The Job Application Is Part of the Problem

The job market is bad enough but then you find a job. You click apply. Instead of uploading your resume and moving on, you're told to “create an account to continue.”

Another password. Another system. Another potential time waste.

You fill in your name, work history, and education — the same details already listed on your resume. Autofill fails. Copy-paste breaks formatting.

This is why 57% of job seekers abandon applications on the spot (Stroud, LinkedIn, 2025).

Why Do Companies Still Do This?

Ask a recruiter or HR rep and you’ll hear:

• It protects applicant data.

• It keeps out spam.

• It helps us track candidates more easily.

All technically true. But none of it helps you — the person trying to get hired.

Most of these systems are built to serve the employer, not the applicant. Especially if you’re dealing with a bloated applicant tracking system (ATS) like Workday or Taleo.

*Workday, every job seekers favorite platform to hate.

In theory, these tools make hiring more efficient.
In practice, they bury job seekers under layers of repetitive, rigid forms that are time consuming and no guarantee that you'll move onto the next round.

You Already Gave Them Your Resume. Why Are You Re-Entering It?

Let’s talk about manual data entry.

You upload your resume. Now re-enter your entire job history. Education. Title. Dates. Bullet points. Again.

Autofill doesn’t help. Parsing is inaccurate. You end up fixing their formatting errors just to make your profile legible.

Many job platforms require applicants to re-enter their information because resume upload tools still can’t consistently parse and format all details correctly; manual entry ensures profiles are accurate and usable.

Our problem, not theirs.

And Then the Knockout Questions at the End

Just when you think you’re done, the system throws in a few dealbreakers:

• “Do you have 5+ years of experience?”

• “Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?”

• “Can you relocate without assistance?”

• “Tell me about a time when….”

If you say no to the wrong one, you're automatically screened out.
Rejection — after you’ve already invested your time filling out the entire application.

What the Data Says

The numbers speak for themselves:

• 57% of candidates abandon applications that require account creation (Stroud, LinkedIn, 2025)

• 1 in 5 job seekers spend under 10 minutes per application (Folks RH, 2025)

• 76% care more about a simple, fast process than even the pay (Folks RH, 2025)

And yet companies still act like a 12-step application process is the most efficent. It's a privilege to apply here, not a right.

Who Benefits from This?

It’s built for internal reporting.
For vendors selling “smart” hiring tools.
For recruiters who want everything searchable and sortable — even if it means fewer good candidates actually apply.

Ironically, the same companies that claim they “can’t find good people” are making sure most of us never make it past the login page.

A Few Companies Are Kind of Getting It

Some hiring teams are paying attention. You’ll see:

• “Apply with LinkedIn” buttons

• Guest checkouts

• Mobile-first job apps with no login required

It's a start but if companies actually want talent, they need to stop acting like job seekers should prove they’re “serious” by jumping through hoops.

👉Learn more about the free tool fighting back against ghost jobs: GhostJobs.io

Disclaimer:

The content on this site is for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the author's personal opinions. It does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. All data sources are cited where applicable. Stories shared by users or sourced from public forums are anonymized and presented for illustrative purposes only.