1-Click Applicants, Job Boards, and Please Don't Ignore This Post Posts

As has become necessary in these environs, I must begin with some words in my own defense: I grew up working class. I've been broke. I've been poor. I've run out of money. I've slept in my car. I've had my car repossessed. When I went broke during law school, I went to whatever event or function was happening that evening -- because I didn't have enough money to buy groceries. The point: I can empathize. That said, I feel compelled to offer a few observations.

Let's begin with the 1-click applicants.

Over the past several years, many job boards - including LinkedIn - have set up a system where any applicant can "apply" for any job with a single click. This is madness.

I've posted jobs on LinkedIn and elsewhere. Let's take LinkedIn. One time, I posted a job for an attorney, licensed in Florida, with federal court experience. I got inundated with 1-click applicants from all over the country and all over the world. It was a massive waste of time and money.

That was not an isolated incident. I have other business ventures. I've hired for various roles. I've used various job boards. Inevitably, I'll get 100, 200, even 500 "applications". But they cannot fairly be called applicants. They are just 1-clickers. And almost without fail, no matter how clear-cut the job description is, about 90% of the 1-clickers are utterly unqualified and have zero business applying for the job.

This 1-click application model does not serve companies. It wastes their time and money. And it does not serve job seekers. Because good, qualified applicants are getting buried in the pool of 1-clickers.

And that's just human nature. Consider: A person desperately looking for a job. They can 1-click apply to every job they see. In their mind, they think "Why not? I'm increasing my chances. Maybe one of these will hit."

Yes, that strategy may be driven by desperation. But it is a poor strategy. It's ineffective. And - on a large scale - it hurts other people who might actually be a good fit for those jobs.

Cui bono?

This 1-click model has been a disaster for companies and job seekers alike. So who benefits? LinkedIn. Indeed. Other job board companies. Because they can say, "Hey, you got 100 applicants! Wow! Very productive. We definitely are worth the money." But 90% of them aren't actual applicants. They're 1-clickers.

Early 2000's throwback moment.

The last time I was unemployed, I was 20 years old. It was the recession right after 9/11. I applied for jobs everywhere. I was rejected from a job mowing grass at the mall because I didn't have enough professional mowing experience. I was rejected from a candy store because I didn't have a "woman's touch" that the proprietor felt was necessary to do the job. Believe it or not, I ended up getting a remote job. I became a writer for a non-profit based out of Los Angeles. But back then, online job boards had utility. There was no 1-click apply. I found the job listing. I sent an email explaining my background and interest in the position along with writing samples. I got a call and an interview. And I got the job.

Pursuing other avenues.

I drive around my hometown in Pennsylvania. Small, largely blue collar. Was rural and still may be classified as rural. But growing. There are help wanted signs everywhere. Jobs that generally pay $18 to $22 an hour or so. Cooks. Warehouse workers. Auto body shops. Grocery stores. Overnight working the register at a gas station.

Is that lots of money? No. Is that anybody's dream job? Probably not. Will everybody's life situation allow them to pursue such a job? No. But there are lots of those jobs out there. And many of those places aren't even hiring online. They don't want to waste the time. They don't want 200 1-clickers.

They are literally blown away by somebody with a bit of professionalism and social skills actually walking through the door and asking about the help wanted sign.

What's old is new again.

JP