6 Things Candidates Hate About Your Job Application Process

There’s nothing that can make a candidate abruptly leave a job ad without applying like an outdated application process. To avoid this, you need to make sure that your application forms are set up with the candidate in mind. We’re going to explain the six things candidates hate the most about your job application process and how you can change it.

6 things candidates hate about your job application process

1. You ask for too much information

If a candidate is faced with an extremely long application form, with multiple pages of questions, it’s no wonder that they don’t complete it. They may only have a short period of time and if the process takes an hour, they are likely to leave.

The amount of information that you ask for should be relative to the position and seniority level. In addition, you should only ask for information that is absolutely necessary for the initial screening.

Check out our example below from our own career page to see just how simple an application form can be.

Screenshot: Example of a one-click job application form from Talention

2. You don’t allow one-click job applications

If a candidate has to click through pages and pages of an application form, they are going to get lost somewhere along the way. By allowing them to apply in only one click, you significantly reduce the chances of losing them.

Setting up a simple one-click application form isn’t as difficult as you might think. It's usually done by allowing applicants to apply using their information from social media sites, which leads us to our next point...

3. You don’t allow job applications via LinkedIn or other social networks

One of the latest developments in the application process is allowing candidates to apply with information from their social media profiles, like LinkedIn. This usually means they have less forms to fill in, as most of the information will auto-fill from their profile, and can result in a one-click application form.

This can really simplify things for the candidate, allowing them to apply in the least amount of time.

4. Your application form isn’t user friendly

You’d be surprised how many application forms are not user friendly. For instance, the form requires a candidate to import data from a CV, except it extracts the data incorrectly and the candidate has to fix all the mistakes. Or, there isn’t a possibility to quickly upload a CV as a PDF and the candidate has to fill in all of the information manually.

This ties in with the need for simplicity when it comes to your application process. It needs to be simple and also easy to navigate and fill out, to ensure a positive candidate experience.

5. You don’t allow mobile job applications

In today’s digital society, we do almost everything on our smartphones, including searching for jobs.

Arguably the best time to convert website visitors into applicants is during the mobile search process because it does not require an extra step. If candidates can’t easily apply from their mobile phone, they will move on to the next job ad and may never remember to return to your career page on a computer.

6. You don’t send a confirmation email

Candidates want a confirmation that you’ve received their application. They just took the time to submit their information to you, so it’s important that you acknowledge their effort with a short response.

Setting up an automatic response to an application is easy with an applicant tracking software. Once it’s in the system, it won’t add any extra work to your plate but it will tell the candidate that you value their application.

Do you want to learn more about how to improve your job application process? We will gladly show you further best practice examples in the Talention software. Just ask for a demo here and someone will get in touch with you shortly. Request a demo now.