Poor application processes are pushing away jobseekers

Jobseekers are speaking out against the terrible job application experiences they have had in Australia, citing horrendous communication from employers as only one of the common problems.

The broken system that is the job application process within Australia is reaching a breaking point, as jobseekers are beginning to lash out against the lethargic, dismissive, and inefficient procedure.

Jobseekers have highlighted several common problems they’ve experienced when applying for new jobs over the past couple of years, including poor communication from employers, a lack of clarity around salaries, and even going as far as losing applications entirely.

New research from HiBob shows that more than one in four (26 per cent) of Australians working office jobs have abandoned a job application because the process was cumbersome. Of those that preserved with the process, a third (32 per cent) said overall communication was poor, and a further third (34 per cent) had to wait weeks for their potential employer to make a decision after their final interview.

The culmination of these issues has resulted in one in four (24 per cent) of Australians working office jobs saying that they’ve gone as far as turning down a job offer because the job application process in itself was so bad.

Damien Andreasen, vice president of Asia-Pacific and Japan at HiBob, said: “Clearly, the job application process in Australia right now isn’t perfect. Typically, that comes down to companies not having a well-defined hiring process, appropriate buy-in from hiring managers, or the right tools and systems. Market conditions also haven’t helped, and we’ve seen a huge supply and demand swing back in favour of employers.”

“It’s easy for candidates to bash the process when they don’t have a perfect experience, but having been directly exposed to the work that goes into managing hundreds of applications for each role, I do sympathise with organisations – especially large ones.”

He added: “Talent acquisition is not easy at scale. Not to mention that applicant volumes are at an all-time high in some sectors, including those that have been affected by economic conditions resulting in reductions in force.”

By no means is juggling hundreds of job applications an easy endeavour; however, mismanaging that process so badly that successful applicants are willing to reject the offer primarily on the basis that said process was executed so poorly is indeed a serious issue.

Yes, the volume is an issue derived from poor economic conditions; therefore, it would be remiss not to mention the potential mindset of applicants, who may be approaching the job market in a state of desperation in terms of earning an income. Long application processes would then create that frustration, allowing disdain to manifest towards that organisation or the system.

At the same time, organisations have had enough time to review this influx of volume and should have strategies in place to be able to deal with the increase, yet still offer a punctual and courteous job application process.

Integrating new technologies to ensure you have the right data and process to incorporate the high volume of applicants could be an avenue that employers explore.

“I tend to think workforce planning is the elephant in the room when it comes to hiring. Not having the right data to support the volume, type and timing for each hire will cause significant issues with processes. Ask any HR professional what it’s like managing open roles on a spreadsheet with little to no data to support the hiring decision. That’s the really painful part of the hiring process,” Andreasen said.

A third (32 per cent) of office job workers in Australia said the job application process is the best way for candidates to evaluate any potential employer, and more than a third (35 per cent) said the job application process is an insight into a company’s culture.

This only reiterates the importance of having a sufficient job application process. A positive candidate’s experience can display an organisation’s cultural value and is likely to have a significantly beneficial effect on a company’s hiring success.