Statements in rejection emails....

[Kibbiekat]

Originally Posted by Nunya Business

Don't blame me for your not wanting to take my advice. That's your problem, not mine.

Clearly you missed my point. All I blame you for, is being a giant a-hole. What, exactly, is your advice? All you have done is, in a very rude and condescending way, say that you don't bother to write rejection letters, and you trash any resume from someone who is unemployed. What part of that is advice that we peons can follow? Have a job so we can get a job? Oh wait, we can't get a job, because we don't have a job. Maybe your definition of "advice" is different than mine.

[Soda120]

Originally Posted by annerk

So what would you rather have gotten?

A. No response at all.
B. You suck so we're not hiring you.
C. The response you got.

Companies can't win. If they take the time to respond they are criticized. If they ignore you they are criticized. What do people want? A phone call with the hiring manager singing "Soft Kitty" on the other end?

Oh, please ...
Companies ALWAYS win. They have the upper hand.
What's a little criticism? That's the least people can do. If (some) people did what they really wanted to hiring managers, well, "shudder" ... ...

[annerk]

Originally Posted by Soda120

Oh, please ...
Companies ALWAYS win. They have the upper hand.
What's a little criticism? That's the least people can do. If (some) people did what they really wanted to hiring managers, well, "shudder" ... ...

You seem to be missing the point. Even on this thread the job seekers can't agree. It's not the employers that can't get it right, it's the applicants that are so bitter at "the man" that they have lost sight of everything except that bitterness.

I own a company and have managed to keep a workforce employed and even add to it during this recession. We offer good benefits and wages. We treat our employees as people. The owners haven't had a raise in three years yet our employees have gotten at least 3% every year. We held employee health insurance costs level even though they went up 30%. Yet I'm the "enemy" for every unemployed person in the country. Explain that.

[operaphantom2003]

Originally Posted by annerk

Yet I'm the "enemy" for every unemployed person in the country. Explain that.

I will have to disagree with that statement because I am unemployed and not your "enemy". I am no one's enemy.

I started this thread about the rejection email wording having that condescending tone in it but it took on a life of its own and for that I'm sorry.

I understand what businesses and business owners go through. I may have been employed in retail but during that time I helped open 4 shops from scratch. They had the idea, I had the know how to write the business plan, financials, etc. I used my spare time to hire and train their staff for the first 4 months after opening. I enjoyed every minute of it. What they did after I stopped helping was their business.

I don't know what industry you are in, but some things are universal. You have a job opening and you want/need to find the best fit for it. It may not always be the best person on paper, but pre-screening is the way its done now with so many more people applying for the same job.

I think people look at applying for a job more of a personal situation. An interview is like a first date...it will leave you wondering "did they like me", "will they call me again", "I think we go great together", etc. That is if the interview went well. If your resume is not even deemed good enough for that first date then you are left with feelings of rejection. Whether that rejection is founded or not it lends itself to a feeling of superiority. Phrases like "I was too good for them anyways" often is heard.

When I apply for a job, or should I say send my resume to a machine, then I accept it for what it is: a long shot. I have many things going against me and this shift to strictly online applications has hurt. The business never gets a chance to see what you really are...they only know the numbers. It sort of reminds me of the movie "How I Got Into College" when the one guy just looks at their numbers and the other really gets to know the kid. Many HR reps forget that there is a person behind that resume. They have been afforded the luxury of an abundant labor pool to be able to do that.

I agree that many people may apply for a job that they are not qualified for. I don't do that. I know what I know and more importantly I know what I don't know. I think that everyone should get an email to say the position has been filled. In the "old days" you would get a phone call if you had been interviewed and a letter in the mail if you had just applied. If leaves both parties in a positive light and encourages future applicants. The applicant may not have been the best person for that job at that time, but they may be a good fit in the future. Today companies forget that. They should at least send 2 general emails: one thanking the applicant for the resume and the second to simply say the position has been filled but encourage an application in the future if another job opens up. The company does not need to point out how fortunate they were to be able to be extra choosy because that implies that you (the applicant) have nothing they wanted.

All I can say to you is congrats on being a good business owner. Keeping employees first should be as much a priority as the bottom dollar. I agree that everyone wants to make money but in tough times it really shows good character for a company to take a reduction in profits in order to keep employees on the same level as before.

[annerk]

I'm not saying "you" are the enemy but rather job seekers have an adversarial tone with any hiring manager or HR person they encounter, as if that person personally makes it impossible for them to get hired.

Originally Posted by operaphantom2003

They should at least send 2 general emails: one thanking the applicant for the resume and the second to simply say the position has been filled but encourage an application in the future if another job opens up.

Easy if you've got an enterprise system where a single click will respond to all. Not easy if you are a small company, don't have an online system but instead get resumes via email and have to look at and respond to all of them "by hand" and you get 500 resumes.

It's simply not practical for a small business to send two emails to everyone that applies. And again, it's why I no longer advertise positions but rely on word-of-mouth. It cuts down on the people who waste everyone's time by applying for any and every job, even if they aren't remotely qualified.

All I can say to you is congrats on being a good business owner. Keeping employees first should be as much a priority as the bottom dollar. I agree that everyone wants to make money but in tough times it really shows good character for a company to take a reduction in profits in order to keep employees on the same level as before.

Thank you. It's something we take pride in, and it's the reason we are able to attract and retain the best workforce in our field in the nation.

[Soda120]

Originally Posted by annerk

You seem to be missing the point. Even on this thread the job seekers can't agree. It's not the employers that can't get it right, it's the applicants that are so bitter at "the man" that they have lost sight of everything except that bitterness.

I own a company and have managed to keep a workforce employed and even add to it during this recession. We offer good benefits and wages. We treat our employees as people. The owners haven't had a raise in three years yet our employees have gotten at least 3% every year. We held employee health insurance costs level even though they went up 30%. Yet I'm the "enemy" for every unemployed person in the country. Explain that.

My guess is that the unemployed are totally frustrated and embittered with hr managers who won't give them the time of day. They have the qualifications needed, yet continuously are rejected.

People aren't robots; they have a right to be angry with those who continuously snub them. They are angry with "the man", yes, because "the man" represents all those who slammed the door in their face.

That's my opinion, and I don't speak for everyone. I wouldn't if I could ...

I definitely don't speak for all of the unemployed, either.

BTW, I am employed, have been for nearly two years, and am grateful.