Hey everyone,
The pile got bigger. It did not get better. Here’s what the data actually says about why your inbox is quiet, plus a negotiation story from this week that went sideways in a way worth learning from.
Market Pulse
Greenhouse published its Hire Standard benchmark report in March, built on more than 640 million applications across 6,000 companies between 2022 and 2025. Two numbers from it matter.
The first: applications per recruiter went from 146 a year in 2022 to 746 in 2025. The second: over that same stretch, the average company went from about 10 recruiters down to fewer than 5.
Five times the volume, half the people. The average posting now pulls 244 applicants, up from 116.
Time to fill went up too, from about 44 days to about 60. All that extra volume did not make hiring faster. It made it slower. If more applications were the answer, every seat would be filled by now.
For anyone hiring, that is 16 extra days of somebody else carrying the caseload. For anyone searching, that is the real reason your application went quiet. It is not personal. It is a pile.
One note on the data. Greenhouse’s numbers are cross-industry, not claims-specific. But what I see on claims searches every week tells the same story.
Career Intel
I saw something happen last week that I think other people can learn from.
A candidate got an offer. They countered about 20 percent higher. The hiring manager went to bat for them internally, pushed it up the chain, and got it approved. Then the candidate came back and asked for more.
Here’s what most people miss in that moment. When somebody goes to bat for you internally, they spent something to do it. They put their name on you in a room you weren’t in. Going back a second time after they already said yes doesn’t read as ambitious. It reads like the number was never the point.
You get one negotiation. Use it. Know your number before you counter, not after you see how they react to the first one. And if they say yes, say yes back.
If you’re on the hiring side, the flip matters just as much. If you had that number available the whole time, the candidate notices what it took to get it. That shows up again at the one year mark when they’re deciding whether to take a recruiter’s call.
From the Desk
I’m working general liability adjuster roles in California right now, all levels. If you’re a California adjuster, or you know exactly who I should be talking to, hit reply.
Road to 100 is sitting at 31. A couple people are close, so this number should move soon. And a reminder on what counts: it isn’t just people I placed. If something here helped you land an interview, get your license, or make a move, that counts. Tell me about it and I’ll put you on the board.
Also, I was on The Salty Adjuster podcast. The episode is called “The Long Run” and we got into why applying harder makes your search worse, career pivots, burnout, and overloaded desks. Worth a listen if you’ve got a commute.
Beyond the Desk
I’m challenging myself to make video content five days a week.
It’s something I’ve been doing on and off since I started this business, and honestly I’ve been slacking lately. Video has never been comfortable for me. I’m not naturally great at it. But like anything else, I think effort and consistency get you there eventually.
If you’ve been around here a while, you know my thing about doing hard things. Turns out that doesn’t have to look like a marathon.
Until next week,
🤘Josh 🤘