Picture the scene – you are frantically sending out multiple job applications per day, crafting a cover note for each, tweaking your CV to highlight your pertinent experience relevant to the job you are applying for – and you get nothing back, if you are very “lucky” – an auto-response, acknowledging your application.
As a recruiter, in the digital age, I rarely post job ads inviting response, as it’s more effective for me to target, source & approach candidates myself, using whatever means I have to, to snare the objects of my desire!
However, on the rare occasions that I do post ads, it invariably attracts a sizeable response, the majority of which do not have the experience relevant for the advertised role.
As the market is so challenging – in terms of suitable candidates, I always scan read the CVs to make sure I am not missing anything AND even if I am not going to progress them, I will drop a line back to the candidate, with a quick reason as to why I am not going to consider them.
Most of the time, I’m sure my response lands up in their junk folder, or their black hole, but over the last few years, I have noticed a marked spike in those regretted candidates, replying back to me, with just a thanks – merely I believe, out of a sense of shock that a recruiter, actually deigned the time to acknowledge that they indeed took the time to reply to an ad!
Whereas annoymous recruiters think they can get away with zero response – wrongly in my view, it is quite a different thing with companies that are not hiding behind a 3rd party recruiter.
It never ceases to amaze me that these companies do not recognise that these job applicants, are potentially customers, or clients for their products or services! It is blindingly obvious commonsense.
However, when in an age where we have all manner of social media for consumers to vent their frustration, including the likes of Glassdoor etc. (a Tripadvisor for job seekers), the much maligned job seeker is consistently treated in a disrespectful manner.
The short-term game is very much the prevailing state of mind, with these companies and recruitment businesses in particular only thinking of the next fast buck, without any long-term goal of building up credibility or fostering a great customer ethos.
Just a quick footnote to all of this, on a couple of occasions, as a result of me taking a few nano seconds to respond to these regretted candidates, they have in turn engaged with me and as time evolved, when their circumstances have changed, have come back to me with either introductions to people that have then given me business – directly or indirectly. Probably merely as a response to me actually taking the time to see beyond an emailed CV and cover letter and remember that the CV, is actually representative of an actual human being!
Conversely – it is also incumbent of the part of the candidate to also adopt the approach, that they also should remember their manners and long-term needs, when dealing with recruiters and companies that are interested in engaging with them, but that’s another blog post altogether!