To expect a rejection letter

[JanuaryShoes]

I've just applied for a job, I got a letter acknowledging my application and then nothing.

The interview day has long passed so I assume I haven't been successful.

Isn't it just good manners to send a letter of rejection?

Which implied that those of us who don't have time are being uncourteous (or discourteous, if you prefer?)

You got me...I completely overlooked that one. Many apologies, out of order, but in my (lack of) defence I was piqued by Mitchy's implication that I had too much time on my hands (though s/he's clearly got a point today!!!)

I'm not currently trying to get a job, but if I were, I wouldn't expect a rejection letter if I hadn't been called in for an interview.

It's well documented that all jobs are massively oversubscribed. I would assume that companies and businesses just wouldn't have the time to respond to every cv sent in, unless they were interested in you.

I would imagine sally is very much the exception, rather than the rule.

No idea how to PM

I am very serious though, if there is a specific system that I can use to facilitate this, that doesn't cost money, I would be really interested. We are really tight financially (I work for a small business) and can't afford to out systems in place, I have to do everything manually.

If you have some time saving systems, I would be very interested!

Juno find one of my messages, click on massage poster, write me a message: job's a good'un! xxx

I am with sally. I know time is precious and we all have very little. I also think that common decency costs nothing but is all too rare these days. Fair enough if it says in the ad that "if you haven't heard from us by xx date", but I still think it is so much better to send a letter/email. I think it is a poor reflection on the company that doesn't send that letter, and likely a reflection on the level of respect you can expect from them as an employee (sorry, my personal opinion and no reflection on anyone here, but I work for a company currently that has zero respect for their employees - never again!).

I do not currently own a business but I am in the planning stages. It is a long way down the road until I will be in a position to hire someone, but I hope that I will not forget how it feels to send in many applications to places and hear nothing at all, no acknowledgment that the application was received, no call regarding an interview or not, no letter that the position has been filled. I have seen DH in that position many times and it's awful! All for the sake of a few moments to send out a nice letter. His applications are all online too, via email, so there's no excuse really.

I think public image is so critical. If I think a company is run by decent people I will use them, even if they are not the fastest or the cheapest. If I think a company is run by arseholes, I will not use them no matter what. It doesn't just apply to how they treat their customers but also to how they treat their employees and potential employees.

Sally - I'm with you, obviously! I think a mail merge email is pretty easy, they asked for email addresses on the application.

It is a point of courtesy for me, maybe I'm a bit old fashioned, but I just find rude!

Pass Do you really think I do it out of disrespect?

For the last position I advertised, I got 268 applications.

I spend maybe, 5 minutes reading each application. That's 22.3 hours I spent reading applications.

I then invited 8 for interview.

Each interview was around an hour, plus maybe 15 minutes each side pre and post prep. So 1.5 hours, x 8 interviews = 12 hours.

I then wrote to the 6 that were unsuccessful. U gave feedback, so probably 10 minutes per person? That's another hour.

If I was able to write a rejection letter for each applicant, that would be 250 rejection letters.

Lets say it takes me only three minutes per person. That is 750 minutes. That's 12.5 hours to send out all the emails.

And you think I am a bad employer because I can't spare 25.5 hours, once a month, to fill one vacancy?

That's a weeks wages for one of our staff. I would have to cut existing staff hours quite dramatically to be able to facilitate this.

So please, don't call me disrespectful. I wish it could be different

Point taken Juno, I can see that it's very time consuming

But Juno, as an applicant to a position at your company I have no way of knowing any of that. I only know that I sent in an application that I have spent many hours on myself and I have heard nothing back. That is the only information I have to go on, and I'm sorry, but yes I do see it as a lack of manners/respect/decency. Sorry. :(

I do take your point that it is very time-consuming though! I don't know what the answer is.

Umm, if you are sending out rejection emails, you do a single email, blind copy all the recipients and press send. Job done for whatever number of applicants with one email!

I'm with you Juno

To send out 250 rejection letters by post (and I mention post because earlier it was mentioned that people don't always supply email addresses and there was also a comment about 'how hard is it to send a letter') would cost that small business £150. That's £150 alone in stamps if sent first class (let alone time spent and other stationery costs) - each letter being a minimum of a 60p stamp. That's also then to include the cost of someone taking all 250 letters to the post office and sending said letters. That's just too much.

I oversee a lot of recruitment and respond to everyone who applies, the last ad generated approx 250 applications. I think sending out 250 letters is a waste of money and resources but an email costs nothing and involves minimal labour.

I've worked for years in small organisations - there just isn't the time or funds to reply postally to everyone

Email is a lot easier, but its unreasonable to expect a personal response when each vacancy is getting upwards of 100 applications, often more.

Standard form even for big operations like Unis and Local Authorities with HR depts is only to correspond with shortlisted candidates.

I know it is hard when you are making your first steps back into work OP, but you probably have to look elsewhere for support and feedback.

unexpected You could, but you would still have to take the time to open each application, copy the email address and paste it into the mass email. Not as time consuming, granted, but still something that takes time.

Say each one takes 20 seconds - you are still talking about over an hour and 20 minutes. And that is if you can do each one in 20 seconds! Some won't be as easy.

Pass - Its really saddening me to hear it described as lack of manners/respect/decency. I am not lacking in any of those things. We pride ourselves on our customer service, it really is one of the ebst I have ever worked with.

I would maybe expect that attitude (though still be saddened by it) from a layman, but to hear someone who is also planning on running a business have that attitude, is really upsetting.

FWIW - most people do not spend 'many hours' on their applications. Half of them don't even bother with a cover letter. People apply for jobs en mass as much as I reject applications en mass.

Pass - Sorry but how can you not appreciate the cost in postage and time? Did you fill in your application in copperplate with a quill and ink?

in the the case of the OP though they got a letter acknowledging the application, so someone has gone to the effort once already, so its a bit odd.

^^This. I had 120 applications for the last post I recruited for. It took hours to go through them once just to sift out the complete duds (90 or so) and hours more to thoroughly score the final 30 to get down to a short-list of 8.

Would an automatically generated email really make anyone feel better for not getting an interview? I think the answer is to stop feeling hurt if you don't get a rejection letter when you send in an application.

The internet has made applying almost too easy. We advertised on a job site last year and got hundreds of applications - 90% of them just weren't suitable. Think logistics managers when we wanted someone with an HR background or similar. They had read the heading but not the detail.

This is so frustrating to employers it tends to drive us to be less good at replying. If 200 people couldn't be bothered to read beyond the job title then I struggle to feel inclined to waste any more time to send them a rejection.

Unfortunately this then impacts on the way the better candidates are treated. Which is a great shame and frustrating to everyone.

Would an automatically generated email really make anyone feel better for not getting an interview?

Fair point...but there's a lot to be said for know where you stand!

If 200 people couldn't be bothered to read beyond the job title then I struggle to feel inclined to waste any more time to send them a rejection.

I have to say that whatever else I've siad upthread, I have a grudging sympathy for this pov.

i had an interveiw monday.. got my rejection latter today....

i was sad of course but part of me was thankfull that i got one and knew where i stood. they was aswell pretty nice about it to.

i do think if you have gone to an interveiw they should let you know ethier way. my friend waited 2 months before she got a call back saying youv got the job... something in between that would have been nice... its not a rejection latter but it proves that the wiating is horrid.

letter even

I can see both sides. For me personally, I'm not hurt, I clearly wasn't right for the job.

It's the lingering that gets to me. Could they be delayed? Is my interview letter stuck in the post? Have they tried to call and I've missed it? A short email would take that away in a second.

Interestingly, Matthew Parris, makes exactly this point in The Times today. The comments online are not dissimilar to this thread, unsurprisingly!

Just to add..

I had an interview last year, and never ever heard back. I think that's pretty appalling. If you have time to interview people, you have time to let them know the outcome.

If you take someone to interview stage, you definitely need to provide a response.

I have applied for loads of jobs over the last couple of years and I think that either you put if you haven't heard from us by .... date then you have not been selected for interview or you reply saying no thanks. Juno I appreciate the time involved and obviously the way out of replying to 250 applicants is to use the above phrase, but don't forget that for us applicants it also takes a lot of time and effort to put in an application and it is disheartening beyond belief to do that and hear nothing at all.

A couple of companies didn't even bother to let me know after interview and were surprised when I rang them up to ask, and another who did let me know promised feedback but never delivered...... Oh yes, don't bother with we'll keep your details on file for another time you know and I know that's a load of rubbish!