How Companies Scare Away Their Best Applicants

"It's not always the applicants who make the mistakes," says Pia Tischer. “Only these mistakes are often drawn to the public. This is also due to the fact that unfavorable application photos and incorrect letters are easier to understand and therefore easier to assess than the complex application process in companies.”Pia Tischer often experiences that it is the companies that create potential new employees through their application process scare off. Or they lose applicants to better positioned companies before they have made a decision themselves.

What is wrong with the application process?

If there is a shortage of qualified applicants, the relationship is reversed: the companies apply to the future employee. Only many are not aware of this. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many 0815 job advertisements and outdated, complicated, lengthy application processes.

In fact, many application processes start with a meaningless job advertisement. Riddled with phrases, the content often says little about the requirements, the team spirit or the company as a whole. What should an applicant then use as a guide? In his view, there is a great risk that he will put his scarce resources - money and time - on the wrong horse.

Get ahead with creative job advertisements

This is why Pia Tischer recommends showing courage and personality when you advertise your job: "Every HR department should have a creative head that creates inspiring job offers." If this person is missing from the team, external professionals can help you get better opportunities right from the start. “Very original job advertisements sometimes go viral,” reports Pia Tischer.

The Ströher company from Dillenburg in Hesse, for example, is following an unusual path. On a banner on a street on which a long metal avalanche rolls to Frankfurt from Monday to Friday, Pia Tischer read the following text: “Frankfurt: 104 km - career at Ströher 0.2 km. We operate worldwide and are still on site."

“Much is said here in a few words. And it is up to the prospect how he reacts. From a call to a spontaneous visit to a written application, everything is possible. The prerequisite is, of course, that the company continues the course it has chosen and does not reject a spontaneous visitor at the reception.

Pia Tischer gives entrepreneurs additional tips for a successful application process in personal discussions: “Make it as easy as possible for applicants. This also means: stay away from cumbersome online application forms. Use One Click, because the applicant can transfer his data from XING or LinkedIn with one click. The job exchange on your own career page should be optimized for smartphones and tablets. Rely on social networks and in general: shorten the process and keep in touch with the applicant."