner helps avoid the trap by:

• Writing targeted adverts

• Positioning your role correctly

• Attracting the right people

• Screening and sifting thoroughly

• Presenting only genuine, high-quality matches

This is where Poolhall Recruitment excels. We're not interested in flooding your inbox with half-suitable CVs. We're here to deliver the right candidates, not more candidates.

Final Thought: Don’t Mistake Volume for Value

In recruitment, more isn’t better. A big CV response may look good on paper, but if you’re spending hours sorting through noise, slowing the hiring process, and still struggling to find the right person - the volume is costing you.

What you want is clarity, accuracy, and a recruiter who filters the crowd for you.

At Poolhall, that’s exactly what we do.

👉 Want a shortlist that saves you time, not steals it?

Get in touch and let us take the sifting off your hands.