Standardize! Don’t make it so repetitively difficult that you drive applicants away! 1
I have been a member of the large class of people called Unemployed for far longer than I expected. So, I have been through the online application process hundreds of times. And I take issue with your process.
90% of what you ask in the online process is asked by every other company’s online process. Why don’t you standardize and streamline the process. Everyone in HR should get together and decide on a standard format that will include just about everything that you, in HR, will need to do the first screening of us, the online applicants. This format can be distributed for free to anyone who may apply for a job. Your internal, online system can then upload the fields that you require and only what you require. If there is some special, esoteric bit of information that only you want, that can be asked on the next page. In this way, I only need to enter all of my information one time. It is then uploaded quickly with no mistakes. An easier process for all involved.
Given a few weeks, I could cobble together a program like this in MS Access. 2 It would work, but it wouldn’t be pretty. Then I would have to sell the upload feature to every HR person in the world. So my challenge to anyone out there, design the system, sell it to corporate America and make a boat-load of money. Just make it easier to us to apply for a job. 3
With wishes for the best,
Joe Burklund ©2010
1 I know you are overwhelmed by the sheer number of applicants. But making a mandatory online application so repetitive and time-consuming that you drive candidates away is not the best way to solve the problem.
2 Or use a combination of Oracle and Excel, whatever trips you database trigger.
3 I have also observed that it takes less time on-line to apply for a job as CFO at Wells Fargo than it does to apply for a job as a cashier at Kum & Go. At least Wells Fargo will attempt to pull information from my resume and they do not have a 150-question assessment test.
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December 11, 2010 at 12:54 am
Nick
I agree with standardizing the application. Of the companies I have interviewed with they have the same standard personality profile, test, whatever they are calling it. This brings up a question. When did software help determine who is fit and who is not fit to work within a company culture? I thought interviews worked well. I have hired many great individuals without the consultation of a software program. Curious!