[davismwfl]

Honestly, I strongly doubt a small startup is getting 10k applications a month. I advise a few startups & small businesses that are actively hiring multiple roles and I work at a startup that is actively hiring multiple roles. Yes, many people are active and applying, but it is not 10k applications a month even for multiple positions for a small startup.

One of the hardest tasks for a company, especially right now, to do is to create the resume funnel. So I know some startups try to hack it and create FOMO on their hiring funnel, which is what the claim you heard sounds like to me. Yes, certain brand names will get crazy number of applicants, but that isn't the case across the board.

General jobs/economy reality. The more positions open when there is low unemployment (relative to the position) the smaller number of applicants per position, and the pickier the applicants. The fewer jobs open with "high" unemployment the larger and less picky candidates become. After the dotcom bust, when I was hiring we would see 500-1000/month resumes per open position in some cases, just insane; yet, before the bust we would see < 100/month usually, even at highly known companies.