The Pros And Cons Of One-Click Apply

For job seekers, technology can be a wonderful thing. You can apply to jobs almost anywhere from the comfort of your home, you can stay in touch with your network easily through social media, and, thanks to the rise in remote work, you can even do a job from home.

But because of the ease of access, it can be much harder to stand out thanks to the high levels of competition. Experts say it can take 100-200 applications to get just one job offer, and your average job search could take up to nine weeks. To get a job in the traditional way, you’ll need to send a high volume of resumes.

That’s why job search websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter offer “easy” or “one-click” apply options. For someone looking to get as many resumes out as possible, these features are a massive boon!

Or are they? Despite the convenience, using these features may not make you stand out from the crowd. We’ll cover what easy apply systems actually do, their faults, and when they can help your search.

What do they do?

The name sells the basic function well enough—an easy or one-click apply skips through much of the traditional application process to quickly get your documents into the hands of recruiters. They may or may not offer the chance to attach relevant documents like a copy of your resume or cover letter.

In most cases, this allows you to quickly submit a generic, multi-use resume. In LinkedIn’s case, you’ll instead be submitting your LinkedIn profile. This allows you to quickly scroll through online job boards and apply to anything that strikes your fancy.

The problem

Bypassing the conventional application process, which is often time-consuming and tedious, is an amazing idea, but it has its drawbacks.

“As with all quick fixes, the easier option has its drawbacks. Primarily, you’re trading customization for simplicity.” – Jaclyn Westlake, The Muse

This convenience leads to a lot of applications being submitted. In spite of this volume, you may think having the right keywords will get your generic resume picked by the applicant tracking system, but Mac’s List says that may not be the case. Around 40% of companies don’t use ATS, and if your resume isn’t tailored it will struggle to get noticed by the person reading it.

Data shows using one-click apply methods doesn’t have an impact on whether or not you’ll hear back from the employer, according to SmartRecruiters. Your resume will be added to a large pile of applicants regardless, and your content will have to speak for itself.

In LinkedIn’s case, the Easy Apply puts a lot of pressure on your profile. Regardless of whether you attached a resume and cover letter, your profile is the first thing the hiring manager will see. If you’ve been neglecting your profile or hoping your resume will carry you, you may be disappointed when your application is quickly discarded.

You can help alleviate this by having a well-developed LinkedIn profile, which is good to have regardless. Lewis Parrott says having a professional photo, strong headline, relevant details in your job history, and interesting personal details can help alleviate some of the issues with using Easy Apply.

When can it help?

While network connections and carefully customized resumes are a superior job search strategy, one-click applying does have its place and can help lead to a well-rounded search.

Volume does matter in your job search, especially for entry-level roles. The application process is often tedious, and constant rejection after spending significant time applying is discouraging. Quick applies can help you cast a wide net. You may not always bring in the best jobs this way, but it can help build momentum. Career Sidekick does recommend at least tailoring your resume for a specific industry if you choose this route.

If you’ve already tapped your network and carefully applied to your dream companies, then using easy apply functions can be a way to supplement that search. Use them to compliment your job search, not to be the heart of it.

Relying on one-click apply is NOT recommended if you’re looking for your dream job, but sometimes you just need a job. Whether you need a source of income, you need to learn a skill, or you’re just looking to get your foot in the door, these functions are a great tool to find a low-stakes job.

Kindra Cooper believes if you have a top-notch LinkedIn profile already their method can work. In fact, if you’ve spent time adding URLs, displaying endorsements, highlighting your skills, and you have a strong summary, your profile may be even better than your resume. But this requires you to have done all the work beforehand, and it’s best not to put all your eggs in one basket.

Wrap up

Job searching can be a long and arduous process, and any tool that can make the journey easier is appealing. But while they offer additional assistance, it’s imperative to understand the pros and cons of using one-click apply methods. There are times to use these features, and they can complement a thorough job search, but they shouldn’t be relied upon as your only job-searching strategy. For more in-depth job search strategies, check out our other great articles!

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Stand Out Digitally With These LinkedIn Summary Tips

In any sort of persuasive speech, your attention-getter sets the tone of the entire performance. An engaging introduction reels your audience in, while a boring one sends them looking elsewhere. Imagine walking into a hotel lobby and finding it unpleasant. No matter how good your room may be, that initial entrance soured the experience.

Your LinkedIn profile is the same way. Using LinkedIn is vital for the modern job search, and your summary is your introduction to recruiters. The website itself declares the summary as one of the most important pieces of information you can describe.

“Your summary or About section is the one place you define yourself in your own words, free of start dates and titles. Whether you use it to put career choices in context, highlight your biggest achievements, or show off your personality, the summary is your chance to put your best self out there. It strengthens your first impression in a way no other Profile section can.” –LinkedIn

If you’re doing some spring cleaning with your profile, we’ll go teach you how to craft an exceptional summary that shows the real you.

Prioritize the first few sentences

If your summary is the introduction to your profile, the first few words are the introduction to your introduction. Laura Smith-Proulx reveals that your full summary isn’t immediately displayed until someone clicks on “see more” (on both mobile and desktop versions).

That means your summary needs to “pop” immediately to catch the eyes of the looker. You want to hook your audience immediately by getting directly into your brand and making your objective clear right away.

Use keywords

The modern job search is all about appeasing the search engine. Realizing this is the key to making sure you’ll show up in a recruiter’s search at all. To do that, LinkedIn experts recommend using keywords throughout your profile.

Executive resume writer Jessica Hernandez simply defines these keywords as “Keywords are a list of words and phrases that are related to your work—they are the words that a prospective employer would search for when trying to find someone like you.”

Find words relevant to your industry and use them often. This will make sure you show up in searches AND make it easier for a prospective employer to get an idea of what you’re all about. While you should use keywords, make sure to avoid making your profile a jumbled mess of jargon.

Showcase your personality

A recruiter isn’t just getting an automaton worker when they look at your profile; they are looking at a complex human being. At the end of the day, not only does a recruiter want a qualified worker, but they want someone that is a good cultural fit for the organization.

Because of the nature of LinkedIn, you still want to be professional, but don’t be afraid to let a little flair or humor out. If you followed the above advice, your audience will get a view of you as a worker and you as a person. Having this insight allows the reader to have a more detailed picture of how you will fit in with the company.

Find a format that works for you

In keeping with the above advice, you can craft the style of your summary in a manner that best describes you. There isn’t a single cookie-cutter approach to take. SocialTalent reminds us that the summary is your chance to tell your story as you see it. Just like in an elevator pitch, you’re using that short space to say who you are and what you bring to the table.

The Muse’s Aja Frost analyzes different strategies for telling that story, including the mission-based strategy, the personal strategy, the short-and-sweet summary, the blended summary, and the accomplishment summary. These five example methods allow you to decide what’s important for you and the best way to summarize yourself. All five are great starting points, and you can click the above link for more details.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn itself goes over 14 well-designed and radically different summary styles and provides reasons why they work. All 14 off an excellent place to start and can serve as a template for your own story. It’s all about finding the best way to represent you!

Avoid third-person

Your LinkedIn summary is a summary of you as a worker, told by you. This is a chance for you to be yourself, and ideally, you don’t talk in third person in real life. Avoid this common pitfall!

Example

Aja Frost provides us with a great example of a short, detailed summary that follows all of the above advice.

“I’m a sales rep dedicated to helping local Oklahoma City services businesses grow their customer base and decrease customer churn. I have 6 years of experience in local sales and I’ve consistently met and exceeded my quota throughout my career. Within the last year, I’ve topped our leaderboard six out of 10 months. On average, I close business 10% faster than my peers.”

Wrap up

If you aren’t using LinkedIn as part of your job search strategy, you need to do so immediately! And a successful LinkedIn summary is the welcome mat to the rest of your profile. Make sure it’s clear, direct, and a good summary of you, the writer. There isn’t one successful must-use template, so do some research and some tweaking and find what works for you!

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Finding Remote Work In 2022

The workplace climate of the last two years doesn’t appear poised to change in 2022. As new variants of COVID-19 gain prominence, we’re still learning how to cope with the pandemic in our day-to-day lives. Thanks to adapting technology, remote work, in particular, has not only become a valuable tool to keep workplaces running, but it has become a new norm.

While discussing workplace trends for 2022, IDG Connect theorized that remote work will become the standard for most workers. They speculate the Great Resignation will slow down in 2022, and companies that haven’t adapted to remote work will struggle.

“For those that invested early in supporting remote work, they will see the problems settle down earlier compared to those that either have not invested or did so half-heartedly.” -IDG Connect

If you’re starting a new job search this year, chances are you’ll either consider or fully seek out a remote job. To help you land that new position, we’ll discuss the different styles of remote work and the subtle challenges you need to be aware of when applying for remote positions.

What are the types of remote work?

The concept of working remotely is intuitive; you complete your work off-site. But remote work is actually an umbrella of different forms of working away from the office. There is fully work from home (WFH), hybrid, and flexible work. As a job seeker, you’ll need to be aware of the subtle differences of each type and figure out what form is best for your needs.

The blanket term ‘remote work’ generally refers to WFH. Simply, the employee will be able to do their entire job from their home (or other remote location). Meanwhile, ZDNet’s Owen Hughes excellently defines the difference between hybrid and flexible approaches.

“Hybrid working refers to the idea of splitting time between working in an office and working from home or another remote location, whereas flexible working tends to incorporate models of work that offer more freedom around how and when employees work. This can include flexible start and finish times, split shifts and non-traditional working weeks.” -Hughes

Some positions may require you to be available at certain times to work with team members or customers. In addition, some organizations will still need team members to come into the office for meetings or group tasks. It all depends on the company, the industry, and your potential position. As such, you need to be aware of what the organization is offering and what will work well with your needs.

The additional challenge is when companies themselves aren’t clear on or aware of these differences. With remote opportunities and culture a bigger focal point than salary, companies that understand these differences will attract more talent. After all, advertising a ‘flexible’ job that requires a strict 9-to-5 schedule would be a major faux pas.  Job Hunt suggests doing additional research, including reaching out to employees and reviewing sites like Glassdoor to confirm what a company means when they say ‘remote’ or ‘flexible’.

How to apply for remote work

Once you’ve identified the type of remote work you yearn for, be aware the application process can be slightly different as well. While you’ll still want to practice classic job search etiquette (keeping your resume action-oriented, using keywords to get your resume into the hands of a real person), remote work requires additional soft skills, and you’ll have more competition due to the wider search area.

Kevin Kirkpatrick, CEO of We Work Remotely! told Buzzfeed that communication skills (especially writing ability), resourcefulness, and the ability to work independently are some of the most crucial soft skills employers will seek in remote workers. When you’ll be mostly communicating digitally, knowing how to clearly express yourself is key while being remote requires independent solution making. Finding ways to showcase these types of skills on your resume and in interviews is necessary.

“Resourcefulness is another attribute remote companies look for. Teams need people that are able to come up with creative solutions no matter the context. People that are able to solve problems on their own and take ownership of what they do are always attractive for remote companies.” -Kirkpatrick

Meanwhile, Yoh’s blog offers excellent tips to achieve the best remote positions, and it should be no surprise that many of these tips involved technological literacy. If you’re applying for a remote position, it stands to reason your interview may be remote as well. Having a working camera, a stable internet connection, and strong video interview etiquette will show employers you’re ready to use technology on a day-to-day basis.

Wrap up

No matter which form it takes, remote work is the new norm, but both employers and employees are still adjusting to what this means. Understanding the options available to you is vital to finding the right position, as is being able to show off the right types of skills. This knowledge should not only assist you in landing a great remote position but also to recognize which organizations truly ‘get’ remote work.

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Using Technology To Keep Your Remote Teams Engaged

With the increase in employees operating remotely across the country, there is a substantial need for new technologies and innovations to upkeep productivity. The rise of Zoom was just one example of a platform that presented a quick solution to many organizations’ biggest fears.

Thanks to these technologies, companies are beginning to open new positions that start on a remote basis (some even permanently). Just this past week, I spoke with a prospective client who was forced to transition all their Sales Representative positions from the traditional ‘in-person’ model to a phone and web-based model. Despite this unfortunate circumstance, there is still an opportunity for his company and sales team to expand courtesy of decreased travel expenses and increased time at hand. 

Are you struggling to maintain team chemistry and attract top candidates to your job listings? Our friends at Nexxt recently dived into a few of the top tech-based tools leading the way. We review contributor Julie Shenkman’s top examples below:

Talent Recruitment

Are you extending your best effort when it comes to collecting visibility amidst the remote workforce? In developing an effective talent recruitment strategy, Julie strongly advises using a reliable recruitment marketing resource for your posting and promoting. Top examples include LinkedIn/LinkedIn Recruiter, CareerBuilder, Glassdoor, Hootsuite, Workforce, and more.

According to a recent U.S. technology research survey, the number of employees permanently working from home is set to double globally. Gone are the days of shying away from remote employees due to a fear of a lack of control. Julie believes using an online job site will help the right candidates discover your employer profile. “No matter their location, it lets them learn more about your company and its culture. That being said, it’s important to post as much valuable information about the open positions and your company within the job listing as possible, without it becoming information overloaded. You will want to make sure that the position clearly states it is open to remote employees applying.”

Employee Onboarding

Onboarding a new remote hire can be quite a challenge, but technological advances continue to ease the process. With an increased level of communication and resources, employees can stay much more connected throughout their transitions. Today, there are plenty of proven examples in various industries of how organizations are positively implementing new hires into their environment and culture from home. The Nexxt team details Oracle Human Capital Management as an excellent resource in providing agility, adaptability, and a ‘human touch’ through technology to businesses. The program is designed to make department training, performance management, and payroll more seamless.

Team Engagement

Was your company big on company-wide outings, team lunches, or happy hours to celebrate organizational ‘wins’ or to blow off some steam? It can be easy to feel disconnected when these luxuries fade away, but having a substitute is critical to maintaining team morale and cultivating passion. One solution Julie offers is implementing an online recognition software to strengthen workplace culture and values and enhance engagement. Everyone wants to be recognized, and through your intentionality, you can continue to celebrate strong performances, birthdays, and work anniversaries.

“Working remotely improves the health and wellness of employees by reducing stress—and limiting exposure to potentially sick coworkers.” -WeWork, 2020

Wrap Up

What technologies can best benefit your company and its unique needs? When you keep your remote employees top of mind and implement these strategies, you will better identify a model of success. “With a diverse set of remote employees actively searching for a job or already working from around the country, or even the globe, considering their unique needs is essential to the success of maintaining a well-engaged workforce.”

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