To think job application forms have become nuts?

[LiveIngSun]

Why does everyone have an online form lately?

20+ criteria boxes to write in at length? It seems counter intuitive. Surely with cover letters and CVs you can judge much better the candidates literacy, ability to write at length and capabilities using computers? Particularly if they’ll be writing reports in the job.

Drop down menus for employment history, an hour or more of slow clicking instead of a few minutes typing up an employment record.

I’m looking at a shortage area too, with real recruitment issues. Disproportionately low pay too. Yet they give themselves another hoop with a 15/16 section form with fiddly drop downs.

The process with applying for someone jobs has become so lengthy it puts candidates off. I’ve just applied to two jobs with reasonable forms and ignored three with stupid forms. One of these contacted me to ask me to reply, I was eager, but I’m busy. I don’t have a life where I can or want to waste 6-8 hours on forms which could be potentially skim read and ignored.

Even a preliminary stage of CVS would be useful, before expecting candidates to wade through hoops.

Before my current role I withdrew from a job I wanted because they had a form, then test, then more online forms, then more tests (all with massive time delays too) for a 28k position!

I used to recruit, like of CVS and cover letters. Easy to read, simple and spoke volumes. I wouldn’t as a recruiter either want to deal with the fuss of online forms sectioned into many pages on my
screen.

I completely agree. Makes me think it's a computer deciding at HR rather than someone actually deciding based on employment history. Having to do one for every position is mind-numbingly tedious when we all have CV's on file.

I don't mind an application form - irritating to fill out but I can see their purpose.

What I object to is the ridiculous pseudo-scientific personality tests some companies insist on making you do. I also cannot stand multiple interviews for jobs that just don't warrant it.

Years ago, I applied for an entry-level position when I graduated uni. Barely over minimum wage. I had to do some irritating personality tests and then go for two interviews. The two interviews were basically identical, just with different people. Same questions, same conversations, same everything - I felt like I was having deja vu. I got the impression they just wanted to feel important by dragging the process out in multiple stages. When they gave me the job offer, I rejected it and told them why! I think a company's recruitment process shows you the level of respect they have for employees.

What's also terrible is that many good candidates get missed with this kind of emphasis on certain tick-boxes. Which is why they usually have said "or equivalent experience."

My experience is that these kind of complicated forms don't make it easier to find the best people.

And I also will say that where I have been in or interviewed with employers that has the most processes in place to supposedly make their hiring less biased - it did not work. If anything, it hid the fact that they were working on preconcieved ideas as much as anyone could be.

Must be an army of useless HR people producing those firms to show they have something to do. Very off-putting for the applicants and I'm sure many will avoid.

Forms

In fact it's a good way to weed out the best applicants and have mostly those who are truly desperate apply, usually the ones out of work. People with options won't waste time filling out lenghty application forms.
The official reason will be to make all applications uniform and comparable. Which does not actually happen.

I work in recruitment and can see it from both sides. I appreciate it's time consuming but on the flipside, it often means that the employer gets a smaller but better quality field. Those that are just time wasters, wanging their CVs out left, right and centre with little care for whether they actually match the spec won't apply and, if you can't answer the questions you'll give up. That should leave the employer with just those who genuinely match the spec and want that specific job, (as opposed to any old job).

It also helps the candidate as, if you can't answer the questions then you're not right for the job so better not to waste your time cimpleting the application. If you could answer the questions but can't be bothered then you clearly don't want the job that much in which case, you've saved your time and the recruiters by not applying.

If you can't see why the 'useless HR people' do it, that suggests you are considerably more useless than they are! With such ill-informed views, I'd suggest putting you off applying is probably very useful rather than useless.

I am currently applying for a new job. Thankfully for small mercies the majority will be through one of two portals.

So the first one I did took ages as I had to fill out everything, DH asked if I could c&p where job role had changed but employee the same for example, but everything was an individual (as in an address line) or drop down box so you couldn't. Luckily I had applied for another job a few years ago and had printed out all the info so I could just fill in the new one.

That was unsuccessful, it was a long shot as I didn't meet one of the essential criteria (nothing training wouldn't have resolved). However I am now doing another one and the main information has transferred over, so I just need to do the unique / specific parts.

I'm still to do one on the NHS portal though.

My early career was so much easier with pen and paper.

I no longer bother with anything other than agencies.

When I got made redundant a few years ago I couldn't believe the amount of hoops you're expected to jump through for really quite mundane jobs.
Maybe now there's a bit of a labour shortage they'll calm down on that crap.
I abandoned one application because it just was hours of work, I felt my time was better used elsewhere.
The same company approached me and asked me to interview because they spotted me on LinkedIn! 🤣
I get that it's to weed out the non serious applications, but FFS respect my time too. If you don't respect me and my skills I'm not interested in your company.

School recruitment forms. They need to cover a lot of detail because after recruitment processes are important. But it took me several evenings to fill in the form for a school office job. I gritted my teeth and got on with it because a few years ago a school office job - term time school hours was desirable.

No one is applying for these jobs now. Schools can't recruit. The pay and conditions aren't great but the application process must put off so many people.

I have given up seeking teaching jobs through normal means. I just use contacts now so I can evaluate the place and the job before filling in the damn forms!

I don't mind forms as long as they basically allow for information to be lifted directly from a cv. Anything that's pages and pages long (and worst, still requires a CV to be attached) can just fuck off.

Recruiters and HR types need to make these things as simple and as quick as possible for people to complete, demanding a 10 page form be filled in just to make their lives easier is just plain rude.

I appreciate it's time consuming but on the flipside, it often means that the employer gets a smaller but better quality field.
Is there evidence for this assertion? Are they 'better quality' or 'the most desperate for a job'.
Presumably the best quality candidates can take the shove-it-up-your-a** attitude and only apply to companies that treat them like human beings.

I helped my son apply for jobs and YANBU. Absolute time consuming nightmare. Most of the companies did everything on line - application, testing, assessment centre, final interview without the candidate actually visiting the place of work or meeting anyone in person (engineering apprenticeship so no WFH). The job he eventually took had the most human and straightforward recruitment process. Sent his CV, got invited for in person interview & practical assessment, then got offered the job. How it should be imho!

yanbu

really puts me off applying.
especially annoying is when the field is not big enough or not the right format (free text vs lists for example) for the content they ask for.

however my sister had a holiday job for phone applications back in the day her only task was to answer the phone and say: thank you for calling. please call this phone number 12345 to apply for the position xyz.
apparently that was very good at weeding out the not so serious applicants.

or time out faster than you can type...

last job application gave me 40min. which was too short to fill in and proof read.

I tried to apply for a role at the local college.

They wanted 3 references BEFORE the interview, 3 interviews and a 16 page application form.

All of that for a NMW job 😂 no thank you.

We also need to ensure certain criteria have been met before we get to interview stage
What criteria?

I find them really discriminatory. I am dyslexic and don’t write very well or fluently, but I am very good with numbers. These form are a complete nightmare, they take ages to fill in and you know they are being computer read so 20 years of industry experience isn’t properly appreciated.

for all those saying that they level the playing field- they don’t if you aren’t neurotypical

Absolutely! It's discriminatory under the guise of ruling out all discrimination!

In the same way that if you add in your employment history and there's gaps but nowhere to explain them.

Yep. The new NHS Jobs search and apply system is truly awful, slow, beyond clunky, and apparently designed to put you off applying (the old one wasn't fantastic but it was better than this). I'm sure HR LOVE it, but it'll be interesting to see just how it affects recruitment in a sector that already has a major problem....!

Three interviews!
I wonder how many times they offer the position only for the candidate to say, "I accepted another job and have already been working there for two weeks. Your processes are too slow!"

Also, education never seems to realise that the real world doesn't give their employer/referee the heads-up that they are thinking of leaving. Offer the job then I'll give you references.

My teen daughter has been looking for ages for a job, the amount of information they request on these forms for an 8 hr sales position is ridiculous. New Look ask what position/ industry your parents work in?!

@Rolothecat

How old is she? She’s better off trying pubs and restaurants. The odd chain one will have a lengthy application process but mostly upon receiving CV she’ll be asked for a trial shift immediately and in most cases, will be offered the job there and then.