Hey, everyone!
Today, we're introducing some long-overdue changes to how staff applications work - streamlining the entire process from start to finish. For all the details, keep on reading.
A Brief History Lesson
First and foremost, let's go over where we started out, for those unfamiliar.
The previous staff application process was largely unchanged from the old Chaotic United, with the entire process - and even the specific questions asked - being virtually unchanged from back then. It consisted of a single form that users could fill out, at any time - with the goal of creating a database of potential candidates that could be drawn from in the future.
Users could apply at any time, even if a particular position was 'full'. And, as an applicant, you'd essentially never hear a word back unless you were eventually selected to move forward. This could be anywhere from shortly after applying, to literal years later - and if an application was deemed to not be acceptable, it was just ignored.
In the old CU days, voice interviews were also performed after the application - we even did these ourselves a couple times, but eventually stopped doing so as they ended up being fairly redundant and unnecessary. Additionally, we also rarely ever used staff applications in the sense of having a 'database of candidates' either - though the notice on top of the application form would still claim this, the text having been lifted directly from the old CU forums. Additionally, many of the questions - some being from the old days, and others being our own additions - were largely redundant or unimportant, resulting in a fairly drawn-out application process.
Clearly - there was room for improvement. And so, taking these issues into consideration, and using more contemporary job portals as inspiration, we decided to finally address them.
New and Improved
The new staff application center is much more akin to a traditional job portal - in fact, it's a modified version of the Elaztek Studios job portal - just with some changes and tweaks to better suit Chaotic United. You can view and search for open positions, view descriptions of each position, and put in an application. Additionally, when we aren't open for additional candidates, applications can be either disabled outright - or, if we're still keeping our feelers out, we can indicate that we aren't actively seeking new applicants. This means that, when applying, you have a much better idea when (or if) you can expect to hear back
The application process itself has also been simplified - with some questions being taken out entirely, some new ones being added in, and some previous ones being clarified to be a bit clearer. Overall, it should be a much simpler and easier process - no longer than it needs to be.
Once you've applied, viewing your application itself will also be much simpler. You can quickly get back to the job you applied to, view your own results, and most notably - view the status of your application. No more ambiguity as to where you're at, and you can feel free to comment on your own application (or bring it up to a staff member) to ensure it gets seen.
One last change worth mentioning is that when viewing job openings, you'll see both a comments and reviews section at the bottom. If you've held a particular position in the past, we encourage you to leave a review - we won't remove any that make honest criticism. If you haven't held a position for very long, or you haven't yet held one, you can instead post a comment. Star ratings are visible next to each job within the list, allowing new applicants to easily get a sense of what a particular position is like, according to those who were in those shoes.
Any old applications submitted using the old system can still be viewed within the Staff Applications subforum, which has been moved to the Archive category. If you applied before, we generally will not be looking at the old applications when selecting new staff members - so if you want to be considered, be sure to put a new application in through the new system.
If you're interested in applying to the team, we've also written up a document outlining some of the expectations we have of our staff members - allowing you to get a better sense of how we work, letting you get an idea early on if our team is one you'd like to be a part of. This is required reading for submitting an application and is included in all application forms - but if you'd like, you can also find it linked directly here.
Wrapping Up
We believe this new system will make staff applications easier and simpler - for both you, and for us - and who knows, maybe some other systems in the website could be worth getting some similar treatment down the line. But such projects are for another time - for now, that's all we've got. If you're someone who's interested in joining the team, be sure to visit the Staff Application portal here and see if anything interests you!