Dear HR People;

Have you ever been unemployed?  Do you know what it is like to apply for a job?  Have you ever had to go through the process, and get excited about the opportunity- only to have your hopes slashed with no explanation?  Some say it's a process that you could benefit from:

From http://qualigence.com/infographic-recruiters-wake-up/

I would like to share with you a few of my experiences in hopes that you may learn how to think of the job application process from the other side of the interview table (actually, it is more accurate to say, the other side of the computer monitor).

First, if your company is large enough that it uses a recruiting software, please read my post about Taleo.  If you need more proof, look through the Google search results for "Taleo sucks."  Please note that there are a number of people, I mean "qualified candidates" in your terminology, who are saying they will not apply for a job if they have to use it.

The #1 complaint of job seekers is lack of response.  No matter the method of application, I never expect a response.  Never.  There is definitely a "keep your expectations low and you won't be disappointed" philosophy here.  I have a lot of history to support this philosophy.  I even get excited if I get a form email back, "Thank you for your recent application.  Due to the high number of applicants we will only contact you if...."  The automatic form email response should be the very least that a job applicant receives.  But there must be a better way.  There must be.

In an ideal world where there is no fear of litigation, as soon as my application has been rejected, I would receive a notification with explanation (how can I as an applicant learn how to improve without this information?).  If my application is being reviewed, I would also receive notification.  Since we're in an ideal world, this would all happen in a reasonable time frame, too.  Please don't leave us hanging.

Thank you for your consideration into these matters.  I know you want to find the right person for the job.  We're out there.  We are ready, willing, and excited to make some amazing contributions to your company.  But we're getting just a tad bit frustrated at the process because there seems to be some big cracks that we're falling through while trying to get through it.

Sincerely,

A Job Seeker