10 Reasons why most people hate applying for jobs online (job hunting, collecting, interviews)

[fishbrains]

Originally Posted by Chatteress

The online application is flawed. Perfectly good candidates get screened out all the time because their applications are missing certain key words or other superficial nonsense. It also does not allow candidates the option of truthfully answering a question if it doesn't fit the options provided. I've had this happen to me several times where I could not answer a question truthfully because none of the multiple choice options fit my situation. Usually, I would clarify in the comments field if one is provided or call HR for instructions but the entire application screening process is flawed.

By the way, my comment about the application not being a job seeker's friend was meant for the job seekers. HR folks already know this but many job seekers are not aware of this.

In my post #33 above, I quoted you saying something very, very different.

Not all systems use the key word screening people complain about. I have never encountered one that does, and I am inclined to think that this might be an urban myth. I might be wrong, but I think not.

The comments field is included for EXACTLY the reason you use it. What is the problem?

You are right in one thing. The online app system is designed to weed out unqualified applicants. That is not a bad thing.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by fishbrains

In my post #33 above, I quoted you saying something very, very different.

Not all systems use the key word screening people complain about. I have never encountered one that does, and I am inclined to think that this might be an urban myth. I might be wrong, but I think not.

The comments field is included for EXACTLY the reason you use it. What is the problem?

You are right in one thing. The online app system is designed to weed out unqualified applicants. That is not a bad thing.

The issue is that not all applications HAVE a comment section ... There have been times when my answer did not fall within the narrow choices offered on the application. I cannot recall the specific scenario as this was some time ago but I do remember having to select an option that wasn't correct just to get through the application since there wasn't an option that fit my situation.

BTW: You sound like an HR person. What is your opinion about the article that the OP linked to in the first post? Those are valid concerns, especially the applications requesting Social security numbers. The only time HR needs this info is to run a background check (usually after an interview and if you are a finalist) and to process your hiring papers. No job application should be asking this information in this age of ID theft.

[groar]

Originally Posted by fishbrains

Not all systems use the key word screening people complain about. I have never encountered one that does, and I am inclined to think that this might be an urban myth. I might be wrong, but I think not.

i don't think it's an urban legend, but i don't think the use of keyword scanning is nearly as widespread as people on here seem to think it is.

i've mentioned before that i managed to connect to an hr person at a very large university that has an online application system - so now i know that they have humans look at their applications and tally up the experience, etc. they are super strict about meeting all qualifications, but the process of determining qualifications is not automated.

[city living]

Originally Posted by fishbrains

Nonsense.

When I post a job I want to hire a person. I accept applications online, and ulitimately I hire an employee.

Sure, there are people like you who want to hire people. Then there are people who have to post a job but they already know who is going to take the position, so even though they have you spend quite a bit of time applying they might already have an internal candidate they're going to hire. There are people that are so ridiculous that they will go through over 150+ applications but still decide there is no one good enough for them so the vacancy technically remains open. (I actually applied to a job like this and separately, I met with an HR person, who was the one who told me that the woman who was supposedly hiring for this position was "difficult" to say the least. And we are talking about a job where many, many applicants have M.S., PhD, etc. degrees for a low paying research position.)

Originally Posted by Blinx

Some are so poorly designed, they won't accept your ap when you hit submit, and won't tell you why!

My co-worker has a MacBook and she kept trying to apply to positions online because they all require online applications. She told me that she was having trouble and I told her that it's her browser/computer. She ended up having to go elsewhere to do her applications. There is only one browser on my computer (of the three that I have) that work with most of the application software for these companies. But it never tells you that anywhere.

Originally Posted by Chatteress

The online application is flawed. Perfectly good candidates get screened out all the time because their applications are missing certain key words or other superficial nonsense. It also does not allow candidates the option of truthfully answering a question if it doesn't fit the options provided. I've had this happen to me several times where I could not answer a question truthfully because none of the multiple choice options fit my situation. Usually, I would clarify in the comments field if one is provided or call HR for instructions but the entire application screening process is flawed.

By the way, my comment about the application not being a job seeker's friend was meant for the job seekers. HR folks already know this but many job seekers are not aware of this.

Originally Posted by Chatteress

The issue is that not all applications HAVE a comment section ... There have been times when my answer did not fall within the narrow choices offered on the application. I cannot recall the specific scenario as this was some time ago but I do remember having to select an option that wasn't correct just to get through the application since there wasn't an option that fit my situation.

^I think we should also include that there are many applications where the first question or so is, "Are you currently employed?" And if your answer is, "No" you are screened out right away. I also wonder/expect that if I say, "No, do not contact my supervisor" or "No, I am not eligible for rehire" that my application gets tossed as well.

I have also filled out applications that do not have a comments section. I think all applications should have that readily available. For example, I might check off that I'm not eligible for rehire because my company doesn't exist anymore, but if I can't explain that, they might just assume I did something wrong.

[groar]

i doubt many places would automatically screen out people who say their supervisors aren't to be contacted, at least not for their current position. it's generally understood that people usually don't notify their supervisors that they are looking for a new job until further along in the process, so of course they don't want potential employers calling them!

i also question how many places actually eliminate people that quickly for being unemployed or having gaps. not saying it doesn't happen (or that it doesn't happen later in the process when they are narrowing people down), but i just can't see it happening automatically upon submission in too many cases. i guess i'll learn if i end up moving without a job!

[ryanek9freak]

I don't mind doing it online, unless of course your application goes into some sort of computer server abyss ( which lets face it, happens)

How can you be sure that an actual human looked at your application, unless it's on physical paper?

[fishbrains]

Originally Posted by Chatteress

....
BTW: You sound like an HR person. What is your opinion about the article that the OP linked to in the first post? Those are valid concerns, especially the applications requesting Social security numbers. The only time HR needs this info is to run a background check (usually after an interview and if you are a finalist) and to process your hiring papers. No job application should be asking this information in this age of ID theft.

I am middle management, overseeing a number of small departments with junior managers. I do a reasonable amount of hiring and work closely with HR as part of my job.

The linked article is silly and whiney. Some thoughts....

Can't remember a weird password? Cut and past into a word document. You should be keeping track of your applications anyway, this is easy to do.

Asking for exact dates on trivial details? Who cares? Make up a date. Put the 30th in every field to make it clear that you are using a placeholder. Nobody cares.

Birthdate? Having just changed jobs, I have recent knowledge of online forms. I have never run across this. I guess it is possible, but it is probably not common. It is not an illegale question, although it is unwise, as it leaves the hiring company open for accusations of EEOC violations.

Bitching about not receiving a rejection. Agreed, this is irritating, but not a function of the online system. This is a failure on the part of the HR person using the software.

No comment box? Attach a cover letter. Paper applications do not address every contingency either.

Too complicated and labour intensive? Sitting in my dining room in my underwear is easier than getting dressed up and pounding the pavement. Sure, there is some sub-optimal programming. Get over it, as it is still better than the alternative.

The SSN complaint is legit. We do not ask for that up front.

[groar]

Originally Posted by fishbrains

No comment box? Attach a cover letter. Paper applications do not address every contingency either.

sometimes there's nowhere to attach a cover letter, either. i work around this by making my resume and cover letter one document (i've even seen listings that REQUIRE a cover letter but then have nowhere to upload one and i had to use this workaround), but sometimes you can't even upload a resume.

there's a hospital i've applied to a few times that literally just has a web form that you have to type into. nothing is saved for the next time, you have to scroll around a tiny text box to see what you've written, there's no way to tell if you already applied to a job (and the listings are so similar that it's hard to tell even if you keep track), and there are unreasonable character limits on each field. no comments field, no uploading anything. it's totally ridiculous. i did get an interview there though, haha! but it would take a pretty spectacular job for me to go through applying there again.

i vastly prefer sending in a cover letter and resume (and whatever else the listing requests) via e-mail. Save the application crap for people who at least make it to an interview, unless it's a well-designed application process. as i think i said earlier, if you want people to demonstrate computer skills and ability to follow instructions, have them submit a pdf resume with a specific filename format or something. oh and i don't want to fill out a paper application either! but at least with those, you can hand in a cover letter and/or resume along with the app. with online apps, you have absolutely no choice but to follow their often unreasonable or impractical guidelines.

i do think that the majority of the things on that list (minus the ssn and birth date things) are just annoying and not totally beyond the pale. but people are allowed to complain about things that are annoying!

[magusat999]

While it is possible and even necessary to include online employment options in a job search - I find a few things about the process bothersome, and in need of change. First of all is these companies that flood sites like monster, careerbuilder, indeed, etc. with similar jobs - usually contractors paying low wages. It's irritating to have to wade through a thousand job posts that are by some company who seems to only want to use the service as some sort of advertisement.

There are some companies who pop up no matter what job you put in - I want a more focused search result. These listings often have nothing to do with what I am searching for, and are completely useless to me.

Employers posting jobs with no wage / salary information. What have you to hide? I'm not talking about "negotiable" positions - I'm talking places who have a set pay. It's a tremendous waste of time to get all the way to the interview to find out they aren't paying what you are looking to make. They should tell you that when you see their job description, before you even apply.

Redirecting to the same site you went to before to apply for a position. Why don't these websites introduce a web form on their site that can serve as your application? Some of the job sites send you to another search engine, which I think should be a violation of terms with the original site. They should strive to make it quick, fluid and as clear as possible.

Sending you "do not reply" emails in response to your email. many of these employers don't give you a reply email, phone number or address. I'd be wary of what your in for from company with an HR department that won't even let you contact them.

Asking for resume, application, and resume on the online application. I don't get this - they want you to submit a resume by uploading it, fill out an application, and then copy / paste the same resume into their online form. Shouldn't it be one or the other?

Finding out it really isn't an open job. You go to the employer's website, and you see that the "job" is just a call for entries - they "may" hire someone out of a pool of applicants - when and if they decide to hire. Sometimes you don't find out until you finish applying, which is very annoying.

Jobs that make you re-apply after you already filled out a lengthy application online. I was going for a federal job (well actually psuedo-federal) that did this. I sweated through giving them basically my whole life story, work history, people I knew during different times in my life - and perhaps the life before this one, researched and fact-checked just for them. They call me in for an interview and had the people at that stage do it all over again by hand and from the tops of our heads. Did they inform us that they were going to do that? No. To top it off the agency was looking all "Federal" but they weren't paying anywhere near Federal wages - what a rip.

Unfortunately this is the landscape and there's nothing we can do about it - it's out of our control. We have to live with these issues and just keep applying and hope something goes through for us. Perhaps someone will come up with a better way from hearing about these problems?

[Kurinji]

One word - Taleo.