Are Employers the New Enemy of Job Seekers?

By Staff

Have you ever sent a resume out to a company or agency supposedly looking for a worker, only to have it disappear into the black void?

Many have; too many, in fact. This is becoming a continual grievance amongst job seekers because employers seem to be of the mindset, they are in the catbird seat due to more unemployed than jobs here in Salisbury. However, those employers are actually speaking volumes to the community through this practice.

What they’re saying is: “No one in their right mind should really want to work for us; look at how rudely we treat people who want to work here!”

Ironically, many of these same companies complain they cannot seem to attract the highly skill applicants. Well, no wonder when they blow them off at the first initial contact. They have these applicants fill out four to eight page applications – something that takes a lot longer than truly necessary considering there’s a resume attached – only to be blown off completely, without so much as a “we’ve decided to go with another applicant…” note or email.

Government – especially the local gang - is notorious for being the big rude black hole. Many positions listed on their websites with strict deadlines but when applicants take that time to fill out their unnecessarily lengthy application asking for redundant information -- they get absolutely NO response. None. Nadda. Zero. (Many officials have surely been unfriended on Facebook because they don’t realize their FB friends/voters have been subject to their rude lack of response.)

This employer laziness, because there’s no other way to describe it, is eventually going to haunt them if it already hasn’t –word gets around. Many applicants avoid certain companies in town due to their reputations as being bad employers with revolving doors that move faster than at Herald Square’s Macy’s. Eventually, their post-filling efforts will result in unqualified applicants because the good candidates they’ve already ticked off. It can (and does) happen.

The old Golden Rule, ‘do unto others,’ works in the business world, too, kids.

Employers, if you want quality applicants, then treat job seekers with a little respect. Then, quality people will want to work for you!

And, job seekers, just remember, if a company dismisses your application without response, then the job is probably not all it's cracked up to be. Hang in there, the right job will come.

Share your stories of your last job search here; should prove entertaining at the least, but informative at the worst.