I hear the horror stories all the time about how long it takes to fill out online applications. I remember having to fill out online applications myself several years ago, and it was both time consuming (wasting) and a pain. There is nothing worse than spending 45 minutes filling in every little last detail on an online job application, only to press the “submit” button and be informed that your background does not meet the stated criteria in one form or another. Whether it is because you don’t meet a minimum number of years of experience in the industry, or you don’t hold a certain certification required, the bottom-line is that you have now wasted your time and have come no closer to getting an interview, much less a job.
So why do so many companies use them? Well the answer is really two-fold. First, online applications are used to populate databases, such as applicant tracking systems, which make it easier to find the best candidates (at least in theory). With hundreds upon hundreds of applicants for any given position, it is much easier to search those resumes using key words than to have someone do it manually. The other major reason for using an online application system is because the government requires information on the race and gender of applicants to be tracked in order to ensure that positions are being offered to a diverse group of individuals, and that they are attempting to interview and hire diverse candidates. If you have filled out an online application before, you should be familiar with the last question that asks specifically for your race and gender in the form of a voluntary survey. This seems counter to most of us who have grown accustomed to being familiar with the taboo questions employers cannot ask, and the protection from being discriminated against based on race, gender, age or religion. Don’t worry, you are still protected.
Federal law prohibits discriminating against job seekers due to any of the aforementioned, and there are very strict guidelines for how this information is handled, and is only to be used for the purposes of analyzing the diversity of the applicant pool for specific companies to ensure that EEO and AAP targets are being met. These surveys should not extend beyond race or gender. I once heard of an online application asking for a social security number. While not uncommon to be asked for such near the end of the interviewing process to run a background check, it is very suspect to be asked at the beginning. You may want to question the intent.
Is there a way around the online application? Yes there is, and that is by getting past the gatekeeper(s) and straight to the source. I continually stress the importance of networking and leveraging contacts. If you can get your resume directly into the hands of a hiring manager, your chances increase significantly. You may still be asked to adhere to protocol and fill out the online application, but at least you know you have a leg up on most everyone else. Network, network, and network some more.
Let me add just one other reason for an online application, and that is to replace the old way of doing things – the hand-written application. There still are some companies that use this method, but the overwhelming majority of companies have joined the electronic age and do not. If you think it sounds like a daunting task to whittle down hundreds of resumes electronically, can you imagine how time consuming it would be to do it with a stack of physical paper applications?
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