Wouldn't it be great if we had to pay job application fees?

Many readers likely think that the title of this post is sarcastic. Some of their thoughts:

• Job Seekers: "I don't want to pay all those application fees."
• Hiring Managers: "I would not get as many applications."
• Everyone: "You're nuts!"

I agree that all of these statements are quite true.

Job seekers wouldn't want to pay the fees, so they would only apply to a few jobs. Smart job seekers would focus on a few companies that they really respect and eliminate applications to jobs that they aren't qualified for. Now each applicant only applies to 3 companies instead of 30! Although job seekers wouldn't enjoy forking over money with their applications, time is money, and this plan would save the time normally spent on writing cover letters for jobs the applicants don't want.

It would appear alarming when instead of 300 resumes per day, hiring managers only receive 30. However, as explained above, these 30 resumes would all be from qualified candidates that really want the job. Hiring managers would then save time sifting through irrelevant and sloppy resumes from applicants that don't even care about their companies. As a qualified and enthusiastic job seeker, now my resume has a shot at getting looked at!

To address the third hairy bullet, I am a little nuts. Charging job application fees seems crazy at first, but upon closer inspection, it's a viable, time-saving, win-win strategy. The next time somebody comes up with an idea that seems crazy at first, look at the idea's merits before you shoot it down.