tip sheet: 5 reasons why job seekers abandon your application
TRANSCRIPT
5 Reasons Why Job Seekers Abandon Your Application
It is no surprise that job seekers hate applying for
jobs. In a recent survey, 12% of job seekers said
that they would rather get a root canal than apply
for a job online.
The process is frustrating for employers too.
Despite spending lots of time and money to attract
qualified candidates, employers only capture
about 10% of the job seekers that first enter their
recruiting funnels. A number of factors lead to
the 90% drop-off, including increasingly complex
tools, poor process design and time-consuming
and burdensome candidate experiences.
www.findly.com | +1.800.603.0680
DoubleLogin
Too muchdata required
Not enoughtime
Too manyscreens
ATS usabilityissues
No mobileapply
Only 10% make it through!
Events
SEO
SEM
Networking
Career site
So why exactly do job seekers drop-off and how can you make the apply process better to increase application completion rates?
#1: Too many or too few screensA typical apply process can force an applicant through many screens, including job search, multiple login,
and candidate profile pages. Jamming many fields onto fewer pages can be an equally poor experience.
Long form pages that require a lot of scrolling to get to the end also experience higher drop-off.
Solution: Find the right balance between number and content of screensLook at minimizing the number of screens in your apply process. Then assess the experience per screen,
inserting logical page breaks to improve the applicant experience.
#2: The dreaded double login (aka “the brick wall”)
Solution: Eliminate the double login Making the apply process less cumbersome is one
of the best ways to reduce applicant drop-off.
Many employers require that job seekers create an
account to log in to their career site and then another
account to apply through their ATS. The double login
creates a high barrier to conversion.
#3: Too much data required To facilitate the recruiters’ job, many employers ask
job seekers to retype their work history directly into
the ATS field, even if this information is available in
the attached resume. In other cases, employers
request information, such as references, up front
even though this information isn’t needed until
later in the hiring process. Though convenient for
recruiters, this redundant effort is time-consuming
for applicants and can lead to abandonment of
the application.
Solution: Scrutinize every step of the apply flow Minimize the data gathered up front, especially if it
can be obtained later in the hiring process or from
other sources.
#4: No mobile apply Nine out of ten job seekers use mobile to research
jobs; when they can’t apply via a mobile device,
more than two-thirds rarely return to their desktop
to finish. If an employer’s site isn’t mobile-
responsive, job seekers are forced to squinch and
pinch their way through an arduous apply process
(the “40 screens of death”) on a mobile device.
Solution: Go mobile! Make it easier to not only search but also apply for
jobs on a mobile device.
#5: Poor design, even if mobile Even if you have a mobile-optimized experience,
there are best practices in design to improve
the candidate experience. Implementing these
changes can improve conversion up to 15% in
some cases.
Solution: Make design simple and intuitiveIncluding elements such as intuitive iconography,
larger font, and “fat thumb” navigation will make it
easier for job seekers to search and apply for your
jobs on mobile devices.
Job Search
Intuitive Menu
Row-length Selectors
Geo-Location
Clear Naming and Field
Structure
Bonus #6: Putting all candidates through the same apply process It is common recruiting practice to collect all information from all interested candidates before deciding
which ones to move through the next phases of the hiring process. What if you could increase the efficiency
in this process? What if you could quickly secure complete candidate profiles for the individuals your
hiring managers are the most interested in and push these candidates into your ATS while automatically
enriching the profiles of those not immediately selected in your CRM?
Solution: Bifurcate the apply processBifurcation means “forking” or splitting a process.
Instead of asking for all information up front, which
can lead to candidate drop-off, bifurcate the CRM
and ATS process. This makes the apply process
a better experience for candidates while allowing
employers to collect the necessary information
during the right phase of the hiring process.
In a single 10-second step, a job seeker can
provide essential contact information to the CRM
up front. The system automatically keeps the
candidate engaged, sending emails to collect
additional information to enrich the candidate’s
profile. Meanwhile, recruiters can cultivate a short
list of candidates, share these with hiring managers
to collect feedback and move finalists forward.
Candidates not moved forward remain in the
company’s talent pool while finalists are pushed
into the ATS.
Sources: Jibe, 2014; Findly, 2014; Glassdoor, 2014; CareerBuilder 2014.
These tips were taken from Findly’s webinar “5 Reasons Why Job Seekers Abandon Your Application.”
To view the full webinar, including more tips for improving application completion rates, please visit https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/12037/133453.
To learn more about how Findly talent acquisition solutions can help you improve the apply process and attract new talent, visit www.findly.com.
Application Process 10 Seconds!