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Applicant
What Is an Applicant?
An applicant is someone who officially applies for a position by submitting their information to a potential employer. An application can be submitted through a company website, a job board, a recruitment agency, a personal referral, or any other recruitment channel. The moment an individual completes and submits a formal application, they become an applicant. Simply viewing a job posting or expressing informal interest does not make someone an applicant.
Applicants form the foundation of every recruitment process — they are the pool of potential talent from which employers select and develop their workforce.
What Is the Difference Between an Applicant and a Candidate?
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they carry distinct meanings in HR:
- Applicant: Anyone who has submitted a formal application for a role, regardless of whether they have been reviewed or contacted.
- Candidate: An applicant who has been reviewed, shortlisted, and progressed further in the hiring process — such as to screening, assessment, or interview stage.
Every candidate starts as an applicant, but not every applicant becomes a candidate. Active candidates are those actively pursuing new opportunities and submitting applications proactively.
Why Are Applicants Important in Recruitment?
- They form the talent pool from which the best hire is selected
- Application volume and quality are indicators of employer brand strength
- Managing applicants effectively reduces time-to-hire and improves hiring outcomes
- Every applicant is a potential brand ambassador — positive or negative experiences travel quickly
How Do Employers Manage Applicants?
Most organisations use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to manage the flow of applications. ATS tools help HR teams:
- Collect and centralise applications from multiple channels
- Screen resumes against predefined criteria
- Track candidates through each stage of the process
- Schedule interviews and communicate with applicants
- Maintain compliance with fair hiring and data protection requirements
Also see our guide on pre-employment screening to understand how applicant verification works.
What Topics Are Related to Applicants?
- Candidate Experience: The impression an applicant forms of an organisation through the recruitment process.
- Talent Acquisition: The strategic approach to attracting and hiring skilled individuals.
- Recruitment Marketing: Activities that attract applicants by building a strong employer brand.
- Screening and Shortlisting: The process of narrowing applicants to the most suitable for interview.
- Job Board: Online platforms where job postings attract applicants at scale.
How Does TankhaPay Support Recruitment and HR Operations?
Managing large volumes of applications efficiently requires the right tools. TankhaPay helps organisations streamline HR operations by centralising employee and workforce data, improving process visibility, and supporting compliant people management. Visit our recruitment page to learn how TankhaPay supports the full hiring lifecycle.
FAQs
Who is considered an applicant?
An applicant is any individual who formally applies for a job by submitting the required information to an employer through any recruitment channel.
What is the difference between an applicant and a candidate?
An applicant has submitted an application for a role, while a candidate is an applicant who has been shortlisted or progressed further in the hiring process.
Does viewing a job posting make someone an applicant?
No. A person becomes an applicant only after completing and submitting the employer's formal application process.
Why is applicant tracking important?
Applicant tracking helps organisations organise applications, improve hiring efficiency, reduce time-to-hire, and maintain a consistent recruitment process.
What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
An ATS is software used by employers to collect, organise, track, and manage job applications throughout the recruitment process.
