Professionals across industries are sending out dozens of applications without a genuine intent to change jobs. This behavior, often called doomjobbing, lets workers feel a sense of control while they wait for layoffs or peer progression to catch up. The process satisfies a compulsion to act, even when the role offers no real benefit.
The mechanics of the cycle
Technology has lowered the barrier to this behavior. AI tools can draft resumes and algorithmic alerts notify candidates of openings within seconds. A process that once required research and tailored writing now takes a few taps. Professionals respond to notifications instead of evaluating if a role matches their ambitions. Each submission provides a brief feeling of preparedness, which fades with silence or rejection.
This activity looks like active career management, but it rarely produces progress. Candidates submit dozens of roles in minutes while recruiters sort through irrelevant applications. The result is fatigue on both sides, as genuine talent risks being missed in a flood of unsuitable submissions.
Some employees act out of boredom rather than fear. Anju Jumde, a human resources leader at Aditya Birla Money, notes that a lack of engagement drives many applications. She sees employees apply for internal vacancies that do not suit them, simply because they do not enjoy their current tasks.
Read Also: Siddharth Grease & Lubes appoints Nitesh Madan as new CHRO
Jumde explains that the motivation is not job security but a need for stimulation. People keep looking for different jobs to get that dopamine hit. She argues that candidates collect rejections while recruiters waste time sorting through irrelevant applications. Eventually, the sheer volume of poor matches means genuine talent can get overlooked.
Others act out of anxiety about relevance. Rajesh Jain, a group chief people officer at Vishvaraj Environment, says employees are worried about staying relevant in a changing world. They apply externally because they cannot see a clear path for growth inside their own organizations. The external market feels visible and responsive, even when the internal one is opaque.
The cost to high performers
High-performing employees are particularly vulnerable to this behavior. Praveen Purohit, a CHRO at Vedanta Aluminium, warns that capable people often move faster when uncertainty rises. They accept opportunities they do not want simply to escape a lack of confidence in their current company.
Standard engagement measures miss this risk. An employee can hit targets and appear committed while quietly testing the market. Managers have little to address when the anxiety concerns future relevance rather than present conditions. Purohit recommends regular town halls and conversations that explain the positive story of the business to restore confidence.
Read Also: Welspun Corp’s HR chief Rakesh Mehta resigns
Why the cycle persists
The cycle persists because the action is cheap and the feeling is cheap. A professional can apply to fifty roles in a month without spending money or time. The cost is only a few minutes of attention. The reward is a brief spike in confidence. The dopamine hit of sending an application is immediate. Learning a new skill or building a network takes months to show results. The job search offers a shortcut to the feeling of progress.
Employers often misinterpret this behavior as simple disengagement. They assume a quiet employee is checked out or unhappy. The reality is often fear or boredom. An employee might be performing well but anxious about a role she cannot see. She applies externally to prove she has options. The search is not a sign she wants to leave, but a sign she wants to feel safe.
Jain notes that internal growth is opaque. Employees cannot see a path to a better role inside their own company. The external market feels visible and responsive. A recruiter’s reply is a concrete sign of value. An interview invitation proves alternatives exist. Even if no offer comes, the process restores a sense of control. A career that depends on decisions made elsewhere feels unstable.
