It is frustrating when you get fewer job applications. Candidates are picky about the job opportunities they welcome and hit the apply button. Most recruiters fail to attract enough candidates and hence struggle with a low job application rate.
So, how can you attract candidates to apply to your job openings?
There are ways you can make your job appealing and drive more people to apply.
1. A quick and easy job application process
Most candidates drop off if it takes effort to apply for jobs. For instance, if a candidate has to fill out details manually and upload documents, they feel it is an unnecessary extra effort.
To overcome this challenge that leads to candidate drop-off, consider optimising your recruitment process. Streamline the application process into fewer steps so that it takes not less than a couple of minutes to complete the process.
2. Flexible work opportunities
Today, top job contenders want flexible work opportunities. Employers who don’t offer flexible job opportunities lose great candidates.
If your organisation allows flexible timing, specify it in job descriptions. It will attract more candidates and boost the job application rate.
3. Short and appealing job posts
Job description length affects the number of applications. According to LinkedIn’s behavioural data, shorter job descriptions, 150 words or less, have 17.8% more applications than medium and long ones.
Improvise your job descriptions to eliminate unnecessary text. Optimise them to shorter descriptions and make them appealing enough to trigger candidate action.
4. Focus on skills over experience in creating job descriptions
Top candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge may not have the required experience. You will lose some of the top contenders by mentioning the year of experience required for your job vacancy.
If possible, avoid specifying the years of experience required. Instead, emphasise specific skill sets and other relevant competencies that make a candidate suitable for the job.
5. Include salary range in job posts
According to LinkedIn, 61% of candidates say the salary range is the most important part of the job description. People want to know if they can afford to take a role before applying. Hence, if you include salary details, it will likely attract more candidates to apply to your vacancies.
6. Mention employee benefits
After compensation, employee benefits are the second most important thing applicants consider when they come across a job opportunity. Exaggerating the employee benefits in the job description is a proven tactic recruiters use to appeal to a wide range of qualified candidates.
Consider mentioning employee benefits in the job description that appeals to your target candidates.
7. Optimise jobs for search engines
To get your job posts to reach more and more people, optimise them for search engines:
- Avoid using terms candidates don’t search
- Use common and widely used job titles
- Research for keywords to include in the job description
8. Advertise jobs
Today, recruiters use marketing tactics to attract candidates. Job advertising or recruitment marketing is one such important marketing skill to boost job applications.
Consider advertising your jobs on recruiting channels to reach out to target candidates. If you do it right, it can significantly increase your chances of getting more qualified candidates.
9. Develop employer profile and career page
Use social media platforms to post photos and videos showcasing your work culture. Update your company profile on social media sites like Linked, Facebook and Twitter, where most job seekers spend time searching for jobs.
Use PyjamaHR career page builder to customise your career page content that appeals to your target candidates.
Follow the above 9 tips to improve your number of job applications for job vacancies. Regularly visit your recruitment process and make adjustments where necessary. Keep the job description clear and appealing to boost the job application rate.
