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Original poster

Should I take this rude reply further?

132 replies

livingontheedgeee · 09/02/2019 23:12

I recently applied for a job working as a PA to the CEO in a local company.

I wasn't selected for an interview which is fair enough but I did ask the company for some feedback on my application so I could adjust my CV to better showcase my skills.

The response I received from the HR Director was frankly quite shocking - so much it actually upset me.

To paraphrase, he suggested if they offered me the role they would run the risk of needing to re-advertise after 6 months. He told me I must believe their system of selection was flawed and that I was clearly bitter about the fact I wasn't taken any further.

I was very polite in my email and just wanted critical feedback - something which is commonplace when applying for a job. His grammar and spelling was atrocious and after reading the entire email, I was shocked at having been spoken to like I was shit on his shoe.

Should I make a formal complaint or do you think it might just come across as sour grapes and I should let it go?

OP posts:
Original poster
livingontheedgeee · 09/02/2019 23:42

I'm sure he felt he could be so rude because I am too old to apply (52) but obviously he couldn't say that.

I received the rejection within a couple of hours after making the application, one day after the role was advertised. He said they shouldn't be expected to interview every one of the 30 applications they received ........ I don't believe for one minute they had 30 applicants in a day and had already been through them all and decided who to interview.

If I thought I didn't have the skills or experience I wouldn't have wasted my time or theirs so it's safe for me to say it was for some other reason.

OP posts:
Guineapiglet345 · 09/02/2019 23:46

How did he know your age?

I can easily believe they’d get 30 applications, last time I had anything to do with recruitment, about 4 years ago, we’d get 50 or 60 applications for 1 job and it doesn’t take long to skim a CV for what you’re looking for, you May have met the job requirements but equally there may have been better qualified applicants.

Let it go.

Original poster
livingontheedgeee · 09/02/2019 23:46

I really wasn't angling for a second chance - really I did just want feedback. I've been self-employed for 4 years and have had a recruitment company review my CV which they said was excellent.

OP posts:
SassitudeandSparkle · 09/02/2019 23:47

We used to get hundreds of applications for posts, 30 in a day would not be unusual at all.

BigBumandMumTum · 09/02/2019 23:50

You really shouldn't have your age on your cv.Have you had it checked by a professional?

GemmeFatale · 09/02/2019 23:53

I’ve found very few recruitment companies/consultants have any sort of clue when it comes to what a good application looks like.

OlennasWimple · 09/02/2019 23:54

Whenever you complain about anything, it's important to n=know what you what to achieve from making the complaint. Otherwise there's a real risk that it will end up costing you (in terms of time, emotional investment, broken relationships etc) when it never had a chance of delivering you what you were after

So what do you want from complaining?

To get him sacked? Unlikely (unless you do post on Twitter and it goes viral - tempting...)

To get you a job interview? Unlikely, and you probably dont' want to work there now anyway

thewinkingprawn · 09/02/2019 23:56

People can easily guess rough age from dates of qualifications, dates of job history etc. Maybe not exact age but definitely decade!

NunoGoncalves · 09/02/2019 23:57

Given graduation dates and years in roles, it's quite easy to get a good idea of an applicant's age without them explicitly giving it.

OP, I agree with those who said to forward his response to the CEO. There is obviously no point engaging with him any further. Let his boss decide if he's happy with that sort of behaviour or not.

TakeNoSHt · 09/02/2019 23:58

Thats horrible! Print out the email and remind yourself to prove him wrong on all accounts.
Maybe reply but accidently forward it to someone higher up in the company. They could go bust in 6 months with that attitude

TheClitterati · 09/02/2019 23:58

It seems bizarre to
Me to ask for feedback
On a CV.

On an interview - yes. On a CV? I don't think it's s company's role to help you with your CV.

Solstice888 · 09/02/2019 23:59

Think I would have just been like 'you would have had to re-hire within the week mate cause I don't work for unhinged individuals' xD

Wonder why he thought you would leave within 6 months though? Might actually be useful feedback.

Fiddie · 10/02/2019 00:01

What did he say exactly?

TowandaForever · 10/02/2019 00:02

@Guineapiglet345

You have to put the date qualifications were taken. Easy to work out a candidates age.

ChakiraChakra · 10/02/2019 00:02

Don't do anything with it, apart from be grateful you dodged a bullet.

You never know where he, or the person you complain to, will pop up in the future. Don't be a bad memory in their head.

RainbowMum11 · 10/02/2019 00:02

I can understand why people are saying to not do anything and move on, but actually that's really unprofessional behaviour from their 'HR Director' and their senior Directors need to know - that is not an appropriate response to a reasonable request for standard feedback.
I would forwa4d the mails to the CEO or other email addresses, and if you don't get a response, maybe send as a DM through LinkedIn before going public.
Obviously it won't help you get a job there, but might help their internal management processes and future recruitment possibilities.

rosenylund · 10/02/2019 00:04

Absolutely complain, totally unacceptable. If we all said leave it, forget it - things like this will continue to happen.

Can';t believe the suggestions that you should just consider this as a good learning curve and a lucky escape.

HollowTalk · 10/02/2019 00:07

Would you mind putting the reply on here? You can always get it deleted afterwards.

LordVoldetort · 10/02/2019 00:07

They could well have got 30 applicants. When I was in a PA role a few years ago I put a job advert out for a maintenance man for my manager and I had to then sift through the applications. We usually put adverts up for a week(ish) and I had maybe 150 people apply. Some of them were 60+ miles away from the job and others were just plain unsuitable or put in their CV that their goal was to become something completely different so we knew they would never stay. Many of the people I then called for interview had never heard of the company and I had to explain what the role was.
Basically, a lot of people apply for roles, I think because job seekers make you prove you are actively looking for a job.

Although I don’t think there was anything wrong in your email to them, next time you could word it thanking them for their time in reading your application and could you have feedback as to why you were unsuccessful in getting an interview as you would like to apply should something similar come up in the future

NunoGoncalves · 10/02/2019 00:12

I can understand why people are saying to not do anything and move on, but actually that's really unprofessional behaviour from their 'HR Director' and their senior Directors need to know - that is not an appropriate response to a reasonable request for standard feedback

This. If I was this person's boss, I would want to know.

RainbowMum11 · 10/02/2019 00:13

A little bit off topic but did anyone see Grantchester last week?
The Detectives wife was working ata Dept store and had been propositioned by a male member of staff - she plucked up the courage to talk to the boss, only to be to,d 'what did she expect', 'they wouldn't have the male member of staffs name dragged through the mud' and to 'treat it as a learning experience '.
It was so uncomfortable to watch - this blatant and expected sex discrimination in the workplace - one would hope that we have moved on (against sex, age, disability, ethnic origin etc etc) by now -.
This indicates a potential implied age discrimination and the tone of the reply is very off - yes, it seems you've had a lucky escape, but hopefully speaking up may help othe4 current & future employees.

Auba14 · 10/02/2019 00:15

I work in internal recruitment so a couple of points

-I very very much doubt it was the 'HR Director' responding to your email request. Unless they have one HR/Recruitment person for the entire business. Sounds like someone way above their station. My boss is the Talent Acquisition Business Partner and would leave something like this request to me and my colleagues to do
-You absolutely would get 30 applications in a day, in my region (London and East Anglia) I have around 50 jobs advertised at any one time and the lower paid, minimum wage jobs like customer service or driving get around 150 in a week, I end up closing them because there's bound to be a suitable candidate in there. Although out of that 150, about 5 of them will be suitable. Just because you did customer service it doesn't make you a PA for example, I skim CV's and look for industry experience first before rejecting. People apply from hundreds of miles away hoping we'll pass their details to a local site. It's a minefield!

As with previous posters, what do you hope to achieve by making a complaint? I actually would make one, and I'd make the CEO aware of this email he sent, especially if it's a small local company. It's a training issue and for someone in HR to email such things is a disgrace. It might not help your situation but it will certainly help others in future, I doubt you were the first to get this sort of email and he's probably been getting away with it for a while. So yes, I'd complain.

RollerJed · 10/02/2019 00:22

You do sound a bit incredulous that you didn't get an interview. I work in internal recruitment and I wouldn't provide feedback on your CV. If you're not getting interviews then you can pay someone or take a look yourself on Google, lots of great examples of CVs.

I recently starting looking for a new role, it took me about 2 months to get my CV right. Now I'm turning down interviews (happily temping).

hastingsmua1 · 10/02/2019 00:24

If I thought I didn't have the skills or experience I wouldn't have wasted my time or theirs so it's safe for me to say it was for some other reason.

Seems like you’re angling that they were discriminatory and rejected you due to your age. The reality is that it’s perfectly legal for them not to hire the ‘ideal candidate’ if the recruiter doesn’t click with you or if they have a better candidate etc. The role seems entry level so it would have been popular. You have no proof that they were being discriminatory.

Also I don’t think you need to ask for feedback simply after having the initial online application rejected. After an interview, yes.

liverbird10 · 10/02/2019 01:32

Not much point in complaining, really.