How to stop sabotaging your candidate application numbers

Are your candidate application numbers falling short of the response you expected? With high employment rates and so many opportunities available for potential jobseekers then it’s easy to blame a strong labour market for a lower than average number of CV’s for each vacancy.

However, there are a few elements that seriously put candidates off applying for a job. This could be why your role isn’t attracting the applications it deserves.

Vague job adverts

Quirky job adverts are sure to grab attention. However remember that people will search for job titles that they are used to. If you use obscure job titles you’re restricting how many people will apply. Most jobseekers are interested in finding out more about the role and how it fits with their own skills and experience.

Are your job adverts vague and don’t give much detail on the day to day responsibilities of the position? If you don’t mention skills, qualifications or experience in your job adverts applicants won’t be able to decide if the job is for them. This will seriously harm your candidate application numbers.

Making life harder

See your vacancy through the eyes of your applicant – you need to make the process of applying as easy as possible?

Your candidates can take 1 to 2 hours revising their CV’s in order to showcase their skills and accomplishments to meet the criteria you’ve laid out in your job spec and advert. Adding an additional layer of complexity can put people off applying for your role. Do you really need to ask for a covering letter or online form as well as the standard request for a CV?

A few yes/no questions during an online application won’t significantly hinder your application rates, but generally speaking candidates won’t want to spend even more time entering information into a form that they’ve already covered in their CVs.

Solo posting

Don’t expect to see stellar candidate application numbers if you only choose the one platform to advertise your vacancy. Regardless of how you publicise any roles you’re looking to fill, there are always more channels that can help push your vacancy out. This will help more people to see your job and this visibility will enhance your brand recognition.

Company websites are a great starting point, but don’t forget to use your company LinkedIn and social media channels to help increase your candidate application numbers. Also don’t forget to ask employees to share the job with any friends or family they know.

Get in touch

If you’re struggling to fill your jobs and would like some more or advice get in touch with our team of recruitment consultants. With years of finding applicants for a wide range of jobs we can help you find the right candidates for you so get in touch now and give us a call 01782 338787.