How dare employers ignore job applicants?

Question

I have applied for 2 jobs recently and both times despite it being an online application there was no response whatsoever. I think it is common curtousy to send a reject email and would be dead easy to do. I would like to change this culture is anyone else in favour?

Answer 1

This is apparently common with on line applications. I agree with you. They could at least send an email saying "hey we got your application, thanks". I have applied on line before and received a call the next day so hang in there.

Answer 2

When I was unemployed and Job Seekers Allowance was first introduced the Job Centres made you sign an agreement to apply for 10 jobs every week, I think employers were sick of all the application that you were told to sent just in case they may have a vacancy apart from the cost of postage and time to reply to all the unsolicited application. I lived in an area in Wales where there was only a couple of new jobs every week which were usually unsuitable as the skills required never matched the people looking for jobs, so they said you should apply further afield (I already said I would travel up to 25 miles for a job). The transport costs or rent would not make the job sustainable. I applied for over 60 jobs and got about 15 replies out or which I got 3 interviews, 2 of the jobs turned out to be commission only and the last one thought I was over qualified for the job (which probably meant I was to old).
I moved back to London and got a job. where I was earning £4,000 a year less than I has been paid 20 years before. I wish the bills for clothing and food and living expenses would of stayed the same as the money for holidays is now non existent

Answer 3

I think some employers don't quite have a silver tounge when it comes to prospective employees. I once went in to The Body Shop because I saw a sign outside looking for part-time staff & I asked for the manager, she took one look at me & said that she wasn't hiring at this time. I told her that she had a sign outside & she just kept saying she wasn't hiring. I'm thinking because I came in there with a face full of make up to a place that's all very natural & I looked too made up for their business. I just said said thank you & walked away. I wasn't going to get confrontational over a silly sign in the window. I had decided if she was that 'nice' while I was enquiring about a job what would it be like to work for her so count your lucky stars those mean employers didn't actually hire you. In this day & age employers should not prejudge as people come in all different shapes, sizes & colours with completely different qualifications & educational backgrounds. At the moment I'm applying for the police & I'm having a hard time because they need to get my fathers information, a father that abandoned me while my mother was pregnant, a father that no one has heard of or seen in 20 years & someone who isn't even on my birth certificate & yet I need information or they won't process my application. It's unfair & that's exactly what it is, unfair. Employers feel that they can be choosey because there aren't as many jobs as there are people but they can be a bit nicer in their approach. Just be lucky you didn't get those jobs before or you could have had a boss from hell. ;)

Answer 4

Some companies really care about their reputation with job applicants, and wouldn't dream of letting applications for employment go unanswered. Others don't care, or haven't given this area any thought.

In any case, they don't email a response is that they're following a pattern established when they had to mail a letter in snail mail.

Not too much that can be done, I'm afraid.

Answer 5

The last place I worked at had an on-line Job application page.

Problem was, the site was 'controlled' by the IT Department - no-one from HR had access and by the time the morons in IT noticed they had 1,000 applications stacked up most of the Jobs had been filled ...

There was also a problem with applicants failing to type in their correct email address ...

Answer 6

Every agency I have applied to for a specific vacancy haven't responded, I also think the local authorities are terrible, you apply for a job and three months later you get a letter saying the post has been withdrawn by then you forget you have even applied for it! I think its common courtesy to let you know, i could understand if it was a charity or something who were trying to save money, but it does really annoy me when you have taken the time to fill out an application form and they dont even acknowledge you!.

Answer 7

In a perfect world, they wouldacknowledge.

Probably they get many rsponses, and simply don'thave the staff to acknowledge each and every one.

Serious about wantng to work there. Call, ask who is the manager of the department
you are interested in. Write a letter, send a resume, and mail it.

Anyone can submit an online app. Show them you have a little more initiative.
Then follow up with a phone call.

Good luck.

Answer 8

I agree. Even if it's just to acknowledge your application. I've applied for jobs in the past, taking time to complete the application form, only to hear nothing in return. It seems a bit rude and discourteous.

Answer 9

Are you sure they even received the applications in the first place? Maybe they just have a large volume of them coming in and can't get back to everyone. You will probably have better luck applying in person.

Answer 10

I agree with you, but this is nothing new. Even interviewed candidates did not always get replies 40 years ago. It has probably got worse since then.

No response to an online application is poor by any standards.