When you need to fill open positions, the candidate experience matters. If your job application is cumbersome or confusing, your candidate experience suffers, causing you to potentially miss out on top talent right from the beginning.

Many skilled candidates choose to abandon job applications that they find frustrating, as they know there are other opportunities available. Plus, many consider a poorly designed application indicative of a disorganized company or an organization that’s behind the times.

If you’re concerned that your job applications scare away candidates, knowing what turns job seekers off is essential. Here’s a look at issues that reduce your access to candidates.

Overly Long Applications

While companies may want to gather as much information as possible, candidates prefer a short and sweet experience when applying for jobs. If completing the process takes more than 15 minutes or requires moving through a slew of screens to reach the end, some candidates will drop out.

This is particularly true since some application options available today require little more than a single click. For example, many jobs on LinkedIn allow candidates to immediately submit their profile, asking for very little beyond a single tap of a button.

As a result, any application that feels lengthy is considered unnecessary and cumbersome to job seekers. If your company’s application is on the longer side, shorten it as much as possible by requesting only what you need to know during an initial screening.

Redundant Requirements

When it comes to frustrating applications, few draw ire from candidates like those that require a resume and a filled-out application. Asking job seekers to repeat the same information in two areas comes across as unnecessary and disorganized. As a result, make sure you give candidates the option to complete one or the other without requiring both.

Similarly, having candidates click boxes to state they have particular skills instead of simply reviewing what’s on their resume is annoying to job seekers. Again, it seems like a redundant request, so skip a skills assessment in your application to attract more applicants.

Designs That Aren’t Mobile-Friendly

Candidates increasingly use mobile devices when searching for opportunities. If your job listing or application isn’t mobile-friendly, it makes your organization seem behind the times. Many candidates will assume your business doesn’t embrace technology, which reduces your access to tech-savvy talent. Plus, it makes completing the application difficult and time-consuming, which will cause some candidates to leave instead of seeing it through to submission.

Requiring Salary Information

Job seekers generally dislike requests for salary information during the application process. Most assume it’s a mechanism for companies to avoid offering a competitive rate based on the role and what the candidate brings to the table. Plus, many jurisdictions are increasingly barring the practice as a means of improving equity.

At a minimum, companies shouldn’t make providing salary information mandatory, as that’s almost guaranteed to scare off candidates. However, removing the requests entirely is typically the better choice, as that ensures job seekers don’t get the wrong impression based on the fields merely being presented.

Ultimately, each of the points above shows how your job application could be scaring away talent. If you’d like to learn more or want to streamline your hiring – and improve your candidate experience – by partnering with a recruitment firm, TempStaff can help. Contact us today.