Automated Applications: Best Practices

Since the economy bottomed out in 2008, the “resume black hole” has gained folklore status. And while employers would prefer to believe it’s a myth, a recent survey of over 2,500 job seekers conducted by Seven Step ROP confirms that this phenomenon is real — and employers’ automated job applications are to blame.

According to the survey, more than 25 percent of all candidates never received employer acknowledgment of their most recent online application with Seniors and Millennials the most likely of all age groups to be ignored by employers. Nearly 45 percent of Seniors and 40 percent of Millennials report never receiving an employer response. The survey also shows nearly half of all candidates (41.8 percent) seek out a direct HR contact, even after applying for a job online. Eighty percent of candidates with household incomes between $100k and $150k report that they would rather apply directly through a hiring manager than through an online form, showing the strongest preference among candidates at all income levels.

“Online applications have overtaken paper applications in virtually every industry,” said Paul Harty, president of Seven Step RPO in an interview with Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. “One of the last areas to go paperless was retail, but even retail stores now have kiosks to fill out applications for part-time or full-time positions. Some of this demand to go paperless is driven by efficiency, getting the applications quickly to screeners, but compliance and record keeping is the true primary factor.”

Harty expects paper applications will eventually go away. “Except in the instance of your local hardware store or a similar type of business where there is walk-in traffic,” he explained. In those instances, a help-wanted sign still works, but Harty says that’s because there is no concern for compliance and reporting in those settings.

It is the bigger businesses that have the most to gain from offering online applications. “Speed, compliance, reporting, and follow-up are the advantages most likely to be gained from the automated process,” explained Harty. “With the paper application, the resume is recorded and saved. It can be tracked and moved to recruiters with jobs that fit. With a paper application it’s up to the owner of the filing system to follow up. That creates an unpleasant candidate experience, massive inefficiency, and no reliable reporting.”

Harty says hiring managers, recruiters, and HR all share equally in the benefits of online applications, which he defines as:

• Candidates receive calls faster and can be communicated with more clearly;
• Hiring managers fill the openings faster because candidates are getting called quicker;
• Recruiters are more efficient with their time because they can screen and dispose of unwanted apps faster; and
• HR has reporting that it can rely on to make better decisions for the business.

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Harty did say that it can be expensive to install a fully integrated Applicant Tracking System (ATS), but said that for smaller companies, SaaS models can be priced based on volume resulting in multiple options that are inexpensive and robust enough to fulfill the need.

HR’s role in managing automated job applications

“It’s important to spend a large portion of time setting up the automated system correctly and completely understanding the reporting capabilities,” Harty said when asked what HR’s biggest responsibility is in the management of an automated system. “If the automated system is set up correctly, the reports should be generated automatically on a schedule and there should be virtually zero communication issues. It’s all about making sure its correctly set up and then taking the time to manage the internal change management process well.”

The trouble starts when HR forgets that a real person is attached to each and every automated application. In addition, Harty points to the following errors HR needs to avoid:

1. Not re-engaging candidates after they apply;
2. Not sending email notifications that candidates’ application has been received;
3. Not including branding in correspondence with candidates; and
4. Not including ways for candidates to communicate with the organization during hiring process.

After ensuring proper setup and avoiding the all too common management errors, Harty lists the following best practices for better management of online applicants and their applications:

• Provide candidates with timely and prompt status feedback;
• Include more details on what is expected after a candidate applies;
• Integrate social connectivity (provide access to the company’s career based social media channels);
• Integrate social connectivity (provide access to the company’s career based social media channels);
• Provide ways for candidates to engage with the company after applying (through email notifications, job alerts, company newsletters, career events, etc.); and
• Create opportunities for candidates to provide feedback.