Not replying to job applications.

[Mark T Jones]

There are several reasons not to tell people why they didn't get the job - particularly in writing

Simply thank them for their time and say unfortunately they weren't successful on this occasion.

 

[TODonnell]

ONLY THOSE APPLICANTS THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL WILL BE CONTACTED, SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED BEFORE XXXX DATE.

Simples

This is now the norm. I advertised a job about a year ago and got a fair number of replies. There is simply not enough time to give personal replies, to low-quality job applications, that were sent by by a button click. It also doesn't make sense.

Good point made above is that it might also open the door to litigation. Also, suppose they wanted to have a 'conversation' with you? More time wasted.

"You mis-read the application, are underqualified and you have the writing skills of a doughnut ..."

Doesn't really work, does it?

 

[nelioneil]

I think that is a fair summation. The world has changed and litigation or complaint comes at every corner.

Even if not justified, the time and cost required to deal with spurious applicants means a safe route much be chartered.

What sort of litigation and discrimination could be a business be potentially sued for not hiring someone?

 

[Newchodge]

Discrimination. I was rejected because I am a woman, gay, muslim, disabled, over the age of 45 etc etc etc.

 

[Nord20]

What sort of litigation and discrimination could be a business be potentially sued for not hiring someone?

This is a pretty good example. Saying, 'sorry, we need people who are prepared to work on the days we need them to work' is enough to land you a £16K fine.

 

[SamLH]

I just checked what the average amount of job applications per job is. The lowest source I could find said 30+ per graduate and more for non graduate, the highest claimed 80+. Even if it is as low as 30 applications per job who wants 30+ emails telling them they didn't get a job. Seriously, someones butthurt they didn't get a response from an application and comes to complain online about it. Man up and get over it.

 

[DroolinFool]

The other side to this is the sheer number of "applications" that look like they have been written a twelve year old with special needs. No grammar, spell checking or punctuation. Usually the absolute minimum of information about themselves and to top it off no covering letter or any reference to the business or position they are applying for. Frankly these people don't deserve your time in replying.

On the flip side of this ;

The amount of "fluff" from employers these days is astounding, in some cases the advert is filled with 2 or 3 paragraphs of complete fluff and then lacking most useful information (some even lacking a description of the job role!) - 80% of the time salary is not even posted
on the advert. You can spew a good few paragraphs about how good your company is, how well employees are treated, blah blah blah, yet can't even give me an overview of the role or ballpark salary figure?

The amount of companies using archaic application systems is worrying - as much as I do want to apply for the job, spending the best part of an hour entering my cv, box by box, line by line isn't peaking my interest. I've literally just looked at some applications and not even bothered due to this. I'm not lazy, don't get me wrong. But I already have a CV, let me upload it - I don't want to spent an hour plus typing it out into your website! box by box

Cover letters I understand. However I've literally seen jobs demanding cover letters, personal statements, video based descriptions of why you want the job, all sorts of utter rubbish. I'm sorry but for an initial application? no thanks. Maybe if you express an interest after reviewing my CV etc... THEN I'll consider that sort of stuff - but really you want me to spend a good few hours crafting all that rubbish when I'll likely never hear from you again? No thanks.

Interviews are terrible these days, gone are the days of common sense questions - it's mostly "competency based" crap that some HR twit has printed off the internet - instead of being questioned around the role itself you're asked (and scored on) a series of "competency based" questions which are usually irrelevant to the role itself.

Some of these businesses have lost their minds.

 

[Deleted member 226268]

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Contacting the employer's company directly must be a rare experience now.
The whole system has been taken over by parasitic Employment Agencies.

What used to really annoy me was that Employment Agencies advertise a position,
and not indicate which town the position is actually in.

Or the salary.

Or in some cases, even what version of the software the company expects the
new recruit to use.
Generic description given = CAD designer.

I used to call the Recruitment Agencies.
What CAD ?

No answer.
Because they don't bloody know.

Employment Agencies just couldn't bother their ass to actually ask the company the questions that the new recruit needed to know.


Location.
Easily commutable from Reading, Basingstoke, Newbury......

That's no 'kin good for me, I want to know if I can actually get there easily.

Stock standard reply = Sorry, we cannot give you the exact town until you have registered your CV with us.


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