the hiring dilema

May 05, 2011

Hiring can be a drain!

It's time consuming, and time is the most precious thing any of us have. Therefore, hiring needs to be executed as efficiently as possible.

We already know people follow the path of least resistance, but that's doubly true for job seekers. Yea, the application instructions are at the top of the page in bold print, but they may as well say "Ignore Me."

Still, employers really need job applicants to follow instructions. You can try installing more technology, but technology won't change a mindset. There will always be vexing problems with job applicants, but how you deal with them is all up to you.

The healthiest solution is to create a hiring culture that suits YOUR ideal workflow—not the assorted habits of job seekers. Small shops should take notes from big employers. Go fill out an application for a major corporation. They don't fool around. You can't go to B without completing A; and that's only if you are persistent enough to find the application. Short of a quarter million dollar IT budget, the small shop can still create a highly efficient online hiring process. It's all in the approach. Just think through the steps you take. Take time over coffee some morning while you're fresh and...

Ask some basic questions

• Do we want just anyone to fill out our job application?
• If not, then why does our job application form have a direct link on our home page????
• How can we qualify applicants?
• What minimum information do we need to qualify them?
• What can we do to inspire the most thoughtful applications? Video? Graphics? Humor? Colorful text?

Employers who upload "defenseless" job applications know how much precious time they spend sorting out information and weeding out unqualified candidates. The time you take to plan goes a long way, but don't turn it into rocket science. That coffee break planning session will be very revealing. In the meantime,

here's a list of suggestions:

1. Remove the direct link to the job application from the home page. You will never see such a thing on a Fortune 500 website.
2. Don't just hide the link, move the application to another page. I assure you, Google has indexed that URL.
3. Write out a paragraph about the kind of employee you want and what you expect from them.
4. Replace your job application with that paragraph.
5. Add a NOINDEX metatag on the new job application page.

Now sit back and relax. Not only have you inspired a better crop of job applicants, but you just saved yourself a lot of precious time.