HR Tip: Online job applications turning off prospective employees

According to CareerBuilder, about 50% of employers feel length of application process is a positive because it "weeds out" applicants - and it does, as about 60% of job seekers have quit an application in the middle due to its length and/or complexity. Yet, organizations may be losing top talent, encounter poor word-of-mouth from candidates frustrated with the process, and incur higher costs associated with abandonment in cost-per-click recruiting models. Good candidates have limited time and many opportunities; their tolerance for jumping through hoops can be quite low.

According to a study from recruitment company Appcast, recruiters can boost conversion rates (candidates viewing a job ad who go on to complete an application) up to 365 percent by reducing the length of the application process to five minutes or less and improve completion rates by asking 25 or fewer questions. Increasingly, applicants are using smartphones and applications should fit the mobile platform. Allowing the use of LinkedIn profiles or uploading resumes from Dropbox or Google Drive can help improve conversion rates.

The Appcast study also looked at ideal job descriptions. Those that are between 250 and 2000 words deliver conversion rates five times higher than job descriptions of 170 to 250 words. Candidates want to know not just what are the tasks, but about the company culture, work environment, and advancement opportunities.