How a Bad Application Process Impacts Your Business
A bad application process negatively impacts a business by causing loss of top talent, increasing hiring costs, damaging the company’s brand, resulting in poor-quality hires, reducing the applicant pool, and leaving candidates dissatisfied with their experience.
When building strong teams, finding the right hires is one of the critical first steps. The process of applying for open roles within your company should be simple and efficient. However, many organizations fail to recognize issues with the process, resulting in a number of problems. Here are six ways a bad application process can impact your business and workforce.
Losing Out on Top Talent
A long or complex application process can lead to top candidates dropping out. Talented professionals often have multiple options available to them and are less likely to waste their time on an inefficient process.
Higher Hiring Costs
When candidates continually drop out due to their frustration with the process, a company may need to spend more on advertising to generate more applications. Additionally, a slow process can cost more as the people involved in hiring are spending more time on related tasks every day.
Brand Damage
A negative experience with a company can lead to applicants posting reviews on various sites, harming the brand. Unhappy candidates are typically more likely to share than those who had a positive experience, which may deter future applicants looking into your company as a place to work.
Poor-Quality Hires
When the application process is poorly structured or lacks clarity, the risk of attracting unqualified candidates is higher. Failing to screen out those who don’t meet basic requirements also wastes time and effort, which costs the company more. Additionally, low-quality hires may not last as long or perform at the expected level.
Smaller Pool to Choose From
Fewer applicants mean hiring managers have fewer people to choose from when filling an open role. By contrast, casting a wider net provides access to more qualified individuals and ensures that the manager can find the right fit.
Unhappy Applicants
Applicants who aren’t happy with their experience probably won’t continue in the process of seeking employment with your company. Plus, the risk of damage to your reputation is significant.
How to Improve Your Application Process
Now that you understand the problems that come with a long, drawn-out or inefficient application process, check out these tips to streamline yours and create a positive experience for every potential new hire.
- Simplify the application: Reduce unnecessary steps, focusing on the most essential. If you’re not sure what might feel redundant or difficult, try applying for a job to see what could be cut.
- Rely on automation: Automated tools can screen applicants, review resumes and send emails or text messages to keep candidates informed while freeing up valuable time.
- Offer regular updates: One common complaint among jobseekers is feeling “ghosted,” which happens when they receive no communication. Provide regular updates throughout the process.
- Ensure that applications are easy to access: Applicants should be able to get to the form to submit their information and interest in the job without a lot of extra clicks. Simplify the process of getting to the application.
- Use clear language: Avoid anything too technical or ambiguous in job descriptions, as this type of language can cause confusion or leave a candidate wondering if they fit.
- Track metrics: Don’t forget to keep an eye on key metrics, including time-to-hire and quality of hire. This data can help you determine other areas that could be improved.
With ApplicantStack, the process of applying for jobs is easier than ever. Potential new hires will appreciate the user-friendly system, which collects all pertinent information and keeps it in a place where everyone has access. You can also use advanced features to stay in communication (via texting) with top talent, schedule interviews and send emails.
Step up your application process with the tools available in ApplicantStack, an applicant-tracking system built for businesses of all sizes and across all industries.
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