When you urgently need a worker, the offers all sound alike: „we bring you applications", „x times more applications", „calculate how many applications you could get". This text is not about advertising — it is about what you are actually buying, and where the cost nobody mentions is hiding.
TL;DR
- An application is not a candidate. An application is a name and a phone number. A candidate is a person someone has verified: requirements, documents, real intent.
- Applications are cheap for a reason — someone has to process them. That work does not disappear; it just moves to you.
- Your goal is not many applications but a filled position, as fast as possible.
- A real shortlist is 5–6 verified people per role, not 150 numbers to call.
1. Three words that get mixed up: click, application, candidate
| Term | What it is | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Click / reach | someone saw or clicked the ad | almost nothing — it measures the ad, not people |
| Application | someone left a name and a number | that there is interest in something; not that the person fits |
| Candidate | person whose requirements, documents and motivation were checked | that an interview is worth your time |
When you pay to post a job ad — on a portal or as a social campaign — you are paying for reach, not outcome. Application volume rises with budget: it is the metric that is easiest to buy, which is exactly why it gets quoted.
2. What you are actually buying
No employer calls an agency because they want applications. They call because a person is missing from a workstation, and that seat costs money every day: work not delivered, overtime for the rest of the team, delayed projects, penalties.
The full calculation is in what an unfilled position costs.
For most roles, the decisive factor is not the price of the service but the speed and certainty of filling the seat. A few hundred euros of difference in fee is smaller than the cost of a single week of vacancy.
So the right question to any supplier is: „In how many days will I have a person working — and what happens if they leave?"
3. Why applications are cheap — someone has to process them
An application is cheap because it is unfinished work. Here is what applications to an open ad often look like in practice:
„Hi interested in the job call me"
„I have experience in everything, can start immediately"
(an application that answers none of the questions in the ad)
„What's the pay?" — and then the person stops answering the phone
These are not bad people; this is the normal consequence of a very low application threshold. When applying costs two clicks, you get both the person who qualifies and the person who does not know what the job is.
Someone has to call, listen to, verify and reject each one. If you did not buy that, you bought yourself a job. At 300 applications that is several full working days — usually of a manager or the owner, whose hour is the most expensive in the company.
4. Candidate screening: what happens between application and candidate
- Advertising and reaching people — including those not actively looking
- Collecting applications — in one place, with communication history
- First pass — removing the clearly unsuitable, with a reply to everyone
- Interview — what the person actually did, where, for how long, why they are moving
- Document check — diplomas, certificates, licence categories, work history
- Qualification and eligibility check — language, work authorisation, shift readiness, accommodation
- Intent check — is the person available for the agreed start date
- Candidate presentation — one summary per person, with what you need to decide
Only after that does a shortlist exist in any meaningful sense.
5. Same role, two scenarios
| You bought applications | You bought a filled position | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | e.g. 150–300 applications | 5–6 verified candidates (often fewer) |
| Who calls | you / your manager | the agency |
| Your time | several working days on the phone | a few interviews |
| Who checks documents | you | the agency |
| If the person never starts or leaves | your problem, start over | replacement within the guarantee |
| When you pay | upfront, per campaign | on outcome |
6. Five questions before you sign with anyone
- Is the number you are showing me an application or a hire?
- Who runs the interviews and checks documents — you or me?
- How many candidates realistically reach my desk?
- What happens if the person does not start, or leaves after two weeks?
- When do I pay — before or after the result?
FAQ
What does a job ad cost, and what does filling the position cost?
Two different line items. Posting a job ad is a cost of reach — you pay it regardless of outcome, plus your own time processing applications. Filling the position is a cost of outcome. To compare them, divide both by the number of hires, not by the number of applications.
How many applications does one hire take?
There is no universal number — it depends on the role, the region and the conditions. That is precisely why it is a weak indicator. Ask instead how many candidates reach you, and how many of those actually start.
Are more applications always better?
No. Every application carries processing cost. The better quality indicator is how many applications passed the eligibility check.
Where People Pons fits in
We do not sell applications. Applications are our cost, not your product. We present verified candidates: interviewed, documents checked, intent confirmed.
The deadline for the first qualified candidate is set in the contract (15 working days), the replacement guarantee runs 60 days from the start of work, and the fee is paid on outcome — not per application. Workers never pay us anything.
Need workers? Send an enquiry or contact us.
Related:
This article is a general guide, not legal advice.
Have a specific question for your situation? Call +385 91 514 0192 or write via the contact form — our partner liaison responds the same or next business day.