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Ask HN: Why don't companies make applicants pay a fee to apply to a job?

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Re: Ask HN: Why don't companies make applicants pay a fee to apply to a job?

#21

Post by theoreticalmal »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #3

> Would that be a net positive or negative for employees? In what world would this be a net positive for employees?

The “AI generated resume shotgun applied to every company that uses AI to parse the resume” pipeline could be broken. Separate the wheat from the chaff

Re: Ask HN: Why don't companies make applicants pay a fee to apply to a job?

#22

Post by theoreticalmal »

Quinzel wrote: post #20

I think this is a terrible idea. You could have a really great candidate who for what ever reason, couldn’t afford to apply then and there, and the company would then miss out on amazing talent. It would be a net negative for employers and prospective employees. Who would want to apply for a job at a company that charges you to submit the application? What service are applicants paying for? Absolute nonsense.

What’s the overlap of “really great candidates” and “people who can’t afford $X application fee”? If the fee is a couple hundred, sure. But $20? What percent of bona fide job seekers who are good fits can’t afford $20?

Re: Ask HN: Why don't companies make applicants pay a fee to apply to a job?

#23

Post by theoreticalmal »

MultifokalHirn wrote: post #17

I think you should ask this to people in person. Their responses will tell you a lot more than what you are willing to hear through the computer screen.

Applying for a job in person de facto means you have skin in the game: you spent your time and energy to go down and apply. I think the point of the application fee is to get applicant’s skin in the game

Re: Ask HN: Why don't companies make applicants pay a fee to apply to a job?

#26

Post by andrei_says_ »

lbhdc wrote: post #14
pavel_lishin wrote: post #3

> Would that be a net positive or negative for employees? In what world would this be a net positive for employees?

I would totally pay for this if there were a real advantage (fewer applicants, guaranteed face to face screening, etc).

And if it got refunded if not getting the job.

Re: Ask HN: Why don't companies make applicants pay a fee to apply to a job?

#27

Post by CM30 »

theoreticalmal wrote: post #22
Quinzel wrote: post #20

I think this is a terrible idea. You could have a really great candidate who for what ever reason, couldn’t afford to apply then and there, and the company would then miss out on amazing talent. It would be a net negative for employers and prospective employees. Who would want to apply for a job at a company that charges you to submit the application? What service are applicants paying for? Absolute nonsense.

What’s the overlap of “really great candidates” and “people who can’t afford $X application fee”? If the fee is a couple hundred, sure. But $20? What percent of bona fide job seekers who are good fits can’t afford $20?

Anyone that doesn't get hired at the first company they apply for? $20 isn't much if it's a single application, but I suspect most employees need many hundreds of applications to find a company that'll hire them. Even more so with fake jobs, and fake jobs incentivised to be such due to the idea mentioned in this post.

$20 may not be much, but $200 or $2000 might be, especially if the candidate was recently homeless, has been laid off for a while, is from a poorer background in general or has other things to pay for. That great candidate might be a great candidate for your job, but may also be one for many others, and see those as a better deal.

Re: Ask HN: Why don't companies make applicants pay a fee to apply to a job?

#28

Post by krapp »

bdangubic wrote: post #25
ossm1db wrote: post #24

companies would post ghost jobs to collect a fee. it would be widely abused.

if company needs this type of income source they will likely be on the verge of bankrupcy anyways :)

Amazon is a multi-billion dollar global behemoth but they still stole tips from their drivers. Capitalists gonna capitalize.

Re: Ask HN: Why don't companies make applicants pay a fee to apply to a job?

#29

Post by palata »

Try to contact people and say "I am a headhunter, if you pay me I will get you an interview" and tell me how many people are willing to pay.

And that's just a headhunter. Now what message do you send, as a company, if you try to get money from applications?

I definitely will never pay a company to apply. I would rather not work for them.

Re: Ask HN: Why don't companies make applicants pay a fee to apply to a job?

#30

Post by bdangubic »

krapp wrote: post #28
bdangubic wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

if company needs this type of income source they will likely be on the verge of bankrupcy anyways :)

Amazon is a multi-billion dollar global behemoth but they still stole tips from their drivers. Capitalists gonna capitalize.

hmmm... you may be right here but there not sure if number of amazon delivery drivers is comparable to number of people applying for jobs (I am assuming here we are talking "white-collar" jobs)... but you just may be right here :)
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