to wonder why it seems to be so hard for most organisations to send an email to tell a candidate they haven't got the job?

[IrianofWay]

Just a quick 'Dear candidate, sorry but you were unsuccessful this time'. Hell. even a text message would do.

I think OP is saying that her DS has been for interviews and they still don'g let him know. Rude in my opinion.

I rang one of the colleges to ask what was happening. Apparently they passed his name to the potential 'apprenticer' along with the others that passed the initial assessment but haven't heard anything back - so could be the employer is very slow or hasn't liked any of them.

BTW most of his applications were on line - therefore there his details are automatically on a database somewhere.

Note to self: design, build and market a software package for employers to use who don't want to make their employment candidates feel like a waste of space.

I think it's due to the MASSIVE number of applicants for most jobs these days. If you only had 6 or 8 people applying, then yes of course you could give them all individual responses and feedback. However, when I worked in a role where I was recruiting constantly, I was amazed that we would typically get 80 - 300 applicants each time. Do you have any idea how long it would take to trawl through 300 application forms to pull out their email addresses? Hell, I didn't even have the time for a 5 minute lunch break most days.

I find this especially annoying when applications are made online. It really can't be technically difficult to communicate with unsuccessful candidates.

Same as changename I work for a small- medium sized charity. Last job I advertised got 80 responses. Maybe a more IT savvy person can whip up a quick database that collates all email addresses but I can't. Certainly don't have time to manually collate them, bloody reading and scoring them is bad enough.
What I will do is provide a date by which those successful in gaining an interview will hear from me. And anyone actually interviewed will certainly be told whether or not they have been successful (usually by phone) and get feedback.

"What I will do is provide a date by which those successful in gaining an interview will hear from me. And anyone actually interviewed will certainly be told whether or not they have been successful (usually by phone) and get feedback."

Perfect!

its just life getting worse in my opinion - I hope he finds something very soon. its so hard getting a job these days.

catfotd it's a good day in our office if the email/server/internet connection doesn't go down. Most of our funding is for delivering our charitable objectives, no one seems interested in giving money to help us sort out IT. It's an a problem for lots of small businesses etc I would think.

If you apply online it should be an automatic feature of the system that it sends a message to let you know the outcome of your application. I can't for the life of me see why employers still mess about getting people to complete paper forms or send forms as email attachments. Much more efficient to get them to do it online.

I agree it's kind of shit in this day and age that they can't seem to just send out a courtesy email but I'm used to it now! I work for the NHS and the annoying thing is some trusts WILL send an email but most don't, but it proves it IS possible!

But not hearing after an interview is absolutely rude as hell, I had this once and kicked up a real fuss as I could not get hold of anyone to tell me the outcome for love nor money, I obviously knew I hadn't got it by that point but I was furious they hadn't bothered to bloody tell me so kept pushing till I finally got to speak to one of the panel

I applied for a job in another department at my own employer (very large organisation). Weeks went by and no news. I rang HR and asked if they'd shortlisted yet (not a given, all HR functions are handled abysmally badly). Oh yes, I was told, and if you didn't hear you haven't been shortlisted. Oh dear, I said, in that case could I have some feedback about why I wasn't shortlisted, as I met all the essential criteria listed in the person specification? I am an internal candidate. Oh no, came the reply. We don't give anybody feedback about shortlisting decisions.

Thanks a bunch!

If the NHS is anything like local goverment I guess they are pretty bad! I remember applying for a job with a local authority as a librarian's assistant many many years ago. I applied, had a follow up call when they asked me for more information and told me I would be invited for interview. I waited. And waited. And waited. After about 10 days I rang the number that had called me - for my call to be answered by the person who had got the job I had applied for! Internal appointment. Which was nice.

Even worse experience - applied for a job in a different department in my own organisation. Got an interview. Interview went very well, I thought. Didn't get the job. Job went to another candidate who was already working in that department in a different capacity, having joined a few weeks previously from a different sector where she did very different work. She had no relevant experience whatsoever from either her previous employment or the current job. I had it in spades. When she started, she was sent over to talk to me about how to go about her new duties. She was a lovely person and found this an excruciatingly embarrassing situation. She left a few months later. I left as soon after that as I could. What a kick in the teeth.

Why can't it be stated that applicants applying on line will be kept up to date on their progress. One shortlisted those coming for interview be informed including interview info.

Follow up by a mass email for all online application received for post stating those who have been successful have been scheduled an interview. Thank you to all who took the time to apply. We look forward to receiving future applications from you!

That took me 20 seconds! Those who don't apply online know the score.

I don't think there is any excuse really. Its an awful feeling not hearing back, sorry for your sons experience.

I work for a small company (under 10 people), we placed a job ad about three weeks ago and had 300 applicants email me a copy of their CV/portfolios.

The directors then decided that they didn't need anyone due to workflow so I replied to them all individually by email today (just cut and paste a reply into each one). I didn't have to I suppose but I didn't like the idea of them thinking they hadn't got an interview/not heard based on their application and not our change of circumstance.

Also, some of them had really tailored covering letters for the position and I understand how long it takes to do applications like this.

It took me 20 mins.

I also let people know if they have typo's or something glaringly awful about their CV thats letting them down. I would want someone to do the same for me.

Ha just noticed my typo on typos!

I think it's always been the case that you often don't get a reply to a job application, particularly in traditionally popular sectors.

Otoh, to interview someone and then fail to accord them the courtesy of letting them know the outcome - very poor form. Sometimes there is a bit of a wait (eg whilst they're waiting for another candidate's decision) but there is absolutely no excuse for not contacting people who have spent time, money and effort in attending an interview.

My worst was being interviewed for a job and getting the thanks but no thanks letter saying ring for feedback. Did so and was given some guff about not having the right experience. They then said would I care to go and work for them as a volunteer teaching the successful one how to do the job we had applied for. I told them to go and boil their head.

I used to be a retail manager many moons ago, for Xmas temp we would have 5 to 10 carrier bags full of cvs for 1 shop, literally hundreds there is no way we had the time to reply to them all. I did alway reply to people I had interviewed

In my last job my boss was leaving and a colleague and I were taking over her job between us so recruiting for replacements. One of them addressed the covering letter and application to our previous boss (must have gone online for the information as was not in the advert only ours). I didn't even bother to read their applicaiton form based on their lack of accuracy - a key part of the job, they were the only one to ask for feedback why they didn't get an interview. I rang and told them exactly why.

Where I work there are literally thousands of applicants for each job. Every single one gets reviewed by a very over qualified person and every single candidate who is rejected gets an email. Those who get rejected at later stages get an email and sometimes a feedback phone call too. Everyone who makes it to an assessment centre gets a personal call with feedback to tell them the outcome.

It's not hard. For the large volumes we use an online candidate management system so it's about 3 clicks to send a "thanks but no thanks email". For the calls we use partially the CMS but also an old fashioned list. You know, one where you write down the candidates names and outcomes. Ours is online but it could be paper or a free system so cost doesn't have to be an issue.

So for those saying it can't be done it can. Just needs a bit of effort. Or money if you want to pay someone like me to come and set it all up for you or manage and run it.

Ha! DS just rang me and told me he was asked for second interview for one of the apprencticeships. Ahem

There are some real howlers on here! Penny and gasp0de

I think the problem is that job candidates are sellers in a buyer's market. So most employers don't have to care that much. If you were selling something and you got 150 orders you wouldn't be complaining about how much hassle it was cos you wouldn't want to lose a sale.

I totally agree moving. As I say I work in IT so I know it would be a simple task to set up a system to do this. We spend millions in our company on software to do just about everything - why not a few thousands on this?

I have been looking for a job for nearly three years. Tbh I have come to expect not to hear from companies which are not going to interview me, but the ones which don't respond after interview are just rude.

Added to that, I have recently been for two interviews in one of the largest UK charities for the visually impaired, for jobs designed as part of a programme to get out of work visually impaired people back into work. When I have had rejections on both occasions, I have been told that the panel would like to provide feedback so all I need to do is request it, which I have done on both occasions, only to never hear from them again, even though I have chased. Now that IMO is bad form.

Also, I have encountered a new thing lately wrt the equal opportunities monitoring forms. Usually they ask about sex/religion/disability and they almost follow a patern. But recently I have encountered a couple which ask "are you the primary carer for a child under the age of eighteen?" and "are you the carer of an elderly, sick or disabled person?" I can't help think that this information is being sought in that way to filter out e.g. mothers of young children so they don't have to interview them and because they can't ask such questions during the interview. And no, I don't believe them when they say that the monitoring data is kept separate from the application, but either way why would that kind of information be relevant for stats?

The cost of buying an off the shelf solution is likely to be less than the cost of employee time in many cases. Plus it means you have a ready made database and evidence ahold you need it at a later date.

Even a simple and free online form or free online marketing system can be commandeered for very small businesses. Reviewing identical application forms is so much quicker than reviewing CVs. I'm in HR not IT but even I could set that up!

It's the same reason every time though: fear of change.