The perfect hire is out there, but your application process might push him away. Today, job seekers are quick to move on if your hiring process does not meet their expectations. That’s why smart teams are conducting job application surveys to find out why candidates are drawing off? How to improve the application process to make talent stick around? How do you fix bottlenecks and hire fast?
With TheySaid, you can create a job application survey in seconds, collect real-time feedback, and make good decisions that include finding the perfect candidate for your job
Try it for free!
What is a job application survey?
The job application survey is a questionnaire designed to collect data from candidates about the job posting, application form, and hiring process. Companies use these surveys to collect data about applicants’ qualifications, job preferences, and work experience. They are also used to identify areas of improvement in the company’s recruitment process, ultimately providing valuable information that helps them in hiring decisions.
There are three key types:
Did you know?
60% of job seekers quit an application halfway through because it’s too long or complicated.
That’s a huge leak in your hiring funnel and one that’s totally preventable.
TheySaid helps you stop the drop-off. Create job application surveys to find out where the candidates got stuck and then fix friction before it costs you your next great hire.
Related read: 6 Sample Employee Engagement Survey Templates For Free
What Top Hiring Teams Know (That You Might Be Missing)
Here’s what top recruiters and talent teams are doing differently:
High-growth brands treat their candidates as customers. Each applicant, whether hired or not, walks away with a brand preception. Job application surveys strengthen a brand's reputation, reduce candidate drop-off, and sharpen hiring strategies, proving that listening starts at “Submit Application.”
HubSpot, a leader in marketing tech and people-first culture, uses job application surveys to dissect every part of the recruitment pipeline. They use this data to identify potential issues and fix them to keep their recruitment process sharp, agile, and candidate-friendly.
And here’s what smart hiring teams know: Most bad feedback ends up on public sites such as Glassdoor after the fact. However, if you do a job application survey immediately after someone applies or leaves, you can address concerns before they escalate.
You can tweak your messaging based on survey responses. Are candidates confused about benefits or hybrid policies or frustrated by response time? Adjust appropriately.
The best teams go a step further. Following up with applicants who have taken the time to provide feedback via a survey demonstrates that you care. Even a simple "Thank you for your feedback. Here's what we improved" email builds long-term goodwill.
From startups to global teams, TheySaid gives hiring managers the tools to listen, learn, and improve. Sign up for free.
Job Application Survey Template
Here’s a free template for your job application survey, including job application survey questions that actually matter to candidates and help you hire smarter.
Goals: We’d love your feedback! This quick survey is designed to help us understand how applicants experience our job application process.
Time to Complete: 2–3 minutes
Eligibility: Anyone who has submitted or started a job application with the company
How would you rate the ease of the application process?
- Very easy
- Easy
- Neutral
- Difficult
- Very difficult
On which device did you complete the application?
(Dropdown)
- Desktop
- Mobile
- Tablet
Did you receive a confirmation email after submitting your application?
- Yes / No
The job description was clear and accurate.
- Strongly Disagree
- Disagree
- Neutral
- Agree
- Strongly Agree
In what format did you submit your resume during the application?
- PDF (.pdf)
- Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
- Plain Text (.txt)
- Google Docs link
- Other (please specify)
How did you hear about this job opportunity?
- Company website
- Job board (e.g., Indeed, Glassdoor)
- Referral
- Other (please specify)
On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend applying to our company to a friend?
- Very likely
- Somewhat likely
- Not very likely
- Not at all likely
Which of the following were most important to you when applying?
(Ranking – drag and drop)
- Time required to apply
- Clarity of job responsibilities
- Company reputation
- Diversity and inclusion language
- Mobile-friendly design
- Prompt communication after applying
Please provide any additional comments or feedback you have about the job application process with us.
[Open text field ]
We’re always looking to grow, and your honest input helps us do that. Thanks for being part of our hiring journey.
The takeaway?
Job application surveys aren’t just for fixing problems. They’re for building better systems, stronger brands, and unforgettable candidate experiences.
Common Mistakes in Job Application Surveys (And How to Fix Them)
Even well-intentioned job application surveys can fail if they’re not thoughtfully designed. Let’s look at the most common mistakes recruiters make and how you can avoid them to get better, more actionable feedback.
Asking too many questions
Imagine you accepted to take a job application survey, and it's a never-ending question fest. Adding too many questions to your survey can frustrate respondents. Long surveys often lead to fatigue, rushed answers, or complete drop-off.
Aim for quality, not quantity. Keep it to 5–8 well-crafted questions. Decide on the survey goal and then map the questions to that goal. Dropbox shortened its feedback survey to just six questions, and completion rates jumped by over 40%. Less is more.
Asking Vague or Leading Questions
How to write questions makes a huge difference. It alters your respondent’s receptive and unintentionally forces them to answer questions. Vague questions lack direction,
and leading questions gradually "nudge" responders towards a specific answer, often unintentionally.
Focus on clarity and neutrality. Ask clear, actionable questions that pinpoint the various stages of the job application process.
For example, instead of “Did you enjoy your application process?” You can ask, “Was the job description clear and accurate?” or “How easy was it to upload your resume?”
Related Read: Essential Question Types for Effective Surveys
Ignoring Anonymous Feedback Options
When candidates are not offered the anonymous feedback option, they tend to shy away from honest reviewers, especially if they are hoping to get the job. As a result, you will end up getting filtered and polite responses.
To build trust, ensure that your survey is anonymous and confidential and avoid asking personality-identifiable questions.
Example Survey Message:
“Your feedback is 100% anonymous. It helps us improve our hiring process for future applicants. Your responses will not affect your current or future candidacy.
You Ask for Feedback… Then Do Nothing With It
Asking for feedback and then do nothing is one of the fastest ways to damage trust in your employer brand. It means you are only interested in motion but not in improving the experience. The consequence can lead to future applicants being less likely to complete surveys, and your recruitment process stagnates and remains flawed
Regularly review survey data for patterns (e.g., drop-off during application, unclear job ads), share key findings with your hiring and HR teams, and let your candidates know their voice matters, whether through a public blog post, a thank-you email, or updated job pages.
TheySaid tracks survey trends and flags issues in your funnel before they escalate.
Did you know?
Unilever adopted AI for entry-level recruitment, cutting hiring time by 75% and enhancing workforce diversity.
Create job application surveys with TheySaid
TheySaid helps you launch targeted, professional surveys that drive real results, whether you're hiring at scale or refining your recruitment pipeline.
Here’s how to build a survey with TheySaid
Let TheySaid Learn About: Start by pasting your website URL and letting AI automatically learn about your brand voice so it can generate questions that reflect your culture.
Generate a Job Application Survey with One Click: Once inside the dashboard, select “AI Survey” and specify your intent as “job application.” Then, hit “Generate with AI.” Within seconds, you will get a survey that you can customize if you want to.
Share It Anywhere Candidates Apply: TheySaid gives you smart delivery options. Add to your job application page, send via email, drop into Slack or Microsoft Teams, or embed in your applicant tracking system (ATS).
Analyze Responses with Built-In AI: TheySaid does not just collect data; it has conversations with applicants and automatically summarizes themes in candidate answers, flags high-potential applicants, and detects soft-skill signals like collaboration style or emotional intelligence.
Go Beyond the Survey with AI Interviews: TheySaid’s AI Interviews let you turn survey responses into automated follow-up interviews. It’s like having a recruiter who works 24/7 and actually listens.
Try TheySaid today and start hiring smarter.
Key Takeaways
- Conduct job application surveys to spot friction points in your application process and improve completion rates.
- Treat every applicant like a customer. Surveys help build trust, even when you don’t hire them.
- Aim for 5–8 clear, purposeful questions to avoid candidate fatigue.
- Use pre-application, in-process, and post-interview surveys to gather insights at each stage.
- TheySaid summarizes responses, detects candidate soft skills, and scales your process.
FAQs
What is a job application survey?
It’s a quick set of questions you send to candidates to learn how they felt about your job application process.
How long should a job application survey be?
Ideally, 5–8 questions. Focus on quality over quantity ask only what will inform hiring decisions or improve the candidate journey.
How can I build a survey quickly?
With TheySaid, you can create a job application survey in seconds. Just enter your intent, and AI generates custom questions based on your brand tone and goals.
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