Are Cover Letters A Thing of The Past?

I’ve read a lot recently about the demise of the cover letter with criticism being directed at employers that still hang onto them. But is the reality any different and should we be dropping them from our selection process entirely?

We all know how hard it is to get candidates, especially in the current climate. Asking candidates to jump through hoops by completing a lengthy application form can risk turning people away. Most job hunters want the quickest, most straightforward application process which is hardly surprising given that this is what most of our competitors are offering and that a significant proportion of the candidate market is passive. At the risk of appearing old school