Streamlining what you ask for from candidates

Each second you save candidates is amplified by the number of submissions you receive

Work backwards

There are two types of information you may need from candidates:

Knowing how you will choose successful candidates should always be the first step in defining what information you need when they submit.

Create a list of everything you need to know about candidates to allow you to make meaningful decisions. These answers should be made available to any judges you are inviting to help you in the selection.

Once you have your list, add all questions that are important for you and your stakeholders (e.g. demographic information).

Who should submit?

Knowing who you are targeting will inform every facet of your planning. It helps shape your language, imagery, process and more. 

Ensuring you define your demographic before you start will give you a reference point for each decision you make. These are usually loosely defined on location, demographic, age, etc. You might also consider using segments defined by your stakeholders (e.g. Audience Agency spectrums) or depend on already defined ones that you use within your organisation.

Format is everything

Keeping data clean will make your life simpler in reviewing applications and analysing data. Choosing the correct format for the answer to your question will help.

Instead of allowing candidates to fill out a field with text, can you restrict the number of options available to them in a list? Or even replace lists with simple Yes/No answers?

For every question you have on your list, think about the format of the answer and any restrictions you might have on that format (e.g. 120-word text field, a list with six options to choose from etc.).

If you have a list with too many options (e.g. more than seven) consider removing some, splitting the question into separate parts or changing the format. For each additional choice you give candidates, you double the time it takes them to make a decision (Hick’s law).

Build for scale

Taking a large number of submissions? You might want to consider making your selection in multiple rounds.

Asking candidates simpler questions to establish who passes the earlier rounds could help you manage larger calls better. The more nuanced questions could then be used later in the process to make more meaningful decisions.

Keep language short

The correct language allows candidates to digest information quicker and leads to better answers from them. Even small changes in how you word your question can lead to a big impact.

A question should be as short as possible without losing its meaning.

e.g. “Please add a biography?” should be shortened to “Biography”. This could be improved to be “Short Biography” and further shortened to “Short Bio” (only do so if you feel candidates know what you mean by Bio).

It’s nice to be polite, but it’s more polite to save candidates time.

Ask fewer questions

If you can save each candidate 30 seconds and receive 1,000 submissions, you save the world 8.3 hours of productivity.

We tend to ask for more than we need, just to be safe, don’t.

Can you get the information you need by merging some of the questions on your list? Can you get demographic data elsewhere? (e.g. Instead of asking how candidates heard about you, use Google Analytics campaigns). Remove as much as you can.

If you find it hard to choose which questions you should keep, split your list into Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have. Keep the Must-Haves, delete the could haves and make should-haves optional.

Review them and make amendments.

Order!

Human beings can only make a limited amount of decisions in a day. We all suffer from decision fatigue.

The order of questions matters. Put the most important complex questions at the top and the least important optional ones at the bottom. Doing so ensures candidates have a fresh mind at the start and find answering questions easier as they go.

A thousand words

If an image speaks a thousand words, imagine what videos, sounds and 3D models could do!

If you don’t need to analyse answers in a spreadsheet, you should consider alternative mediums. Can the short bio be a 1-minute video? Instead of restricting the submission of artwork to one image, could you allow for more (e.g. closeups of the details)? What about 3D models of sculptures or PDF files to present more engaging pitches.

Giving candidates flexibility in how they present their work may help them better demonstrate the depth of their practice.

Serving everyone, serves no one

You might want to create one competition with multiple categories or perhaps integrate your student prize into your main prize.

Creating one call works if the submissions process is the same. However, if you start asking for specific information for specific categories, you should consider splitting them into separate online calls.

The easy test is to go over your guidelines and questions. If candidates are shown irrelevant information when they are submitting (e.g. Film do this, Art do that, Students something else), consider splitting your opportunity for this category.

Breaking your competition into separate calls will keep guidelines and questions relevant and lead to fewer queries and confusion when submitting.

Process is everything

Planning your questions is one thing; understanding the process by which you will accept entries is a different thing.

Once you have understood what you need from your candidates, be sure to input it to whichever process you will use (e.g. submissions management platform, online forms etc.). Then be sure to test the journey your candidates will take – this should start from the point of discovery (where they hear about your call out) to the moment they have submitted successfully.

Whilst you do, make sure to take notes about the following:

Finally

For each minute you spend planning your process, you will save hours answering queries later on. And this won’t just save you time. It will guarantee wider participation and help you scale your impact.

And remember, each second you save candidates is amplified by the number of submissions you receive.