Job seekers meet wall of silence – press release

Job seekers can spend days crafting job applications for organisations they would like to work for. After all those checks there is the nervous sense of anticipation before finally pressing send. Then there is the wait. And for many that wait will be never-ending. It has become an increasingly common practice for employers to only get back to those invited to interview. Everyone else is often left high and dry with no communication whatsoever.

The results of a recent survey by CV Writers conducted across 335 job seekers and recruiters found 91% of respondents believed that employers should contact all job applicants – not just successful ones. The survey revealed a high level of frustration that this often does not happen.

Neville Rose, Director of CV Writers comments:

“Organisations go to great lengths investing in and communicating their employer values. It is astonishing they can fall so short in living and breathing these values with people that would like to work for them.

“As one respondent said recruiters are the ‘voice’ of the organisation. It is not just lack of common courtesy, it is an opportunity missed to enhance their employer reputation.”

A separate study by leading on-line recruiter Webrecruit revealed a similar level of job seeker irritation. When asked what most frustrated job seekers, 60% said getting no response at all from job applications with a further 29% not receiving any feedback even after being shortlisted.

Phil Roebuck, founder of Webrecruit says:

“Never providing feedback or communication can be debilitating to a candidate’s enthusiasm and confidence…although rejection can be painful it’s as valuable in their search as a phone call to say they’ve been shortlisted”.

Both these surveys reveal a high level of concern and growing dissatisfaction of a practice that is both disrespectful to job applicants and potentially harmful to an employer’s brand.

Neville Rose continues:

“There is often no recourse for job seekers – repeated emails will all go un-replied. There is no concrete minimum standard of candidate care even with members of professional recruitment bodies.

The transient nature of job seeking allows employers to get away with a practice that would never be accepted by those responsible for a company’s products and services. Customer service teams fall over backwards to protect brand reputation and customer loyalty. It’s about time employers wake up and stop seeing rejected candidates as a threat but as potential advocates”.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. CV Writers is an independent CV writing and advice consultancy offering a range of services for job seekers. For more information see www.cv-writers.org.uk
2. Neville Rose, Director of CV Writers, is available for interview. Telephone 0845 436 0136. Mobile: 07951 035403 email: neville@www.cv-writers.org.uk