Easy Apply isn't Really
“I’ve applied to at least 50 jobs a week and I’m not getting ANY replies!”
I hear this in nearly EVERY get-to-know-you call I do lately.
“It’s just so easy to apply online, I can’t help myself.”
I get it. I’ve done it too. I started out thinking, “well, what have I got to lose? a few seconds and even if the odds aren’t in my favor, something might come through.”
Then it gets demoralizing. You start second guessing everything - your resume, your LinkedIn profile, your choice of major and school and soon you’re down the rabbit hole of wondering why you’re just not good enough.
For recruiters, Easy Apply isn’t great either. At first it seems a miracle to have so many candidates applying for your open jobs - it wasn’t like that when I first started recruiting! Then you realize most of the applicants have just hit the easy button and didn’t really read the job description.
Contrary to urban myth, recruiters (real, live people) review applications and resumes before moving the candidates forward in the hiring funnel or moving them out. The exception to this is when your application process requires you to answer some questions - whether it’s about your eligibility to work in the US or your years of experience using PowerBI. If YOUR answers indicate you do not meet the basic requirements the system will automatically reject you. To be clear, HUMANS set the questions and then the computer is programmed to use YOUR answer to make a yes/no decision.
Now that you understand that you’re not arbitrarily being removed from the system because of a mercurial bot, here’s what else happens when you “easy apply.”
You add your name and application to the pile of applicants. Many recruiters go through the applications daily (maybe weekly depending on the Hiring Manager requirements) and they start from the top of the pile and go forward. That means I look at the first applications by date and review - looking for specifics that have been identified as requirements for the role by the Hiring Manager. HINT: the specifics I’m looking for are easily discovered by READING the job description.
As I identify qualified candidates I move them forward in the funnel and leave the non-qualified candidates in the queue. With each qualified candidate I reach out - by phone first and leave a message (because who answers a phone call from an unknown number these days?). The message indicates my name, my company and the role that you have applied for. I also leave a number to return my call. If your voicemail is full or not set up, I may or may not circle back around to reach out AFTER I’ve gone through the list of qualified candidates. I do my best to also text and email candidates whom I cannot reach by phone.
This process continues on until I’ve connected with and done a pre-screen with at least a handful of qualified candidates. At each step of the process those candidates are either moved out of the process or forward.
If I have a good amount of qualified candidates in the 3rd stage (usually an interview with the hiring manager) I may not revisit this candidate pool daily as I move to focus on other high need roles (many recruiters today are working between 20-40 roles at a time).
That’s why easy apply isn’t always easy. Because sometimes you were the 100th applicant and within the first 25 there were candidates who were equally qualified and they are moving through the process. If none of those qualified candidates takes the job then we continue moving through the queue and we may, or may not, make it to your application.
What to do instead?
Spend time up front creating laser focus on where you want to work, what you want to do and what you want to see happen in your career in the next 6 months and then 3 years. Use the time you’ve been spending on easy apply to understand your values, your gifts and your talents and then move forward with consciousness into applying AND networking for the role you want most.
Save the Date: Confident Careers - Job Hunting Q&A
What’s a Porch Chat and what do I Get?
Glad you asked.
Chats will be set at a specific date and time and they will incur a small fee $17.95 USD in order to attend. (or you can sign up for a year of chats - right now that is 6 - every other month - for $100.00). Another alternative? If you choose to pay for a subscription to ZenCareer (at any level) you will automatically receive a link and invitation to every porch chat at no additional fee.
First one is scheduled for May 17, 2023 at 8pm Eastern
You’ll receive the link for the event and you’ll get a reminder a day and an hour before the live event.
You’ll send your questions before hand, if you have them (and maybe can’t attend live - but want the recording) and include some of your personal background that is relevant to the question.
During the hour I will select as many questions as can be answered during the time allotted. If you’re on the chat live I’ll ask you to participate in the conversation by asking YOU questions to dive deeper into what’s really happening.
Much like group sessions with mediums and psychics (yeah, I’m a fan) ALL the attendees who are gathered should listen carefully - it’s not a coincidence that you’re on that particular call at that time - whether your question gets pulled or not, I guarantee you’ll receive some useful, actionable information during the live chat.
The first chat will be May 17, 2023 (Wednesday) at 8 eastern/5 Pacific, and will be recorded and sent only to those who have paid to attend.
You are worthy every dream you have coming true, so be sure to leave space to be surprised at how those dreams manifest.
Big hugs,
Peggie