THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATION
On-line application forms have been the hot new thing for graduate recruitment for a few years now but Simon Reichwald of Graduate Success asks whether they really help companies and HR departments get the best graduates?
Growing numbers of applications, due to the growing numbers of graduates each year (310,000 in 2004) and pressure on reducing costs have meant that employers have had to look at ways to manage these numbers and handle their graduate recruitment.
With 57% of employers experiencing difficultly and 30% failing to fill their graduate vacancies on-line application forms may have made life easier for the recruiter but have they helped employers win the war for the best graduate talent?
There are a number of issues employers need to consider:
Companies will struggle to find a graduate who likes on-line application forms, so that will put them off recruiting
Graduates want to speak with a real person not feel like a number and with the growing automation across all areas of our lives this feeling will only grow. Do on-line application forms say we are a people business? Are they the giving the right impression of the business to graduates?
How customer friendly are on-line application forms?
On-line application forms are hugely time consuming so this will mean that graduates
o May start them and not go back to them
o May only fill in a few, which is fine if you are one of the few, but what if you are not?
o Not even bother to start as it appears to bigger task
So with these added pressures on graduates who are focusing their time, especially in their final year, in getting a decent degree these applications may never get done.
The current evidence is clear, with 60% of finalists making no applications until after their finals are these on line application forms adding to this figure?
So whats to be done, especially for those organisations that receive large numbers of applications?
Simon Reichwald suggests that there are a number of options:
- Use the on-line application form for the initial campaign then change the process where there are gaps and make it easier to apply say cover letter and CV only
- Identify the roles that are toughest to recruit for or those that have been difficult to fill and make applying to those roles easier from the start whereby a CV and cover letter is all that is required
- Run the two processes in tandem online application form and Co and cover letter and compare the to results at the end (We did with a client and youll be amazed at the results!)
If this is too time consuming then outsource part or some of the time intensive process.
On-line application forms are not all bad, but perhaps they should be just another tool and not the exclusive tool?
Graduates and employers can find out more about Graduate Success by calling 01242 236415. Their website is www.graduatesuccess.com
Director of Graduate Success, Simon Reichwald is available for interview.
Notes to Editors:
Graduate Success is a specialist graduate selection consultancy. With over 10 years of experience in the graduate market, they deliberately work with a selected number of companies, around the UK, who are committed to excellence in graduate recruitment.
For further media information contact:
Jake Stavrinides
Email: jake@aptmarketing.co.uk
apt marketing & pr
Tel: 01242 250692
Graduate Success
Graduate Success is a specialist graduate selection consultancy. With over 10 years of experience in the graduate market, they deliberately work with a selected number of companies, around the UK, who are committed to excellence in graduate recruitment.
http://www.graduatesuccess.com
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