Are Job Search Sites User-Friendly?
I am currently in the thick of the job search process. Trying to get my first role in UX/UI design has been difficult, to say the least. In reality, the process should feel exciting. I personally am looking forward to finding a company that suits me and getting to work with people that inspire me every day. But lately, I’ve been thinking about why this process is so hard. Obviously, it’s not made out to be a fun experience. I’ve never heard anyone talk about how much they love sending out applications or emails or facing the rejection that comes with it.
Of course, I know that it is hard to avoid these things. There are so many people applying to jobs online and companies don’t have the time to send a personal note back to each applicant. And among the few that get the interviews, there is an immense amount of talent out there and sometimes it’s just not the right fit for you and the company.
At this point in my career, I’ve been told endless amounts of times how important connections are in terms of landing a job. Forget applying to hundreds of jobs online; connect with people at events, talk to friends, use LinkedIn; because in the end, people hire people they know. I now consider it a sheer miracle that I was hired for my first job, which was in graphic design, through applying on Indeed.
I began to think about this from a UX perspective. If connections are what work best, why are there so many job search sites out there? Most outside of LinkedIn don’t offer a way to actually connect with the job poster or any other employees at the company. From my experience, it feels like I’m sending my application into a black hole where my resume and portfolio go and are never actually seen. Not to mention the constant scrolling through job listings that sometimes don’t meet what I’m looking for.
Outside of that, there should be a way to make it more of a pleasant experience for job seekers. Yes, these platforms offer ways to customize the job search and apply within the site, but can they demonstrate more empathy to understand what the user needs? The job search process is hard and it would be nice to be within a platform that encourages the user while motivating them to keep pushing through when they want to give up. Keeping the platform transparent could provide that reassurance to users. Letting them know how many people a company has hired from the platform and how recently those hires occurred, or even how actively job posters are checking the platform could all help to set expectations for the user. Users could also be given more options for people to connect to at companies, and they could receive updates when their application is viewed and perhaps advanced to the next round.
Of course, none of this considers the other users of these platforms, the companies that are doing the hiring. Perhaps that’s a subject for another post.
So, to answer my original question, no, in my opinion, job search sites are not user-friendly. Of course, this only discusses it from the standpoint of empathy-driven design, and not the functionality of the sites themselves. However, I do think it’s incredibly important to consider that when creating a space for job seekers. Having a platform that gives users the confidence and connection they need during their job search could make the process less difficult, and possibly spark some excitement for what lies ahead.
And if any of you job search platforms are looking for assistance with this matter, I’m still looking and would love to help :).
