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Jobseekers, how often do you hear back from employers ?

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  • 22-01-2020 1:06pm
    #1
    Jambonjunior
    Registered Users Posts: 260 ✭✭


    Hi, I spent several years with my last employer so I'm out of touch with the jobs market.

    I'm wondering how normal it is not to hear anything back after applying for a job?

    It strikes me as so lazy and rude for an employer not to bother copy and pasting a dear John letter?

    If someone has taken the time to tailor an application to a company, the least the HR can do is spend <30 seconds replying?


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    #2
    skallywag
    Registered Users Posts: 2,987 ✭✭✭skallywag


    It is all too common these days I am afraid, and I agree with you that it is completely unprofessional.

    It is also common place for many employers to renege on dates by which they agree to come back to candidates after interview.


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    #3
    Johnnydoe89
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭Johnnydoe89


    Is that even a thing these days?? I was under the illusion if they wa t you they get back to you other than that it's bin for your cv


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    #4
    Jim2007
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 10,036 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jim2007


    Jambonjunior wrote: »
    Hi, I spent several years with my last employer so I'm out of touch with the jobs market.

    I'm wondering how normal it is not to hear anything back after applying for a job?

    It strikes me as so lazy and rude for an employer not to bother copy and pasting a dear John letter?

    If someone has taken the time to tailor an application to a company, the least the HR can do is spend <30 seconds replying?

    Why do you feel the need to receive automated PO letters? If you are of interest to them, you'll hear from them. Otherwise, who cares...


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    #5
    skallywag
    Registered Users Posts: 2,987 ✭✭✭skallywag


    Jim2007 wrote: »
    Why do you feel the need to receive automated PO letters? If you are of interest to them, you'll hear from them. Otherwise, who cares...

    If I offer a position then I will get back to everyone who applies.

    It is not that difficult really.

    Basic old school professional courtesy 101.


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    #6
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,671 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    A pro forma "thanks but no thanks" for a job application had been a lot more common. From a fairly recent job search, roughly a quarter did not respond.


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    #7
    Gamer Bhoy 89
    Registered Users Posts: 3,614 ✭✭✭Gamer Bhoy 89


    I'm currently trying to move job and county and the place I've applied for have already brought me in for an interview, have taken a very keen interest in my application, and have given me all the details involving what the steps are to training, taking down my number, photocopying my CV, asking for my manual handling certificate, which I have sent......

    It's been 4 days and I've heard nothing back and I'm too nervous to ring them in case I mess it up and sound too pushy.


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    #8
    Purple Mountain
    Registered Users Posts: 13,036 ✭✭✭✭Purple Mountain


    The sheer volume of applications can be prohibitive to employers being able to reply to them all.
    I often wondered why an employer can't email the unsuccessful candidates (simple mail merge) and at least then it's being courteous.

    To thine own self be true



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    #9
    fivesixtwo
    Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭fivesixtwo


    Getting a proper reply, apart from an automated email response is rare.

    This is especially so in larger companies and multinationals that use ATS systems for culling applicants on their specific requirements.

    its a bit ironic that companies whinge and moan that they cant get staff, but yet when asked for feedback or a basic reply they wheel out the old excuse of being so overwhelmed with applications that they cant reply to anyone.

    Manners cost nothing.


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    #10
    PommieBast
    Registered Users Posts: 2,591 ✭✭✭PommieBast


    At least online something like 90% of job adverts are put up by agencies, and for a sizeable portion of these the job does not actually exist.

    Oddly enough one company I applied for in the depths of the credit crash did eventually send out a rejection email - 18 months later...


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    #11
    skallywag
    Registered Users Posts: 2,987 ✭✭✭skallywag


    PommieBast wrote: »
    At least online something like 90% of job adverts are put up by agencies, and for a sizeable portion of these the job does not actually exist.

    Why would agencies advertise jobs which do not exist?


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    #12
    PommieBast
    Registered Users Posts: 2,591 ✭✭✭PommieBast


    skallywag wrote: »
    Why would agencies advertise jobs which do not exist?


    To harvest CVs for their database.


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    #13
    skallywag
    Registered Users Posts: 2,987 ✭✭✭skallywag


    PommieBast wrote: »
    To harvest CVs for their database.

    Is this really happening? As in have you actually experienced this?


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    #14
    Jim2007
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 10,036 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jim2007


    PommieBast wrote: »
    To harvest CVs for their database.

    Nonsense, that is just does not happen and would be illegal in any case. Unless it is a very new agency, most of them have more than enough resumes already and receiving more everyday.

    But agencies are now being treated like applicants use to be treated - the employer hands the job out to multiple agencies or the more sophisticated even do a conference call... The client receives the first set of resumes, goes with one and does not bother telling the other agents the job is gone. Then you apply and your agent tries to submit your resume and gets told 'ah that job is gone'.


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    #15
    forgottenhills
    Registered Users Posts: 441 ✭✭forgottenhills


    PommieBast wrote: »
    To harvest CVs for their database.

    I imagine that this practice is probably dying out as pretty much everyone is on LinkedIn and recruiters must be able to look at profiles there and message who they want. Avoids GDPR issues as well.


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    #16
    PommieBast
    Registered Users Posts: 2,591 ✭✭✭PommieBast


    forgottenhills wrote: »
    I imagine that this practice is probably dying out as pretty much everyone is on LinkedIn and recruiters must be able to look at profiles there and message who they want. Avoids GDPR issues as well.


    GDPR seems to have cleaned things up a bit, at least for EU-based agencies. Still amazed at how many emails I get on addresses that I have not used on a CV since about 2009 though..


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    #17
    mikemac2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,927 ✭✭✭mikemac2


    I've gotten a batch of PFO emails around year end and also the start of summer

    End of year I reckon they are clearing out the mailboxes and the start of summer I guess a HR intern has started and their first task is to PFO everyone on a list. I might have applied months ago, so long ago I´d forgotten I ever applied!

    I've no issue with not hearing back from an application though not ideal. A few times I've done a first interview and a second interview and they never bothered to reply. Now that's downright rude, I spent train fare twice getting to the office


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    #18
    taytobreath
    Registered Users Posts: 2,773 ✭✭✭taytobreath


    mikemac2 wrote: »
    I've gotten a batch of PFO emails around year end and also the start of summer

    End of year I reckon they are clearing out the mailboxes and the start of summer I guess a HR intern has started and their first task is to PFO everyone on a list. I might have applied months ago, so long ago I´d forgotten I ever applied!

    I've no issue with not hearing back from an application though not ideal. A few times I've done a first interview and a second interview and they never bothered to reply. Now that's downright rude, I spent train fare twice getting to the office

    I had 2 interviews 2 weeks in a row from a well known engineering company with over a 1000 employees working for them, that I had to travel a 200 mile round trip to attend.

    The interviewers knew this, in both interviews they asked me how my journey from x to z was.

    They said they'll get back to me with a decision in a few days. That was 2 months ago. I rang them twice, wont answer their phone and I emailed them twice no response.

    Its soul destroying business job seeking.


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    #19
    Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
    Registered Users Posts: 3,236 ✭✭✭Dr. Kenneth Noisewater


    I remember back in the day when I was applying for after school/summer jobs around town, getting letters from the likes of Penneys and Dunnes Stores saying that they would keep my application on file. If they could do it, then everyone should be able to. They would have been receiving large volumes of CVs from spotty teenagers all the time but still had the courtesy to reply.


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    #20
    LimeFruitGum
    Registered Users Posts: 1,001 ✭✭✭LimeFruitGum


    I kept an Excel of my applications last year. If I remember correctly, I think I only got a response from about 15-20%, but out of those, I had a good chance of getting an interview or phone screen. I didn’t even get a PFO for the rest.

    Whatever about written applications, they should certainly have the courtesy to get back to you if you went in for an interview. HR and agencies aren’t going to spend a load of time closing the loops with rejected applicants, or chasing busy managers for an update


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    #21
    SureYWouldntYa
    Registered Users Posts: 7,724 ✭✭✭SureYWouldntYa


    I'm applying for a few graduate positions atm since I'll be finished in May

    It's annoying to see generic "Entry/Graduate" level roles being renewed on the usual job websites when I haven't heard a thing yet myself good or bad, and this one place is big enough to have a big enough recruitment department that's in Ireland a good while so hearing nothing is disappointing

    One place I'd be interested in hearing more details from I applied before Christmas and assumed I'd hear nothing with the usual Christmas delays, but don't think I should apply again because surely some sort of record is kept


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    #22
    PommieBast
    Registered Users Posts: 2,591 ✭✭✭PommieBast


    LimeFruitGum wrote: »
    I kept an Excel of my applications last year. If I remember correctly, I think I only got a response from about 15-20%, but out of those, I had a good chance of getting an interview or phone screen. I didn’t even get a PFO for the rest.
    15% sounds about right. In my experience it is basically some form of interview or nothing.
    Whatever about written applications, they should certainly have the courtesy to get back to you if you went in for an interview. HR and agencies aren’t going to spend a load of time closing the loops with rejected applicants, or chasing busy managers for an update
    It is often an obvious cut'n'paste (change of font mid-email is a dead giveaway) but HR dept's (at least in Ireland) have always got back to me. Agencies are another matter though..


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    #23
    Wildly Boaring
    Registered Users Posts: 3,631 ✭✭✭Wildly Boaring


    mikemac2 wrote: »
    I've gotten a batch of PFO emails around year end and also the start of summer

    End of year I reckon they are clearing out the mailboxes and the start of summer I guess a HR intern has started and their first task is to PFO everyone on a list. I might have applied months ago, so long ago I´d forgotten I ever applied!

    I've no issue with not hearing back from an application though not ideal. A few times I've done a first interview and a second interview and they never bothered to reply. Now that's downright rude, I spent train fare twice getting to the office

    Yep I travelled cork to dublin for an interview with irish rail.
    Role has been filled.
    Nothing from them.
    Pretty rude I reckon


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    #24
    PommieBast
    Registered Users Posts: 2,591 ✭✭✭PommieBast


    Wildly Boaring wrote: »
    Yep I travelled cork to dublin for an interview with irish rail.
    Role has been filled.
    Nothing from them.
    Pretty rude I reckon
    Seems a common theme with SOEs and academia - often they already have someone lined up but compliance requires them to go through the charade of calling in external candidates.


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    #25
    un5byh7sqpd2x0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,862 ✭✭✭un5byh7sqpd2x0


    Jim2007 wrote: »
    Nonsense, that is just does not happen and would be illegal in any case.

    Under what Act?


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    #26
    bucketybuck
    Registered Users Posts: 18,176 ✭✭✭✭bucketybuck


    I don't respond to every single person who sends me a CV and to be honest I particularly feel the need or obligation to.

    And thats not just because we get dozens of them, that 90% of applicants clearly never met the criteria for the job to begin with or because we get loads from people overseas who are clearly just applying to everything and anything.

    I advertised a role, you attached your CV to an email and hit send, thats pretty much it, there is no social contract there.

    If we communicate directly with each other or have an interview then sure, all the social niceties apply, I will always follow up on interviews whether they are successful or not. But the dozens of CV's that land in my inbox every week? No, I'm not taking the time to personally contact each and every one of them. It would probably be quicker to ask Jobs.ie to put up a banner ad on our behalf thanking everybody for their applications.


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    #27
    Tazz T
    Registered Users Posts: 3,200 ✭✭✭Tazz T


    taytobreath wrote: »
    I had 2 interviews 2 weeks in a row from a well known engineering company with over a 1000 employees working for them, that I had to travel a 200 mile round trip to attend.

    The interviewers knew this, in both interviews they asked me how my journey from x to z was.

    They said they'll get back to me with a decision in a few days. That was 2 months ago. I rang them twice, wont answer their phone and I emailed them twice no response.

    Its soul destroying business job seeking.

    That's appalling. I do a lot of work in recruitment and with the current candidate driven market so many businesses are looking at their employer branding and doing what they can to improve the candidate experience. This company has got it all wrong and your own professional courtesy in not naming the company is completely at odds with their own unprofessional attitude to jobseekers. Anyone who makes it to a second interview deserves not only a response but solid feedback on why they didn't get the job.


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