Big Tech seems to be making it harder for smaller companies to hire AI talent.iStockA software engineering role in the US drew 3,367 applicants.Recruiter Lusely Martinez used an application tracking system and manual checks to cut candidates.Those who made the cut were honest and understood the position's needs, Martinez said.It took Lusely Martinez and her team 50 days to fill a software engineering role for a global tech company.The role attracted 3,360 applicants and seven referrals, she wrote in a LinkedIn post.