Employer

The application hurdles that cost you candidates

Consider this: would you apply for a job at your own company? Put yourself in the applicants' shoes and consider which parts of the application process could be changed or removed. Have you ever tried social media recruitment, for example? Read on to find out more in this blog post, part 2.

Sina Fehr

30.10.2025

3 min reading time

Let's be honest: have you ever considered this? Would you apply to your own company? Would you write a cover letter, update your CV, scan references and put everything into a PDF file on your laptop after work?

Most of your ideal candidates are employed and not actively looking for a job. They're busy, they have little time, and they're being courted by several companies. Every additional hurdle in the application process is a reason for them to give up. It has to be easy, especially on a smartphone: one click, one form, and you're done — or you can apply directly via your LinkedIn profile or WhatsApp. It's not just about convenience; it's about valuing the candidate's time, which can give your company a decisive advantage over its competitors.

What makes your company stand out

Large corporations can advertise international career opportunities and attractive salary packages. Is that not your company? You don't have to. The talent that suits you is looking for something else:

Decisions that don't have to go through five levels of hierarchy.
A team where everyone knows each other by name and always greets each other when they meet.
Projects where your own contribution is clearly visible.
Flexible working hours, because the boss values his employees' family life.

These are not soft factors; for many skilled workers today, they are the main reasons for changing jobs. But if you don't actively communicate these advantages in the language of your target group and make them visible to them, they will have no effect.

Your team is the strongest recruitment channel.

Collectively, your employees have a network of hundreds, if not thousands, of people, including potential candidates. But how many of your team members actively share your job ads? Probably very few, not because they aren't interested, but because it isn't made easy enough for them.

Simply sharing a job ad on LinkedIn with the comment 'We're hiring' doesn't feel right. What your employees need are ready-made posts and appealing visuals, as well as a platform that makes sharing easy. Recommendations from current employees are more credible than any paid ad, but only if you give your team the right tools.

Measure instead of guessing: find out where your recruitment budget is really working

How many applications came through which channel? Which ad generated the most clicks versus impressions? Where did you waste budget? Without clear data, you're stumbling around in the dark and may repeat costly mistakes. The beauty of digital recruitment is that everything can be measured. You can see in real time which measures are working and where adjustments are needed. This transforms gut feeling into a data-driven strategy that optimises your budget. This transparency is particularly valuable for smaller companies with limited resources because every dollar counts. The question is no longer 'Does social media recruiting work?', but 'How can I optimise my campaigns to make them even more effective?'

>One thing is clear: the more “applicant-friendly” your presentation and process are, the better your chances of attracting talent to your company.

about the author

Sina Fehr

Marketing & Communication

Sina is Marketing Manager at universaljob and blogs here about topics relating to careers, HR processes, digitalisation and recruitment. Do you follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram? There you can find out more about universaljob as an employer or get tips for your application.

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