Job Application Portals Should Not Be User-Hostile
It’s possible to remove, or at least lower, one of the many hoops that applicants must jump through.
Photograph by Kampus Production via Pexels
While perusing an issue of Jakob Nielsen’s email newsletter, I encountered the term “user-hostile” for the first time. The words sizzled on the screen, electric with intensity.
When critiquing ineffective product experiences, I generally describe them as “not user-friendly.” Usability issues can be relatively benign, resulting in a design that falls short of ideal levels of user-friendliness. However, stronger language is needed when a user experience is categorically abysmal. Frightful UX is more than the absence of something good – it’s the presence of something bad.
I’ve been freelancing for a few years now, which means a near-constant churn of applications and interview processes. “User-hostile” accurately describes my holistic candidate experience, and I know I’m not alone. From start to finish, job searching is a grab bag of energy-draining frustrations and psychologically bruising indignities.
Some annoyances are beyond anyone’s control, like 1,000 people submitting applications for a role that was posted…two days ago.
This listing has 2,334 applicants and was reposted one day ago. The number of actual applicants is probably less than the number shown. However, imagine half of these candidates completed an application. That would be over 1,000 people vying for one role. Nightmarish odds.
Other horrors are more visceral and punishing, such as the scam where con artists “hire” someone for a fake job, only to steal money from an unsuspecting person who was so desperately trying to earn it.
While job-seekers battle a host of trials and tribulations, I want to discuss an issue that is completely solvable: job application portals. This step in the process ranges from easy-peasy lemon squeezy to mind-numbingly inefficient. Employers should do everything in their power to remove friction from this step.
Pre-Application Hurdles
The job application portal is far from the first step in a candidate’s journey. Pre-application work is a fundamental aspect of finding a job, but it goes widely unacknowledged. It takes considerable effort for candidates to find opportunities and assess whether they are legitimate, relevant, and a seemingly adequate fit.
Here’s a sampling of activities that may take place before the candidate reaches the application portal:
Look up listings. Check a variety of platforms to increase the chances of finding good matches.
Assess logistics. Is this “remote” job actually remote? Are applicants in my state allowed? Do they list preferred time zones? If hybrid or onsite, is it within a sustainable commuting distance?
Find pay range and benefits. Will it pay a fair wage that allows me to thrive (not just scrape by)? What are the benefits like?
Scan for red flags. Do I have to wear “many hats” despite the role being niche and hyper-specialized? Is there an over-emphasis on my need for conflict resolution skills? Does the listing imply that I’ll be overworked, under-supported, and generally fighting for my life just to get through the workday?
Check for scams. Is this a legitimate company? Is this post listed on their website’s career page? Does the listing look off, such as being far too short and copy-pasted from another source? Are there known scams linked to this company?
Review Glassdoor. What are the significant benefits and pain points? Does the workplace seem like it would provide psychological safety, job security, or hopefully both?
Decide whether to apply. Does the company and role align with my experience and interests? Does my background make me a strong applicant? Can I imagine myself accepting this role if all goes well?
Refresh the page to ensure the listing is open. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened a job listing, completed all the research, and then returned to it half a day later only to find that—sorry, kid—we’re no longer accepting applications.
This job is tagged as “Remote,” but the description says the role is onsite in Minnesota. Candidates have to review job listings carefully in order to avoid applying for jobs they aren’t eligible for. It’s time-consuming but necessary.
All in all, it can take well over an hour to find a single role to apply for. (Sure, this process can be expedited. However, taking shortcuts could land you an interview with a hybrid role in another state. Or, you might get connected with a scam company that mines your data or attempts to steal your money.)
This pre-application phase is rife with hurdles. By the time candidates reach a job application portal, they’re already exhausted. Employers should take this context to heart as they decide what job application portal to use.
The Job Application Portal to Hell
Recently, I stumbled upon the worst job application portal I’ve ever had the misfortune of interacting with. While most portals aren’t this bad, this example is emblematic of the busy work quagmires that employers routinely drag candidates through.
My goal is not to bash a particular employer or platform. I want to dissect a user-hostile experience to demonstrate how daunting job portals feel from the candidate’s POV.
For starters, it took 10 steps for me to set up an account for a job portal that I was unlikely to revisit:
Enter sign-up details
Open the terms of service link and select “agree”
Create security questions
Request verification code
Go to email to retrieve the verification code
Enter verification code
Select “no” to creating multifactor authentication. (Again, I had no plans to revisit this system after this one application)
Sign in with email and password
Deny SMS consent
Start the application!
Once I completed the application (which was also no picnic), the final step turned out to be my breaking point.
After setting up an account, uploading my resume, copying and pasting the same information from my resume into separate boxes, inputting demographic information, and answering a DEI survey, I was instructed to fill out a mandatory WOTC survey. This meant going to an outside website where I had to fill out tax information. I had to come back with a confirmation code. This was not skippable.
Despite applying to countless jobs in my lifetime, I’ve never run into a WOTC survey.
I did not have the energy to research what this was or why it might be required. I did not have the wherewithal to complete another frivolous, friction-filled step.
I did not care that I was inches from the finish line — I closed the WOTC window and never looked back.
While I had a strong interest in the company and an excellent background for the role, the onslaught of unnecessary tasks turned me off entirely. If I did make it through the WOTC survey, all I’d earn is an opportunity to have my materials considered. And in this job market, it’s not a given that my application would be viewed at all.
There were too many hoops to jump through, and it wasn’t worth the effort. I am guessing that other qualified candidates peered into this job portal abyss and promptly fled the scene.
Help Candidates Help You
Vexing job portals are annoying to candidates, but they also undermine the company. If the employer claims a people-first culture but puts candidates through the wringer before even meeting them, what message does that convey about the working conditions? The application process is likely a candidate’s first impression of the company, and employers should ensure it’s positive.
How can we ease the job portal angst for candidates and create better outcomes for employers? My solution is simple and far from groundbreaking. In fact, many employers already use this solution, which I call a one-page application.
A one-page application does not require candidates to sign up for an account. It’s generally posted below the job description, so navigating to another site is unnecessary. Unlike many portals, this application asks for a resume but does not require you to re-enter your experience and education into additional text fields. Most importantly, this one-page format provides an overview of all application requirements.
Truthfully, I’m not always up for crafting cover letters, short answer questions, or customized work samples. But sometimes it’s worth it! These items allow hiring teams to better distinguish between candidates with similar backgrounds. I don’t mind spending extra time if my skillset is especially well-suited to a role. However, I want to know about these requirements upfront.
The one-page application provides candidates with some much-needed transparency about the process. By displaying what’s required, candidates can easily budget their time and determine if they are up for completing all of the steps.
Final Thoughts
Job application portals represent a fraction of the candidate’s workload. Candidates invest an incredible amount of (unpaid!) work before and after submitting job applications. Employers should take this into account and ensure the application portal is as friction-free as possible.
Candidates deserve a user-friendly platform. When working on an application, candidates should spend time tailoring resumes or creating strong cover letters or work samples. They should not waste time on laborious job portal logistics.
A one-page job application is the gold standard. This format is the least burdensome and the most transparent. Candidates can see all requirements upfront and decide if the application is worth it. Employers reduce the risk of losing great candidates who don’t want to deal with clunky portals. This is a win-win!