Over recent months I have been seeking a job. It has been harder than I expected!
I have a pretty broad set of experiences and skills. I have managed staff, worked in sales, created marketing campaigns, produced research, etc.etc. My CV outlines all of these things, and my letters of introduction aim to elaborate on specifics for the roles I have been applying for.
The reality is, however, that those two documents are not me. They are pictures of achievement, designed to convey some sense of confidence and competence to a potential employer. They are historical. They are abstract.
If someone takes the time to apply for a role, they must think they have some capacity to fulfill it, even if the documents don't match up to HR's expectation for the role. Wouldn't it make sense that a very simple telephone call to an applicant could screen them better than those abstract documents?
I know - thousands of applicants, can't call them all. These roles are not ones with thousands of applicants. These roles are those that have maybe a dozen. They are high stakes roles. Surely thinking twice about a candidate, calling them to hear their voice and clarify something about them, would be a worthwhile exercise.
Alas, I have been there before, on the other side of hiring, and not done call backs. I expected HR to do them. If nothing else, it is common courtesy to give some feedback. If not a telephone call, then a brief personal email saying something relevant to the person's history. This is a commitment I will make should I be on that other side again in the future.
PS
Interesting, the day after posting this, an interesting view of the other perpsective - "Candidates Ghosting Employers" - landed in my inbox.
