From a candidate's perspective, LinkedIn’s "Easy Apply" button can be appealing because applying for a job only requires two clicks. From a recruiter's perspective, the "Easy Apply" feature may help generate more candidates from a wider talent pool, but does this feature reduce the quality of the talent pool? Let's break it down and find out.
What exactly is LinkedIn's "Easy Apply" feature?
Many candidates look for more efficient ways to apply for jobs in today’s competitive market, especially when the job search process can take a considerable amount of time when you factor in the time required to customize applications, resumes and cover letters. That's when LinkedIn's "Easy Apply" comes into play. Instead of customizing information for each job application, candidates can apply with just their resume and personal contact information. Simply put, candidates are trading the customization process for applications and their time for convenience and simplicity.
How does this feature benefit a recruiter?
According to an article on The Muse, recruiters only get to see the applicant’s LinkedIn profile, their name, headline, past and present job titles, education and the skills that the applicant has listed. While this limited amount of information may include the basic information, hiring the right employee from a vast talent pool requires more recruitment efforts.
What is a talent pool and what is the main challenge for recruiters today?
A talent pool is a database and a list of all potential employees interested in working for the company's position. A talent pool consists of many diverse and various candidates who may have applied for the job, sourced by a recruiter or even referred by a current employee. This hub consists of many other candidates who fit one or two aspects of the job requirement. As you can imagine, this hub is filled with many candidates and can include up to 250 applicants – leaving only one or two successful hires. One of the most significant challenges recruiters face today is attracting quality and experienced talent for their businesses.
Building a quality talent pool:
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Identify and prioritize the needs of the organization.
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Leverage sourcing tools for active sourcing for potential employees.
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Implement an effective communication strategy for better candidate engagement.
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Loop in team members for candidate referrals.
Let's answer why "Easy Apply" on LinkedIn may reduce the quality of a talent pool. The idea of LinkedIn's "Easy Apply" feature is to allow candidates to apply faster with the information available on LinkedIn. Some applicants may apply to a position with the mindset of just putting it out there due to convenience. The idea of a better candidate application flow may affect the overall quality of the talent pool as many unqualified applicants may appear, leading to spending more time slipping through the cracks to find the right talent.
Statistically, applicants who customize resumes and cover letters that fit the job description are traditionally more likely to get interviewed. Alternatively, while LinkedIn's “Easy Apply” brings many diverse candidates to the talent pool, quality and experienced candidates who haven't updated or optimized their LinkedIn profile may lose a chance for an interview.
While it may be easy and convenient for applicants to apply with “Easy Apply”, the one-size-fits-all “Easy Apply” feature may reduce the overall quality of the talent pool. Ultimately, it makes it harder for a recruiter to find the right talent. In sum, you can’t rely on this solution alone.
