Employers who don't respond to applicants

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Why do you headhunters keep lying to candidates? Why do you assure them you will call them by a time certain and you don't? Why do you try to shove candidates into jobs for which they are not qualified? I know the answer to that one - so you can collect your commission. Why are you headhunters rude and pushy to candidates?

Continued next post....

1. I do not ever lie to candidates. Which is why I came on here to tell you exactly my thought process.

2. I call everyone on time because I schedule it into my daily database calendar.

3. I do not try to shove candidates into jobs that they are not qualified for. See, that proves my point. Some candidates can not read or comprehend simple things. If you read my post properly, you would see the gist of it was stressing that I do not work with unqualified candidates. I am amazed you could not figure that out from my post.

4. I am not rude or pushy to candidates. Unless you have worked with every headhunter in America, how do you know how we all are? I do get annoyed when people clearly do not read, and simply react like you just did. This is most likely why you have been having bad luck in the job hunt.

To Headhunter in Florida,

The reason a candidate applies to a job he is not completely qualified for is this. 1) The job seeker sees that it is an exceptional position with great pay and benefits and she or he has 7 out of the 10 qualifications needed. So, therefore, he applies. Experts will tell you if you have 75 percent of the qualifications then go ahead and apply. Like the lottery, you can't win it unless your in it. Most jobs out there you can train an individual to do if the candidate has the potential and strong personal traits. That is the truth!!! For instance, HEADHUNTER!!! - that ain't rocket science, not even close. 2) After a job seeker is out of work for a number of months he starts getting alittle frustrated so he starts applying to some of these jobs he might not otherwise be really qualified to perform. It's called hope. Hope that the telephone will ring and the employer will ask the potential candidate to come on in. Hope is a good thing. Maybe it's delusional thinking I don't know. Personnally, as a job seeker I don't recommend waiting by the phone, you have to be pro-active. and 3) It's true, some (not alot, but some) job seekers are numb numbs and clueless so they send their resume to everything out there.

I would like to go on and on, but I don't have the time to waste since I am searching for a quality job. To job seekers across the nation, Headhunters ( aka scumbags - there real name) don't care about the job candidate, not one bit, they represent the company period end of sentence. It's about making MONEY!!!

I truly wish Headhunters could feel what it's like to be unemployed for a long time. Then, they wouldn't be such scumbags.

Dean,

I'll let the scum comment pass because I understand you can't get a job and are upset. But maybe the reason you can't get a job is because you can not grasp basic concepts like :a client pays a headhunter for QUALIFIED candidates. If they want potential, they hire from within. Why would a client pay me a % for someone not qualified?? Unemployed, unqualified people are easy to find. Think about it.

Tell me why a client would pay for an unemployed person with no relevant experience. They don't want to train, they want to get someone who can hit the ground running. That is what a headhunter finds and presents to a client if they want to have a good reputation in their industry. It's pretty simple. Your anger is misguided because you do not understand the dynamics of the job.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: I've confronted headhunters just as I have posted here. Every damn one of them has given me the same self-serving baloney. Each one of them is "never" like other headhunters.

Come on, how dumb do you think people are? I can only speak for myself, but this is not my first rodeo.

I don't really care what you personally think. You are a negative person who I would never send out for an interview. I simply countered your questions with rational answers that represent how I work. You have no real response for it except to continue to display anger and insults. And you wonder why you haven't gotten hired, it seems obvious to me.

Dear Ms. Headhunter,

You didn't like the scumbag comment. I thought it was a nice touch. Listen, we could go round and round and round on this topic, but I just don't have the time nor energy to waste. There are two sides to everything, except when it comes to headhunters. I'm trying to be funny again. Then again, maybe not. Have a nice night in Orlando, Florida.

Joe

Headhunter in Orlando, Florida said: Dean,

I'll let the scum comment pass because I understand you can't get a job and are upset. But maybe the reason you can't get a job is because you can not grasp basic concepts like :a client pays a headhunter for QUALIFIED candidates. If they want potential, they hire from within. Why would a client pay me a % for someone not qualified?? Unemployed, unqualified people are easy to find. Think about it.

Tell me why a client would pay for an unemployed person with no relevant experience. They don't want to train, they want to get someone who can hit the ground running. That is what a headhunter finds and presents to a client if they want to have a good reputation in their industry. It's pretty simple. Your anger is misguided because you do not understand the dynamics of the job.

Whatever helps you sleep at night...

As Displaced has pointed out, you obviously have not read the previous postings on this forum. Why would I apply for a position I am not qualified for??? I do realize that people do, but if you look back on this forum, you will see that applying for positions we are not qualified for is NOT the subject.

Dal, I never apply for a position I am not qualified for. Why would I? I can't bluff my way through an interview when I know nothing about the position. So you are correct when you state: "Why would I apply for a position I am not qualified for??? I do realize that people do....."
As I have stated before there are good and bad headhunters. But, if you are in upper management they might do a little better by you but if you are on the bottom of the ladder they could care less. I emailed my resume to two of the agencies (can't recall which ones) that advertise all the time but I got lip service yada yada!!

If you are in Banking and you contact me, I tell you the truth. Why should I lie? I personally do not get anything out of it. And to be honest, the candidates lie more then we do many times when it comes to production numbers and who they have interviewed with. It is a 2 way street, but I would never say all candidates are liars, even though I have been burned many times by them.

I honestly am not sure what a Headhunter has to gain by lying to a candidate who is unqualified. And I brought that up because a poster clearly stated that they thought everyone had some kind of relevant experience. That is the wrong mindset to have with a headhunter. You need to be close to an exact fit for the position. So I did read the posts and replied to what stuck out to me.

No one has yet to be able to tell me why a client would pay me a fee for someone who is not qualified. And no one will. That is my point.

Headhunter in Orlando, Florida said: If you are in Banking and you contact me, I tell you the truth. Why should I lie? I personally do not get anything out of it. And to be honest, the candidates lie more then we do many times when it comes to production numbers and who they have interviewed with. It is a 2 way street, but I would never say all candidates are liars, even though I have been burned many times by them.

I honestly am not sure what a Headhunter has to gain by lying to a candidate who is unqualified. And I brought that up because a poster clearly stated that they thought everyone had some kind of relevant experience. That is the wrong mindset to have with a headhunter. You need to be close to an exact fit for the position. So I did read the posts and replied to what stuck out to me.

No one has yet to be able to tell me why a client would pay me a fee for someone who is not qualified. And no one will. That is my point.

Okay, I will give you your point, and I have been in a management position of hiring in the past. So I do understand what you are saying. Plenty of applicants applying who had no business doing so. And yes, it is frustrating to go through tons of resumes and apps when some of them are clearly not matched to the job position needing to be filled. Unfortunately, that situation will always be present when people get desperate for a position....and it is the nature of your career choice.
That having been said, I still fail to see how that point is relevant to what we are discussing here. That post was not the basis of this forum topic.
As to your statement that companies want someone who can "hit the ground running", that may be true. However, I have in the past worked for 3 different companies, same job title, and although "hit the ground running" can be construed in many different ways, there is ALWAYS some training involved.

Like I said, I was just addressing the mentality of "everyone is qualified in some way", which I read written in this thread.

Regardless if it is HR, a HHhunter..etc, if you don't get the job, there is no need to lash out at the hiring person. You just have to continue to improve yourself, and be more creative in your job hunting. Lurking on CareerBuilder is no way to get a good job anymore.

I think the main point is being missed here. The thread was on "Employers who do not respond...". I have applied for approximately 50 positions since October. In two different fields that I am qualified (key word) for. Only got two, yes you read that correctly, TWO responses back. Shame too because that is a turn off for anyone looking for a position with that company as word does get around! I would not recommend a company that has little concern about people who are looking for a position in their company. Doesn't that say something about the company? It sure does to me.

I talked to a friend at a major company (not a recruiter). He said something that I believe applies. The job market, especially in Florida is very tight right now. He said that the best way to get a position is through your personal network. And I firmly believe that also. If you are very experienced and have been in the market a long time as you have stated, I think your best bet is to reach out to colleagues who can better sell your value then a resume ever could. It's all who you know. Unfair? Probably so, but I bet you are not getting replies because there is someone who knows someone getting the position you want.

As for them not responding, I agree it is unprofessional. I really can not give you a better answer then that.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Continued from above....

One more rude recruiter story. Eighteen months ago, I stupidly listed my contact information on my CareerBuilder resume. (I corrected this error shortly thereafter.) A couple of months later, a recruiter called me somewhat early in the morning. I told this person politely I do not deal with headhunters. She persisted. She became very rude: "Why not??? It doesn't cost you anything!!!" Which is not always true. She then asked me for names of people I knew who may be interested in her opening. Not only was that rude, that was nerve.

Being rude helps no one. I don't know why she would do that, maybe she just wasn't very good. I always ask for referrals, but anyone in sales should do that. It's all about how you do it..if you are rude and pushy, then you ask for referrals, you don't know what you are doing.

I would simply asked if you had a bad experience in the past and explained why I was calling. Of course I actually have jobs that I am calling about. If you are not interested, no problem, do you know anyone that could be? No, ok, well here is my contact info if anything comes up in the future or you just would like my opinion or insight on a company you are looking at.

You haven't dealt with anyone good. Plain and simple. Regardless of what you think, everything you have just described is simply poor recruiting where they only care about volume and not quality. They have stayed in business because they are a volume business, but the attitudes you describe show me that they are not doing that well, or they would never act that way. These recruiters who scour CareerBuilder are not looking for top tier talent.

The fact that you think asking for a referral is inconsiderate simply shows me that you do not have any professional sales or networking experience.
There is never anything rude about asking for referrals. I get them from C level execs every week, many times unsolicited.

I think the reason you are unemployed is your poor attitude and lack of professional experience. It shows up quite clearly in your posts.

Regardless of what we say Headhunter and the recruiter profession is above us all and is legit. Sorry don't buy that. I AGREE with displaced in Denver. The whole system needs to be OVERSEEN by the state or federal govt. When you have a face to face or phone interview they should be required to provide a yes or no answer in 30 days, by e-mail...Job postings should be monitored and checked as to there existence and if not real they should be fined. Headhunters should be licensed and made accountable. Web-sites should NOT repost a job just because the HR DEPARTMENT has not notified them to do so, another fine. The only thing HR DEPTS., Headhunters would understand is if it hurt them in there pocket book. This will require more people ..so more jobs. I'm a Property Manager 25 plus yrs experience. My last experience was with one of the worse owners in New York City.....see postings under Cohen Brothers Realty on the property manager forum. The "street" knows he is bad news.. wish I did. Revolving door managers I was one of 3 in 2 yrs after I left 4 more total 7 in 2 years. Contractors don't get paid they will not come to your building to do repairs,,BUT you are responsible!!! So I speak with headhunters that first..can't understand what goes on in the real world..second MOST don't know what a Property Manager does or care ..but like Headhunter they give ALL THIS ADVICE HOW DO GET A JOB. Also you say go to the companies? I HAVE,,THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT A RESUME BY HAND....I guess it's different where Headhunter is...WHAT we have to remember a headhunter is nothing more and nothing less than a salesman..same as the snake oil salesman of years ago. I am now a security Fire Safety Director makeing half my salary. Also discrimination? OHHHH it doesn't happen!!! I'm 57 years old 5ft 3 white hair.........what do you think?
Petite works for women not men. AM I BITTER? YES..mostly because of self proclaimed experts like Headhunter who need to get out and try being unemployed.

I have been unemployed. I know what it is like. I simply never get bitter or worry about what people think. I go out and get what I want. I do not think negatively about life. That is your choice, no matter how you look.

I gave very exact examples of how I work and what I would say in a conversation, and Denver ignores that and just references bad experiences. None of my comments are self serving, I don't want to do business with you anyway. You offer zero value to any client of mine with your poor attitude. I have not tried to recruit anyone here, nor would I. I prefer winners with great attitudes who believe they can beat the odds and be successful in their field. These are people that become top producers, not negative whiners. Have fun complaining, and I will continue to place people who are successful because of their attitude and work ethic.

I just placed a candidate this week at a business that filled their position right before she was submitted. They interviewed her anyway on my recommendation and loved her so much that they MADE one for her. She starts next week.

That's how you get a job. You make yourself so appealing that you can not be turned down.

DO BUSINESS WITH ME?? WHERE OR WHERE DID YOU GET THAT IDEA???

My poor attitude is the truth which you refuse to try and understand...YOU and YOUR attitude could do nothing for me...especially in Orlando. You must love to look in a mirror and see yourself..Now I have to look for a better job while you look in the mirror. By the way please don't answer back..I can't take anymore of your wonderfulness.

You make your own reality. As shown by the post above, that is a truth that many people can never come to grips with and therefore do not become successful.

See there's you ego again..I asked you not respond..but you had to. Otherwise you don't feel superior..so now drop it! I bet you cannot stand not responding....YOU will still have to have the last word..

The truth is that you are unemployed and bitter. It's funny how the real angry guy said I have an ego, yet asked me not to post again..like he somehow decided who can say what on a message board. Solid irony.

Good luck in your job hunt folks. Poor attitudes and whining will keep you here posting and complaining.

Is he gone yet???

Less than professional Mini Rant to follow:
I love when they finally do respond and it's now over 4 months later. Their email states that they are no longer considering you for the position. I don't know about you all but I'm left scratching my heard half the time wondering which stinkin' position they're talking about...I mean come on- -4 months later?!?!? I've applied for MANY positions since theirs in 4 months time. I mean thank God I'm not starving yet...I'd be dead by the time they got back to me ;)

Try my name IS KS, not angry guy. I ASKED you not to post, I would NEVER consider deciding what you can say...it's just that you are so so so into yourself and do not have a clue about the real world. Displaced probably knows what I am saying, you are the great creator of job opportunities for people, AND KNOW EVERY REASON WHY OTHERS ARE NOT EMPLOYED......i'm happy for you. Your personality is PERFECT for your profession. And I still want to know why you would think I would want any help from you in finding a job....BY THE WAY ..HOW COME YOUR ON THIS WEB SITE INSTEAD OF NOT PLACING PEOPLE FOR YOUR CLIENTS?..MUST BE SLOW DAY HUH???

Don't ya just love this place!!

lol..yep!!!..West Palm

I am so glad to have stumbled across this blog. It really feels good to know that I'm not alone in this employment endeavor. I have also learned a lot about recruiter's and headhunter's and thankfully I have never applied for positions through them and never will.

My big complaint right now is the lack of responsiveness from interviewers. I recently had two interviews the this company and can't even get a response to my short email's. I feel so upset I want to send her a link to this site. I have been looking for work for 8 months and it is going really badly. I have had too many interviews but no offers and rarely do I receive a rejection letter. Most of the reject letters have come from my interviews with the state of nevada (because it is sort of a requirement) but not all of them do what is required.

My anger comes from that fact that the employers advertise their need to fill a position and we respond by submitting our employment history and personal information to them in hopes that we will be found acceptable and capable of fulfilling their need. We research, send Thank You notes and attend 2 or more interviews and then they stop all communications. I feel that if I've given them the professional curtesy to respond to their initial ad and then send them thank you letters, after meeting with them, the least they can do is extend to the people they have actually interviewed the professional curtesy of a simple yes/no/maybe response.

I really want to tell her off. What makes me even more upset is that she conducted a top notch interview. I even informed her of that in my thank you letter. It was probably the best interview I'd ever had. I though she was different and would be professional through the end of the process. They don't seem to care or they think we can't handle rejection. WE CAN! All we expect is finality.

Thanks so much for letting me chime in. Good luck and God bless all of you struggling to find employment.

ok ok ok I'm back - I have been busy liquidating my pez dispensers to eat. Just kidding. I would gladly deal with anyone including borderline rude to have my head hunted. I read the Orlando Sentinel print edition on Sunday, the job section was less than the classified ads for sellers.

Hi Faith, Hate to type in losing since you are not a one. Anyway, glad you are back posting. Have you tried craigslist.com? They offer jobs I haven't seen here on Indeed. Well, I haven't anyway. I just applied to a part time position in a totally different field than I'm in right now. It was a field I use to work in 4 or 5 yrs. ago but at least it's a start. I gave up and wasn't going to apply to anyting any more but found this on craigslist Have a great day.

Hello all,

Well I finally got the chance to speak with the director of operations that interviewed me for this "illusive" position. But the kicker is-I had to call her. I had called her about six time previously over the last four or five days but she never answered her phone and I never left her any messages. I wanted to catch her off guard I suppose and put her on the spot.

I called her at 8:40 AM this morning three times and on the third time she actually answered her phone. She gave me some excuse about their accountant leaving abruptly and that the hiring had been sort of put on hold. She also said something about Samantha should have called me to let me know this information. I have no clue who Samantha is (assistant maybe). She also said she knew I had met with one of her property manager's and that when she's able to get back to making a decision she would need me to come back to her office to meet with some other people. I thanked her and expressed my understanding. Told her that would be great and that I looked forward to meeting with her and her staff.

It all happened so quickly that I forgot to mention the fact that I had sent her two emails with out a response in over a week. I'm really not sure if she was being truthful or if she was just patronizing me. If my options were a bit better I would not even consider this job. But it is difficult to reject something you've spent time on (research, interviewing, preparation and follow up). But if I am offered the job I will have no choice but to take it. I must get back to work soon as my unemployment is nearly depleted.

What do you all think? Is she full of S**t or should I be patient and give her the benefit of the doubt? I am desperate as you can tell and my prospects are bleak.

Suggestions are welcome.

I agree with Displaced but you have to make the final decision. Do you really need this job NOW or can the checks hold out a little longer. If you can hold out ok but then ask yourself this = will another job come along? You are the final decision maker here. Good luck!

It is so nice to see that I am not crazy. Other people are going through the same thing that I am going through. I have been told I'm over qualified, underqualified and that I live in the wrong area zone? What the heck is really going on in the world today? I can truly relate to alot of these situations I have read here on this post.
I know It's hard but we have to keep the faith

Hi Jobless, welcome to the unemployee boat. We seldom dock and having a great time sailing the seas of unemployement. When we dock it's only to get off for about 1 hour. We hand in a resume, have some idiot look at it,then sail off into the sunset. You will find a lot of us here without a job so sit back and read the posts.

Displaced, you need to write an article at that website I told you about!!

Trust me you are not the only one that is experiencing that, I'm experiencing the exact same thing here in Memphis.
I believe it is a total waste of time to apply for a job online with a vast majority of these companies. With the high cost of gasoline, there is no way I can drive all of the time, gas is just too expensive. I mean, I can cover about a 10 mile radius outside of my locale to look for a job. I just know that there has got to e a better way to look for a job, than applying for it online, or communicating with a recruiter and HR over the internet.

virgil yancey in Memphis, Tennessee said: Trust me you are not the only one that is experiencing that, I'm experiencing the exact same thing here in Memphis.
I believe it is a total waste of time to apply for a job online with a vast majority of these companies. With the high cost of gasoline, there is no way I can drive all of the time, gas is just too expensive. I mean, I can cover about a 10 mile radius outside of my locale to look for a job. I just know that there has got to e a better way to look for a job, than applying for it online, or communicating with a recruiter and HR over the internet.

Thanks, that is sound advice, however, I'm just going to take myself out of the public sector, go back to being a full time
freelance consultant. I got a feeling that the best job to have is owning your own business.

losing_faith in Orlando, Florida said: OK - maybe I'm crazy. Maybe I expect too much. Maybe not. I have found that employers and recruiters alike post opportunities on many different websites. They write these massive compliant job descriptions and skills requirements. They state what they want and need in difficult to follow terms. C'est la vie....right? Sure! But.....dedicated jobseekers like myself spend countless hours reading, reviewing, researching, and responding to these postings. Taking time to ascertain who the contact is that will be receiving the application or the hiring manager that will be making the decision. Sending documents into the recruiter for internships. Carefully crafted cover letters and resumes that focus in on making sure the candidate background is understood. Then - NOTHING! Not a simple response that "we have chosen other candidates" not a postcard, a phonecall, NADA! I have even learned that some HR departments and recruiters post job listings when they DON'T EVEN EXIST! They collect the candidate information or it's required based on guidelines! I'm interested to know if I am the only one who is experiencing this aggravation of wasting my time.

Perhaps be careful of these postings. They may not be authentic. They've got your name, address, phone number & possibly other information on your resume and it's a way to steal a person's identity. A "real" recruiter has a job to fill. Perhaps these people are some of those spam emailers...they're just looking for an email address and post false ads. I say contact H/R Depts. of Hospitals, etc. and ask them who they use to recruit for positions because you want to submit your resume to a reputable recruiter. There are so many unethical people on the Internet.

losing_faith in Orlando, Florida said: OK - maybe I'm crazy. Maybe I expect too much. ... They collect the candidate information or it's required based on guidelines! I'm interested to know if I am the only one who is experiencing this aggravation of wasting my time.

Sure someone else has already said it, but just remember that so many people are in the job market that employers are absolutely swamped with resumes, walk-ins, and calls (even thou their ad usually will stipulate "no phone calls"), that they don't have the time to answer all inquiries. Remember to that much of the burden of HR is now outsourced to companies whose speciality is HR. And these guys could give a hoot about getting back to respondants. Consider yourself lucky if you get an "robomated" response acknowledging that your resume has been received by the mail server, and feel even luckier if your resume bounced back from an actual person's out-of-office auto-reply; at least then you've got a name to work with. I work independently now, but I used to have a plan of attack --- for each resume I sent, I'd log it, then create a database of keywords and content to use when/if someone called me. I set an alert on my email, and based my attack in three phases. Alert 1 was the "follow-up email, typically sent after 2 days; Alert 2 was the week-long follow-up, where I'd resend my resume (keep a file for each job prospect, titled with the company name), Alert 3 was a phone call after 10 days (or sometimes 2 weeks, depending on the situation), to any number I found associated with the company and title. These days you can find mostly anyone online with some simple mining and a willingness to accept a "six-degrees" association sort of thing. Some employers will be unhappy you called, okay, it's true. But you will reach a few who remember you for your determination and motivation; especially good if you're seeking any sort of sales position.

But..................when your one of the VERY FEW where owning your own business works out and your doing something you love to do.................then it's a beautiful thing. Trouble is your right, most people have no clue as to the issues involved and hours with owning their own business. No clue whatsoever. (I have never own my own business, but know of some who have). Good Luck Virgil.

I would love to have my own business...however, I have no idea what type of business I would have. I would love to come up with something, I should be so lucky to come up with some sort of idea!

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Still thinking about it.

Don't think!! Just do it !!

Jobless in Waukegan, Illinois said: It is so nice to see that I am not crazy. Other people are going through the same thing that I am going through. I have been told I'm over qualified, underqualified and that I live in the wrong area zone? What the heck is really going on in the world today? I can truly relate to a lot of these situations I have read here on this post.
I know It's hard but we have to keep the faith

Same here, I just had this Jack *** from Cook systems, tell me I was not qualified and I have been offered those positions in the past, but never really ran after them. It amazes me, there are some recruiters, as well as recruiting firms that I would not give the time of day to pursue what jobs they may or may not have. I'm personally done looking in the public sector for a job, it is way too time consuming and conunter-productive.

I'm glad I found this post. I've read everything on the three pages. Thought I'd share some stories and my opinion on some of what I have read.

FIRST EXAMPLE:

Went to a job fair, just to see what it was all about. There were about 50 companies at the fair. Now, these were predominately entry-level jobs (and I knew that going in) but I just wanted to see what occurred at these fairs. Well, the most interesting thing I found was that the majority of the employers there said they were not accepting resumes at the fair -- you had to visit their website and submit though the site. This I found preposterous! What then, is the point of holding the fair?

SECOND EXAMPLE:

Was contacted for another opportunity. Was tested by the company first -- before the interview -- and told I was a good fit. Then, I didn't hear from the company for about a week. I called to tell the HR Department that I'd be away for about ten days, in the event they tried to call. They said, "Oh, we're sorry we didn't call you. We decided to move the job to Philadelphia." Again... Why waste my time? I can't imagine the decision to move the job didn't occur prior to testing. I find it hard to believe this was a "last minute" decision to move the job across the state.

THIRD EXAMPLE:

Received a call from a company I had applied to, based on a listing from Career Builder. Spoke with the woman and went well until she asked if I was really willing to commute from Pittsburgh to Dayton, Ohio for this job. What? Turns out, this brilliant HR Manager claims she didn't realize she had posted this career opportunity in Pittsburgh, rather than Dayton, (until I told her on the phone) and couldn't understand why she was receiving so many resumes from Pittsburgh. Now she knows.

I look at it a couple of ways. My experience with HR at the companies I have worked for is that this department is a lot of talk and very little action. <See next post for more>

Sure they create performance plans, and may even oversee corporate training. However, what I have found is that it is a department from a bygone era. Companies still have these departments because they think they need them, but if HR truly was a partner in the organization, why aren't they actively involved in the business? They're more a sideline and often clueless to what the organization actually needs in terms of people resources. They rely on Managers to tell them what they need. If they were actively involved at Executive Committee Meetings (and actually paid attention) they'd be ahead of the curve in terms of anticipating staffing needs.

I also have to disagree with some of what I read from the recruiters. They said she would not have time to personally respond to each individual. Here's a thought... Many of these HR Managers have been talked into purchasing HR/Recruiting Software. They've been promised it will make their job easier (think Brass Ring). You don't have to personally respond, Mrs. Advice. Why not set up the software to send an auto-reply so folks at least have a confirmation that their information was received?

<See next post for more>

Lastly, here is what I find most amazing of all. I have seen the shows on GMA and have read newspaper columns dispensing "job searching advice", always focusing on what the candidate did wrong.

I think it is clear from reading these posts that, in general, HR Departments have lost focus on what their primary business is -- people. I completely agree with what I've read about rudeness, lack of response, etc.

I wonder if the CEOs of these organizations and their Marketing Departments are aware just how poorly HR operates. Companies spend millions trying to build goodwill and gain new customers. However, if as some of the recruiters have said on this post that they receive thousands of resumes/applications, don't they realize that their rude treatment is working counter to Marketing and the Company's objectives?

In my opinion, all you've done is essentially push away thousands of potential CUSTOMERS. I know in my case, I won't do business with any company, on any level, who has exhibited this level of rudeness.

It's time for GMA to do a series on what employers do wrong, and have one of their reporters pose as a job seeker. Let's see how it works when the tables are turned.

Maybe in our age of technology it's time for HR Departments to get back to focusing on people, and actually read resumes, rather than letting a computer pick out key words. I often wonder how many qualified candidates slip through the cracks because of their "recruiting software." After all, employers are always complaining they can't find qualified candidates.

Lastly, counter to the one recruiter's advice about going directly to the company, that's foolish advice. Most companies wouldn't let you get past security without an appointment and doing this would most likely, label you as someone who is a little nuts.

I agree with you. I am "mature" and looking for a job today compared to 20-25 years ago is quite different. The new recruiters are just machine-type people that don't have to actually talk or face people anymore. They don't know how to communicate effectively in writing or especially in person. They live by the computer and are not personable people. The firm that I work for has recently gone hi-tech and only "interview" people after the computer has weeded out a certain amount. How sad. An interview is a learning experience for both sides and I could write a book about interviewing for a job! Some of these HR Representatives find their friends and soul mates via computer as well, how sad. I am nearing retirement age and believe it or not I am thankful for that, even though it makes me older!! I don't care.

I worked with a Manager one time where the applicant sent "his" resume on round card stock...believe me...he was noticed and hired. The Manager was impressed with his creativity when applying for a job. Keep in mind it was in the "Design" Dept., but, hey... whatever works!

The majority of Job Fairs are a waste of time. If you do have the time to go, then go I guess, but don't get your hopes up. I haven't been to one in a long time, but when I use to go this was what I noticed. 1) entry level positions ex. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Home Health Aides, Customer Service positions 2) jobs people don't want ex. Insurance type positions.

Also, it seemed like alot of the companies just go to advertise their services and don't really need to truly fill positions. It kind of seems like a day out for the companies employees, like a break from their day to day work.

In regards to companies and testing, along time ago they would give these tests after they made a job offer. Now, most of them give the personality test and other such test upfront. I hate that, it wastes my time. I guess that is why they do it this way now, they don't want to waste their own time, it weeds out undesirable candidates right away.

I can honestly say I hate looking for work, it is right up there with a death in the family, going thru a divorce ( I have never, but it obviously is painful ), or being very ill. It truly s_cks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and most of the interviewers are insensitive and unprofessional.

That is what makes it very, very, very, very emotionally hard!!!!! - the insensitive interviewers, even for a man like myself. It is hard. I just dealt with a Chris Taggart from Behr Paint for a Sales position. He never kept the phone interviews he scheduled with me. For ex. one time he told me he would call Monday after lunch, and never did. So, I figured he wasn't interested any longer. He called me Wed late in the day to say he forgot and we scheduled another one. Guess what, he never kept that one. This went on for about 10 days. The time I wasted. If only he knew that I made sure I was available for all these rescheduled interviews ( I cancelled some of my own appointments for him! ), and also the precious time I took to prepare myself by researching his company.

Hey Displaced Legal Professional,

Thanks. I want to say, I've enjoyed your posts here and I wasn't attacking your advice -- your advice made sense. I'd have to scroll back through but there was a recruiter on one of the pages who suggested that those of us looking weren't trying hard enough, we weren't being creative enough and we needed to go to the company. Something along those lines. It didn't make sense.

I've enjoyed what you written -- it's been spot on!

Sable, I agree with you too. I've grown tired of hearing "we can't find qualified candidates" when they don't even read resumes. They let their software score the resume. I watched it in the company I worked for prior to being laid off in February. HR was always talking about how busy they were, but they never produced anything. We hadn't had a hiring or layoff in years, but in all that time, they were always so busy and didn't have time to respond. But, they had numerous consultants in and out the door, and kept buying the latest and greatest software to help them. Unfortunately, the software was so bad, it couldn't even give employees their correct vacation/personal day balances because it was always "five weeks behind." It was a joke.

It just gets old, especially when you've witnessed it from the inside too.

I've got an idea...if I were looking for a job these days and God help me if I have to again...I would consider posting my resume in the newspaper (if they will let you), especially some of the law newspapers...why not, at least it would be seen by people that would actually be "working with you." Just an idea.