Is this normal procedure nowadays? - job related

[Fairyliz]

DD is currently unemployed and spending all of her time job hunting. She usually spends about 4 - 8 hours per application; researching the company, tailoring her CV completing forms etc.

For the jobs where she doesn't get an interview she never hears back from them, which I suppose is fair enough if say 100 people apply. However she has had several jobs where she has been invited for interview, had her interview and then never heard another thing! She does leave it several days and then contact them, but then gets a curt you were unsuccessful email with no real feedback.

What makes it worse is that these jobs have all involved travelling to cities over 100 miles away so £30 plus travel cost.

You might understand it if they were very small firms, but we are talking household names, a university and a council.

So AIBU to think she should have the courtesy of a phone call/email to tell her she has been unsuccessful at interview?

Yes, it’s pretty normal unfortunately, as is the cost of going to interviews etc
Hope your DD gets a job soon

Pretty standard treatment since I left uni 14 years ago... I agree, its shit.

Seems to be normal procedure for some businesses. I am job hunting and about 50% have not got back to me after interview. My requests for feedback are usually ignored. I'm not looking for anything snazzy. Just 16 hrs in an office.

Yes, sounds normal to me I'm afraid. Most companies will say you will only be contacted if you are successful (or similar).

What kind of jobs is she applying for? 4-8 hours per application sounds like a hell of a lot of investment to me.

The recruitment process can take a long time, especially in big organisations, so it might be that when she is getting a reply in response to her chasing it's that they hadn't made the decision until later and would have let her know but instead it seems like they are only replying to her then.
Standard practice not to receive a reply to an unsuccessful application but following an interview there should always be contact with the outcome. Unfortunately most places won't provide specific feedback, just the outcome.
It's worth her asking about travel costs being paid for attending interviews. My employer does this but only when asked - it's not offered in advance.
Best of luck to her. It's so draining spending hours on applications and interviews without success but she's clearly making the effort and that reflects well on her.

Sounds normal unfortunately, though I agree it's rude. She can ask in advance for travel costs for some firms.

She is spending a lot of time on applications, is she registered with any recruitment consultants and with anyone specialising in hiring graduates? She should be able to do a good CV and have them issue out out for her rather than all these application forms.

To add that 4-8 hours per application sounds normal to me in the area/industry I work in, so she/you shouldn't worry about that. When I recruit there is no CV involved but an online application tailored to the role.

Sounds like it’s normal then! Just to clarify she doesn’t chase them until a couple of days after the date they told her she would hear. So emailed today for a job she was told she would hear about on Tuesday

Sadly, it’s completely normal as so many employers seem to think that common and simple manners are beneath them. I went for an interview last Spring which the company actually invited me to apply for. I was there for nearly two hours and never heard back from them. They can go fuck themselves.

When I was recruiting, I asked that all unsuccessful candidates got an email saying that they’d been unsuccessful, good luck with their job search etc. Even though this was automated (all applications managed via software programme, so it was just a case of typing the email and hitting “reply all unsuccessful candidates”, this request was met with bafflement and a tone of “Why would you bother?”

Job hunting is shitty enough without simple humanity going out the window.

It is normal but it is also INCREDIBLY RUDE in my opinion. Takes 2 mins to send someone an email.

Increasingly common and yes, very rude.

Of course, anybody starting work with these businesses is then expected to ‘live the brand values’, work more than their contracted hours for free and pretend to be glad about it. It is time that the worm turned!

Some firms pay fares for interviews, others don't of course which your daughter has discovered.

A lot of firms do not contact unsuccessful applicants, some wait a while until they've received references from their chosen one and then might write or email but they are not obliged.

Your daughter is being very conscientious about applying for jobs; good for her, she will be successful sooner or later. I don't want to ask personal questions but is she on jobseekers allowance at the moment? They might pay fares for interview or at least something towards them, they'll be glad to have someone on their books who is trying so hard.

Whenever I've had an interview I've always heard either way, but I guess maybe for roles only interviewing 5 people kind of thing.

It's normal but really shitty, you've worked yourself up took the time out of your day lost pay spent money and people can't even be arsed saying thanks but no thanks. Makes me glad I didn't get the jobs tbh if that is their level of manners.

In my experience it's odd not to hear back after an interview at any point. Always worth asking the company if they reimburse travel expenses - many will if you ask but obviously they rarely advertise it.

Slightly off topic, but I work for a company that has a policy of 'no young women', due to their habit of 'going off and getting pregnant'. They won't stop interviewing and wasting their time though, as 'we don't want to appear as if we're discriminating'. I think it's fucking disgusting and am furious, but what can I do? If I blow the whistle, they'll know it's me as I was the only one to stand up and say you can't do that. I despair for my daughters as they grow up.

When I was recruiting for an admin role, I personally emailed every single applicant, by name, whether they were successful or not.

When I spent 5 nights filling in an application form for a job in the NHS, I never heard a dickiebird.

I think it is pretty standard and reading between the lines, if they say you will hear on Tuesday, it probably means you will hear by Tuesday if you are successful

The applications have gotten ridiculous. A few years ago, I returned to my role after a leave. I could have just been rehired automatically, but my boss wanted to use the re-hiring to streamline a promotion for me. I had to do the entire process and wow had it changed since I first started working there. My original app Back in the day was a cover letter and my cv. The new app was 20 detailed online paces to fill out. It was the same info that would be covered by a letter and cv, but had to be standardized into the system. It took a full day because you have to hand enter each piece of info in a specific spot and format. Having to do that for every application would be awful. I do not envy your daughter’s current predicament.

Thanks for all of your words of support it is shitty isn’t it. My heart bleeds for her because she is trying so hard and is a really lovely young woman who would work so hard. Feels like it was a waste of time getting a degree.
She is getting Jobseeker’s Allowance which is a good thing as she is using it all for train fares. I will tell her to ask if there is any help towards travel costs at her next meeting.

I was wondering if she could request a Skype interview? I work for a university and that's how we do interviews for those who live further away

Wishing her all the best. When she does get a job, I’m sure that she will draw on this experience: when she is recruiting in the future I bet she will behave better than the people she’s applying to now!

If it’s normal it is very sad.
I do understand that CV’s are not acknowledged as some jobs get +200 applications.
A positive tip. Make sure your online application is sent within an hour or two of seeing the advert and your written application is in the first post to arrive at the advertiser.
In my experience applications arriving after the first 24 hours can and are ignored. Sad but that’s the truth.

Really feel for your daughter not hearing back- it is so rude!! I understand ignoring unsuccessful application forms but to have gone to the bother of preparing for interview, sometimes a presentation, time, money, effort to get there etc and the company can't even be arsed to let you know your feedback is shameful.

Good luck your daughter in her job search! She sounds very conscientious.

Normal but not acceptable! She'll find something honest
But the job market is hard. So they can do this. I graduated in 2007 then from a an MA in 2012 and tbh its always been like this to some extent.

However I've been on the other side of recruitment plenty of times and would never treat someone this way.

In my experience applications arriving after the first 24 hours can and are ignored. Sad but that’s the truth.

I think that’s appalling. If they specify a deadline date/time they should abide by it and consider all applications complying with the deadline.