Why No One Is Applying To Your Job Post (And What You Can Do About It)
You just finished posting a job and are now waiting for the thousands of applications that will flood your inbox. The thing is, this doesn’t happen. With any luck you might get a few applications from candidates that might not even be a good fit, or even worse, you don’t receive any complete applications at all.
The previous scenario might be an unfamiliar situation for many, so you don’t really need to keep reading if this doesn’t apply to you. But for others, this is more common than what popular articles about ‘too many candidates for one job’ portray.
A job application website won’t tell you what you are doing wrong, and some recruiters won’t be completely honest with you because of the fear of losing your business.
Nonetheless, after being a spy (not really a spy…more of a lurker) in countless ‘looking for a job’ posts, threads, and personal and third-party experiences I’m here to tell you why no one is applying to your job post and what you can do about it.
Don’t ask for a candidate’s resume and then ask them to type everything again.
Everyone knows what I’m talking about. There is a famous talent acquisition software that starts with a ‘T’ that is one of the biggest deterrents of candidates. Don’t believe me? Do a web search that says: “I Hate ‘T software’ and you’ll see I’m right. In places like Reddit, it almost equals a curse word.
You might think that by asking people to do a job twice they are proving to you they want the job, but that’s not what most candidates see. What they see is a company that is outdated and doesn’t use an efficient software to receive and process job applications.
Other candidates might feel their application won’t ever be read because they are aware of the existence of ATS robots and don’t feel like spending an hour in something an HR manager won’t ever receive.
What to do about it:
- Create an e-mail only to receive job applications.
- Revise your talent acquisition system as if you are the candidate and make sure nothing is deterring you from applying (including uploading a resume and then asking for all the information again).
You are too general in your job objectives.
People want to know what they are getting into (or at least to have an idea). If you are too general in your job objectives, people will think the job description is too broad, and they’ll feel it might be a trap. As a candidate, you can’t compare what is fair compensation to similar positions, or know if you are a good fit for the job if you are not sure of what your responsibilities in the position would be.
What to do about it:
- It might take you longer to create the job posting, but be as specific as possible about the candidate responsibilities. It will be a win-win for both the employer and the candidate at the end since there shouldn’t be any surprises for any of you regarding the objectives and goals of the job.
The compensation and benefits are below average for the position.
There are lots of information out there that will let a candidate know if what the prospective employer is offering is fair. You also need to keep a mind if the position you need to fill requires a particular set of skills or years of experience that most people don’t have. All of this should help you calculate what’s the salary average for ‘x’ position in your industry.
What to do about it:
- The internet is your friend. Just searching ‘X Position Average Salary in X State’ should return results giving you an estimate or a range of an hourly rate or salary regarding a position.
- Many professional associations conduct annual salary surveys. Get your hands on them.
There is no possibility of remote work.
Of course, this doesn’t apply to every position, but if you need an employee behind a computer screen or a telephone all day, I’m pretty sure you can offer that employee remote work. If you don’t feel comfortable with remote work maybe start by testing it a few days per month, but if it works, you might even end up saving money.
Some studies show that remote employees don’t take as many sick days as those that work in the office and request shorter vacations. They also tend to be more productive in their jobs.
What to do about it:
- Change is difficult but start by calculating how much money you can save in relocation, equipment, office space, and utilities if many of your employees worked remotely.
- Start by testing remote work until you feel comfortable with it.
The location of the job position is not ‘Primer Real Estate.’
You probably love where you live and where you work (I would think), but it might not be a desirable place to live for everyone. As an example, trying to get candidates that might be wanting to start a family or have kids in school to a city that doesn’t have outstanding school districts or places for their kids to play sports and participate in extracurricular activities won’t be easy.
What to do about it:
- That’s when remote work will turn into an advantage for the employer and the candidate. If that’s not an option, then you know you need to step up on the salary and benefits offered.