I've filled out several hundred applications since January looking for work and I've built what I like to call "application endurance."
My hard stop used to be uploading my resume and then having to enter the information manually. To me, that was and still is a sign of company inefficiency. Why wouldn't you want to make it easy for talent to sign up? Now, my hard stop is seeing a 30 minute assessment or more than two interviews for a low paying job.
Today, I listened to a podcast called The Lonely Office and in this particular episode, a candidate went through 11 interviews.
ELEVEN INTERVIEWS.
At the end, he received the usual, "We had so many great candidates, but unfortunately we chose someone else."
I told a friend that if I go through 11 interviews, I'm just going to show up to HR and claim that I work there. If it takes 11 interviews for you to figure out if someone is for the company, to me that is a huge red flag.
A friend of mine is an animation background artist and she said some companies will disguise work as "tests" of your skill; they tell you to do 6 shots/scenes and some unlucky folks, although not chosen, will see the work they've done in show, with no credit.
So, I ask : If you are looking for work right now, what will immediately make you X out the page and move on to the next application?
Top comments (3)
It's almost easier to write out what makes a GOOD application process since so many things contribute to an AWFUL process haha. You already mentioned some solid one, so I'll toss out a few more.
Demanding contact information for my references on the app itself. I can absolutely supply references later in the process, but I'm not going to shotgun people's contact info to companies I don't know.
Job listing is incorrectly tagged on Indeed/LinkedIn/etc. Something like being tagged as REMOTE when it requires being in-office for any length of time is a really bad first impression even if the job itself would normally be fine. It's 2024, tagging is not hard to do properly.
Marissa -- OH. MY. GOD.
I just filled out an application with the demand of references at the end. Not only that, you had to add their phone number AND an email for them to be reached. Super obnoxious and really not needed. I'm so over references, especially if you have already done a background check or have had me come in for two or so interviews!
To your other point -- I see this more often on linkedin, but they will say remote, but you NEED to live in that area because you'll need to come into the office occasionally. What is occasionally? It feels like a weird trick to get people to apply then suddenly demand for them to come into the office.
The location thing sucks so much. Like, I get it if a company can only hire within whatever region for tax/legal purposes but they need to state that up-front and NOT tag it as remote.