If you’ve had your fair share of applying to job opportunities, you’ve probably heard the term ‘rolling basis’ a couple of times already. Recruiters probably think that this particular phrase is easily understandable, but that’s not always the case. There are some people out there, especially those who are new to the game of job searching, who don’t know what ‘rolling basis’ means and why it’s significant. Fortunately, we’re here to help you out.
This article will discuss and explain what ‘rolling basis’ means and why you should care about it.
What Does It Mean?
To better explain the concept of ‘rolling basis,’ let’s use an example. Imagine that there are two different companies that you want to apply to—let’s call them Company A and Company B. Both companies are looking to hire 30 individuals, and both will only be accepting applications between July 1 through July 31. Now, Company A accepts applications on a rolling basis, while the second company doesn’t. What does this mean?
Company A will begin going through the different applications as early as the first day of accepting them. In fact, they’ll start picking candidates on a first-come, first-served basis (or at least something similar to that). If the company you’re applying for follows a rolling basis, there’s a chance that they won’t even bother to check the rest of the applications once they’ve already chosen the right amount of people. It doesn’t matter if they’ll miss out on an amazing candidate who just happened to pass their application late because all the slots are full.
On the other hand, Company B will wait until they get to collect all the applications within the time period they set. They might not even start going through the applications until August 1 because they want to go through each candidate and choose the best ones.
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How to Know if the Company Recruits on a Rolling Basis
It’s quite simple to know if the company you want to apply to recruits on a rolling basis. In fact, you can check it on Google. Type in “[Company Name] rolling basis” into the search bar, and you should be able to get your answer from the results. You could also ask the recruiter if you’re unable to find results on the internet.
What to Do if You Applied Late for a Company That’s Rolling
Submitting your application late because you didn’t know the company recruits on a rolling basis can be disheartening. However, don’t lose hope—we’ve all been there. But this is definitely one of those mistakes you should learn from. As a rule of thumb, it’s better if you submit your job applications as early as you possibly can, whether the company is rolling or not. If you found out late that a company is rolling and there are only a few days left until the deadline, you should submit your application anyway. After all, there’s nothing to lose.
Conclusion
It’s always better to be prepared than sorry, and the same goes for job applications. Whether you’re on a job hunt, it’s always a great idea to have an application strategy in place and have a completed resume at all times. Being ready gives you an advantage, especially if the company you want to apply to happens to recruit on a rolling basis. You’ll thank yourself for your preparedness in the long run.
