Survey: Digital job application technology and processes frustrate applicants
The job application process is not always a walk in the park, and a new survey from Jibe has the numbers to prove it. Recruitment technology company Jibe recently announced the results to a study which reveals the challenges faced by job seekers and how that can affect a company’s ability to attract and hire top talent. The 2014 Jibe Talent Acquisition Survey, conducted by independent research firm Kelton Global, polled more than 1,000 job seekers and more than 300 HR professionals
The survey finds that many job seekers have poor user experiences with outdated technology and inefficient processes for job applications, which may even deter some from continuing their applications. A majority of job seekers describe their search as time-consuming (80 percent), stressful (78 percent), discouraging (71 percent), and even painful (60 percent). Three in five job seekers feel that job applications are more challenging to fill out than other common types of applications, including those required to apply for a mortgage (48 percent), get health insurance (46 percent), or a student loan (32 percent) and 19 percent of respondents said they would rather spend a day in line at the DMV than go through the pain of applying for a job online, while 12 percent would rather get a root canal or go skydiving without training.
In addition to the frustration applicants experience, the mobile application process takes part in the potential frustration as well. One in five (20 percent) job seekers would give up on an online job application if they couldn’t complete it on a mobile device. Seven in ten job seekers would be willing to apply for a job with a smart phone, yet more than a quarter (27 percent) of larger companies admit that not a single portion of their hiring process has been optimized for mobile.
The poor application processes can have affect on talent acquisition as 23 percent of job seekers agree that if they had issues filling out an online application they would never apply for a job at that company again. Recruitment professionals are aware of the potential detrimental affects, as 37 percent of recruitment professionals are concerned that their company’s application process is deterring quality hires.
