In the olden days... and what’s happening today

Experienced recruiter Marilyn Jones looks back on the changes in recruiting over the last 10 years and shines some light on what’s going on when you don’t get a reply from a prospective employer.

Do you often not get a reply from employers or companies when applying for a role? Are you applying to so many jobs that you have lost track of the role and the company? Do you find there are so many places to look it’s overwhelming? Maybe you can’t find the jobs that suit you, or the role you want has been filled before you know about it, as it was filled through the hidden networking market?   

These are all comments from candidates that I have talked with over the years about the job market and their search for their next opportunity. After thinking about these comments, I felt I should use some of the next blogs to address these issues in more detail.

When I started out in recruitment 21 years ago there was no internet and no online jobs and although it was very busy, it was a very different busy.

To advertise a role, you had to have your position description formatted by an external marketing company (no Canva back then) and submitted by fax by Thursday so that it could go in the papers on a Saturday. 

We would often come into the office on a Monday to find that the fax paper had run out as people would fax their CV’s to us. We would then wait a week or so for the letters and CV’s to arrive, and then we would interview the candidates.  

Other than me just reminiscing, it is a reminder that there were a few important aspects that are now missed in today’s hiring environment.

In 1998

1. Everyone would get a written letter in reply to their application, whether they were successful or not. 
2. Every CV would be looked at and filed.
3. The phone would run hot on a Monday morning regarding the role. Candidates would be told “no” if they were not suitable. Candidates then knew whether they were in or out pretty quickly.
4. We had a lot more communication with candidates. We had to screen candidates by phone as that was how you booked in interviews.
5. We had newsletters just to keep candidates in touch. 

In 2019

1. You may or may not get a reply.
2. Your CV may never be seen by eyes. Only a computer. 
3. No one picks up the phone to call – neither client nor candidate. It is email only.

Today, with this lack of communication, candidates are often anxiously waiting for some sort of feedback. Could you have been a potential candidate for the role? In a lot of cases, you just don’t know if you stood any chance at all. And if you were a good candidate you may have been missed as you just didn’t articulate your expertise well enough.  

So, returning to those comments, let’s start with: 

Why today, are you not getting a reply from employers or companies when applying for a role.

What is happening? 

I advertised a role last week as there was no one suitable in my database or network. We had over 170 people apply within one week. This is quite a lot to contend with, to read through all the applications.   

I can automate replies, and try to do so, so at the very least I don’t miss anyone. But it’s often the case that companies that do not have the software tools to do so, never get back to you. And it’s because many times they just don’t have the staff or time to reply.

It’s also because there are so many applicants that can easily press “yes” on the application button, even though they are not quite right for the role. They then clog up the system with too many CV’s so that yours becomes lost in the 170. 

I have talked in the past about getting out of the black hole. The right keywords, the right articulation, a well-thought out format, and, as per my previous blog, a suitable cover letter are all important. Not forgetting of course, the phone call!

I will say that of those 170 I did not get one phone call. Not one. I know I keep going on about it, but it really does frustrate me. 

And, of the 170 only 10 had a cover letter. 

So, who do you think I am going to look at first? 

Another thing to remember is that recruitment agencies are free for you as a candidate. If you have to pay for something to be registered, then this is not appropriate. They are paid by the company they are working on behalf of, so many times their focus is not on you but on filling the role. 

This can be short sighted, and I see a lot more agencies looking after their candidates but remember that the number of candidates is sometimes in the many thousands or hundreds of thousands for recruitment agencies compared to the few clients that they are working with. You pay nothing to them. So therefore, don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed.

Having said that, there are many good ones out there and this is where you can build some great relationships that can be long term. It’s worth still registering. 

Good recruiters will look through their database before they advertise a role and that is why it is good to be registered with those in your sector. But you should get used to the fact that you will see roles that you are suitable for advertised through them when they haven’t called you. You should call them or follow up! They may have missed you in the search and or the client they are working for may specifically want them to advertise. 

If an agency is advertising for a role that is not what you want but is in a similar company or industry, it’s still good to register with them. 

Ask friends and colleagues who they have used and who they like, and to make an introduction.

Send a thank you email or note to the recruiter even if you don’t get the role, as you don’t know what can happen down the track.

I hope that helps you understand what’s going on when you don’t always get a reply. Please don’t give up!