Excessive job application questions

[Geraldgee]

NC as to not be linked back to other threads for those who know me IRL!

I am currently on a FTC and job hunting...have done a few civil service applications which requires essay answers to 3 questions as part of the application process, fine. Not much time taken. However...

Just been applying for a local council job. Have spent ages manually completing my employment history and education history details as no CVS allowed, only to then reach a page in which they are asking for 1000 word responses for each of the 24 items listed in the JD/PS, all separate responses required to fully demonstrate how each singular specification is met.

For context this is a role below management level. AIBU to think that this is absolutely excessive for lower level roles? Frustrating as well knowing the figures around women not applying to roles if they feel they don't meet every single specification.

I understand having to demonstrate you have the skills but 1000 words on 24 topics? Is this the norm now? My current public sector organisation requires a CV and that is it.

It's not just civil service or full time positions, DD has been applying for part time retail jobs on minimum wage that involves CV upload, cover letter, online form, scenario questions and a 70 question questionnaire to stack shelves, absolutely bonkers stuff.

And employers are complaining they can't get the staff. I wonder why!

@Havanananana

I understand job applications need to filter out suitable candidates, but some of them just seem like pointless busy work

I always thought that job application forms were used to filter out unsuitable candidates - but the process described here seems to also be designed to filter out most of the suitable candidates too, the best of whom probably have a choice of jobs at the moment.

Exactly. Dinosaur employers will get the message eventually.

There's absolutely a knack to job applications, I do think there are some who are really disadvantaged by them as well. I'm not implying entry level jobs don't require intelligence etc by the way, but when the application for these jobs is so reliant on written answers, time intensive and relies on a good grasp of ICT- how many decent candidates are unable to submit one? It is bloody ridiculous, how do they have time to review them anyway, guessing maybe software scans applications for key bits maybe?

Jesus, 24,000 words is a third of a short novel. I wouldn't be bothering with that