Avionté recently conducted a survey of over 1,200 staffing professionals to discover the biggest challenges their firms face today. Our results showed that 46% of staffing professionals identified finding and retaining talent as their foremost obstacle. At Avionté, we understand that a seamless talent experience serves as a key competitive differentiator, and we are here to help you elevate your talent experience from your initial touchpoint with candidates to ongoing employee communication. Here are some tips to optimize your online applications to improve your talent journey.
Candidates are applying for jobs on mobile devices more than ever before. Staffing firms have been transitioning to mobile-friendly applications for years now. Only a few years ago, 78% of people in the U.S. would apply to jobs on their mobile devices if the process was simplified. Mobile applications used to be cumbersome without responsive design and auto-fill capabilities. Now, over 85% of candidates are applying to positions via their mobile devices. A mobile-enabled online application is no longer a nice-to-have but a requirement in today’s remote and mobile environment. Be sure you can accommodate mobile users and make it easy for candidates to apply on a cell phone, laptop or tablet. Test your online application on all of these devices to ensure the design and user experience are easy and convenient.
Our research shows that the bounce rate for online applications increases significantly if an application takes more than 80 seconds. The chart below demonstrates how the number of completed applications drastically drops between 70 and 80 seconds. Therefore, we recommend you create an online application that candidates can complete in 80 seconds or less. Test your application process by asking a team member to apply online and time themselves. You should also assume that the application will take even longer for a candidate than it does for your staff.
In order to keep your application within the recommended timeframe while still collecting the necessary information, use resume parsing technology or include the ability to apply using a social networking profile to help auto-fill the application and make the process easy for your candidates.
Be open with candidates about the number of steps in your application process and how long it will take. Candidates are less likely to drop off your online application if they know how many more steps are required until submission. You can increase transparency and optimize your application by displaying a progress bar on your online application, communicating any the materials required before they start the application, and adding an estimated time to complete in your application instructions.
Avionté recommends using an embedded online application that exists within your website. This increases brand recognition and trust with your candidates. If your online application redirects to another site, talent may become suspicious or confused. They may not want to upload a resume or provide personal information on a site they do not recognize. Instead, streamline the process and maintain consistent branding across your talent experience by using an embedded online application on your existing website.
Your online application is your first impression with your talent pool. Give them a seamless and easy experience that will keep them coming back to you by implementing our tips to optimize your online application. To learn all the ways AviontéBOLD can positively impact your talent experience, check out the video below.
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