In the past, I hardly receive a note from the recruiter advising that my job application didn’t make it to the shortlisted applicants. But there was one email I received from a hiring manager saying that I wasn’t considered for the position citing specific reasons. No matter how disappointing the content of the email was, this gesture, I appreciate much. This is a lot better than waiting in vain, wishing and hoping that the prospective employer is taking his time mulling, deliberating and crafting my compensation package but in actuality, my application went straight to the trash bin after the interview or before I even get the chance to have a phone or in-person interview.
Why don’t recruiters make it a standard protocol to advise applicants that they weren’t considered for the job? Is that too much to ask?
In my favorite job board, for example, the status of my applications online is regularly updated. Whether the employer viewed my resume or if the recruiter has contacted me for an interview, I get a status online, regardless. As for the other boards, when three weeks has lapsed after submitting my application and I get no updates whatsoever, I take it as a “no”.
Rather than play tag with the HR or go through an endless cycle of waiting games, why don’t recruiters send a notice of decline to the applicant? It may be a tedious task to begin with because I can imagine the number of applications received for just one position. I believe it’s a matter of respecting the applicant’s time and also, it prompts the applicant to move on with his life and quit waiting for a response from the recruiter.
It’s true that procedures vary from one company to another. Some HR policies include sending notices of decline to the applicants who didn’t make the cut and others don’t really bother with the notifications as it takes much of their precious time.
From an applicant’s standpoint, a notice of decline is better than guessing whether I make it or not.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
On Not Getting The Job: Bad News Is Better Than No News
Labels: Career, Career prospects
Posted by Mari at 9/03/2009
6 comments:
I agree, it's agonizing not knowing what happened to the job you applied for.
I am currently unable to work. I am grateful, however that when I go back, there are tools like these, and there are people reviewing them.
I wish you good luck in your quest.
So true! I think it's inconsiderate for hr personnel not to give any feedback on the job application status, but we can't avoid these situations. Best thing to do is to continue searching for jobs until you are really hired.
Given the number of communication channels (manual and automated) available to people these days, an HR person or a recruiter should be communicating to a candidate whether he/she was hired/rejected for the job applied for. A true HR professional ought to be doing that.
This is tricky. For some companies it is a matter of time and for others, preference.
Some HR managers receive hundreds of applications and to write a detailed response to the applicant would take up more time than their day would allow. Some HR managers don't give a response for liability reasons and others don't in fear of discouraging the applicant.
Just because you don't get a response doesn't mean you won't ever. Some HR managers may not find you a fit for the position you applied for but will save your resume for when another position becomes available.
It is hard to predict what goes through an HR managers mind but keep in mind, it isn't always negative!
The title says it all. Bad news is really better than no news. The feeling of now hearing anything from the companies you've sent an application or went for an interview is much worse than hearing you are not qualified.
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