Turning inbound into opportunity: Lessons from CoreCivic’s Matt Lowney

Ever post a job and feel like you’ve opened the floodgates? You’re not alone. Talent teams everywhere are drowning in inbound applications — more resumes, more noise, and more pressure to deliver. The irony? Most companies already have the talent they need sitting in their own ATS. The real challenge is turning that chaos into a competitive edge.

That’s exactly what I set out to unpack with Matt Lowney, a talent acquisition leader at CoreCivic. His team reviews over 100,000 applicants and hires 8,000 people a year, from frontline staff to healthcare professionals. We talked about what happens after you post a job, why the flood of applicants shouldn’t scare you, and how the right mix of data, process, and human touch can turn today’s applicants into tomorrow’s hires.

Let’s get into it.

Q: What makes recruiting at CoreCivic unique, and how does that shape your approach to inbound applications?

CoreCivic operates in the correctional space, hiring more than 8,000 people a year — most in frontline roles, but also healthcare professionals and support staff. Recruiting for correctional facilities comes with unique challenges: few people envision themselves working in this environment, especially in healthcare. 

That’s why storytelling is central to our employer brand. We focus on three anchors: improving lives through reentry programs, making communities safer, and building a sense of purpose. Communicating this to candidates — sometimes even through creative tools like a children’s coloring book — helps us attract applicants who align with our mission.

Q: Why do companies struggle with large volumes of inbound applicants, and what’s CoreCivic’s approach?

When you post a job and receive 1,500 applications in hours, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The real challenge isn’t attracting applicants — it’s efficiently surfacing the right talent from that flood. 

At CoreCivic, we built our own model focused on two metrics: cost per apply and conversion rate. We track these by facility and adjust monthly to optimize spend and efficiency. Source tracking is complex. Candidates might see a billboard but apply through a job board, making attribution murky. We treat it as a black box: money in, applications out, and we continually refine our approach to improve results.

Q: What strategies help narrow the applicant pool without losing the human touch?

Filtering by specific attributes — like SaaS experience, union background, or IPO exposure — can quickly reduce a pool of 2,000 to a few hundred relevant candidates. 

Skills validation is another layer: not every “writer” has the right experience for your needs. But it’s critical not to lose sight of the applicant’s humanity. Too often, candidates feel like they’re dropped into an ATS and never hear back. 

At CoreCivic, every application is reviewed by a human. While technology can help, we believe a human touch ensures no great candidate is overlooked. When we need to narrow the pool, we use a matrix and collaborate with hiring managers to define what matters most.

Q: How do you address the rise of AI-generated resumes and skills inflation?

AI makes it easier for candidates to tailor resumes to job descriptions, making it harder to identify true experience. We’ve responded by tightening our filters and developing new rules, but it’s never perfect. Sometimes, the best candidate isn’t the one with the most experience or the slickest resume. We use matrices to justify our choices and focus on a holistic view of each applicant.

Q: Are companies making the most of their applicant databases, or is valuable talent slipping through the cracks?

Most aren’t. A well-maintained applicant database is a goldmine for future hiring. If you tag and categorize applicants correctly, you can build dynamic talent pools of “ready now” and “ready later” candidates. This reduces reliance on costly job ads and avoids negative brand moments when you ignore existing applicants.

Nurturing these leads is key. Regular, relevant communication — like job fair invites or company news — keeps your brand top-of-mind. It’s recruitment marketing, not just transactional outreach. At CoreCivic, we’re building strategies for ongoing engagement, recognizing that today’s silver medalist could be tomorrow’s perfect hire.

Q: How can companies keep candidate profiles up to date and relevant?

Stale data is a universal problem. Most candidate profiles in an ATS are outdated, reflecting who someone was years ago, not who they are now. Simple nudges — like push notifications or phone calls — can prompt candidates to update their information. Keeping profiles current ensures you don’t miss out on newly acquired skills or experiences that could be a perfect fit for your next opening.

Q: What’s the main takeaway for talent teams facing a flood of inbound applicants?

Don’t see high applicant volume as a problem — see it as an opportunity. With the right approach, today’s applicants can become tomorrow’s hires. Invest in systems and processes that help you efficiently filter, nurture, and rediscover talent. And never underestimate the power of a human touch in a process that’s increasingly automated.

Spend less time sorting and more time hiring

Findem’s Inbound Applicant Review experience was designed to address these challenges. Findem integrates with your ATS, relying on 3D data and AI workflows to:

• Instantly surface top applicants with smart match scoring, so you spend less time sorting and more time hiring.
• Use built-in filters to zero in on must-have skills, key screening responses, and job-specific criteria.
• Build dynamic talent pools and keep your pipeline warm, so you’re ready to hire when the right role pops up.
• Automate candidate follow-ups and nurturing, ensuring nobody falls through the cracks and every applicant gets a timely response.
• Keep candidate profiles fresh and actionable with comprehensive 3D profiles — resume excerpts, prior applications, and ATS data all in one place — making rediscovery a breeze.

Drowning in applications doesn’t have to mean missing out on great hires. With the right mix of smart filtering, human judgment, and proactive engagement, you can turn that flood of inbound resumes into a real talent advantage. It’s about working smarter, not harder, while making sure no good candidate slips through the cracks.

Request a demo to see how Findem can help you go from a pile of applications to a priority shortlist in minutes.