Knowing that the application you are typing may dictate your future can put an enormous amount of pressure on any applicant. With the complexity of a good application, it is an especially daunting task for any hopeful candidate to undertake. For some people, no face-to-face communication when seeking a position may be a blessing. Yet, for others, it seems unfair to account so much weight on a piece of paper. As most jobs require constant interactions with people, how much can an employer learn about candidate’s communication capabilities without meeting them? On a larger scale, how is online recruitment influencing the workforce?

Being a first year university student, I faced challenges with my university applications. Considering that grades formed the sole basis for admissions in some cases, I would have appreciated a component in which I could prove my communication skills upfront. An application becomes less representative of a person when all that is considered is grades. In doing so, the student becomes a product of their grades, and how much can numbers prove about a person?

The ultimate goal of admission into university or hiring an employee is to find the people who are most suitable to enrich the school or company. Coincidently, selection processes should emphasize how people represent themselves and work with others to ensure they align with the dynamic of the workplace. A one-dimensional application can portray a distorted perception of any person. Therefore, it is necessary for applications to reflect a more holistic approach, encompassing all aspects of a person. This approach will ensure the most successful hiring process.

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2014/04/29/work-in-progress-dignity-and-the-hiring-process/

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http://www.begincollege.com/2012-online-uc-application/