Strong employment candidates may decide to bypass your organization for a variety of reasons. Some factors, of course, are out of your control. However, many employers struggle with unnoticed flaws in their hiring processes that frustrate applicants and drive them to competitors. Let us look at a few examples.

Lengthy application process

High on many job-seekers’ ‘pass’ list is an overly long, complex job application. Some employers believe that a daunting application process will weed out applicants who are not serious about working for them. Today’s highly qualified applicants value their time and have little patience for confusing and outdated processes. Many will simply move on.

How long is too long? One recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management compared completion rates of application forms consisting of 50 or more questions with those having 25 or fewer questions. The completion rates for the longer forms was only about half that of the shorter ones.

Unnecessary info

Some employers ask for information that, while nice to have, is not essential for the first round of elimination. It is a good idea to review the questions on your application and ask yourself whether those answers are really necessary at this stage of the process.

For example, if your application asks for references, consider whether you are likely to contact references before you have had a chance to interview a candidate. If not, save the request for references until later, or simply say, “Applicants selected for interviews will be asked to provide references.”

Puzzling job descriptions

Also, take a look at the level of detail provided in the job description. A few sentences may not provide enough detail to attract desirable candidates. Then again, erring on the side of excess may also backfire. Find a sensible balance. Highlighting essential job functions in bullet points is usually helpful.

In addition to providing a clear job description, tell applicants about your organization’s mission and culture. You may win over candidates who are on the fence by convincing them that you are a great employer that does good work.

Minor repairs

If you are having trouble filling open positions, your hiring process may need some minor repairs. We would be happy to assist you in assessing its effectiveness — particularly from a cost standpoint.