To refuse to interview someone who made a spelling mistake in their covering letter?

[snickersnack]

We advertised a position on our website for a graduate ? it did specify that we wanted someone with ?exceptional written, verbal and analytical communication skills?. We?ve had over 90 applications, and are just about to start the short listing process. We?ve just had a big disagreement in the office over whether it?s ok to ditch applications from people who?ve made spelling or grammatical mistakes in their letters and cvs. I mean, seriously, how hard is it to ask someone to proof-read your letter before you email it in? But apparently I?m being an elitist snob and should give them the benefit of the doubt.

Our applications at my old place all used to state the form had to be completed in black ink.

The first thing my old boss used to do when paper-sifting forms was chuck out any written in blue ink

Does anyone remember in the early 90s when it seemed no graduate could get a job, and we all subscribed to that ever-thinning publication called "Prospects Today" (nicknamed "No Prospects Today"?)

They used to have a regular correspondence about companies asking for handwritten letters and the reasons for it. There was also a rumour - I never worked out if it was any more - that, at the height of the recession, some big companies were, in fact, chucking straight out any applications which did not come written in black ink on a white A4 envelope.

The editor used to get letters every month asking how they could do his job.

UD of course we don't remember that far back, we are far too young, you old codger

But what if they have dyslexia?
DH has exceptional writing and communication skills, but gets me to read over EVERYTHING before publishing/submitting due to this....
...and boy, is the stuff he writes boring! (lengthy technical articles about AJAX or Janino or algorithms...yawn)

I remember way back when, I used to get interviewed because companies liked my hand writing (to be fair, not massively uncommon in my profession.....).

Even as late as the mid-90s companies used to ask for handwritten covering letters. Presumably to stop people printing off identikit applications.

Because international conglomerates want people who are individuals with personalities, you know.

(Bites inside of cheeks)

pfffffffffffffff-ff-f--f-f-f-f-f

I would hire a person if they had a spelling mistake on the application form, but not as a proofreader or a copywriter. It is obvious really, the moment you submit your application your suitability for the job in question is being assessed.

I have often recruited and screened applicants where we look for different sets of skills. Once when I was hiring sales people for software sales, I had an application from a barrista who basically claimed she could sell as much software (corporate sales) as she could make coffee in a day... And a trilingual german, english arabic legal writer applied for a job as a technical writer in our marketing department. People seem to apply after the conveoyrbelt method: As many applications to as many places as possible in the shortest possible time! Crossing fingers they will get lucky. People just dont have the time to give the applications proper thought and consideration, yet they despair at the multitude of rejection letters in the post.

When I took part in a similar discussion about spelling/grammar etc elsewhere, a dyslexic poster pointed out that she needed things to be written correctly...so the "what if/he she is dyslexic?" point is unlikely to be the case, as a dyslexic, being more aware of the necessity for correctness, would also be more likely to check....

Agree with Hana. A better way would be to have a frameqwork for judging all applications, giving the a mark for various elements, inc SPG.

That way is anyone phones/asks for feedback, you are in a better position to tell them. Also gives you a more rounded approach to shortlisting.

Have seen this work really well.

YANBU - I was always told applications would be filtered through and any that had spelling mistakes etc would be thrown out

i would base it on the rest of the application. i think its bloody hard work applying for jobs sometimes, and sometimes it just takes it out of you to fill in those bloody application forms

Then the onus is on them to have their CV and covering letters checked over by a British person, KM. Because they need to learn to spell and write like a British person if they are applying for a British job in the UK.

Not to mention, they might have work permit issues.

Toss it in the bin and move on.

I would assume that if someone has dyslexia they will get someone to check over their application, or use an enhanced spell-checker.

In my other job as a journalism tutor I have marked the work of several dyslexics. Invariably, their spelling is far better than that of the non-dyslexic students.

You are totally right. even if the job didnt require exceptional written skills etc I still think that a covering letter and CV should be written correctly. If you recruit people whose applications have spelling mistakes typos etc what sort of correspondance etc will they send out to your customers clients etc and therefore what sort of message does it give of your organisation. Imagine if you got a letter from your bank with spelling errors - oh yeah hold on I do......you get the message!

Totally reasonable. Why hire someone who's proved he's got low standards?