To think that job applications are sometimes so off-putting they make people give up halfway through?

[ByNattyFinch]

I’ve definitely started applications with good intentions then stopped because of endless questions, duplicate forms, long-winded portals, or just the sheer emotional effort of tailoring everything again.

AIBU to think some employers shoot themselves in the foot with the way they structure applications? And out of curiosity, what’s made you give up on applying?

Yep. Teaching applications quite often ask for exactly the same information as each other but in completely differently-structured longwinded endlessly tedious formats that can take many hours to complete properly. Plus you have to send a very detailed cover letter which often has to reiterate things on the application form. TES has tried to streamline this with the quick apply process which is a godsend, but too many schools don't use it and prefer to sit around moaning about how they can't get any teachers instead of making the application and interview processes as straightforward and accessible as possible to attract more potential candidates.

For non-teaching applications, what puts me off is having to register an account, create a login and password, fill out a "profile" etc, with some random company who think they're something special when they have one job going that I'd ever want to apply for and I will likely never apply for anything they offer in the future before the account times out and has to be deleted under data retention rules.

if i have to set up one more sodding account just to apply for a job i'm going to have a heart attack.

I always set my password to "wankers" - i know they won't see it but it helps my sanity.

Do they do it deliberately? They don't want applications from people who are applying for "anything", only people who've seen this job advertised and really want this one. Probably people who are already working and would only leave for something "perfect" for them.

Yes. I hate them. I had to do one recently which was a pdf and none of the boxes behaved correctly, it was so frustrating. Also when they have a long detailed person spec but then want you to keep your personal statement to 2 pages. I am at least twice as likely to apply for a job if it is on TES quick apply so I don't have to do another sodding form.

I voted YABU, as I guess they do that to sift out potential time wasters. If it's just an 'upload CV' then click a button, they'll be snowed under with hundreds of CVs - I've been there before in a local authority and it was mind-numbing!

If you can't even be arsed to fill out the application, then I'm glad I'm not hiring you.

I get that employers want applicants who are genuinely interested but I still think there’s a middle ground. You can design a process that filters for interest and effort without being demoralising or repetitive. Sometimes it feels like they’re testing stamina more than suitability!

I wouldn’t want to work for a company who asks me to fill out the same information several times when they give the option to upload the cv and cover letter answering the questions they posted. Could easily just ask questions pertaining to the actual position and real-life scenarios with the upload than having people repeat themselves unnecessarily, especially companies who always say they’re looking for someone who is efficient, time management, problem-solving skills, analytical and what not.

This is what I was going to say.

I think it’s a deliberate tactic to refine applicants to those who are really interested.

That was definitely a thing in the past

One of the most onerous application forms I did, they still had fricking 700 applications - this was years ago. I don't normally do that kind of form, but lucky I did because I got the job. I had reasons for targeting that job in particular.

It probably doesn't fit now that people are so shortstaffed. But it seems to take the
world about 20 years to catch up with what's actually going on.

Yes, I've applied a few times using this system.

A CV plus three role specific questions is a really simple way to exclude those without the knowledge or will to answer them.

Plus I've been the recruiting manager, and I never found the sift an issue, even with "CV and cover letter" applications.

It takes seconds to eliminate a weak CV. Literally seconds.

As a data protection officer, I also think that most roles severely imbalance the privacy Vs benefit to employer balance.

It is always been the way with application forms- I think they used to be worse in the 90s. CVS can be pitifully out of date. Missing chunks of time. If it’s any sort of regulated work you kind of want to see gaps and have them explained but it’s too much effort for people. So everything is dumbed down now cause folk can’t bear spending the time. Dont even talk to me about people who don’t turn up for online interviews

Yeah, I've given up on a few recently.

I've also abandoned some because I can't past the compulsory question of "what is your current salary" and there's no option to type in the box "none of your bastard business".

Non teaching support staff applications are a nightmare. It’s often in a table box format which as soon as you start typing misalign and you spend ages trying to format everything. Think it’s to test you on your IT skills but it is so
time consuming

I'm an employer. I haven't chosen the application form but tbh it does help filter out those who 'can't really be bothered' when they apply.

If I want a job I'll put the effort in

I voted YABU, as I guess they do that to sift out potential time wasters.

So they're so determined not to have people wasting their time, that they deliberately massively waste everybody else's time when they try to apply?!

They are just want to weed out who’s not keen or fully interested.

I work on the railway , every job has thousands of applicants, specially for driving jobs.
Adverts gets taken down within hours or days because thousands of people apply for it.

They upload the advert , and you have to make a profile with password etc. Fill out a questionnaire, upload cv etc.

Then there’s usually an online test straight after.
Then if you pass then , more face to face tests and interviews etc. depends on jobs.

But as I said they want to weed out people who’s not keen or can’t be bothered.

I had friends who started to fill things out and gave up half way in. So they clearly wasn’t really interested about the job since they given up even before they had a chance to show that they would be good at it.

My sister was looking for jobs last year and most companies she had to register with , upload cv and fill out a basic questionnaire. So it wasn’t just copy and paste thingy.

you can see instantly - or your AI can - if the CV has gaps. Reject pile.
it is VERY easy.

My sister was looking for jobs last year and most companies she had to register with , upload cv and fill out a basic questionnaire. So it wasn’t just copy and paste thingy.

But you often have: upload your CV, and write us a lovely letter/essay telling us why you want this job. And give us your LinkedIn profile. And now upload ALL THE SAME INFO THAT IS ON YOUR CV AND LinkedIn profile to our form, and you can't c/p anything, and before that you need to create a profile and a password.
And then you get past all that and... you find out that the job description for a mid-senior level manager's job will pay 15k.

Fuck. Yourself. With. Your. Application.

Yes, this is just it.

I'm bloody effective at what I do. There are employers who DON'T require this bollocks. They get my application, and potentially my employment.

Asking someone to commit to a lengthy application process is a red flag if the potential employer doesn't demonstrate equal commitment to finding the right employee - I usually know my area of expertise better than the employer, and if I can see that they're asking the wrong questions I know they're a hot mess generally.

😆 🤣

Yes, I saw a job a couple of weeks ago, in a sector where people often struggle to recruit. I ticked all the boxes, I was interested enough to look through all the documents, but the application itself was so onerous that I shelved it.

Well I haven't had much recent experience with online job application forms, but I give you the Indian Visa form as a comparable example.
My personal details all fine and good, but then, on side 2, it started on my parents, who are both dead. Places of birth! Why?
I should really go back and try to finish filling it in as I can imagine there might be some issues around having dual nationality.

DS is applying for entry level jobs and is finding similar. I think they are a way of weeding out time wasters, if you can’t be arsed filling out the firms and doing the online whatever, you don’t really want the job.

What annoys me even more is that the majority of employers now don't even let you know if you haven't been shortlisted. All that effort, and they can't even be bothered with a polite thanks but no thanks email, which could easily be automated. It's disrespectful and rude. Acknowledge the time and effort if someone has researched your company and jumped through all the hoops you've asked for in order to apply, but most just ghost. It's pretty soul destroying.

Some of them are ridiculous
i got rejected from a call centre job recently as “not enough experience”
I have 18 years call centre experience listed on my CV… I felt like saying “how much fucking experience do you want?!”

But that speaks to an inherent misunderstanding on the part of the employers.

They want the right person for the job. Not the person who wanted the job most and had time to apply. And it's worth administrative or technical effort to achieve that.

Jobseekers want A job. They can filter for jobs that meet their location, role, salary. They've already done the "sift" of jobs that employers then need to do of applications.

I'm not saying that employers can't ask anything specific - but there are lots of ways to do this at the initial stage that don't involve getting someone to manually re-enter their CV into a shitty web form.