To think it’s a bit unfair for employers to list 20 + criteria on a job specification?

[VioletsandRoses]

Aibu to think it is unfair of employers to list 20 different criteria on a job specification and ask you to give examples of how you meet each one but only give you a word count of 1000 words to do so? I see this and similar a lot on job applications and recognise the importance of being concise but I don’t see how so many points can be covered in such a short space.

I suspect it's a standard template and they haven't realised that with that many criteria the word count is insufficient!!

YANBU. It’s a symptom of lazy recruiting

I’d just stuff all the keywords in with concise elaborations .. a few words make a complete sentence

@RandomMess I never thought about this but thank you that makes sense, I’ve been getting so frustrated as to how I can write a sufficient response to each one and keep it in the word count

You find one or two examples and link the job spec to those examples.

eg detail how you helped a customer - then reference
1.. customer service,
2.. innovation (alternative product),
3..time management (ordered the product to save going to the second store),
4.. how you used the learning process to advance your skillset, (you trained the new person on the tills).

5.. organised the stock rotation

It's not unfair. It's to evaluate everyone against the same criteria so is surely promoting fairness? It may be a bit unreasonable but it's a way to filter out those who aren't worth taking to the next stage.

I'm currently job hunting and it's fucking soul destroying. The entire process is unreasonable.

Trying to change career, even slightly, also seems to be impossible because you apparently need experience of every niche thing they can't be bothered to teach you

Can't work in school admin unless you've worked in a school, can't work in a uni unless you have a degree or have worked in a uni, can't work in medical unless you've worked in medical. I'm losing the will to live.

Sorry, I haven't actually answered your question. It's all shit

Employers love their forms but, realistically, they will look first at what your current job is, and then your education.

If you are qualified and don’t shoot your self in the foot by writing nonsense or ungrammaticallly, the 1,000 words will be skim read (at best). I am fairly certain few HR departments have time to use some sort of marking scheme where they tick off the points one by one.

@Doyoumind I’m not saying it’s unreasonable to have an essential and desirable criteria, this makes sense to me, as you say for evaluating all equally. I also don’t think it is unfair to have a word count, obviously I understand there are limits. What I’m saying I do think is unfair is having a very high number of criteria with a small word count. Surely you need to adjust the word count based on how many criteria you are listing

Surely the intelligent thing to do is to give examples that demonstrate more than one criteria at a time, rather than write an example for each one. 1000 words seems tight but sufficient to me to demonstrate presumably linked qualities? Write it like an essay, not a Q&A.
Also it's fair if they're evaluating everyone on the same thing. Some will take the literal approach of writing an example for each, some will demonstrate an ability to reflect on past experiences in a more holistic way. Tells you something about the person by their approach.

Alsp yabu if you expect hr to read more than 1000 words

YANBU. Some ask for way more than that and they’re so diverse that you have to do separate sentences for each one. If I were the recruiter then I’d be bored to tears reading each one 😂

Yes, and if you write it as an essay, I doubt recruiters have the time to cross reference every attribute/example.
I agree with OP, it's ridiculous and also lazy, thoughtless practise.
I don't know the answer, maybe bullet points?

It's 50 words each - that's ok surely?

'Experience of leading a team'

'At Bloggs Brothers I lead a team of 6, and had responsibility for managing delivery targets effectively and efficiently as well as the usual person management responsibilities.'

That's 28 words and job done!

And yes bullet point all 20 criteria, then a short paragraph underneath. Make it easy for them to select you.

I agree, I think bullet pointing is the best way to answer

People often think they need to include everything they've ever done that meets the criteria in the written part of the application. You don't and no one will read pages and pages and pages. You just need to make it easy for the recruiter to see you meet the criteria and put you on the shortlist pile.

Once at interview you can expand on any previous experience to answer their questions.

@titchy thank you for the advice, very helpful!

I would bullet point and write a couple of sentences for each criteria
When you break it down like that it is only 50 words each

I’ve been getting so frustrated as to how I can write a sufficient response to each one and keep it in the word count
You don't do that. You find ways to group some requirements together in one paragraph. A good application is not one that just list each with one example, but one that can use that level of information and manage to break it down into an easy to read, concise report, that gives a good picture of who you are as a person.

This can give a bit of a 'Looking for unicorns' scenario. With a number of recent profiles produced that I have seen, they haven't attracted a suitable pool of applications either. On about 5 occasions there has been a failure to shortlist or to recruit after holding interviews.

I agree, use keywords and ensure you produce a well written, thoroughly checked application. Without ignoring the whole lot, match 6 to 8 of the most important points from the list to your demonstrable strengths. Give examples (briefly) of how they contributed to the organisation's bottom line or priorities at the time.

I agree. This suggests to me a recruitment process where there is a favoured candidate, who they want to choose but must have an open process to avoid any allegations of unfair selection.

@LilMidge01

Alsp yabu if you expect hr to read more than 1000 words

You do realise a lot of HR use a programme that scans for keywords, so if you arent up with the current business terminology you'll be skipped over as your CV won't be picked out.

Anyone who uses online 'agencies' and uploads CVs will get a return of how many keywords match various job applications. You may use a different word, but it's up to you to tweak your CV to match the employer

Definitely use key words - try and reflect the words/phrases they've used in the job spec.

Having read 100's of application forms in my time, I think the word count is fine, generous even. Be consise, use bullet points, don't waffle. My heart used to sink when applicants attached a 10 or 12 page 'essay' of supporting information. More is not better in this context.