Online job boards have revolutionized the way we add to our candidate pool, but what happens when your posting doesn’t get the applicant response you’re looking for? According to Turbo Recruit, low applicant numbers could be the result of your job application process.

The more qualified applicants you can compare the more likely you are to find the best candidate for the role and your company. Don’t let your application process hinder your recruitment efforts, instead look for ways to improve the process and use it to your advantage.

The job application process is often the first impression a candidate has with your organization. If a candidate discovers the application process is short, simple, and relevant, chances are the experience will be positive. If, however, the application process is long, complicated and not relevant there is a risk that they will abandon their application. In this instance, you run the risk of them leaving with a poor impression of your organization, likely never to return.

The question now becomes, what is more important – a detailed application process that screens and targets applicants well (maybe too well) or a simple application process that allows a range of candidates into the funnel?

Turbo Recruit reported, there is a direct link between complexity of application and high abandonment rates. If your organization relies on promoting to external job boards or search engines it’s important that the job application process is optimized to reduce the risk of applicant abandonment.

The easiest way to optimize the application process is by putting yourself in a candidate’s shoes and applying for one of your own jobs. You will quickly capture learnings and maybe find a few pain points that can be improved on.  

If your organizations recruitment software provides flexibility to customize the application process on a job by job basis then start by testing different types of questions and gather feedback on the impact those questions have on application numbers.

Consider every question you ask a candidate, it’s relevancy to the role, appropriateness and quantity. Does every question need to be asked in the first round of screening or could it be better positioned in an interview?  Can an open-ended question be more informative if it was closed with specific pre-defined answers? All these factors might have an impact on your application numbers.

If you are concerned about the low number of applicants you’re are receiving for your roles, consider evaluating your application process. If you discover that it is too long, complicated and unrelated to the roles you are recruiting for, small changes can make a big impact.