There is a lot of talk around “candidate experience,” but many default to the experience post application. While that is certainly important, we also need to look at the application submittal process. Ask yourself these questions. Is your apply flow mobile? How long does it take to apply?
When you first meet someone, you want to be careful about how much you’re asking of your new friend. This thinking here is the same – we need to be extremely careful what we ask our candidates to do upfront. As it becomes more and more difficult to attract candidates to apply and many “passive” jobseekers will not spend a significant amount of time upfront, we need to keep the process simple and remove any roadblocks along the way.
There’s No “Pinch” in “Capable”
First, mobile capable means that your career site is searchable and viewable on a mobile device and the content is readable on that device. The best practice is to use responsive design, which eliminates the “pinch and squeeze” action on a phone and will ensure your career site will adjust its size automatically depending on the device being used.
True Mobile Apply Makes It Simple
Mobile apply – true mobile apply – is the ability for a job seeker to find your careers page, search your careers page and complete the application so that it is integrated with your applicant tracking system. Best practice would limit the number of questions per page so that a job seeker isn’t scrolling down to finish the application. If your ATS isn’t capable of mobile apply, there are third-parties that can help.
Keep the Process Simple and Concise.
Most job applications are long and time consuming to complete. Forty-five minutes isn’t unheard of to complete a job application. Think about that from the perspective of a job seeker. They aren’t going to be able to complete that over a quick break at work or while waiting in line. While unintentional, companies are losing active, transformational talent. According to Indeed, if your application process exceeds 15 minutes, we’re closing the door on 30% of your transformational talent – not to mention 57% of those candidates who earn $100K.
Netflix’s application process takes one minute and includes five questions. Intel – four minutes. Apple – five minutes. Facebook and Coca-Cola? Both eight minutes. These companies do a great job at making it incredibly easy for interested talent to apply. There’s no way around it; you’ve got to keep it simple.
Ask for Help
If updating the careers page isn’t feasible for your marketing or IT departments to handle, there are options to consider. We can help you navigate that complicated landscape. It’s worth the exploration.
However you go about it, start by completing your own job application. Determine all the job seeker touch points. Even small adjustments can lead to a better candidate experience.
Have you completed your company job application? What did you think?