Is Your Hiring Process Contributing to The Talent Shortage?

In the past, applying for jobs was not an easy process. Candidates had to print applications, mail them, or fax their resume and cover letters to be considered for positions.

From there, they would come into an office and have to fill out a long paper application. Often having to bring information about their previous employers, references, and so on.

Even so, it was worth the time and effort as on the other side of that application process was the goal: an in-person interview.

Getting the opportunity to sit down with someone who could make a hiring decision was a fair trade-off for the time and effort that job seekers were investing in applying.

Now, with online applications being the standard, candidates are often required to fill out everything HR wants upfront, rarely getting as much as a rejection letter in return.

This is why 6 out of 10 candidates that begin an online application will never finish it.

There needs to be a balance between the work it takes job seekers to apply, what HR wants, and what companies need, which is applicant flow.

This is where a Two-Stage Application comes into play...

In today's post, I'm teaching you all about the easy and effective approach that increased isolved Talent Acquisition client, Nature's Sunshine's application completion rate from 38% to 99% in just one week, more than doubling their applicant flow.

An overbearing application process harms your brand and your organization's ability to acquire talent.

The key is to take it back to the basics, while still taking advantage of the benefits that come from using an online process.

Stage One

Start by collecting the most vital information upfront. Usually, this would be a cover letter, resume, disqualifying screening questions, and EEO information.

From there, you should have enough information to move candidates on to a phone interview (streamline this process even further by using automated phone interviews), or just send an email to request additional information.

Stage Two

Once a candidate hears back from you knowing you've reviewed their resume, at that point they feel like they have their foot in the door! They're willing to fill out the longer and more tedious parts of the application that they'd normally drop off of, like employment history and references.

Small changes make a big impact

Software can be helpful when it comes to optimizing your hiring process, but it won't do all the work for you. It's important to keep an eye on metrics and the effectiveness of your application, and make adjustments as needed for best results!

The two-stage application process has been effective time and time again for companies in all different industries. Try it out with one of your open positions and watch your applicant flow skyrocket!

Ready to reduce your fallout? Download our Top 5 Ways To Increase Applicant Flow and pair it with a two stage application process to see a dramatic increase in the number of candidates completing your application!