Dear Recruiter

From Cheezhead

Dear Recruiter,

My name is Jessica Howell, and I have applied for the role of [Insert Any Job Title Here] on multiple occasions over the last six months. In fact, I've seen this role posted every three weeks since December 2008.

It's really starting to piss me off, actually.

Because I know there are hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants for this position. (I
mean, the popularity icon on the job posting tells me how many people
have applied. Come ON. Do you think we're complete idiots?!?) So I
know that there's more to the story - but what, exactly, is going on?
Did you hire someone, only they didn't work out? Are you doing
background checks too late in your process?

It makes me wonder if you are actually looking at the resumes and
cover letters that you're receiving. I realize that for every cursory
glance you're giving a resume, there are probably hundreds more that
won't make it past your keyword searches or get a second look.

Maybe you're being extra-picky because you can be. Maybe it's because you can't afford not
to be. I can understand your logic either way; however, I must say that
after I see a position posted repeatedly like this, it's pretty clear
that you're not finding the ‘right' candidate. Maybe it's time to
reevaluate your needs. (Ouch.)

It just makes me wonder if you, safe in your HR place, understand
that each of those resumes represents a person - not just a skill set
or potential liability - but an actual person.

Yeah, that's right. Just on the other side of this screen, there's
someone who has responsibilities to fulfill and goals to meet. A person
who probably stayed up really, really late for the uninterrupted time
to craft a cover letter and resume specifically based on the job
posting that you created. There's even a person who, for two hours,
tried to cram their skills and experience into your online forms, until
your web application failed. They probably even reached out to your
webmaster, after a few frustrating attempts, and never got an answer.

A person who, if you do call to talk with them, may be caught off-guard. Of course they have their cell phone on - they can't possibly
miss your call - but they must continue about their daily lives. And if
you think your job posting is the only one that they've applied to in
the last 30 days, you're sorely mistaken. I've offended more than one
recruiter who has called me. I've had to answer with my hands full of
groceries or knee-deep in potting soil, with my detailed, organized
spreadsheet far out of reach. When I've been forced to ask, "I'm sorry,
who are you and where did you say that you are calling from?" or "Where
did you say you came across my resume?", I can immediately feel the
chill in the air.

I'm sure that what I'm expressing to you are sentiments shared by
many of my fellow job-seekers. But what I hope you take from this is
that, no matter how large, small or important your company is, we're
taking note. We're taking note of how you treat us when we're down and
out, because it matters. It matters that we at least receive
an automatic confirmation that our personal information has been
received, or that we're notified the position has been put on hold
until a later time. It matters that we are treated with some dignity
and respect.

We generously enter our personal details into your websites,
providing you with a window into our souls; we can't help but feel
betrayed when the application times out and our submission is lost. We
send you emails, make phone calls, and send faxes; we come up with
innovative pitches, packaging and approaches. Yet, we're supposed to
simply feel fortunate to receive any form of contact from a potential
employer.

I have more than one friend who has changed his or her buying
decisions based on experiences with companies while they were
job-hunting. So, just think about that. Think about your non-response
to our inquiries and repeated re-posting of one job description, and
how that could affect you, or your client's, brand image. Because there
are some of us who are taking note. And while we may be down and out
right now, we won't be for long.

Sincerely,

Earnest Job Seeker (aka Jessica Howell)