Crafting a tailored job posting is critical to attracting candidates and inspiring them to apply for your open roles. However, you may have all the elements of a great job advertisement down to a science, only to fall short on your application form—discouraging talent, who then abandon the process along with any opportunity that could have benefited you both.

Your job descriptions may grab the attention of candidates, but if your applications aren’t simple to use, you won’t be able to find the talent you want. According to LinkedIn, 60% of job seekers abandon their applications before they can even get to an interview. In addition, Greenhouse reports that 70% of job seekers said they will not submit a job application if it takes more than 15 minutes to complete.

Evaluate Your Applications

Your first step towards improving the application process for candidates is to evaluate your organization’s current process. If the application forms are too long or they aren’t mobile-friendly, you may have to explore new recruitment software.

Some questions you may want to ask yourself:

• Are the application forms outdated?

• Do candidates have problems with the application technology?

• How long does it take a candidate to populate their information?

You may also want to rethink why you require a cover letter or a resume to be uploaded since you have candidates filling out the application form. Are either of them necessary when applying for the role online?

Shorten Your Applications

This may sound very simple, but it can be challenging to eliminate questions from your online application. Keep in mind that a longer application form increases the candidate abandonment rate. In general, if you can find the applicant’s answer in their resume, you probably won’t need to add it to your online application form. It would be beneficial to use fewer screener questions.

You can also shorten applications by:

• Reducing the number of clicks required in your application

• Using drop-down fields or auto-populate words when typing

• Indicating when a task has been completed with an icon

Leverage Social Media Apply

Social media is a defining force in today’s digital world and recruiters should take advantage of this medium. According to Jobvite, 71% of workers are likely to share job openings via social media, and 82% are likely to click on an opportunity posted by someone in their social network. Applications in social media posts can offer candidates a way to auto-populate the application with information from their online profiles, therefore increasing the chances they will complete the application. It also offers the opportunity for individuals to share the postings within their networks.

Create a Multi-Stage Application Form

A terrific way to speed up the hiring process is by developing a multi-stage application form. This way, you can screen candidates faster, and they will not get frustrated by filling out too much information. For example, your first stage can be about receiving the skill requirements needed to match the open role. If the candidate matches, then you can request information you need at other stages such as references or a portfolio.

Additionally, many candidates are filling out applications on their mobile devices and may not have the time to fill them out all at once. You should provide a save button, so a candidate does not lose any information or can come back later to finish.

The Candidate Experience

Job seekers today are expecting faster and shorter applications from potential employers. By simplifying the process, you can provide a great candidate experience, which can only improve your organization’s brand and reputation. To go a step further, if you provide automated responses after a candidate submits their resume, you can give them updates on their application and let them know where they stand. This can help widen your talent pool and increase sourcing potential.