How to simplify your online application process (+ why unwieldy application processes suck)

Complex applications are costing you talent

Chances are, you’ve encountered a tedious online application process yourself during your career. Such processes can include: 

• Various required document uploads, including a resume, cover letter, and letters of recommendation from previous employers

• Multiple open-ended questions that take hours to complete

• Requests for information already covered in a resume (which the candidate has already been asked to upload)

• Requirement for candidates to fill out a new application from scratch for every role within the same company

• Glitchy online portals lag, don’t save information, constantly return error messages, and require clunky account creation and log-ins

I can understand why candidates have had enough. 

According to Employ Inc’s 2024 Job Seeker Nation Report, which surveyed over 1,500 US employees, over half (56%) dislike the time each application takes. The only thing candidates dislike more? According to 65%, it's having to input the same information into an application from their resume. 

In Employ Inc’s survey, 78% of respondents say an online application should take less than 30 minutes, with 44% expecting it to take less than 15 minutes. 

The consequences of tedious online applications

Delivers a sub-par candidate experience

Time-consuming online application processes have a direct negative impact on the candidate experience. 

A global survey of almost 240,000 candidates by ERE Media revealed that in 2023, only 26% of North American job seekers reported a positive candidate experience. Why is this? Here are the top two reasons candidates cite:

1. Their time is being disrespected during the hiring process.

2. The recruitment process is taking too long.

These explanations consistently appeared among the top three reasons why candidates are withdrawing from the recruitment process across all the geographic regions ERE Media surveyed. 

At best, candidates find complex and lengthy online applications annoying – at worst, disrespectful. 

According to Cronofy’s 2024 Candidate Expectations Report – based on responses from 12,000 participants across seven countries, including the USA and UK – candidates feel an efficient hiring process is the most significant sign of respect from an employer. Forty-three percent say it shows an employer cares about candidates. 

My take? A streamlined online application process is your first chance to treat candidates with the care and respect they expect – and deserve. 

Increases the risk of candidates dropping out

According to Employ Inc’s Job Seeker Nation Report, 39% of candidates would give up on an application that takes too long. 

Candidates are more likely to submit an online application that they can complete in ten minutes or less than stick around for an hour filling out details you can find on their resume. 

This becomes even more true when your competitors’ online application processes are shorter and more streamlined than yours. If a candidate chooses between two similar job postings – one that asks for a simple resume upload and one that asks candidates to repeat information already detailed in their resume  – it’s easy to guess which one they’ll prefer. 

The consequence? You risk losing out on top talent for the roles you’re hiring. 

Undermines your employer brand

The candidate experience you deliver during your application process reflects your employer brand. 

A poor candidate experience due to a convoluted application process delivers a negative experience. As one Reddit job seeker says, “It's a (sic) inconsiderate waste of time and an unnecessary burden on candidates that sets a tone of incompetence and apathy right from the beginning.”

And we know that candidates aren’t afraid to share their negative experiences (our Reddit friend above is a case in point). They’re quick to tell their colleagues, friends, and family or share their experiences online – for example, by posting a review on Glassdoor. 

Toby Rao, an agile leader, speaker, and community builder, wrote:

“My experience is that while very few Organizations have modernized the application process, a vast majority have Job Portals that provide a confusing, frustrating, and poor user experience. A seamless, user-friendly application process is not just a benefit for job seekers; it also reflects positively on the employer’s brand and reputation in the competitive job market.”

The impact of this on your employer brand can be far-reaching. The candidates themselves are unlikely to apply to any of your future openings. The people they tell are less likely to apply to roles with your company, even if they’re qualified. 

The result of a poor employer brand? You must work harder – and spend more money – to entice candidates. 

Negative candidate experience = negative employee experience

According to Gallup research, applicants with exceptional candidate experiences are 2.7 times more likely to describe their job “as good as” or “better than” they anticipated. They’re also 3.2 times more likely to strongly agree that they feel connected to their company’s culture and three times more likely to feel extremely satisfied at work. 

What does this mean for your application process? A poor candidate experience sets the tone, often translating to a negative employee experience. The effects can linger – especially for candidates who persevere through more negativity during the hiring experience and become employees. Trust may be harder to build, satisfaction may start lower, and engagement can suffer from the outset.

In comparison, the factors identified in Gallup’s research – like increased job satisfaction – positively impact employee retention. By delivering a good candidate experience, you can also improve employee retention. 

Why some employers like complicated application processes

Employers with unwieldy online application processes often argue:

• They help separate the wheat from the chaff at an early stage. 

• Candidates who really want the job will do what it takes to get it, including spending hours putting together an initial application. 

• They show you which candidates are truly committed to their employer. 

If you believe this, it’s time for a reality check. 

An unnecessarily complicated and time-consuming online application process acts as a deterrent to the best and brightest candidates, as I discussed above. 

Why TestGorilla hates them

At TestGorilla, we’re firmly anti-complicated application processes.

If you use them, you’re not “weeding out” unmotivated candidates. You’re pushing away top talent. 

In today’s market, employers must stop assuming that good candidates will jump through hoops for them and start optimizing their application processes instead. 

In online application sets the tone for the rest of the hiring process. Every extra click, duplicate question, and technical glitch tells candidates that their time doesn’t matter to you. 

Think about what you want your key message to candidates to be. If you ask me, “We respect you and your time” is the strongest starting point. 

Expert tips for creating a simple, streamlined application process

Here are some strategies to create a better, more candidate-centric online application process that treats applicants with respect.  

1. Think like a candidate

Start by reviewing your online application process from a candidate’s perspective. Ask yourself – would you apply to your own job posting?

Check how long it takes to complete the form. Less than five minutes is ideal, and no longer than 15 minutes – otherwise, you risk losing candidates’ interest. 

Make sure it doesn’t repeat any questions or ask for information they’ve already given you – for example, in their resume. 

Finally, think about whether your process is straightforward to follow. Ensure the user experience is seamless, with quick-loading pages and no technical glitches. 

The way to get the most out of this approach is to treat your candidates like customers. When buying from your business, your customers expect a frictionless, enjoyable experience they’ll tell their friends and family about. Why should your candidates expect anything less from your application process?

2. Go to the candidates themselves

The best way to find out what your candidates think of your current online application process – and how to improve it – is the most obvious: Ask them. 

However, according to Phenom’s State of Candidate Experience 2024 Benchmarks Report, only 24% of Fortune 500 companies they audited sent applicants a satisfaction survey to gauge their application experience. This represents a missed opportunity to hear directly from the source about how to improve and streamline the online application process. 

After submitting their application, ask candidates to complete a short survey. Get them to rate their experience from one to ten and invite any constructive feedback. 

Not only does this give you real-time insights into your process – candidates may also give you some out-of-the-box suggestions for streamlining it. 

3. Making your application mobile-friendly

Without a mobile-optimized application process, candidates will think you’re outdated and out of touch with reality. 

According to Appcast’s 2024 Recruitment Marketing Benchmark Report, which analyzed job ad data from over 1,300 US employers, 62% of job applications come from mobile devices. This is especially true for gig workers, with 86% submitting their applications using a mobile. 

The takeaway? Make sure your application process is optimized for mobile devices. This includes ensuring that: 

• It loads quickly in a user-friendly format

• There are no glitches with the form 

• It saves candidate information correctly 

The benefits of a mobile-friendly application process also impact your employer brand. 

Sara Shafiee, CEO of DivERS Tech, speaking to Onrec, says, “The younger generations entering the workforce today are extremely digitally literate… What companies need to remember is not just what these processes say about the application experience but also what they say about the company’s culture.”

4. Leverage AI in a considered way

When used thoughtfully, AI is the ideal tool for streamlining the online application process for candidates. 

Here are some ways you could use AI in this context:

• Including an AI-powered chatbot to help candidates with common issues or questions during the process

• Creating intelligent application forms that adapt as candidates input information – for example, by autofilling other sections or hiding irrelevant questions

• Use AI to parse candidates’ resumes or LinkedIn profiles and autofill their applications (make sure it does this accurately – a common complaint from candidates is an autofill feature that makes mistakes when copying information)

While the possibilities of AI are endless, you must use it in a considered and ethical way. 

Most candidates are neutral about the use of AI in hiring. According to Criteria’s 2024 Candidate Experience report, 51% are neutral, 26% are positive, and 22% are negative. Reading between the lines, I think this means that candidates still expect a “human touch” when it comes to recruiting. 

However, there are still opportunities to improve the process of using AI. With each AI feature you incorporate in your hiring process, ask yourself, “Does this show respect for our candidate’s time and meet their expectations of us as a potential employer?”

It also pays to be transparent with candidates about your use of AI. Candidates want to know how you’re using it so they can make an informed decision about whether or not to participate in your hiring process.

5. Consider ditching application forms in favor of skills-based hiring

My burning question: Do we even need online application forms anymore? 

I don’t believe we do when there are more effective ways to attract and screen talent. 

For example, you can replace complicated online application forms with skills-based assessments tailored to the role you’re hiring. 

Many assessment tools enable candidates to self-initiate assessments simply by clicking “Apply” on a job ad or clicking on a public link to the assessment. They might not even have to log in to the assessment platform. Instead, they might enter their names and emails. It’s simple. And completing the assessments is often just as streamlined. 

“But wait,” I hear you say. “Can’t assessments also take a long time for candidates to complete?”

Sure, some can last an hour or longer (though some are much shorter). We spoke to 1,100 employees and 1,019 employers worldwide for our 2024 State of Skills-based Hiring Report, and of the 15% of employees who prefer a hiring process without skills assessments, 30% say it’s because they take too much time. 

That’s why we encourage employers to keep assessments job-specific and short. 

With this in mind, I still stand by my statement that skills assessments are much better for both candidates and employers than overly complicated application forms. Here’s why:

• A straightforward assessment is often shorter than the hours candidates otherwise put into adapting their resumes and cover letters to each job description. 

• Most candidates (68%) prefer a skills-based approach to hiring. Eighty-five percent of employees prefer skills-based hiring because it allows them to show prospective employers their skills, while another 85% agree it helps them gain a better understanding of the role’s requirements. 

• Candidates who drop out of an assessment process probably do so because they realize they don’t fit the role’s requirements – not because they’re frustrated with the unwieldy process. As a result, you attract the most qualified and suitable candidates. 

• Using skills assessments at an early stage of the hiring process reduces the risk of mis-hires. Eighty-seven percent of employers who use a skills-based hiring tool before screening resumes and shortlisting candidates are satisfied with their hires, compared with only 78% of those who use them at a later stage.

• Clunky application forms often ask for information that’s irrelevant to the job itself. In contrast, assessments focus solely on what really matters – candidates’ skills. This helps reduce unconscious bias in the hiring process. In fact, 84% of candidates agree that a skills-first approach reduces conscious and unconscious bias, while 90% of employers see improved diversity with skills-based hiring. 

Simplify your application process to attract top talent

Candidates expect employers to respect their time from day one, starting with the online application process. Fail to do this, and you risk losing top talent, undermining your employer brand, and laying the groundwork for a poorer employee experience. 

Streamline your application process by looking at it from your candidates’ perspective, ensuring it’s optimized for mobile devices, and incorporating AI. Better yet, consider completely replacing your complicated online application with a short skills assessment to attract more candidates to your hiring process.