How to Streamline Your Online Job Application
In today’s talent-driven economy, highly-qualified candidates have multiple job options and now are as capable of rejecting you, as you are of rejecting them.
Part of hiring smart means having a streamlined application process that will attract qualified candidates. It’s worth the time to design a simple and effective online job application process that persuades the best talent to complete an application.
Consider the following statistic. Nearly 35% to 40% of candidates that have negative application experience said they would never seek employment at the company again. It is clear that job candidates feel that the application process is a reflection of the company’s professionalism and efficiency.
How to Streamline Your Online Job Application Process:
Remove Irrelevant Questions: Too many questions and steps prove to be cumbersome, and a vast majority of job seekers are discouraged if the process is too lengthy. While it can be tempting to have a lengthy online application to weed out unqualified candidates, it may also eliminate the talented ones. Removing excessive personal and irrelevant questions reduces the complexity of your overall process while providing an engaging experience to job seekers.
One-Click Apply: A one-click apply feature allows prospective candidates to apply for jobs quickly, and in many instances, use a stored resume and cover letter from online profiles such as LinkedIn to apply directly. This will require minimal effort on the candidate’s part and dramatically increase the number of applications received by your firm.
Create a Mobile-Friendly Website: Today, not only do people shop, read, and communicate on mobile devices, they also apply for jobs on their tablets and phones. A recent study suggests that more than 40% of candidates will abandon a non-mobile application process or are unlikely to return to fill the application on their desktop if they cannot access it through their mobile devices. Thus, having a responsive website is a must for hiring smart in today’s job market.
Provide Timely Feedback: Honesty, transparency, and clarity are the three virtues that every application process requires. Candidates need to hear from recruiters to know whether they will be proceeding with the hiring process. Getting inappropriate feedback or being left in the dark is one of the many frustrations candidates have while applying online. Providing timely feedback is a crucial element of hiring smart.
Write a Detailed Job Description: An informative and engaging job title and description are crucial to attracting talented candidates. It’s important to provide a detailed description of the responsibilities and also give insight to a company’s culture. Try to include details about the experience needed, working hours, estimated salary package, and details about how you will conduct a resume verification. Better-worded job descriptions receive more applications on average and target candidates that are truly interested in the position.
The purpose of your application process is to encourage talented candidates to apply to the job opening and complete the entire application. A simple, effective, and streamlined process will persuade them to successfully apply.