How painful is your job application process? Is your interface keeping good people from applying and hurting your growth?
Engineer: Hi —-, is it a big nasty process based on obsolete web tech that requires me entering each line of my résumé by hand? To be frank, I just don't have the time to spend hours doing that. If it's just a simple résumé submission, then it's no problem.
Recruiter: To be frank the application process can be lengthy due to the fact that we require an extensive cover letter that addresses each of the minimum requirements, so I do understand if there is indeed hesitation to apply.
Engineer: Wow, that sounds like a good way to keep the best people from applying. So strange. - LinkedIn chat between engineer and recruiter
Terrifying dinosaur job application systems are common among very large, very old companies or government departments that use their own internal web-based application system and can’t be bothered to upgrade. Usually a candidate uploads a résumé or links a web profile, and then is required to fill in all the same information manually. Item by item. Another example of a similar problem is requiring a line-by-line march of agony through the job description and requiring candidates to enter a paragraph of text describing their qualifications for each item. It’s a mind-numbingly arcane process that is prone to failure and data loss. If one happens to choose the wrong browser, all work could be erased with one errant click. It can take 30, 60, even 90 minutes to stumble through these poorly constructed interfaces. This is a great way to eliminate excellent candidates by preventing them from even applying, and you’ll never know they exist. Stop doing that!
More than 70% of job seekers said they will not submit a job application if it takes longer than 15 minutes to complete. - Greenhouse Software Inc
The truth is, many good engineers simply aren’t going to take the time to complete an onerous application process while suspecting that their submission is practically guaranteed to sit ignored on the other end. New grads that have a frustrating experience with your application system will carry that ugly memory with them throughout their careers, and rule your organization out for future job searches. It’s an uphill battle to overcome a reputation of “difficult to work with” once entrenched, so just don’t go down that road to begin with.
You may feel you are too big and attracting too much attention to be able to handle résumés via email. There are other avenues to explore before filtering out all the best candidates by defaulting to a poorly-maintained homegrown web interface in the 2002 style that requires complete manual entry. You can contract existing third-party systems that are regularly updated and maintained by specialists, for example. There are many vendors for this convenient web-enabled service. You could develop a modern, functional proprietary application system leveraging proven existing technologies that presents a simple interface. If you are overwhelmed by irrelevant applications, you could reduce your advertising footprint and work primarily through recruiters, direct connections, employees, or word of mouth.
HR shovels billions of dollars into “HR technology” — automated job sites and keyword-based Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSes). These are nothing more than keyword crunchers and spam generators that unskilled keyboard punchers can operate. It doesn’t matter that the HR tech doesn’t really work, or that HR is failing miserably at hiring, because there are virtually no meaningful metrics in HR departments. - Nick Corcodilos of Ask The Headhunter
You aren’t required to have an online application system. Take a moment of introspection to analyze your recruiting strategy in terms of quantity and quality. Maybe sorting through vast piles of résumés with the aid of complicated database and search software isn’t your thing. You are not alone. The industry trend is towards the more effective engagement of a few specialist recruiters instead.
Comments