First, the scenario: An out-of-work senior professional I know applied for a job at an East Coast health care chain. The organizational recruiter requested a phone interview him, and he accepted, adjusting his schedule to spend an hour with her. After hearing his credentials, the recruiter was interested enough to ask for more information in the form of examples of the candidate's work in that field. "Send me the work samples," she requested, "and I will share them with the hiring manager. He'll be back next week, and I will get back to you to tell you how we will go forward."
The candidate prepared a detailed portfolio and e-mailed it to the recruiter. Time passed. First one week. Then another. The candidate was patient, until a month passed. Then he corresponded with the recruiter and received this response by email:
"Thank you so much for your time and additional information on your background for the position at (local employer). At this time, the Executive team has decided to move forward with an internal candidate. We will keep your information on file for future roles."
This was a day when the candidate had had enough, and he sent back this e-mail:
"As a job hunter, please let me give you some input for you and your peers:
"After I gave you my time and responded to your request for a portfolio as a follow up, I would have appreciated knowing of this development. There are many of us out here trying to get work in a difficult economy, and it is disheartening to spend our time and make a great deal of effort only to be left hanging, made to wonder what is happening next.
"It is apparent that even after all the initiative I put into this opportunity, I would not have heard from (local employer) if I had not circled back. And I am quite familiar with your position. In my own role as a business leader, I have built and rebuilt teams over the years by seeking out and interviewing many people. I have called prospective candidates and even vendors back to give them closure and to thank them for attempts to work with me. In this era of instant, electronic communication, not using a simple e-mail, even one that is automated, is an oversight and a slight.
"I urge you and others in your discipline to remember that there are real, live people on the other end of these applications and interviews. It would be helpful to their psyches if more employers and their recruiters kept these folks and their pain in mind."
I'm glad that my friend got this off his chest, as he speaks for all job seekers who are being treated poorly. We have reached a point in this business world where employees and potential employees are regarded as one more piece of capital, as costly and expendable as last year's model of the fax machine, and even as outmoded at times. Many are suffering, and they are putting forth any effort they can to earn a livable wage. They do not need to be humiliated further by faceless factotums who treat them as expendable.
Decades ago, Linda Loman, Willy's wife in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman cried out in frustration when her husband was being disregarded in the work place. She said, "He's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him....Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person." At one time, I found those words to be overly dramatic and hyperbolic. Now, nearly 65 years later, in this place and time, Miller seems downright prescient. Shame on us who have allowed this to come true.
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Your friend took a stand with dignity. This is a superb article, Pat, and you have become a voice for many who are not in position to openly denounce rude treatment of job seekers. Thank you for such valuable words.
ReplyDeleteI have heard so many examples of this kind of behavior of companies interviewing multiple candidates for jobs and then choosing the internal candidate in the end or tabling the job altogether. Speaking from the inside of a company HR department, I don't see any evil intent in any of this... it's kind of a numbers game with recruiters. But I agree with you Pat, that it would be so easy for the person who made the personal connection with the prospect to pick up the phone and call with the news. It may be bad news but at least you close the loop with the prospect in a respectful way. I'm not sure why companies (and recruiters) find that such a hard thing to do.
ReplyDeleteChris, I have also been on the inside of HR, and I have been on the employer's side in the hiring process. It is not picking the internal candidate that is disturbing in this story. Certainly, people who work for a company should be heartened that their employer chooses to promote from within; I know I would be. It is the idea that the employer asked a good bit of time and effort from this applicant, and in the end, he never have learned the outcome of the outcome if he hadn't taken the time himself to call. Even a form e-mail that gave closure would have been more considerate.
DeleteAdditionally, Chris, you used to compliment me on how I called spoke to vendors, either explaining to vendors why I did not need their services or calling them after a pitch to explain why I chose someone else. You can understand why I think job applicants who go through a process deserve similar courtesy.
DeletePat, I had almost the same exact thing happen to me. I spent 40 hours preparing for a half day interview, completing assignments I was given and an hour long phone interview that preceded it. A week letter, I got a form letter from the recruiter saying that felt that other candidates were better qualified. I saw red, and sent back professionally worded message saying letting the recruiter know that I deserved more than a form letter after all the time and effort expended. What goes around comes around and when and if I have the opportunity, I would not recommend this firm because of the unprofessional treatment of candidates they don't select to work at their firm. Ralph T.
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