Is it ok to be rude to...

dickydonkin

EdJRobinson wrote: »

I am so pleased that someone has seen sense here. It doesnt take that long to copy and paste a generic response and it will a long way with the applicant. Alot of employers require you to send applications via Email now anyway, so how hard is it to reply with a basic message? I have applied for 60 jobs since being unemployed and Ive had replies from 4 and only 1 interview. The lack of interviews doesnt bother me so much but just not acknowledging my application really grinds my gears.

At first - it did annoy me when I never received a response from a job application, but after some time it did just not bother me.

Due to the number of applications recruiters were receiving - I understood that it was unrealistic for them to respond to every applicant.

If I got a response - fine - if not - it was no big deal.

The reality is that if you get a 'thanks but no thanks' response or none at all - the outcome is still the same - you have been unsuccessful - so get over it and move on.

Harsh perhaps - but realistic nonetheless.

RedSoleShoes

heretolearn wrote: »

Which raises my real question...
Bearing in mind all the discussions on companies being 'rude' to not respond to unsuccessful people, do you feel that firms would be justified in not responding to applications that are clearly a deliberate time-waste exercise and not genuine applications (such as the above). We always get a few and I not only resent the time wasted reading them,but then the extra time responding.Not talking about people who are chancing it a bit, but the outright 'this is nothing at all to do with the job advertised' people.

Not read all the responses (although I did see the reason your applicant had applied was not their fault after all) however I do believe that even though you (or any employer) might feel annoyed or put out at having to respond to unsuccessful applicants, either before interview or after, you should accept that this is part of job advertising.

The job market is obviously bad and their are lots of people literally in desperate situations. For an employer to begrudge offering a response to someone who has taken the time (in most cases) to submit an application, it is plain rude/disrespecful/lazy/inconsiderate (choose your own word).

At the end of the day, the employer has the upper hand by having the vacancy and lots of people to choose from. It is not difficult to send a bulk email - bcc of course - to those who don't cut it.

Elvisia

I actually find it more depressing to get a "no thank you" email than hear nothing at all, as when I apply for things for the Job Centre I tend to forget about them and get on with the next thing I am applying for. Getting a "no thank you" email just makes me feel even more useless. However the JC keep asking "what happened with this pile of stupid jobs we made you apply for" and every time I sit there and say I heard nothing back, and I am sure they think I am not even bothering to apply in the first place.

I went to sign off on Friday as I had my yearly meeting, and I said I just felt too humiliated to keep signing on. Every time I go in there I can hear Jeremy Kyle in my head yelling about people on benefits being a waste of space. However the woman I had the meeting with who was quite 'robust' in her attitude at the beginning, telling me I now had to go on the Work Programme, but she looked rather shocked when I said I'd rather live on no money, and she lowered her voice and said I should stay on benefits as I was very qualified and I would find something, and I probably wouldn't have to go to the Work Programme more than once a fortnight. I was very surprised she had this attitude, I was expecting her to fall herself to get me to sign off. So despite me asking three times to sign off she just got out a new UB40 (or whatever the forms are called now) and told me to think about it and if I still felt that way to post it back to them.

However I really do refuse to apply for anymore jobs I am not qualified for, it's demoralising, and I am not surprised HR people just get so fed up. I do a full working day in my office at home applying for things, or writing articles in the hope I can finally get some paid work for it, and I don't want to waste that time applying for things I have no chance of getting.

LadyMissA

dickydonkin wrote: »

At first - it did annoy me when I never received a response from a job application, but after some time it did just not bother me.

Due to the number of applications recruiters were receiving - I understood that it was unrealistic for them to respond to every applicant.

If I got a response - fine - if not - it was no big deal.

The reality is that if you get a 'thanks but no thanks' response or none at all - the outcome is still the same - you have been unsuccessful - so get over it and move on.

Harsh perhaps - but realistic nonetheless.

but they may not have even read your CV. If you get a no thanks at least you know they actually saw it.

Wellery82

When i worked in recruitment i did my best to acknowledge all applications but often it simply wasn't possible. When i worked inhouse we had software that enabled us to give a "thanks but no thanks", but even then i was often innundated with well over 50 queries a day as to why applicants were unsuccessful, and would i consider extra information they would provide etc. I am not knocking people as everyone should to all they can to sell themselves, and in an ideal world all people will get a response, it isn't however always due to a lack of caring, or lack of basic manners if you don't get one.. it is sometimes just a recruiter having to prioritise workload in the current climate

dickydonkin

LadyMissA wrote: »

but they may not have even read your CV. If you get a no thanks at least you know they actually saw it.

But as I alluded to - if the outcome is that the application was unsuccessful, then it is irrelevant to the failed applicant as to whether the recruiter read it or not - in fact as a previous poster highlighted, a 'Dear John' response may make the applicant feel worse!

Elvisia

I would imagine anyway that many times my CV wasn't read, as in my letter I summarised who I was, and I suspect many potential employers just went "no, not what we're looking for...next!". I think if I'd had rejection letters from all my applications I'd be utterly depressed and never want to apply again!

LadyMissA

dickydonkin wrote: »

But as I alluded to - if the outcome is that the application was unsuccessful, then it is irrelevant to the failed applicant as to whether the recruiter read it or not - in fact as a previous poster highlighted, a 'Dear John' response may make the applicant feel worse!

not for me it wouldn't. I chased one application to an agency and their reply was that they stopped reading CV's as they had too many applicants. It would have been better if they advertied say 'the first 50 CV's wil get read' or something.

Savvy_Sue

Jimavfc82 wrote: »

in an ideal world all people will get a response, it isn't however always due to a lack of caring, or lack of basic manners if you don't get one.. it is sometimes just a recruiter having to prioritise workload in the current climate

Hear hear! Especially in a small company, you have to remember that the person doing recruitment isn't ONLY doing recruitment, they've also got to carry on with their normal duties, which usually fill their days adequately, TYVM, and if they're doing recruitment it's usually, again, because the organisation is short-staffed!

Plus the person getting all these requests for extra information may very well not have been involved in the selection process at all, so in order to get you extra information your request has to be sent to those who were shortlisting, who are already under pressure because they need an extra member of staff, and so on.

We do try to send out 'thanks but no thanks' emails, but I am sure that leads to more requests for reasons than when I used to send out 'thanks but no thanks' letters.

RedSoleShoes

Employers who are in the business of providing services or products should also be aware that a rejected applicant could be a potential customer/client in the future. Perhaps this would change the way you treat them....