6 Ways To Fix The Job Application Nightmare

By Lynda Spiegle, Wall Street Journal, February 16, 2025

Job candidates have never been fans of the application process at many companies. But their complaints have reached a level that I’ve never seen before.

My LinkedIn feed is filled with posts railing against companies that primarily rely on software to screen and track applicants, as well as those that create unnecessary steps to apply for a job, refuse to provide meaningful salary ranges and, most egregiously, “ghost” candidates—meaning they suddenly stop communicating with them. Such complaints can damage an employer’s brand and alienate top talent.

What should companies be doing instead? Here are a few ideas:

Rethink automation

The human aspect of recruiting has been steadily eroded by Applicant Tracking System software, which tends to reduce candidates to keywords and screen out many qualified candidates whose résumés don’t include the terminology the software looks for. Such technology also eliminates the ability of humans to pick up on a candidate’s potential and transferable skills, which is something AI can’t do. One solution is to program the software to reject only the most obviously unsuitable résumés, leaving a more manageable file for HR to review. Other areas where automation is ideal is creating thoughtfully worded rejection emails for first-round candidates that thank them for their time and provide closure.

Make applying easier

Many companies ask job candidates to complete an online application in addition to uploading a résumé, even though the résumé often provides answers to the questions being asked in the application.

Be transparent about salary

Job postings don’t always include salary but they should. But don’t use salary ranges, which are silly; obviously candidates want the higher salary, so a better strategy is to post the actual salary the company intends to offer. Doing so discourages applicants whose requirements exceed what is on offer and ensures that recruiters don’t waste time interviewing candidates who aren’t going to want the position anyway.

Write clearly

Well-written job postings improve applicant quality and reduce candidate frustration by providing clarity around what the job entails. That means describing the challenges the ideal candidate will need to address rather than just listing required skills and experience from a generic and often outdated template.

Post only real jobs

Recruiters and hiring managers who want to develop a robust pipeline of candidates sometimes post job openings they don’t intend to fill just to “see who’s out there.” This is a bad idea. These employers are only fueling resentment from qualified candidates who apply for these jobs but don’t get a response.

Don’t ghost candidates

Ghosting is now the most oft-cited source of frustration cited by candidates on social media. While it’s unwieldy to respond to every application, once a recruiter reaches out to a candidate, that candidate deserves the respect of knowing what their status is.

The level of response should be calibrated to the number of times the candidate has been interviewed. Rejections following an initial phone screening or one interview can be communicated via a canned email, but once candidates have gone through several rounds of meetings, a phone call goes a long way to respecting the time they’ve invested.

Having been a recruiter myself, I am aware that the number of résumés recruiters and hiring managers receive can be overwhelming. Weeding out unsuitable candidates takes time, as does scheduling interviews. But providing a positive candidate experience is a good business strategy, and puts the “human” back in human resources.

Other interesting articles pertaining to how best to hire and manage great talent:

If You Want A Better Business, Leadership Is The Solution (Forbes, February 3, 2025)

The Real Reason No One Is Hiring or Getting Hired (Inc, February 11, 2025)

5 Ways To Bring Out The Best In Your Team Members (Forbes, February 11, 2025)

How First-Time Managers Can Make The Successful Jump To Leadership (Forbes, February 11, 2025)

How To Get Promoted Faster At Work: The One Skill Leaders Notice Most (Forbes, February 11, 2025)

Why ‘All In’ Is No Recipe for Success (WSJ, February 25, 2025)

Career Capital

Recent interesting articles pertaining to how best to manage one’s career:

Use This 4-Part Framework To Diagnose Why You’re Unfulfilled At Work (Forbes, February 3, 2025)

How Job Seekers, Recruiters And Hiring Managers Can Improve Recruiting (Forbes, February 11, 2025)

5 Proven Strategies to Overcome Self-Doubt and Beat Imposter Syndrome (Entrepreneur, February 10, 2025)