The goal of any recruitment process is to get access to top talents. But, if your recruitment process is not user-friendly, then you might find that fewer people apply for your job. Costing your company talent, you desperately need.
This article covers the features of a user-friendly job application, with a resume example of how you can make it work for you. But first, what exactly is a user-friendly job application?
What is a User-Friendly Job Application?
A candidates’ experience during a job application process is the experience they have with your company. When this experience is positive, we say the job application was user-friendly.
The experience of a candidate throughout their job application is a key determinant on if
- They would complete the application process,
- The candidate accepts your job offer if offered.
- They chose to give positive feedback to your company.
All these things are essential to both your company image and your recruitment process. So, how do you create a user-friendly job application for prospective candidates?
The Main Aspects of a User-Friendly Job Application
1) Make the Job Post Quick & Easy to Access
While you might think that many candidates are looking for jobs, and those interested will take out the time to apply for your job post, no matter how inaccessible it is. It would help if you understood that top talent wouldn’t sift through your website looking for a job post. They will also not spend time on an unnecessarily cumbersome application process.
So, if you want to attract top talents to your job post, and improve user experience, make the job application both quick and easy to access.
Here are some ways big companies make their job application process easier;
- Make sure candidates can access job posts via mobile. You can do this by creating a mobile application, or make sure the website the job post is on is mobile responsive. The reason is that candidates are always on their smartphones (actively or passively) searching for job posts. Make your post easy to find and apply.
- Eliminate unnecessary questions from your job application process.
- Add various options for resume submission. The talent you want might not have a traditional resume, so add options like video resume or even LinkedIn profiles.
2) Make Sure the Job Description is Clear
Another way to make job applications user-friendly is to make sure the job description is clear and concise. A few tips for doing this are:
- Use simple language, remove jargon from your job description.
- Only list the must-have requirements in your job description. Your job description is not a wishlist, and adding a long list of requirements can drive top talent away. To combat this, stick to only the must-have essentials when writing the job description.
- Make sure the job description is appropriately structured. You can follow the general rule of writing blog posts, break down long paragraphs, use bullet points to list important information, write in short sentences, etc. Hire professionals from writing service review websites like Best Writers Online or Online Writers Rating to help you craft well-structured job descriptions.
- Ensure you share realistic portraits of your company and the key stakeholders successful job applicants will work with.
- Also, share the projects the successful applicant will work with, and what they should love doing.
This will give them insight into the job, and whether they are the right fit. Therefore, saving applicants from spending time applying if they are not.
3) Send Confirmation Follow-Up
Next, for every candidate that applies, you should send in a confirmation email follow-up. By simply notifying applicants that you have received their application, it creates a good feeling about your company in your applicants’ minds. Other little follow-ups you can do that make a huge difference are:
- If applicants are required to take a test, let them know by phone calls. It is best to talk to people before asking them to invest time in your trial.
- Send a thank-you email when candidates complete a test successfully.
- Update candidates on every step along the way. The anxiety that silence induces in candidates won’t make for an excellent candidate experience. So, ease this tension by giving them clear timelines on when to hear back from you, and ensure you stick to your timeline.
- If an applicant is not a good fit, send a follow-up email, notifying them that you won’t be moving forward with them.
Another pro-tip, if top candidates apply to your job post, send them a follow-up email immediately. You don’t want another recruiter to snatch them up while you waste time.
5) Be Transparent About Your Interview Process
Lastly, don’t forget that the interview process is part of your job application process. Make sure your candidates know what to expect during the interview process. You can;
- Send a calendar invite to your applicants. This eliminates any confusion that could come from time-zone differences. Make sure the location of the interview is exact.
- State the number of interviews they will have if successful and how many people will be sitting in on the interview.
- Make sure you specify how you will hold the interview, and how each interviewee will join.
- Set an expected time for the interview process.
- Make sure you also specify where candidates can enter the building from, and where they can park.
Wrapping Up
We hope that you understand the importance of a user-friendly job application process after going through this article. We also hope that with the tips we have shared, you will be able to create and execute a user-friendly job application process for candidates interested in working in your company. Try to implement all the tips listed in this article and watch the tremendous benefits it brings to your company.
