Soooo disappointed in job applications!

[SnowfallSnowball]

Hi
I am currently shortlisting for a role and the level of applications are so disappointing. I totally understand that nowadays applications are a task in themselves but if you’re not going to take the time to read the application guidance, JD and PS why bother applying at all?

I have already seen a high number of people who have just wrote a cover letter and attached their CV when we specify no CV’s and to write a supporting statement abiding by items on the PS. Many of these applicants are already in a job so they must have applied properly to posts in the past, I don’t get it!

Any other recruiters have these issues?

I work in HE (non academic role) and I can completely see where the OP is coming from. It’s all very well saying that in x industry CVs are perfectly adequate, or that for y industry jobseekers wouldn’t expect to spent more than 30 mins on an application.

But in HE the kind of application process OP mentions in the norm, and so will be the norm for anyone seriously applying for the role. Yes it’s time consuming and annoying, but to me that’s just meant that when job hunting I only focus on jobs I really want and have a realistic chance of getting.

And similarly when shortlisting - if someone can’t take the time, or doesn’t have the ability, to do what’s being requested of them in the job ad, they’re simply not the best fit for the role. Though I’m not bothered by the occasional typo.

And on whether poor candidates can be weeded out on whether they’ve spent 20 years in the same role, or job-hopped constantly - my experience has been that people who change jobs every 18 months are the worst! Those I’ve worked with are unfailingly ‘all talk, no action’ types who make grand plans, network constantly, don’t worry about the details etc. And then bugger off before any of their half-baked plans come to fruition.

Application forms ask for way more information that is needed at shortlist stage, you can ask for more if you want to actually offer the job.

Depends on the job though ...... For some roles it's important to have a significant amount of information for shortlisting.

@Bretoony

I went on an online course recently (offered by my work coach) and the main impetus was SEO and gaming the algorithm.

One piece of advice was to copy the job advert on to the end of your CV in white (so as to appear transparent) so you include the relevant keywords/phrases.

Isn't this practice a little questionable?

The CV or application form will look odd in that it has quite a blank section at the end. Once the employer cottons on to this tactic, they can easily reveal the text by turning the font back to black.

If I was an employer, I would instantly bin the application (for questionable morals alone). At best, it is a time waster on both sides.

Can't you just remove the personal details from the version of the CV that is sent to those doing the shortlist?

That takes time amd manpower. Might be fine if you only have a few applications but if you are the likes of a large supermarket who will receive hundreds of applications, automation is quick and easy.

One piece of advice was to copy the job advert on to the end of your CV in white (so as to appear transparent) so you include the relevant keywords/phrases.

I was told some software looks for this now, text in white that is.

I'm used to it in the public sector. Once you've completed one application you can adapt it for other roles really easily. It's not random bullshit, you just match the things asked for to your skills and experience. For example, it asks for someone with supervisory experience, you'd say when and in which role you supervised staff. Guess it depends how much you want the job. It doesn't bode well if someone can't follow basic instructions.