10 Things Preventing People from Applying to Your Jobs

What’s preventing people from applying to your open positions?

The job market is always in flux, but sometimes there might be other things that are in the way of candidates applying to your latest job posting.

To help business owners understand what prevents people from applying to jobs, we asked HR professionals and business leaders this question for their best insights. From undisclosed salaries to fear of rejection, there are several things that can hinder potential candidates.

Here are 10 things that may prevent job seekers from applying to your jobs, along with some tips on increasing your visibility.

1. Confusing Job Descriptions

A barrier to entry for some people when applying to jobs is the job posting itself. The job posting has to do two things: accurately describe the necessary qualifications and accurately describe the type of work that will be done. However, there are some phrases that might be overused, or some that are too vague for people to quite understand if they’re a good fit or not — and this prevents them from applying. A way to help this is to look into executive recruiters. They’d be able to help screen potential candidates outside of the pool of applicants that are a good fit for the requirements of the job — based on skill sets, knowledge, and previous experience — while also being able to fit someone who is a good cultural fit into the workplace.

Jon Schneider, Recruiterie

2. Fear of Rejection

One of the biggest things that often prevents people from applying for jobs is the fear of rejection. Whether recently graduated from college, unemployed, or seeking to find a better position, job searching can be stressful and overwhelming. One tip for employers to encourage applicants is to paint a welcoming team culture through your job posts.

Rronniba Pemberton, Markitors

3. Qualifications Overload

A lot of job postings include a wide selection of desired skills and previous experience. Although it certainly would be nice for candidates to be able to check every box, it isn’t realistic. A  lot of potential applicants can be deterred from applying if the posting includes too wide of a range of skills or experience because they think they won’t be qualified. Let job seekers know that it’s alright to continue to send in applications even if they don’t meet every single piece of criteria.

Patrick Hicks, Trust & Will

4. Other Career Goals

For career-oriented workers, the swarm of open positions might seem like a positive thing on the surface. However, someone who is looking for a career in the medical field isn’t going to want to work at the local burger joint. If they have enough savings to wait for suitable positions to open up, then they’re likely to do so.

Randi Shinder, SBLA

5. Preference for Remote Opportunities

People are still anxious about going back to work in person, and many job seekers are having difficulty finding jobs they feel comfortable doing. Therefore, they are only applying to remote opportunities. Even with safety protocols in place, many are simply hesitant about going back to on-site work at this point.

Jordan Nathan, Caraway

6. Unclear Company Culture

Job seekers have a clear advantage these days. For a variety of personal reasons, people are being very selective when it comes to applying for new jobs. There are more open positions that people want to fill, so job postings need to stand out if you want applicants to take action. One thing that may prevent potential candidates from applying to your job opening is a lack of clarity regarding what you do, who you serve, and how this particular open position supports the company overall. Start your job post with a short description of your purpose and your focus; then move into sharing what representative job duties are — no long, exhaustive lists though! And don’t forget to make a clear invitation to apply — a call to action to close up your post.

Niki Ramirez, HR Answers

7. Casual and Passive Job Seekers

Currently, generous pandemic unemployment benefits are one of the reasons potential employees aren’t applying for open positions, especially those that pay less than what they are making on unemployment. Also, many potential candidates may be currently employed and only casually looking for work.

Jeffery Brown, Big Fig Mattress

8. Undisclosed Salary

If a job pays below the average for that position, then people will avoid applying. A person is more likely to apply if they know the pay rate and are satisfied with it. When posting your jobs, always find out about how much you should pay someone doing the same or similar work, so that those who are qualified for the job will come to get it.

Jill Sandy, Constant Delights

9. Long Application Process

People may not apply to positions if the online application process is too long. Although hiring managers may want a lot of information from their candidates to find out if they would be a good fit for the company, it’s also important to keep in mind that you can also get to know a candidate a lot better during the interview process.

Abraham Rahmanizadeh, Leafwell Botanicals

10. Limited Distribution of Job Postings

People may not apply to open positions because they are not displayed on enough job-seeking platforms. Don’t limit your job ads to your website only. Post them on as many platforms as possible to increase your chances of hearing from interested candidates. See below for more on distribution!

Matt Seaburn, Rent A Wheel

How JobsInTheUS Can Help

In any labor market, you should always be investing in recruitment advertising so that job seekers know your brand and you’re never left short-staffed. Use your company profile on any website in the JobsInTheUS network to highlight your unique company culture. For national and or niche visibility, add enhancements such as Juice-a-Job.

Feeling overwhelmed? Email our account managers and let them assist you with best-in-class products and advice on how to recruit for the long-term success of your business.