Long Applications

[twoteachers]

As recruiting season is well under way, and the Tier 1 schools have already posted positions, I am noticing some of these schools have ridiculously long and repetitive applications. What is the deal with them? Are they a tool to weed out those who aren't really interested? So may of the questions are repeated. For what reason? Do these things actually get read by someone? And by whom?

[fine dude]

With great paycheck comes great responsibility. This is what the admin thinks, but once you settle at a solid top-tier school, you'll simply laugh at these silly recruitment practices.

[PsyGuy]

Its a combination of factors, 1) When an IS gets a resume they have to screen it and there are lots of different styles and locations where applicants put data. Someone on staff has to go though those resumes and reduce it and compile it ina form that lets leadership look at candidates the same. By having you do an application they have you, and not their staff do that work. 2) Applications usually want more detail than a resume, especially when it comes to work history, and allows ISs to dictate questions that wouldnt otherwise be on a resume. 3) It reduces the number of applicants, though it also reduces the number of high quality candidates, one of the three foundational factors to a good employment match is identifying if the candidate "wants" to work with that IS, and not just any IS that meets their comp requirements. 4) Applications contain accountability mechanisms, you signed it and probably made some declaration that its complete and true, etc. 5) It can be a labor or regulatory issue, and at the least you wont hear much argument against it as a 'best practice".

[buffalofan]

I recently completed one for a Tier 1 school in SE Asia. Probably took about 3 months off my life. There were 13 screens I think, and probably 100s of tickboxes and drop down menus with plenty of big text boxes to fill too. On top of that, if you spent too long filling out a screen, the online app would time out and you would have to log in again.