Does anyone else get depressed about the sheer pointless form filling of job hunting?

bartelbe

I'm applying for a very low level job, I would prefer not to say what it is, because I still hope to get it. I spoke to the guy in charge of hiring, that went well, and he said he would email an application. What I got was war and peace, four seperate documents, including a 6 page application form.

Is all this really neccessary? I know that it helps keep alot of bloated HR departments in work, but as a job seeker I find the amount of form filling and paper work that comes with every bloody job is grinding me down. You're suppose to fill out hundreds of applications a week, but to get one to the required standard can take me half a day minimum.

This is for entry level positions, don't get me started on graduate jobs. In which there a three million seperate recruitment stages, many of them of dubious merit like Psychometric testing, before you ever get near to an interview. Of course they will be at least 2,3 god knows how many of them. These recruitment processes are not only frustrating for job seekers, but must cost companies a fortune.

Lith

A 6 page application form, sounds ridiculous... what is this job ? to be a member of the CIA?

Wish it was like the old times hand in cv + cover letter and there you go.

(What you see is what you get) type of thing..

Russe11

You can rest assured that there will be someone in HR going through all the applications, looking for the slighest of errors and binning anything that does not pass their criteria, over the last decade things have changed dramatically.

I remember about 10 years ago I went for a job and started that day, after my induction and first days work I was given my application forms... thinking there must be some sort of interveiw to follow I did my best to dig up all my records and fill it out in best handwriting, listing all my qualifications etc.

Handed it in to my supervisor the next day and they looked blankly at me, then chuckled, they said I need not to of gone to all the bother as all they needed was my name and bank details, if I was capable of doing the job nothing else mattered.

I'm sure it depends on the size of the organisation and the type of work.

TrickyWicky

Lith wrote: »

A 6 page application form, sounds ridiculous... what is this job ? to be a member of the CIA?

Not far from it in reality. 6 page applications are nothing. I've filled in forms with more than that.

I also worked in a public department moons ago and when I joined that the application was something like 8 pages. Few years down the line we all had to reapply for our own jobs - the form was 50 odd pages. I sat at my desk and nearly cried it was so depressing and soul destroying. I'd only just transferred to a really nice department and then found out it was being scrapped and I'd likely end up back in the old dump of one I had just escaped.

agrinnall

Yes, it is depressing. What makes it more so is that many organisations ask for exactly the same information, and could easily use a standardised form, but no, they all want it entered in a slightly different way. Perhaps we should start a campaign for a single design of application form, at least then we could copy the bulk of the information rather than having to laboriously complete it every time.

HappyMJ

See CV..

That's what I answer to work history. I'll fill in the essentials and the bulky bit about work history I just write See CV. If they don't like it then stuff it I don't wont such a job.

an9i77

When I applied for graduate jobs a few years ago, one which was for one of the big high street banks, involved an assessment centre with an exercise that could have been straight from 'the crystal maze' (remember that show?). There was a pully in the middle of the room, with a load of poles, balls, spoons and other random equipment, I was given half an hour to work out how to get the pulley to lift up so that I could get some marbles out from underneath, and I couldn't go within 1m radius of the pulley. I then had 10 mins to get my team to do it under my instruction. !!!!!! that has to do with a graduate position in a bank I'm not quite sure. It was WEIRD.

bluenoseam

Agreed, my latest was a 5 page form to be hand written for a temp part time contract in retail - all of which is a waste of time when they see my reason for leaving my last job!

falko89

90% of what I apply for just requires a CV

Elvisia

I agree - it can take a full day to do one application, then when or if you actually get the interview it's another day to prepare. When my friend went for a very high level job he said it took him about 3 days straight to do the application, and it literally was a thesis by the time he'd finished (which he didn't get as the job was already promised to someone internal!!!). This is one reason I signed off the WP, I was expected to do so many applications, often for jobs they had suggested rather than ones I wanted to apply for, and I got demoralised spending my time applying for things I didn't want and was highly unlikely to get. In the end I put up adverts for my services (I do private tutoring) and I get people coming to me rather than the other way round.

I guess these people want to make sure they get people who really want to work for them? I love it when they say "Why do you want to work for this company" and you have to stop yourself from saying "I need the money, I'm not doing this for my health you know."

macalacka

I work in HR and unfortunately have to look after some recruitment [my least favourite part!] I only ever want a CV and cover letter. In fact 90% of the time I go straight to the CV and have a look at that. Candidates put a lot of time and effort into a CV and so I wouldn't want to waste their time by giving me the same information in a different format.

I'd probably recommend you don't try and get a job with any company that asks you to complete a 6 page application form! I never apply for jobs that ask for an application form. If my CV isn't good enough then I probably won't be!

Can we please stop ridiculing and critising HR departments in general. We are not pen pushers or the gastapo! We are also employee's!!