The problem
The Talent Hub is designed around this idea that an applicant’s portfolio is a sufficient substitute for an actual application. This is false
I want to read through a list of applications to see if a particular applicant is an actual fit for the task. Their portfolio is not the same as an application. Many people may have a great portfolio and even some relevant skills to what you’re looking for, but could still be a worse fit than someone else for a certain task, or their portfolio in many cases can’t possibly answer whether or not they’re a good fit in general. Context means a lot.
“But why not just send them a DM?”
Without applicants being able to send a thorough application for a job, there’s a lack of balance between the amount of work an applicant needs to put in vs the person finding talent.
As job posters, if we want to figure out if someone is a good fit for our specific job, we have to wait for the application to come in, then reach out to them in DMs asking for another real application, and then we have to wait again. And this is the best-case scenario, sometimes there is even more back and forth.
This is not fun to do for every person that wants to apply. It makes the talent hub a chore to use. We should be able to instantly read through our applicants and see if they’re the best fit for the job based off an actual written application of some kind. I believe this is a big reason why a lot of people still prefer to use third party marketplaces
How I propose it should be structured
Simply put, make it work like Upwork.
I’ve used this freelancing service for years and can always find the right people for the job quickly without having to go back and forth a lot like you do with the talent hub.
Job Posters can submit screening questions that applicants fill out alongside their application form.
If Talent Hub could support a similar feature, it’d make the service much more enjoyable to use as it would remove a lot of the unnecessary guess-work to find someone fitting for your task.
Applicants should be able to attach image files to their screening questions/written application as well, for additional clarity and avoiding more unnecessary vetting