Last updated on June 14, 2024
Entry-level positions are in high demand in the home care, food service, and retail sectors. An entry-level employee can be an excellent resource for your business because they can accomplish basic and essential tasks. Having them on your team, you don’t have to stretch the skills of an experienced employee so you can save a massive amount of hiring costs.
Although entry-level roles are ideal for people who are looking for strong career path opportunities but have qualifications or experience, many recruiters find it difficult to fill high-volume entry-level positions on time. And particularly in the food service and hospitality industries, it’s been increasingly difficult to fill out these positions since The Great Resignation when 11 million jobs were left vacant.
There are several challenges for hiring qualified, entry-level candidates in these sectors. Some of them are stressful working conditions, and the lack of decent training opportunities and flexibility options. And as an entry-level position is designed for allowing a job seeker to enter an industry, it often means low pay.
If you were on the job hunt, you’d probably accept a job offer with a salary lower than you’d want if it came with incentives, perks, and advancement opportunities, right?
Yet, it is no secret that many of those businesses who do offer extras struggle to improve their time-to-hire for entry-level positions.
Why is it hard to fill out entry-level jobs fast?
Talking to business owners, recruiters, and HR professionals every day, my team has realized that one of the major obstacles to filling entry-level positions quickly is that the application process is too long.
So, what is the best advice I can give you, as the CEO and co-founder of the #1 recruitment marketing tool suite?
Stop making candidates fill out incredibly long applications. Entry-level positions are typically filled by millennials and other young age groups who won’t spend much time on a job application.
Job openings at the entry-level should be easy to fill.
Let’s dive into how you can shorten your application process and fill your entry-level faster.
Understand the generational attitudes: why millennials?
Generational attitudes affect the applicant rate, so it’s crucial to understand them.
Each generation has its own preferences at the workplace, just as in job search. And job application is no different. Thus, when you build a job application process, make sure you tailor it to your specific target candidate audience.
There are prospects from the older generations too who would apply for entry-level positions for various reasons. Let’s say, they are changing careers. But with a solid 35% of the U.S. workforce, Millennials make up the largest segment of the labor market. This is the reason you should definitely focus on enticing this group or the younger generations for entry-level positions.
These young individuals grew up with tablets and smartphones, and their work styles adapted to the interactive solutions of technology. Being tech-savvy and connected, they prefer solutions that can help them move forward with only a few clicks or taps. Instead of updating their resumes on job boards, they would rather apply for a position advertised on a social media site.
As they are motivated and bring a fresh perspective to every business, they are perfect candidates for entry-level positions. However, they can be hard to retain. To encourage them to take action and apply for your roles, you have to engage them. So, make sure that your application process is:
→ Quick
→ Simple
→ Straightforward
Let’s see how you can make it happen!
How to shorten your application for entry-level positions
1. Simplify the job description
To get prospects to apply, your job description must be read to the end. It means they should include all necessary information and be simple:
- Prioritize duties and explain them in a concise way.
- Make sure the copy of your job ad is short and compelling. Use simple language and get rid of the fluff.
- Remove repetitive words so you can hold their attention.
- Include bullet points so they won’t get tired while reading. This way, they will read your description through to the end.
You can accomplish this with Boostpoint® in less time with our proven ad templates. Customize your job descriptions with copy written by professional ad writers and get them in front of your future employees with hyper-targeted social media ads.
2. Qualify your candidates quickly
Hiring costs can be higher than expected if the process of qualifying candidates is not efficient. Start with 3-5 questions that help you find the candidates who can fill a real need at the beginning of the application process.
Boostpoint® offers a short application process to applicants: A set of targeted questions to help applicants qualify for the position. The application process takes less than 3 minutes!
3. Follow-up in real-time
An effective follow-up system can remarkably improve the time-to-hire for entry-level positions.
If you engage your applicants in real-time, you actually make an excellent first impression and they start to bond with you.
With Boostpoint®, you can respond to your qualified candidates immediately, 24/7. You can now reaffirm your interviews with text message reminders, doubling your applicants to interviews.
4. Use an applicant tracking system
A Built-in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) helps you improve the applicant journey.
Boostpoint® allows you to tag hires so you can see how many people you’ve interviewed, how many didn’t qualify, and how many got hired. That can speed up the entire process.
Wrap Up
In industries where entry-level positions are crucial yet challenging to fill quickly, the solution lies in simplifying the application process to cater to the preferences of Millennials and younger candidates. By focusing on concise job descriptions, efficient candidate qualification, real-time engagement, and the use of applicant tracking systems, you can reduce your time-to-hire and attract the best workers amidst competitive market conditions.
Sam Beiler
As the CEO and Co-founder of Boostpoint, Sam dedicates himself to empowering organizations in creating successful workplaces where team members can truly flourish in their strengths. He tirelessly works with this team to provide talent acquisition professionals with cutting-edge recruitment marketing tools that enable employers to attract top-tier talent faster.