The days when recruiting managers had a box with hundreds of application folders on their desks are over. This is not only due to the shrinking applicant market, but in particular to the possibilities of digital communication. About three-quarters of companies want digital applications. In many cases, this still means that the applicant should send an e-mail with attachments in PDF format. Large companies in particular, but also modern medium-sized companies, now have their own applicant portals where candidates can apply directly online. Depending on the implementation, however, it does not only have advantages.
The form-based digital applications make applicant management easier for HR employees. They increase efficiency in deciding which candidates are suitable for the further application process. The profiles can be compared quickly and automatically with regard to the essential requirements. However, efficiency in applicant management is not everything.
HR managers in recruiting have always been in an area of tension. On the one hand, HR management must avoid hiring an unsuitable candidate. On the other hand, it must not accidentally sort out a suitable candidate at an early stage. For this to succeed, firstly, the requirement profile must not excessively restrict the selection. Secondly, the application process must not scare off the good applicants. If the best candidates don’t apply, recruiters have a disadvantage that they don’t even notice. Due to the well-known name, the HR management of large companies usually receives more applications than the often lesser-known medium-sized company. But candidate-friendly approaches are gaining in importance in all companies.
Many applicant portals deter potential candidates with a registration requirement. Before the applicant can view the form, they must have registered. Those who are urgently looking for a new job are probably more willing to do so than someone who is still hesitating whether they really want to change. HR management doesn’t notice that it has just missed exactly the right person. In many cases, the form itself annoys candidates because it is too simple and too complicated at the same time. It often offers too few opportunities to highlight one’s own peculiarities and explain seemingly crooked CVs. On the other hand, the applicant is supposed to commit and limit himself to certain terms in selection menus whose meaning can be interpreted or which are far too similar.
Successful applicant portals have the advantage that they correspond to the communication behavior of many candidates. Direct online communication is increasingly replacing e-mail correspondence. Some companies already allow applicants to import their data from business social networks into the form. They also offer sufficient free text fields for individual information and explanations. The possibility of linking to the applicant’s own pages or profiles on the Internet also accommodates the communication trend. Some employers give applicants the choice of using the form, sending their documents by e-mail or even switching to the postal service. They apparently prefer to do without consistent efficiency in applicant management than to scare off experienced and skilled applicants for the commercial sector.
How does your applicant management work? Are you candidate-friendly? We look forward to your comments!
Image source: Fotolia.com, Photographer: nito
